Wow...Am I a slacker....

So have you all decided to fire me from blogging or what? I can't blame you. I've been quite absent lately but not because there hasn't been anything to report. Holy Cow we've had a ton going on! I'll try to catch up on a few posts but in general, we had a great fall season and while many races were cancelled, ours was pretty much PERFECT. It was a huge success and I'll post some pictures for you all to see.

We had a small group of kids this fall but man were they great! Getting some young ones which at times can be challenging (they are full of endless energy...) but it also means that we'll have tons of time to work with them and train them to be amaaaaaaazing rowers and hopefully gain scholarships. They all get along great and seem to have a blast.

We're now underway with our winter training - started a bit earlier than last year. We've changed locations but not because the YMCA wasn't awesome. It came down to communication and making sure that we had something in place by the end of the fall. Howland Place Fitness is teaming up with us this year but the YMCA is still a wonderful ally and we'll have some folks training over there as well.

All of the equipment is packed up and being stored - not up in Boston - but in Freetown at the New Bedford Water Treatment Facility Quitticas. Charlie Kennedy, Kenny Blanchard, and many others from the City of New Bedford made it happen for us so huge thanks to you guys!! We also had trouble getting enough bodies to come down on a particular night to load all of the equipment (that trailer is TALL and those boats are HEAVY) so Mark Monteiro with the New Bedford Trial Court brought over a group of workers and even recruited some from the Fall River Trial Court. It took 2 days but they came up with bodies basically overnight and really were incredible in helping to get everything loaded up. Thanks Mark and Frank!!!

Alright - that's a brief update for now but I'll post more later, including pictures, and hopefully you'll all have me back. I've missed you!!! :)

Our first race!

Wow, it seems like time is flying by! It feels like we've just gotten started and it's already time to race. This Sunday we'll be bringing a squad of kids and adults to race in Boston at CRI's Rumble on the River. They'll have bands playing, a ParaOlympic speaker (silver medalist!), food vendors, and races for all sorts of entries. We'll be putting out a mixed 8+ and then tossing a few of the newest members in the barge race. Even parents and friends are welcome to race in the barge! I think it'll be a perfect first foray into regatta season for our new rowers and their families.

I hope the music is good.....

Another successful LTR Day!

The weather was fantastic with little wind and no rain (for a change!) on Saturday as we held our last Learn-To-Row Day. We had 16 new folks try rowing for the first time and the feedback was all positive. Tonight we start our Learn-To-Row Class that meets twice a week on Monday and Wednesday evenings for two hours and runs for 3 weeks. There's always room for more!

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

Despite the crappy rain, we had the kids come out for their first day of Fall season. We didn't get the newbies on the water just yet, but we covered all of the paperwork and whatnot and the varsity kids did an erg workout. Tonight, it's raining yet again but we're going to try to go out with the LTR Class. Let's hope the rain dies down so they have a good practice. Tomorrow, the kids should be prepared to get wet cuz they got their one 'freebie' already!!

Fall Season

The weather outside is really making me realize that the summer is coming to an end. It's a bit chillier than it has been, and it's rainy. Not how I'd ideally like to kick off our fall season, but I'm excited for the season ahead. I hope to have lots of newbies come out so we can really attack the training. We haven't been able to get into the schools to do demos so we may be low on numbers, but that still won't stop us. Quality is always better than quantity anyway! We've got some great rowers from the summer so they'll help our 'newbies' get up to speed quickly. We only have 2 months for our whole season so that doesn't leave much time to get them race ready. Game on!

Portuguese American Police Association Scholarship Banquet

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to pass along details of the PAPA Banquet for any of you that may be interested in either attending, or possibly making a donation. One of our youth rowers' dad sent this to me so I know it's a good cause!

