DNB Newsletter - June 2009
Downtown New Bedford is the hot place to be cool this summer!

Cool breezes, artists, festivals, restaurants, theatre, museums, great shops, a lively creative community, a friendly hometown atmosphere in an urban setting. Those are some of the things Downtown New Bedford has to offer this summer.

> Taste of SouthCoast
> New Bedford Blooms with Newly Decorated Windows
> Rose Alley Ale House holds ribbon cutting ceremony

Plan your summer to include these events:
> United Way Signature Event Reaches 15 Years / Annual Clambake with Lobster is on June 12^th
> Play Ball!!
> Summerfest 2009 is not to be missed
> Festival Theatre presents The Producers

Downtown Beats:
> Elaine on Chronicle, Community Wish Flags, Perfect Pizza, new bike racks, Ocean Explorium, New Visitor's Guide!

A seventy five course meal anyone? A chance to taste foods from twenty five restaurants? To sample our local beers and wines? Taste of SouthCoast had all that along with face painting and shell painting for the kids. Also musical entertainment by the Craig DeMelo band and Joshua Tree, Boston’s U2 cover band.

Foodies from all over enjoyed the afternoon, and as the day passed and the crowds thinned, restaurant staffs were seen visiting each other and tasting each other’s wares at this exceptionally congenial event.

Event Chair Richard Poyant, President of Poyant Signs says, “We are eternally grateful to the seventy volunteers who came out for this event. They help us put on a first class, safe, event. Most of the volunteers have nothing to do with DNB, Inc. but come because of a family connection to the DNB, Inc. Board, and they enjoy being part of the event.

“The restaurants did an outstanding job providing a true variety of incredibly delicious foods, and their commitment to the event is amazing.

“The sponsor support provides the financial foundation for our ability to offer this event and draw people into our downtown, creating another vehicle to bring positive change to our city.”

Thank you to participants: Antonio’s, Café Cabana, Café Balena, Candleworks, Catwalk Bar and Grill/Hibernia Irish Pub, Cork/Cardoza’s Food Emporium, Destination Soups, Dorothy Cox Candies, Fay’s Two Restaurant, Freestone’s City Grill, The Galley Grille, Homlyke Bakery, Huttleston House/Mickey B’s, Ice Chest Bar and Grille, Latin Fusion Café, M&C Café, No Problemo, Not Your Average Joe’s, On a Roll, Pasta House, Rose Alley Ale House, Sippican Café and Union City Bar and Grill.

Although Taste of SouthCoast is not a true competition, there are two award categories, People’s Choice for the best food and Best Table Display for the most creative booth display.

Café Balena took the top prize in both categories with its lavishly decorated booth and equally lavish outlay of delicious dishes topped off by chocolate covered strawberries. Ice Chest was second in the People’s Choice category.Not Your Average Joe’s was third. In Best Table Display On a Roll was second, and Dorothy Cox was third.

All of the participants are winners as they introduce their dishes to hundreds of potential new customers.

We calculate that with twenty five restaurants offering an average of three dishes each—some more, some fewer—there were at least seventy five different dishes. Restaurants didn’t skimp on portion size, food quality or originality. Destination Soups had three soups and grilled cheese sandwiches. Dorothy Cox had a wonderland of candy. M&C Café brought beautiful scallops. Not Your Average Joe’s had their signature bread along with crab cakes and tuna sushi. Antonio’s had Chicken Antonio’s, cacoila and rice. Fay’s had chicken marsala and shrimp Mozambique. When their first batch ran out, they went back and brought refills for the crowd.

That was just a taste of the tasting opportunities. Participants reported handing out 800 to over 1,200 servings. Ice Chest Bar and Grille, for example, handed out 800 egg rolls and 560 portions of ribs. Union City Grill served 50 pounds of Italian sausage. Rose Alley Ale House served 20-30 pounds of wings and ten pounds of shrimp. Pasta House served five pans each of butternut ravioli and tortellini. On a Roll gave out over 1,000 small specialty sandwiches. Homlyke Bakery took the cake, handing out over 1,200 small cakes and pastries in seven varieties. We calculate that there were at least 20,000 tastes at Taste of SouthCoast.

