170#: Patrick Cote (18-8) vs Bobby Voelker (24-8) wins by Unanimous Decision!
145#: Antonio Carvalho (15-5) vs Darren Elkins (15-2) wins by Technical Knockout in RD1!
170#: Dan Miller (14-6) vs Jordan Mein (26-8) wins by Technical Knockout in RD1!
155#: Daron Crucikshank (12-2) vs John Makdessi (10-2) wins by Unanimous Decision!

170#: Quinn Mulhern (18-2) vs Rick Story (14-6) wins by Technical Knockout in RD1!
135#: Issei Tamura (7-3) vs T.J. Dillashaw (6-1) wins by Knockout in RD1!
145#: Reuben Duran (8-4-1) vs George Roop (12-9-1) wins by Unanimous Decision!

Ultimate Fighting Championship 158 takes place on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Facebook fights start at 6:30 p.m. EST. To watch the FREE prelims on Facebook simply visit their Facebook page and “like.” Preliminary card starts at 8 p.m. EST on FX Channel and Fox Deportes for Spanish language broadcast. PPV begins at 10 p.m. EST. Watch the official weigh-ins LIVE on Friday, March 13th at 4 p.m. EST and The ‘Countdown to UFC 158’ show which is a 30 minute show that follows the fighters behind the scenes leading up to the fight can be watched here.

Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz
Georges St. Pierre.

Carlos Condit vs Johny Hendricks
Carlos Condit has gotten a lot of criticism lately for the way he fought Nick Diaz at UFC 143 in February of last year. His haters and Diaz fans claimed he ran away from Diaz. Condit’s fans say he used footwork and strategy instead of stupidly planting his feet in the center of the ring and going toe to toe with Diaz like it was an unskilled Toughman contest. What many of his critics have forgotten about is Condit is called “The Natural Born Killer” for a reason. Before the Diaz fight there was only one….ONE fighter that he beat that he didn’t finish and that was a monster in Jake Ellenberger. Condit is one of the best finishers in the game with one of the highest percentages of any top fighter. In the Diaz fight, he did what was needed to beat Diaz and secure the win and a payday. In an era, where the company is cutting fighters willy-nilly, this does not come as a surprise. Relaxation in sports improves performance. Being told you can be cut from the organization after a single loss, sent a signal to all fighters: just win and you have a job. Who would take a risk with that hanging over your head?

Two-time NCAA D1 and four-time All-American wrestler has ripped apart the entire division in his past few wins. Here is one of the most highly decorated wrestlers in the sport today, yet he doesn’t win his fights by wrestling. He wins them by putting opponents to sleep with strikes. Hendricks has “one punch and you are sleeping” power. You don’t crumble in the corner and cover up in a fetal position. You don’t listen to the ref telling you to defend yourself or he’ll stop it. You go directly to La-La Land. The fact that he is a southpaw and he uses his left hand to KO you as opposed to it coming from the other side has caused a problem for people. Most of their training partners and opponents are throwing bombs from the other side. The time to make the adjustment is not in the ring, but in training. Apparently it’s not an adjustment that people are making in training because he is knocking them out early in fights.

Condit showed an intelligent gameplan against the dangerous Diaz. He already showed that the gameplan is more important to him and that he can execute against a dangerous opponent. Diaz’s face took some serious damage in that fight, but he is known to have a great chin and is hard to finish outside of a cut. It remains to be seen if Hendricks has the same resolve, chin and stubborness. If he can withstand the striking and submissions of Condit and get close enough to land a bomb. He wins and perhaps by knockout. I suspect that Condit will execute his gameplan and pull of a decision or submission for the upset.

NBG Pick: Carlos Condit

Jake Ellenberger vs Nate Marquardt
Absolute monster Jake Ellenberger was piling up win after win in the Welterweight division defeating top welterweights Mike Pyle, Sean Pierson, Jake Shields, and Diego Sanchez, before being derailed by Martin Kampmann. He got back to his winning ways in October of last year at UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot by defeating veteran Jay Hieron by Unanimous Decision. Jake is typically a finisher, and it after the confidence booster after a loss, I would think he will get back to his finishing ways. However his opponent Nate Marquardt is a veteran that is on top of his game. Ellenberger is big for the weight class and Marquardt is massive for the weight class. Marquardt is also a fighter with a high rate of finishes. So we have a fight here that will likely end in a finish. While my head says that Nate will do what is needed to win this fight, I am feeling an upset may be in the making due to the style-wise matchup. Marquardt should be incredibly strong in the first few rounds and will present a real problem for Ellenberger. Marquardt has no quit in him and I believe his experience will help him finish this fight in the later rounds.