Hi Folks

Could you let everyone know that the Portuguese American Police Association Scholarship Banquet (PAPA banquet) will be September 24, 2011

Where: New Bedford Sports Acushnet Avenue

When: Saturday September 24, 2011

Time: Appertizers 6-7:30 Dinner 7:30

Dinner Family Style Portuguesse Soup, Salad, Pork Alentejana, Fish Fillettes, Desert, Coffee

OPEN BAR 6-10

Donation $55.00 Per Person

ANYONE NEED TICKETS PLEASE LET ME KNOW

THANKS

It's an AWESOME Time

Emanuel Maciel
New Bedford Police
Director of Animal Control
President, Animal Control
Officers Association of Mass.
871 Rockdale Avenue
New Bedford, MA02740

Well, Irene has passed

I have to say, we were very lucky here at NBCR. We were able to borrow a truck and a trailer from CRI to load up all of our boats. Tons of club members came down to help load and they brought friends, relatives, etc. and the task went really quickly. The HDC helped us out again and let us store the trailer at State Pier and not even have to unload it. It worked out perfectly!

Then Irene came through and the docks, wakeless launch, and all trees, etc. at Popes Island were in tact. The only damage I really saw was that one of the Popes Island signs came down but our 'boathouse', the docks, the marina all looked in great condition. The office had power when I got back here and Irene left very little mark on us. One of our adult rowers, David Filipek, was gracious yet again and let me borrow his brand new truck to pull the trailer back to Popes Island to unload. I almost didn't give it back! We unloaded over the course of 2 evenings and got everything down. I gotta say, our members (and many of the youth dads) are strong!! Randy at the HDC even mowed the grass inside the fence for us!

So we're back up and running and while we were very lucky and made it through Irene unscathed, many others did not. It's been hard to remember how many people have gone days without power when I have it at work, at home, and the weather has been great. But I'm sure there are plenty of people that have spent the last few days removing fallen trees and branches, and buying all the candles and flashlights they can find. I hope all of you in that position are back to normal as soon as possible!!!

Good Night Irene

Who says New Bedford isn't exciting?! Crazy talk...it's plenty exciting here as we prepare for Hurricane Irene to pay us a visit. The last hurricane (Earl) ended up to actually be quite a nice weekend, but I'm thinking Irene may not be so nice.

No worries though. We've got lots of friends to help us out. CRI is going to loan us a truck and trailer to load up all of our equipment and the city is working on a place for us to stash everything while we wait out the storm. We've got lots of strong members so we'll load everything up, wait it out, and then back to business as usual.

We're gonna be ready for you, Irene!!!

BIG Day on Sunday!

Many many thanks go out to our awesome volunteers as we had our largest group of Learn-To-Row newbies come through Popes Island this past Sunday. We had 2 boats running for several hours and kids of all ages along with adults hopped into the boats and gave it a whirl. As the day went on, the winds picked up but our coxswains did a fantastic job steering the boats, and our experienced rowers worked hard to keep the boats on track.

AT&T was on hand again handing out ice cold water, and thankfully, when my phone got soaked with water, Curt Boardman was there to help me bring it back to life. Gotta love those AT&T guys! Ricky Rosario also hopped in the boat to try rowing, and Curt came in the launch with me to keep an eye on the boats. Curt's becoming a mini coach!

We also had fresh coffee and donuts thanks to the Dunkin Donuts at 150 S. Main St. in Acushnet. Mmmm, those were delicious!! Er, I mean, I hear they were.....

Our rowers were truly awesome as we were definitely busy all day long. It was go-go-go but everyone that came through had a really good time and several of the adults signed up for the Learn-to-Row Class that started on Monday. We had a fun time going over safety, equipment, and hopping on the ergs on Monday. They asked some great questions and we did quite a bit of work in just one day! I look forward to seeing them again tonight!

Learn-To-Row this Sunday!

It's that time again! Yes, we have another Learn-To-Row Day coming up THIS Sunday, August 21st. AT&T will be on hand again with ice cold water, and hopefully we'll have Dunkin Donuts there as well. Register online for your slot (we schedule in groups of 4 so register in order to get a slot). Ages 12 and up are welcome and even if you don't want to row, come check it out! Popes Island in New Bedford. See you there!

More pictures from AHA Night!

Bird Island Challenge

While you may have heard about the Bird Island Challenge, you may not be aware that NBCR also participated. No, we weren't in kayaks as you'd expect. We put out a mixed 8 with half adult rowers, half youth rowers. It was quite an adventure launching such a long boat at a normal boat ramp and several of our rowers ended up waist high in water but not a single one complained and they all went out there with determination.

