Yesterday was a little dreary but brightened up considerably for me when I spotted an eagle on Rocky Neck! Sitting high in a tree, the crows were raising a ruckus which drew my attention. As I was repositioning for a better shot, the eagle took off over the harbor only to be harassed by seagulls in flight. As I waited and hoped for a repeat performance, a woman came out of the Paint Factory to let me know there was a large bird she thought might be an eagle resting out on Ten Pound Island. Sure enough, there was an eagle out there again accompanied by crows. They are majestic but seem to draw a lot of pesky attention! I checked a little while later from Oakes Cove Beach and there was still an eagle resting there; having some alone time finally.

DOCUMENTARIAN REED, CULMINATES 50 YEAR JOURNEY ENCOMPASSING THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAN MUSIC, THE UPHEAVALS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND REFLECTING ON TREASURES OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, LOST AND FOUND

BOSTON, MA and CLARKSDALE, MS, January 26, 2021 – When Grammy- and Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker Ted Reed was moving his office, he uncovered his 27-minute 16mm black and white film “Thinking Out Loud”, shot in 1971.      Filmed on a several week adventure with his friend Tim Treadway, the two traveled from Boston through Memphis and Clarksdale to find and record some of the last living blues legends. “Thinking Out Loud” was seen at a handful of festivals, and then stored away. Fast forward fifty years has led to the compilation of then and now in his new film, “The Blues Trail Revisited.”

Reviewing this archival footage of a bygone time and Ted’s renewed curiosity of the blues music and culture, moved him to drive the identical route he had taken years before and see firsthand what changed in the birthplace of the blues. As his original trip, Reed was looking for the source of the spirit of the blues in the flatland cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, the lonely highways that crisscrossed the region, and a sense of the spirits of the departed blues artists he was originally seeking to find.

“The Blues Trail Revisited” showcases the new respect for the cultural value of a musical form that had been all but ignored in the south a half-century ago. Now, rock fans, mostly white, from all the world, raised on music adopted from rural black communities, are flocking to that well-spring in record numbers. In many states, museums and historic markers have sprung up to guide a steadily growing caravan of international tourists. Venues from roadside Juke Joints to newly constructed concert halls offer musicians, both veterans and young performers, places to perform almost every night of the week.

Discover the major change in southern attitudes: Rather than sweeping the music and the legendary musicians who created it under the rug, and suppressing acknowledgement of its cultural significance as was the case in 1970, both the region’s citizens and governments reversed course in the late 1980s and started developing the foundations of the Blues Tourism segment. Today, tourism is second only to agriculture in annual revenue in Tennessee and Mississippi. It took a desire to discover the origins of the music the British guitar gods of the 60s popularized internationally to prime the flood of blues tourists we see today.

Who was behind the revival of the study of blues history? How did this newfound embrace by regional and state government administrations come about? Who were the tourists flooding—and in some cases resettling in—the birthplace of the blues? And who were the new musicians rapidly finding a fan base in the pilgrims coming to hear and discover this quintessentially American music?

Revealing interviews with authors, historians and hospitality entrepreneurs, musicians and art dealers, state officials, museum managers, and travelers from Arkansas to Australia detail significant changes from the 1970s to present day. Also on this return trip, Ted reconnected with his collaborator on the film, Tim Treadway, for the first time in all those years and together they reflected on all that had passed in a half-century.

Last April, Reed released the award-winning documentary film “Juke Joint Festival Revisited” during the virtual Juke Joint Festival event in Clarksdale, MS, with his primary goal to help drive donations to the Blues Foundation COVID-19 fund (https://j.mp/2wupAYe), and the Mississippi Blues Benevolent Fund (http://www.msbluestrail.org//mississippi-blues-trail-donations) that supports Blues musicians, young and old.

About Ted Reed

Ted has been producing, directing, writing, and shooting films and television since the 1970s. Creating documentaries, commercials, animated features, and broadcast and streaming series. His storytelling expertise has led to award-winning shows about gender equality, the future of communications technology, immigration, national parks, West Indian music, space tourism, assisted suicide, Jewish innovators, and handgun violence. He is the recipient of multiple awards. 