NBG Pick: Nate Marquardt

Chris Camozzi vs Nick Ring
This bout should pan out to be a striking match. An unwritten agreement to stand and trade, with Nick Ring likely mixing takedowns in. His style is reminiscent of GSP’s and being a Kanuckian, I’m sure it’s no accident. Ring is an Ex-Kickboxer (around 30 fights) and professional Boxer (4-1) and has more of a “Boxing” style and American Camozzi has more of a Muay Thai style meaning more kicks and where available he will grab and slam knees if the opportunity presents itself. Neither fighter has heavy power and will need to put together some combinations to get a referee stoppage. This fight will likely end in decision and if Ring decides to be heavy with the takedowns, a boring one.

NBG Pick is: Nick Ring.

Mike Ricci vs Colin Fletcher
Kanuckian Mike Ricci who claims to have begun his training by learning Kung-Fu from books, has really matured as a well rounded and tough fighter. Being in his hometown and with fellow TriStar fighters on the card, he will have a lot of something extra to push him to work harder, entertain the fans and get the finish. His opponent, former nightclub manager and an ex-bus driver Colin Fletcher is coming by way of Sunderland, United Kingdom. His only loss came by way of injury. Seven of his 8 wins have come by way of submission, all by choke, so it is no mystery where he will want to be in this fights. Ricci is more well rounded and less a specialist and will know exactly what to do to keep Fletcher at bay.

NBG Pick: Mike Ricci

Come back for the results, updates and animated gifs. What are your picks for the headline fight between GSP and Diaz? Will GSP return to his finishing ways like he’s promised or will he wrestle to a win ? Who wins the bonuses?

State and City officials gathered in New Bedford yesterday to sign a formal Cooperation Agreement for the “New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal,” a $100 million specialized marine terminal capable of handling massive turbines, blades, and other components necessary for constructing wind farms at sea.

The Terminal has recently been the focus of intense state and city planning. An award for a general construction contract is expected this spring, with the Terminal ready in time to support the nation’s first offshore wind energy project, the Cape Wind Project.

New Bedford is increasingly regarded as the strong frontrunner in the state-level competition for the launch of the offshore wind energy industry in North America. Federal and state policies, as well as geography, have bestowed decisive competitive advantages on the City, and the City is doing its best to ensure these advantages are capitalized upon.

In addition to being the closest major industrial port to the Cape Wind Project, the Port of New Bedford is also closest to areas of ocean just south of Martha’s Vineyard that have been federally designated for offshore wind development and that contain fully 25% of the nation’s wind reserves.

Assembled in New Bedford today were: Mayor Jon Mitchell, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan, representatives from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center, the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission, and the New Bedford Redevelopment Authority.

The Agreement reflects the shared commitment and goals of the City of New Bedford and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and outlines the many areas in which the parties will collaborate to support the project, including transportation investments, supply-chain development, and job-training.

“Governor Patrick, Secretary Sullivan, and the MassCEC have been terrific partners to the City of New Bedford. The have had the vision to see the unique advantages that give New Bedford a leg-up on the competition in the race to develop the offshore wind industry. The combination of their leadership, and our commitment as a community, have made New Bedford the odds-on favorite to become the birthplace of the industry in North America,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

“The Patrick-Murray Administration is dedicated to making the Commonwealth a pioneer in offshore wind and we are pleased to celebrate this partnership with the City of New Bedford,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “By choosing to invest in this project, we are supporting economic growth in New Bedford and the South Coast, creating jobs and launching a promising new global industry in Massachusetts.”

“This Terminal will make Massachusetts and New Bedford hubs of the global offshore wind energy industry, which will generate more than $50 billion in the United States by 2025,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “We’re looking forward to continuing this partnership with the City to make the Terminal an economic centerpiece of this community for years to come.”

Welcome to the third installment of the “Who remembers…?” series. In the inaugural article we reminisced about Virginia Dare Soda and in the second we took a stroll by Sunbeam Bread. My intention with this series of articles is not just to invoke nostalgic memories for those of us who have been “there”, but to share with the newer generation positive things that made up our childhood. Of course, sharing the area’s history is a way to not let the good things that have happened in the area pass away to be forgotten forever.

