“Palavras e Pinturas: Historias de Portugal” (Words and Paintings: Histories of Portugal), a free public exhibition of works by Karen E. da Silva, Ph.D. will be on view June 7-10 in the Jacobs Family Gallery, New Bedford Whaling Museum, part of Day of Portugal weekend celebrations.

An author and artist, Dr. da Silva is American born. She is an educator and lives in Shelton, Connecticut with her husband, Augusto, who was born in central Portugal. In their frequent travels toPortugal, Karen was deeply inspired by the beauty, way of life, traditions, and culture of the country. She captured it in her daily journals in words and pictures, recorded the stories that Augusto told about growing up there, and painted from sketches and photographs in her home studio. The exhibition includes these stories in words and pictures as well as the nine picture books that she has written.

Of the exhibition, the artist noted, “My goal in this work is to honor the beauty and spirit of Portugal, its culture and traditions, and to let children and adults see how words and pictures work together to tell stories, to celebrate memories of childhood, and to inspire others to tell their stories. A good story becomes everyone’s story.”

This exhibition is sponsored by the Consulate of Portugal, New Bedford; Committee for the Day of Portugal; Portuguese United for Education; Azorean Maritime Heritage Society; and WJFD.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the world’s most comprehensive museum devoted to the global story of whales, whaling and the cultural history of the region. The cornerstone of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the Museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill in the heart of the city’s historic downtown. For events: www.whalingmuseum.org.

Last winter my brother Doug and I decided to answer an open casting call for extras in a movie filmed in Fairhaven and, for a lark, we ventured down to the Zeiterion Theatre on a cold January night. We were pleasantly surprised when we got called in as extras. Doug was cast in the funeral scene and I was cast as a grocery shopper. Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the Independent Film Festival in Boston to to see the completed film, Fairhaven (the Movie), which had just come from its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.  What a beautiful film it is!

The film revolves around three men in their mid-30’s who were childhood friends and reconnect in their hometown of Fairhaven, Massachusetts for the funeral of one of their fathers.

Tom O’Brien is the multi-talented writer, director and actor in Fairhaven (the movie) and actor Chris Messina, who plays Dave, the dark, dangerous bad boy, collaborated with Tom on the script. Dave fled Fairhaven right after high school, and lost touch with his former friends while running clubs in Vegas.  Jon, Tom’s character, is the former college quarterback who has aspirations to be a writer, but has been working on fishing boats while pondering his life’s purpose. Rich Sommer rounds out the threesome as Sam, the sweet, divorced single father who stayed in his hometown and works hard as a realtor to keep it together, while still harboring feelings for his former wife, Kate, played beautifully and soulfully by Sarah Paulsen.

The town of Fairhaven is another character in the movie. From the opening shot of fishing boats in the New Bedford Harbor to “the fort” scenes, Margarets, the Congregational church, town hall, Cap Log and Fairhaven High, O’Brien shined a light on the beauty of our town with his poignant script. Cinematographer, Peter Simonite, who is fromTexas, was impressed with the light here in Buzzards Bay and really showed off the breathtaking beauty of the Southcoast. The unexpected heavy snowfall only added to nature’s beauty. Tom was said to have pictured the film made in the fall season with football and colorful leaves as backdrop, but about two feet of snow dropped on the first day of shooting. He now says that he can’t imagine the film in any other season.

The film explores our search for happiness while revisiting the past and looking to the future.  A running theme throughout the movie is a Tom Brady quote that disturbs Jon.  After winning three superbowls and marrying a supermodel, Tom was quoted as saying, “Is this all there is?” Sensitive, Jon discusses this with each of his friends, while searching for his next step in life. Each character carries his own baggage, and over the course of the weekend these friends reconnect and try to sort out their own lives and friendships. Although the dialog is excellent, these characters portray so much emotion and passion with their expressions and body language than any dialog could portray.

There is a scene toward the end of the movie where Dave is walking in the snow and sits on a rock in front of the old roller coaster at Lincoln Park, now abandoned and in ruins. Those of us who grew up in this area have fond memories of Lincoln Park where we spent endless hours on rides at the amusement park, roller skating at the pavilion, and as teenagers, attending dances in the ballroom. I always feel wistful as I drive past the old abandoned park and this symbolic scene was the perfect metaphor. Three aging men are looking back on their youth, dealing with the death of a parent and wondering where their future will take them.

