New apartments, award winning movie with New Bedford ties: Top stories

Faith Harrington, The Standard-Times
·4 min read
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As we head into the week, let's take a look at the news from this past week.

The long-anticipated replacement to the New Bedford-Fairhaven "swing" Bridge will stand tall when compared to its predecessor. The "vertical lift" bridge design they've selected will provide more channel space for vessels and will take less time to construct - meaning less disruption to vehicles and vessels - than the various alternatives reviewed.

The first residents are moving into the former Holy Family High School, now known as 121 North, next week. Of the 15 apartments, 11 are one-bedroom apartments and four are studio apartments. One of the units on the first floor is handicap-accessible.

Keep up with high school sports with scores, game highlights, and player of the week voting at https://www.southcoasttoday.com/sports.

Here are the most-read stories of the week on https://www.southcoasttoday.com:

Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech football player killed in Dartmouth car crash

GNB Voc-Tech's Jacob Pothier picks up some yards after the reception for a first down.
GNB Voc-Tech's Jacob Pothier picks up some yards after the reception for a first down.

The Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech High School community is reeling from the loss of senior Jacob Pothier, 18, who died in a fatal single-car crash in Dartmouth on Jan. 5. Meanwhile, a woman who was also in the vehicle has regained consciousness while hospitalized for serious injuries, Dartmouth police reported Monday.

Dartmouth police and emergency personnel responded to the area of Smith Neck and Gulf roads at 10:35 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5. On scene, Pothier, of New Bedford, and 44-year-old Kathleen Martins of Dartmouth were found unresponsive near the intersection of the Smith Neck and Gulf road causeways, where Martins’ 2022 Honda Accord was found with heavy damage.

Fatal accident: Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech football player killed in Dartmouth car crash

Movie filmed in New Bedford and Fairhaven wins two Golden Globes

"The Holdovers" star Paul Giamatti poses in the press room with his Globe Globe for best actor in a comedy.
"The Holdovers" star Paul Giamatti poses in the press room with his Globe Globe for best actor in a comedy.

"The Holdovers," filmed at the New Bedford Wamsutta Club and Fairhaven High School, won two Golden Globes for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture on Sunday.

Paul Giamatti scored Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. This was Giamatti's third Golden Globe Award, having won previously for the films "John Adams" and "Barney's Version."

Giamatti's co-star Da'Vine Joy Randolph also received the award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture at the start of the night.

Who won: Movie filmed in New Bedford and Fairhaven wins two Golden Globes.

This new Indian restaurant has big plans to change the SouthCoast's taste buds

Bharat Vaze, appetizer chef, grades cheese onto a sandwich at the newly opened Safron by the Sea in Fairhaven.
Bharat Vaze, appetizer chef, grades cheese onto a sandwich at the newly opened Safron by the Sea in Fairhaven.

Since the closing of the Seaport Inn Grille in December 2021, locals have been wondering what would eventually take over the restaurant space. Little did they expect a "Fairhaven first" would soon procure with an Indian restaurant like Saffron by the Sea.

"We want to introduce people to our Indian culture," said Ranjan Shinde, co-owner and pastry chef. "It's not just about the food, it's about the feeling and experience it brings to everyone."

Time to eat: This new Indian restaurant has big plans to change the SouthCoast's taste buds

New Bedford Underground Railroad Café & Gallery proposal includes a teaching kitchen

R. Carleen Cordwell stands in front of the future Underground Railroad Cafe & Gallery on Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford.
R. Carleen Cordwell stands in front of the future Underground Railroad Cafe & Gallery on Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford.

R. Carleen Cordwell, plans to re-energize the 213 Acushnet Ave. site with the development of the Underground Railroad Café & Gallery.

She plans to develop a licensed commercial and teaching kitchen facility where people can learn to cook, eat healthy, prepare affordable meals, and make better-educated nutrition choices.

The entire project, including the exterior work, will cost an estimated $238,000, including plumbing, heating, and interior work. More than $28,000 has already gone into interior work.

Teaching kitchen: New Bedford Underground Railroad Café & Gallery proposal

Storm leaves Westport with coastal flooding and impassable roads

The remnants of East Beach Road in Westport are seen in the foreground after heavy overnight winds and surf battered the coastline.
The remnants of East Beach Road in Westport are seen in the foreground after heavy overnight winds and surf battered the coastline.

As the SouthCoast braced itself for a strong wind and rain event Tuesday night into Wednesday, with predicted gusts up to 65 mph, the storm left the area with flooding and minimal power outages.

East Beach Road was battered by surf during the overnight storm, leaving it in pieces and closed to traffic. Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Westport Town Administrator James Hartnett said the tide had begun receding and the Highway Department was still assessing the damage at East Beach.

The National Weather Service is predicting a mixed bag of precipitation in the area early next week, bringing a combination of rain and snow.

Flooding: Storm leaves Westport with coastal flooding and impassable roads

All of these stories can be found in their entirety at SouthCoastToday.com.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Top stories of the week: fatal accident, Golden Globes, Indian fare