Dr. Robert Gerardi, a finalist for New Bedford Public Schools Superintendent, discusses his vision and approach to leading the school department with Paul Santos.

Six citations were given out at the New Bedford City Council Special Meeting on Thursday, March 15 to include Brian Harrington who supplied over 650 winter coats to the needy in the Greater New Bedford Area and the Barboza family for representing New Bedford on the Family Feud game show.

Video by Arjenis Marcial.

Do you enjoy Cosplay? AJ stopped by the Cosplay Meetup at the Silver City Galleria Mall in Taunton this past weekend to chat with some fans of the hobby.

Video by Arjenis Marcial

What do you know about The Romeiros (Pilgrims)? We caught up with them at the St. Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth while they were on their 100-mile, week-long trip to promote peace while traveling to 50 churches around southeastern Massachusetts.

Video by Arjenis Marcial.

Mayor Jon Mitchell, City officials, and members of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission today announced the change in the agency’s name to the New Bedford Port Authority and released a draft strategic plan for public input.

In recognition of the growing scale and complexity of the Port of New Bedford, and the evolving role of the agency in supporting port’s vitality, the HDC voted recently to change its name to the New Bedford Port Authority (NBPA).

Along with the change in name comes expanded roles and responsibilities for the Port Authority, with a particular focus on increasing marine industrial and other commercial activity in the port, in addition to effectively managing the nation’s top commercial fishing port.

For much of its history, the Harbor Development Commission has operated in practice as a traditional harbormaster organization similar to those in much smaller ports, primarily to maintain the municipal piers. There is a growing consensus for the agency to expand into a more sophisticated waterfront economic development agency. In response the HDC moved to establish the NBPA, with its mission “to create business and job opportunities in Greater New Bedford by facilitating the growth and diversification of maritime industries in and around the Port of New Bedford, while strengthening the physical, economic and cultural connections between the Port and the City.”

The Port Authority’s draft strategic plan also released this morning, calls for six major strategies for the Port Authority:

– Provide superior direct services to harbor users, offering services as good as or superior to those offered in other East Coast ports and working collaboratively with public safety agencies to ensure port security and public safety along the waterfront.

– Ensure harbor users have access to useful and well-managed infrastructure, instituting best practices for management and maintenance, and upgrading port infrastructure facilities through planning, development, and securing funding; as well as urging state investment in state-owned resources that support the port, including State Pier and the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge.

– Promote industry growth and diversification through business development and recruitment, continuing to facilitate communication between maritime businesses in the Port and others with potentially mutual interests, working closely with local, state, and federal economic development agencies, and extending and convening networking across industries in New Bedford, especially among the commercial fishing and offshore wind industries.

– Advocate for state and federal policies that further the interests of Port users, continuing to advocate for fair regulation of the fishing industry, and to advocate for the construction of NOAA’s new Northeast Science Center to be constructed in New Bedford to promote better understanding between federal regulators and the commercial fishing industry.

– Promote and market the Port, taking full advantage of the enormous branding potential of New Bedford’s status as America’s top commercial fishing port by launching and funding a marketing campaign for New Bedford seafood, working with the City’s Marketing and Tourism Department to promote New Bedford’s recreational boating assets, and facilitating thoughtful supporting uses in the central waterfront; and coordinating with MassDevelopment and MassCEC to market the international terminals in the Port of New Bedford.

– Employ a business model and manage practices to sustain the mission of the NBPA, continuing to operate consistent with the New Bedford Way, the City’s statement of organizational values that emphasizes accountability, integrity, innovation, continuous improvement, teamwork and respect; building sufficient capacity to execute its mission, and working to secure new sources of revenue, and ensure that its service fees are set at competitive levels; and strengthening the NBPA’s partnerships with the City and other government agencies to amplify its resources.
A public meeting to solicit input for the draft Plan will be announced shortly.

“A range of economic development opportunities have emerged in recent years alongside the Port of New Bedford’s continued dominance in the commercial fishing industry. We want to make sure New Bedford stays #1 in fishing, but we also want to seize these new opportunities so that the port remains the major driver of the regional economy that it is today.

The Mayor added, “The Port of New Bedford represents fully 2% of the entire Massachusetts economy, so we all have a stake in maximizing its contribution to the City and region.”

“The name change to the New Bedford Port Authority reflects its new role and is an important step in reinforcing the relevance of our harbor and waterfront, and their significant role in economic development in the city,” said Joseph Tavares, a New Bedford Port Authority commissioner.

“When the Harbor Development Commission was created over 60 years ago, our organization had a narrow focus in line with the reality of the port in 1957.” said Ed Anthes-Washburn, Executive Director of the New Bedford Port Authority. “This name change signals the broader scope of what we do day to day that has evolved over the decades. More than just commercial fishing, cargo, recreational boating and ferry operations, we also handle business development, land use planning, policy advocacy, marketing, branding and innovation initiatives. The New Bedford Port Authority moniker reflects the current diverse, dynamic and vibrant port we manage today.”

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell provides his view on arming teachers in New Bedford public schools.

New Bedford City Councilor-at-Large Brian Gomes is pushing City leadership to go after the pharmaceutical companies that produce opioid painkiller medications and the doctors that may have overprescribed them. The following motion is scheduled for the New Bedford City Council session on Thursday, March 18, 2018:

WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that Mayor Mitchell and City Solicitor McDermott begin the process of filing a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies that produce Opioid pain killer medication based on the damage done to our community, the lives lost, the epidemic of overdoses, and the added calls for services from our EMS, POLICE and FIRE DEPARTMENTS, along with the distraction and deterioration of the Cities, people and communities; and further, that the City Solicitor ask the State for records of the pharmaceutical companies that have done business in the area along with records of any area doctors that may have overprescribed Opioid drugs in the greater New Bedford area; this request and lawsuit is similar to other communities that are taking this action and this Councillor is requesting it on behalf of our City.

Recently, the City of Fall River has started a lawsuit campaign to go after the pharmaceutical companies that produce opioid painkiller medications.

Live with New Bedford’s mayor Jon Mitchell to discuss the failure of judges to keep the worst offenders off the streets of New Bedford, his thoughts on arming teachers and other topics.

Join our New Bedford Judicial Watch Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/judicialwatch/

Join Mayor Mitchell every Wednesday at 2:30pm on New Bedford Guide’s Facebook page.

Last night at Twin River Casino, Edwin Soto (12-2) got the TKO win over New Bedford’s Ray Oliveira Jr. (8-2). The referee stopped the fight in the second round.

A total of three New Bedford fighters fought last night.

Miguel Ortiz (3-1) defeated New Bedford’s Wilson Mascarenhas (0-1) at Twin River Casino this evening. Unanimous decision, 40-35 on all three judges scorecards.

Ricky Delossantos (4-0) defeated New Bedford’s Efren Nunez (0-2) at Twin River Casino this evening. TKO in the second round.

New Bedford’s Tatiana Gonzalez shares her self-choreographed dance.

Have a talent to share? Send your videos to mike@newbedfordguide.com.