More importantly is discussion and contribution from readers. Everyone has an anecdote to share that makes these articles special. The Virginia Dare article was read, shared, commented on and liked by thousands and the Sunbeam article was even more popular. There was a nice sense of community and it resonates with many of you folks out there. There is something about reminiscing that serves as a sort of therapy and relief from the stresses of the day. You sort of travel away in your head and leave the world behind even though for a few moments.

Just like Sunbeam Bread, Joe Jesus’ Peanut Shoppe evokes instant phantom aromas. For those of us who have…ahem, been around a while, the familiar scent of peanuts roasting was a fond one. Whether you were coming up Union Street, William Street or traveling along Purchase Street it was only a matter of time before conversation was halted or interrupted by that mouth watering inducing aroma. Who can smell it right now?

Joe Jesus was the fellow who brought the three Planter’s Peanut shops to New Bedford. He had three locations at one point, on 200 Maryland Street, 813 Purchase Street (now the No Problemo Taqueria) and across the street from the Bristol Building, which he also owned. The affable Mr. Jesus was commonly called Mr. Peanut and it was a common sight to see him handing out small bags of freshly, roasted gems to children getting dropped off by their school bus, inclement weather be damned. Immediate drooling would ensue and the tiny bag’s contents virtually inhaled in moments. There was something special about walking down the street with a great pal in tow, and chomping on Mr. Peanut’s freebies. It placed a stamp on one’s memory and regardless of how inane or mundane the topic of conversation was, you remembered it for months to come. “Hey remember when we were talking about who would win in a fight Spiderman or Superman and Mr. Peanut gave us a bag of peanuts?”

Two years ago New Bedford Guide sent Edward C. Dugan to interview Mr. Peanut in a spotlight article. When asked about his early business success he quickly brought up his peanut shops:

“I bought the Bristol Building in 1978, and I owned a peanut shop. Everybody loved the peanut shop talked about it” says Joe. “We turned on the roasters at 10 a.m. The aroma was all over the street.The high school was at the top of the hill on County Street. The kids would come from school and they would catch the bus on Purchase Street at either Cherry’s or Merchant’s Bank. Both were close to the peanut shop. The “Peanut Man” would sometimes give peanuts to the kids. At Christmas time I would buy one pound tins. By the time all of the doctors, lawyers and businessmen had bought a tin for their secretaries, we would have sold thousands of them. Not just in New Bedford, but all over the area. At one time I had three shops, but it was too difficult to keep up with them all.”

Joe also admitted that he intentionally placed the roaster in the window and placed a fan underneath it that blew the aroma out a vent and into the streets. The last Peanut Shoppe was closed down almost 10 years ago, however bringing it up in casual conversation gets everyone to smile and stroll down memory lane. Do I have to ask? Who wouldn’t love to have Mr. Peanut back!??!

While digging through a number of photo resources I used every keyword possible. From Joe’s name and nickname to street names and variations of spelling on “Peanut Shop.” I checked the Whaling Museum’s Flickr and website database, Spinner’s online photo collection, Flickr in general, and Google image search. Alas, I did not come across a single photo of the shop during operation. So I took some liberty with the photos in this article, since people simply love old photos of the area. Having said that, I have always made it clear that there are many far more knowledgeable local historians in the area. I would much rather prefer a two way discussion that be an orator. So PLEASE, by all means, share your anecdotes and if you have an image of the Peanut Shoppe in operation we’ll place it at the header of the article and give full credit of course.

As usual with these old photos I would like to thank the always generous Whaling Museum and Spinner Publications for their use!

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On the morning of March 6^th, 2007 the lives of children and families were ripped apart at the hands of federal immigration agents.  The incident made national news coverage, but its harsh impact occurred right in our own backyard.  On that morning, Michael Bianco Inc., a highly established leather factory, was raided by an army of 300 immigration officials. During the raid, 361 illegal workers were arrested and detained.  Since then, opposing opinions have been at the forefront of the immigration debate. However today, reflecting on the raid doesn’t just speak to the issue of illegal immigrants.  It brings to light something far more challenging – how the issue should be handled.

“But they were illegal…” Is this the only narrow thought in peoples’ minds?  While illegality was certainly the primary focus of the raid, there was an entire failure to see the moral and social issues involved.  These were people with families and children to feed.  At the time, immigration officials addressed specific provisions they had made to ensure that children were not left alone. Then, a few days later Massachusetts’  Governor Deval Patrick categorized the raid and its aftermath as a “humanitarian crisis.” Most of the arrested workers left behind families that were dependent on them.  A large majority were women, leaving children stranded at day-care centers, at school, or with the babysitter.  For days, many children were without homes, while no other family members existed to claim guardianship over them. Two infants were hospitalized two days later for dehydration from lack of their mother’s nursing.

