Governor Charles D. Baker signed a bill sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader and Rules Chairman Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford) that will crack down on animal abuse and cruelty. The legislation, An Act to prevent animal suffering and death, will restrict dog tethering, prohibit leaving a dog outdoors during extreme weather conditions, and allow first responders and private citizens to rescue endangered animals locked in cars while penalizing the neglectful owner.

The bill prohibits persons from leaving their pet in a car when temperatures could endanger the animal’s health and safety. Penalties for violations are up to $500 and leave open the possibility of criminal animal cruelty charges in the most egregious cases. Protections are afforded to first responders and private citizens who take reasonable actions to rescue an endangered animal from the vehicle. Private citizens must first dial 911 to alert authorities and remain with the animal until first responders arrive at the scene. On hot summer days, cars can heat up rapidly, putting animals left in cars in extreme danger of injury or death. These measures will educate the public about the importance of not leaving their animals behind, give good Samaritans the ability to rescue the animals, and overall prevent needless animal suffering.

The Act also prohibits leaving a dog outdoors during harsh weather conditions such as extreme hot or cold temperatures, heavy rain and blizzard conditions. Dogs also cannot be chained or tethered outside for more than 5 hours per day or between 10PM and 6AM for longer than 15 minutes. Excessive tethering can result in significant behavioral issues, including aggression and barking, in dogs and can further jeopardize a dog’s safety due to strangulation. Violations under the tethering law include penalties up to $500 or relinquishment of ownership to protect the dog.

Last month, a 2-year-old long-haired German Shepherd, named Maverick, was found at a Middleborough home by animal control. The dog had chewed off part of his own paw in an attempt to escape after being left entangled on a leash for at least a day. Burns and scars upon the dog’s body also suggested previous entanglements many times before.

As the longtime leader in Senate efforts to prevent animal cruelty, Senator Montigny stated, “This legislation will help protect animals that provide endless amounts of love and affection from abusive and downright criminal conduct. I would like to thank Governor Baker for his support, and stress that if you see an animal in distress call 911 and break the window. It’s time we put the animal first.”

Your Theatre, Inc., director Robin Richard of New Bedford, MA, has cast ten South Coast actors for the September Season Opening production of California Suite, by Neil Simon.

The ten cast members are Wade Martin of Berkley, Cheryl Day, Michael Mirpourian, Carol Oliva and Tony Oliva of Fairhaven, Susan Wing Markson of Lakeville and Lee Bonia, Gil Cardona-Erazo, Stephanie Paquette, and Daniel Gabriel Sallom of New Bedford. The stage manager is Traci Antil of Fairhaven. Lighting Design is by Larry Houbre, Jr. of New Bedford, set design is by Mark P. Fuller of New Bedford, and sound design is by William C. Smith of Dartmouth.

Neil Simon is at his wittiest best with this confection in four parts. Visitors from New York, Philadelphia, London and Chicago check into the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel and deal with squabbling exes, a custody battle, feuding friends, a cheating husband (caught with a passed-out hooker), and a bitter actress in town for the Academy Awards. A funny and sunny romp with laughs and zingers only Neil Simon could provide. A great show to open our Season!

Your Theatre, Inc. is grateful to our 70th Season Sponsor, Bank5, for their fifth year of strong support for the arts.

Performance dates are September 8-10 and 15-17 at 8:00 p.m. and September 11 and 18 at 2:30PM. Performances are held at the wheelchair accessible Your Theatre, Inc. Playhouse located at 136 Rivet St. (corner of County St.), New Bedford, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church complex. Free off-street parking entrance is on County Street.

Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for season subscribers (three show minimum), and $13 for senior citizens, students, and military personnel. For further information call Your Theatre, Inc. at 508-993-0772, or send an email to info@yourtheatre.org. The theatre’s web site is www.yourtheatre.org

New Bedford to Encourage Water Conservation Practices

In light of the state Executive Office of Energy and Environment’s recent decision to upgrade the drought condition for Southeastern Massachusetts from “Drought Advisory” to “Drought Watch,” the City of New Bedford is taking steps to educate residents about ways they can help conserve water.

