A decidedly biased piece by Beth David, Editor
Welcome to our annual shopping guide to local small-shops in the Neighb News family of advertisers.
After you’ve loosened your belt to accommodate all that Thanksgiving Day food, it’s time to buy gifts for your precious loved ones, whether you want to or not!
No need to get all stressed out, the Neighb News is here to take some of the anxiety out of your Christmas and holiday shopping journey. You need only to look within these pages to find all you need for even the hardest-to-buy-for relative.
First, you’ll want to call Cyclone Cleaning to get the house spruced up for your holiday parties. Or maybe you want to swing by the drop-off center with your area carpets. While you’re there, grab a gift certificate for your parents’ place.
Speaking of mom and dad, maybe they are feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and wondering if they can move to a place that’s easier to handle? No problem, check out Atria Senior Living Group. Mom and dad might love the idea of not having a big place of their own to take care of. It’s a great time to visit there, too, they have all manner of holiday related happenings going on.
This Friday is the big shopping day, of course. So, you’ll want to start as early as possible. At just about the crack of dawn, you’ll want to start with a hearty breakfast and we’ve got the perfect place for you. Check out Courtyard in East Fairhaven, or the Mattapoisett Diner, or take someone you love to Jake’s for an old-fashioned diner experience.
They serve a great breakfast, have a full menu, and they have gift certificates, too. So don’t just feed yourself, check someone off your list.
Right about the time you’re done with breakfast, the banks will be opening. We’ve got just the spot for you.
Visit St. Anthony of New Bedford Credit Union. It’s nice small place, very cozy, where everyone knows your name. Check out their car loans, or buy a CD from them. Now that’s a great gift!
Speaking of cars….
A&A Auto has a great selection of used cars to fit any budget. I’ll bet Alex will even put one of those big red bows on it, too, if you ask.
But, ahem, having some budget issues? No problem, head over to Cottage Street Motors. Sue can fix you up with a payment plan to fit any budget (and I bet they can find a big bow, too).
Looking for that home-town New-Englandy village experience? Well, Fairhaven’s got it all here, as New England as it gets in the center of town. Park the car and walk around.
Nothing says Christmas better than a stroll among quaint shops for village-style shopping. Your best bet is Euro Phoenix where you’ll find gifts for every pocketbook, from dollar doodads to imported Norwegian sweaters. Take the kids with you. Their allowances will go far at this Fairhaven gem.
While you’re still in the vicinity, take a stroll by our magnificent town hall, Millicent Library, and Unitarian Church. These architectural wonders were gifts from town benefactor Henry Huttleston Rogers.
And, if Black Friday is not your favorite time to shop, hold off one week and see what the shops at the Old Time Holiday by the Office of Tourism have to offer, in just a couple of weeks.
Now you’ve worked up an appetite with all that walking and oohing and aahing over our town center, so scoot over to Wah May’s Restaurant. Have some tea to warm you up, and grab a couple of gift certificates to hand out on the big day.
Have some young kids (or adventurous others who are young at heart) to buy for but just don’t like the idea of another pile of “stuff” on top of all that stuff they’re going to get? We’ve got the perfect solution. And after all that food you’ll all be eating in the next couple of weeks, you’ll want the kids (and yourself) to burn off calories. Just head on over to Carousel Family Fun Center for skating, and all kinds of fun. They do parties, too. Grab a gift certificate while you’re there and mark your calendar for the warm weather when the miniature golf opens up.
Now it’s time to take care of that young couple who just bought their first house — a real fixer-upper, and they need all the help they can get.
Maybe the old place just needs some TLC? Well, check out our classifieds. They are loaded with people who can help out with those little jobs, and cool stuff for sale — cheap.
Y’know, it’s quite possible that the unkempt yard is just making it look a lot worse than it is. Call Ron’s Lawns to get that yard in shape. You’ll be amazed at how a professionally cleaned up, raked up, mowed down yard can change the feel of a place.
For electrical work, you’ll want Eric from Eric Sylvia. He can do it all, big or small.
And now that they’ve got all upgraded electrical, they can plug in all their gadgets. New house, new electric….sounds like they need new gadgets too, or at least an upgrade. But it’s such a hassle to update and reconnect and make sure the security software is up to date and all the other stuff that makes you just want to scream. Call Glenn at Fairhaven Computer Repair. He can fix what you’ve got, or fix you up with advice on what to buy, and set it all up for you, too.
Maybe the old place should have an alarm, huh? Yeah, I thought so, now that you’ve got all those new, shiny gadgets. It could take years to get the place in tip-top shape, so meanwhile, you must protect all the gadgets. Call Wayne Electric. They do alarms, and that’s a cool gift!
You’ll want Robert Furtado to do all the other projects, from cabinet making to the new bathroom.
Do the kids have their hearts set on a new kitchen? No one does kitchens like Fairhaven Lumber. They have cabinets, flooring and other products and services, like windows, to keep that big old wooden wonder cozy and warm.
You’ll also want to check out Cottrell Bros., for their selection of home renovation products and services.
You have other choices for the exterior work and for that combo interior/exterior work that the old house is bound to need.
Check out Marc Gadbois, whether it’s time to replace the siding, windows, roofing, or fix what’s there. He does everything, no matter how big the job seems to be.
