FALL RIVER, NEW BEDFORD and WAREHAM, Mass. – On June 9, 1996, Charlton Memorial, St. Luke’s and Tobey hospitals joined to form Southcoast Health.

Twenty-five years later, the not-for-profit community health system spans 900 square miles, from Aquidneck Island to Cape Cod, caring for hundreds of thousands of people at its three hospitals, multiple surgical centers, seven urgent cares and dozens of practices.

In the decades since its founding, Southcoast has made the following services, among others, available to residents of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island:

Southcoast Cardiovascular Care Center at Charlton Memorial
St. Luke’s Emergency Department, Rapid Assessment Zone and Pediatric Rooms
St. Luke’s ICU
Southcoast Weight Loss Center
Southcoast Cares and Mobile Wellness Van to address health inequities and barriers to access
Southcoast Cancer Centers in Fairhaven and Fall River
Southcoast Brain and Spine Center
Two Southcoast Breast Centers for Women’s Health
Seven Southcoast Urgent Care Centers
Southcoast Visiting Nurse Association (VNA)
Three-time Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals (2019-2021) for Southcoast Hospitals Group
A new Tobey Emergency Department (due to open in early 2022)
COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts

“I continue to marvel at the deep investment Southcoast has made in our community, and am profoundly grateful for the trust our community has invested right back in us. This connection is unique, enduring and intrinsic to our mission,” Southcoast Health President & CEO Keith Hovan told the system’s 7,500 employees in a letter sent to them this week.

“You earned that trust. You, our nurses. You, our physicians and providers. You, our clinical staff and support services. You, our dedicated administrative professionals. You, and all who preceded you in service to Southcoast Health and the South Coast region. Because of you, and because of our supporters, partners and patients, Southcoast is leading the way in defining 21st-century community health.”

Southcoast Health will continue commemorating its 25th Anniversary throughout 2021, with a series of events and festivities planned. For more information, please visit https://www.southcoast.org/25thanniversary/.

About Southcoast Health
Celebrating the system’s 25th anniversary in 2021, Southcoast Health is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region, serving communities in Rhode Island and across Southeastern Massachusetts. Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Out of the 2,743 considered hospitals in the United States, only 250 earned this recognition. In 2020 and 2021, St. Luke’s is a Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals. In 2019 and 2020, the Southcoast Health system also received seven awards, including Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work, in Southcoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards voted on by residents and readers.

BuyBlackNB is hosting their very first outdoor event with a hand-selected diverse group of vendors offering you an opportunity to find your next favorite product! Safely celebrate the summer and enjoy Black art, food, clothing, and more!

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Black businesses have suffered huge losses during the COVID-19 quarantine. So BuyBlackNB is creating a safe space to support them and allow you to #BuyBlack. Shop a curated selection of local Black-owned businesses while enjoying music, giveaways, networking, and community building.“We’re hosting a space that welcomes and celebrates local, talented creatives,” said Justina Perry of New Bedford, who has been a catalyst in bringing regional exposure to Black-owned businesses since starting the initiative in June 2020.“Part of the mission is to circulate money in the community,” says Perry. “We do this by advocating for Black businesses to be supported and sustained so they can thrive.”

Date of event: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Time of event: 11-3
Location: Rotch-Jones-Duff House
396 County St, New Bedford. MA

MA Juneteenth, also known as Black Independence Day, commemorates June 19th, 1865, when news of the official end of slavery in the United States finally reached Galveston, Texas -notably two and a half years after the formal in-statement of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This is a day of recognition and empowerment for the Black community and its allies. “This event is creating an opportunity for customers to build relationships with businesses,” says Perry, founder, and director of BuyBlackNB.

Participants and patrons will be required to wear face coverings and practice physical distancing. This project is funded in part by WickedCool Places, financed by the city of New Bedford’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Fund. Follow @BuyBlackNB for updates as they will be announcing vendors when they are confirmed for this free family-friendly event. Use BuyBlackNB.com as your go-to resource for supporting Black-owned businesses in the SouthCoast.

