Day: July 20, 2011

THANK YOU, GLOUCESTER!

Heartfelt and appreciative thanks to all the wonderful people who helped the “second generation” Block Party Committee produce the first Downtown Gloucester Block Party of 2011! With three successful years of the Block Party to live up to, it was an honor and a challenge to accept that baton.

In particular, we thank the people of Gloucester for your support, attendance, and enthusiasm!  It was our pleasure to see so many residents (and visitors!) gather downtown to celebrate our city.

We appreciate the support and cooperation of Mayor Kirk and the City of Gloucester; Fire Chief Dench and Police Chief Lane, Lt Aiello, Mark Foote and their departments; Public Works Director Mike Hale and the DPW staff, especially Mark Cole; Joe Ciolino and the entire Planning and Development Board; and the members of the Liquor Board.

We very much appreciate the support of The Gloucester Daily Times.

We thank the wonderful folks who generously donated their time and talent to keep us “Dancing in the Streets”: Willie “Loco” Alexander; Honky Tonk Women of Gloucester; Livin’ on Luck; The Cape Ann Center for Dance; The Polygroove Orchestra; The Bones and Roses Circus Sideshow; Strings Attached, Banjo Roger Hussey; magician Joe Howard; bongo/poet Jay Kameese; and face painter Kathy Heywood.

Thanks to the originators of the Downtown Gloucester Block Party, who guided us so well: Janice Lufkin; Linn Parisi; Erika Hansen; Peter and Vickie Van Ness; Jackie Hardy; and Joe Ciaramitaro.

Thanks to Good Morning Gloucester for spreading the Block Party love. Thanks to Dawn Gadow and Art Haven; Kate Seidman of the Art Room, Michael Butter of the Empire, Henry Allen of the Annie and the Cape Ann Savings Bank. Thanks also to Rick Doucette and Camp Spindrift, and to Katie Milne and the YWCA Clean Team for a great job cleaning up!

A huge thanks to the participating businesses and civic organizations: Alchemy; Art Haven; The Art Room Boutique; The Black Swan; Bodin Historic Photo; The Bookstore; Café Sicilia; Café Bishco, Cape Ann Brewery; Cape Ann Cable TV; Common Crow; The Dog Bar; Dogtown Books; the Dress Code; the Franklin Café; Gabriel’s Ltd.; Gimme Sound; Giuseppe’s; Gloucester Estate Buyers; Gloucester Fine Arts; Gloucester House; Green Life; Harbor Goods; House of the Raven; Jalapeño’s; Kids Unlimited; La Trattoria; Latitude 43; Local Colors; Magic Scarf; Main Street Arts & Antiques; Mark Adrian Shoes; Mystery Train; Palazzola’s; Passports; Pisces; Pop Gallery; Stone Leaf; Stop & Shop Gloucester; Stuff; Sugar Magnolias; Tiny Island Beach Glass; Toodeloos; Topside Grill; Valentino’s; Village Silversmith; Virgilio’s; The Weathervane; West End Sweets; World’s Hands.

And of course, a big thanks to our the volunteers: Nancy Olsen and Alex; Tonya Woolcott Riggs; Diane Usewick; Will Hunt for audio support; Hartz Street Nursery School; Dave Amero; John at Village Silversmith for helping us power the stage; to Julie Titone for helping clean up; and to anyone else who strung a light, carried a ladder or did any of the many things that made the event come together so smoothly.

We thank you all—and we look forward to seeing you at our second Block Party of 2011: Saturday, August 20!

Sincerely,
The Downtown Gloucester Block Party Steering Committee: Valerie Marcley, Artistic/Organizational Director; Mark McDonough; Jennifer Goulart Amero; Judith Brackley; Lucinda Seigel; Lorre Anderson; and Dawn Gadow
glostablockpahty@yahoo.com