Even though people had plates piled high with food, and after one plate went back for more, it’s hard to imagine that anyone had one of everything offered.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Pier Fish Company which will celebrate its 100 birthday next year. This year they established a college scholarship to be awarded to a graduating senior who is the son or daughter of an employee of the local seafood processing industry. Thank you to our other major financial sponsors including NStar which was the sponsor of the musical entertainment. The full list of sponsors and committee members is included. A quick look at them shows the incredible support Taste of SouthCoast has from the community as a whole:

Downtown New Bedford Inc.'s volunteer Planning Committee Members – Richard Casemiro,  Keri Cox , David Ferreira,  Modesta Levesque, Eugene Lonergan, Ross Moran, Kevin Pelland, Jeff Pontiff, Richard Poyant, Stephanie Poyant, Lisa Sughrue, DNB, Inc. staff:  Diane Nichols and Marianne Conley-Hodgson

Thank you to the city workers, the electricians and the plumbers who turn Custom House Square from a parking lot to an event venue with electricity and running water in a matter of hours. Thanks also to the tent company.

We will give the weather man guarded praise—the weather could have been better, but then it could have been a lot worse. We judge everything by the standard of the first year when we had hot sun, freezing cold, clouds and a very wet thunder storm that was louder than the band. By that standard, we are thankful for the murky chill that didn’t keep the crowds away.

Downtown New Bedford Inc.’s next festival is the Chowder Festival, September 13. If it’s like Taste of SouthCoast, there will be more restaurants than ever. Volunteers are always needed. If you are interested call DNB, Inc. at (508) 990-2777 or send an e-mail to dnb@downtownnb.org.

New Bedford Blooms with Newly Decorated Windows

Springtime brings new life and new energy, and that is very evident in Downtown New Bedford.  Mayor Scott Lang's office initiated a window decorating contest  to recognize the efforts of our businesses in designing beautiful and creative displays.  This contest is a joint effort between Downtown New Bedford, Inc., the Mayor's office and the New Bedford Economic Development Office.  The winners were announced by the Mayor at a media conference on the steps of City Hall on Friday, May 15 at 11:30 a.m.

Diane Nichols, Executive Director of Downtown New Bedford, Inc. organized the event for the downtown and recruited a panel of volunteer judges who enjoyed the creativity and artistic flair of the participating merchants.

1 st Place: Calico @ 173 Union Street has
“Stunning, colors well considered, inventive and great concept”.

2^nd place: The White Bouquet @ 761 Purchase Street has
“four windows, all different and all beautiful”.

3^rd place: Travessia Winery @ 760 Purchase Street is
“extremely elegant with great use of space”. 

Honorable Mention was a tie.The Corner Cafe for “their combination of the feel of an old fashioned cafe with great use of color, plants and outdoor space” and Elaine's Black Whale for “being the most fun”.

Honorable mentions were also awarded to the North End's Glass Slipper and the South End's DeMello's Furniture

“If we could award everyone, we would,” Diane said. “So many shops really did a great job, and they all deserve mention. LaBaron Hair Academy presented a nice concept of Hairstyle throughout the years. Destination Soups – has peep holes to look through making vegetables fun.”

Take the time to stroll throughout the downtown and visit all of the participants: Vetu, Cobblestone Restaurant, Converse Photo, Judith Klein Art Gallery, New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Celia's Boutique, Moby Dick Retail, The Bedford Merchant, TL6 The Gallery, Crowells' Fine Art, Michelle Carr Photography, be jeweled, Blush Beauty Bar and The Bay/The Cottage. In North End, All State Security participated.

Rose Alley Ale House holds ribbon cutting ceremony

Left to right: Jason Lanagan, City Councilor Debora Coelho, New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, Alfred Peters, Dr. John Mello, Howard Mallows IV, Patrick Long

The Rose Alley Ale House, 94 Front Street, opened for business on March 3 and held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 30. Mayor Scott Lang, City Councilor Debora Coelho, DNB, Inc. Executive Director Diane Nichols and owners Howard Mallowes IV, Dr. John Mello, Alfred Peters, Jason Lanagan and Patrick Long participated.

The Rose Alley Ale House was formerly the home of the Cultivator Club which was first granted a liquor license in 1938. Five men signed that license, and there are five owners of the new establishment. After the renovations, they retained an original Cultivator Club door.

Jay Lanagan, speaking for all the owners, said it had been a two year process during which their families thought they might be nuts and in over their heads. But thanks to the help and support of the city, their friends, their bank, lots of sweat equity, their business was open on March 3 and looked like a veteran establishment when the crowds poured in on March 15, the day of  the New Bedford Half Marathon.

“It’s a pleasure to see the process go through, to see it happen,” Jay said. “Recommend us to everyone!”

The Rose Alley Ale House is open from daily from noon to 2:00 AM, offers twenty eight varieties of beers and has wide screen TV’s which are perfect for watching sports.

