In this series, we hope to highlight and showcase in as interesting a way as possible, the stories behind our favorite, mouth-watering local dishes. While we’ll focus on greater New Bedford and the South Coast, we will occasionally “travel” to places like Plymouth, Providence or even Boston. I will attempt to keep it light-hearted, fun and easy to read. While I can’t promise to keep you compelled and pull you along with prose – that would take a professional writer – I will promise to be liberal with the drool-inducing images of these dishes.

I grew up in a Sicilian household where everyone – man, woman, child – was participating in preparing meals. It was a “trick” to get everyone together, talking, laughing and, of course, the occasional heated debate. Food was a huge part of our identity, where we came from, who we were. There was something special about the atmosphere that revolved around a meal that we prepared.

You haven’t lived until you’ve had at least one Chouriço Bombeiro! (Catavino.net)

This is certainly not unique to a Sicilian household. Every ethnic group in the country has a proud culinary tradition that they grew up around. You can easily replace “Sicilian” with Irish, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Ethiopian, Greek or anything else. This is why food as a topic is always so popular. We humans love our food and that passion goes beyond the gustatory or taste – we crave the aromas, delight in the presentation, are fueled by the atmosphere, and relish – pardon the pun – discussion about our favorite dishes, restaurants or cuisines.

One thing that is often not discussed, is glossed over, or barely touched upon, is the history or background of these dishes. Now, to some, this conjures up the voice of the guy from the “dry eyes” commercial. The terms, for many, are synonymous with “boring,” “dull,” or “It’s time to go.” However, the background can be interesting, fun, or funny and it can be so without being facetious, dumbed-down or popular. I will make every attempt to maintain a fresh balance with this series.

As always, feedback is encouraged. Anecdotes are wanted. Discussion is paramount. Please join in.

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In this inaugural installment, I felt it was fitting to cover something Portuguese. It is perhaps the largest ethnicity in New Bedford and linguiça/chouriço are something we’ve all tried and likely devour frequently. While both are so ubiquitous in this area, outside of Portuguese communities mention either one and you’ll get silence and puzzled faces.

Imagine the horror of never having had Portuguese food, especially linguiça? These poor deprived souls. They must wander through life feeling a sort of emptiness inside but never able to place a finger on what exactly it is. If there is such a thing as hell on earth, it must be a place without Portuguese food.

Little treasures of smoked happiness curing in preparation for your plate or “pop”

Hyperbole aside, linguiça and its sister chouriço, are part and parcel of our everyday lives, whether we are Portuguese or not. It’s like the greater New Bedford’s “Oreo Cookie” in the sense that there is no end to the debate on how one should eat them. Should they be grilled? Slapped on a pop? With mustard or without? Cheese or no cheese? On pizza? Should they just be heated up lightly or cooked until charred? Are they mildly spicy or without heat? Who makes the best? These are fighting words! Epa!

Linguiça and chouriço are of course, types of sausage. The Portuguese excel at a variety of sausages – what they call enchidos – with these two just being the most popular. Other enchidos include the ancient Alheira made with chicken and created to make it a bit easier for Jewish people to convert, morcela or blood sausage, or presunto, their version of Italian prosciutto, to name a few. The word linguiça is derived from the Italian word luganega, from the ancient Lucanians who used to make linguiça-style sausages in ancient Rome.

What’s not to like about the smoked, cured, seasoned pork sausage packages of happiness? Not only delicious to young and old, man and woman, capitalist and communist they take very little time to prepare. They can be served on a plate or slapped in a pop and made into a street food. They are inexpensive, require no special cooking skills to heat up, and can be paired with just about anything, e.g. rice, potatoes, salad, coleslaw, beans, etc.

Being cured was a technique that preserved food for longer periods of time – crucial for long naval trips that the Portuguese are famous for throughout history. Having a hold full of linguiça to survive a fishing trip or even one across the Atlantic doesn’t sound bad at all and certainly made things a bit easier to..ahem, swallow. In a culture where the economy or environment dictated that every part of the animal be used, this is an ingenious way to make the worst or less popular cuts of meat like organs, more palatable. Particularly clever is it packages the meat in a casing made from something that wouldn’t have much of a use and be tossed away as useless: the intestines.

In a culture where the economy or environment dictated that every part of the animal be used, this is an ingenious way to make the worst or less popular cuts of meat like organs, more palatable. Particularly clever is it packages the meat in a casing made from something that wouldn’t have much of a use and be tossed away as useless: the intestines.

What’s your favorite way to prepare linguiça or chouriço? (Dennis Wilkinson)

Anywhere that the Portuguese navigated to for trade or colonization, adopted this popular sausage. Azoreans and Madeirans will tell you that theirs is prepared differently than that on the mainland. Brazil has traditional Portuguese linguiça but because Italians immigrated to Brazil in its youth it has two Italian influenced versions: linguiça Toscana and linguiça calabresa which utilized Italian calabresa peppers. The Portuguese colonized Goa, a city in Western India and there you will find that the Goans took traditional chouriço and added ginger, red chilies, more vinegar, and in some cases turmeric or even yellow curry powder. In Okinawa they mince it and make it into a stuffing or a coating like panko.

Even within the United States and parts of Canada you will find enclaves of Portuguese communities different than what we have in greater New Bedford, albeit only slightly, and often the difference is in ratios of ingredients not flavor profiles. There are Portuguese communities in Seattle, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California. Most notably, the Hawaiian version is a bit larger, may contain beef and they serve it in a hot dog bun with the typical hot dog condiments. Sounds kind of blasphemous, if you ask me.

As with all great foods, there is debate attached to linguiça and chouriço. Which one of these two is better? Is there a difference? What is it? Does Gaspar’s or Amaral’s make the best? Many would counter that with a “My avó make the best, that’s who.” But both those companies make a fantastic sausage – more than people would admit, when avó was about. It would take a brave soul to stand up in a crowd at a Portuguese family gathering and declare “Amaral’s makes better linguiça than my avó.” Brave and stupid.

Not only do those two companies and everyone’s avó probably make insanely delicious enchidos, but the many Salchicharia’s in the area do as well. Not having an avó myself, and preferring to support the local, little guy, I get mine from New Bedford Salchicharia. The Umbelina family makes fresh, microbatches of make you cry good linguiça and chouriço, often making seasonal -like a chicken linguiça with dried cranberries around the holidays. Regardless, I would accept linguiça or chouriço from the supermarket or someone’s grandmother or aunt. I have never had bad linguiça or chouriço.

The crazy Hawaiians treat linguiça like it’s a hot dog.