We even won a plaque to go in our future boathouse and the rowers all got gold plated scallop shells for medals!

More Images from the Oyster & Wine Tasting

First of (hopefully many to come) Oyster & Wine Tasting!

On Friday evening on August 12th, 2011, New Bedford Community Rowing hosted it's first Oyster & Wine Tasting event at Tabor Academy's Fireman's Center. It was a lovely evening with great company, great food and wine, and lots of activity. We had a bar set up with 4 different types of wines that Martignetti's paired with our four different types of oysters (which were DELICIOUS, by the way). For those that aren't into oysters or wine, no fear - we had beer and non-alcoholic beverages as well as lots of little bites prepared by Pat Ball and Maria Pereira. We even had a couple of our youth athletes walking around with the bites (ever so cleverly displayed on a rowing seat) and mingling with the guests, including several of our adult rowers.

To make everyone relaxed and enjoy the evening, our very own Rachel Eisenhaure, a local Assistant District Attorney, was on hand playing live music. Not on a piano, not with a guitar - no, she played the harp!! And it was beautiful to not only listen to but also look at. She's an amazing, talented woman!

As if milling about with the other guests eating, drinking, and listening to music weren't enough, we also had 20 silent auction items on display, ready for bidding. Every item was bid on and we had many happy winners at the end of the night. Thank you to all that donated an item, and to those that bid on each item! There were a few hotly contested items but luckily no rower was harmed in the process...

To top off the night, we brought our two new (to us) fours for a christening/dedication. Through a donation by Walter Chang and his family (Ling Ling, Chris, Sharlene, and Darren) we were able to purchase two used fours for New Bedford Community Rowing this spring. One boat, a 'bowloaded' Filippi, already had a name. It's bad luck to rename a boat so we dedicated it to The Chang Family. The other boat, a Dirigo, while older had never been named. At the suggestion of Walter himself, we christened the boat "Integrity".

It was a very fun event in a beautiful location and we plan to host it again next year. I hope many of you can join us! Eventually, we'll have to host it at our very own boathouse that's not too far off in the future! Thank you to the organizing committee of Martha Maguire, Anne Eisenmenger, Margaret Ishihara, and Pat Lester for all of the amazing work they put into making this a top notch event!

Our set up at AHA Night. More to come!

AHA! Night 8/11 downtown was a huge success!

Well first off, thanks need to go out to Lee Heald for inviting us to participate in the AHA Night on Thursday. It was a great time and there were so many people milling about downtown! We brought out 3 ergs (rowing machines) and had lots of our adult and youth rowers on hand to either teach, or race any daring souls. We had quite a few takers and all but one of our t-shirts were won by challengers! We had quite a few youngsters like the ergs, but we did also have a WPI rower come out and take on our very own Walker Fuchs. I had my money on the tall, experienced, strong looking female WPI rower but Walker wasn't about to make it easy for her. She gave a good fight, pulled some good numbers, but Walker was victorious in the end! Congrats Walker!

We even had some parents of our athletes hop on to give it a try. In the photos below you'll see Bethany Mello and her mom Karen racing. We clearly need to get Karen on a team as she was the victorious athlete of the two lovely Mello girls!

Sippican Week

Check out the great article in Sippican Week (our very own Anne Eisenmenger's local paper for Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester)

http://sippican.villagesoup.com/community/story/emptying-shells-to-buy-shells/139644

Come on out to support the club!

Busy week ahead!

As if racing on Saturday and the famous New Bedford "Feast" wasn't enough, we've got a busy week ahead of us. We had several kids and several adults attend Narragansett Boat Club's Sweeps & Sculls race over the weekend and everyone had a good time. The junior boys double of Sam Carey and Tim McNamara won a silver medal - congrats to them! We had 3 other doubles and a four race as well. They didn't win medals, but that's not what it's all about. They raced hard, did well, and most importantly, enjoyed themselves.

