CULTURE!
DON’T MISS: Melville at 202, mom jokes at the Mill, a musician rediscovered
Find more tips for things to do in our weekly events preview and Culture Calendar.
July 26, 2021
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JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
Is COVID-19 cluster at The Vault a warning for New Bedford?
The city’s 41% vaccination rate is still tracking well below the state average.
July 23, 2021
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Where to get vaccinated in New Bedford in July, with no appointment needed
COMMUNITY VOICES
Essay: The journey to equity is hard. Start by looking within.
Efforts must be authentic, intentional and purposeful, writes SouthCoast Community Foundation and YWCA leader Gail Fortes.
July 22, 2021
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COMMUNITY VOICES
Readers react to more waterfront staging space for offshore wind
People express hopes and fears — for climate, jobs, green space, fishing industry, energy bills.
July 20, 2021
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JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
DA seeks justice in case of Councilor Dunn
The silence of the City Council and police union speaks volumes in alleged OUI.
July 21, 2021
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WE REMEMBER YOU
Frances Sullivan, 98, loved fashion and lived in style
The latest in an ongoing series of life tributes to New Bedford residents who died in the pandemic.
July 20, 2021
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BUDGET BONANZA
New Bedford schools will receive $73M in pandemic relief aid. How do you think the money should be spent?
In addition to $73M for schools, the city is receiving another $64.7M
JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
Water, Water everywhere
DATMA exhibit floods New Bedford streets with fishing-themed art.
July 14, 2021
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MORE FROM JACK SPILLANE
City councilors look for free lunch in budget cuts
Councilors tend to avoid making any cuts to the salaries, health care and pension benefits of city employees, lest they incur the wrath of municipal unions.
Getting vaccines to New Bedford’s Latino neighborhoods
The number of fully vaccinated Hispanics in New Bedford is just 24%, compared to 40% of whites, 36% of Blacks and 17% of people who identify as multiracial.
Fairhaven sends a message for Pride month
The three-member Board of Selectmen has made it clear over the last month that the Pride flag has no place on the property that is the seat of town government in Fairhaven.
New Bedford looks warily at new COVID-19 variant
As people get ready for a big summer of art and music, the city continues to lag behind most of the state in the number of folks who are vaccinated.
It’s beach time in New Bedford
Cisco Brewers is going to draw back the curtain on what lovely city beaches New Bedford has, with vistas every bit as breathtaking as West Island and sparkling ocean as charming as Horseneck.
What the heck is happening in the South End?
A month into the 2021 municipal election’s campaign filing period, the William Street political world is abuzz over a Ward 6 race that would normally be a low-key affair.
IN DEPTH: SUMMER ARTS & CULTURE
New Bedford restaurants kept cooking through COVID-19
New Bedford enjoyed a net gain of five restaurants from March 2020 to June 2021, bucking national and statewide trends during the pandemic.
It’s showtime for New Bedford artists and venues
Local artists, arts entrepreneurs, and cultural landmarks get back to business now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
New Bedford’s cultural world got creative to ride out COVID-19 storm
March 2020 is the month that the arts didn’t die in New Bedford. Instead, the city’s ‘Creative Community’ displayed resilience.
Summer arts explosion
‘Now we’re seeing a return to in-person events, which is so exciting,’ said Margo Saulnier, New Bedford’s creative strategist.
IN DEPTH: HOUSING
Moratorium on evictions extended; where to get help in New Bedford
For tenants, landlords and homeowners, a large amount of rental relief funds are available to those in need.
Wave of evictions expected in New Bedford
The federal moratorium on evictions expires at the end of June. Many have already fallen through the cracks.
Battle brewing over future of New Bedford neighborhoods
As real estate prices increase, there is evidence that low-income residents are being forced out of homes in New Bedford.
Gentrification a solvable problem in New Bedford?
“If the city has the political will, it can make any of this work,” said Robert Terrell, a lecturer at Tufts University.
City’s housing market is red-hot
Residential home prices in New Bedford are surging as supply remains low — and local buyers are finding it hard to compete.
New Bedford renters struggle to find affordable apartments
“We’re seeing some folks really having challenging times being able to afford this rental market.”
