There will be FREE Summer Basketball Clinics hosted by New Bedford High School Basketball Coaches and Players throughout the summer. Join New Bedford High Head Coach Tom Tarpey and his team for three-hour clinics this summer focusing on basketball skills and teamwork. All clinics will be held from 11am -2pm and are offered FREE to New Bedford youth.

New Bedford Free Summer Basketball Clinic Schedule/Locations

• Wednesday, July 11th, Clasky Common
• Wednesday, July 18th, Brooklawn Park
• Wednesday, July 25th, Ashley Park
• Wednesday, August 1st, Montes Park
• Wednesday, August 8th, Riverside Park
• Wednesday, August 15th, Magnett Park

The second annual Fishing For A Cause charity tournament to benefit the children of the Schwartz Center that took place out of the Pope’s Island marina in New Bedford, MA this past weekend, June 15-16, grossed over $105,000, with net proceeds to benefit vital programs at the Schwartz Center.

The Father’s Day weekend event featured a seaside dinner and an awards barbeque under a tent at Pope’s Island Marina. Nearly 400 people attended the activities associated with the tournament, with 49 anglers participating in the Striped Bass, Bluefish and Fluke contest.

Winning results were as follows: in the Striped Bass division, the first place winner was first time participant Patrick Long with total weight over two days of 60.64lbs; in second place was Corey Pietraszek with a total weight of 50.41lbs; and in third place Steve Pickup with a total weight of 28.94lbs over two days.  In the Bluefish division, first place also went to Patrick Long with a total of 22.56lbs; second place was Lt. Corey Pimental with total weight of 11.31 lbs; and in third place was Rick Bobole with a total weight of 10.55lbs. In the Fluke division, first place went to George Martin with a total weight of 4.06lbs; second place was David Cameron with a total of 3.94lbs; and third was Ted  Merriman with a total combined weight of 3.86lbs. No one won the million dollar prize this year.

Tournament Co-Directors Craig Kauffmann and Beatriz Oliveira are already planning Fishing For a Cause 2013, and with a desire to keep improving the way the tournament is run, they are seeking feedback from those that participate as well as those that didn’t. A short survey will be posted to the event’s website by July 1^st.

Proud sponsors of Fishing for a Cause included: SeaStreak; Greenberg Traurig LLP; Hodgson Pratt, Pratt & Saunders, PC; Russell Morin Fine Catering; Design Principles, Inc.; Eden Garden and Flower Shop; Michel Cullum Associates, Inc.; Rock Street Studios; Whaling City Sound; On The Water; Chase Canopy; Murray Outdoor Communications; among many others.  Event organizers can be contacted at ffac@schwartzcenter.org or by phone at: (508) 996-3391 ext. 392.  For more information, go to the event website www.fishing4acause.org.

Main Card (Pay-per-view):
190 lbs.: Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 1NC) vs. Rich Franklin (28-6 1NC) wins by Unanimous Decision!
185 lbs.: Cezar Ferreira (5-2) vs. Sergio Moraes (6-2) wins by Unanimous Decision!
145 lbs.: Rony Bezerra (11-3) vs. Godofredo Pepey (9-0) wins by Unanimous Decision!
265 lbs.: Mike Russow (15-1 1NC) vs. Fabricio Werdum (15-5-1) wins by TKO in RD1!
145 lbs.: Yuri Alcantara (26-3) vs. Hacran Dias (20-1-1) wins by Unanimous Decision!

Preliminary Card (FX Channel):
145 lbs.: Rodrigo Damm (9-5) vs. Medeiros Anistavio (15-7) wins by Rear Naked Choke in RD1!
185 lbs.: Francisco Trinaldo (10-1) vs. Delson Heleno (23-6) wins by TKO in RD1!
185 lbs.: John Teixeira (13-0) vs. Hugo Viana (5-1) wins by Split Decision!
185 lbs.: Leonardo Mafra (5-0) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (8-2-1) wins by TKO in RD3!

Preliminary Card (Facebook):
145 lbs.: Marcos Pancini (19-4-1) vs. Wagner Campos (11-3) wins by TKO in RD3!
145 lbs.: Felipe Arantes (14-4 2NC) vs. Milton Vieira (13-7-1) is ruled a Draw!