So what is the difference between these two enchidos? Well, it’s tough to get a clear, defined answer. Some say, just the color: chouriço has a brighter red color from more paprika. Others say chouriço has more garlic, pepper and is the spicier of the two. I’ve heard linguiça has a dash of anise and chouriço has none. Chouriço is supposedly chunkier and more coarse and linguiça is fattier. Bring up a quality that is supposed to be singular to one and I’ll point out someone who says the opposite is true. There is even a group that states that the difference is exactly “zero.” I doubt this debate will ever be defined to the point that arguing will cease.

What we have here is a case of a myriad of manufacturers with different recipes. These recipes were likely handed down through the generations and you damn well better be loyal to your family’s linguiça. That meant you grew up with linguiça a certain way and felt that it was the way it was made. The same thing goes on in Italian households. Everyone’s nonna supposedly makes the best red sauce and it supposed to have “x” many ingredients in an exact ratio or keep it away from me.

What we will have to debate is who makes better linguiça or chouriço between New Bedford and Fall River. We should have a friendly linguiça face-off to determine who has the best. A sort of Superbowl type event where the trophy goes to the city with the best based on a taste test or vote at a festival. We have Chowderfests where people make traditional and creative versions – why not have something based on a food we all love? Mayors and City Councilors could use it as a platform “We will send those wannabes in Fall River packing by proving what we already know: New Bedford makes the best linguiça and chouriço.”

I kid, of course.

We already know that New Bedford makes the best.

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Got an idea for the next article? Is there a food you grew up on, but never knew the history behind it? Want to share a recipe? Want to brain the author with a frying pan? Send us your messages!

Here is another installment in our Who Remembers? series. You can browse previous articles by using the search bar on the right or by clicking here. These articles are strolls down memory lane. In some cases the buildings, but new businesses have replaced them. In other instances, the buildings or even the properties have been razed. Instead of a building, it may be a TV show, personality, or commercial that no one longer exists. Either way, it can’t stop us from taking the Memory Lane stroll!

As always we would rather this be a discussion. No one knows this area better than those who grew up here! Please, leave constructive criticism, feedback, and corrections. We’d love to hear your anecdotes. Please share!

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I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s – eras where the nation made some pretty monumental leaps in terms of social change. The 1980s, in particular, were characterized by an almost naive level of fun. Life was good for America in the late 1970s through the 1980s. It permeated fashion, hairstyles, the film industry, and especially our leisure activities.

One of the common activities that scream this era is roller skating. Just say those two words to someone and watch the gears start to turn and memories start to fly. Most often this will elicit some smiling or smirking. We begin to remember the brightly colored, vividly patterned clothing we wore, the hairspray saturated hairstyles we had, and the common slang we utilized, e.g. rad, bitchin’, totally tubular, etc.

By the time we go through this, think of a few iconic movies like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Breakfast Club,” or “Ghostbusters” we may suddenly realize some time has passed and we forgot the person who mentioned it was there! This is the power of this special time. I’d imagine it’s like this for any era, but since this was my era I’m certainly biased.

There are simply too many things to reminisce about in the 1980s, so the best way to wax nostalgic is to narrow the focus – in this case, the roller rink. Here is where many teenagers first experienced unsupervised leisure time. It was our first foray into going outside the home for a few hours without our parents or a guardian. Of course, that also meant our first dance or kiss.

If you weren’t meeting your girlfriend or boyfriend it didn’t matter. There were lots of cute girls and boys to choose from. It was a place to hang out and let loose – just be a kid or teen without being told “Don’t do that. Clean your room. Quiet down.” The 80s roller rink (and the mall) was a bridge from childhood to teenager. It was a medium where we could practice being a young adult.

Just as important we could wear anything without being judged – fashion and hairstyle were considered self-expression and encouraged by peers. Who here had a favorite pair of leg warmers, parachute paints, or some puffy shoulder pads? How about a selection of Miami Vice or Member’s Only dinner jackets? Girls could use yellow or blue mascara and no one would bat an eye. Got a new pair of jeans? Rip some holes in it and roll up the leg bottoms a bit. Big hair, round brushes for those bangs, and a scrunchie would round things out. How about a denim jacket with your favorite metal band patch taking up the back? Converse or Vans?

Two of the area’s favorite spots for the roller rink vibe were New Bedford’s “Hot Wheels” and Fairhaven’s “Skate Plus.” I spent virtually every weekend at these two spots from the age of 13-15. We would walk around these places with these various fashion statements and hairstyles and dropping as much slang as possible while “checking out the chicks.” These hairstyles and clothing are now called “costumes” at Halloween stores. In between chat we would play some stand-up arcade games, grab some pizza, a hot dog or hamburger and have at it again.

Guess what? Sometimes we’d even skate! Skating backward was a great way to show your “manliness” and surely will attract the chicks, right? Simon Says, limbo and couples skate would inevitably happen, but the “rad” and cool people wouldn’t skate to that. 1980s was about making statements – you’d be outed as a dweeb or Neo-maxi-zoom-dweebie if you did that. You’d make a statement by donning the skates when your band or song came on. It let everyone know who you were and your musical taste was a good way to let everyone know.

No night would be complete if you didn’t dedicate a song to someone special – or even better hand off a “mix tape.” Popular songs were Maneater (Hall & Oates), “You can dance if you want to.” (Men Without Hats), “Whip It!” (Devo), or I Love Rock ‘N Roll (Joan Jett). Of course, if I was choosing the music it would be Megadeth, Slayer, Testament or Overkill, but that wasn’t happening at the skating rink.

The beauty of this era was the communication medium: face to face discussion. There was no such thing as being ignored because someone was doing a status update. There was no vying for the attention of your peers – you always had it.

The time spent in these two skate rinks were some of my fondest in life. The 80s especially were an innocent era in American history. We didn’t have (or didn’t notice) daily terrorism, beheadings, planes flying into buildings, social crusading, or smartphone distractions. Heroin was relegated to the fringes and “hard drugs” for us was smoking marijuana. It was a special time plain and simple.

Here is another installment in our Who Remembers? series. You can browse previous articles by using the search bar on the right or by clicking here. These articles are strolls down memory lane. In some cases the buildings, but new businesses have replaced them. In other instances, the buildings or even the properties have been razed. Instead of a building, it may be a TV show, personality, or commercial that no one longer exists. Either way, it can’t stop us from taking the Memory Lane stroll!

As always we would rather this be a discussion. No one knows this area better than those who grew up here! Please, leave constructive criticism, feedback, and corrections. We’d love to hear your anecdotes. Please share!

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Words & Music was a local institution that provided atmosphere, staff with astounding musical knowledge and all the music you desired at a very affordable price. One wouldn’t even think of any of the other local music chains – there was only one place to shop: Words & Music at 12 Fairhaven Commons Way, in Fairhaven.