Plan your summer to include these events:

United Way Signature Event Reaches 15 Years
Annual Clambake with Lobster is on June 12^th

Some things really do get better with age. United Way will hold its Annual Clambake with Lobster fundraiser for the 15^th consecutive year on Friday, June 12^th at Pier 3 in downtown New Bedford. “This event has come such a long way from where it began,” said Michelle N. Hantman, United Way President.  “It started out as a small community fundraiser with a couple hundred people and has grown to one of the largest annual events of the summer with more than 700 people in attendance.” Ms. Hantman added, “We see many of the same people returning year after year who say they really enjoy the event.”

All proceeds from the Clambake go to United Way, which provides grants to more than 60 health and human services programs, in addition to administering other initiatives such as the Hunger Commission and the Community Building-Mini Grants Program.

“Between the picturesque location, the delicious meal and the live entertainment, ticket holders receive quite a value for their money while supporting the community at the same time,” said Caroline Cuccia, Director of Marketing & Public Relations for United Way.

The Clambake is sponsored by Sea Land Energy (subsidiaries: DeBross Hathaway Marvel and Sea Fuels Marine Services Inc.). Additionally, this is the first year that the event will feature premier beer and wine sponsors Narragansett Brewing Company and downtown’s Travessia Urban Winery. The event begins at 5:00 pm with a Social Hour featuring complimentary beer and wine. It continues until 11:00 pm with attendees feasting on a traditional New England Clambake, complete with a 1¼ lb. lobster, steamers, linguicia, corn on the cob, roasted red potatoes and onions, rolls and dessert. 

Throughout the evening, the event will feature music by Wired – a group of local musicians who play a wide variety of music, ranging from songs of the 60’s up to today’s hits. In addition, there will be an extensive Silent Auction featuring a wide selection of items, including autographed sports memorabilia, travel packages, restaurant gift certificates and artwork.

Tickets are $75 each, or $650 for 10 tickets or more and inclusion in event signage.  Please call 508-994-9625 to find out more.

United Way of Greater New Bedford is a non-profit organization that was established in 1953.  United Way enables every member of the community to play an active role in local philanthropy by bringing together volunteers, donors, community leaders, and corporate partners to provide quality programs and initiatives that achieve positive results.  Its service area has a population in excess of 200,000.

Play Ball!!

The New Bedford Bay Sox will open their season at Paul Walsh Field on Thursday, June 4th at 6:30 pm The team will take on the Holyoke Blue Sox. They will play 45 games this summer in the months of June and July with playoffs, for which we know the Bay Sox will qualify, in August. It will be inexpensive and enjoyable summer fun.

Game Day Tickets:

General Admission: $5
Sr. Citizens: $3
16 & Under: $3
6 & Under: FREE 

Summerfest 2009 is not to be missed

Summerfest, July 3, 4 & 5
For the schedule and event information: http://www.newbedfordsummerfest.com/
For a full line up of the entertainers: http://www.barrel-of-music.com/

Summerfest is for everyone. Hosted by the City of New Bedford and The Standard-Times, the Greater New Bedford Summerfest is packed with fun-filled activities for the entire family. It is a well known and highly respected international folk festival.

July 3rd, Friday night, Greater New Bedford Summerfest kicks off with a concert sponsored by Barefoot Events on the Custom House stage beginning at 6:30 pm featuring Maria Muldaur with The Red Hot Bluesiana Band. This Friday concert is a separate admission: $10 in advance, $15 at the gate.

Advanced ticket sales are $15 for a weekend pass (Saturday & Sunday). A one day pass is $10.  The Greater New Bedford Summerfest Admission wristbands are required at all six entertainment locations.

To order your wristbands and tickets call 508-979-1568 or e-mail info@newbedfordsummerfest.com.

To order online: http://www.southcoastselections.com/cgi-local/sct_st/store/commerce.cgi?product=summerfest

On Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, between 11:00 am and 9:00 pm the Greater New Bedford Summerfest expands to six stages in the National Park that range from the twelve hundred seat "Custom House Stage" to the intimacy of a fifty five seat "Meet the Performer" area. An array of well-known and emerging artists will be featured on these stages all weekend.

Besides the topflight musical entertainment, Summerfest has an Artisans Marketplace
with more than 80 juried arts and craft booths on the streets of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. There will be a fine arts area in the Jacobs Gallery of the Whaling Museum with artwork that includes paintings, photography, jewelry, furniture, and musical instruments.