Ultimate Fighting Championship 147 takes place on June 23, 2012 at Estádio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The original headliner was to be Chael Sonnen vs Anderson Silva II, but this was moved to UFC 148 on July 7, 2012 in as Vegas, Nevada. Facebook Prelims start at 7 p.m. EST before switching to FX Channel for the rest of the prelims at 8 p.m. EST. PPV begins at 10 p.m. EST. To watch the FREE prelims on Facebook simply visit their Facebook page and “like.”

Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin
Silva and Franklin first faced each other at UFC 99 on June 13, 2009 in Cologne, Germany, at a catchweight of 195 lbs. Franklin won a unanimous decision then, and in spite of the decision was a well-fought, entertaining and closely contested battle. Similarly, they will compete at a catchweight, however this time at 190 lbs. Both are no strangers to catchweight bouts, apparently carrying frames that make them “caught” in between weight classes.

Both fighters are older, and different fighters since their first meeting. Legend and veteran Wanderlei Silva has gone 2-1 since, beating the likes of Michael Bisping and Cung Le, having been KOed by Chris Leben before he could get started. At his age and with his inactivity, you have to wonder how it will affect his performance. Wanderlei was made famous by his intimidating appearance and equally if not more intimidating, in-your-face, aggressive fighting style. This has led to a career of wars, that while exciting and fan-friendly, can age a fighter quickly.

Franklin has also had three fights since, going 1-2, knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 115, and losing to Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin. Franklin has a more refined style of fighting, and is a bit more calculated in his approach in contrast to Silva. With 25 of his 28 wins resulting in a finish, he is no less exciting to watch. This more calculated approach means Franklin is the younger fighter in terms of chronology and wear. For Wanderlei to win the fight, he needs to turn it into a battle, not give Franklin space and most importantly work Franklin’s Achilles heel: the thai clinch. Anderson Silva took advantage of this weakness of Franklin’s in both their previous fights. Perhaps Wanderlei’s greatest asset and “deadliest” weapon is his Thai clinch, so he needs to remember the tool that made him the legend he is if he wants to win this fight. NBG Pick: Rich Franklin.

Cezar Ferreira vs. Sergio Moraes
Since Zuffa has much success using local fighters on the previous two events in Rio, they are continuing to do so by using relative unknowns (unless you have been following TUF Brazil.) Considering MMA and fighting is in their DNA, it’s hardly takes a leap of faith. Cezar Ferreira, while having only six bouts in his MMA career is no newbie to the sport, having been competing since 2007. With three of his four wins coming by way of technical knock out, it’s probably no surprise that he will most likely work with what his strength is and be hunting looking for another, especially considering his opponent is a submission maven. It would be in his better interest to keep this fight standing. Having strung together three finishes in a row he was stalled in his last fight in August of 2011, where he was KOed in 25 seconds by Elvis Mutapcic. He’ll certainly be hungry and hoping to get back on the winning track.

His opponent is 4 time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion Sergio Moraes, who is replacing an injured Daniel Sarafian and has a contrasting style to Ferreira’s. Reflecing his decorated background, Sergio has five submission victories in his six wins. The “X” factor here is that Sergio is taking this fight on short notice, and his last fight was in March of 2010. Of course, desire and ring rust will be contributing factors to his performance. In spite of the fact that both fighters emphasize submission grappling, their culture emphasizes machismo and no one will be the least bit surprised if this fight is mostly a standing, kickboxing affair. Nor should anyone be surprised if it’s an up and down, back and forth battle that perhaps picks up Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night or Submission of the night honors. NBG Pick: Sergio Moraes.

Rony Mariano Bezerra vs. Godofredo Pepey
The incredibly dangerous Rony Mariano Bezerra has finished all ten of his opponents in the fights he has won. With seven submissions and three KO/TKOs, his opponents are in trouble wherever the fight goes. Only one of his thirteen fights have gone to a decision, so the fans are guaranteed an exciting fight, win or lose. Rony is currently on a five fight win streak, all finishes.

His opponent Godofredo Pepey, clearly was cherry picked by matchmaker Joe Silva, because Godofredo also has finished all his opponents. To take it a step further than Rony, he has yet to lose and only gone past the first round once. That’s eight fights, six submission, and two TKOs. In essence, this fight is a train wreck from the get-go and is the NBG pick for the Fight of the Night award and bonus. NBG Pick: Godofredo Pepey.