For areas under a “Drought Watch” (like New Bedford), the adoption of simple practices can help to significantly reduce outdoor water use. For example, outdoor watering is best done with a “handheld” hose or a watering can, rather than automatic sprinklers, after 5pm or before 9am (to avoid evaporative losses); and filling swimming pools, washing cars, and washing buildings, is discouraged.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s most recent assessment data, 92% of Massachusetts is presently experiencing some level of drought conditions with 17% of the state experiencing extreme drought conditions. A “Drought Watch” is declared by the state when conditions include “extremely low groundwater and stream flow levels resulting from prolonged periods of precipitation deficit, including a lack of snowfall in the winter months.”

New Bedford residents are encouraged to review the following water conservation tips provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs:

WATER CONSERVATION TIPS

OUTDOOR WATER USE

1. If you are in a region in Drought Watch (Moderate to Severe Drought Conditions): Limit watering to hand-held only or drip irrigation outside the hours of 9am – 5pm to avoid evaporative losses. To check your drought region and status go to: www.mass.gov/dcr/drought. See DCR and DEP web pages for more outdoor water saving tips.

2. Cover swimming pools when not in use to prevent evaporative losses.

3. Sweep driveways, walks, patios, and other outdoor areas with a broom rather than hosing them off. If water is necessary, use a water-conserving pressurized cleaning device . A water-conserving pressurized cleaning device is one that either (a) discharges water at a minimum of 1,000 pounds per square inch (psi), or (b) is rated at using less than three gallons of water per minute.

4. Where possible wash vehicles using a bucket and sponge, employing a hose with a shut-off nozzle for rinse only, or, if available, use a commercial car wash that recycles water (most do).

INDOOR WATER USE

•Take Shorter Showers: 5 minutes or less.
•Wash only Full loads of laundry and dishes.
•Turn off the tap when brushing teeth or shaving.
•Fix Leaks in the Building. Dripping faucets and leaking toilets can add up to hundreds of gallons of water lost per week.
•Avoid using the garbage disposal: create a kitchen compost instead.

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for this upcoming week of August 22, 2016 – August 27, 2016 and they are as follows:

The City of New Bedford – Department of Public Infrastructure

New Bedford / Fairhaven Bridge:

•Please be aware of detours and traffic delays, follow signs posted.

Acushnet Ave & Wamsutta St Railroad Bridge:

•Contractor will be working on miscellaneous items throughout the project.

•The roadway closure at Acushnet Ave & Wamsutta will remain closed. Please follow detour signs.

Coggeshall St Sewer Separation:

•The Contractor is scheduled to complete sidewalk and curbing repairs and trench paving along Coggeshall St between Belleville Ave and the Fairhaven bridge this week.

Other:

•MASSDOT will be performing bridge repairs at Phillips Rd. over the RT 140 location.

•The Contractor is scheduled to complete final trench paving along Tarklin Hill Rd between Worcester St and Ashley Blvd and at various intersections along Ashley Blvd between Tarklin Hill Rd and Deane St

•Contractor will be building the Cove Walk between West Rodney French Blvd. and Cove Rd.

•Contractor will be paving Bessey St from Acushnet Ave to the Acushnet town line.

•Contractor will be paving Tacoma St from Wildwood Rd. Westerly to the end.

•Contractor will be paving Rotch St between Hawthorn St to Maple St.

•Contractor will be paving and installing curbing Maxfield St. from Liberty St. to Lindsey St.

•Hydrant flushing on dead ends in the city. This may cause a temporary loss of water pressure.

•Hydrant flushing at industrial park on Sunday August 21, 2016. This may cause temporary loss of pressure.

On Friday August 12th a house break took place in the area of Tinkham and Hope St. The resident had left for several hours only to return and find the rear door of his apartment kicked in. Personal belongings were taken in the break.