An International Bazaar tops off the marketplace. On the waterfront more than 25 teams compete to be New Bedford's whaleboat champions. Teams of six crewmembers will race in Beetle whaleboat replicas owned by the Whaling City Rowing, the race organizer. For more details contact the Whaling City Rowing at 508-517-1251, by email at idwr@whalingcityrowing.org or visit their website at http://www.whalingcityrowing.org

Like Taste of SouthCoast, Summerfest has wide spread community support. The Standard-Times is the title sponsor. Southcoast Hospitals is the Presenting Sponsor. Barefoot Events is the sponsor of the Friday Night Concert, and Sovereign Bank is a Major Sponsor. ArtWorks hosts the children’s' activities that are sponsored by First Citizens' Federal Credit Union.

Festival Theatre presents The Producers

It’s not an official summer unless we go to a Festival Theatre presentation. Now in its 20^th summer of presenting musical productions, the Festival Theatre has entertained thousands and thousands of people each summer. The Theatre was founded in 1990 by Armand Marchand who is still at the helm.

The following description of The Producers is from the Festival Theatre web site at: http://www.nbfestivaltheatre.com/

Bialystock and Bloom! Those names should strike terror and hysteria in anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. Now as a big Broadway musical, The Producers once again sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. It is a truly “boffo” hit, winning a record twelve Tony® Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night.

The plot is simple: a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history thereby bilking their backers (all “little old ladies”) out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit! The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they maneuver their way fecklessly through finding a show (the gloriously offensive “Springtime For Hitler”), hiring a director, raising the money and finally going to prison for their misdeeds is a lesson in broad comic construction. At the core of the insanely funny adventure is a poignant emotional journey of two very different men who become friends.

With a truly hysterical book co-written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (Annie) and music and lyrics by Mr. Brooks, The Producers skewers Broadway traditions and takes no prisoners as it proudly proclaims itself an “equal opportunity offender!”

Schedule of Performances:

• Friday, July 10 @ 7:30 pm
• Saturday, July 11 @ 7:30 pm
• Sunday, July 12 @ 2:00 pm
• Sunday, July 12 @ 7:00 pm
• Thursday, July 16 @ 7:00 pm
• Friday, July 17 @ 7:30 pm
• Saturday, July 18 @ 2:00 pm
• Saturday, July 18 @ 7:30 pm
• Sunday, July 19 @ 2:00 pm

Tickets are available at the Zeiterion Box office or online at:  http://tickets.zeiterion.org/default.asp.

Downtown Beats:

Elaine on Chronicle: 
Did you see downtown’s own Elaine Lima on Channel 5’s Chronicle? Or John Magnan? Or Mayor Scott Lang, or Economic Development Director Matt Morrissey?

If you missed the episode, which was completely on New Bedford topics, check it out at: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/
chronicle/19332669/detail.html

Here’s an interesting way to get involved: Community Wish Flags
Join in and create your own flag with your wishes for our city and the world! Flags will fly citywide. Flags can be made at Gallery X, ArtWorks!, Green Bean, and the Zeiterion box office. Other locations include Baker Books, Dartmouth; Partners Village Store, Westport; Down to Earth, New Bedford; Uncle Jon’s, Marion; and How on Earth, Mattapoisett. Free to the public

Perfect Pizza Inc is the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce
Small Business of the Year
Perfect Pizza, Inc., headed by Nelson Hockert-Lotz was named the Greater New Bedford Small Business of the Year by the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce  on May 13, 2009 at a special edition of the Chamber’s Good Morning SouthCoast! business series.  

Two downtown businesses were among those nominated. No Problemo and medium studio were recognized for their significant contributions and achievements. Other nominees included:  Old Company Store, ThinkTech Computers, Inc., The Sea Witch, The Pasta House, Cyd’s Creative Kitchen, Regal House Furniture, Partners Village Store and Oceans 18.

Park your bike at one of downtown’s sleek new bike racks
Ocean Explorium has new exhibits New tanks have been installed at the Ocean Explorium which will make a trip to the Explorium even more fun for kids and adults too.
If we haven’t given you enough ideas for summer fun, look at Downtown New Bedford Inc.’s new Visitor’s Guide, now out with a snappy new design. It’s at the Visitor Centers, at other points of interest and on the web site:

The Downtown Beat is on vacation
The Downtown Beat is taking the month of July off to better enjoy all that downtown New Bedford has to offer. We will be back in August. In the meantime, if you have article ideas, regular columns you would like to see, feedback of any type, let us know. Email dnb@downtownnb.org or call (508) 990-2888. Thank you. The editors.