The South Coast Insider - December 2023

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Inside derr

DECEMBER 2023 Vol. 27 / No. 12

Cool Colors

Keeping traditions Resolution solutions Learn something new

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December 2023 | Vol. 27 | No. 12 Published by Coastal Communications Corp.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic Editor Sebastian Clarkin Contributors Lori Bradley, Michael J. DeCicco, Paul Kandarian, Tom Lopes, Elizabeth Morse Read, Rona Trachtenberg Layout & Design Janelle Medeiros The South Coast Insider is published monthly for visitors and residents of the South Coast area and is distributed free of charge from Mount Hope Bay to Buzzards Bay. All contents copyright ©2022 Coastal Communications Corp.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. All information contained herein is believed to be reliable. Coastal Communications Corp. does not assume any financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements, but will reprint that portion of an advertisement in which the typographical error occurs.

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CONTENTS

Experience New England’s Favorite Winter Tradition

DECEMBER 2023

COVER STORY

6

A magical December

By Elizabeth Morse Read

20 Five tips to keep your resolutions

By Brooklynn Smith

THINGS TO DO

November 24 – December 31, 2023 This year is bigger and brighter than ever, featuring festive, larger-thanlife dazzling displays with more than 3 ½ million illuminated lights that transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland! From radiant reindeers to sparkly snowmen, this is a mustsee experience this holiday season.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. For information visit rwpzoo.org/holidaylights

14 The gift of learning

By Lori Bradley

18 Have you hugged your teddy bear lately?

By Rona Trachtenberg

BUSINESS BUZZ

12 Christmases past

By Michael J. DeCicco

ON MY MIND

22 Super Mikey

By Paul Kandarian

YOUR HEALTH

24 The truth about the weightloss shot

By Rachel E. Paquette Resendes

ON THE COVER

the south coast issuu.com/coastalmags

Inside derr

DECEMBER 2023 Vol. 27 / No. 12

The Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo is open every night from 5 Keeping traditions Resolution solutions to 9:30 p.m. under Learn something new New Year’s Eve. Take the family to see more than 3.5 million illuminated lights, transforming the zoo into a winter wonderland! Buy your tickets online at rwpzoo.org/holidaylights.

Cool C ool Colors Colors

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December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

5

COVER STORY

Grab the kiddos and head to the District Center for the Arts from 3 to 4 p.m. on December 2 to kick off your night at the City of Taunton Lights On Festival. This year, they are celebrating 110 years of the Lighting of the Green!

A magical DECEMBER!

by Elizabeth Morse Read

There’s a lot more to December than just the holidays! Let your children – and the young-at-heart – experience the stories and songs and snowy adventures that only December brings. Celebrate with festive lights that dispel the long dark nights, and the cheery warmth of friends and family sharing time together on a cold winter’s day! And wrap up the year with fireworks and parties! Happy holidays!

Holiday fun for everyone!

Take the family on a guided Seal Watch Boat Ride from December through April with Save the Bay, leaving from Bowen’s Ferry Wharf in Newport (savebay.org/seals)!

Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford! The December 14 theme is “Starry Night” (ahanewbedford.org).

Line up on South Main Street in Fall River on December 2 for the 39th Annual Children’s Holiday Parade (vivafallriver.com)!

It’s time to sharpen the ice skates (or rent them) for indoor skating at Fall River’s Driscoll Arena (508-6793274), New Bedford’s Hetland Arena 6

(508-999-9051), Taunton’s Aleixo Arena (508-824-4987) or Plymouth’s Armstrong Arena (508-746-8825) (fmcicesports.com)!

Learn about early American holiday traditions by taking an hour-long lantern-led walking tour of Newport (newporthistorytours.org)!

Mark your calendars for the weekslong annual Bristol Christmas Festival, with the Grand Illumination on December 2 (christmasbristolri.com)!

Take the kids to the Providence Performing Arts Center to see “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” through December 3 (ppacri.org)!

Mark your calendar for the annual “Old Time Holiday Fair” on December

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

9 in Fairhaven – food, Town Hall shops, sing-alongs (fairhaventours.com) Celebrate “Christmas in the Village” on December 9 in Onset (onsetbay. org) or watch the Christmas Parade through downtown Wareham on December 3 (warehamvillage.org)!

Take the kids to “Disney on Ice” December 27-31 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence (formerly the Dunkin Donuts Center) (amicamutualpavilion.com)!

Bring the family to the wreathmaking workshops at Soule Homestead in Middleboro on December 2 (soulehomestead.org)!

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Visit the gift shop and Victorian-era decorated halls of the Fall River Historical Museum (lizzieborden.org).

All the world’s a stage

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

The Providence Rink in downtown Providence (theprovidencerink.com)!

Welcome the New Year on December 31 in New Bedford with “City Celebrates New Year’s Eve” – fireworks, ice sculptures, live music, street performers, dancing (ahanewbedford.org)!

Food, drink, and shopping

Plan ahead to immerse yourself in 17th-century crafts and artwork at the Plimoth-Pawtuxet Winter Fine Arts and Crafts Fair in Plymouth on December 2-3 (plimoth.org).

Don’t miss the European-style Christmas Market at the Christmas Wonderland and Festival of Lights at Edaville Railroad in Carver through January 1 (edaville.com)!

Mark your calendar for the Holiday Market at New Bedford’s First Unitarian Church on December 2 (destinationnewbedford.org)!

Taste your way through the historic district with New Bedford Food Tours on a 3-hour guided walking tour to sample local foods at five signature restaurants, a 2-hour “Art and Brunch” tour of the city, or a 3-hour “A Taste of Portugal” tour in Fall River (nbfoodtours.com)!

Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in 8

Plymouth on December 2-3 for the annual Plymouth Holiday Market (memorialhall.com).

Mark your calendar for the European-Style Christmas Market at the Burnside Building December 9-10 during the Bristol Christmas Festival (christmasbristolri.com)!

