Sky Over Niles Beach!
Month: July 2014
Sunshine on my shoulder. . . .
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Oh what a pretty morning
Magnolia Harbor
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Dalai Lama Has Private Audience with Moolongz, Mutagle
Well of course a highly evolved human like the Dalai Lama can see and communicate with Moolongz. Can you?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1997277714/i-see-moolongz-a-strange-and-wonderful-guide-to-in
E.J. Lefavour
http://www.hobbithousestudio.com
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Stage Fort Park Bandstand Concert – Old Cold Tater & Honky Tonk Women – Sunday
Concert starts at 7pm. Rain date is Wednesday, July 30th.
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Great Wolf Lodge…Pretty Great For Sure
We went way over the bridge this week and took a quick getaway to the brand new Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. Prior to the onslaught of some heavy duty advertising recently, you may not have heard of the Great Wolf Lodges, but I’d been hoping to get to one of their other locations for quite some time now for a short family vacation. Last year I was psyched to hear that they were planning on building a lodge here in Massachusetts!
So, they opened in June and we booked during a promo offer back in March. It did not disappoint. The boys were psyched and even my husband made it through the 24 hours of Triple F (forced family fun….for those of you not in the know) unscathed….and happy. We packed a cooler.
Because it is new…it is spotless. They definitely pay attention to detail and they definitely cater to family fun. From the wolf ears that they hand out upon check-in (that families oddly wear during their entire stay…ummm, but not us because we can’t pull off that type of crap off) to the “Have a Wolftastic Day” greeting that they offer even before you can drink a cup of morning coffee, to the door openers who never fail to beat you to the punch and are unbelievably eager to welcome you in and out of every single space with unwavering enthusiasm. A vacation destination built for kids this is. Cheesy sure. But, a good cheesy, if this is the type of vacation that you went ahead and booked for your kids. I, personally, wouldn’t have had it any other way. Little Finn feel in love with Violet the Wolf and while Thatcher tried to be too cool for story and song time, I caught him singing along and doing the Wolf Lodge Howl with the best of them!
Our family suite overlooked the main lodge welcome area…which was odd and yet cool all at the same time. The wrist bands that they give you upon check-in also serve as your room key….which, as a none-purse-carrying type of girl, I LOVED. You could also just scan your wristband anywhere throughout the lodge and your purchases would simply get charged to your room. Bonus…albeit dangerous I suppose. For the record…they don’t put those in the kids’ wristbands….that would be silly.
They have six pretty awesome water slides. Four for kids 42″ and taller and two for anyone over 48″. One is the the type where they put you in a little booth, count down from 5, and drop the floor out beneath you to propel you straight down into the unknown. Crazy! I, for the record, sat that one out. Fortunately, I can blame Finn as he was just a bit too short and someone “had” to stay with him. My husband and Thatcher braved it eagerly….and loved it.
The lodge also has two water playgrounds, a pretty rad wave pool, a hot tub, a small lazy river, water basketball, an excellent ropes course high up in the air, some little mall-type rides, mini golf, a Magi Quest interactive game to be played throughout your stay, a 6D little movie theater ride, a super fun arcade (and I don’t normally love arcades so that’s saying something), a restaurant, a cafe, a Dunkin’ Donuts, an ice cream joint, a little day spa for the girls, and more!
Pretty cool too is that, while check-in is @ 4:00, they allow you to use the water park beginning at 1:00. Even more cool is that, while check out is 11:00 a.m., they allow you to use the water park all the way up to closing (9:00 p.m.) that day. They have lockers and showers so that once you put your luggage in the car you can still enjoy some fun, shower, change, and get ready for the ride home. That being the case, if you live close enough, one night is a good enough stay. More than two nights, in my humble opinion, would be too long.
Good, clean, family fun less than two hours from Cape Ann. I’m guessing that come the long and abyssmal winter months this place will be jammin’!
Stone Wolf at entrance
Violet
View from our room
The stage offers shows several times daily…under our window
Story Time
The arcade
Main Lodge Living Room
Ropes Course
Ropes Course
The Howlin’ Tornado
Great Wolf Lodge
Fort MacKenzie
One side of the water park
Totem Towers
Crooked Creek
Chinook Cove Activity Pool
Alberta Falls: Dark Side and Light Side
Otter Run
Big Foot Pass
Slap Tail Pond Wave Pool
The Wolf Tail Drop
The Howlin’ Tornado
Carrying the tubes up, up, up
River Canyon Run
Wolf Tail
Slap Tail Pond Wave Pool
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From the Thomas Lannon Harbor Canoe
From the Thomas Lannon
“Harbor Canoe”
http://Schooner.org
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Tina Fey Quote of the Week from Greg Bover
July 24, 2014
Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion.
