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FAIRHAVEN CASUALTIES in 1938 HURRICANE TOOK BOTH YOUNG AND OLD AND THE HEROIC Eighty years has left little evidence of one of the most destructive weather events in New England history. On Wednesday - September 21, 1938 a hurricane so brutal that its tidal surge registered as a major earthquake on a Richter scale at Fordham State University in New York. Wind gusts from 173 to 186 MPH took the area by surprise while kids were just getting out of school. 500 summer cottages were instantly obliterated within minutes as a forty-foot wave with ten feet of froth above that wiped out the entire coastal village of Misquamicut RI. Fairhaven's death toll could have been much higher if not for summer residents that left their seaside cottages for the season a few weeks prior. In this small clip from "A Wind To Shake The World" contains the complete list of Fairhaven casualites. The full video here: https://youtu.be/JycDf5s5wB0 Compiled from the MLBaron Historic Archives for westislandweather.com

Published on Mar 10, 2013 (Enhanced Version) A short documentary (1987) of a controversial abandoned tack factory contaminated with hazardous chemicals which included drums of cyanide and naptha,,just yards away from an elementary school. The company held the town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts on the brink of an environmental disaster for years. Fire Chief Donald Bernard forcefully entered the building accompanied by cameraman MLBaron for a mandatory Fire Inspection. This award winning MLBaron video and expose' was instrumental in the EPA's eventual clean up of the site and remediation of the surrounding wetlands 25 years later..

Hurricane Bob Strikes, This 27 minute 1991 documentary produced and directed by M.L.Baron who was in Hurricane Bob and saw first hand the destructive power of this Category 2 hurricane on Monday, August 19, 1991. Other footage provided by local citizens who contributed their videos for this production. This video was produced at Fairhaven/Acushnet Cablevision. Special thanks to Bob Cormier. Bob was the earliest known hurricane to impact SE New England. This was the first BIG test for the barrier on it's 25th anniversary of completion since 1966. Bobs name was retired in 1991. The most prominent landmark destroyed in Greater New Bedford was the Crow Island Tower. A newly constructed $35,000 boardwalk on the causeway to West Island was also destroyed. The boardwalk lasted less than 2 months. Underground utilities were put in place along the causeway to West Island after Bob. This video also looks back at hurricanes past. The last hurricane event before Bob was Hurricane Gloria on Friday Sept 27, 1985. From the MLBaron Historic Archives. http://www.westislandweather.com/

Take a look inside and go under the harbor through the tunnel! New Bedford enjoys its reputation as a "safe harbor" thanks to the Hurricane Barrier. The stone and steel barrier extends across the mouth of New Bedford harbor to the Fairhaven side near Fort Phoenix. It is 9,100 feet long and twenty feet above median sea level. The harbor section has two 440-ton gates in the center that can be closed during strong tides or storms to protect the inner harbor. The western section protects the city from tidal surges in Clark's Cove. This clip taken from the 1988-M.L.Baron award winning classic: "A Wind To Shake The World; The Story of The 1938 Hurricane. This was the video version of Everett S. Allen's 1976 Best Seller, chronicling the '38 Hurricane. from the historic archives of the West Island Weather Station. The top of the barrier provides a walkway for recreational activites. Residents and visitors can watch the coming and going of commercial vessels and pleasure boats, or enjoy spectacular views of the harbor, cityscapes, and Buzzards Bay. Check out some of ML's video clips on the dike. Built in the 1960's by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Hurricane Barrier is the largest stone structure on the East Coast. MLBaron Historic Archives

For the complete documentary on The 1938 Hurricane - A Wind to Shake The World enter this link: http://www.westislandweather.com/apps/videos/videos/show/17766216-the-1938-hurricane-a-wind-to-shake-the-world-everett-s

(Full Version) A boat ride in Fairhaven-New Bedford Harbor, September 1990. Conditions were perfect for taping the Fairhaven dock scenes as the sun was going down and the fall full moon was rising. Some of these vessels are no longer part of the Fairhaven waterfront including the WNBH radio tower that soon would fall a year later with Hurricane Bob. The camera was a Sony 327 CCD-a new chip camera- state of the art at the time. Skippered by Captain Peter Jarosik - KA1WBE and taped by M.L.Baron - KA1WBH. MLBaron Historic Archives

Uploaded on Jan 19, 2010 http://www.westislandweather.com The Unitarian Church Bell Ringer. The late Dana Reeves, who was editor of The Fairhaven Advocate in the mid-80's also rang the bells at Fairhaven's most famous church. This clip reveals the inner workings of the manual and automated bell array. Dana Reeves demonstrates. Interview and clip by MLBaron . The 1984 video quality is fair. Restored from a 26 year old tape from the MLBaron Historic Archives.

Uploaded on Jan 19, 2010 http://www.westislandweather.com Fairhaven High School Class of 1985 Music video clip. Bring back some memories from 25 years ago! Has It REALLY BEEN 25 YEARS?? This 5 minute video include clips from sports, classrooms, students, faculty and more. This segment appeared on Fairhaven/Acushnet Magazine, June 9, 1985. from the MLBaron Historic Archives. This 25 year old clip is in satisfactory condition., some parts may appear dark. Hope you enjoy it anyway , from ML!

This 1993 clip featured Walter Cronkite from his Martha's Vineyard home promoting the Coalition for Buzzards Bay. (The two little kids at the beach are ML's son and daughter.)Produced by M.L.Bar

Walter Cronkite of Martha's Vineyard hosted this promo created by MLBaron of The West Island Weather Station in 1993 for The Coalition for Buzzards Bay

Published on Mar 6, 2013 The full video version of Everett S. Allen's 1976 Best Seller "A Wind To Shake The World - The Story of The 1938 Hurricane" produced and directed by M.L.Baron. This award winning classic takes you back in time to the year 1938 and the hurricane which took away "the age of innocence". "The greens and commons of New England will never be the same. Picture postcard memories of the oldest part of The United States are gone with the wind and flood. The day of "the biggest wind" has just passed and a great part of most picturesque America, as old as the Pilgrims, has gone beyond recall or replacement" -AP, September 22, 1938. Everett S. Allen recalls his first day on the job with The New Bedford Standard-Times on Wednesday, September 21st, 1938. He was wondering what his first story would be...that day he found out. Dramatic footage and mesmerising narration with carefully selected sound track make this documentary unforgettable. Copyright 1988 CableVision Industries / Time Warner Cable, MLBaron Program Director. For more on local hurricane history, videos and photo albums visit http://www.westislandweather.com/