Adding to that failure, the workers of Michael Bianco Inc. faced incomprehensible harassment. Immigrants whom were present shared chilling stories of what happened during the raid.  According to witness accounts, immigration agents charged into the factory, screaming and yelling for the workers to turn their machines off.  Many were scared and confused, while others knew exactly what was happening.  They attempted to flee the scene and failed.  Not only were there officials inside the factory, but helicopters monitored those fleeing on foot from overhead.

Workers were beaten to the ground, and handcuffed.  Men and women sat on the floor for hours, watching as agents gave each other ‘high-fives’ and congratulated themselves on their ‘success.’  One woman recalled asking for water after nearly seven hours of waiting. She was given one small water bottle to share with twelve other people.  Later, she states, “I saw that a girl had fainted.  She was on the floor.  She was on the floor and everyone ignored her.  Then she sat up and they put a box in between her legs and she vomited and vomited into the box.  After all this, they took her to Boston, but people say they took her to Houston.  They handcuffed her hands and feet and put her on the plane and they tied her waist.  They treat us like as if we were murderers.”

What can we gain from this? This incident proves that despite advancements in the debate, harsh, cruel, and inhumane treatment exists.   We can scream “But they were illegal” until we’re blue in the face.  Whatever our opinions are, they shouldn’t justify the acts that took place on March 6^th. Lives were destroyed, families were torn apart, and countless numbers of children were left abandoned.  Harsh enforcement will only encourage illegal citizens to remain silent and hide in the shadows. So many barriers exist and trying to ask why someone remains illegal is pointless. What we need to do is question our response to the inevitability of illegal immigration.  We need a plan that supports a pathway for legalization. We need to promote ethical and moral treatment as crucial building blocks for change. If the Bianco workers were illegal, fine, take action… But what happened on March 6^th at the Bianco factory went beyond simply enforcing the law.  We need to act, but this can’t be the only way.

A Note From The Author 3/6/14:

This article was meant to provide an additional perspective on the issue. And in fact, I believe that these individuals SHOULD face legal sanctions. I do not condone illegal immigrants hiding in the shadows of our neighborhoods, however the article is meant to highlight why perhaps, these individuals remain in hiding. They fear entering the system, for the fear that they will be abused, mistreated, and tossed out of the country – back to lives and places that we in America often can never begin to comprehend. The “stigma” that today exists across America is what causes law enforcement agents and administrators to respond in such a way. This ‘let’s catch em and show em a lesson’ mentality is woven into the very notion of “illegal immigrants.” As a result, people are mistreated – as in this case, terribly – and what results is a violation of basic humanity. So again, I reiterate, I do believe these individuals should be held accountable, however no child should be abandoned nor should any person be beaten, handcuffed, and spat upon by those who are supposed to uphold to the highest standards of virtue in our nation. No one, especially not myself, has said anyone breaking a law in our country should get a free pass. We need to change the response and the handling of the issue. That’s it.

Sources/further reading:

MIRA – Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Abraham, Y. The Boston Globe Local Updates, Boston.com
Shulman, R. Immigration Raid Rips Families, Washington Post

Mayor Jon Mitchell and the City of New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development today announced a new grant program for New Bedford homeowners who need to conduct emergency repairs to their homes.

The Emergency Repair Grant Program will help low and moderate income homeowners to make emergency repairs to conditions that threaten the health and safety of the occupants. The resident must own and occupy the residence, reside within the city limits and qualify financially.

The program is funded by the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and is designed to help improve the quality of life in city neighborhoods by assisting homeowners in addressing emergency conditions that pose an immediate danger to their health and safety.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said, “During these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever for the City to offer additional assistance to those households that would otherwise be unable to afford to conduct emergency repairs. This grant program exemplifies our commitment to improving the quality of life in New Bedford neighborhoods and our support for homeowners.”

A grant of up to $8,000 is available per owner-occupied home to assist with specific home repairs or activities that eliminate conditions detrimental to the safety and health of their residents. Eligible emergency repairs include, but are not limited to faulty roofs; unsafe electrical, heating or plumbing systems; or faulty porches and steps. All persons interested in applying for this program must meet HUD income eligibility, as well as other requirements and must complete an application with the OHCD prior to the commencement of any work.

“This is an excellent program that provides a streamlined grant process to help homeowners address emergency situations that impact their quality of life,” stated Patrick J. Sullivan, Director of the Office of Housing and Community Development.