Owner John Lopes didn’t just sell CDs, cassette tapes and records. He also offered collectibles, games, sports and non-sports trading cards, and memorabilia. One of the things he offered that generated a lot of the initial buzz when he opened his flagship store in 1987: used media. It was a chance for those of us who were broke to get access to our favorite bands. Broke one week and didn’t have the $10 for a brand new cassette of “Seasons In The Abyss”? Get it used for half that! The songs on both cassettes sounded the same, and the few extra bucks meant you could buy a second cassette for what it would have cost for a brand new one.

Lopes offered the same with his movies and some of the collectibles. It didn’t take long for word of mouth to make ‘Words & Music’ THE place to go in Fairhaven. It didn’t take long for the rest of the South Coast to get wind. Having a place jam packed with fellow music lovers milling about made an atmosphere that was almost akin to “hanging out.” Besides, John and his crew were some of the easiest going people you would meet. You never had the feeling that they were “customer service.” It felt like you were visiting your friend while he or she is working.

The genius behind this is that wallets open up when you feel relaxed, comfortable and amongst friends. One of the fondest memories I have of John is that he would get so excited about new releases – he remembered what you had bought in the past and when you walked in he’d rush to tell you about it. “Joe, Testament’s newest album “The Ritual” just came in. Alex’s solos are sick!” Then John would proceed to rip open a brand new cassette and pipe it through the P.A. system for me to sample – which meant it would land in the “used” section, but he just didn’t care.

It wasn’t unusual for a release day to come around and a bunch of us would load up a car and head to Words & Music. We would hang out for a good 30-45 minutes, buy what we came for and then some, before piling back into the car and spending the next few hours cruising and listening to all our new music – likely cruising “the Ave.” Ah…those were the days.

I missed the whole reason for Words & Music’s relocation to State Road in North Dartmouth. Not sure if rent was too high, Lopes felt he would prosper better in a higher trafficked area, or something else. Surely, some reader knows. Regardless, the move turned out to be the beginning of the end. The Dartmouth location just didn’t have that same vibe, mojo or huzzah. It had lost its charm and simply wasn’t the same.

I believe that they closed their doors permanently some time in 2011, leaving us with music chains and department stores. Yes, the music industry has been moving more and more into digital, but for some of us there is something nostalgic about buying an album, cassette tape or CD. For others they are collectibles – for us it’s “normal.”

Now we are doomed to the chain stores where we have no name, the music piped through the P.A. is typically muzak, and the customer service person is part of the turnover cycle and is replaced with each passing week.

I miss having a name, seeing the passion, hanging with friends and mostly the cruising that followed. I’d love to do that again.

What is it that you remember most about Words & Music? What do you miss? Did you stop going when it relocated to Dartmouth? Why? If Words & Music reopened back in its original spot would you go?

Welcome to next installment in the New Bedford Streets; A Piece of Americana series. Previously we covered William Street, Kempton Street, Middle Street, Centre Street, Ashley Boulevard, Elm Street, Coggeshall Street, Mechanics Lane, Washburn Street and others. If you would like to read those or perhaps revisit them, they can be found by using the search bar to the right. You can also select the “Streets” category.

As usual, I’d like to re-iterate the importance of reader feedback, correction, and contributions. In the process of exploring these streets, I try to confirm or validate statements and dates by finding multiple sources. Unfortunately, if all those sources are making their statement based on an older, incorrect source, and there isn’t any dissenting information available, there’s no way to know otherwise. So by all means, please join in.

In addition, when trying to validate some statements, often there is very little to no information available. I haven’t decided which is worse – finding one source, or finding multiple sources, but not knowing if they were all founded on an inaccuracy. So help from local historians, those who remember, oral histories and anecdotes handed down through the generations, people with private collections, and even know-it-alls will help!

By all means, let us make this an open discussion to keep the “wiki” accurate.

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We New Englanders are famous for the pronunciation of our streets, towns, and cities. Laughs abound whenever an out-of-town friend or family member visits and discussions about the region are had. There is a very popular video where a number of Americans from other regions in the U.S. are given a card with a local city or town on it, e.g. Worcester, Billerica, Gloucester, Leominster, etc. Very few people, if at all, get the pronunciations “right.”

American English prefers practicality over aesthetics. We’d rather use short vowels than long, use contractions rather than pronounce out both words, and use nicknames rather then full names. We have things to do, places to go, and we’re heading to work!

So in this spirit, we prefer to gloss over a few letters to speed things up. Hey, if we want to make a “k,” “g,” “e,” “t,” or other letter silent, it’s our prerogative! We do it to words like knight, buffet, Worcester and even New Bedford (no “r”.)

So it should come as no surprise that Tarkiln Hill Road becomes “Tahkin Hill Road.” Goodbye “r” and “l.” We ain’t got time ‘fo dat. We have Titleist deals to sign and a need to get to Dunkin’ Donuts stat. Outta my way.

Tarkiln Hill Road is one of the oldest roads in the region, rich in history. It’s a road I drive daily. Etymologically speaking, this compound word can be broken down to “tar” and “kiln.” While we all know what tar is, fewer of us know what a kiln is. It’s a word that is rarely used in daily conversation and most would say “It’s an oven of sorts.” You would be very right – the word is derived from the Latin culina which we see is where we get culinary from. The Old English spelling was cyln.

So what we have here is a hill where a cooking stove for tar is, right? Well, sure. In lay terms that is exactly what we have here, but this “tar kiln” refers to something very specific.

Most people think of paved roads or streets when they hear the word “tar,” but from the Iron Age onward much of the world has been using tar for a multitude of reasons. Europeans turned it into an industry and commodity and of course American colonists were quick to utilize it. Tar was used for preserving and water-sealing/repellent on wooden sailing vessels, leather clothing, sails and roofs. It kept out the ocean water, rain or rot.

Unknown to many is that it was also used as a general disinfectant, to flavor candies or amazingly as a panacea or medicine for those mortally wounded. Today it is still used in dandruff shampoos, in cosmetics, paint and of course, preserving wood surfaces.

Where does the kiln come in? Tar is a product of burning wood – primarily pine, hence the term pitch pine or candlewood – for hours or even days in a closed environment. The fire would burn far past the point that the wood became charcoal. You need a kiln for that – often made from limestone and where that wasn’t available a deep pit was dug. There was a slight gradient to the kiln, so that the liquid tar could ooze out and be collected.

An integral aspect to the process is the minimizing of oxygen, but maintenance of the heat. This is achieved by covering the charcoal in moss and/or dirt. For days the tar would be collected. If you are a history buff or farmer, you know that nothing was ever wasted in colonial times. Once all the tar was extracted, the dirt and moss would be swept aside and the charcoal and by-product of tar kilns – turpentine and pitch – would be also collected.

