It's the 1920s-the First World War is over, and the people of New Bedford, Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, enjoy high spirits and great prosperity. Familiar faces, young and old, look to a promising future in this great industrial city with a glorified maritime past. But trouble looms, and the next decades will require strength and determination. A troubled textile industry, the Great Depression, a challenged school system, hurricanes, wartime and a post-war economic decline-how will the city survive the tides of change? Resilient residents will take strength and encouragement from friends and community, finding laughter and escape through music, theater, radio, sports and other forms of entertainment. Everyday heroes will emerge. The city will reinvent itself and forge on. Fast forward to the 1960s. Following another post-war boom, new industries come to town, the hurricane barrier goes up and the fishing fleet brings promise and growth. But urban renewal tears at the heart of downtown and wipes out many old neighborhoods. The Vietnam War and the city's race riots bring turmoil and upheaval. Still, a new generation again brings hope and change. In A Picture History of New Bedford, Volume Two: 1925-1980, the second installment of a three-volume set, hundreds of photographs and stories bring the city to life in an enthralling journey through the core of the 20th century. Ride the last trolley, sip an ice cream float at a bygone soda fountain, take a turn on the ballroom dance floor. Celebrate New Bedford's music-from the big band sounds to folk, fado, jazz and rock and roll. Explore the evolution of the city's diverse mix of cultures and see New Bedford's fishing industry grow from a small fledgling fleet of draggers to what today is the country's number one fishing port. Experience the people, places, and events that have shaped New Bedford, one of New England's most historically significant cities.

Eleven women went missing over the spring and summer of 1988 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, an old fishing port known as the Whaling City, where Moby Dick, Frederick Douglass, textile mills, and heroin-dealing represent just a few of the many threads in the community's diverse fabric. In Shallow Graves, investigative reporter Maureen Boyle tells the story of a case that has haunted New England for thirty years. The Crimes: The skeletal remains of nine of the women, aged nineteen to thirty-six, were discovered near highways around New Bedford. Some had clearly been strangled, others were so badly decomposed that police were left to guess how they had died. The Victims: All the missing women had led troubled lives of drug addiction, prostitution, and domestic violence, including Nancy Paiva, whose sister was a hard-working employee of the City of New Bedford, and Debra Greenlaw DeMello, who came from a solidly middle-class family but fell into drugs and abusive relationships. In a bizarre twist, Paiva's clothes were found near DeMello's body. The Investigators: Massachusetts state troopers Maryann Dill and Jose Gonsalves were the two constants in a complex cast of city, county, and state cops and prosecutors. They knew the victims, the suspects, and the drug-and-crime-riddled streets of New Bedford. They were present at the beginning of the case and they stayed to the bitter end. The Suspects: Kenneth Ponte, a New Bedford attorney and deputy sheriff with an appetite for drugs and prostitutes, landed in the investigative crosshairs from the start. He was indicted by a grand jury in the murder of one of the victims, but those charges were later dropped. Anthony DeGrazia was a loner who appeared to fit the classic serial-killer profile: horrific childhood abuse, charming, charismatic, but prone to bursts of violence. He hunted prostitutes in the city by night and served at a Catholic church by day. Which of these two was the real killer? Or was it someone else entirely? Maureen Boyle first broke the story in 1988 and stayed with it for decades. In Shallow Graves she spins a riveting narrative about the crimes, the victims, the hunt for the killers, and the search for justice, all played out against the backdrop of an increasingly impoverished community beset by drugs and crime. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews, along with police reports, first-person accounts, and field reporting both during the killings and more recently, Shallow Graves brings the reader behind the scenes of the investigation, onto the streets of the city, and into the homes of the families still hoping for answers.

Meant to be shared! Caring for a senior who is dealing with dementia or other health issues can be challenging, but also joyful and rewarding. Hilda's Story: New Bedford, Massachusetts is an interactive read-aloud designed for entertainment, understanding, comfort, and connection. Get a nostalgic glimpse into the true-life story of Hilda, the child of immigrant parents, as she grows up during the years following World War II in a historic city on the coast of Massachusetts. Experience the decades through the wonder of invention and love of family. "Hilda grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a city with a history of whaling, fishing, and textile mills." The straightforward story is upbeat, optimistic, and a delight to follow! Vintage photographs and fun illustrations are sure to bring up lots of cheerful memories. The carefully chosen images are accompanied by thoughtful questions that help spark conversation and encourage discussion. Get ready to be surprised and amazed by your loved one's response! Hilda's Story: New Bedford, Massachusetts is meant to be shared, and your interaction with your listener can become as meaningful as the story itself. This Picture Book style hardcover (11" x 8.5" / 40 pp.) is a wonderful resource for families and caregivers but can also be offered for someone to enjoy at their own pace. Excellent to read to an individual or with a small group! A wonderful resource to use as an activity for any home health care worker, at any skilled nursing home, assisted living, or other senior health care facility. Great gift for anyone who has a treasured senior in their life!

Scenes from the Mexican American lowrider life: a clothbound photobook documenting a vibrant LA car culture Known for her quiet portraits of American cultural movements, Los Angeles-based photographer Kristin Bedford's new work, Cruise Night, is an intimate and unstaged exploration of Los Angeles' Mexican American lowrider car culture. From 2014 to 2019 Bedford attended hundreds of lowrider cruise nights, car shows, quinceañeras, weddings and funerals. Her images offer a new visual narrative around the lowrider tradition and invite outsiders to question prevalent societal stereotypes surrounding this urban Mexican American culture. Bedford's photos explore the nuances of cars as mobile canvases and the legendary community that creates them. With bright color photography and a unique female vantage point, Cruise Nightis an original look at a prolific American movement set against the Los Angeles cityscape.