The City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) receives a variety federal funding through the CDBG and HOME Investment Partnership Programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

These programs are geared toward providing funds to benefit low and moderate income individuals and families in the City by securing and/or improving their housing conditions. The OHCD administers several other housing programs, including First Time Home Buyer Down payment and Closing Cost Assistance Programs, Homeowner Repair and Accessibility Programs, as well as Lead Paint Removal Programs available through loans and grants to both owner occupants and investor owners who rent their properties to low income tenants.

For additional information on the Emergency Repair Program and other housing assistance, please contact the City of New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development at 508-979-1500 or visit the City’s website at www.newbedford-ma.gov/cd/welcome.html.

The city of New Bedford has asked Mercy Meals and More (634 Purchase Street) to be ready to open Thursday, March 7th, 2013, as a temporary emergency shelter. They will need volunteers to handle different shifts and donations. They need both men and women with at least one female sponsor for 6 to 11 p.m. Any takers to volunteer? Have some food or cash donations? Call or message Rev. Russ at 508-728-1489.

Freshman year of college was rapidly approaching and I still couldn’t decide on a class to fulfill my mathematics requirement. I hate math. I despise it. We don’t get along. I looked to my parents for advice. My father, who by harsh comparison loved math, recommended Elementary Statistics. This class didn’t sound fun – or easy – or something I would enjoy.

I love sports. My brother and I used to fight over the sports section of the newspaper. “How hard could this class be?” I asked myself, thinking back to sports section and how I loved to read about which baseball player had the highest batting average or which basketball player had scored the most points the night before. Three weeks into the 8 a.m. class schedule, I withdrew. It wasn’t for me. Elementary Statistics 1, Dave 0.

Where does this lead? Numbers, specifically data and statistics, can be a very important tool in helping us stay out of harms way. It’s not always the most compelling read, but I find crime statistics to be interesting and sometimes surprising. It’s one thing to spew off a bunch of numbers. But by looking deeper at the numbers, some very fascinating information can be obtained.

Recently, I read the December 2012 Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics Report on Violence Committed by Strangers. Is this on your “must read” list? If so, stop now! This article is full of spoilers.

When I envision an attack scenario, the aggressor is someone I do not know. Many people assume there’s a higher risk to be harmed by a stranger than by an acquaintance. The data says we are wrong:

1. People residing in urban areas “experienced higher rates of victimization by strangers than persons in suburban and rural areas.” Ok, this was kind of a no brainer and didn’t come as a surprise. Urban areas obviously have more “strangers.” These areas are more densely populated and there is more opportunity for crime to occur. This might be the least interesting statistic of the five, but please, read on.
2. “A higher percentage of violence by strangers occurred in public places (e.g., commercial establishments, parking garages and lots, open areas, streets or public transportation.)” This is a nice segway from #1. As mentioned in my previous article, the most important thing we can do to stay safe is to be aware of our surroundings. Parking garages provide plenty of dark corners and ambush points; and there aren’t always people present to witness an attack. The same goes for streets. Walking down a dark alley at night as a “short cut” may not be a smart decision when it comes to personal safety.
3. “Strangers committed about 9% of violent crimes that occurred in the victim’s home.” Now we’re getting to some interesting information. A friend of mine – we’ll call him John Doe – lives in New Bedford. He locks his doors at night, sets his ADT alarm, and owns a dog and a gun. Why? I assume it’s not to protect himself and his family from people he knows, but rather from people he doesn’t know. The statistics from this report show you are at a greater risk of violent crime (rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault) in your own home by someone you know rather than a stranger. Wow. This statistic blew me away!
4. “About half of violent victimizations committed by strangers occurred while the victims were away from home traveling, shopping or doing leisure activities.” I can understand this. We feel safe at home; we know our home; and our home is our castle. We know every sound, every entrance and every hiding spot. When we are traveling, shopping, doing leisure activities, our guards are down. We’re preoccupied. We are no longer in our safe haven, but have ventured into someone else’s potential hunting ground. Just think of our mindsets when we’re on vacation. Becoming a victim of a violent crime isn’t at the top of our list. It’s more likely which beach or which restaurant for dinner. When shopping, we’re thinking about which sale to hit and that extra pair of skinny jeans to buy (for the record, I do not own skinny jeans!). Our minds are elsewhere and it makes us the perfect target.
5. “About 10 percent of violent crimes committed by strangers involved a firearm…” I’ve envisioned this would be the case if I were to be robbed, assaulted, etc. The saying goes, “Never bring a knife to a gun fight.” My interpretation of this is that a gun/firearm is the alpha weapon and everything else is sub spar. This statistic doesn’t take into consideration other types of weapons, such as knives, box cutters and baseball bats, all that are capable of inflicting severe bodily harm. More than anything, this statistic shows favorable odds that a firearm won’t be involved in an attack.This is the most promising statistic available. Why? It shows that the victim has a chance to defend himself/herself. It shows that our own will to survive may just be enough to fight off an attacker.