Tar, pitch, turpentine and charcoal all became commodities to export back “home” in England. Since the colonists were perpetually clearing forests to build towns, homesteads and farmsteads these commodities were in abundance. In fact, it become an industry that burgeoned so much that towns began to complain about the odor and constant smoke from the glut of tar kilns. Some states like New Hampshire even allowed residents to pay in tar instead of currency. In the 17th century Massachusetts tried to stem the destructive industry by putting caps on the amount of barrels that could be produced annually.

Eventually lumber and ice harvesting come onto the scene and many jumped ship, pardon the pun. However, it did undergo a short lived revival in the early part of the 20th century.

So we’ve clarified what a tar kiln was and how our forebears in the region utilized it in a typically New England industrious way. So why in tarnation – again, pardon the pun – was this road specifically called Tarkiln Hill Road? This stretch of road is Main Street in Acushnet, becomes Tarkiln Hill Road once you cross “the river” and turns into King’s Highway once it hits Route 18. Coincidentally, nearby Pine Grove Cemetery was originally known as Tarkiln Hill Burial Ground prior to 1853 – before the city owned it.

This road was already a common Amerindian Path before settlers arrived. After Olde Dartmouth was purchased in the early 1650s it was referred to as “Old Rhode Island Way” in many historical documents. Reason being that the trail was used to travel between Plymouth and Newport by the first peoples. Within a few decades the Loyalists would pay tribute to the King back in England by dubbing a section of the trail “King’s Highway.” That King was likely James II or Charles II; you may know better than I do – chime in.

There are no historical documents I came across – I pored through scores of them – that mentioned a specific tar kiln. It is very probable that it was used to refer to multiple tar kilns as if to say “The hill with all the tar kilns on it.” The same way we would say “Dog Park” or “Auto Mile.” The fact that it does not have a surname attached to it lends credence to this idea – ponds, mills, and other landmarks would have surnames attached, e.g. Smith’s Mills, Turner’s Pond.

Considering that there was a tar industry boom and and a plethora of tar kilns in the area it would be reasonable to assume that there were a number of tar kilns on the edges of forests. It is also likely that tar kilns were temporary and shifted as trees were harvested. This explains the lack of a name attributed to the tar kilns.

Since the further back in time we go the fewer documents were kept it likely means that the tar kilns in the area go way back to the earliest times, perhaps even as far back to the first settlers. Since the street was an Indian path when the very first settlers arrived and mentioned by the Dartmouth Proprietors it would be safe to say that Tarkiln Hill Road had its first tar kilns between 1655-1680. This would make a lot of sense considering England was virtually deforested by the early 1700s and would have relied on the colonists exporting as much of it as possible.

We’ve gone from Indian path to Old Rhode Island Way to Tarkiln Hill Road and the street being truncated by town and city lines. Next time you drive on Tarkiln Hill Road you can say “I know what the name of this street means and why it was named so.” By knowing the backgrounds of the streets in this series we are getting to know the region’s – even our nation’s – history a lot better.

It’s a way to pay tribute to the hard work and industrious nature of our forebears that made our first world lives possible today.

Did you know that humanity has been celebrating the year’s end for some 4,000 years? While the first historically documented mention of this special event is by the Babylonians, it is likely that it goes back further in time, mentioned in oral traditions.

With the Babylonians it was a way to mark the first new moon following the vernal equinox – sometime between March 19-21) in the Northern Hemisphere – with a festival called Akitu. Equinoxes are special because they are the days when there is an equal amount of sunlight and darkness everywhere on earth (approximately 12 hours worth) due to the equator being lined up with the sun.

From that point and depending on the time of year, there will either be an increasing amount of daylight or darkness. In the case of the vernal equinox, it marks when we pass the 12 hour’s worth of sunlight and darkness and our daylight slowly increases with the advent of the first day of Spring. The sun will now climb higher in the sky.

Now, you are asking yourself “Why is this loon talking about the first day of Spring in an article about the history of New Year’s Day which is in December?” Well, while I won’t deny that I’m a loon, there is a reason and that reason has to do with an iconic historical icon: ancient Rome’s Julius Caesar. You can thank him for moving New Year’s Day from March to January 1st.

Calendars, solstices, equinoxes, axis, vernal, autumnal, blah, blah, blah. This can all get confusing and my aim isn’t to create fodder and fuel for your nap. So let’s leave the confusing bits behind. If you want to get your nerd on or “larp out,” there’s a ton of literature online.

Rome created its own calendar system – remnants of which still exist in the calendar we use today. This was created by Rome’s founder Romulus some time in the 8th century B.C.E.

Some of you fans of dead languages like Latin and/or who are etymology nerds like myself, know that September means “7th month,” October means “8th month,” November means “9th month” and December means the “10th month.” For example, “Oct” as in octagon or octopus – an eight sided shape or an eight-limbed animal. You’re smart enough to figure out the others.

If you’re paying attention, you may wondering how it is that September – which means “7th month” – became our ninth month. Same with the three subsequent months of September, November and December. How is it that we are “off” two months? Well, that’s because the Roman calendar was based on ten months or 304 days beginning on that aforementioned vernal equinox in March. Something that makes incredible sense – the earth’s equator begins rise as it passes from being lined up perfectly with the sun. It’s a beginning, so the year should start then.

The problem is that 304 days is not in sync with the actual time it takes for our earth to orbit the sun – that’s 365 1/4 days. So it didn’t take long to throw the calendar out of whack. To even things out, Rome’s second king, Numa Pompilius, added the months of Ianuarius and Februarius later in the 8th century. These two months aligned the equinoxes and solstices in a much more accurate way. Over the decades and centuries it would continually be refined. In the middle of this refinement, a guy that no one ever heard of named Julius Caesar decided to move the New Year from March 1st to Ianuarius or January circa 46 B.C.E.

Why did he place January as the first month? The month was named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and it was the customary beginning of the civil year and the month when newly elected consuls started their tenure. The god Janus was represented by two faces which allowed him to look to the past and future simultaneously. A fitting metaphor for an equinox.

This lasted 600 years, until the second Council of Tours – a Roman Catholic meeting among high-ranking officials to finalize some important issues. At this Council, they determined that new year’s celebrations were un-Christian and Pagan. Ironically or coincidentally, depending on your perspective, they suggested using the dates of December or March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation or Easter) as less pagan or more Christian in terms of days to replace the start of the year.

December 25 corresponds to the Winter Solstice (December 21-23) and March 25 with the equinox we discussed earlier. Both dates have been celebrated by as Pagan or Wiccan holidays for hundreds or thousands of years before Christianity existed. December is Yule or Jól and March was Ostara or Dísablót – held in honor of the female spirits or deities.