Mike Russow vs. Fabricio Werdum
In a return to familiar faces, this bout is a bit of a strange match-up to say the least. American Mike Russow by appearance is easy to overlook. He lacks the Adonis build that is so common amongst fighters. However, Mike is here to remind people of one cold hard fact: muscles do not equate to fighting ability. Mike is a spoiler of sorts, winning fights he is “supposed” to lose and in the process put together an eleven fight win streak defeating the likes of veteran Roman Zentsov, the despised Jason Guida, Todd Duffee in a fight he was getting battered in, Brock Lesnar training partner Jon Madsen and BJJ phenom John Olav Einemo. Mike is a finisher and as mentioned, a spoiler, winning fights he isn’t supposed to. However, he really has the odds stacked against him.

His opponent Fabricio Werdum is one of the top heavyweights in the sport. Perhaps one of the top three best submission specialists in the heavyweight division. Fabricio’s career was built on fighting top guys from the very beginning – and winning. He has strung together impressive wins against Gabriel Gonzaga (twice), Big Cat Tom Erikson, Alistair Overeem, Aleksander Emelianenko, Brandon Vera, Bigfoot Silva, a faded Fedor, and most recently against Big Country Roy Nelson. In his second fight against Alistair Overeem, he displayed a vastly improved striking ability, in spite of his decision loss and in spite of the punch stats showing him to land more strikes. Russow needs to make this a scrappy, gritty and ugly battle and keep it standing if he has any chance of winning this fight. Werdum could possibly win anywhere, but he can finish the fight much faster if he simply takes it to the ground. NBG Pick: Fabricio Werdum.

Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias
Brazilian phenom Yuri Alcantara is currently on a thirteen fight win streak, and has twelve submission and twelve TKO wins. Clearly and aggressive and dangerous opponent by these stats, they need to be balanced by the fact that his fights have primarily taken place in Brazil against virtual unknowns, excepting Arantes and Omigawa. Even these wins were not against opponents that were in the top ten and both went to decisions.

Similarly his opponent Hacran Dias has also faced relatively unknown Brazilians. To be fair, this is not to say that these guys are not top caliber, because if they are fighting for the sport’s largest organization they ARE top caliber. They just haven’t been tested or proven they can carry their performances over to beating top opponents. In the UFC, they will have no choice. Either progress and evolve or be eliminated. Dias is on an eight fight win streak and has wins by submission and striking. NBG Pick: Yuri Alcantara.

Come back for the results, updates and animated gifs. What are your picks for the headline fight between Franklin and Silva? The main card bouts? Who wins the bonuses?

Residents can recycle more items at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station including cooking oil, Styrofoam blocks, electronics and rigid plastics.

“We are working toward expanding recycling opportunities for New Bedford residents and businesses.  This diverts materials from the Crapo Hill Landfill” said Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, New Bedford’s recycling coordinator.  “And, the city earns money for some of these items, just like we earn money from the paper collected in the blue bins.”

• Residents, non-profits and small businesses can drop off used cooking oil in the container labeled Newport Biodiesel, located at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station. At this time, the City can offer this service free of charge.  Local restaurants can also order onsite containers for used cooking oil by contacting Newport Biodiesel at (401) 846-1117.
• Many types of styrofoam blocks can be accepted, with the exception of Styrofoam peanuts, cups or clamshell containers.
• In terms of electronics, the City can accept any item with a plug.  Examples of items that can be dropped off include computer towers, laptops, printers, fax machines, DVD players, VCRs, coffee pots, cell phones, paper shredders, copiers, cameras and radios.
• Most types of rigid plastics are now accepted. These include broken recycling bins, trash barrels, 5-gallon buckets, children’s toys, laundry baskets, crates, plastic tubs, flower pots and plastic chairs.  All items must be clean.

The Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station located at 1103 Shawmut Avenue is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, New Bedford’s Recycling Coordinator at (508) 979-1493 or recycling@newbedford-ma.gov.