The audience at the film festival was enthralled with the movie and broke into applause at the end. I recently read that Fairhaven won the Audience Appreciation Award. At a question and answer session at the end of the film, I thanked Tom for his beautiful movie and mentioned that Fairhaven celebrates 200 years this year, and would be a perfect time to share his film with the locals. He mentioned that he was working on a possible showing at the Zeiterion Theatre this summer. This is a film you do not want to miss!  And even though my scene was cut in the movie and my name was mis-spelled in the credits, all is forgiven as I have fallen in love with this movie. And if you get the opportunity, I know you will too!

Fairhaven (The Movie) Trailer

1. Take a Guided or Audio Tour

The museum offers a few ways to explore and discover your way around, regardless whether you have come alone or in a group. Group tours of ten or more are offered at a discount rate and school group tours are encouraged.

Each piece you come across in the museum will evoke many questions, and you may not want to wander around on your own. For this reason docent led tours are offered. The trained docent tours are subject to availability, are 60-90 minutes long and can include one or more topics of your choice. If you would prefer to go at your own pace, but still want your questions answered, 3 audio tours are available.

1. The Lagoda/Bourne Building tour includes the world’s largest ship model, The Lagoda. Interact with the ship model as you learn about its important role in New Bedford’s history and whaling.
2. The Azorean Whaleman Gallery tour will fill you in on New Bedford’s connection with the Azores as a port for whaling ships. Browse the artwork, letters and documents.
3. The Jacobs Family Gallery tour will tell you all about the famous whale skeletons and Herman Melville’s description of them through commentary by the members of the Melville Society.

These tours are free (included with admission) and are currently only available in English. Other languages are planned for the future.

2. Rental: Wedding Receptions, Meetings and Events
With eight locations to choose from, the Museum offers quite the selection for wedding receptions, corporate or business meetings, fundraisers, dinner events or other function. Outdoor and indoor locations, intimate or large, scenic and panoramic – whatever you are looking for, the museum offers it. Have your function complemented by 18th century homes, cobblestone streets, historic works of art, or local history in one of America’s national historic parks. For more info go to Whaling Museum Rentals.

3. Go Shopping!
After you enjoy a tour through the various museum exhibitions, you’ll want to grab a memento of your visit or a gift for that special someone. There are hundreds of items to choose from. Jewelry, puzzles, dolls, shirts, games, office desk items, holiday ornaments, and educational items for teachers. Also available are CDs, DVD, and books covering sailing, New Bedford’s history, Lincoln Park, whaling, Herman Melville and more. There are even edibles like American Heritage chocolate and maple syrup!

If you fall in love with the artwork you discover, take a reproduction home as they are available through “Prints on Demand.” These are very high quality reproductions of the museum’s exclusive collection are surprisingly inexpensive and come in fours sizes and prices. They can also be purchased online at 1000 Museums New Bedford Whaling Museum Prints.

4. Scrimshaw Weekend
On May 11-13 the Whaling Museum, the scrimshaw capital of the world, will host its 23rd Annual Scrimshaw Weekend – “the world’s only regular forum where collectors, dealers, curators, folk art and whaling history buffs share their interests in the indigenous art of whalers.”

On Friday, will be the Nautical Antiques Show from noon-5:00 p.m. Browse and purchase scrimshaw, logbooks, ship models, nautical instruments, photos and more for $5 or free with the purchase of admission. From 6-8:00 p.m. will be a special VIP cocktail reception where you can get a sneak peek at the Scrimshaw Exhibition and book launch for “Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum” by Stuart M. Frank.

Saturday, will be filled with Presentation Programs with various speakers interspersed with coffee breaks and a lunch buffet. Guest speakers will include President James Russell, Chicago native John Miklos, Donald C. Boger, M.D., Captain Thomas Conley, Scrimshaw artist Ryan Cooper, James Vaccarino, and Andrew Jacobson. An evening banquet will follow, and the night’s events brought to a close with keynote speaker Jack H.T. Chang, M.D.

The entire event will conclude on Sunday with the Scrimshaw Gallery opening, a field trip through the “Seven Continents, Seven Seas” exhibition led by Stuart M. Frank before the public launch of his book “Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum.”

For more information, a detailed itinerary, ticket prices, and hotel information go to Whaling Museum Scrimshaw Weekend 2012.

5. AHA Celebrations
Every second Thursday the city of New Bedford celebrates AHA, a showcase for New Bedford’s Architecture, History and Art. The Whaling Museum participates by staying open an extra four hours until 8 p.m. on AHA nights and often has live entertainment in the plaza. This is a very popular, family-oriented event that takes over the entire downtown. Not to be missed!

6. Visit the Library & Archives
One of the best kept “secrets” about the Whaling Museum is their Research Library and Archives. It is America’s largest collection of banking records, and the world’s largest collection of whaling logbooks. 18,000 titles in ten languages of colonial era documents, whaling history and voyages as well as historical documents of the surrounding cities and towns of Westport, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Acushnet. The library is comprised of property deeds, newspapers, government documents, banking and business papers, logbooks, pilot charts, rare books, art references and more.

You will encounter many surnames that are familiar to you today, but go back to the foundations of the region. You may even see your own! Names like Hathaway, Howland, Bennett, Gifford, Bourne, Nye, Cummings, and Sherman.

The museum has also made access to their research library catalog online and can be perused at New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library and Archives. An invaluable resource!

7. Volunteer
If you love the local history and museum, you can volunteer, meet new people and promote New Bedford’s rich history by becoming a docent and leading tours. The museum will provide you with a professional orientation and training program. You can apply online, and download their suggested reading list. Check out the museum’s  volunteer page for full details.

8. Join the Apprenticeship, Internship or Scholar Programs

New Bedford residents who are a junior or senior at New Bedford High School and receive free or reduced lunch can apply for paid apprenticeship. Those who excel academically, and are interested in their local culture, and arts and science will get hands on experience, write articles for the museum blog site, develop problem solving, organization and team-building skills, and learn to interact publicly.

If you are a college student that has an interest in a specific field of museum work, you may find an opportunity to get theoretical, methodological and practical training through the museum’s College Internship Course. Departments, which are dependent upon availability include Accounting/Financing, Archives & Library, Museum Development & Management, Education and Public Programs, Photography and Digital Archives, Exhibition and Registrar.

If you are an upper level college student or post graduate there are opportunities in one of the three museum programs. The “L. Byrne Waterman Scholarship Program” and the “Conservation Scholarship Program” will give you valuable work experience in the field of research and museum work, furthering your career objectives. There is also a “Visiting Scholar in Residence” program for those who can contribute their expertise from one day to a few weeks. The program is open to those who plan to conduct research in the old Dartmouth region or whaling industry “including academic scholars, public sector professionals in marine science or history-related disciplines, independent scholars, graduate students, writers, filmmakers, and educators.”

To apply or get more information go to Opportunities for Interns, Apprentices, and Scholars.

9. Moby Dick Marathon
Each year the Whaling Museum celebrates their Annual Moby-Dick Marathon with a 25-hour, nonstop reading of the book by over 150 readers. The marathon takes place each January, and is complemented by special exhibits, artwork, slideshows, ticketed buffet dinner, cash bar, lectures, a Q&A and other events and activities. Prizes are given away and the event is accompanied by a live video feed via livestream.

You can read about the 16th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon’s fun filled activities, photos, and video at 16th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon.

10. Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
Last, but not least are the fantastic exhibitions the museum currently has and has coming. Currently there are 17 exhibitions and you can fill an hour or an entire day exploring. Discover the connection between New Bedford and the Azores and the Cape Verdean culture, stroll out on the observation deck to amazing harbor views, climb aboard the world’s largest ship model “The Lagoda”, gaze in awe at the 4 whale skeletons suspended from the Jacob’s Gallery ceiling, and see the amazing Scrimshaw, paintings, and other museum pieces. There is no such thing as a dull day at the whaling museum!

Learn more about the current exhibitions as well as past, upcoming and online exhibitions.

New Bedford Whaling Museum is on 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740. Hours for May – September are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and open until 8 p.m. every second Thursday of the month for AHA. October – April hours are Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and also open until 8 p.m. every second Thursday of the month for AHA. Open holiday Mondays, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Regular adult admission is $14. Seniors are $12, Students $9 and Children are $6. Children under 6 are free. Buy a membership and admission is FREE.

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library is located on 791 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. Hours are Tuesday – Friday 10 – 4 p.m. First Saturday of every month 10 – 4 p.m. Admission for members is always free, non-members $10 however, the library is free for all on the first Saturday of every month. For directions, travel info and parking.

If only every holiday were on the weekend.