Celebrating New Year’s on March or December 25 would last almost 1,000 years before Pope Gregory XIII returned New Year’s Day to January 1st in 1582. Protestant countries were slow to adopt the January 1st date, but within a century had joined the Catholic Church.

Phew – that’s a lot of history behind a seemingly simple day. Why is the day so important and why has it been so important for at least 6,000 years? Why does it seem to resonate with humanity in such a powerful way? Because it represents wiping the slate clean and starting anew. It represents new opportunities, progress, and potential. Thus the oft ineffective New Year’s resolutions, an idea that also originated with the Babylonians.

Most humans like to align themselves with something bigger – a power, force, or energy. Since the planet is starting a new beginning, what better time is there for us to start one? To symbolize this new start countries have various rituals – here in the U.S. we have quite a few various ones, but most revolve around food and drinking alcohol. Perhaps the most famous tradition is the “dropping” of the ball in New York City and the singing of Scottish Robert Burns’ song “Auld Lang Syne” or roughly, “Times Gone By.”

Knowing the origins of this worldwide holiday lends a perspective that anchors us in tradition. When we know our roots we are empowered. It’s no coincidence that the word roots us used with traditions – a tree with no roots is weak and unstable. It will be blown over with the slightest of winds. However, with roots a tree stands a greater chance to withstand and persevere.

This holiday is a very human one since it is practiced, albeit at different times, around the world. It is not an American holiday any more than it is a Babylonian holiday. It’s earth’s or humanity’s holiday. The world uniting to celebrate a common holiday is the perfect way to start a new year – however we should carry the lesson over throughout the year. One commonality, one race, one people – a new beginning. It’s not our 2016th year we are ushering in, but our 6,016th!

Christ Pantocrator, a mosaic on the Cefalù Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church in Cefalù, Sicily, Italy built in 1131.(pantheos.org)

In a day and age where we have terminology like safe spaces, micro-aggressions, and triggers it seems that there is very little under the sun that couldn’t be considered offensive to someone. In extreme cases, some may be offended by what they assumed or perceived you were going to say – what you were thinking, but didn’t quite get to.

This policing of thought is a form of censorship that is typically accompanied by some form of mob justice: shaming, social crusading, or demands for resignation or a sacking. The problem with mob justice is it is often a response that began as a knee-jerk reaction that progressively develops in emotional intensity and irrationality. Reason and emotion generally don’t share the same sphere – a sort of mental oil and water.

In addition, the targets are often soft ones – those whose intent was not malicious or hurtful or made by a person who said something and genuinely did not know it would be offensive. Perhaps, it was a family member or friend whose only experience with a certain race, creed, religion or gender was very limited and often to just their stereotypes. These soft targets are easy to attack as opposed to those who genuinely deserve such attacks, e.g. Stormfront, Nazi sympathizers, KKK, Westboro Church, etc.

The truth isn’t always important when mob justice or social crusading is freight training along. Once that momentum has picked up speed, facts and reason generally fall by the wayside and are not important any more. The saddest part of all is that these soft targets are good people who made a mistake out of a lack of understanding, not from malintent – they are “teachable.” Instead of taking advantage of a learning opportunity, the mob attacks and actually has a hand in perpetuating that person’s ignorance.

The antidote for any form of ignorance is knowledge and understanding not insulting, shaming, and attacking one’s reputation. Ignorance is often used as an insult, but it shouldn’t be taken that way always. Ignorance means we lack knowledge of a particular subject or topic. It’s like there is a missing piece of a puzzle. It doesn’t mean a person is stupid – what makes a person stupid is refusing incoming knowledge; to pretend it doesn’t exist.

One of the common displays of ignorance I encounter often is criticism for the use of the term “XMas,” instead of Christmas. Since I was about 20 years of age, I have devoured everything I can across all religions and ideologies e.g. Islam, Buddhism, Animism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, etc. I thoroughly enjoy the mixture of thought, history and culture. I simply can’t get enough.

Because this is a deep topic of interest for me, I frequent many forums and partake in discussion daily. Almost without fail, using “XMas,” “Xian,” or “Xianity” garners a comment along the lines of “That’s offensive.”, “Why are you taking Christ out of Christmas?”, or “That’s incredibly insulting to me. It’s blasphemous.”

When a person finds out that I am a humanist that just adds fuel to the fire, because they assume that because I am not a theist I must be disparaging their belief system. This is partly due to the obnoxiousness or arrogance of many “new atheists.” Many Christians incorrectly think that the use of “X” in Xmas, Xian or Xianity is a modern term invented by these new atheists as a way to stir the pot.

In actuality, I am trying to have meaningful dialogue with people different than me. I’m trying to increase my understanding of religious thought and I am assuming that those who I am in discussion with are also trying to increase their understanding. I’ve been accused of being a hopeless optimist and this may be the case here, because more often than not the conversation then begins to devolve, meander, lose its way and stop being productive. It’s a shame, because it’s completely unnecessary.

The term was not developed by atheists, but by Christians nearly 1,500 years ago. The “X” is actually not a Roman letter, but the Greek letter “chi” which resembles an “x.” “Chi” is the first letter in the Greek word “Christos,” which is in turn the word for “Christ.” Greek is the language that the New Testament is written in and the word looks like this in original Greek: Χριστός.

If you still aren’t convinced, take a look at above image of the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century manuscript of the Bible. Here’s the actual text from Matthew 16:16b: See, the “ΧC”? That is short for χριστὸς. You can see the use of “XC” on many Christ Pantocrator – depictions of Christ. The banner image of this article is a mosaic on the Cefalù Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church in Cefalù, Sicily, Italy built in 1131.

So, next time that you see an “x” used in XMas, Xian, or Xianity don’t take offense. It’s not a derogatory way to take Christ out of Christmas, it’s not disrespectful or meant to offend. In fact, it’s the opposite. It places Christ back into Christmas and pays respect to the rich history of Christianity…er….Xianity.

So, don’t let “I’m offended.” also mean “I don’t want to learn.”

This article is an attempt by a humanist to extend an olive branch to Xians. If you pick up this olive branch and pass it along, two “opposing” groups just set an example for others to follow. If people used the same energy and eagerness they expend to be offended and applied it to a willingness to listen and understand, we’d really be on to something.

Merry Christmas, Merry Xmas!

Sources:
The Voice – Biblical and Theological Resources for Growing Christians: http://www.crivoice.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html
BibleStudy.org: http://www.biblestudy.org/question/christmas-shortened-xmas.html
Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp
Today I Found Out: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/12/the-x-in-xmas-doesnt-take-the-christ-out-of-christmas/

With the 2014-2015 winter we got positively inundated with snowfall. Unfortunately, New Bedford doesn’t keep track of snowfall stats beyond total accumulation, not allowing us to put it all in perspective. However, Boston which got similar snowfall amounts, does keep a variety of statistics which will allow us to gain that perspective and position the rest of the article.