Follow @BuyBlackNB for updates as they will be announcing vendors when they are
confirmed for this free family-friendly event. Use BuyBlackNB.com as your go-to resource
for supporting Black-owned businesses in the South Coast.

About BuyBlackNB

BuyBlackNB is an online platform dedicated to highlighting, discovering, and promoting Black-owned businesses in South Coast Massachusetts. In supporting Black-owned
businesses, we are working to close the racial wealth gap, strengthen our local economies, foster job creation, and celebrate Black culture.

Add a Black-owned business to the directory: https://www.buyblacknb.com/submit
Purchase a shirt or a tank: https://www.buyblacknb.com/shop
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuyBlackNB/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buyblacknb/
Email: info@buyblacknb.com

“Southern Airways Express is excited to be re-launching our New England service. We are expanding our New Bedford to Nantucket service from one to two daily round-trip flights, perfect for vacationers, second homeowners and even day-trippers. Fares begin at just $59 each way,” said Southern Airways Express Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Cestari.

Last summer proved that the New Bedford to Nantucket route was a wise investment for Southern Airways Express. Hundreds of new travelers took advantage of affordable day trips or weekend excursions. You can buy tickets now and schedule for anytime in the future: https://iflysouthern.com/

Back in 2006, during his first visit to the Amalfi Coast off Southern Italy, Bill King stopped into an art gallery while the rest of his companions shopped. There he met a local man with a big, wide grin named Biagio Santoro. Biagio was a tour operator, and he was waiting for his tour group, who were busy browsing the local shops. They struck up a conversation and had a delightful time. Later,when Bill returned to the Gulf of Salerno, he contacted Biagio and was treated to a tour so memorable that it could only have come from a true local. He saw places you can’t read about in a guide book.

And the best part?
Bill was able to tell his clients, many of whom found themselves enjoying their own thrilling off-the-beaten-path vacation experience, the type that isn’t offered on discount travel websites. And here’s the real kicker: Bill’s clients didn’t even have to pay him for the tip. Or for booking their trips. There are no charges for his services.

Twenty-four years ago Bill King followed his passion, leaving a 17-year career in accounting to start his own travel business: Cruise Holidays of Lakeville. Ten years ago he moved to Middleboro, and this past December he relocated to New Bedford and renamed the business Cruise Holidays at the Port.

He knows your doubts. Is it safe to travel? Isn’t it cheaper to just book online? What’s really going to be different?

He also knows the answers: Yes, No and Everything. As with almost any business, the difference comes in experience and personal care. Bill has enjoyed close to 100 cruises. He has experienced first-hand what he sells. He knows the ships, the ports of call, the cabins, the itineraries, the food, the excursions. He even has a Master Cruise Counselor accreditation from the CLIA and advanced training
from several cruise lines.

“I will not sell a cruise that I am not comfortable with,” he says, “and I would never recommend a cabin that I would not stay in.”

With the connections he’s cultivated in nearly a quarter-century in the business, Bill saves his clients time and money while helping take the stress out of the decision-making process. “I truly believe I treat every client as I would like to be treated,” he says. “At the end of the day, when I put my head on the pillow, I have done all I could for my clients.” Bill is also constantly up to date on the latest travel restrictions and the safest places to visit. Every week, he helps sift through the latest news on cruises on Fall River’s WSAR during his Tuesday afternoon show, Cruisin with Bill, co-hosted by Missy Panchley.

“During post-9/11 and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been here to help my clients sort through the vast amount of information that we were all bombarded with,” he says. “I am here, I am local and I represent you.” While many travel agencies have shut down over the past decade, Bill is still, ahem, cruising along, which is a testament to his happy, faithful clients. He intends to be booking unforgettable vacations for the foreseeable future.

“I am truly amazed and blessed with my clients,” Bill says. “Some may have cruised only once, some maybe a dozen times, but I always enjoy getting to know them, and sharing this time together. So many clients have become good friends.” Since Bill doesn’t charge his clients a dime, his ultimate satisfaction is simple.