Go on a Vineyard Voyage with the Providence Riverboat Company (providenceriverboat.com) Find that special gift at the free Buy Black NB Pop-Up Holiday Market on December 2 at New Bedford’s Whaling Museum (buyblacknb.com)!

Keep checking the website so you can buy beautiful hand-crafted gifts at the annual “All That Glitters” holiday fair at Loon Lake Lodge in Lakeville in early December – great shopping, cash bar, live music (lakevilleartscouncilma.org).

Shop online for that special gift at “Artists for the Bay” through December 31 (savebay.org/art)!

Eat Fresh, Eat Local! Fill your baskets with local produce, pies and jams, dairy products and holiday decorations! To find a farm, vineyard or indoor farmers market near you, visit semaponline.org, farmfreshri.org, or coastalfoodshed.org. To find food and wine events, go to farmcoast. com, coastalwinetrail.com, or ediblesouthshore.com.

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

Catch a production of “Miracle on South Division Street” at the Marion Art Center Theatre on December 1-3, 8-9, 15-16 (marionartcenter.org).

Start your holiday season with a performance of “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep in Providence through December 31 (trinityrep.com).

Mark your calendars for the special events and entertainment at the Providence Performing Arts Center and The VETS! There’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” through December 3, Lindsay Stirling December 14, BalletRI “The Nutcracker” December 15-17, 20-24, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” December 19-23, 26-31, Joe Gatto December 29 (ppacri.org)!

Mark your calendars to catch a performance of “Scrooge: The Musical” December 7-17 at The Little Theatre in Fall River (littletheatre.net).

Head for The Alley Theatre in Middleboro for Strictly Sinatra December 2, Christmas Cabaret Drag Show December 9, The Highland Divas December 14, Blue Christmas December 16 (burtwoodschool.com).

Enjoy dinner and a performance of “Miracle on South Division Street” through December 31 at the Newport Playhouse (newportplayhouse.com).

South Coast sounds

Mark your calendar for the 13th annual New Bedford Jazz Fest on December 3 at the new Steeple Playhouse (home of Your Theatre), featuring the Southcoast Jazz Orchestra and the Joel LaRue Smith Trio (newbedfordjazzfest.com)!

Follow The Z On the Road! Don’t miss Amilton Tavares on December 14 at the Kilburn Mill Event Center in New Bedford or Paula Poundstone

Visit the gift shop and Victorian-era decorated halls of the Fall River Historical Museum (lizzieborden.org).

on December 2 at UMass/Dartmouth (zeiterion.org)!

Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth to hear the Vienna Boys Choir December 1, the Plymouth Holiday Market December 2-3, The Plymouth Phil’s Hometown Holiday Concert December 9-10, The Irish Tenors December 15 (memorialhall.com).

Find out who’s on stage at the District Center for the Arts in Taunton! Don’t miss Chicago Total Access December 2, Ultimate Christmas Variety Show December 10 (thedistrictcenterforarts.com)!

Check out who’s on stage at the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth! Don’t miss Harvest & Rust December 2, Divas with a Twist December 8, Morgan James December 9, Say Darling December 14, A Celtic Christmas December 15, Lunasa with Dave Curless December 16, Enter the Haggis December 29, Another Tequila Sunrise December 30 (spirecenter.org).

Head for The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River for great music! Don’t miss Rodney Crowell (rescheduled) December 1, Pokey LaFarge December 8, Quinn Sullivan December 30 (narrowscenter.com)!

Classical acts

Buy your tickets now for BalletRI’s

(formerly Festival Ballet Providence) performance of “The Nutcracker” at The VETS in Providence December 15-24 (balletri.org)!

Mark your calendars now to hear the New Bedford Symphony’s Chamber Music performance of “Top Brass,” at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion on December 2 and at St. Peter’s Church in South Dartmouth on December 3 (nbsymphony.org/ chamber-series).

Buy your tickets early for the Holiday Pops Concert performed by the Fall River Symphony Orchestra on December 17 at BCC’s Jackson Theatre (fallriversymphonyorchestra. org)!

Mark your calendar for the New Bedford Ballet’s Performance of “A New England Nutcracker” December 9 at the Keith Jr. High School Auditorium (newbedfordballet.org).

Buy your tickets early to see “The Newport Nutcracker at Rosecliff” through December 1 performed by the Newport Contemporary Ballet (formerly The Island Moving Company) (newportcontemporaryballet.org)!

Mark your calendars now for the award-winning Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah” Open Sing on December 3 at the Church of St. Sebastian in Providence (ricco.org).

Follow The Z On the Road! Don’t miss the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s “Holiday Pops” on December 10 at New Bedford High School’s Bronspiegel Auditorium (zeiterion.org)!

Listen to the Parker Quartet on December 10 at Westport’s Concerts at the Point (concertsatthepoint.org)!

Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth to hear The Plymouth Philharmonic’s “Hometown Holiday” December 9-10 (memorialhall.com).

The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Handel’s “Messiah” with The Providence Singers on December 10 at The VETS (riphil.org).

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Join us for a sparkling evening at the Viva Maker Shop's "Pop and Shop" event on December 13th from 5 to 8 PM! Shop over 70 unique local small businesses, while you indulge in complimentary champagne and light refreshments, including a sampling of specialty jams from Wagglebee. Discover one-of-a-kind creations from talented artists and local makers, supporting the heart of our community. The Viva Maker Shop is located at 333 S. Main Street in Fall River. vivafallriver.com/viva-maker-shop

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Let there be lights!

Don’t miss the traditional “Lights On Festival” in Taunton – the Lighting of the Green on December 2 (facebook. com/lightingofthegreen)!

The Annual Festival of Lights at LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro is open through January 1 – more than 300,000 lights illuminating ten acres (lasaletteattleboroshrine.org)!