1888 newspaper clipping detail the horror and casualties associated with the Great White Hurricane. (http://myinwood.net/)

2014-2015 was a record breaking season for Massachusetts in general with Boston itself getting a record breaking 110.6 inches. It didn’t just break the record for the most snowfall in a season, but earned many others: the fastest 6′ snowfall with 72.5 inches from January 24-February 10, record amount in one month for February at 64.8 inches – more than half the amount for the season, record snowfall for a meteorological winter with 99.4 inches, record snow depth with 37 inches, the fastest 90 inch snowfall from January 24-February 15, the record for four calendar days with at last 12 inches of snow, and the most days with measurable snow in a month with 16 days in February. Phew!

These are astounding measures for anywhere on earth – excepting parts of Alaska, Siberia or Antarctica. Those of us with bad back or who didn’t own snowblowers recall the season all too well. In fact, my ancient snowblower completely died on me during the very first snow – leaving me shoveling for the rest of the season. Ouch. I have two permanent back injuries from my younger years, so that snow season was a one so brutal that it will never be forgotten by me.

As impressive as those numbers are, there were two times in our history that we received snowfall amounts in a shorter span that were more impressive, more damaging, more costly and incurred more casualties: The Great Snow of 1717 and the Great Blizzard of 1888. These two events are little known and ne’er discussed, but they are epic, massive snowstorms that lead to the loss of hundreds of lives.

The Great Snow of 1717
In 1716 three volcanic eruptions in Asia created the conditions for an historic winter in North America. The sheer volume of ash spewed into the atmosphere from the eruptions of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines, Mount Kirishima in Japan, and Kelud in Indonesia created the conditions that would lead to the the monumental snowfalls of the 1716-1717 season.

When volcanic ash and gases reach the stratosphere it absorbs outgoing land radiation and reflects incoming solar radiation – this lowers temperatures for many parts of the world, creating what is referred to as a volcanic winter. This “winter” leads to erratic and extreme weather patterns that have led to famine, spread of disease, crop failure and more.

A scene on 11th Street in New York City. (http://myinwood.net/)

What these three volcanic eruptions helped create were the conditions for the snow received in 1716-1717: 5 feet of snow had fallen before December came to a close. Before January ended, 25 foot snowdrifts were being recorded. Not 25 inches, 25 feet.

There were three snowstorms – one of which was a Nor’easter – in a ten day period from February 27 through March 7. Amerindians told the locals that they had no oral history that mentioned a greater period of snowfall. According to New Englanders present at the time the skies were cloudy for this entire ten day period with a nearly perpetual snowfall. It was commonly reported that the only way some people could leave their homes was through their second story windows, meaning that one story homes were completely under the snow with perhaps only their chimneys poking out!

The amount of snow, the height of the drifts, and the lack of modern methods of removal meant that much of New England, New York, parts of Canada, and even Philadelphia were impassable for nearly two weeks. Mailmen who were eager to deliver the post and actually tried to forge through the snow, reported drifts as tall as 15′ high. Many locals actually dug tunnels so they could pass from home to home or to the town squares.

Since this was such an early time in the nation’s history and population was spread out, there were few records of the storm in terms of casualties or financial damage incurred. The damage to livestock was tremendous – many cattle, chickens, sheep and pigs succumbed to the frigid temperatures and many were simply buried under the snow.

There are many records of farmers uncovering their livestock up to three weeks later and finding pigs, turkeys and chickens still alive. When it comes to wild animals, there are estimates that up to 90% of the deer population died.

What must have been a common sight through much of New England in both great storms.

The Great Blizzard of 1888
Unlike the Great Snow of 1717, the Great Blizzard of 1888 or as it is more aptly known, the Great White Hurricane was not a series of back-to-back storms, but an epic and monstrous three days of snow from March 11-13 producing 5′ of snow that covered not only Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut but also parts of New Jersey and New York.

Now here’s the kicker. Get ready for this doozy: wind gusts of between 45-80 miles per hour produced snowdrifts as high as 50 feet. Let me retype the amount so you understand that it is not a typo: snowdrifts that were 50 FEET high.

People were again stranded in their homes for weeks and had to crawl out of their second and third story windows to leave their homes. Temperatures as low as -15 degrees were reported. Since this snowstorm was more than 150 years after the Great Snow of 1717, better records were kept. The storm cost an estimated $660 million dollars in today’s currency, destroyed hundreds of ships in various ports, shut down travel, closed the New York Stock Exchange, and led to the deaths of 400 people.

Damage came not only from the deathly cold and snowfall amounts, but the warm temperatures that followed days later actually created massive flooding echoing what happened in 2014-2015. If you recall there was some discussion about dumping the snow into the ocean, but many towns and cities actually did that or tried to.

The storm was so damaging to infrastructure that it led to some modern innovations like placing telegraph and telephone infrastructure underground and is partially responsible for the creation of the first underground subway system in the United States in nearby Boston.

One of the recent great storms that many of us still recall: The Blizzard of ’78. (Spinner Publications)

If you are as…ahem…long in the tooth as I am, you recall the Blizzard of ’78 which was even worse than this most recent series of storms that we received last year. I was 8 years old then and this storm was responsible for some of my fondest childhood memories. I vividly recall waking up and staring out my 3rd floor window on that historic Sunday, February 5th – which is coincidentally the day my girlfriend Rachael was born; she was the Blizzard Baby – the baby born during the blizzard.
In comparison, the Blizzard of ’78 wreaked $520 million in damages, 99 deaths, and dropped 27 inches of snow locally.

Looking out the window all I saw was snow. I shouted240 to my mom “Mom! Everyone got scared and left town. No one is left.” She came into the room puzzled and asked “Why do you say that?”

“There isn’t a single car on the streets!” I replied excitedly.

She peered out of the window and said “The cars are on the street – they are just under the snow.”

Boy, that was exciting. We had to climb out of the second story hallway window, so we could shovel out the common entrance on first floor. What followed was multiple days of no school, creating tunnels out of snow drifts, sledding, snowball fights, Ovaltine, and grabbing the fin of every Camaro that drove down the street and “shoe-skiing.”
I wonder what this winter has in store for us – perhaps ammunition for a future article!

America is the land of opportunity and choices. A first world economy presents ample opportunity to strike out on a business venture of your own as opposed to working for someone else. Many people have grown frustrated with the old business model developed in the 1950s of working a “9-5” for the “man.” Being one of many on an assembly line and getting little recognition for hard work or extra effort while massive profits are made for a small group at the top isn’t a highly rewarding way to make a living. The ratio of pay often does not match the amount of effort. While there was a time when this model was effective and rewarding, times have changed. Drastically.