Have you gotten a parking ticket in New Bedford this year? If you’ve visited downtown New Bedford or other areas with parking meters, chances are you’ve gotten several. According to The Standard Times, the city raised over $1.2 million from parking tickets, and meter and garage fees  during the fiscal year that ends June 30, Traffic Commissioner Scott Downing told the City Council at a budget hearing Monday night. In fiscal 2011, the city raised $1 million, up from $685,092 in 2010 and $276,380 in 2006.

What that translates into is a four-fold increase from 2006 ($276,380) to 2012 ($1.2 million). In just one year (from 2011 to 2012) the revenue increased by 20% from $1 million to $1.2 million. These statistics show that it is impossible to argue that the city doesn’t have an aggressive ticketing policy. As someone that has lived in downtown New Bedford going on four years, I’ve personally noticed the army of meter maids increase in numbers and urgency to give tickets.

The negatives from this aggressive ticketing policy is obvious. First, visitors to commercial districts of New Bedford get a bad taste in their mouth if they come to grab a meal or drink, visit an attraction like the Ocean Explorium, or shop at a local retail. The impact is more revenue for the City and less revenue for local business. Second, people are reporting overly aggressive behavior from meter maids. I’ve experienced and heard hundreds of reports of tickets within seconds and minutes of meters expiring. Are they hovering over nearly expired meters? Basically, it comes down to the negative feeling towards New bedford that this aggressive approach to enforcement brings. Instead of enjoying your visit to the City of New Bedford, you are constantly thinking about your meter and if you are going to get your ticket. As a visitor, you know that if you are seconds late, you may have a ticket. Third, a simple $10 ticket can turn into a $50+ ticket within months of not paying. The City starts to completely hammer you if you don’t pay your ticket within a few weeks and likely accounts for a large portion of the $1.2 million in 2012 revenue. Finally, the City doesn’t even enforce their own policy that is printed on the meters. You can read my Exposing New Bedford’s Parking Meters article to see that they don’t monitor the meters past 5pm on week days, and don’t work on Saturdays even though it states they do on the meters.

To be fair to Mayor Mitchell, this aggressive meter enforcement was established in 2006 by the Lang administration. Mayor Lang obviously saw a way to increase revenue through an aggressive ticketing policy. Some solutions would be to allow a 15-minute grace period, provide friendly warnings (happens all the time with speeding tickets) and increase the amount of periods of free parking holidays. These suggestions would be a great start in reversing the negative feelings towards visiting our commercial districts.

There is a meeting tonight at 7pm (Thursday, June 21st) at the City Hall for local businesses and concerned citizens to voice their opinion. It’s a first step and long over do. In a terrible economy, the city should be welcoming people to our city to boost our local economy, not the city’s coffers. Also, an overly aggressive parking enforcement combined with high crime, a highly visible homeless population on our streets, doesn’t help drive tourism to our city. The city can’t fix crime and homelessness overnight, but they can reverse the overly aggressive parking enforcement immediately.

Join the discussion on Facebook here.

In recognition of St. Jean Baptiste Day, Mayor Jon Mitchell, other elected officials and members of the La Ligue des Franco-Americains will participate in several events including a Canadian flag raising ceremony at City Hall and a tribute at the Franco-American Veterans Square.  The Canadian flag raising ceremony at City Hall will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 22, 2012. The ceremony at the Franco American Veteran’s Square will be held at the monument located at the intersection of Nauset Street, Mount Pleasant Street and Hathaway Road on Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.  La Ligue Des Franco-Americains is a New Bedford-based consortium of French organizations dedicated to preserving French heritage and culture and celebrates the feast of Saint Jean Baptiste annually.

The Working Waterfront Festival is pleased to announce the winner of our 2012 Design Contest – Jon Campbell of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Jon is well known to Festival audiences as a singer/songwriter, poet and all around wordsmith. “The Committee was impressed with Jon’s creative approach to incorporating the 2012 theme Fishtales: Fact Fiction and Narrative Tradition” (Laura Orleans, Festival Director). Jon’s design will appear on the Festival t-shirt, program guide, and poster.

A modified version of the design also serves as the cover art for a newly released live recording of poetry and stories from the Festival. Jon is featured on the CD along with Festival favorites Dave Densmore, Geno Leech, Moe Bowstern, Bob Quinn, Charlotte Enoksen, and others. The 21 tracks run the gamut from poignant word pictures to hilarious parodies, but always delivered with wisdom and authenticity. The CD is available for purchase through the Festival’s web site. All proceeds support the Festival and our year round programming.