Holidays give us an excuse to drink, especially the drinker’s holidays.  In 2012, we were blessed with St. Patrick’s Day arriving on a Friday for the first time in what felt like forever, and now we have Cinco de Mayo showing up shortly after on a Saturday night, aka Friday’s equally evil twin.

Most nine-to-fivers with a taste for booze were probably happy to hear this news.  As we get older and attempt to be more responsible, we must also attempt to manage our potential hangovers. Weekend holidays allow us to celebrate to our full potential.

That being said, I’ve assembled a list of five things to do on the fifth of May in the New Bedford area that will hopefully help fill your appetite for entertainment, adult beverages, and Mexican fare, and though some aren’t necessarily Mexican themed, they should still satisfy your need for a fiesta.

5) Buster’s Sports Bar and Grill (227 State Rd., North Dartmouth) features a Cinco de Mayo party which includes drink specials such as $3 Dos Equis and Margaritas all day, as well as $3 Buster Burritos until 5pm.  There will also be live music in the afternoon, and they will broadcast the highly anticipated Mayweather vs. Cotto boxing match that takes place that evening.

4) No Problemo (813 Purchase St.) presents “A Night of Reggae” featuring Adowa Sound Star Boy and Omega Sound Sista Laura, as well as their regular menu of delicious Mexican themed dishes.  No Probs always seems to pack in a crowd on Cinco de Mayo, so don’t expect this Saturday to be any different.

3) Pizan’s (29 Union St.) will host local act Weld Square for “Weld Square Rocks While You Get Rocked” from 12-2am.  There will be $5 sangria and $3 Coronas, as well as a number of other beers on draft and in cans.  Pizan’s isn’t  a big venue, so you can imagine an intense scene for one of New Bedford’s hardest rocking bands. “We’re anticipating there to be at least two broken windows,” said their animated bassist Kevin Nunes.  Weld Square’s debut CD “Femme de Maison” will also be available for cinco dolares ($5).

2) The Tree at Kirby’s Irish Pub (818 Kempton St.):  The Tree is a genre-melding band with a focus on fun and positivity.  I like to consider them a jam-band with a duo of rappers (HiLoe and B-Ez) and a sweet sounding female vocalist (Michelle Oliveri), but they’re much more than that.  You’ll have to check them out to understand what I mean, because trying to describe them with words does no justice to the smooth yet powerful sound they put out.  Show starts at 10.

1) Mi Antojo Mexican Restaurant (95 Rivet St.) is probably the closest representation of authentic Mexican that this area has to offer.  The wait staff isn’t exactly fluent in English, so you might want to brush up on your Spanish, and the food isn’t representative of what many of us are used to, so I see Mi Antojo as the perfect place to step outside your regular routine and into something a bit more Mexican for Cinco de Mayo.  There will be a mariachi band to serenade you while you enjoy the various types of Mexican fare—I recommend you try the tacos with avocado or the pupasas with pork—and various other authentic Mexican traditions will be honored in the celebration.  Oh, and they serve of cerveza and tequila and are open from 11am-11pm.

Want to improve your health and wellness? How about for FREE?  Well, you’re in luck! Throughout the month of May, FREE fitness classes are being offered every weekend! No costs. No commitments. Each weekend, a different class will be offered to provide you with optimal choices and variety to feel great and get in shape. Even better, these classes specifically cater to women’s overall health. The YWCA’s Leading Ladies value health and wellness and have sponsored this event by partnering with local fitness instructors.  Registration is recommended as space is limited.  To sign-up, email FreeFitnessNB@gmail.com.

YOGA: Sunday May 6^th at 10:30am (90min) ——please bring mat

Yoga 101 Studio – 106 State Rd Dartmouth, MA 02747

Taught By: Vickie Smith, RYT

ZUMBA: Sunday May 13^th at 1:00pm (60min)

Cheryl McCormack Academy of Dance – 731 Tarkiln Hill Road New Bedford, MA 02745

Taught By: Beth Methia

HIP HOP YOGA: Sunday May 20^th at 2:00pm (60min) —–mats provided

Hope Yoga Studio – 250 State Road Dartmouth, Ma 02747

Taught By: Jennifer Azadnia

TAI CHI AND QIGONG: Saturday May 26^th at 1:00pm (120min)

—loose-fit clothes, socks or flat soled shoes

YWCA New Bedford – 20 South 6th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740

Taught By:  Dave Chosid (from Yoga 101 Studio)

Hosted by YWCA Leading Ladies; Hope Yoga Studio; Beth Methia Zumba Instructor; Yoga 101 Studio; and Dave Chosid Tai Chi Instruction.

