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be jeweled celebrates its ten year anniversary

Downtown New Bedford - July 2010 - During the month of July, local downtown business be jeweled will be celebrating its ten year anniversary.  For ten days, from July 11 until July 20, the entire inventory will be 10% off.  be jeweled will also hold a special "Midsummer's Night's Dream" event on July 30th at our downtown location to continue the celebration. The store will remain open until 8pm this evening with the entire inventory also being 10% off. Customers are welcome to enjoy light refreshments and enter to win a "Karma" necklace by Dogeared.

Business owner Pamela Arruda has been working in jewelry since she was a teenager.  After working for other established jewelry stores on Martha's Vineyard in San Francisco, Arruda decided to return home and open her first store in Padanaram.  Ten years later, be jeweled is now in two locations, 1 Bridge Street in Padanaram and 26 Centre Street in New Bedford.

be jeweled specializes in limited edition designer jewelry from around the world as well as featuring sterling silver and 14karat gold.

Chowder Festival plans well under way

This being the fifth year of the annual event has surprised even the seasoned Committee members with the early response from restaurants who want to participate in this years event!  On September 12, from 12noon to 4 pm, you will be able to sample and taste the offerings from unto 26 area restaurants, many offering one or more in the categories of Clam Chowder, Seafood Chowder, Kale Soup and Stuffed Quahogs, all included in the price of your admission ticket. To date the following have signed up to participate: Atria; Black Bass Grille; Cotali Mar; Freestone's; Fresca Grill; Galley Grille/Bittersweet Farm/ Healthy Grille; Ice Chest Bar & Grille; Mike's Restaurant; Rivers End Cafe; Rose Alley Ale House;  and Surf 'N'Turf.  We are looking to confirm all the participating restaurants as soon as possible to provide them with the most advertising possible.
 
To maximize the space available, we have expanded the size of the  tent in Custom House Square in the beautiful historic park in downtown New Bedford.  Outside the main tent will be small tents up for other food and drink vending that will provide for softs drinks, a local beer selection included The beer offering include local brews from  Sam Adams, Wachusett Blueberry and Nantucket Cisco and Martha's Vineyard Offshore and our own Moby D from Just Beer. The wines will be offered from our own Travessia Winery and Ice Cream from Cafe Arpeggio. Also under separate tents will be face painting and  shell painting by various volunteer groups. Visit the Downtown New Bedford Information booth to find out what else we have to offer and sign up while you are there for a free raffle for a gift certificate package that includes an overnight stay at the brand new Marriott Fairfield Inn and many restaurants and attractions.
 
TICKETS are $12 in advance, $15 day of, $5. for children 6-12, free for 5 and younger. Tickets will be  available at the DNB office, Citizens Union Savings Bank, Elaine's Black Whale, TL6 The Gallery, all Cardoza's Wine and Spirits locations, Barry's Wine and Spirits;  and at many of the participating restaurants starting  the first week of August. Check with us then for all the sale locations.
 
Making a come back for their second year are the fun Lobster races. The Lobster Races will conducted in a custom made tank set up  in the Carter's lot across from Custom House Square. This fund raiser will benefit the local YMCA Music is also a big part of this festival featuring local favorites, McCarthy, Richards, Legge Trio and Shipyard Wreck who will  play some mellow tunes, contemporary songs and good old fashion rock and roll.  
 
This event also has another component that we like to call “the spirit of friendly competition” that will culminate in awards that the attendees decide by casting their votes. The “Best Booth Presentation” award will go to the participant that receives the most votes for best decorating set up.
 
Many thanks to the sponsors who step forward year after year to make this event possible. Please pick up the show program on your way in to see the many sponsors and the list of participants who have contributed.  Sponsorships are still accepted at any level and will be featured in the program addendum and in all follow up and thank you ads.

Volunteers are also a key ingredient that is vitally important. An event the size of this takes between 75 and 100 people donating their time from set- up to breakdown and everywhere in between. We will be recruiting volunteers right up to the event, so feel free to call the DNB, Inc. office at 508-990-2777 and see what needs to be done.

Summer in the City!
By LAUREN DALEY

Summer is in full swing, and downtown New Bedford is in party mode!

Downtown New Bedford Inc. kicked off the summer by sponsoring a fabulous Fourth Annual Taste of SouthCoast in May, where delicious Portuguese cuisine, seafood, Italian favorites, Mexican dishes sweets and more were had by all in Custom House Square.

The 15th Annual Greater New Bedford Summerfest was a blast last weekend. The two-day Fest brought more than 70 renowned and emerging performers and 90 juried arts and crafts vendors to the city’s historic downtown.

From 11 am. to 9 pm., visitors strolled our cobblestone streets, shopped, dined, and listened to folk music by greats like Chris Smither, Ronnie Cox, Vance Gilbert, John Gorka, The Jethros, The Kennedys and Pumpkin Head Ted.

The City and AHA! have also introduced Family Friendly Fridays! this summer, promoting the Whaling City as a place to take the kids, grandkids, and summer house guests each Friday July 9 through Aug. 27.

Each week, Family Friendly partners will feature different family activities. Visit www.ahanewbedford.org for any updated info on changing programs.

