Like the song says, Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon. While 2020 might be the year that no one wants to think upon ever again, the Standard-Times asked community leaders to reflect on the unrelenting year asking what they took away from it and what they are looking forward to in 2021.
“This past year has illustrated the best of the human spirit and worst. The lessons learned are numerous. We need to appreciate priceless memories and exhibit patience, tolerance, and an open mind to the perspective of others. We must recognize that life is fleeting and precious. We need to continue respecting each other and reinvigorating the basic tenets of humanity: honesty, individual responsibility, and integrity. These must all rest on a solid foundation of love and kindness. The best of us is in our hearts and we need the courage to love strangers. We are all interconnected dependent on each other. Life is a gift and it is short.” Chief Joseph Cordeiro, New Be
As Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” played, Jamie Anthony ran up and down the streets of New Bedford using her camera to document people of every generation participating in a Black Lives Matter march this past June.
When her legs got tired, Anthony, 23, sat on top of a car that was driving slowly with the protest and was able to really take in the different ages of all the people marching, which included people who had already marched for racial equity in their lifetimes.
“It was just an impactful moment because it was almost like we took a step back in time and I was looking at history repeat itself . but also seeing the triumph and strength and tears in my community,” Anthony said recently. “It was an amazing moment for me.”
New Bedford Men Arrested in Connection to Series of Break-Ins
NEW BEDFORD New Bedford Police say footprints in freshly-fallen snow led patrol officers to arrest two men in connection with a series of five breaks in the Buttonwood Park area between November 11 and December 17.
Police arrested Christopher Desousa, 18, and Isaiah Malik Poindexter, 19, both of New Bedford, and charged with numerous counts of larceny, several counts of break and entry, multiple counts of property-related offenses, destruction of property and vandalism as a result of the overnight breaks.
According to police, both men were released without bail by Judge J. Harrington after arraignment at Third District Court on Dec. 17.