Job security used to mean finding a company that offered benefits, an annual cost of living raise, and some type of investment options. However, the reality is that lay-offs, cutthroat firings, and corporate buy-outs mean that ones job is anything but secure. And as the world economy “flattens,” factors like outsourcing and offshoring – the relocation of warehouses, plants and headquarters, lend even more instability to that “security.”

While there are bastions of companies where the old model actually does apply, their ranks are thinning. For many the new job security is working for oneself. Some find security in entrepreneurship – whether through diversity of projects, or confidence in one’s abilities that your effort will determine whether you will have a pay that week or not. Many find comfort in knowing that if they want a raise or more money, they will need more clients, have to work more hours or be more clever and efficient.

In the past 10 years the internet’s popularity has grown exponentially. Once relegated to the realm of geeks, hackers and nerds – these days everyone is digitally connected. Men, women, children, elderly, organizations, corporations, and just about any other demographic uses the internet to garner information, promote their business, sell products and more. We have reached a point where a business simply must have an online presence, even if you do the vast majority of your sales out of a brick and mortar facility.

This is why in the past few years, the cafe and home have become the “offices” for many new and experienced entrepreneurs. People who struck out on their own needed a facility to plan, organize, meet with employees, have sales meetings, or anything else that a typical business would need a roof for. The home wasn’t the perfect place for it – too small, too many distractions – so people naturally gravitated to cafes. When you factor in that there is a “kitchen” in-house, you can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and all the caffeine you need to keep in motion, the cafe made much more sense.

The problem with this is that the cafe has become increasingly more difficult to function in. An inability to find a seat can throw a monkey wrench in an important meeting with a potential client. Not having a large enough table means you’ll have to cancel that team sales meeting or relocate it. Have a table? Bummer – no outlet means you have to clear out in 45 minutes when your laptop battery fizzles. The din is too much, too loud or too distracting? It can hurt the focus of the meeting or affect comprehension of your listeners.

That’s the tip of the iceberg, but you get the picture. When you are getting a business idea off the ground, or have an established business where you need to focus on instruction and production, you want a quiet facility, with plenty of seating. You want a place where you can stop to refuel with some coffee or fare and only be “down” for 10 minutes when the crunch is on. In essence, you want all the positive aspects that you get when you work out of a cafe, but none of the negatives.

All ideas must evolve or die. The new entrepreneur took a back seat in the cafes and was forced to mingle at the expense of production. Now they or we, are large enough to make some noise and be noticed. Change was in the air. This is where coworking comes in. Simply put this a shared work environment. A common facility that mimics the old corporate offices e.g. tables, chairs, markerboards, conference rooms, a break room, etc.

The American workplace has come full circle: from a facility where the many make a lot for the few, to migrating to cafes, and now returning to that office space but with a completely new structure to it. Instead of working for “them” we are working for ourselves – whether as individuals or business partners. I’m a big fan of passion. I like progressive ideas. Coworking spaces are a place where you will find passion and progressive ideas in spades.

Now, I’ve been in some coworking spaces that were tiny, that were just spaces with tables, a few chairs and a spotty wifi connection. I’ve been to some pretty horrendous spaces in my day. The coworking facility has morphed into a legitimate work environment and there is no better facility on the South Coast than Groundwork, co-founded by Cape Cod natives Sarah Athanas and Dena Haden.

The idea came to Sarah while living and freelancing in Buenos Aires – a large city saturated with cafe entrepreneurs and shared workspaces. Upon returning to Massachusetts it didn’t take her long to pine for the energy and sense of community – those intangibles that make coworking far superior to a home or cafe office. Being surrounded by other creative freelancers, knowledgeable business owner sharing their enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration is an invaluable aspect to a shared office environment like Groundwork.

Further inspiration came to Sarah when she saw what Dena was doing in community building and with her art critique group. “I thought, why don’t we work together and build something close to home? So Dena and I really set out to build the workspace that we dreamed of working in ourselves.”

Their objective is to reach reach entrepreneurs, freelancers, and people who work independently in the area. Having first-hand experience of the benefits of such an environment they are excited to be able to actually provide it and watch people and companies prosper and grow as a result.

So how does a coworking space actually work? I’ll leave Dena’s words unchanged since she says it far better than I can “A coworking space is a shared office space that typically works on a membership model. For a monthly fee, members can work in the space and get fast internet, printing and copying, free coffee and snacks, and use of conference and meeting rooms. But the real benefit of coworking is the community that forms when people have repeated, face to face interaction in the same space every day. Because members work across a broad range of industries and skill sets, collaborations happen naturally.”

Whether you are a planning a new business, an established freelancer, have a short-term project (non-members can rent conference rooms for a reasonable hourly rate), or need a place to meet uninterrupted and surrounded by people with a wealth of experience you need a place like Groundwork. While I enjoy working out of cafes, when we at New Bedford Guide need to hunker down, focus, and be really productive we know there is nowhere better than Groundwork. We get more done in a shorter period of time at Groundwork than anywhere else.

If you were a member of Groundwork when they first opened their “beta” space on the second floor of the Quest Center, you may recall that it was small – though brightly lit, and had a large enough kitchen. If you haven’t been there since, you are missing out: they have grown the community into the ground floor of the Quest Center now. It’s a much larger space (5,000 sq. ft.) in terms of size, seating, and amenities, including the kitchen area.

Membership comes in three forms, Part-Time, Full-Time and Dedicated Desk. More flexible options are also available in day prices, use of the conference rooms, and there is special pricing for corporations. All memberships include access to members-only workshops and events, online networking with the Workbar Network, free snacks and locally roasted coffee, and copying and printing. You can request a tour online here.

In addition to the coworking services that are offered at Groundwork, there is a genuine altruistic focus on the community. Spend one minute with either Sarah or Dena and you will see that his is not simply a business idea. This is a lifestyle for them – one that they are enthusiastic and passionate about. They schedule many events to bring the Groundwork community together. This can be anything like a fun pie contest, a music jam night, or workshops on creativity, marketing, accounting, etc. Groundwork! is like a big family and they work hard to make all of the members feel welcome.

This is not lip service – when Sarah discovered that a few of the Groundwork members were musicians she and Dena scheduled a “jam night” a few weeks ago. That was a proud moment for the duo – while laughing and playing songs it struck Sarah how diverse a range of people were members – different age groups, social status, and political ideals – all of whom were together and enjoying each other’s company.