So why did I choose these five pieces of information? I wanted to show it’s not the stranger that we need to prepare for. Statistically, we are more likely to be a victim at the hands of someone we know. This proves that we need to be prepared for any situation. The world isn’t a perfect place, but we don’t have to live in fear and worry. It’s not about living scared; it’s about living prepared.

David Eaton, Jr. is the lead Instructor at Krav Maga Boston in New Bedford. He is currently teaching a Krav Maga class at 10 a.m. on Saturdays at the New Bedford Fitness and Martial Arts Center on 665 Orchard Street in New Bedford. Full schedule here. You can contact him at Kravmaga.deaton@gmail.com. 

265#: Lavar Johnson (17-6) vs Brendan Schaub (9-3) wins by Unanimous Decision!
155#: Michael Chiesa (8-0) vs Anton Kuivanen (17-5) wins by Rear Naked Choke in RD2!
145#: Dennis Bermudez (10-3) vs Matt Grice (15-4) wins by Split Decision!
155#: Caros Fodor (7-2) vs Sam Stout (19-8-1) wins by Split Decision!

170#: Brock Jardine (9-2) vs Kenny Robertson (11-2) wins by Kneebar in RD1!
170#: Jon Manley (7-2) vs Neil Magny (7-2) wins by Unanimous Decision!
170#: Nah-Shon Burrell (8-2) vs Yuri Villefort (6-1) wins by Unanimous Decision!

here.

Ronda Rousey vs Liz Carmouche
What UFC President Dana White said would never happen is happening: women are fighting in the UFC. What changed his mind? Current UFC Champion, Ronda Rousey caught Dana White’s attention, not by her good looks, but by winning all of her fights – every single one – by armbar. That’s two amateur fights, and six professional fights all by armbar. In addition, all but one of those fights ended in under a minute, and even the fight that went past a minute ended in the first round. Man, woman, child, or alien, that is impressive. If Rousey did not have the looks and skill, she would still be marketable based on charisma and chutzpah alone. Rousey says what she means and means what she says. She is the total package from a fan, business and promotional point of view.

Rousey’s background is in Judo where she has won dozens of medals and a world championship, culminating in Olympic Bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The criticism against her is that she is “two dimensional”, meaning she can throw you and submit you but can’t punch or kick. In her early fights she looked awkward and raw. She took the criticism to heart and focused almost solely on her striking. The Countdown to UFC 157 show featured plenty of footage of her working on this area, and she looks like another fighter. Fluid, fast, and powerful.

Her opponent is Liz Carmouche, was born in Louisiana and grew up in Okinawa, Japan. Before her mixed martial arts career, she was a helicopter electrician for the Marine Corp. Carmouche has been overshadowed by Rousey’s stardom and looked past by pundits and punters alike. She has a raw, scrappy style of striking and is very strong for her size. Her grappling credentials consist of a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Carmouche made headlines leading up to this fight by “coming out” as a lesbian, being the first fighter in the history of the sport to reveal their homosexuality.

For Carmouche to win this fight, she needs to avoid the clinch and the ground at all costs. She must use footwork constantly and maintain a long measure. She needs to take potshots and hope to stun Rousey, where she can then put together a combination of strikes. Rinse and repeat. If taken down, her entire focus must be to get to standing and not “stay and play.” Especially considering she has lost once by submission already. For Rousey to win, she simply needs to clinch with Carmouche. If a clinch happens, chances are you can count the seconds on one hand that it will take for Rousey to throw Carmouche where the end will inevitably come by submission.

NBG Pick: Ronda Rousey.

Lyoto Machida vs Dan Henderson
Brazilian Lyoto Machida is one of the most unique fighters in the sport today. He uses an unorthodox stance, maintains a long measure, and utilizes his footwork to evade an opponent until he sees an opportunity or opening. With impeccable accuracy and timing he closes the distance with a strike or footsweep that he is committed to 100%. He has one punch knockout power in each hand as well. This has presented a deep riddle for most of the division. His major losses are a knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and a modified Guillotine choke to current champion Jon Jones.