ABOUT YWCA LEADING LADIES:

Leading Ladies is an initiative of YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts which provides networking and leadership development opportunities for young women. It does this through active participation in a variety of group activities, as well as philanthropic activity in the community.  The primary aim of the Leading Ladies is to empower young women by enhancing a sense of community and communication with a special emphasis on women’s professional advancement and collective leadership.  Through collaboration, outreach, and education on essential issues, Leading Ladies helps women to build success and leadership qualities, enhancing both their personal and professional lives.

Over the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge lies the magical land of Margaret’s, where you can get a scrumptious seafood lunch of New Bedford scallops, shrimp, and fish for a bargain price. In a recent trip there, I ordered a dish with all three, perfectly prepared and not overdone, in a delicate yet simple tomato and aioli sauce for less than $10. If that sounds too fancy for you, classic fish and chips, wraps, and sandwiches are also on the menu and are just as carefully prepared and delicious. Their fried fish is always delightfully crispy and flavorful without being oily, and their fries are no joke either.

Margaret’s is located on 16 Main Street in Fairhaven in an unassumingly quaint wooden-shingle house, but serves up dishes that could pass at some swanky hotel for millionaires by the bay. Upon being seated, you are served homemade, crumbly onion bread with some whipped honey butter that you can enjoy while deciding what else you would like to stuff your face with.

Breakfast offerings (before 11 am) include comforting, fluffy pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar and light-as-air, crepe-like Norwegian pancakes served with your choice of seasonal fruit.

The lunch menu is a steal (and also the source of my recent less-than-$10 seafood feast) and contains a variety of fresh seafood dishes expertly paired with creative ingredients that bring out their full flavor. Daily specials keep the regulars coming back for new and unique dishes, though there is enough on the regular menu to keep you from being bored even if you went there every day for a week. For health nuts out there, the goat cheese and pear salad, filled with pecans and cranberries, is top-notch and always fresh.

Dinner at Margaret’s can get busy on the weekends, but if you go on a weeknight, it can be peaceful and romantic, great for impressing first dates, girlfriends, wives, or even your mother-in-law. The prices increase a little for dinner, but not unreasonably so, and you’ll definitely get a better value than you would at some generic seafood chain. It’s also BYOB, which is always a plus.

For the food it serves, the atmosphere at Margaret’s is never snobby, and the cozy ambience and great service make you feel at home. Seating is limited, but on the one occasion I’ve had to wait for a table, I was directed to an upstairs waiting room that had such quaint seaside charm that it sufficiently distracted me from my hunger enough so I did not mind. The clientele, depending on the time of day, range from families with kids, to gruff old fishermen on their lunch break, to Justin Timberlake (as proclaimed on a framed newspaper clipping on the wall). If you go alone, you can sit at the bar and chat with the friendly staff as they shuttle food from the kitchen window to eagerly awaiting patrons.

The only drawback of note at Margaret’s is their funky hours. Margaret’s closes between lunch and dinner, and on three separate occasions, I have arrived at the restaurant, visions of seared scallops dancing in my head, to find that it had closed an hour before or was not open that day. Had it been some other restaurant, I may have given up, but Margaret’s is so delicious that I don’t care and now I have their hours written on the back of my planner.

Margaret’s Hours:

Mon, Wed-Sat 7 am – 2 pm, 5 – 9 pm
Sun 7 am – 9 pm

When a movie takes in $155 million dollars in its opening weekend, it’s hard not to wonder what all the hype is about.  “The Hunger Games” has set a record for most revenue for a non-franchise movie in an opening weekend, and third best debut of all times, only falling behind the “Harry Potter” finale and “The Dark Knight.”  If you weren’t amongst the masses piling into the theatres this weekend, there’s a good chance you’re considering checking it out.  Before you go, here is some food for thought.

It’s hard to believe that you haven’t seen the trailers at this point, but here’s a little background on the film.  The movie portrays a 16-year old girl named Katniss Everdeen who lives in a post-apocalyptic world where money and power are controlled by the Capitol.  As a reminder to the rest of the districts of the Capitol’s absolute power, they select a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district and force them to compete in the Hunger Games; a fight to the death which is televised for all to watch.  When Katniss’ 12-year old sister’s name is drawn, Katniss takes her position and thus must face the brutal challenge of staying alive.