An investigation conducted by Det. Raul Espinal led to an arrest warrant being issued yesterday afternoon.

At approximately 6:30pm Officers Jorge Santos and Dan Duclos observed the suspect riding a bicycle in the area of Sawyer St. and Acushnet Ave. He was taken into custody without incident and will be arraigned this morning in New Bedford district court.

Anyone with information on the suspect or where he may have been residing is asked to contact Det. Espinal at 508-991-6300 ext. 79509 or leave an anonymous tip at 508-99-CRIME.

Kevin Samuel Souto age 43 with no current address is facing charges of Breaking and Entering and Larceny in a Building.

Guess what? No rain forecasted at all this weekend! However, it will be quite humid for the vast majority of the weekend with temperatures hitting almost 90 degrees on Friday and “dropping” to the low 80s for the remaining part of the weekend. Overnights and mornings will be in the low 60s, so nice and pleasant for a small bonfire or snuggling.

As always, click on the title for more or detailed information on the event. Most of the events were pulled from our event calendar where you can find hundreds of local area events each month. The event calendar is FREE, so if you are a local business, and not taking advantage of FREE publicity, shame on you! Are you a local business and want to sponsor this high traffic, weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. Have an event to add? Add it here. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

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Friday, August 19th

Food Trucks, Fun, Fireworks at the Mattapoisett YMCA (6:00pm-9:00pm)
This family fun evening overlooking beautiful Mattapoisett Harbor offers a great selection of area food trucks – Big Daddy’s BBQ, Ox Cart from Oxford Creamery, Del’s Lemonade, Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza Oven, and The FanCheezical Truck, along with music from DJ Michael Rock from Fun 107 and games, face-painting and more for the kids. The evening ends with a spectacular fireworks display at 9 pm. Cost is only $20 per vehicle (no motor homes or buses allowed) for this fundraising event with all proceeds going towards helping more kids attend camp. Non outside coolers or alcohol will be allowed. Rain date is Sunday, August 21, 2016. Mattapoisett YMCA, 38 Reservation Road.

Open Skate Night (7:00pm-10:00pm)
Head to Carousel Family Fun Center at 4 David Drown Blvd. in Fairhaven for fun, exercise, and music provided by DJ Stacey Tinkham from “New Wave Rhythm.” Skate rentals are just $3. Admission is $10.

Live Music by Ron Valcourt (7:30pm-10:30pm)
Enjoy Live Music by Ron Valcourt on the Jery Remy patio on August 19th from 7:30pm to 10:30pm! Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar and Grill, 1082 Davol St., Fall River.

Saturday, August 20th

Onset Beach Yoga (8:30am-9:45am)
Wear comfortable clothing, bring a towel or blanket and water to drink. This Hatha Yoga class is open to all levels of experience, even none. Suggested donation of $10 supports the Onset Summer of Love Concert Series. Shell Point Beach, South Boulevard, Wareham, MA.

Oxford Book Haven & Cafe Book Sale (Fairhaven) (9:00am-1:00pm)
We have a large selection of books–most are 50 cents. We currently have a special section for our DOLLAR- A-BAG-BOOK SALE. Coffee, tea, soda and home-made coffee breads are available. We welcome anyone to join us in working on our puzzle. Computers and WiFi is available to the public. 357 Main Street, Fairhaven.

One Day Only BARN Sale (9:00am-3:00pm)
Rain OR Shine it’s a bargain hunter’s paradi$e! Wheelchair accessible. Located next to Cathedral Camp on Rt. 18 – Middleboro Road in East Freetown, Mass. Take Chace Road exit off of Route 140. Follow the signs to the church. Sponsored by St. John Neumann Women’s Guild. St. John Neumann Parish Barn, 157 Middleboro Road, East Freetown, MA.

Plymouth Airshow & Open House (10:00am-2:00pm)
The Plymouth Air Show will be a spectacular event! An airshow with local star performers such as aerobatic and Red Bull Air Race pilot, Mike Goulian and RC pilot, Mitch Buckley. On the ground there will be kids activities, airplane ground display, exhibits and airplane & helicopter rides. Tickets are a $10 per car donation when you park. See you there! Plymouth Municipal Airport, Plymouth, MA.