The 2012 Festival will be held on the New Bedford waterfront September 29th and 30th.

The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend of September. Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

This month Facebook introduced a new promotional tool called Promoted Posts. This tool allows Facebook Fan Page owners with at least 400 fans (but no more than 100,000 fans) the option to expose their posted content to more of their fans.

Why Facebook Promoted Posts?

Typically, when page administrators post content (text, a link, photo, deal or video) to their Facebook timeline, the content only reaches a fraction of their page’s fans. On NewBedfordGuide.com’s Facebook page, our posted content typically reaches 20-30% of of our fans. With over 5,000 fans, we typically reach 1,000 – 1,500 of our 5,000 fans. This limited reach can be attributed to several reasons. First, not all of your fans are on Facebook every day and may not play catch up by scrolling through hours or days of past posts on their feed. Second, some believe that Facebook limits your content reach for various reasons. Regardless of the reason your content is not reaching fans, this new Facebook Promoted Post tool allows you to pay a price to “bump” your content to the top of your fans’ walls.

How Facebook Promoted Posts Works

You must have a Facebook ad account to use promoted posts. This will allow you to promote your content withing seconds. When you post content to your page you are immediately given the option to promote it. Once clicked, the Promote drop down window will provide you options to set a budget and estimated reach. This option is available when you first post, or within 3 days of posting.

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Facebook will set your budget/reach in the middle price range. Click the price drop down to lower or increase your budget. Once you click Save, your promoted post will go into effect, so make sure you hit Cancel if you don’t want to purchase the Promoted Post marketing. Facebook also provides the option to target fans in a specific location or language. Click on the Public button then Location/language.

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Narrow down the location and language and click Okay.

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That’s it. Your Promoted Post will run immediately and your reach will be delivered over a three day period.

Reach Defined

Facebook defines Reach as, “the number of people who see your Page post in News Feed or Ticker, or on your Page’s Wall.” Organic means you gained these views naturally. Viral means someone saw your Page post from a friend and Paid reach means they saw the post through an Ad or Sponsored Story.

Promoted Posts Statistics Explained

You can track your Promoted Post results by visiting the posts that you’ve promoted. There are two areas that provide valuable statistics. First, simply mouse over the reach numbers to see your organic, viral and paid reach numbers.

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You can also click on the Promotion Complete tab (or if still active the active promote tab) to gain intelligence on your paid reach. This will detail views, likes, clicks, comments and other details on your promoted post.

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These statistics should be studied and tracked to help you decide if Facebook’s Promoted Posts tool is best for you. Here are some final suggestions when using Promoted Posts.

1. Facebook recommends that you “pin” your promoted posts. This will get you more organic views because your post will be at the top when people visit your page. “Un-pin” the post once the Promoted Post marketing expires.

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2. Promoted Post works best with posts that have the potential to become viral. Promote good content with a message that gets someone to click the like or share button. Ask a question or provide content that gets your readers to act.

3. I recommend only having one Promoted Post sponsored story going at a time. Having more than one promotion going can become spammy.

Have questions or comments? Post a reply!

At a public ceremony on the site of one of six planned restoration projects in the region, $6.6M in funding was awarded with the goal of reclaiming or replacing natural resources damaged from decades of toxic PCB pollution in New Bedford Harbor.

The funding is the final installment from penalty funds following the chronic release of hazardous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into New Bedford Harbor. In total, over $30 million has been distributed by the New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council, consisting of representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The projects are intended to restore, replace, or acquire and protect injured natural resources in and around greater New Bedford Harbor.

The following projects will be funded through this fourth, and final, round of funding:

1. $2.9M for the Acushnet River upland riparian walkway in New Bedford
2. $100,000 for ecological restoration of Palmer’s Island in New Bedford
3. $1.2M for ecological restoration of the sawmill property in Acushnet
4. $600,000 for the purchase and restoration of the 46.6-acre LaPalme Farm in Acushnet
5. $1.3M to jump start the restoration of the Round Hill Marsh in Dartmouth
6. $485,440 to continue work on three Buzzards Bay Islands to provide protection and restoration of common and roseate terns, rare species which were severely impacted by the original release of hazardous substances and continue to be at risk (Bird Island – Marion, Ram Island – Mattapoisett, and Penikese Island –  Gosnold).