This coming week we have AHA! Night on Thursday. We'll set up some ergs so people can try out rowing for themselves. We'll have several of our rowers on hand to "challenge" those that are ready for battle. 500 meters, anything goes, a t-shirt to the winner. Are YOU bold enough to try it???

Friday we'll opt away from a sweaty endeavor and move toward an equally enjoyable direction - wine! We'll have several wines on hand paired with 4 different types of Oysters, all grown locally. For those of you that aren't fans of oysters (I'll take yours) we will have other bites for you. One of our very own rowers who also tutors our kids (Rachel Eisenhaure) will be on hand playing the harp. Yes, live harp music!! We'll also have a few tables loaded up with some silent auction items for you to bid on. It's sure to be a very fun event and I look forward to meeting a few new friends, and laughing with some old ones. Come join us!

AHA! Night 8/11 downtown!

NBCR to participate in AHA! Night August 11th!

Posted on 02 August 2011

	Save the Date! August 11th, 2011

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Stop by the Blood Mobile at Custom House Square, 3-9pm

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• Navigating the #1 Fishing Port in the Nation: Cruise the New Bedford Harbor with Port Officials Aboard a Whaling City Expeditions Vessel
• Scallop Celebration @ the NB Whaling Museum!
  - Author’s Talk & Book Signing for Scallops: a New England Coastal Cookbook
  - Scallops on the Plaza: a Cooking Demonstration with Chef Henry Bousquet
• William Street Art on the Block Party!
  - presented by the Cummings Building Artists & Dream Out Loud
  - Brazilian Music, DJ Set & Transient Authority
  - Art and Fashion Showcase with Live Painting
  - Journey Dance with Artworks!, Yoga on Union & Riff Parade
• Back by Popular Demand! NB Ocean Explorium & Friends Present a Science Street Fair
• Grand Opening for NEW AHA! Partner For Veda Boutique
• Performances by the SouthCoast Children’s Theatre
• Seismology Presentation @ the R-J-D House & Garden Museum
• Maritime Music with Yankee Notions in the National Park Garden
• ERG Machine Rowing Race with NB Community Rowing
• Making Waves with the Buzzards Bay Coalition
• Whaleboat Rowing in the Harbor with Whaling City Rowing
• Musical Magic with Mostly Mikes @ Cork Wine & Tapas
• Rose Alley Ale House Presents the Strong Arm Challenge
• Downtown Farmer’s Market @ the NB Public Library
• Reading & Book Signing with Author Dawn Tripp of “Game of Secrets” @ NBAM
• The Summer Tradition Continues! Centre Street Sessions Presents the Too Human Band
• You’ll never guess “Who’s Coming!” Zeiterion 2011-2012 Season Kickoff Party!
• Eat. Art. AHA! Food Photo Contest: Show Us What’s on Your Plate & Win Big
• We Art NB! NEW Shows, *NEW Galleries, & Artist Demos: Artworks!, Crowell’s Fine Art, Gallery 65 on William, Gallery X, Judith Klein Art Gallery, OKOarts, Paradise McFee Gallery, UGLYgallery, & more!

Tidying up the place

A huge thanks to the HDC for sending someone over to cut the grass inside our fence today! It was starting to look like the wilds of Wareham in there but now, thanks to the HDC, it's all been trimmed and looking good again.

Also, big thanks to Pete "Thunder" Hawes for getting more hose so we can rinse the boats on the blocks rather than taking out slings and setting the boats there before putting them away. This should speed up the process, especially during the week when rowers have to dash off to work, but we will still be using Saturdays for a thorough cleaning inside and out. Gotta keep the equipment healthy, just like our bodies. :)

Adult practice

Yesterday was a great day on the water with the Adult Comp team. The water was flat, the winds were low, and hardly any traffic. We only had 7 people at practice so we took out a "6" and Julie made for a great coxswain - she actually fits in there!

These are a few of the shots of what our mornings on the New Bedford Harbor look like :)

Finally starting to cool down

The sun isn't out, but I'm so okay with that. As long as the rains hold off until after our Learn-To-Row Class meets tonight (for their first day on the water!), then I'll be happy. The heat and humidity has been brutal so while it may be a bit dreary out there today, it's at least cooler.

