Day: January 30, 2014

Meet The Coywolf on PBS

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

So if you match up the pictures of the dead animal I found on Moorland Road back in 2010- it looks just like these are in fact Coywolves or Eastern Coyote that we have around here-

Gloucester At Dawn Poor Dead Coyote On Moorland Road 4:50AM 5/22/10

Posted on May 22, 2010 by 

This poor coyote must have gotten hit by a vehicle within the past few hours as the blood was still vibrant red.

RIP Mr Coyote.  Hope your life on the island was a good one.

There must have been quite an impact to make his eye bug out like that on one side of his head.
I wonder if this is the same coyote I came face to face with on the Good Harbor Beach Footbridge in these pictures back on July 5th,2008-

 

Drone Video from the rock that completely destroyed a house

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

One minute your milking goats and yodeling your ass off and the next minute you have a big ass boulder pounding through your house making it look like a bunch of match sticks.

I guess the question I would ask is this-

If you buy a house under a mountain that has rock formations that look like they’re ready to let go at any time are you really surprised when your shit gets wiped out?

Is this not the equivalent of the nouveau riche that buy shacks on Plum Island, tear them down and build mansions and then cry for Federal assistance when they get wiped out by the latest storm as if there hadn’t been decades of evidence of massive beach erosion?

Monarch Butterflies in Crisis

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Graph Journey NorthEach winter, since I began photographing the Monarchs in 2006, I compare this graph from Journey North to the number of butterflies observed on Cape Ann. As you can clearly see, this is the worst year on record, which corresponds to the near complete lack of Monarchs in our region this past summer.

Monarchs Gloucester 2012 �Kim Smith
Monarch Butterflies Eastern Point Gloucester

Many thanks to Kathy Chapman and our GMG Readers for forwarding the following New York Times update about the shrinking Monarch Butterfly popluation.

By Michael Wines

January 29, 2014

Faltering under extreme weather and vanishing habitats, the yearly winter migration of monarch butterflies to a handful of forested Mexican mountains dwindled precipitously in December, continuing what scientists said was an increasingly alarming decline.

The migrating population has become so small — perhaps 35 million, experts guess — that the prospects of its rebounding to levels seen even five years ago are diminishing. At worst, scientists said, a migration widely called one of the world’s great natural spectacles is in danger of effectively vanishing.

The Mexican government and the World Wildlife Fund said at a news conference on Wednesday that the span of forest inhabited by the overwintering monarchs shrank last month to a bare 1.65 acres — the equivalent of about one and a quarter football fields. Not only was that a record low, but it was just 56 percent of last year’s total, which was itself a record low.

At their peak in 1996, the monarchs occupied nearly 45 acres of forest.

The acreage covered by monarchs, which has been surveyed annually since 1993, is a rough proxy for the actual number of butterflies that survive the arduous migration to and from the mountains.

Karen S. Oberhauser, a conservation biologist at the University of Minnesota who has studied monarchs for decades, called the latest estimate shocking.

“This is the third straight year of steep declines, which I think is really scary,” she said. “This phenomenon — both the phenomenon of their migration and the phenomenon of so many individuals doing it — that’s at risk.”

Continue Reading Here

Save the Date: Upcoming Screenings of My Film Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

I hope to see you there!

For more information about Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly click here.

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014 at 6:30 pm Lowell Eco-Film Festival ~ More details to follow.

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014 at 6:00 pm. Willowdale Estate, Topsfield Massachusetts: Artist Spotlight Event

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We’ve come a Long Way Baby

Posted on by God's Morning

underwater photography2

Today you can pick up a Nikon Coolpix underwater camera for a few hundred bucks and grab yourself some underwater shots pretty easily.  Not so in the old days.  These photos go back to the early 50’s when my dad became fascinated with scuba diving (after seeing the film “The Frogmen, “1951) and underwater photography.  He developed one of the first underwater camera cases, which resulted in his being invited by Jacques Cousteau aboard the Calypso so that Mr. Cousteau could see it.  The model is my mom, Jean Lefavour.

E.J. Lefavour

CRAZY MOON Opens TONIGHT Down Rocky Neck

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Thurs – Sun, 2 weeks  ~ OPENS THIS WEEK ~  Jan. 30 – Feb. 9  Down Rocky Neck

Here’s what viewers of its September debut are saying? 
Mayor Carolyn Kirk said: “I was entranced by Crazy Moon and the intimate setting of the Rocky Neck Cultural Center.   Also knowing the Writer’s Center benefited made it a wonderful evening out.”
Linda Amero called it ” charming and poignant “.
Jimmy T said: “Incredible energy and talent, a thought-provoking roller-coaster ride through your own reality.” 

John Steiger said: ” Gordon Baird takes us on a wondrous journey to mysterious places, his imagination is contagious.”