Buy your tickets early for the Christmas Wonderland and Festival of Lights at Edaville Railroad in Carver through December 31! Heated train rides illuminated by 17 million

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lights throughout the park (edaville. com)!

Bring the whole family to the 59th Annual Tree Lighting at Bowen’s Wharf in Newport on December 2 (bowenswharf.com)!

Buy your tickets online to stroll through the brilliantly illuminated Roger Williams Park Zoo for the Holiday Lights Spectacular through December 31 (rwpzoo.org)!

Heavenly voices

Let your family experience ”Christmas in Sign,” a free blacklight performance of holiday songs sung and signed by participants of The James L. Maher Center on December 9 at the Oceanpoint

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

Christian Church in Middletown (mahercenter.org)!

Listen to “Christmas Joy” sung by the Pilgrim Festival Chorus December 1-3 at St. Bonaventure Parish in Plymouth (pilgrimfestivalchorus.org)!

Don’t miss the Newport Navy Choristers’ Christmas Concerts on December 3 at the First Baptist Church in Fall River and on December 8 at St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth (newportnavychoristers.org).

Mark your calendar for the Tri-County Symphonic Band’s Children’s Christmas Concert at Tabor Academy in Marion on December 10 (tricountysymphonicband.org)!

Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth to hear the Vienna Boys Choir December 2 (memorialhall.com)!

Mark your December calendars for Christmas Concerts on Sunday afternoons at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford (musicatsaintanthonys.org)!

Head for Salve Regina University in Newport to hear classical and seasonal music with the Newport County Orchestra on December 1, with the Holiday Band Concert at the Casino Theatre on December 3 or the Holiday Choral Concert at Ochre Court on December 8 & 9 (salve.edu/ performances)!

Experience the free 113th Annual Medieval Christmas Festival at St. George’s School in Middletown on December 12 (stgeorges.edu/ christmas).

Keep checking the South Coast Community Chorale’s website for the date and venue of their annual holiday concert (sccchorale.com)!

Mark your calendar for the annual Christmas Concert with Newport Classical on December 16 at Emmanuel Newport Church (emmanuelnewport.org).

Don’t miss the ever-popular Sippican Choral Society’s Christmas Concert on December 9 at Tabor Academy in Marion (sippicanchoralsociety.org).

Listen to Handel’s “Messiah” sung at Rosecliff Mansion on December

3, performed by the Ensemble Altera and the Professional Choristers of the Choir School of Newport County (newportclassical.org).

CONTI

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Deck The halls

Visit the beautifully decorated whaling-era and Victorian homes in New Bedford on the annual Historic Holiday Tours December 9-10, led by the New Bedford Preservation Society (nbpreservationsociety.org)!

Be dazzled by the over-the-top splendor of the Gilded Age during “Holidays at the Newport Mansions” through January 1 (newportmansions.org)!

Begin your Sippican Womans Club Holiday Stroll on December 9 at Handy’s Tavern in Marion (sippicanwomansclub.org)!

Bundle up and enjoy the lights and Christmas decorations indoors and out at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org).

Visit the Victorian-era decorated halls of the Fall River Historical Museum (lizzieborden.org).

Take a free tour of “Christmas on County” on December 14 through the holiday-themed decorations of the whaling-era Rotch-Jones-Duff Museum in New Bedford – wear your ugliest holiday sweater or accessory (rjdmuseum.org)!

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Enjoy a littel bit of the Irish

Head for the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth for A Celtic Christmas December 15 and Lunasa with Dave Curless December 16 (spirecenter. org).

Keep checking the website for the date of the Annual Christmas Open House in early December at the Museum of Newport Irish History – enjoy eggnog and Celtic caroling while strolling through the exhibits and gift shop (newportirishhistory.org)!

Head for The Alley Theatre in Middleboro to hear The Highland Divas December 14 (burtwoodschool.com).

Listen to The Irish Tenors December 15 at Memorial Hall in Plymouth (memorialhall.com)!

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Christmases past

by Michael J. DeCicco

December will be the time to enjoy the sights holiday season and learn about the New Bedford’s past traditions.

O

n Thursday, December 14, the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum will open for its Christmas on County program.

Visitors will be able to tour the halls of the mansion decked out for the holiday season and hear from docents about some of the unique holiday customs held by residents of the house in years past.

Lauren Prescott, Manager of Collections and Interpretation, said there will be a Christmas tree elaborately decorated in modern fashion in the first floor parlor where Beatrice Duff regularly placed her Christmas Tree in the late 1970s (for years, her mother, also named Beatrice, had placed it in the front hall on the second floor until daughter Beatrice wanted its regular location moved).

The downstairs dining room will be designed for a holiday dinner party.

The table settings and furniture will be a 19th-century design against wallpaper that is in the 1930s style installed by the Duffs. Upstairs,

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visitors will find a stunningly large nativity scene designed by Peruvian artist Luis Duffy-Baraybar.

But it's the stories of past Christmas celebrations at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House that will let visitors imagine what past Chrristmases were like in the stately mansion. The house's first owner, William Rotch, Jr., wouldn’t have had much of a Christmas celebration or displayed any decorations, Prescott said. That’s the first surprise of the house’s Christmas history. Rotch was a Quaker who didn’t make much of a fuss about Christmas, which wasn't celebrated in a large way until the 1850s. He acquired the property as part of land owned by his father, William Rotch Sr., who passed the parcel to his children after his death in 1828. The property was deeded to William Jr. on July 5, 1831.

Generations

“The most information we have is about the Jones family,” Prescott said. “They were the second owners

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

of the home, and they lived here from 1851 until 1935. Edward Coffin Jones purchased the home and lived here with his daughters Emma, Amelia, and Sarah, until he died in 1880. Amelia continued living here until her death in 1935.”

She said the Jones Family celebrated Christmas as early as the 1850s, when the Jones daughters were young children. “We have numerous books in our library with inscriptions to various Jones family members for Christmas, ranging from 1854 through to the 20th century,” she noted.