Live Music by Deja Blue (12:00pm)
I Love My City. Unite. Empower. Serve. Free concerts, basketball tournament, kids program, face painting, games, prizes, giveaways, food, clothes, and more! Fun for the whole family! Invite everyone! NB Well will be providing resources to #GetMovingGetHealthyBeWell. #bethechange *Rain date Saturday August 20, 2016. Buttonwood Park, 1 Oneida St., New Bedford.

Music and Wine- Butch McCarthy & the Gents (1:00pm)
Come enjoy free music while enjoying our estate grown wine! Call to see if we have any food vendors onsite, or as always, pack some snacks and enjoy our wine while you listen to free, live local music! Running Brook Vineyards, 335 Old Fall River Rd., North Dartmouth.

2nd Annual Sandcastle Day! (1:00pm-4:00pm)
Head to Onset Beach, just for fun, for the 2nd Annual Sandcastle Day! Rodney the Sandman will be present showing off his sand creature building skills. Tools provided. All are welcome. FREE! Onset Beach, 182 Onset Avenue, Wareham, MA.

Town Farm Concert with Livingston Taylor (Westport) (5:00pm-7:30pm)
Bring a picnic blanket, your friends and family as WLCT and Westport River Watershed Alliance present Livingston Taylor LIVE in Concert at the Town Farm. The annual Town Farm Summer Concert is great affordable family fun. See you there! Tickets are $20 per person and will be sold at the start of the event at 4:30pm only. Westport Land Conservation Trust, 830 Drift Rd., Westport, MA.

Saturday Evening Serenades (6:00pm-8:30pm)
A series of four free concerts on the Fall River Historical Society grounds at 451 Rock St. Attendees should bring a blanket or lawn chair. Beverages, wine and beer, cocktails, and refreshments will be sold; outside food and beverages are not allowed. Tonight: Monica Ambroziak and the Bob Demers Group. For more information call 508-679-1071, ext. 1 or 2.

Sunday, August 21st

New Bedford Wellness Initiative’s Wellness Program For Adults (11:00am-3:00pm)
Free Sunday Wellness Program with lots of great offerings! AC for exercise and yoga. #GetMovingGetHealthyBeWell with us this Sunday at the NB Well program. Great classes and Healthy Futures Farm will be with us. Also check out qigong with Marcia and Steve. Boys & Girls Club of Greater, 166 Jenney St., New Bedford.

Music and Wine- Mid-Life Crisis (1:00pm-5:00m)
Call to see if we have any food vendors onsite, or as always, pack some snacks and enjoy our wine while you listen to free, live local music! Running Brook Vineyards, 335 Old Fall River Rd., North Dartmouth.

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Want to sponsor this weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details.

Meet Rayana Grace, 24-year-old Youth Development Director at the YMCA.

Rayana, who has lived in the city her entire life, couldn’t imagine living and working anywhere else. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in Sociology and African/African-Diaspora studies, she had friends who took their skills and talents elsewhere, as she followed after her intuition to return home and seek employment.

Realizing the importance of giving back to the city that helped raise her she started working as a case manager at the Harbour House. The Harbour House caters to homeless families that are trying to get back on their feet, providing them with a place to live and a case manager, who can help plug them into the services offered in the city. She enjoyed this job, as it opened her eyes to the difficulties that others face in the city and gave her compassion to be able to do her best to help them.

After her time with Harbor House, she started working for the YMCA as the Youth Development Director, which was a position that hadn’t been held for 8 years prior to her employment there. With the Y, Rayana is able to create and maintain programs for the children who attend the downtown location. She has helped establish a drama club, dancing classes, and a plethora of other services during her time there.

Her hopes are to be able to empower the children to recognize that anything that they are looking for outside of themselves is already within them. So if they are looking for love or strength or faith, those are already gifts within them.