The ceremony took place at the site of the former Acushnet Saw Mills, where a $1.2M wetland and riverbank restoration project is beginning under the management of the Buzzards Bay Coalition and funded through the New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council. It is one of the six projects, primarily in the municipalities of New Bedford, Acushnet, and Dartmouth.

The Bay Coalition has recently demolished and removed a group of industrial buildings from the sawmill site and will utilize grant funds from this round to acquire additional riverfront lands, remove pavement and restore natural forest, field, wetland and river habitats at the location.  After completion in approximately two years, the scenic area is expected to be open to the public for environmental education and outdoor recreation and will anchor a developing regional trail system along the Acushnet River. Bay Coalition President Mark Rasmussen highlighted the importance of restoring damaged ecosystems like this.

“It is too easy for damaged natural resources to be forgotten and abandoned, but the Acushnet River and greater New Bedford Harbor have been, and should be, the heart of this community,” said Rasmussen. “By funding restoration projects like our work at the Acushnet sawmill we can help heal the ecological damage while also reconnecting the community to their Harbor.”

Representatives of the New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council also were on hand for the ceremony.

“Today, we come together to celebrate important progress in restoring the natural resources of New Bedford Harbor and Buzzards Bay, ” said John Catena, Northeast Regional Supervisor for NOAA  Fisheries Service’s Restoration Center.  “Over the last 14 years, NOAA, our federal and state partners, and many community partners in the SouthCoast have completed projects to restore fish habitat, wetlands, shellfish beds, preserve land, protect tern nesting areas and improve public shoreline access and recreational opportunities for the people of the region. Today’s funding will support six new projects to continue the restoration that is so important to the region’s people, environment and economy.”

US Fish and Wildlife Service New England Field Office Supervisor Tom Chapman added, “Projects in the final funding round have tremendous benefits to natural resources – protecting land, restoring salt marsh, and enhancing federally listed endangered roseate tern nesting habitat.  Moreover, people will be re-connected with the Acushnet River for generations to come as several of these projects will restore natural areas in the heart of New Bedford and Acushnet.”

“We pursue Natural Resource Damages cases to make sure those who pollute our environment compensate for those damages. We have invested those funds in restoring the vital natural resources in New Bedford Harbor and the Acushnet River, in a way that raises the quality of life for us all,” said Commissioner Ken Kimmell of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. “This progress is only possible thanks to the cooperative work between the state and federal Trustees, local officials, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition.”

Yoga has been rapidly gaining fans over the past few years as a form of exercise and relaxation; however, while I see many excited individuals clutching their yoga mats, I also encounter dozens of people, myself included, who are still slightly reluctant to commit to yoga for one reason or another. Personally, I’m about as graceful as a rock, and still a little bashful about wiggling my chakras. But lately I’ve discovered something wonderful about my self-limits: I have none! So, when Däna (pronounced Donna, don’t let that wonky little umlaut fool you) Brown approached me about bringing my butt back to her Yoga in the Park classes, I decided to take the opportunity to find out why she was so persistent before I relented. And I couldn’t be happier that I did!

Amanda: So Miss Däna with the umlaut, what was your first introduction to yoga?

Däna: For as long as I can remember I always had an infatuation with flexible people… gymnasts, contortionists, and yogis. They always looked so free to me. In my mid twenties, when yoga seemed to just be hitting the mainstream, I picked up a video and went from there. My posture and back pain were getting progressively worse and I thought that trying yoga might bring some relief. It was a basic video from Tracey Rich and Ganga White – straightforward with no bells and whistles. It did its job and it did it well.

Amanda: So, how long after that did you decide to dedicate yourself to yoga, personally and professionally?

Däna: My personal practice was on and off for quite a few years, but you sort of get these little epiphanies throughout your practice. Even though I didn’t practice, or even think about it on a daily basis in the beginning, the more epiphanies and little changes that came about, the more my dedication increased. My pains, my depression, my insecurities, all began to gradually fade. About eight years after I first picked up that video, a confident outgoing and genuinely happy person showed up. That’s when I decided I wanted to help other people feel as good as I felt. Three years ago I started teaching some friends in my living room and out in the park. They would give me such positive feedback and tell me how their physical issues were starting to fade, too. They needed their weekly yoga.

