New Bedford rowing program takes giant leap forward

BOSTON — Mayor Scott W. Lang's long-held dream to transform the Acushnet River into a center of rowing activity took a step closer to reality Thursday with the official announcement of a partnership between the New Bedford Economic Development Council and Community Rowing Inc.

"This is an economic stimulus type of project, a quality of life project," Lang said. "I think that it reconnects New Bedford with an important part of its history."
The agreement with Community Rowing was announced Thursday during a press conference... [read more]

  Forbes ranks New Bedford region in Top 10 of America's Safest Cities

NEW BEDFORD — Though street-level crime has increased this year in New Bedford, officials say the joint efforts of law enforcement and community groups over the last several years has helped the city be recognized in a recent Forbes Magazine survey of "America's Safest Cities."

Based on 2008 crime statistics reported to the FBI, the new Forbes survey ranks the "metropolitan statistical area" encompassing Providence, Fall River, New Bedford and the adjoining towns as the sixth safest region in the country.

New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang said... [read more]

  City renewable energy company gets Boston Globe attention

After spending years developing plastic solar energy cells, Konarka Technologies Inc. of Lowell was ready to begin full-scale production of flexible films that could be incorporated into purses and backpacks to create solar chargers for electronic devices. Needless to say, several states were interested in having the company build a factory there.

Konarka, however, chose New Bedford, where it found a former Polaroid plant with equipment suited to rolling out its thin films. But more important, said Konarka chief executive Rick Hess, the company was able to... [read more]

  New Bedford hosts another movie film crew

NEW BEDFORD — An argument over a Christmas tree might seem an unlikely inspiration for a movie script, but that is what brought a film crew to the city on the weekend.

Written and produced by Dighton native Tommy Whalen, who is a screenwriter in Los Angeles, the short independent film is directed by Colorado native Arielle Guadagni.

Guadagni was in New Bedford last Christmas visiting the Whalen family and was party to the lively debate surrounding the arrival of the family's tree... [read more]