What you get for your housing dollar
“New Bedford has always had a lot of value. There are a lot of opportunities …” says Stephen Medeiros, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.
A VIRTUAL MEMORIAL
WE REMEMBER YOU.
As the city emerges from the long siege of COVID-19, we pause to take stock of what – and whom – we’ve lost. Please help build this community memorial by adding a tribute to your loved one.
June 4, 2021
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IN DEPTH: COVID-19
Pandemic’s death toll struck unevenly in New Bedford
Death certificates obtained by The New Bedford Light show the elderly and younger Black and Hispanic residents have borne the heaviest burden.
A COVID cluster: Retired mill workers
An analysis of New Bedford death certificates reveals a surprising cluster of deaths among elderly residents who worked for decades when the textile and apparel industry was at its peak.
COVID-19 has left the city deeply traumatized
Columnist Jack Spillane surveys the pandemic’s toll on New Bedford, from the Latino community to health care workers.
Sad ending for hard-working New Bedford mill employees
Work in the mills may have allowed New Bedford residents to make a living, but it was never a good living for most. And it was never an easy life.
For ‘long-haulers,’ a return to normal remains out of reach
Two local families are still coping with lingering ailments and uncertainty months after initial infections.
Chris McCarthy’s harrowing COVID-19 survival tale
After suffering three strokes, a heart attack and double pneumonia, the WBSM host tells columnist Jack Spillane he does not know for sure whether he literally died.
New Bedford’s social clubs feel pain of pandemic
In the past year, some social clubs in New Bedford have closed their doors, perhaps even permanently. The Young Cape Verdean Athletic Association and the Elks Lodge have listed their properties for sale.
Essay: Remembering Kevin, Megan and Hank
Kevin Harrington and Megan Tench died alone and unexpectedly. Hank Seaman spent months of his last year in isolation from his friends and loved ones.
COMMUNITY VOICES
New Bedford’s Civil War memorial still has important story to tell
“Erected by the city of New Bedford as a tribute of gratitude to her sons who fell defending their country in the struggle with slavery and treason.”
Essay: 30 years as a funeral director didn’t prepare me for COVID
So please, as we face the next pandemic surge which will inevitably come, keep these people and all those you hold dear in mind.
Graduation speech: Our senior year in quarantine
Class of 2021 president Kennedy Johnson reflects on tumultuous year in New Bedford High School graduation speech.
Essay: Why I quit my job during COVID
“Some days were really good, maybe even great. We laughed and learned in our backyard classroom. … However, just one month in, things started to crack.”
Poem: For Every Lighthouse There is a Watchman
A Lisbon writer who grew up in New Bedford pens a poem, inspired by The Light, called “For Every Lighthouse There is a Watchman.”
ABOUT US
“Welcome to The New Bedford Light, your new home for community-based local news. As you can see, we are not a typical breaking news outlet. We hope to be something different, something more.”
READ MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
WHO ARE WE?
How did we come to be? What is our news mission? How do we keep our journalism separate from funders and other interests? How do we decide what to publish? Check out our FAQ, our list of founders and board members, recent news stories about our project, and our community forums.
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Do you have a good idea for a story? What are the biggest issues facing your family, your neighborhood, your city? Please tell us, and include your name, address, and phone number. We will keep all of your information confidential. Contact us at tips@newbedfordlight.org.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
If you’d like to write an opinion piece or first-person essay for publication, please let us know. We’re also open to artwork, poetry, music videos, audio clips and other nontraditional forms of expression. Please provide name, address, phone number and short pitch here:
voices@newsbedfordlight.org.
EXPAND OUR CULTURE CALENDAR
Our calendar is just getting started. We want to know everything going on at the many arts and culture institutions in our city. We also want to embrace the “edges” of what makes our local culture so rich — galleries, studios, clubs, small restaurants and more: calendar@newbedfordlight.org.
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We have a long way to go, but we wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Literally hundreds of people have contributed ideas, money, in-kind professional services — and above all, inspiration — to the cause of nonprofit, nonpartisan public service journalism. We are deeply grateful.
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