Groundwork is a fantastic facility – one that should be on every freelancer’s or entrepreneur’s “must check-out” list. One visit and you’ll ask yourself why you punished yourself for so long at home or at a cafe. The wifi is always up and fast. There’s always someone smarter than you in some field milling about. There’s always an ear willing to listen to your ideas and give you feedback. There’s always someone to network with. Members are automatically enrolled in the Chamber of Commerce at no additional cost.

It’s an environment that no start-up, established business, or freelancer should be without.

Sarah Athanas studied art at UCSB and then directed and produced a documentary while living in Chilean Patagonia. She then transitioned to marketing for a language and travel company and eventually directed a team of web designers and developers based in Buenos Aires.

Dena Haden has an undergraduate degree in Painting from UMass Dartmouth and a Masters of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She then went on to teach art and design at Newbury College and at several nonprofits in Dorchester and on Cape Cod. She is also the director of the Boston Critique group, an artist collaborative that fosters community and growth for working artists in the greater Boston area.

Groundwork
1213 Purchase Street
New Bedford, Massachusetts, 02790
Phone: (508) 441-4622
Email: info@newbedfordcoworking.com

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/newbedfordcoworking/
Website: newbedfordcoworking.com/
Gift Certificates: newbedfordcoworking.com/gift-certificates/

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Meet Ashley Bendiksen, a 29-year old, and the Executive Assistant to the Bristol County District Attorney.

Ashley, who had spent a brief time in college after she graduated high school, became involved in an abusive relationship which forced her to leave school. Once she eventually freed herself from that relationship she spent time volunteering and working in New Bedford to piece her life back together.

Remembering what her childhood dance teacher had told her about the Miss New Bedford contest, she saw that were she to win, she would receive a scholarship to allow her to afford to attend school again, as well as engage even more in the community. After lots of work and dedication she walked across the stage and received the title of Miss New Bedford 2009. As a requirement she also spent the next year volunteering to help raise awareness for domestic violence.

She eventually returned to school and at 26, she graduated from Salve Regina University as valedictorian, with her Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. She appreciates the experiences she has been through in order to get where she has and New Bedford has played a major role in that. When she felt that she had nothing she was able to build her identity in this city through her experience, the community, and her job. She has had the opportunity to work on the Board of Directors of the YWCA, as the chairperson of the Miss New Bedford program, chairperson of the Southeastern Massachusetts Walk to End Alzheimer’s and President of One Theater Group – a non profit theater group that she helped found which raises money for various organizations.

“New Bedford offers so much. As far as living here there is so much to do, diverse people, amazing music and arts, history and culture, and it’s a great central location to enjoy the entire New England area. There’s also so much opportunity here, whether it’s running a business or starting your own nonprofit. I think it’s just an awesome place to live.”

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

Nothing marks a special occasion in more grand a fashion than a gorgeous stone set to precious metal. Whether an anniversary, wedding, birthday, or just as a way to say “I love you.” one of the first gifts that most people think of is a piece of jewelry.

This is in spite of the DeBeers conspiracy that many people will rattle off at the mention of the word “diamonds” or “precious stones.” Even those who are aware of this story still acknowledge the powerful message that is sent when someone is gifted with a set of diamond earrings, or holds a giant “rock” while down on one knee asking for a hand in marriage. No matter what the price is – $1 or $ million dollars – the dramatic effect is the same. The number is irrelevant, the message, that aforementioned effect, and the timeless moment is ultimately all that matters.

When it comes to jewelers it seems that there is one on every other corner. They aren’t exactly as rare as the gems they are offering. This ubiquity has its benefits: supply and demand determines the sales price. The more competition there is among jewelers the lower the sales price – we’ll simply walk or drive to the next jeweler down the road.

Even if your prices are fair, to stay competitive you have to go beyond price. You need to offer superlative customer service – an old-world style of taking care of the customer. You not only want to be treated like VIP, but you want to develop a relationship, particularly one where you can trust the jeweler – after all, you may spend a substantial amount of money.

So, once you find a jeweler with a fair price, fantastic customer service and one that you can trust – they are as valuable -and rare – as the precious stones they are selling.

One place that can contribute its success to all these positive characteristics is the family owned and operated A & A Jewelers at 279 State Road in North Dartmouth. (Some of you may recall it as the old Mr. Tux.) While the location is a new spot, A & A Jewelers are hardly new to the industry. They have been serving the community for well over 20 years now. Family is the inspiration for owner and master jeweler Alex and he hopes to be able to continue to serve for another 20 years or more, by passing the business down from family member to family member.

What separates A & A Jewelers from most other jewelers is the old world customer service, family values, and professionalism that everyone on staff exhibits. Brett, A & A Jeweler’s floor manager, is extended family and cherry picked by Alex because he has the same values. When the owner and manager of a business have these values, they trickle down to the rest of the staff.

What also places them ahead of the pack is that they are not re-sellers of jewelry – since Alex is a master jeweler that means all of the jewelry is made and repaired in-house and they don’t need to send anything to an appraiser. It’s done in-house as well and in many cases the alterations and repairs are done while you “Wait and Watch.”

You not only have a destination to purchase world-class jewelry, but you are not subject to someone else’s standards. A & A Jewelers can customize, alter, or redesign jewelry and ring settings to your specifications, desires and budget. Because a piece does not have to be sent off to a middle man and then returned this gives A & A Jewelers the ability to sell diamonds below wholesale price or that which you will see at other jewelers.

Being certified appraisers, a member of the Jewelers’ Board of Trade, the Better Business Bureau and the New York Diamond Dealers’ Club means that you can trust that the prices they offer are more than fair. If that doesn’t convince you, 25 years in business, over 7,500 regular customers, and their stellar Facebook Reviews should!

Alex, Brett and the rest of the staff at A & A Jewelers want a relationship – they have a passion for what they do and want to be your jeweler for life. While Alex feels that the reason his business took off in the beginning was the the affordable prices and the customization, he is convinced that the biggest factor is how they treat their customers. That’s what started him on his road to success and maintained him on that road. There is a direct connection.

If you’re looking for a jewelry shop that can be trusted, has a desire to build a long-term relationship, is not a re-seller, but manufacturer, and has a wealth of experience in the industry, you need look no further than A & Jewelers. They are not a chain store, but local. We at New Bedford Guide are big fans of “Shop, local, shop small!” 25 years and 7,500 customers can’t be wrong. Being one of the 7,500 customers I can speak from personal experience. This place that specializes in rare and uncommon gems is a rare gem itself.

A & A Jewelers
279 State Road
Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747
Phone: (508) 992-5320
Email: aajewelersic@gmail.com

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am-7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/AAJEWELERSINC/
Twitter: twitter.com/aajewelersinc
Website: aajewelersinc.com/

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