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

Photo: Representatives from The Bristol County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation present The Schwartz Center with a grant in the amount of $12,500 for early intervention education. From left to right: Elizabeth Pimental, BCSB Dartmouth Branch Manager; Koreen Santos, BCSB Foundation’s Southcoast Advisory Board member and President; Beatriz Oliveira, The Schwartz Center Manager of Development; Brenda Motta, The Schwartz Center Chief Administrative Officer; Patrick Murray, President and CEO of BCSB and the BCSB Foundation; Dennis Leahy, Executive Vice President and Treasurer, BCSB and the BSCB Foundation; and Michele Roberts, Community Relations Officer, BCSB, and board member Meeting Street.

Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB), through its charitable foundation, recently awarded a $12,500 grant to The Schwartz Center. Funds from the grant will be used to support The Schwartz Center’s Early Intervention (EI) professionals to conduct outreach to parents of children born with substance exposure.

Aligned with Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation’s philosophy to improve the lives of lower income families through education, Early Intervention enhances the development and learning of infants and toddlers through individualized, developmentally appropriate interventions.

“We are so grateful to Bristol County Savings Bank for their continuing generosity and value our shared commitment to children and their families in our community,” said The Schwartz Center president John M. Kelly.

About The Schwartz Center
The Schwartz Center, located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, provides services for children with special educational and developmental needs. In July of 2014, The Schwartz Center joined forces with Meeting Street in Providence, Rhode Island, to strengthen its ability to serve families in Southeastern New England. Both organizations were established nearly 70 years ago and now serve over 4,000 families annually. For more information, visit www.schwartzcenter.org.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn’s office will be hosting an interactive display at the Silver City Galleria Mall in Taunton this weekend called, Hidden in Plain Sight.

The display is a mock teenage bedroom that is designed to raise awareness about the signs of addiction or drug use a parent might or might not notice in their child’s room. The items in the room can range from alcohol, tobacco and marijuana related paraphernalia to items associated with prescription drug and heroin use.

The Hidden In Plain Sight initiative will assist parents spot signs of at-risk behaviors by using an interactive display of a teenager’s bedroom. The display will be staffed by volunteers from the district attorney’s office and the Taunton Opiate Task Force. The volunteers, through the use of the interactive display, will teach parents to see the signs of hidden substance abuse. The program uses a re-created bedroom of a typical teenager to test parents’ knowledge of common items that can be signs that the teen is using drugs or drinking alcohol.

District Attorney Quinn’s office is hosting this display in collaboration with the Silver City Galleria, Macy’s and the Taunton Opiate Task Force. The exhibit will be open to adults 21 and over from August 19-21, 2016, 12pm-9pm (Friday & Saturday) 1pm-6pm Sunday. The exhibit will be located on the second floor above center court in the space between Rover 360 and Olympia Sports.

This display is the first of its kind in Bristol County and it will be made available at other locations across Bristol County during the coming months (dates and locations to be announced).

The opioid epidemic currently plaguing the nation has been felt in Bristol County’s cities and towns. Families throughout Bristol County have been affected by this crisis. Some have lost loved ones and others search for treatment and support. This special event seeks to educate families on the signs of addiction so they can seek assistance and treatment before it is too late.

“This is part of our initiative to bring awareness to parents to help them address issues related to drug use before they spiral out of control,” said District Attorney Quinn. “Education and awareness is critical to addressing the opiate crisis.”

Yesterday, shortly before noon, an alert neighbor in the area of Hawthorn and Page St. called 911 to report a male going in and out of the neighborhood yards. She followed the suspect in her vehicle until he was stopped by Officer David Roy.

Meanwhile, Officers Thomas Chevalier and Dean Lawrence responded to the scene and found a home that had been entered through a rear window and exited by the rear door. The 79 yr. old homeowner was not home at the time and it appears that the suspect had fled the residence before taking anything.

Arraigned yesterday afternoon in New Bedford district court on Breaking and Entering charges;

Joseph Moniz age 42 of New Bedford.