Rotch House historians know from Emma Jones’ papers found at the Whaling Museum that the Jones Family held one of the largest Christmas parties in the house in 1871.

The guest list, Prescott said, included 28 people, probably friends who lived in the area. According to Emma, each guest purchased a gift of no more than $1 (about $25 today) – a limit set

by Amelia. The gifts were placed on the branches of the Christmas tree along with a verse or note written

It's the stories of past Christmas celebrations at the Rotch-JonesDuff House that will let visitors imagine what past Chrristmases were like in the stately mansion to accompany the present. A poem called “The Tree’s Welcome” was read by one of the Jones daughters at the start of the gift exchange. The verses explained the rationale behind the gift and sometimes hinted at the identity of the giver. For example, Thomas Swift received a “little man holding on to the tail of a little pig, which, when wound up went with unparallel[ed] speed.” The accompanying verse included lines that played on Swift's last name: “Swift thy name and swift thy nature.”

That party, unfortunately, would be the last big celebration of Christmas at the house for a while. After Sarah C. Jones married John Malcolm Forbes in 1873, Prescott said, the Joneses spent the Christmas holiday in Milton, Massachusetts. On Christmas Eve in 1874, they traveled to Milton to celebrate the holiday there first. On Christmas morning at breakfast, according to Amelia Jones's diary, the family exchanged presents there and in the evening a dinner party was followed by “theatricals.” The following year, in 1875, the Jones family did not leave for Milton until Christmas day, having exchanged their own gifts at home on Christmas eve. Amelia Jones continued to spend Christmas with the Forbes family after her sister's death in 1891, usually with her niece Ellen Forbes.

Holiday celebrations under the Duff family's ownership were even quieter affairs, Prescott said, wherein family members who visited the Duffs for Christmas would come over after Christmas dinner. The Duff family

placed nativity scenes in an unused fireplace banked with greens during the holiday, and the family’s other simple decorations consisted of greens on the mantels.

This year’s Christmas decorations will be decidedly more modern than what the original resident families would have enjoyed. But the museum is confident it is putting its best foot forward with docents full of stories of the house’s past Christmases. The adornments will stay up through the end of the year and come down in early January.

Prescott added that visitors will also be asked to wear their ugliest holiday sweater and seasonal accessories and sample entries in the Cookie Challenge, now in its fourth year, wherein weekend-warrior bakers can bring batches of their favorite homemade cookie for visitors to sample and judge. This event is part of AHA! Night. Donations are accepted in lieu of a fee.

Reliving the past

For a tour of more than one historic house downtown at a time, attend the New Bedford Preservation Society’s Historic Holiday Tour (the Society’s main fundraiser to support its programs throughout the year) which is scheduled for December 9

from 1-4 p.m.. The tour, which requires pre-registration, will start at the society’s headquarters at the James Arnold House, 427 County Street, with a brunch at 11 a.m. (the brunch cost is a separate ticket). It will feature a visit to five historic houses in downtown New Bedford, including tours of the Arnold House, the Rotch-Jones-Duff House, and three other homes that the society leaves as a surprise by not announcing them in advance.

Program Coordinator Pat Daughton is proud to note the fundraising event is now in its 29th year, interrupted only by COVID in 2020. She said that in years past, when the tours were conducted for two days, up to 400 people attended.

She said that what attendees get to see on the Preservation Society tours is the value of these historic houses that define the city’s rich history.

“I know I will walk by one of these houses, big and small in the city, and say ‘I’d like to see what's inside,’” she said.

What visitors get to see and appreciate inside and out, she elaborated, is the extraordinary craftsmanship that went into designing and constructing these homes. And these visitors should note that a lot of people and groups in the city have worked for years to preserve these historic homes, she said.

“And that’s something the city should be proud of,” she said. “We’ve managed to keep some of our historic architecture intact. That’s a great thing for our community to be able to do. It’s a huge effort from all a lot of people and groups in this city.”

The New Bedford Preservation Society is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that, according to its website, “strives to heighten awareness, provide education and guidance, and promote sensitive restoration and preservation of New Bedford's fine historic structures and the neighborhoods in which they are located.”

Tickets are available for purchase on the New Bedford Preservation Society website at nbpreservationsociety.org.

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

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THINGS TO DO

The gift of

learning Catherine Carter offers painting and design classes to children from the ages of 9 to 12.

by Lori Bradley

One Christmas Eve, my brother and I were romping around in the living room and crashed into our Christmas tree, sending the glass star on top onto the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. Immediately, my kid brain envisioned going around to the local 24-hour drug store and picking up an elaborate replacement like a plastic angel topper, preferably one robed in lots of glittery white tulle. To my annoyance, my brother, who was taking wood shop classes in school, offered to cut us a wooden star.

W

anting the glitziest tree on our street, I wasn’t thrilled with the rustic crookedness of the star, but I joined my brother in covering it with gold spray paint and then a generous coating of glitter. When we finished, we put it back on the tree and I thought it wasn’t too bad. In the right light, it looked like it was glowing.

We’d had fun making it, 14

my mother treasured the handmade star, and we still laugh about it decades later. Making handmade decorations became a family tradition and our holiday tree became less showy and a lot more loved – covered with our handmade ornaments and found objects.

This year, stores have been filled with mounds of plastic holiday and gift

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

items since Labor Day. The stores and the countless online shopping sites makes me think about how holiday cast-offs end up in landfills and waterways.

In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces 5 pounds of trash per day.

During the holidays, that amount rises to 6.25 pounds per person per

day, or 43.75 pounds each week. With a population of 330 million people, that means 2,887,500,000 more pounds of garbage are generated per week during the holidays relative to the rest of the year.

Wanting to participate in the tradition of holiday giving, but no longer wanting to add to the future glut of holiday trash, I’m considering gifting

Giving the gift of learning doesn’t take up landfill space, and while some products may be required to learn a new skill or produce a craft object, the chances are thatthe results be kept longerif made by hand and filled with positive memories of making it. time and experience this year instead of objects.

