New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will hold a Fish Fry Fundraiser on Friday, July 17th from 6-11 pm at Cotali Mar Restaurant (1178 Acushnet Avenue). Guests will enjoy platters of fresh local fish donated by Bergie’s Seafood and prepared by the chefs at Cotali Mar. Live music will be provided by Paul Savoie and Richie Canastra. The event will include a cash bar, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $35 ($15 for kids 12 and under) and may be purchased at The Arthur Moniz Gallery, Euro Ship Store, Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, Jardin & Dawson Settlement House, and Reidar’s Manufacturing. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the Center’s Facebook page. All proceeds will benefit the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, a 501c3 non-profit organization. For more information contact the Center at 508-993-8894 or nbfishingheritagecenter@gmail.com.
“We consider this event to be a “friend-raiser” as much as a fundraiser,” says Phil Mello, chairman of the board. In addition to enjoying the bounty of the sea, guests will have a chance to learn about the Center’s plans and share their ideas.
The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the history and culture of New Bedford’s fishing industry through archives, exhibits, and programs. The Center recently completed a 12-week residency at Alma del Mar Charter School in which students visited five shoreside businesses and interviewed people who work in the industry. The Center also produces a monthly film/speaker series and runs a summer camp program in collaboration with the National Park Service.
A community driven organization, the Center’s board of directors is made up of individuals who work in, or closely with, the fishing industry. Phillip Mello (Chair) is the Manager of Bergie’s Seafood. Anne Jardin-Maynard (Treasurer) is owner of Jardin & Dawson Settlement House. Kirsten Bendiksen (Secretary) is co-owner of Reidar’s Manufacturing (a gear shop). Cassie Canastra is co-owner of Bela Flor Seafood. Kevin Stokesbury is the Chair of the Department of Fisheries Oceanography at SMAST at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Madeleine Hall-Arber is the maritime anthropologist at MIT Sea Grant who has worked with the fishing industry for over 30 years. Laura Orleans, Executive Director of the Fishing Heritage Center, is a folklorist and founding director of the Working Waterfront Festival.