Pioneer and legend Dan Henderson has been competing at the highest level of the sport since it’s beginning. The highly decorated wrestler is famous for his granite chin, inability to be knocked out, and perhaps the most powerful right hand in the sport today. It only takes one from Hendo, who’s right hand has been dubbed the “H-Bomb.” People who have been victimized by the “H-Bomb” include Renzo Gracie, Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping, and Fedor Emelianenko. This fight in all likelihood will take place as a striking match with very little grappling. In essence it will be Machida’s straight left versus Henderson’s overhand right. Unfortunately for Machida, the overhand right is perfectly made for straight lefts. He will need to pull some other tricks out of his bag to pull it off. Henderson just needs to keep that right hand firing EVERY time Machida throws a straight left.

NBG Pick: Dan Henderson.

Ivan Menjivar vs Urijah Faber
Salvadoran Ivan Menjivar has been fighting in the sport since 2001, flying under everyone’s radar except the hardcore fan who always knew he’d eventually make it to the big show. Going 4-1 since being in the UFC, the 2 time Submission of the Night fighter has earned a shot against the cream of the crop and is bee-lining for a title shot. The salty veteran is well-rounded and equally dangerous with his hands as he is with his submissions.

His opponent is ex-champion, Californian, and Team Alpha Male leader Urijah Faber. Faber has fought the biggest and the best names in the sport. He is one of those fighters that stays at the top, but just doesn’t seem to be able to regain a title. He is a superb athlete with phenomenal cardiovascular endurance, wrestling and confidence. His weakest link and perhaps what is keeping him from regaining a title is the ability to KO an opponent at the top level. It has been six long years since Faber has gotten a KO or TKO stoppage. Often his cockiness and attempts to look “cute” place him in danger. Against Menjivar he better not try to look cute.

This is one of those fights where the experience and well-roundedness of the fighters will show. This fight will surely go up and down, and move from strikes to throws (attempted anyhow) and ground wrestling. The grappling caliber of both may cancel each other out. Though Faber has a sneaky and powerful guillotine choke that can finish anyone. On the feet Menjivar has an edge in power, but not necessarily speed. Faber is better suited to take the fight to the ground and Menjivar keeping it standing. Whomever makes his tactic work will win. This is anyone’s fight.

NBG Pick: Ivan Menjivar.

Josh Neer vs Court McGee
Josh Neer is one of this writer’s favorite fighters. His aggressive fearless style makes him an exciting fighter to watch. With 17 TKOs, 12 submission wins and 88% finish rate, he has more than proven this style of exciting fighting is effective. The only problem with being fearless, and highly offensive is at times Neer leaves himself exposed and gets caught by a punch or submission. In his last fight he looked lethargic and sluggish and appeared to have a poor weight cut. It remains to be seen whether he has fixed the issues or not. His opponent Court McGee is a monster in the weight class. A virtual gorilla. Big, strong, and powerful. As a matter of fact Court has 2 professional Boxing bouts under his belt, in the Cruiserweight division which has a cutoff of 200 pounds. On paper, Neer’s vast experience should be too much for McGee as he has lost to higher levels of competition both times he has gone up. However, I wonder about the weight cut and big chances he takes. My heart want Neer to win. Come back in a few days…I may change my pick!

NBG Pick is: Josh Neer.

Josh Koscheck vs Robbie Lawler
UFC heel Josh Koscheck has had all but two of his 23 fights in the UFC. Virtually an entire career in one organization fighting only the best. Josh possesses extreme confidence, even arrogance regardless of his opponent. The NCAA D1 champ and All-American has a predilection to strike in spite of his background and wrestling accomplishments. Perhaps preferring the $75,000 win bonuses that accompany Knockout of the Night awards, which he has won twice. However, his opponent Robbie Lawler has built his entire career and even legend by terrorizing people with awesome displays of highlight reel knockout power. Lawler is a pioneer of the sport and been around since the earliest days. This fight against Koscheck is a return to the UFC. This fight can carry out a few different ways. If Koscheck tries to trade with Lawler, he will get put to sleep and play into what Lawler does best and wants to do. In spite of that, Koscheck, being supremely confident and competitive is the type of person that would intentionally stand and trade with Lawler just to prove to everyone that he can and that he is not scared. If Koscheck wrestles, he is almost guaranteed to win. If he stands, he is almost guaranteed to lose.

NBG Pick: Josh Koscheck.