Education is one of the most rewarding gifts to give to a loved one, and participating in arts classes can spark a creative lifetime habit.

Giving the gift of learning doesn’t take up landfill space, and while some products may be required to learn a new skill or produce a craft object, the chances are that the results be kept longer if made by hand and filled with positive memories of making it.

Creative classes and workshops

Of course, there are many beautiful handmade gifts to purchase in local galleries, shops, and studios this time of year, but if you want to inspire someone to create their own, the South Coast is home to many artists offering workshops

and courses in their studios. At the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford, painter Catherine Carter offers painting and design classes to children from the ages of 9 to 12. With over 25 years of experience as a professional artist and educator, Catherine shares valuable experience and a passion for art with her students.

Students extend their regular school art experience by taking classes with Catherine during school breaks, after school, and on weekends. The adventure of meeting professional artists at work is one of the great joys of attending classes in a large studio building. Gift cards for classes are available at CatherineCarterPainting. com.

“My program teaches traditional drawing and painting techniques with

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15

The gift of learning can change the recipient for a lifetime whether this is through the temporary thrill of learning a skill, making a cherished object while making new friends, or developing a lifelong passion that leads to a career.

The Fall River Public Library Main Branch offers creative classes every season of the year including painting, holiday crafts, and fabric dying.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

colored pencils, watercolor and acrylic paints, to illustrate portraits, landscape, still-life, and abstracts,” says Carter.

“Classes are kept small (capped at 8 seats) so students can receive careful individualized instruction.”

Located within a creative community of more than

16

65 professional artists, classes often include field trips to visit neighboring artists’ studios to view their work. During Hatch Street Studios' annual open studios event, Carter hosts a student art show so that their artwork can be seen and appreciated by family members, friends, and the hundreds of guests who attend every year.

Local artist Karen

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

Zukas hosts a variety of professional art instructors at the New Bedford Art and Culture Emporium at Kilburn Mills in the New Bedford’s South End. Classes are designed to be fun and facilitate interaction and encourage new friendships with other creatively inclined people. Aspiring artists and crafters of all ages will enjoy a gift certificate to fun, short classes that range from painting pet portraits and botanicals to felting, sewing, and creating paper flowers. New classes are offered each session.

Emporium workshops are perfect experiential gifts for friends and family to enjoy together, and some instructors provide all the materials needed to complete a project. More information and class listings can be found at nbartsandculturalemporium. com.

People don’t usually consider their local library as a venue for creative classes, but many local

libraries offer an active schedule of workshops, and many are free.

Affordable library classes are perfect to give as a gift to a group of friends or family. The Fall River Public Library Main Branch offers creative classes every season of the year including painting, holiday crafts, and fabric dying.

Artists sometimes receive Massachusetts Cultural Council grants funding and offer their courses at local libraries for free. A helpful central location to find South Coast library websites and classes is through Sails Library Network at sailsinc.org.

Online art

Online classes can be excellent gifts for those interested in a more intensive, longerterm creative learning experience. They also offer more flexibility in scheduling. South Coast residents are fortunate to live nearby a worldclass art college with a full schedule of online

courses, and many can be taken without enrolling in a degree program. The Rhode Island School of Design in Providence has classes for teens and adults ranging from character animation to jewelry making and design for adults and teens. And, if an online course inspires a desire for additional learning, in-person non-credit courses are available, as well as certificate programs. More information and course listings are at ce.risd.edu/ adult-programs.

If you aren’t sure of someone’s specific art interests or don’t want to commit a gift recipient to a class date and time, there are many open subscription memberships available.

One of the best online art education services is the Artists Network – artistsnetwork.com. A gift of a yearly Artists Network membership unlocks access to hundreds of creative online classes taught through video by a national selection of professional artists in addition to a monthly newsletter and an active online networking community.

Shopping locally

Someone new to creating might need to do some supply shopping before attending a class or workshop. An art supply gift certificate is a nice pairing gift with a class or workshop. Providence is home to two of the largest art supply stores in the country: Dick Blick on Wickendon Street and Jerry’s Artarama on North Main Street have shelves

lined with art making products available from paints, decorative papers, and canvas to animation supplies. Both employ friendly, expert staff who are ready to help find just the right art product for a project. Gift certificates are available at the local stores and online.

For a smaller, local art supply shopping experience, the cozy Art Loft on Water Street in Fairhaven offers a range of high-quality professional painting and drawing supplies in addition to crafts for sale by local artists. Workshops and classes are also available at the Art Loft and are taught by popular local artists with multiple session or drop-in sessions available. More information is available at artloftfairhaven.com.

At the core, giving the gift of learning is an invitation to escape the everyday through a process that builds joy. In his book Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning, Tom Vanderbilt states, “But what if we don't want to become virtuoso musicians or renowned artists? What if we only want to dabble in these things, to see if they might subtly change our outlook on the world or even, as we try to learn them, change us? What if we just want to enjoy them?”

The gift of learning can change the recipient for a lifetime whether this is through the temporary thrill of learning a skill, making a cherished object while making new friends, or developing a lifelong passion that leads to a career.

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17

THINGS TO DO

Hugged Have you

YOUR TEDDY BEAR LATELY?

by Rona Trachtenberg

Teddy Bears come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. If the words “soft,” “cuddly,” and “snuggly” resonate with you, then you have probably hugged, held, and loved a teddy bear during your lifetime.

I

n 2004, I wrote an article for SCI about a Teddy Bear Prayer Project started by Pastor Mack of the Long Plain United Methodist Church in Acushnet. Congregants donated, held, and prayed over many teddy bears before giving them to people in need of God’s love. Betsy Ellis, the current Ministry Chair, confirmed that “The Teddy Bear Ministry is still going strong to this day and continues to bring happiness and comfort to a lot of people locally and internationally.”