Here’s a sampling of the Family Fun:

• The Ocean Explorium (174 Union Street) for hands-on science experiments as well as tanks filled with jellyfish, seahorses and a live coral reef.
• Hit the pool at the YMCA (25 South Water St.) with a family day-pass.
• Take a tour of the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum (396 County St.) Built in 1834, this garden is the stuff dreams are made of.
• Kids can get on board a real working whaling ship model, see monstrous whale skeletons, and real whaling harpoons and artifacts from the 19th century at the New Bedford Whaling Museum (18 Johnny Cake Hill).
• Head to the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William St.) for a family-friendly tour of the city’s historic district, held each Friday at 2:30pm.
• The New Bedford Art Museum (608 Pleasant St.) will have family tours and kid-friendly talks each Friday.
• ArtWorks! will host “Families Creating Together” workshops on Fridays from noon to 2pm.  
  

AHA! has also brought back City Celebrates!, which is basically AHA! Night each Thursday of the summer: July 15, 22, 29 and Aug. 5, 19 and 26 from 5 to 9 pm.

These 6 nights of celebration promise live music, lectures, walking tours, kids’ activities, films, galleries and museums open late, plus plenty of opportunities to dine and shop locally.

And, of course, regular AHA! nights continue with the July 8th theme of “Kids Rule” and Aug. 12’s “Summer Sounds.”

Of course, what do kids—and grownups—love most in the summer? Treats like pizza and ice cream! And now New Bedford has both in the business district and new in the historic district of Downtown.

Pizan’s Pizza has opened on 29 Union Street. The old-time pizzeria offers pizza by the pie or slice, with premium toppings from pineapple, tortellini, steak, bacon, shrimp, New Bedford scallops, fresh basil, roasted red pepper and more.

The Celtic Coffee House has opened an old-time ice cream parlor! Bliss Ice Cream, non-fat frozen yogurt, Moose Tracks, Oreo, Rainbow Sherbet, Coffee, Coconut Almond… The list goes on. They also offer sundaes, frappes and banana splits. The parlor is open from noon to 7:30 pm.

Other summer events?

• Judith Klein Art Gallery at 752A Purchase St. is hosting “Women of Summer” from July 8 to Aug. 14. The special exhibition, including the artwork of 30 local female artists, is in support of The Women’s Fund at the Community Foundation.
• The New Bedford Art Museum hosts “Taking Flight! The Birds of John James Audubon” until Sept. 11.
• The New Bedford Whaling Museum is hosting “Science Tuesdays.” Join teen apprentices learn about marine biology from 10:30 am. to 12:30 pm.
• The Zeiterion Theater presents Cyndi Lauper on July 27. Tickets are $48 to $68.
• The 96th Annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, aka “The Feast,” is July 29 to Aug 1, bringing hundreds of people to New Bedford for food, drink, a 5K Road Race, music and children’s entertainment.
• The 38th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta—one of the largest in the U.S.—brings 450 boats and 1200 sailors to New Bedford from Aug. 6 to 8.
• The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts “Over the Top, Around the World! A Gala Fund raiser” on Aug. 7.
• The Zeiterion hosts world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Aug. 9. Tickets are $50 to $125.
  

And top off your summer schedule with the 5th annual New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival in Custom House Square on Sunday, September 12 from noon to 4 pm.

We’re having company over, Downtown—Let’s Clean Up!

By LAUREN DALEY

As you can see from the above article, New Bedford, we’ve got company coming— lots of it.

It’s our job as hosts to clean up our neighborhood and, yes, even weed our corners.

Operation Clean Sweep and Adopt-a-Spot are still going on. Operation Clean Sweep is an all volunteer anti-litter campaign that promotes city stewardship and seeks to invoke ownership in citizens so that they take pride in New Bedford.

The Operation Clean Sweep Anti-Litter Campaign is working to improve the quality of life in New Bedford through Organized Clean Ups, Education and Advocating for the Enforcement of city ordinances.

On June 20, 85 Operation Clean Sweep volunteers cleaned up 1.68 tons of trash in Ward 6! Neighbors came out of their homes to help clean.

Approximately 20 volunteers organized by Gallery X tackled the area around the Orpheum Theatre. Sam Barrows, the Clean up Captain, estimated that they cleaned up an estimated 483 lbs!

Downtown New Bedford, Inc. partnered last year with Operation Clean Sweep for “Adopt-a-Spot.” The campaign encourages and recognizes downtown residents and business owners to help keep their neighborhood clean and litter-free by adopting a spot on the map.

“With cutbacks in all city departments, it’s up to us— the people who work and live here— to take on some responsibility for keeping our area clean,” said Diane Arsenault, DNB Inc's executive director.

 “Tourists and visitors come with eyes wide open, eager to soak in every detail of New Bedford,” Arsenault said. “A clean city is much more inviting. Weeds also create the perfect resting ground for trash, so take a look around your area and uproot the weeds where you can, taking care to wear gloves as you weed.”

What we need downtown is an ongoing, day-to-day effort. Several Downtowners already work regularly at keeping their areas clean. Please let us know if you are one of those pro-active citizens who are making the effort to keep your “spot” clean, and we can then add your adopted area to the map.  

Downtown New Bedford, Inc. and Operation Clean Sweep will work together to encourage Downtowners to adopt a spot near their business or home and pledge to keep it neat and presentable for the remainder of the year. DNB Inc. is also working with Anne Whiting, Business Outreach Coordinator of OCS and has  scheduled a  Ward 4 OCS day, concentrating for us in the downtown district for July 17 from 8:30 am to 12 noon. Meeting in the YMCA parking lot.  Equipment will be provided if necessary.

For additional  information or to sign up to participate, contact Downtown New Bedford Inc at 508-990-2777 or e-mail dnb@downtownnb.org.

SPOTS THAT WERE ADOPTED IN 2009: