New Bedford Archives - Page 92 of 112

Rafael scheduled to plead guilty to evading fish quotas, smuggling money

March 9, 2017 — Carlos Rafael, who was labeled by the Department of Justice as the owner of the largest commercial fishing business in New England, will plead guilty to federal charges as part of a settlement he reached with the government, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Massachusetts said Wednesday.

Rafael of Dartmouth was scheduled to appear in federal court on March 20. Instead he’s scheduled to plead guilty to evading fishing quotas and smuggling profits to Portugal in U.S. District Court in Boston at 2 p.m. on March 16. The U.S. Attorney’s office provided no further details regarding the plea deal.

Rafael’s attorney, William Kettlwell, did not return requests asking for comment.

Often referred to as the “Codfather” as the owner of more than 40 boats ported in New Bedford and Gloucester, Rafael faced one count of conspiracy, 25 counts of lying to federal fishing regulators and one count of bulk cash smuggling.

The indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney last May listed 22 examples of Rafael falsely claiming his vessels caught either haddock or pollock from June 2012 through January 2016. According to the indictment, in those circumstances Rafael actually caught fish that were subject to stricter quotas than haddock or pollock like American plaice, yellowtail or gray sole.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center seeks volunteers

March 8, 2017 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is looking for volunteers to help with day-to-day operations, walking tours, educational programs and maintaining the center’s growing archive. The center, which opened to the public last June, is dedicated to telling the story of the fishing industry past, present and future through exhibits, programs and archives.

Volunteer opportunities include: welcoming visitors, staffing the reception area and gift shop, engaging visitors with the exhibits, assisting with educational programs, and helping with special events. During the summer months, the center will provide weekly walking tours for cruise-ship passengers and seeks volunteer tour guides to “learn the ropes” and become tour leaders. Additionally, the center is developing a digital archive of scanned photographs and documents and needs volunteers interested in assisting with this project. Training will be provided for all volunteers, according to a news release.

The center also is looking for people with fishing industry connections to talk with school groups and the general public about their work and lives.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing Heritage Center seeks volunteers

March 2nd, 2017 — New Bedford, MA – The Fishing Heritage Center is looking for volunteers to help with day to day operations, walking tours, educational programs and maintaining the Center’s growing archive. The Center, which opened to the public last June, is dedicated to telling the story of the fishing industry past, present and future through exhibits, programs, and archives.

Volunteer opportunities include: welcoming visitors, staffing the reception area and gift shop, engaging visitors with the exhibits, assisting with educational programs, and helping with special events. During the summer months, the Center will provide weekly walking tours for cruise ship passengers and seeks volunteer tour guides to “learn the ropes” and become tour leaders. Additionally, the Center is developing a digital archive of scanned photographs and documents and seeks volunteers interested in assisting with this project. Training will be provided for all volunteers.

For those with a fishing industry connection, we hope you will consider talking with school groups and/or the public about your work and life.

Volunteers are needed during Center operating hours (Thursday-Sunday 10-4) and for occasional evening programs and special events. Volunteer hours are flexible and can be scheduled according individual availability and particular areas of interest. The Center is located at 38 Bethel Street, in the heart of the National Park. The Center is wheelchair accessible and free off-street parking is provided to volunteers.

For more information please contact the Fishing Heritage Center at: operations@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894

MEDIA CONTACT:

Laura Orleans, 508-993-8894

info@fishingheritagecenter.org

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Hosts Scanning Day

March 2, 2017 — The following has been released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

New Bedford, MA – The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host Scanning Day on March 11, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Scanning Day is an opportunity for the public to share and preserve a digital image of their fishing industry photographs, documents and other records for future generations.

The Center invites the public to bring their fishing industry related photographs, both historic and contemporary, as well as documents such as settlement sheets, union books, or news clippings to be scanned. Staff will scan the materials and record any information the owner shares about each piece. The owner will leave with their originals along with a digital copy of the scans on a flash drive. The Center is working to create a digital archive of these materials which will be made available to researchers and the public. These documents will help us to tell the story of the fishing industry. Scanning Day will take place the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This event is free and open to the public.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through archives, exhibits, and programs. For more information please contact the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center at info@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing Heritage Center to host bone marrow drive for local fisherman battling Leukemia

March 2, 2017 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host a bone marrow drive for Kyle Santos, a local fisherman battling Leukemia, on Sunday, March 5, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Kyle Santos, a 27 year old New Bedford man, was diagnosed with a recurrence of childhood Leukemia on January 25th. He is currently at Brigham and Women’s Hospital being treated by Dana Farber. He is planning to have a bone marrow transplant and needs to identify a donor.

Please consider joining the National Registry to help Kyle and many others in need of a bone marrow transplant. Just a few minutes of your time could help save a life! The process is simple, and only requires a mouth swab. Kyle’s family would like this event to help raise awareness about leukemia and to get more people from the New Bedford area to join the registry. For more information about the process please visit www.bethematch.org or call 866-875-3324.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through archives, exhibits, and programs. Located at 38 Bethel Street, the Center is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Center. Admission is free.

For more information, please contact the Center at info@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center presents Good Luck, Bad Luck: Superstitions at Sea

March 1, 2017 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host Good Luck, Bad Luck: Superstitions at Sea on March 9, 2017 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. during AHA night. Fishermen and sailors will share superstitions and stories with the public in what is sure to be an entertaining discussion.