For any of you that may have missed this Learn-To-Row session, we'll have another LTR Day and LTR Class in August. You can find information on our website (www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org) or you can contact Carolyn for more information. The more the merrier and no experience is necessary!

Holy Hotness, Batman!!

Yes, I could easily be talking about our 'hot' rowers, but I'm actually talking about the weather. It's been so hot and humid the past several days that I think that Perrier commercial where everything melts may have been filmed here in New Bedford.

I hope everyone is staying cool and if you're outside, staying hydrated. Especially for our rowers that are exerting themselves outside in this, make sure you're drinking lots of water, and something with electrolytes (like Gatorade or Vitamin Water or the like). If you're outside, feeling really hot, but have stopped sweating - IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT HOT ANYMORE. It actually means you're overheated and you need to do something about it. Get to a cool place asap and start drinking water - slowly, though. If you can, soak a towel in cold water and drape it over yourself. Then get some help.

Hot weather can be fun when you're splashing around at the beach or having a cookout where you're sitting and drinking liquids. But for athletes, or people that work outside, it can be dangerous. Take care of yourselves!!

Hello Again!

I know...I know...I'm a BAD blogger! Shame on me for disappearing for so long. My apologies but fear not - PLENTY has been going on!

Most recently, we had another Learn-To-Row Day and had our largest class yet. 12 people decided to give rowing a shot and several were clear naturals. We had AT&T on site handing out bottled water (and man was it hot!) and they also raffled off a free phone! Dominoes Pizza fed us some delicious pizzas. We broke out our brand new ergs and had 2 separate boats going at the same time. Many of the participants even signed up to continue rowing in our Learn-To-Row Class that started yesterday. Good stuff here, people!!

Learn-To-Row Programming!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Friday July 8^th, 2011

NEW BEDFORD COMMUNITY ROWING INVITES COMMUNITY TO LEARN-TO-ROW DAYS ON POPES ISLAND

Programs Will Offer Exposure and Instruction to Olympic Style Rowing for Ages 12+

NEW BEDFORD, MA – 7/8/2011 - New Bedford Community Rowing announced a series of Learn-To-Row Dates open to anyone in the Greater New Bedford Area interested in this unique sport. Located on the southeast corner of Popes Island, New Bedford Community Rowing has already had over 100 participants go through their Learn-To-Row Programs in its first year since starting up in June of 2010, and now offers competitive teams. Rowing not only offers socio-economic mobility and an outlet for personal growth, but youth rowers can gain scholarships to college and adults form lasting relationships while leading a healthier lifestyle.

Three dates for Learn-To-Row Days have been established: Sunday July 17^th, Sunday August 21^st, and Saturday September 10^th. In these Learn-To-Row Days, participants sign up for a 2 hour slot where the first hour is spent learning the equipment, terminology, and how to row on a rowing machine called an “erg”. The second hour, participants are mixed together with experienced rowers and paddle around the beautiful New Bedford Harbor together. Programs are for ages 12 and up although younger children may be taken on a case-by-case basis. No experience is necessary and the cost is $25 per person. There will be a raffle to give away an AT&T phone, and food and water will be available.

Additionally, New Bedford Community Rowing is offering a series of Learn-To-Row Classes. The classes each start on the Monday after a Learn-To-Row Day: Monday July 18^th, Monday August 22^nd, and Monday September 12^th. Classes meet twice a week for two hours and run for 3 weeks. The Learn-To-Row Classes are more in-depth and focus a bit more on the technical aspects of the stroke. Each class meets on Monday and Wednesday from 5:45-7:45 pm and is also for ages 12 and up. No experience is necessary and the cost is $65 per person. **NOTE** Anyone who attends a Learn-To-Row Day and wishes to continue rowing in the Learn-To-Row Class may apply the $25 paid fee toward the $65 fee for the class. All programs are located at the southeast corner of Popes Island, across the street from the hardware store. Registration can be done online at www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org/sign-up/

ABOUT ROWING

Typically rowing has been a private school sport or otherwise limited to select communities. Having access to protected water is clearly a need, but the equipment is also rather expensive, thus helping to create this seclusion. However, Mayor Scott Lang along with Matthew Morrissey, Executive Director of the New Bedford Economic Development Council, Kristin Decas, Executive Director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission, and Bruce Smith, Executive Director for Community Rowing Inc. in Boston, have teamed up to bring rowing to Greater New Bedford. “Rowing has dropped the ‘elite’ and is now available to anyone who wants to try it,” said Smith.