During his career he partnered with the MIT team who pioneered internet streaming video technology, produced New England’s first local all-digital TV broadcast and pioneered the use of interactive video for large business meetings.

Ted has taught and lectured at Harvard University, Tufts University, Boston University, Endicott College and the Boston Film and Video Foundation. He has brought filmmaking courses to elementary schools, community groups and retirement homes, and continues to run film, photography and music workshops at his office in Gloucester, MA.

Salad course….

Boys

livestreams today: JV vs @Winthropvikings GHS Fishermen Athletics Facebook https://facebook.com/ghsfishermenathletics…

Varsity vs @SaugusSachemsAD Cape Ann Live! Facebook https://facebook.com/groups/CapeAnnLive…

Today’s girls hockey game will be live streamed on https://livebarn.com

Here’s a link to buy the books

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! This is the first in a limited series of posts I plan between now and Valentine’s Day (Feb 14 by the way) to share some ideas to celebrate the day. This first one came from a Gloucester Elks Facebook post as you see here. Senior Care Inc is offering you an opportunity to Show the Love by donating a meal to a homebound senior in honor of Valentine’s Day. They cannot hold their annual fundraiser this year, but the need for funds is not diminished so this is a great opportunity to help fellow residents feel the love.

Here’s the link for the Senior Care Inc Valentine’s Day Meal on Wheel Un-Fundraiser: https://seniorcareinc.org/2021unbreakfast/ Easy to do online especially if you enjoyed the breakfast fundraiser in years past.

COVID-19 Vaccine

The City of Gloucester is committed to keeping the public fully apprised of the vaccination process, and will provide clearly and timely updates regarding vaccination distribution in the area over the coming weeks and months. This information will be shared over the City’s website, social media and by robocall. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Timeline

Learn where you will fit into the COVID-19 vaccine distribution timeline.

The Baker-Polito Administration and the Department of Public Health developed a vaccine distribution timeline after extensive consultation with the Massachusetts Vaccine Advisory Group.  The timeline reflects several priorities: protecting our most vulnerable, maintaining health care system capacity, and addressing inequities in health care access and COVID-19 burden.

Information About COVID-19 Vaccine

For the latest vaccine update in Massachusetts 

Safety and the COVID-19 vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

Stay Informed! Sign up for City of Gloucester emergency notifications

Gloucester Emergency Alerts, powered by Smart911, is the official emergency notification system used by the City of Gloucester to communicate with residents during emergencies. Register for Gloucester Emergency Alerts, sign up now and receive free alerts from the City via text message, email, voice message, or social media.

Questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine

Membersof the public are asked to not contact the City at this time with questions regarding vaccination distribution, access and timelines. Inquiries of this nature are limiting City resources at a time when they are needed most. Those with vaccine distribution timeline questions can contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health via the link below.  

Submit a question about the COVID-19 vaccine

Volunteer for a future vaccine clinic

The City has received an outpouring of messages from those who would like to volunteer to support vaccination efforts.   Volunteers with and without medical experience are needed to support different aspects of their work, and will supplement existing emergency and public health resources.   

Sign-up to volunteer to support a future Cape Ann COVID-19 vaccination clinic

The first question in the registration form will ask volunteers to select an organization. Those looking to support efforts on Cape Ann should select the orange plus sign next to the link to view a map of organizations by region. Once you have clicked on the orange plus sign, you will have the option to select MRC (Medical Reserve Corps). To volunteer to support vaccination efforts in Gloucester and Cape Ann, select this option by clicking on the black plus sign to the left, and then select “Region 3 — Northeastern MA” by selecting the black plus sign to the left, and lastly select “North Shore — Cape Ann Emergency Preparedness Coalition MRC.” From here, fill out the rest of the form with your information. 

Insane value

The Final Meals Of History’s Most Notorious Death Row Inmates Are Eerily Revealing

By Chris Wharfe

Read the entire article from the link above

Thanks Mike Bertolino for submitting the link