Just be sure to check out Shawn Fitzgerald, too. He can get that roof on in a jiffy.
I’m willing to bet that big old monster has a big old monster of a heating system, too.
No one can get that boiler running, and keep it running like Greg from Greg’s Home Heating. He’s practically a magician! But not quite. Even he can’t keep it running without fuel. I’m sure those kids could use a tank of oil to keep that finely tuned heating machine running. Send Luzo Fuel over to fill it up. Now that’s a gift!
Maybe they have that no-fossil-fuel thing going on? No problem, Reliable Solar can help them out in a snap. I mean, if they’re renovating the house, putting a new roof on, why not take a step or two to get off the grid? They are young’uns after all, they like to try new stuff.
Of course, an old house like that probably has a fireplace or a wood stove, too. Call Fitzgerald Tree Service. He’s got seasoned wood to make Christmas morning nice and toasty. And he can take down that tree that looks ready to topple onto the chimney, too.
Speaking of chimneys. Call Lenny Fleurent & Sons if that baby needs repairing. Better yet, send Lenny to the basement to waterproof it. He can even fix up that old stone wall.
That should do it for stuff. What about protecting it all now? Call Vieira Insurance Agency for that. They specialize in insuring houses in seashore towns. Does it get any better than that?
Now it’s time for dinner. In the mood for something exotic? Then head over to Sivalai Thai.
Looking for good hearty fare that’s affordable in a friendly setting? Then you want the Town Crier, the place to meet great people. They have gift certificates, of course, and a great room upstairs to hold that holiday party that you just do NOT want to cook for.
Still don’t have something for the person who has everything?
Maybe you’re looking for an experience. Look no farther than the Fairhaven Office of Tourism. You’ll get info on all kinds of stuff happening in town at this time of year, lots of it for free, too. Don’t forget to ask about the Old Time Holiday Weekend (we’ll have more on that next week).
Now, I know that no one wants to think of the bad stuff during the holidays, but then you watch some sappy old Christmas movie with the obligatory hospital scene. And then you realize no one has updated the will in forever. Time to call Surprenant & Beneski and get it done. They can handle the full range of legal beagle stuff. It’ll be a load off your mind and you’ll be happy you did it.
While we’re on the subject, you know you’re thinking of all those who have gone before us, and the last time you visited, you noticed the gravestones getting pretty yucky looking. Give John at J&L Cemetery Plot Maintenance a call. He’ll clean up the stone and plant something really nice for the holidays there, too.
Still have a few people on the list? Perhaps a boater? Maybe you’re thinking of Uncle Johnny and that old boat of his and how he always has such a devil of a time getting it running in the spring. Call Moby Dick Marina and give Uncle Johnny indoor winter storage. You know he’ll love that!
Now it’s party time. First, you’ll need a body tune-up at the chiropractor to get straightened out. Call Pine Grove Chiropractic to get your back and neck and everything in shape for the next part of the program.
Did I mention it’s party time?
Of course, you can’t go “empty-handed” to a party, as my dear old Aunt Zee used to say. But, there’s no need to cook everything yourself.
Call Mac’s Soda Bar. They have a catering and take-out menu to fit every budget: Whether you just want a couple of things to make you the hit of the party, or if you’re in charge of the whole thing. And they have gift certificates, too. So, while you’re planning your own party, check a couple of people off your list.
Let’s see, boats, electronic gadgets, food, what did we forget? Oh, right, houses and apartments. You know what happens: People come “home” for the holidays and they think, shoot…why did I ever leave? Call Howe Allen Real Estate and they’ll find the perfect house or apartment for your prodigal relatives.
Looking for yourself, well Howe can help you with that, too. And so can Sherry Lopes from Alferes Realty, and Dawn Devlin from Bold Moves. They all have inventory and are ready to find what you’re looking for. Just be sure you tell them that you found out about them from the Neighb News.
Speaking of the Neighb News, don’t forget that we sell pictures of events we’ve covered, to decorate those new walls.
Okay, now you’re done. Time to sit with a drink and some friendly faces, with some music in the background, a game on the flat screen, and some bar munchies in front of you.
That’s the Bayside Lounge calling you by name. You’re sure to find someone there you can brag to about getting so much shopping done.
And, no, we didn’t forget about one of our favorite Yuletide traditions. What’s Christmas without a heartwarming and fun tale? Snuggle up with a good story about Christmas magic on a small island. If you have a Nook or Kindle, you can get my short story, Who Makes the Magic? with a shorter, bedtime version for younger children.
Just visit www.zorena.com for info on all my fiction and travel pieces.
There’s my fantasy novel, Zorena and the Medallion of Corandu (no, I haven’t finished the sequel yet…I’m working on it!).
And then there’s the one on my trip to Lebanon available for Kindles and Nooks. If you don’t want to read my ramblings about my summer vacation, there are about 200 photos that make it worth the $2.99.
Be sure to keep and eye on my Nook and Amazon author pages because I’ve been working on some other stories that I hope will be ready soon.
Okay, so now you know: there’s no reason to shop outside the Neighb News family of advertisers. You’ll find everything you need, and you’ll be supporting local businesses at the same time.
Merry shopping to all and to all a good holiday season!
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Y6V5ARRYH689G
Click here to download the entire 11/22/18 issue: 11-22-18 Shopping