“More and more towns are seeing community based programs pop up all over the country. New Bedford Community Rowing is just one of the newest examples of this growing sport.” stated Carolyn McGonagle, Director for New Bedford Community Rowing. “New Bedford has so much water that it just makes sense to build a club here.”

-more-

People try out the sport for many different reasons; some just to stay in shape for other activities they’re already involved in. “I first tried rowing to stay in shape for basketball and baseball, but after trying it I just fell in love with the sport. Now I’m hooked.” said Andrew Pereira, one of the first kids to try rowing with New Bedford Community Rowing last summer. Andrew is a 16 year old student at New Bedford High School about to go into his senior year. He has not only been recruited by highly regarded colleges such as Northeastern, Syracuse, and Harvard, among others, but he was recently invited to train with the US Rowing Junior National Team Development Camp in Pittsburgh, PA.

ABOUT NEW BEDFORD COMMUNITY ROWING

New Bedford Community Rowing is a non-profit organization that focuses on making rowing accessible and affordable to everyone in the Greater New Bedford Area. NBCR promotes health and fitness and delivers an after-school program for urban youth including free tutoring and college preparations. Programs range from one-time Learn-To-Row Days to competitive team memberships. Started as an initiative from Mayor Scott Lang’s Office, NBCR is located on Popes Island with plans to move upriver where permanent docks at the end of Sawyer Street are in development. The Acushnet River will soon be home to a 2,000 meter race course and the New Bedford Harbor is already home to a 5,000 meter “head” style regatta to be held every October. To learn more, contact Director Carolyn McGonagle at 508.717.4013 or carolyn@communityrowing.org or go online to www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org

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Cuttyhunk Trip Fundraiser Highlights!

Hello Everyone!

Thank you to everyone that supported us last night aboard the Cuttyhunk Ferry Fundraiser Trip! There were several people that weren't able to make it and you were missed but not forgotten!

We had 41 people on the boat, and raised a total of $2025 toward rebuilding our boat fleet!! This is great since Tabor Academy is interested in selling us the 2 boats they have loaned us. Pretty soon we'll have to return them and this fundraiser got us much closer to being able to purchase boats. Everyone had a great time and the weather couldn't have been any more perfect. Lots of smiles, many laughs, and a few new friends made. We toured around the harbor, went through the Hurricane Barrier, saw Clarks Cove, Padanarum, and more. It was beautiful!

Additionally, Paul Milde (of Peinert Boat Works in Marion) is well aware of our need for more safety launches. He found a wakeless launch for sale for $5000 and a motor for it would be $3000. This would allow us to fit an entire boat's worth of rowers onto the launch in the event of an accident, which is exactly what we need. Paul was the first to pledge $1000 toward the purchase of this launch!! Jonathan Haisman pledged another $1000, and Anne Eisenmenger pledged $500!! AMAZING!! After the cruise, Calder Reardon and Laurie Bullard both also pledged $500 each!!

I reach out to any of you that may wish to contribute to the purchase of such a launch, and any amount is greatly appreciated. We're currently at $2500 toward the engine and just $500 more to go! Once we purchase the engine, Paul Milde will help us get the launch and we can raise the remaining $4000 over time.

Here are a few pictures of our fun evening and we hope to do this again next year. Huge thanks to Captain Jono and his wife Sue, and ALL of you that make this club possible!!!

Sunday's Learn-To-Row: Success!

Thanks to the wonderful volunteer efforts of Ken, Rachel, Larissa, Julie, Kanhai, and Grace, we had a very fun LTR with 7 people learning to row for the first time, despite 3 people cancelling due to the rain. Several people had been referred by Grace Mulvey and 2-3 of our newbies signed up for the Learn-To-Row Class that began on Monday. Good stuff!