Elizabeth Stamatina “Tina” Fey, (1970- )
A Pennsylvania native, Tina Fey was interested in comedy from an early age and got her foot in the door with The Second City improv group, moving to Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1992. She later became an on-screen performer and ultimately head writer for the series. She is probably best known for her spot-on impersonation of vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, and her long tenure as co-anchor of the Weekend Update segment, first with Jimmy Fallon and later with Amy Poehler. She left SNL in 2006 to develop the sitcom 30 Rock and has appeared in more than a dozen movies. She is one of the most highly paid actresses working today and is often listed as one of the most influential women in show business. Fey is a multiple winner of the Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards. In 2010 she was honored with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the youngest recipient to date.
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ROAR!!!!
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Community Stuff 7/26/14
Chief Len Campanello Joins Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association in Support of House Version of Gun Bill
Police Chief Leonard Campanello, with the steadfast support of Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, joins the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association in support of the House of Representatives version of the pending gun legislation.
As an active member of the Chiefs Association, Chief Campanello is following this important bill closely. He is disappointed to learn that the Senate Bill, S#2284 lacks a critical public safety provision found in the House Bill, H#4278. That provision gives police chiefs discretion in issuing rifle and shotgun licenses. Currently, Massachusetts law allows police chiefs absolute discretion in issuing handgun licenses, but no discretion in issuing rifle and shotgun licenses. The House bill would close that dangerous loop hole.
When polled in June by the Princeton Research Associates, the majority of Massachusetts voters were also in favor of police chiefs having discretion in licensing for rifles and shotguns.
Statement of Chief Campanello:
“The House bill is far superior to the senate version of the bill because it recognizes the importance of police chief discretion in issuing rifle and shotgun licenses. Police chiefs are generally in the best position to know who in their community is a threat to themselves, their partners, families and public safety.
“As the law stands, I may know that my officers have been called to a house 15 times to respond to a dangerously mentally ill person or domestic dispute where no charges were filed, but still have to give this person a rifle or shotgun when they apply for one. It does not make sense. This is why I support police chief discretion, it’s just commonsense in order to keep our community safe.
“Gloucester is fortunate to have a senator on the conference committee for the two guns bills, I just hope our Senator Bruce Tarr will take this opportunity to protect his community rather than cater to National groups like the NRA.
“Mayor Kirk and I stand together in supporting the House version of this bill, and we urge others to do the same.”
July 18th, 2014. Engaging the residents with movement. The Gloucester COA Singing Seniors at the Harbor Light House in Beverly, directed by “Jayzee.”
To book the COA Singing Seniors, please contact Jayzee (Jorgelina Zeoli) at 978.768.7371 or jayzee.miracles@gmail.com
Hi Joey,
Ken Riehl suggested I contact you regarding our upcoming bike ride to benefit Neurofibromatosis Northeast. Coast to the Cure NF takes place on Saturday, September 6th. The event features both an On Road and Mountain Bike Challenge. The On Road course consists of three routes (24, 66 and 100) and begins and ends at Stage Fort Park. Participants from both rides gather at Stage Fort Park for a post ride barbeque. I’ve attached a press release on the event specifics. This is the second year the event has emanated from Gloucester. Up until now our riders consist of NF friends and families. Ideally we would like to attract more of a Gloucester following. I was hoping you provide assistance with spreading the word.
I’m grateful for any support you can provide.
Thanks so much,
Sonja
The 4th Annual Coast to the Cure, a bike ride featuring both On-Road and Mountain Bike Courses to benefit Neurofibromatosis Northeast, will take place on Saturday, September 6. The Road Course begins and ends at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester and offers three routes of varying lengths: 24, 64 and 100 miles. The route winds through the picturesque North Shore, home to beautiful ocean views and quaint small towns. The Mountain Bike Ride takes place at the Beverly Commons/Greenwood Forest in Beverly Farms (adjacent to Glen Urquhart School) with a course designed to meet requirements of all levels. Advanced riders will find high speed descent and technical climbs, while intermediate and beginner bikers will have alternative lines through a wooded 6 mile loop. At the rides conclusion, all participants enjoy a celebratory cookout at Stage Fort Park.
Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the nervous system that causes tumors to grow on the nerves anywhere in or on the body at any time and affects three times as many people than muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis combined. Proceeds from Coast to the Cure will go towards neurofibromatosis research.
Please call the Neurofibromatosis Northeast Office for more information (781) 272-9936 or visit the Neurofibromatosis Northeast website http://www.nfincne.org.
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Bees getting All Freaky Up In The I4C2 HarborWalk Plantings Done By Our Kim Smith
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Renee and Joe opening for Chelsea Berry.
Still time to come down to the Pavilion Tent at Cape Ann Marina. Seats still left.
-pvn, sent from my phone
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Martin DelVecchio’s Latest Downtown Gloucester Drone Video
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Community Call for HELP with the HarborWalk Gardens and a Photography Workshop Offer You Won’t Want to Miss!!
Okay so I’m in a bit of a bind, perhaps of my own making, but a bind nevertheless. Two years ago there was a formal nationwide public call for art for the HarborWalk. My grand idea was to purchase a projector and audio equipment for outdoor screenings and show films on an inflatable screen at I4-C2, along with creating a film for our community. I was a semi-finalist. I am happy to see the benefits to the community stemming from the success of movie nights and appreciate very much the time and energy that has gone into making this vision a reality.
The dilemma is that the gardens surrounding I4-C2 are not at all looking their best and invasive weed species are beginning to take over, as they have already claimed the adjacent plots of land. I’d like the gardens to shine and to be a place of pride for the City. They could look so, so much better than they do in their current condition. The butterfly gardens are a low-maintenance garden however they do need some maintenance. Having a public native plants garden in our community is a wonderful asset and provides tremendous educational opportunities. My hope is to eventually donate programs but we have to solve the garden’s maintenance crisis first and foremost. We don’t have an outside crew to take care of the gardens this year and the DPW I have learned has far too many other more important responsibilities. The group that was planning to help water realized that they had taken on too much and will not be helping this summer.
As a result, we are having a meeting (not weeding) of “Friends of the HarborWalk” this Sunday morning, July 27, at 9:00am, under the shade tree in front of the Gloucester House Restaurant, near the Schooner Lannon office. We are going to brainstorm about ways to fund basic needs for the gardens, for example, annually purchasing and applying compost/mulch to cut down on the weeding responsibilities. I am hoping businesses in the area that are benefiting directly or indirectly from movie night will also come and contribute their ideas, suggestions, and manpower.
And here is the deal. For the first ten people that sign up to become contributing members of the Friends of the HarborWalk, either through the comment section or by emailing me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com, I am giving a close-up photography workshop. We’ll hold the workshop in the garden and it will be identical to the one that I give at the Arnold Arboretum.
Bring your own coffee Sunday morning and we will provide the homemade doughnuts!
Blooming Today at the HarborWalk Butterfly Garden ~ Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet,’ or white milkweed, with skippers nectaring. There are over 140 different species of milkweed worldwide; 108 of these are found in North America.
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Classic
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The Lannon with Cape Pond Ice
Took this from the Gloucester House at their Art Show on Sunday. What a view.
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Carol McKenna Encounters Moolongz at Gloucester Harbor
Was lucky enough to catch this shot of Carol McKenna and her dog Zoe communicating with a Moolongz at Gloucester Harbor. They’re here. Can you see them?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1997277714/i-see-moolongz-a-strange-and-wonderful-guide-to-in
E.J. Lefavour
http://www.hobbithousestudio.com
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The Ghost Chair, Believe it or Not
The Ghost Chair, Believe it or Not
We’ve been doing a little remodeling, adding hardwood floors, 2nd Bathroom etc.
They (Certified Ghost Hunters) say that when you remodel it may awake spirits that are disturbed that your changing their habitat. This seems to be the case with our Rocking Chair. Sometimes when watching TV it will start rocking slowly then increase speed. I did a little experiment. I asked the Chair a few questions. One question always gets a response. The question is “do you like people sitting on you? It always speeds up when asked this. Any GMGer’s have similar experiences? There must be with Gloucester being founded in 1623. Let us know.
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Block Party July 19
I hope this is better late than never!
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Lord of The Doinka Flat Out Owning Bass Rocks
Good Morning Gloucester 