Police, fire, and medical officials have found that giving a teddy bear to a child during a crisis stabilized and calmed them. In 1997, the non-profit National Association of Police & Lay Charities (NAPLC) started the Teddy Bear Cops program to distribute teddy bears to police, fire, and medical responders throughout the United States.

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We know why children treasure their teddy bears, but did you know that psychologists believe stuffed animals offer adults a sense of warmth, protection, and friendship, and that snuggling up with a plush toy can be healing. Adults consider the bear as a form of self-care as it holds a sentimental value in our lives.

The Times of India reported that February 10 is their country’s annual Teddy Day, in which couples give each other these soft, huggable toys, which “offer comfort, relieve loneliness, cure insomnia, hold memories of a loved one, are perfect for children whose parents won’t allow them to have live pets, and are even considered family members.”

According to Wikipedia, “The largest teddy bear measures 63 feet 8 inches tall and was constructed on April 28,

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

2019 in Mexico and displayed at the local stadium in the city of Xonacatlán.

Other interesting facts offered by bearegards.com are: The teddy bear is the official national symbol of Japan. In Europe, Russia, and China, giving a bear without mentioning its name first is considered bad luck. This is why many Russian teddies have names such as Vladimir or Natasha inscribed on them.

In December 2009, a new record was set for the most teddy bears sold that month: over 5 million. In 2013, it was reported that the average American spent about $220 on teddy bears.

As of 2019, there are more than 500 types of teddy bears on sale at any time. Teddy bears are one of the most popular gifts, selling over 6 billion internationally and 50 million annually in the U.S. alone!

A legend is born

This ubiquitously lovable stuffed companion actually has a rather gruesome origin.

This bittersweet story starts in November 1902, when Mississippi

Governor Andrew H. Longino invited McGovern’s Family Restaurant President Theodore Roosevelt to go 310 Shove Street, Fall River on a bear hunting trip. When everyone 508-679-5010 but Roosevelt had bagged an animal, mcgovernsonthewater.com Roosevelt’s people cornered, This well-known restaurant andclubbed, banand tied a 235-lb American quet facility overlooking Laurelblack Lake bear topacks a willow tree and suggested usually them in for a large buffet that Roosevelt now it. The on Thanksgiving Day. shoot The menu typicalpresident refused, stating that it with ly includes traditional turkey dinner Paul’s butternut squash, prime was “unsportsmanlike.”

Instead, he rib, ham, andthat much more. restaurant instructed the bearThe be put out of hasmisery. been offering dine-in and takeout, its including its locally famous corned beef and cabbage, for 50 years. Here’s a protip: if you can’t wait until Thanksgiving for a roast turkey dinner, you don’t have to – it’s on the regular menu.

to visit the safe outdoor pop-up markets (waterfire.org/art-mart). And on First Thursdays (November 5) you can “shop and dine local” inbear Barrington, Bristol, and his son teddy that that would last a 1955 onathe historic wharf dates Warren (discovernewport.org). lifetime.

So, he crafted the first-ever isn’t all about summer. to the 1700s, Kick-off the holiday season at Frerichs Last year they served upHis a feast of turkey, Bearcho in his garage. son enjoyed Farm in Warren with “Girls Nightthat Out” roast prime rib,friend sausage and his new furry so much more.

The restaurant currently offers on November 6, 7 and 8– buy your John began selling his creations from dine-in and takeout, including some ovholiday trees, greenery, and there, a cart on Church Street in gifts downtown en-ready dishes like seafood casserole too (frerichsfarm.com).

Then is mark Burlington, Vermont.

That when the and stuffed lobster.

Vermont Teddy FactoryBlock came your calendar for Bear the Newport

into being.

Today, their websiteWharf offers Party & Holiday Stroll at Bowen’s White’s ofguarantee Westport a lifetime Dr. Pam, on November 27 – youwhere can watch 66 State Road, Westport a 25-year expert seamstress with the Illuminated Boat Parade while 508-675-7185 the company, will andmusic repair you shop and enjoy “triage Caribbean shop.lafrancehospitality.com (bowenswharf.com).

White’s has been offering family-style takeout and curbside meals pickup for It’s thesothoughtful gifts months, when Turkey Day comes that around,count it’s a good bet they’ll have a handle (orifrather a drumstick) too.

And you can’t find giftson forthat all the speCurrently, restaurant is offering meal cial peoplethe in your life, consider buying packages and platters likeshops, its “Taste gift cards to restaurants, vine-of New England” that comes with chowyour creation in her Bear Hospital, no yards, special event venues, local farms, der, quahogs and clam cakes or its Italian matter what happens.” e-commerce websites, or grocery stores. package of salad, lasagna, meatballs and In 1997, Maxine Clark to opened Use mail-order services deliverthe flowbreadsticks.

Both meals serve six.

Also firstsweets, interactive workshop, at the St. ers, and specialty foods yearavailable are dinner-for-two meal packs Louis to Galleria Mall, Missouri, where round someone you want to thank or like andpersonalize chips, lobstertheir rolls,own bourbon kids could furry to express your appreciation. beef tips, and even kid-sized and friend.

She wanted them hard topasta “build For those who areWith always to 60 buy meatballs for two. more than memories, one bear at athem time.” Infor the a gift for, consider signing years in the hospitality industry, up White’s past 26 years, Ms. Clark’s teddy bears an annual subscription to afor streaming is accustomed to cooking a crowd. have positively impacted millions of service, app, podcast, premier sports/ hearts and her franchise boasts over movies/cultural channel, magazine, or 400 locations worldwide. You can newspaper. Or make a donation in their even customize your bear with sounds name to their favorite charity, educationand scents. Their Merry Mission al institution, or cultural organization.