I should start by saying that I recently became an avid fan of the book series.  As someone who loves the science fiction genre, a friend suggested I check out the novels.  After buying the first one on my Nook, I rapidly bought the second and third, sacrificing sleeping and eating in a compulsive race to reach the end.  To say the books are a page turner is a great understatement.  That being said, the books were still very fresh in my mind for the premiere of the film.  If you are a fan of the book, you will see that many changes were made, some for the better, some for the worse (in my opinion).  One thing to attempt to keep in mind though, is that the book was written in first person.  Trying to transfer such personal thoughts and emotions to the audience is a daunting task when you really consider it.

I did find myself a bit put off by the way the producers clearly tried to play up the love triangle aspect of the story.  While there is a love triangle of sorts in the books, romance is not a prominent aspect of “The Hunger Games” the way it is in say… “Twilight.”   In the novels, it’s clear that the strong willed and fiercely independent Katniss Everdeen does her best to avoid the trap of love, and romance is almost warped into a part of the power struggle. Nevertheless, can one expect anything less from Hollywood?

Moving on from this gripe, I should mention that this movie is not a chick flick.  Despite having a strong female role, the themes of power and survival have been found as appealing to many generations and genders.  Sources are reporting that only 61 percent of moviegoers were female this weekend.  So if you’re a guy worried that you’ll be stuck for 2 hours and 22 minutes in a Twilight-esque gushing teen romance, fear not.  There is plenty of action and adventure for all.  Furthermore, the themes of “The Hunger Games” can really leave you thinking after you exit the theatre (if you predisposed to ponder such things).

The special effects in the movie were pretty cool, and while they toned down the gore factor a bit there is no escaping the essentially violent and harsh nature of the movie.  This is one thing about a book being adapted into a movie that always excites me; while you know the movie will stray from the version you created in your own mind, it also allows you a chance to see it all come to life.  The visual aspect of the film really kept me on the edge of my seat, and despite knowing the outcome, I felt myself experiencing quite an adrenaline rush throughout much of the movie.  One complaint to the filmmakers though; would a few more steady shots kill you?  The camera is shaky throughout the film, perhaps to recreate that “realistic” feel when you read the book through Katniss’ eyes, but it took me 10 nauseous minutes to really adjust to it.

Despite a few complaints I have about the reinterpretation of the plot and of the seasick filming technique, I have to admit I will probably try to see this movie again while it’s in theatres.  Partly it’s because it was a great big screen experience, but partly because I really enjoyed the casting job.  I found Jennifer Lawrence to be a great Katniss Everdeen.  She maintained the persona of strong and quiet, but with an uncontrollable streak of rebellion.  She got this down without overacting it, and the few moments of emotion she had felt raw and believable.  In my opinion, Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta Mellark well.  Peeta was never written to be a casanova, but rather more of a philosopher with careful logic and a calm demeanor, and that is how Hutcherson portrayed him.  Liam Hemsworth is also cast in the movie as Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ opinionated best friend with his own fierce survival instinct.  A solid support cast includes Woody Harrelson as her drunken mentor, Elizabeth Banks with some brief comic, and Donald Sutherland makes a rather chilling President Snow.

Reading the book is by no means needed to follow the movie plot, but it definitely gives you some critical insights that the movie didn’t quite manage.  Thus, I would suggest reading the book first if you have the time and interest because it is a great read.  While I’m not going to go as far as to say the movie lives up to the outrageous hype, it is certainly entertaining.  It’s already got me hooked into seeing it again, something I rarely to never do.  Need I say more?

The New Bedford Half Marathon and Downtown Run is this Sunday, March 18th. The Race has over 3,200 registered runners so we are expecting a huge audience in the downtown New Bedford. More details on the half marathon can be read here. There will also be a Scavenger Hunt.

The street closings in the Downtown are from 8 am to 3:30 pm and are basically around City Hall: William, Middle and Market at 6th and Pleasant at Union and Elm at Acushnet Ave.

The City and HDC are running two free shuttle van service from 8 am to 4:30pm for people who want to park in the Whale’s Tooth lot on Rte 18 – it will loop from the lot to the YMCA to the Visitors Center and back to the Lot.

