Friday, October 15, 2010

Farmer's Markets & SNAP

I started a new chapter today! Even though I haven't finished the previous one, I need to move on -for the sake of my brain & because I'm utilizing this new chapter as a paper in another class. This new chapter is focusing on local living economies: local food and locally owned and operated businesses.

Here is a chart I literally just finished. It shows the nineteen towns and cities in Massachusetts that offer more than one farmer's market, the population from the 2000 census, median household income for 1999, whether or not the markets accept SNAP {food stamp program in Massachusetts}, and whether or not there are winter hours available. The chart shows the relationship between farmer's markets and population, as well as farmer's markets that accept SNAP and median household income {of which there is not a strong connection, as New Bedford - the poorest of these cities - does not accept SNAP}.

It's a pretty interesting breakdown. What do you all think? Does anyone have any experience using food stamps at farmer's markets? Personally, I frequented my town's market every week & saw people, on at least 3 occasions, paying with SNAP - this is an increase from the ZERO that I saw last summer. This trend either means that more people are on SNAP due to the economy or more farmer's markets are accepting them {I'll hope its the latter}



As before, if you plan on using or re-posting this chart, just send the credit my way. No one likes a plagiarizer!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Population Percent Change

Just finished calculations for this baby. Again, if you're going to use/repost, just send credit back my way!


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Population Chart 1790-2010

Just finished making this for use in Chapter 1. Numbers were culled from census information & a variety of other sources. Feel free to use, just repost back here!



Monday, September 20, 2010

NPS Photos

It's been awhile since we had any fun photos up on here & since my camera is currently broken {grrr!} I can't upload the ones I have taken - I'm going to share a few photos available on the New Bedford Whaling National Park website:







The City That Lit The World

I have to give a big shout out to my Mémère, Miss Susanne Yolande, right now. I'm starting to write my introduction & this summer she handed me a GIANT GIANT bag of every article that mentions New Bedford over the past 40+ years, every inch of paper from her many year volunteering with the NPS, and every brochure, photo, postcard, etc from this city she loves so much. I wasn't sure how I would utilize this massive amounts of material until right now. It's a wealth of information & the fact that a lot of it dates back to the 1950s is actually pretty useful when working on a narrative of New Bedford's recent past. So, thanks Mémère!

Here is the introductory paragraph from the Common Ground: Preserving Our Nation’s Heritage magazine from Winter 2005. The article is entitled The City That Lit The World: Rekindling a Legacy at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. I basically need to write exactly this for my introduction - they said it better than I could, & so succinctly.

“New Bedford…was growing rich on whale oil, evident in its teeming waterfront, its grand houses, and its thriving financial institutions. Whaling money founded railroads, textile mills, and land corporations. It transformed New Bedford into an exotic, cosmopolitan city, its streets crowded with people from Cape Verde, the Azores, Portugal, and other distant ports. The New Bedford of Melville’s time exuded the vitality of a place that had urgent business in the world, that had exceeded its humble beginnings. A hundred years later, New Bedford had the desperate and hollowed-out look of so many New England towns that hit their prime in the 19th century, then were left behind by advancing technology and economic change. The glory days of whaling were a distant memory. What was not visible, looking down on the decay from the elevated interstate that cuts through the city, was the struggle to preserve a heritage. It was a struggle fought locally, against sometimes high odds. In the face of indifference and the shadow of urban renewal."

Monday, September 13, 2010

Downtown New Bedford OTHER & social media usage

The previous evaluations/lists revolved around the destinations listed in the downtown New Bedford Inc. brochure. However, a few places that showed up in my search into the level of exposure of tourists sites -that I know are in the downtown/waterfront area -were not included. I have listed them here:

  • no specific website, but information available on the Whaling National Historica Park webpage

  • no specific website, but information available on AHA! website

  • no specific website, but information available on the Working Waterfront Festival webpage

  • website
  • Facebook
  • blog {not undated for almost 2 years}
  • Twitter

  • website
  • no specific website, but information available on the New Bedford Preservation website

Whalemen's Memorial {outside of the Library}
  • no specific website {no website for the Library, either}, but information available on the New Bedford Area Visitor Guide

Moby Dick Marathon {at the Whaling Museum}
  • no specific website, but information available on the Whaling Museum website

Cafe Balena
  • no specific website, but information available on urbanspoon


Saturday, September 11, 2010

Social Media Rankings

After the handful of previous posts breaking down what sort of social media each site listed in the Downtown New Bedford brochure we have a new rankings list. Out of those who utilize social media - who uses the greatest variety of sites & which are the most popular? Here's what this looks like: {Again, bolded refers to exposure during previous search}