Advent Calendar is a big Christmas Consider how much it would be appreciseller, as it comes with several plush First you’ll need to concoct cinnamon ated if you upgraded an older relative’s animals and other surprises behind syrup. Mix ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, digital capabilities with an easy-to-use each its 25 doors. and aofthree-inch cinnamon stick in a smartphone, tablet, or notebook –did and In thepan. end,Bring our 26th small it justPresident to a boil, turn off then helped to set up Zoom or Skype. more for the of live bears the heat and future let it cool.

Remove the Youwildlife can keep theany holiday spirit alive this and than other elected cinnamon stick and discard or use it to year, even though youRoosevelt may not all be toofficial. garnish Theordore the cocktail if you like. The syrgether to celebrate Thanksgiving.

It just created the U.S. Forest Service up will last for three weeks in the fridge. takes some imagination and good (USFS) and the National Foundation To make the cocktail, a shak-cheer!

Psychologists believe stuffed animals offer adults a sense of warmth, protection, and friendship, and that snuggling up with a plush toy can be healing Merrills on the Waterfront

36 Homers Wharf, New Bedford Times were different back then, 508-997-7010 and a President going bear hunting merrillswaterfront.com was considered a “politically correct” This favorite restaurant and function activity.

Political cartoonist Clifford facility sits on the waterfront overlooking Berryman illustrated the unfortunate port. But if isn’t your the busy incident in the November 16, 1902 thing on traditional turkey day, be sure issue of The Washington Post. to keep watch for their holiday offerings.

The cartoon caught the attention of Last year, Merrill’s served up turkey and Brooklyn candy store owners Rose prime rib, all the sides like apple sage and Morris who andMichtom, sweet corn andwanted polentato ravimake stuffed bear toy and name oli, plusapies galore. it after Theodore Roosevelt. So, they wrote to the President, got his The Pasta House permission, and made the small bear 100 Alden cub, whichRoad, they Fairhaven put in their candy 508-993-9913 shop window at 404 Tompkins thepastahouse.net Avenue in Brooklyn with a sign If their Pumpkin Patch Old-Fashioned “Teddy’s Bear.” The toys were such (now on the bar menu) doesn’t get you a success that Michtom founded the inside,Novelty nothing & will.

Luckily, you can Ideal Toy Company (which a recipe in the sidebar for this drink and later produced the Rubik’s Cube). serve it with your Thanksgiving dinner After seeing that same cartoon, takeout Richard Steiff designed and produced The Pasta House served up a spread a stuffed teddy bear made of mohair last year that included turkey dinner, ham at his Aunt Margarete’s factory in dinner, mignon, braised short rib, Germany.

He called this first and more. Currently, pickup andjointed delivery creation 55 PB,the which stood for includ55 cm is available from regular menu, standing; P = plush and B =tomovable ing their apple cider sangria go. We’ll and have he exhibited it at the Leipzig Toy just to wait and see what they dream Fair in March 1903. up for Thanksgiving.

Fast-forward a century and you can now purchase a teddy bear gift right The Wharf Tavern off the shelf, at any local department 215 Water Street, Warren store. However, if that convenience 401-289-2524 isn’t personalized enough for you, thewharftavernri.com then you can let your fingers do the While stuffed quahogs nibbled by the selecting at one of the create-itwater may not be a Thanksgiving tradiyourself websites. tion, the Wharf Tavern, established in In 1981, John Sortino wanted to make

Pumpkin Old-Fashioned

for Preservation of Fur-Bearing er the halfway with ice. Combine ¼ cup Animals known as The Humane pumpkin(now puree with three ounces Society). established 150 national bourbon,He two ounces maple syrup, ¼ forests, 51 federal bird one reserves, ounce cinnamon syrup, ounce orfive national and four national ange liqueur,parks, and two game preserves.

He protected dashes orange bitters. Shake well. approximately 230 million acres of Fill two old during fash- his presidency. public land ioned glasses with passed legislation In 1978, Congress ice, pour in the designating December 26 as strained cocktail Recordable Teddy Bear Day in honor garnish with aanimal advocate. ofand this influential twist of orange So, go find yourpeel childhood teddy bear andgive a cherry. and it a big holiday hug!

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19

COVER STORY

Five tips

KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS!

by Brooklynn Smith

It’s late December and the holiday festivities are coming to an end. All of the gifts were opened, the food savored, and the champagne popped.

New memories were made, along with a bunch of good stories to share for the coming year. You’re now with family and friends, quietly resting from all the excitement, when all of a sudden you remember something important. No it’s not making sure that the Christmas tree lights aren’t overheating. And no, it’s not whether you said too much at your job’s Christmas party. You remember your New Year’s resolutions.

E

very year we’re challenged to do a twelve-month evaluation of ourselves.

For most people, it typically goes like this: 20

we think of all the ways we’ve underachieved throughout the year, then we come up with new habits for the new year that will magically fix our

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

flaws and make us better.

Common resolutions are quitting cigarettes, becoming debt-free, and working out every single day at 5 a.m. Once January 1 rolls around, we start the new habit for a couple of weeks, feel good about ourselves, then it quickly fizzles out, and sooner than you realize you’re back to the same ol’ routine in February.

Nothing changes, and the cycle repeats itself.

Luckily, there’s a different approach you can take to avoid this hamster wheel.

Let me introduce to you five methods that will help your resolutions last all year!

1

Reflect on your good and bad habits

Before diving headfirst

into making your resolutions, take a moment to step back and reflect on the year.

Try to focus on all of your achievements, the skills you gained, and all the ups and downs you’ve experienced. Consider the lessons you’ve learned, the people you’ve met, and how it shaped you to be the person you are today.

This introspection mindset is a crucial foundation for long-lasting resolutions.

2

Set realistic goals with purpose

Resist the temptation to overwhelm yourself with too many resolutions.

Despite there being 12 months in a year, avoid having 12 resolutions. Our end results are to achieve and succeed. That can’t

happen if you dabble in a bunch of new habits!

Instead, focus on setting realistic, manageable goals that align with your vision.