We are in the midst of a culinary renaissance and from coast to coast, the latest muse of confectioners is the cupcake. Gone are the days of a simple, moist chocolate cake crowned with a sweet, creamy spiral of vanilla frosting, occasionally adorned with a smattering of rainbow-colored sprinkles. The cupcakes of today are baked, stuffed, topped, torched, and the possibilities of this new frosted frontier are limited only by the imaginations of the scientists of the saccharine. From birthday parties to boutique bakeries, the purveyors of this cupcake craze have eschewed traditional two-flavor combinations in order to tempt our palettes with complex treats that represent the latest in dessert innovation.

Cupcake mania hit Providence this weekend as the first Rhode Island Food Fight event was held at the Spot Underground on Elbow Street. The sell-out crowd savored scores of surprising flavors: cinnamon roll, ice cream sundae, Thin Mint, and banana Nutella to name a few. Contestants unveiled their delectable delights for a panel of judges comprised of prominent Rhode Island foodies. David Dadekian, food critic and photographer who runs eatdrinkri.com, was thrilled to be asked to judge the contest. “Rhode Island has a great food culture. I was excited to see the inventiveness of the Rhode Island cupcake scene,” he said.

Jim Nellis and Casey Spencer were responsible for the creation and organization of the entire event. The duo started Rhode Island Food Fight in order to promote fun and friendly competition for local restaurants and to provide these small businesses with more exposure. They plan on holding monthly contests all over Rhode Island, each focusing on a different aspect of the local food culture. “On the horizon right now, we have plans to have contests for best pizza, salsa, and food trucks,” Nellis said. Both he and Spencer were satisfied at the turnout and the flow of the event. “I’m happy that everyone here was happy and people got to eat some wonderful cupcakes,” she said.

The competition attracted over a dozen South Coast bakers, some well-established, some yet-to-be-known. One of those up-and-coming cupcake alchemists was Westport’s very own ChanyCakes. Started in July 2011 by 21 year-old Chantal Allen, ChanyCakes is based out of her home. The Bristol Community College student, who will be receiving her Associates in Fine Arts this semester, began baking as a hobby when she was 18. She impressed her friends and family so much, they began dropping hints that she should take it a step further. “So many people said I should start a business, so I took their advice, and it began to work out,” she said. When she decided to have a go at starting a cupcake shop, she went back to the basics first. “I started simple, making plain chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, working on frosting recipes,” she said. “It wasn’t until I officially started ChanyCakes that I really started playing with all the crazy flavors.”

Crazy is an understatement. She lists no less than 16 flavors on the ChanyCakes Facebook page, including red velvet, pumpkin spice, and banana chocolate. “My most popular cupcakes are probably chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, and lemon,” she said. Since she caters for any event from showers to weddings to birthdays, Allen works with her clients to customize their cupcakes. In the past, she has made cheesecake cupcakes topped with cherries and sangria cupcakes, made with a home-made wine syrup to enhance the fruit flavor of the cake. The Food Fight was her first competition and she featured three flavors: margarita, cup of joe, and pineapple bliss. “For a few weeks before the competition, I was experimenting with some new flavors. I decided on going with cup of joe and the pineapple cupcake because I had never tried them before,” she said.

Weeks before the competition, Allen was carefully planning her strategy. After all, one can’t expect to make 300 cupcakes in three days without a hiccup or two along the way. “I had a whole binder of all of my notes and a calendar for what I had to do each day, and a check-list. Being organized helped me out a lot,” she said. Despite her meticulous timeline, things didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Her panic moment came when her KitchenAid mixer broke mid-way through her process. “My grandmother had to lend me her KitchenAid so I could finish on time.”

Allen takes all the trials and tribulations with a fair amount of casual confidence and a good deal of business sense. “I participated because I knew it was going to be great exposure for me and my business and I really enjoyed the overall experience,” she said. Though ChanyCakes didn’t place in the final voting, Allen is ready for the next contest. “I think the biggest thing I learned from this was how to improve my time management. I did a good job in general, but there were things I could fix. But now I know what it really takes to prepare for something like this and I will be even better at future events.”

Bay scallops take center stage when the Dock-u-mentaries film series continues Friday, March 16th at 7 PM with What’s Cookin’ on the Cape? Cape Cod commercial shell fisherman Galon “Skip” Barlow, Jr. takes us from the ocean to the plate, providing tried and true methods for harvesting and cooking bay scallops with a complete lesson in how to find the shellfish you are looking to harvest, regulations to follow on sizes and limits, necessary gear and traditional recipes. Mr. Barlow will be on hand to answer questions following the film.

Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront will be screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

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 on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September, this year on September 29 and 30. www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.