“It is especially rewarding,” he says, “when someone returns from a trip and stops by or lets me know what a great time they had, or how years after their trip they still remember the great experiences.”

With new cruise options being added weekly, now is your chance to meet your own Biagio while on your own mesmerizing, stress-free vacation, visit Bill’s Facebook page, Cruisin with Bill or call him at 508-947-5558.You can Visit his website: https://www.cruiseholidayslkv.com/ Book a 7 to 9 night cruise and receive a $50 on board credit. Book 10 nights or longer and get a $100 on board credit, valid on new bookings only. Stop by the office and say hello, Bill would love to talk with you about your dream vacation!

We’ve all been there. You’re stepping outside, a tray of burgers and brats in one hand, spatula and tongs in the other. You click on your gas grill and … nothing? You lift up the tank. Empty.

The burgers and dogs are shoved back in the fridge and you’re heading out in your car to get your propane tank refilled. You drive to a store, stand in line and wait for someone who can make the exchange and then drive home hoping no one rear-ends you at the next red light.

Jay DeMello wondered the same thing.
So he started his Bristol County business, Tank Exchange Inc, with a simple idea: What if I could just order a tank of propane to be delivered with an app, and it could even show up the same day?

Not only that, but he could do it cheaper. As opposed to the 15-pound tank that costs $20+ to fill up at your neighborhood store, Jay offers 20 pounds for $19.99, which includes delivery to your home and exchange of your old tank. doesn’t that seem a heck of a lot easier?

Last November he opened up shop in Dartmouth and began offering delivery throughout Bristol County. As with any new business owner, he was nervous at first. He had rented a building, bought a 1,000-gallon truck, developing an app, built a website, printing tank labels and more.“I just go all in with anything I do or believe in,” he says, “and I really believe in this service.”

His belief was validated last summer when families were stuck at home due to COVID-19. Wanting to get outside while also enjoying a different style of cooking, demand for at-home grilling grew quickly. Plus, Jay and his cousin, Justin, who helps with deliveries, offer contact-less exchanges.

With five years experience working with Co2 and training from AmeriGas in propane safety and a HazMat certification, Jay continues to build his business.
You can order propane tanks up to 100 pounds, as well as Co2, draft beer tanks and forklift tanks. If you know ahead of time when you’ll need it, you can schedule your delivery. But there’s also on-demand RUSH delivery available within an hour until 7 p.m. at night. (and 9 p.m. on holiday weekends, so the grill can always stay lit!)

“Ordering online was quick and easy,” wrote customer Rob Dasilva online. “Way better than having to drag a tank to the store for an exchange.”
To order from Tank Exchange, you can use their website, mobile app (Apple or Android) or call 1-818-MY-TANKS. Want to give it a try? Use code nbg15 for 15% off your first order!

https://www.facebook.com/trademytank
Website: https://www.trademytank.com/
Phone: 818-MyTanks
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tank-exchange/id1527533480
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tankexchange.inc

Did you know that there are 40,000 people in prison for cannabis crimes that are legal in most states? Small changes can make a big impact. Last month Bask, Inc. announced on their Facebook page the following: “We are thrilled to announce that Bask has teamed up with @thelastprisonerproject to support the “Roll It Up for Justice” program. You can help us by donating your spare change in one of these bins located at our facility in Fairhaven. Every cent donated goes towards helping to release cannabis prisoners and helping them to rebuild their lives post-incarceration.

Click the link below for more information about the Last Prisoner Project: https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/
The Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. LPP was founded out of the belief that if anyone is able to profit and build wealth in the legal cannabis industry, those individuals must also work to release and rebuild the lives of those who have suffered from cannabis criminalization.

As more states move away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to a major new industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions. Criminal justice reform is just one part of a multi pronged approach to fixing the problem.

Learn more about Bask,Inc.
https://www.cometobask.com/about/

Bask, Inc. (Bask) a vertically integrated, veteran and women-led cannabis operator will open for adult-use retail sales on Saturday, February 20, 2021 in Fairhaven, MA.