Remember, it’s better to be a master of one, than a master of none. Commit to two or three resolutions and embrace each one wholeheartedly. Each goal should carry a sense of purpose and drive you to a meaningful change.

3

Journal or document your goals

Solidify your journey by documenting your progress. Doing this can be a major motivator! Try journaling and creating videos. If you choose to journal, then write about your thoughts, feelings, and make marks about your progress. There’s no wrong or right way to do this.

You can even make little doodles, if that’s best.

If you aren’t big into writing, try taking daily videos of yourself. And don’t worry, they don’t have to be top-tier movie productions! Simply use the camera feature on your phone and talk about your progress as if you were talking to a friend or family member.

This not only serves as a tangible source of inspiration, but it also acts as a reminder of the commitment you promised to yourself.

Having a permanent record of your goals keeps you accountable!

4

Envision your transformed self

Visualization is just a fancy word for daydreaming.

And daydreaming is

a powerful tool when making resolutions. Is one of your resolutions to quit smoking? Great!

Try thinking about how that would look! Imagine yourself resisting temptations. Imagine your health improving drastically. And imagine your lungs breathing cleaner, fresher air. Let that vision guide your actions. Picture the positive impact it’ll have on your life, relationships, and health.

5

Be flexible

In a perfect world we’ll have the energy, space, and time to perform these new habits. But unfortunately, life is unpredictable. Some days will be worse than others and we might slip back to our old habits, despite being on a great track. Don’t let that discourage you! Be open to adapting based on changing events. Be kind to yourself and avoid self-criticism. A rollercoaster isn’t fun if the ride only goes up. It needs a couple of downs to make the experience worth it.

The same goes with your journey; accept that the downs make the ups so much sweeter.

Making resolutions is easy – the hard part is keeping them. This year doesn’t have to be a repeat of failed attempts. Always keep in mind your vision and dream.

Embrace the challenges, and remember that each day is a day for growth.

As you go on your journey of self-improvement, remember that there is beauty in not only the destination but in the process itself!

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21

ON MY MIND

Super Mikey

by Paul Kandarian

The wonderful thing about kids (especially before they hit 10 or so and are aimed toward adolescence and adulthood when their enviable newness in the world melts on the wings of so-called “maturity”) is their joy, wonder, innocence, inquisitiveness, and, speaking as a super-proud Grandpa of Mikey, one supersmart almost-9-year-old boy, their unbelievable intelligence and insight. I’m about to go into full grandparent-gush mode here, so you’ve been warned.

R

ecently, I asked Mikey if he wanted to see a film. We love movies. He’s all-in every time we go, face glued to the screen and absorbing everything. As an actor, I take that as a sign that maybe he’ll follow in my footsteps someday though where those footsteps take him is entirely up to him. Not that I won’t nudge him toward acting, of course.

He said he wanted to see one of his favorite movies, which surprisingly was Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” a 1993 animated cult classic. I’d never seen it before, so off we went, Mikey enjoying it for the millionth time, me for the first, and I spent a lot of it just beaming at him as he leaned forward on his hands drinking it all in, enchanted by the story and presentation. I never tire of watching him happy.

Later, I took him on a ride, not sure where we were going, but that’s how 22

we roll. We get in the car and go. It matters not where, for almost every place is new to him, and sometimes to me. Very often, we’ll be driving along and he’ll say, “Grandpa, take a right” for no other reason than he’s never been down that road. And take a right I do, because I’m always up for a new adventure and I always listen to my grandson.

That day, the movie was in Seekonk, so after we left I drove around the town where I grew up, pointing out places I played and lived and had adventures as a child. We’d done this before and I feared I was boring him and said so.

“Hey, at least you’re still around to show me this stuff,” he said.

I’m not sure if he meant I’m around as in around the area or around as in not dead yet, but I laughed and thanked him and was amazed once again by the stuff he comes up with.

I remarked along the way how bright

December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

he was, and he thought about it for a second, and said without a hint of arrogance, just as matter of fact, “I don’t think people understand my mind… or how smart I am.” I agreed heartily, told him it’s okay and outright fun to be different from everyone else and being your own person.

Later, as we were sitting in my car and he was fiddling around in the glove compartment, he came across a button I picked up at a conference in Boston that featured a quote by Elise Roy, a deaf motivational speaker who is all about thinking and living outside the box that reads: “Different is the New Normal We Should Be Designing For.” “I like that,” Mikey said, stabbing it into the visor above him where I will leave it forever.

While sitting there, I drank from my water bottle in which I keep sliced lemons to add taste and vitamins.

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Mikey looked at it and said, “I’d like to go swimming with lemons.”

I laughed, “I love that idea! But where?”

“In a big bottle full of lemons,” he added in a “duh” tone like I should have thought of that myself.

Adventuring on, we ended up at the carousel at Crescent Park in East Providence, the only remaining icon of a long-gone amusement park I’d go to as a kid. We wandered around and down along the waters of Narragansett Bay, tossing rocks and sticks in the water, both of our imaginations afire as the sun started a golden descent toward the horizon, Mikey saying hello and waving happily to every person we’d see.

And I realized: there we were, just two kids, one young, one old, warm in the embrace of each other’s love, one very much smarter than the other in a way that brings the other a joy like no other.

Look, I know he’s not the only kid on the planet to be so keenly observant, so bright, so able to connect the dots and see patterns.

I know he’s going to grow and perhaps tire of hanging around with his old Grandpa. I know he’ll change and I am uncertain how.

But one thing I know for sure is that we will always be together, either in real life or in the memories we shape with every moment we share.

As we walked out of the theater that day, I told him I noticed some superhero movie posters inside and asked if he’d like to see any.

“Ah, I’m not really into Marvel, I’m not a superhero kinda guy,” he said.

“Funny,” I said, “neither am I.” “Good,” my little bestie smiled. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

Lemme update my assessment: I am into one superhero.

Him.

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December 2023 | The South Coast Insider

23

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