Jay McLauchlan: ” I would like to see this tour de force again! What a perfect vehicle for the multi-talented Baird, John Hyde and a terrific feature performance by Kathleen Brown, an extraordinary journey, inspiring . . .”

Robert Crandall: ” A creative one man songfest in the best tradition of seafaring story telling.  Enjoy. “

John Bell put it: “Gordie at his best. Well worth the watch.”

Grace Schraft: ” Everyone there was amazed. It was brilliant. I loved it.”

Come and see what all the talk was about with the return of CRAZY MOON, Gordon Baird’s original musical, also starring John Hyde and Kathleen Brown.  

8 Shows Thurs. Jan. 30 ~ Sun. Feb. 9

The show is very exciting and fun and runs only an hour and fifteen minutes – (so even a guy can enjoy it.)

Curtain is at 8 pm (thu-fri-sat) and 5 pm (Sun) at The Rocky Neck Cultural Center on 6 Wonson St…All opening night ticket proceeds (Thurs, 1/30) go to benefit the Gloucester Writer’s Center.

Tickets for all shows are $15, 2/$25 ~ kids $5 and can be bought at the door at showtime.  Free parking in the town lot a block from the theater. Gordon@rampartsfarm.com for info or rezzies.

Super Bowl Appetizer… Sista’s Twist on Buffalo Chicken

Posted on by Sista Felicia

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Are you looking for a new recipe for Super Bowl Sunday?

The men in the family can never seem to get enough buffalo flavoring on game days.   Buffalo flavored chicken wings, drumsticks, tenders, dip, pretzels and potato chips served mild to hot are always a crowd pleaser.  Although our beloved Patriots will not be a part of this years Super Bowl game, the viewing parties will go on as planned.  This Sunday I’m changing up our usual football appetizer menu with a recipe twist on the widely popular combination of Buffalo chicken and Blue Cheese flavors everyone in the family seems to adore.  My daughter Amanda and I developed this recipe last month after a shopping trip to The Cave Cheese shop on Main Street to find some new cheeses to get creative with in the kitchen.  Laura, owner and cheese expert  offered us a sample of a St Agur Blue cheese.  The bright blue veining running through it’s creamy white cheese looked amazing and tasted incredible delicious.  That same day Amanda and I concocted 3 recipes using cheeses we sampled with Laura at The Cave. This recipe  is one of them and it now holds a spot on my son BJ’s top 5 game day appetizer food list. Continue reading “Super Bowl Appetizer… Sista’s Twist on Buffalo Chicken” →

Where do you stand on the Town Of Manchester’s Plastic Bag Ban?

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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January 29, 2014

Impact of bag ban? Thin in Manchester

By James NiedzinskiStaff Writer

MANCHESTER — The use of the plastic shopping bag was formally wrapped up when the town’s ban went into effect at the start of the month, and now, weeks later, some say the difference is as thin as the film the bags are made of.

Meanwhile, the Marblehead Board of Health voted last week to bring a similar ban to Marblehead Town Meeting in May. The board cited waste reduction efforts and impacts on the environment as a reason for proposing the ban.

The management of Crosby’s Marketplace is opposing the bid for a bag ban in Marblehead, as it did when Manchester’s ban went before voters, saying the company has made efforts to reduce the use of both paper and plastic bags.

Such a ban only increases the use of paper bags, which also impact the environment, considering the loss of trees and the amount of water used to produce them, said Bob Vello, general manager of the chain which has stores in both towns. Paper bags are more expensive at 10 cents each, he said. Plastic ones are 3 cents.

To read the entire article at The Gloucester Daily Times Website click here

Kudos to James Niedzinski for including the cost difference in the article.  Too often people make environmental decisions without taking into economic factors at all.  I’m not saying that i favor or not favor the decision by the Selectmen and voters in Manchester, I’m just happy that at least some concrete numbers were thrown into the discussion.

I’d love to know the difference in cost between Styrofoam cups and paper cups because I see way more Styrofoam cups blowing around and trapped under brush for years and years compared to plastic bags.  I’ll give my opinion tomorrow.

Thursday January 30th 2014 Cape Ann Forecast..

Posted on by Peter J Lovasco

Thursday : Sun / clouds warmer with a high around 30 degrees. Southwest winds 15-20 mph .. Thursday Night clouds increase not as cold as previous nights lows around 28 degrees. With a southwest wind 10-15mph ..

Looks Stormy Next Week of February ..
Snow and or mixed events increases . Stay tuned …

MARINE FORECAST
Thu: SW winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft.

Thu Night: SW winds 10 to 15 kt. Gusts up to 20 kt after midnight. Seas 2 to ft.

