New Bedford Guide’s 10 Positive Stories of the Week

Benjamin Garcia Jr. with Taylor swift.
Benjamin Garcia Jr. with Taylor swift. Photo by Benjamin Garcia.

For some reasons humans love negative stories and the media gives them what they want. At NewBedfordGuide.com we make every effort to promote the best parts of the Greater New Bedford area and make New Bedford a better place to live. Each Sunday, I’m going to find 10 positive stories of the week and share them. If you have a positive story to share e-mail us at info@newbedfordguide.com.

Here are the positive stories this week.

  1. Taylor Swift Visits Families in Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence – Taylor Swift visited the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence with her father for five hours. Several families sent us their personal pics. You can see them here and here.
  2. Bill Murray gets David Letterman to mention New Bedford – Bill Murray got Dave to say, “Special hello to Kevin, Rudy and Frank at Maaco in New Bedford.” Then Bill replied, “Thanks, they’re not going to charge me for the primer.” Apparently, Bill visits New Bedford from time to time from Martha’s Vineyard. 
  3. Gin Blossoms Named as Portuguese Feast Headliner – The Portuguese Feast announced their headlining act, the Gin Blossoms. This is a major act for the 100th New Bedford Portuguese Feast and should draw a record crowd!
  4. School Nurses Shop For Neediest New Bedford Students – The Health Services Department at the New Bedford Public Schools received a donation of $1,600 to assist homeless and needy families in our district. On Monday, March 24th, 2014, school nurses where invited to the Keith Middle School’s library to ‘shop’ for their most needy students.
  5. To the Woman Behind Me in Line at the Grocery Store – The EBT machine went down at a grocery store and a woman had no way of paying for groceries for her children. A stranger stepped up and paid fer her groceries. No judging the woman’s situation. Great story of paying it forward!
  6. 2014 Whaling City Festival is a GO! – The New Bedford Park Board decided to extend the closing time to 9 p.m. for the entire weekend on a trial basis. While some people are not happy about this decision, most people consider this a good thing for New Bedford,
  7. Alma del Mar’s “Backpack Club” For Hungry Kids – A school nurse and parent at Alma del Mar stepped up and set up a Backpack Club to assist with the less fortunate students at the school. Tara Mendonca is a great example of someone stepping up and making a difference in New Bedford.
  8. New Bedford Makes Public Beaches, Parks, Playgrounds and Zoo Smoke Free – Mayor Mitchell has decided to step up the awareness and prohibition of smoking in public area around New Bedford. My lungs are thankful.
  9. Working Waterfront Festival Unveils Winning Design – The Working Waterfront announced the winner of their 2014 Design Contest – Jason C. Eckhardt of New Bedford. Clean and family friendly design and symbolic of the amazing FREE annual family-friendly, summer festival.
  10. Healthy Dining New Bedford Good for You, Good for New Bedford – Bristol County is one of the unhealthiest counties in Massachusetts. Mass in Motion New Bedford is stepping up by getting New Bedford restaurants to offer healthy side dishes.
  11. Gaming Commission Extends Casino Deadline – The deadline for casino applications in the south coast region (Region C) has been extended from July 23 to Sept. 23, giving New Bedford plenty of time to still get the $500-million casino developed in New Bedford.

What was YOUR favorite story? Post a comment and let us know!