Bask will be providing adults, 21 years and older, with safe access to cannabis products and cannabis education services. Bask’s adult-use menu will go live at 9:00am on the Company’s Website and doors will open at 10am. Customers will be required to pre-order through Bask’s website or by phone (774) 305-4749 for the first few weeks of opening.

There will be a police detail at the intersection of Alden Road and Pequod Road and parking lot attendants will be available to direct customers with an order confirmation to the designated adult-use parking lots. Medical patients have dedicated parking spaces adjacent to the medical entrance on the east side of the building.

“We’re excited to open our doors for adult-use operations on Saturday. We have been cultivating cannabis, manufacturing infused products, and dispensing to the medical market for over 3 years. We are excited to provide that experience and our amazing products to the recreational market,” Stated Chapman Dickerson, CEO of Bask, Inc.

Bask cultivates over 15 unique strains of cannabis and has an exclusive line of infused products, including Harpoon Extracts, Howl’s Tincture and the recently launched 1906 “Drops.” All these products are only locally available at Bask’s Fairhaven store. The combination of experienced staff, exclusive products and ample on-site parking is expected to draw in cannabis consumers from throughout the region.

“As the first medical dispensary to open on the South Coast we’ve learned so much while serving the medical cannabis community for the last three years. Now, as we expand to adult-use operations, we will be providing adults, 21 years and older, with safe access to cannabis and our cannabis education services,” explained JoAnne Leppanen, Bask’s Director of Patient Education and Board Member.

“Our patients have provided a lot of great feedback about what they’ve experienced at other co-located dispensaries. We have taken that feedback into consideration with our opening plans and have divided our facility so that medical patients have their own parking, entrances, and dispensary counter separate from our adult-use operations. For three years, we’ve been dedicated to providing our patients with a certain level of service and we will continue to do so as we expand our operation,” says Dickerson.

Bask reminds customers to not trespass on the U.S. Postal Service property which is adjacent to Bask’s parking lot.

Full details about Bask’s opening can be found at the company’s website at www.cometobask.com You can browse all their recreational products by CLICKING HERE

About Bask
The founders of Bask are experienced medical cannabis cultivators, educators, and advocates.  The team came together over a shared vision to create an environment where patients could learn and have safe access to quality products.  Bask opened its doors to medical patients in February of 2018 as the first cannabis dispensary on the South Coast of Massachusetts. In February of 2020, the company moved its cultivation and processing operation to a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Freetown, MA in partnership with AmeriCann, Inc.

This week was an exciting milestone – after recently having Fall River-based Isaksen Solar install solar panels on my house, I received my first $0 electric bill. It’s the same feeling I had when I finally paid off my first car.

Additionally, last week I was approved for the Massachusetts SMART Solar Incentive Program, which now puts $45 a month into my bank account for the next 10 years – $540 a year or $5,400 over the next 10 years (120 total payments.)

Getting a $0 bill or even having a $45 payment sent to me each month aren’t the things I’m most excited about – now having the electric company pay me was always my top incentive for installing solar panels. With a solar panel installation, your system can generate a negative balance onto your electricity bill, effectively building up a monthly credit on any solar-generated electricity you don’t use. My electric company buys any excess solar generate electricity I don’t consume and tallies a negative credit that you can eventually cash out.

Finally, my home is now carbon positive – already saving 1,834 lbs of CO2 emissions in the first two months which is the equivalent of planting 13 trees. The system I purchased is expected to equate to planting 85 trees a year, or 2,000 trees over the 25-30 year system life. For those concerned about Global Warming/Climate Change, installing solar panels goes a long way in significantly reducing your carbon footprint. With a smartphone app, you get to not only see how much power you generate each day, but you also get to see how much carbon you are reducing.

Want to see if installing solar panels is right for you and your home? Contact Isaksen Solar at 508-567-0647, rrego@isaksensolar.com or visit them at https://isaksensolar.com. You can also follow them on Facebook here and read their review here.