The Pereiras also had a yard sale and we were all lucky that the rain had stopped after our initial arrival. We were pretty worried there! They made a decent amount of money to go towards paying for Andrew's Development Camp. There was also a very large personal donation to help offset the costs and the family is very grateful. We're all behind you, Andrew. Go learn lots of stuff and bring it all back to the rest of us!

Saturday

So our plan for Saturday was to take the youth rowers over to Cuttyhunk Island for the day. I don't think any of us have gone before so when we showed up on a rainy, chilly, Saturday morning, Captain Jono informed us that the Island is MUCH colder. Like...20-30 degrees colder. They also offered to let us choose another day to go to the island since once we're there, we can't get out of the weather or leave before 4pm. Half of the kids still wanted to go, half preferred another day. ALL of the parents voted for another day as they looked at the kids wearing shorts and t-shirts and already starting to shiver...

So, we decided to go for another day and we'll try to reschedule sometime in July. Stay tuned as I'm sure it'll be a fun day and there will be lots of stories and pictures to follow!

Crane?

So the HDC has been busy at work. As most of you know, where we're launching from is a sort of temporary fix. The Harbor Development Commission has had permits to install dinghy docks at Popes Island and that's what allows us to have our dock where it is.

The other day upon showing up to practice, I see that those dinghy docks are coming to fruition! This is great news because there have been more and more dinghys showing up on the dock that we use, making it difficult for us to get our 60 foot long boats out. I was waiting for one of our rowers to trip over a line or start messing around with the "cool stuff", but no incidents to be reported. Who says miracles don't exist?

NBCR Banquet

I'm putting the details together but thus far we know it'll be Friday June 24th from 6-9pm. We'll have it at the Corson Building downtown and the catering will be done by Cork Wine & Tapas and Rose Alley Ale House. Delicious pasta dinner (mmmm...lasagna..) for our hearty rowers and their family and friends. Tickets will be around $15, hopefully not more. Rowers - send me some pictures and video so we can make a slide show!!

Trade the wind and rain for heat and humidity

Well I suppose the summer is officially here. It's gone from cold, windy and rainy to downright HOT and humid. California really did nothing for me in terms of preparing me for New Bedford. I complain because it's cold and I'm a wuss. I get frustrated at the wind because we can't get on the water. Those all go away and then I'm whining because the humidity is just plain mean and being from the Northern California region, I'm not used to it being so hot. Wow I'm a big baby!!

But I'll take the heat and humidity if it means we can get on the water - it's been great lately! We also have some very experienced Tabor Academy rowers that are looking for a place to train over the summer so I'm very excited to see what we can do for them. I met with several today and they all seem like great guys. Good stuff!

Learn-to-Row Day!

This Sunday we're having our next Learn-To-Row Day. It's only $25 for 2 hours of fun where you learn about the equipment, terminology, and how to row on the"erg". After that, we mix you in with our rowers and you paddle around the beautiful New Bedford Harbor for an hour. We'll have coffee and some like snacks and our rowers are sure to entertain you with their wit.

Come on down to Popes Island to give rowing a try. Register online so we can schedule your spot in a boat. We'll also have a yard sale with facepainting and hairwrapping going on in an effort to help send one of our youth rowers to train with the US Rowing Junior National Team this summer!

Get your tickets now!

Our fundraiser on the ferry to Cuttyhunk is coming up QUICK!! Don't miss out as this promises to be a great time, AND it's for a great cause!! You can get tickets online or give me a call: 508.717.4013. Hope to see you there!!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

New Bedford Community Rowing has finally been granted exemption by the IRS and we are officially a 501(c)3 public charity!!! YAY!!!!

Filing all of the paperwork was not an easy task the lawyers that pulled it off are truly amazing. Renat and Christian at Choate are AMAZING!!!!!

Scrimmage with Cape Cod Rowing

So we're gearing up for a friendly "1000 Meter Novice Challenge" scrimmage on the cape with Cape Cod Rowing, G-Row Boston, Boys-Row Boston, and Duxbury Maritime. Both our youth rowers and adult rowers will be racing in doubles and fours. Many of them have only been in a double once so it should be a good time! Bring those bathing suits, rowers!!!