Historical/Cultural/Leisure (12)
Food (6)
Ginger Grill {1}
On-A-Roll Speciality Sandwiches {1}

Shopping (3)

Most Popular Social Media platforms {out of 21 total}
Facebook {18}
Twitter {10}
Myspace {5}
blog {4}
Flickr {2}
Youtube {1}
Delicious {1}

Downtown sites w/ online travel website exposure that use some form of social media: 15/21

Downtown New Bedford Food & Web 2.0 usage

A list of Food from the downtown New Bedford brochure & what they offer in terms of internet connections/web 2.0 {bolded refers to sites with web presence from previous search}:

Brick
  • website with email to contact

  • website

  • website with email to contact

Cobblestone Restaurant


  • website

  • company website

  • website

Ginger Grill

  • website
  • myspace
  • facebook
  • information available on yelp

Miguel's American & Portuguese Restaurant


On A Roll -Specialty Sandwiches
  • Facebook
  • information available on yelp

Pic-A-Deli Convenience Store
  • no website


  • website
  • information available on yelp

  • website
  • Facebook
  • information available on urbanspoon

The Green Bean

  • website with email to contact

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Downtown New Bedford Historical/Cultural/Leisure activities & Web 2.0 usage

A list of the Historical/Cultural/Leisure activities from the downtown New Bedford brochure & what they offer in terms of internet connections/web 2.0 {bolded refers to sites with web presence from previous search}:

  • website
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • myspace

  • website
  • facebook

  • website

City Hall
  • no specific website, but information available on town website

Nathan & Mary (Polly) Johnson House

New Bedford Free Public Library
  • no specific website, but information available on town website

  • website
  • facebook

  • National Park Service website
  • unofficial/unmaintained Facebook page

  • website

  • website with email to contact

Seamen's Bethel

Waterfront Business Center -Wharfinger Building

  • website with email to contact

  • website
  • facebook

  • website with email to contact

  • website with email to contact
  • facebook

New Bedford Fire Museum


  • website with email to contact
  • website with email to contact
Colo Colo Gallery


  • website
  • facebook
  • myspace


Marie's Studios & Gallery, LLC
  • website, but url doesn't appear to be working

  • website
  • facebook

The Cummings Building Artists Studio & Gallery

  • website
  • facebook
  • myspace

  • website

Downtown New Bedford Shopping & social media usage

The evaluation on shopping will focus on the list of five stores with a web presence, however here is a look at the stores listed in the downtown New Bedford brochure & how they rank {the bolded shops refer to those with a web presence in my previous search}

Artificial Marketplace
be jeweled
  • no website, but discussed on general New Bedford tourism websites

Biltmore Package Shop, Inc {liquor store}
  • nothing available


  • website

  • no website, but discussed on merchantcircle.com

Christian Science Reading Room
  • nothing available

  • website with email to contact

  • website with email to contact

  • website with email to contact

The Bay/The Cottage
  • nothing available

  • website with email to contact

The Crystal Garden/The Doll's Closet/The Green Lantern/This and That
  • nothing available


  • website with email to contact
  • website

minimal social media usage

It's taken awhile, but I think I have narrowed down the social media sites I want to use to evaluate the tourism stops in New Bedford. This is probably change. I would love to hear any thoughts out there!?

1. Facebook/LinkedIn {some social networking site with profiles}
2. Twitter {or other miniblogging sites, but this is the most popular}
3. blog {a direct website would be great too, but that's not social media per se}
4. Flickr {or some photosharing site -Picassa, Photobucket, etc}
5. Yelp {a place for reviews & conversations}





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Breaking It Down

So, my 10 charts are done {there are 12 travel sites, but if you read the post below you know that 2 sites offer no travel suggestions for New Bedford} & now I can start breaking down the information from them to determine the level on online exposure for potential New Bedford visitors to explore. Here's are the sites {historical/cultural/leisure & shopping & food} located in the downtown/National Park area that were suggested from these travel sites {in order of most mentioned to least - but at least once}:

Historical/Cultural/Leisure

AHA! {2}
Crowell's Fine Art {1}
Arthur Moniz Gallery {1}

Food

The Green Bean {1}
Brick Pizzeria {1}
Rose Alley Ale House {1}
Ginger Grill {1}
On A Roll Sandwich Shop {1}

Shopping

This and That {1}
Converse Photo Supply {1}
Be Jeweled {1}
The Crystal Garden {1}
Calico {1}
Artificial Marketplace {1}
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