The men and women who work and play on the sea hold many superstitions. From bananas to suitcases, there are many things not allowed on certain vessels for fear these items will bring bad luck. In an environment which can be unpredictable, beliefs, behaviors and practices can help a crew feel in control, perhaps guaranteeing the success of a trip or protecting the crew.

As Linda Greenlaw wrote in her book, The Hungry Ocean, “Fishermen, especially those of an earlier vintage, are superstitious; we have a unique set of superstitions by which we live. Some landlubbers will think certain sea going rituals foolish and consider bizarre our avoidance of seemingly harmless words, actions, and things. However, when the stakes are high and the consequences that threaten sever, even the most rational among us will observe the rituals—just in case they hold merit.”

In addition, the Center will co-host the 123^rd anniversary celebration of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey’s first trip. A lucky ship in her own right, she left Gloucester on March 14, 1894 and returned a highliner in July. To celebrate, the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association invites visitors to enjoy a piece of cake which will be served at 7:00 p.m.

The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association, Inc. (SEMA) is a 501c(3) not-for-profit corporation with the purpose of raising funds to provide for the maintenance, equipment, manning, programming and operation of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey as a sail training vessel, school ship, and educational enterprise. SEMA is currently raising funds to match a $375,000 1:1 grant received by the Manton Foundation to fund the current rehabilitation work.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through archives, exhibits, and programs. Located at 38 Bethel Street, the Center is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Center. Admission is free.

For more information, please contact the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center at info@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.

Coast Guard escorts boat that took on water off Chatham

February 27, 2017 — The Coast Guard was escorting an 83-foot fishing vessel Friday after it took on water 50 miles off Chatham.

Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a call from the crew of the Krystle James at around 11:30 a.m. saying water was entering the ship, reportedly through a hole in the hull, according to a statement from the Coast Guard. Six people were on board.

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod sent a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to deploy a dewatering pump, and Coast Guard Station Chatham sent a lifeboat crew. The 42-foot lifeboat began escorting the vessel to land after the pump brought the flooding under control, according to the statement.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing center hosts hands-on activities

February 23, 2017 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will offer free, hands-on activities during February vacation, Feb. 23 to 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities will include knot-tying, scallop-shell decorating and a scavenger hunt.

Visitors of all ages can try their hands at knot-tying, a skill needed by all who make their living on the water. Budding artists can decorate a scallop shell in the make-and-take craft area while learning more about scallops. A scavenger hunt will provide an opportunity for all to learn more about the commercial fishing industry while exploring the center’s exhibits.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Attorneys for Fishing Industry in Wind Farm Lawsuit Discuss Case on New Bedford Radio

February 14, 2017 (Saving Seafood)– On Monday, attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against a proposed wind farm off the coast of Long Island discussed the case with WBSM New Bedford host Phil Paleologos. The attorneys, David Frulla and Andrew Minkiewicz, represent a group of fishing businesses, associations, and municipalities, led by the Fisheries Survival Fund, a scallop industry trade group.

The lawsuit alleges that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) did not properly consider the impact the proposed wind far would have on area fisheries when they awarded a multi-million dollar wind energy lease to Statoil, a Norwegian oil company. The proposed wind farm would occupy some of the most important fishing grounds in the Atlantic, potentially causing serious harm to local fisheries.

Listen to the full interview here

MASSACHUSETTS: Working Waterfront Festival Returns September 23, 2017

February 13, 2017 — New Bedford, MA – The following was released by the Working Waterfront Festival:

The Working Waterfront Festival returns to the working piers of New Bedford, the nation’s most valuable fishing port, on Saturday, September 23, 2017. This free, family friendly event celebrates the history and culture of New England’s commercial fishing industry in a way that is authentic, hands-on, and educational. The flagship event is back with a new co-producer, a new format, and a new festival director.

This year, the Festival is partnering with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Located in the heart of the City’s historic downtown, the Fishing Heritage Center opened its’ doors last June. Its mission is to tell the story of the fishing industry past, present, and future, through exhibits, programs, and archives. This partnership is a natural fit for two organizations dedicated to celebrating the commercial fishing industry.

The 2017 Festival will be presented in two locations: on Steamship Pier and at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. These two sites will be linked by a free shuttle bus, allowing visitors to enjoy all the Festival has to offer.

Steamship Pier will host the Contest Stage; demonstrations of industry skills and fisheries science; dockside vessel tours; kids’ activities; a tug boat muster, whaleboat races; corporate and non- profit exhibitors; maritime artisans; and a Food Court featuring fresh, local seafood and cooking demonstrations. The Fishing Heritage Center will host performances of music and fisherpoetry; author readings and signings; kids activities; and the exhibit – Nautical Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them. Visitors will also be able to visit the Center’s gift shop and main exhibit From Boat to Table, featuring a full-sized wheelhouse and a variety of hands-on activity stations.

In addition, the Festival is pleased to announce long time Development and Exhibits Manager, Jessica Bailey, has been named Festival Director. Ms. Bailey brings a wealth of knowledge about the industry as well as significant experience in event production. Founding Director, Laura Orleans, will continue to be involved as Director Emeritus during this transition year, focusing on Festival programming.

To learn more or become a sponsor, visit www.WorkingWaterfrontFestival.org or like us on Facebook.

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The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization, and is co-produced by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Navigate to us at www.WorkingWaterfrontFestival.org.