Come back for the results, updates and animated gifs. What are your picks for the headline fight between Rousey and Carmouche? Will Carmouche be able to stop Rousey’s armbar streak? Who wins the bonuses?

The City of New Bedford and the Department of Public Infrastructure recently presented the design plans for the second phase of the Route 18 reconstruction plan.

The construction of the first phase, which included much needed aesthetic improvement and efficient re-routing of traffic in the Union and Elm Street area of Route 18, was completed just recently in November. That project fixed bottlenecking issues present at at Route 18 intersections and converted Elm and Walnut Streets to four-way intersections while creating a more appealing, tourist-friendly appearance that was intended to provide a boost to downtown businesses.

The second phase will revamp the section that spans between the Union Street intersection and Cove Street in the south end of New Bedford. Much like the first phase of the project, this will bring beautiful bluestone crosswalks, brick sidewalks, and more pleasant landscaping to the currently dreary stretch of highway. The pedestrian overpasses, regarded by many as eyesores, will be taken down and replaced with more crosswalks throughout the roadway.

The re-invention of the roadway is part of the larger John F. Kennedy Boulevard project. Gone will be the days of Route 18 as a highway, where cars often travel well over the speed limit, and in will come a more aesthetically pleasing, gradual roadway. Despite the change, a commute from one end of Route 18 to the other is only projected to add a minute or so to travel times.

The project is going to be heard at a public meeting in New Bedford hosted by the Department of Transportation, likely within the next month. Public Infrastructure Department Head Ron Labelle projected the beginning of the project to come in the Spring of 2014. The plan is the product of Ron Labelle and his team, several different mayoral administrations, and especially south end community and business leaders and City Councilor Joseph Lopes.

President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address Tuesday to both houses of Congress and other political dignitaries and guests. Many assumed he would target his speech directly to his Democratic base, and while he was guilty of this at times, he reached across the aisle at times, citing the need for compromise in such an important moment in history for the United States. He discussed many of the same topics he addressed in his inaugural address, lauding some of the efforts made over the last year as well as highlighting the progress to be made in the future. Here were the key points from his address that could be affecting the southcoast community:

The President stressed the need to come to compromise before the “Sequester” that occurs on March 1st, in which $85 billion in budget cuts would automatically take effect. He cited the need for smart and modest reforms to the Medicare program that would save costs and improve healthcare. According to Census data, there are approximately 14,000 citizens aged sixty-five or older in New Bedford, making up 14.6% of the city’s population.

He also echoed a frequent talking point of the 2012 presidential election – the need to close the tax loopholes that are being taken advantage of by the wealthy, resulting in business owners sometimes paying less in taxes than the employees that work under them. He also embraced efforts to simplify the tax code and the filings necessary in order to expedite the process.

President Obama discussed a need to bring back manufacturing jobs that are the root of US success. Creating tax incentives for businesses to bring manufacturing back seems like a good idea. Several large corporations are already moving some manufacturing jobs back to the United States, including Apple. Obama announced the formation of several new “manufacturing hubs” – organizations throughout America devoted to training people for manufacturing work and linking those workers with the companies. One of these centers in the southcoast could prove extremely valuable, reviving some of the hard-working mill culture that the region was known for.

President Obama suggested we continue a heavy investment into improving education. He cited a stunning statistic, saying that every one dollar spent on education saves us seven dollars in the future. Returning to the topic of expanding manufacturing, and science and engineering fields, President Obama pointed to the example of German high schools, which prepare students with typical academics as well as skills learned in US trade schools.

The President also mentioned the increasing costs and decreasing returns of higher education in the United States, and vowed to create a “College Scorecard,” a tool that would evaluate whether or not individual schools were worth their costs.

In order to stimulate the economy, he suggested we raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour, up from the $7.25 rate used currently. This could prove extremely beneficial to the southcoast area, where there are a number of low-paying service jobs. The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $8, but a bump of just a dollar could make a major difference in the paychecks of most of our hourly workers.

Finally, Obama cited concerns over gun control policy in the U.S., as well as measures we should take to be more environmentally friendly and less dependent on oil. He announced that while there were some executive actions he could take, he would much prefer to come to a compromise with legislators and continue to work toward equitable solutions.

Public opinion of the speech was high in the aftermath of the event. Many polled by CNN indicated they were more moved by the State of the Union than they were the inaugural address. We’ll see if the speech serves to close or further the divide that exists between Democrats and Republicans in Congress and we’ll closely monitor how these potential changes affect the southcoast.