I felt like I finally found the thing I was supposed to be doing! In 2011, I started my teacher training, in which I completed a 240-hour Hatha Yoga certification. I chose not to take my training at a specifically styled school, such as Bikram, Baptiste or Kripalu. While I feel that all of these styles offer something wonderful, I didn’t want to feel pigeon holed into teaching just one specific style. My classes are diverse, so you’ll see different aspects of many styles blending together.

Amanda: Why do you think some people, you know, me, for example, feel so intimidated by yoga? Do you have any tips on how I, um, they can overcome these fears?

Däna: (Laughing) I get so opinionated when it comes to how intimidating yoga can come across. I’ll try to control myself. When magazine covers, articles, and photos focus so much on pretzel poses, arm balancing, handstands, etc. it’s no wonder I hear fear in people’s voices when it comes to yoga. Don’t get me wrong, I love the challenge of these poses; they’re beautiful and DO have a purpose, but even after 10 years of practice I don’t do many of them. They are not the focus of my practice, nor do they need to be the focus of anyone else’s practice if they do not want them to be. Sometimes, I feel like that idea gets lost amongst mainstream advertising, and people feel like they can’t do yoga if they can’t be an arm balancing pretzel. Yoga meets you where you are. That’s what makes it amazing! Eventually, our bodies and minds open on many levels, but how far is up to you. That is the ideal I try to present in my classes. Yoga really IS for everybody. Take those magazine cover poses and look at them as inspiration for how amazing the human machine can be and then let it go and be yourself.

Amanda: What are some of the benefits of incorporating yoga into your life and fitness routine?

Däna: I’ll start with the positive things that have happened to me. As I said earlier, my back pain and depression disappeared. My posture has been corrected. I keep sciatica flare ups manageable to most of the time nonexistent. Stress and anxiety are no longer a plague – it has just made me better equipped to handle the things that come my way in my life. I now know what joy really feels like.

Yoga increases flexibility, balance and strength, which keeps the aging process graceful. It keeps the body supple which decreases your chance of injuries in daily life, and also in other fitness activities you may engage in. It’s a great way to balance your body if you do a lot of strength training, or other types of workouts that tend to shorten the muscles. It has helped people I know who have carpal tunnel issues and runner’s knee issues. I wouldn’t say Yoga is a cure all, but it definitely helps keep the body and mind in check.

Amanda: Being part hippie, I’m loving the idea of hosting yoga in the park. Can you tell me a little about how it’s going to go?

Däna: I am absolutely excited to be offering Yoga in the Park classes again! It’s like giving yourself permission to play outside. The combination of fresh air and organic ground under your feet is comparable to none. These classes will be an hour-long vinyasa style. We’ll get moving in a nice flow for the first half and then slow it down for a mellower second half. All of my classes are for all levels of experience. I teach poses in stages so that beginners have a solid place to start and more experienced practitioners have a deeper direction to move. These classes are donation based with a suggested donation of $5. My goal is to have every aspect of these classes accessible to everyone. The location is Buttonwood Park. We’ll meet behind the greenhouse across the road from the pond. I have a few extra mats that can be used on a first come first serve basis.

The first class will be Wednesday June 27th and will go until August 29th, weather permitting. Class will not be held on the fourth of July. Attendees should arrive at 6pm to sign in and settle. The class will start promptly at 6:15 and end at 7:15. I’m also hoping to have a treat of some acoustic music for a couple of classes.

Amanda: Do you have any additional advice for beginners who may still be a bit leery of becoming a yogi?

Däna: Yes. Jump in, the water’s fine! You never know what you can do, or what you will like until you try. And don’t worry, you can stop whenever you want, but I don’t think you will. *wink*

For more information on Yoga in the Park, check out Däna’s Facebook page: Art and Asana – Däna LeAnne Yoga (http://www.facebook.com/ArtAndAsana)

Namaste.

Instructor’s Name: Däna Brown

Contact: Rocketblues@gmail.com

Yoga Location: Buttonwood Park

Payment Options: Cash donations beginning at $5 are appreciated