Also, I'll be taking a group of the kids out to visit the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on Sunday. They'll get to tour the school (as well as others in the area), talk to coaches, and meet a few athletes that are staying in Amherst to train for the summer. Good times!

Get your tickets now!

Don't wait too long or you may miss out. Our boat trip on the Cuttyhunk Ferry is coming up on Wednesday, June 15th!! It's from 6-8pm and will have free food, courtesy of Rose Alley Ale House and Cork Wine & Tapas. Tickets are just $45 and can be purchased on our website. If you can't make the trip but wish to support NBCR as we work toward rebuilding our fleet, you can donate on our website any amount you see fitting. We appreciate any support and graciously thank you all!

Resolute

Resolute is a boatmaker in our area and have been supportive of NBCR from the beginning. We haven't rowed any of their boats but they have come to several of our events and always check in to see how we're doing. Resolutes are great racing shells and I personally enjoy them.

I got a call from Jeff Sturges, President of Resolute, and he said that he had someone contact them wanting to help us. A donor has agreed to make up the difference in the price between any new boat we wanted to buy, and the cost of a Resolute, and on top of that, go $1000 lower. So, if we found a Vespoli 8+ for say, $32,000, this donor would give the difference between $31,000 and the cost of a new Resolute, which is closer to $40,000.

That's very generous of this donor, however we're just not in a position to purchase a new boat just yet. That doesn't mean that we can't start a capital campaign working toward a new boat though! I'm just very pleased that there are people out there doing what they can to help NBCR get off the ground running. Thank you to all of our amazing supporters out there!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

The long weekend is over but it seems the heat and humidity are going to stick around a bit longer. That's fine as long as the wind doesn't. As long as we can keep putting boats out on the water, we're happy!

Make sure to get your tickets to our fundraiser on Wednesday June 15th! We're taking a ferry to Cuttyhunk Island and back from 6-8pm and the ticket sales go to NBCR so that we can replenish our damaged fleet of boats. Join us!!

www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org

We've got tough kids..

So yesterday was a fun practice for the kids as we had some coxswains learning to row, and girls that had never sculled go out in doubles. One of the doubles flipped, however, and there was an opportunity to teach them how to get back in a boat. Morgan Teixeira and DeAnna Dang had huge smiles on their faces and they said the water was actually quite nice. I love it. They had great attitudes and were having fun with the whole thing. We've got some great kids and I love coaching them :)

Great News!

When it rains it really pours, so they say. Not only have we gotten great news about Andrew and his future in rowing, but the adults had an amazing practice this morning and we somehow managed to be on the water during the only break in the fog. But also, I got a call today from Michelle Murray who has read about NBCR in the paper (thanks Standard-Times!) and wants to become a supporter! She's a member of a book club and every time the club meets, they put money in a hat. When they get a substantial amount of money, they donate it to a local charity. Not only have they chosen NBCR, but they contacted the Women's Fund (who has given us a $5000 grant for girls programming!) and the Women's Fund will match Michelle's donation!! This is fantastic news as there are several girls on the team that could use a scholarship. Many are on scholarship already but there are others that are either having a tough time making payments or the scholarship isn't enough. So this will be great news for our rowers!!! Thank you Michelle, the book club, and the Women's Fund!!

HE DID IT!!

That's right - Andrew made the cut. I spoke with Rick Brown - the Head Coach of the Junior Development Camp - yesterday and he officially invited Andrew to Dev Camp!!! Way to go, Andrew!! We're all so proud of you!!

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110525/SPORTS/105250319/-1/NEWSMAP

Andrew Pereira

Great news! The Standard-Times wrote an article about our very own Andrew Pereira. He's been doing a great job and it's wonderful to see his accomplishments get recognition. It's also great for our sport and our club, both of which are mostly unknown to the area.

Great job, Andrew!! And the rest of our rowers are also amazing. Good things are happening here!

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110523/SPORTS/105230306/-1/NEWS01