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Community Stuff 1/30/31

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi, Joey,
Thought this might interest your readers:
It’s from an old GDT column of my dad’s, he recalls for the folks suffering a chill in 1959:
“One day in January in the early 1930’s, the cold was so intense, scraping 15 below, that the gas house froze up. that knocked out the GD Times battery of Lino-types so the old-time compositors, those who could set type by hand were pressed into service to set up the main stories. All yarns were mighty short and in bigger type, but the paper was printed on schedule.”
I have no idea now what or where the gas house was! But this story makes even today’s five degrees seem warmer – that 15 below was before winter chill was calculated.
Stay warm all, Sarah Clark

Hi Joey,

The 2014 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show returns to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center February 22 – March 2. I wanted to send along the below calendar listing about the show for you to share with the readers of Good Morning Gloucester.

This year’s show features more than 800 new boats for all budgets and lifestyles, dozens of informational clinics, appearances by Captain Dave Carraro from National Geographic Channel’s Wicked Tuna, plus an onsite boat build by local students. 

Ahoy! 2014 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show

Sails into Boston February 22- March 2
Cruise into Summer at Region’s Premier Boating Event with Hundreds of
New Boats and Accessories to Shop, plus Nautical Fun and Education

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The 2014 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show invites the winter weary to get a taste of summer as the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is transformed into a boater’s paradise, February 22 – March 2, 2014. Attracting tens of thousands of boating and sailing enthusiasts, Northeast’s largest boating event docks for nine-days, featuring hundreds of the newest boats and on-the-water accessories.

More than 300,000 square feet will be filled with the latest boats and nautical equipment – from navigational tools to hardware and galleyware – for all budgets and lifestyles. Visitors can climb aboard luxury motor yachts, sport fishers, performance boats, and personal watercrafts, as well as dozens of sailboats and sailing yachts, rigged and ready to hit the open seas. 

In addition to finding the best deals of the season, the Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show offers seminars for DIY boaters, informational clinics for those of all experience levels and hands-on activities for young skippers and families.

A special highlight of the nine-day event will be appearances by famed fisherman Dave Carraro, of National Geographic’s Wicked Tuna, who will be signing autographs and meeting fans, Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 2.

When: Saturday, February 22 through Sunday, March 2, 2014

Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
415 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210

Hours: Saturdays 10am–8pm 

Sunday, February 23 11am–6pm 

Monday – Friday 1pm–9pm 

Sunday, March 2 11am–5:30pm

Tickets: $15 for adults; Free for children 15 and under (when accompanied by an adult)
Advance tickets can be purchased at http://www.newenglandboatshow.com.

Phone: 617-472-1442

Web:For tickets, show news, discounts and giveaways, visit NewEnglandBoatShow.com.

Presentation on Finland at Pigeon Cove Circle – February 27

Cynthia Kielinen and her sister Susan  were recently a  part of a tour of Finland led by Anita Smiley of Preston, CT.
Their  photo slide show will be presented at the Pigeon Cove Circle meeting at 6 p.m. on February 27, 2014, with a buffet potluck dinner and speakers at 6:45 p.m.   Finnish dishes welcome.   There is no fee or pre-registration required.  All are welcome.

Participants  of Anita’s tour were exposed to Finland’s past and present through a variety of experiences:  museums, music, and foods of the country, Winter War prior to World War II, well known authors and artists both  past and present, and the modern University system, and saw a play in an outdoor summer theater.  This trip was a total immersion in Finnish culture.

After traveling along Eastern Finland, the group traveled to Lapland, just beyond the Arctic Circle and down the West coast to Hanko.   Hanko was the port that over 250,000 Finnish emigrants and 150,000 Russians and Jews left for a better life in Canada, Australia, and the United States. This was an emotional port of interest  for those whose  ancestors who left Finland from 1865 and 1930.

The tour included stops in all areas of Finland.   All, on the tour, came back with a greater  appreciation of the land of our ancestors of the beauty and industry that Finland posses.

The Pigeon Cove Circle is located at Six Breakwater Avenue in Rockport, made-up of men and women throughout     Cape Ann, a civic group who provide fund-raisers for community needs such as a yearly scholarship to a Cape Ann high school student, and other needs on Cape Ann.  Those who would like further information about the availability of the Pigeon Cove function hall are welcome to call Michelle at 978-546-1195.

SEACOAST NEWS

February 2014

Thank you to the Friends of Seacoast!

The residents of Seacoast enjoyed a marvelous New Year’s Celebration with a dessert buffet, entertainment by Harper Moira Kelly and beautiful décor!

Dinner theater with Fish and Chips and a special entertainment

and weekly concerts by professional entertainers.

The Friends of Seacoast enhance the resident’s lives at the Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center with hours of enjoyment by providing the finances needed for the special entertainment, supplies and community outings. Any and all donations to “The Friends of Seacoast” are gratefully accepted.

We are looking forward to many upcoming events with the support of the Friends of Seacoast including a Valentine’s Day Celebration, Musical Entertainment, Dinner Theater with Catered Foods from local restaurants, Baby Farm Animal Visit by Barn Babies, Community Outings and more….

The next Friends of Seacoast meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2014 at 6:00 PM.

Thomas M. Lattof
lattotom@aol.com