My View of Life on the Dock
Iâd say once a month someone calls the dock looking for an old used wood lobster trap they can put a piece of glass on and turn into a decorative coffee table. The answer for as long as I can remember has been âThe fishermen havenât used wooden traps forever.â
Now with this load of wooden lobster traps itâs the first one Iâve seen in a whole long time.
Bringing it back âOld Schoolâ at Captain Joe and Sons Lobster
74.8 pounds. That should be a pleasure to handle all day đ
Noah Tuleja (Hamel) and Amanda Collins (Dotty)
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night shows remain. For more information visit the fantastically easy to navigate Gloucester Stage Company website here.
Zena (played by Jennifer Ellis) could be my Seaside Heights Jersey girl cousin’s twin sister.
She is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!
Outstanding multi-character performance by Richard Snee
Images courtesy google image search.
Gloucester’s former deputy fire chief, Carl Ekborg, was reluctant for me to acknowledge his good work, but did you ever wonder why off-the-beaten trail beaches such as Brace Cove look so pristine? From one end of the beach to the opposite end, weekly Carl cleans the beach of the garbage that has washed ashore. This mound is only one half of today’s trash collection. THANK YOU CARL!
Please stop by this Sunday, July 19th and join Mary Faino at her shop in Rockport, The Paper Mermaid, along with me (aka S.D. Kelly) for a party in celebration of our new release: A Day in Rockport.
Mary created beautiful illustrations of iconic places throughout Rockport, and I wrote the text to go along with her work. It was a fun collaboration and we enjoyed the entire process, from choosing the places that would make it into the book — ranging from Millbrook Meadow to Bearskin Neck to the Headlands — to the more technical aspects of book design.
We’ll have locally-made treats at the party, a Scavenger Hunt, and a raffle to win a framed print of one of the illustrations in the book. Celebrate Rockport with us and stop by!
You may remember as part of my Electricity saving series we were there at the initial meeting between Brian and his solar adviser Kevin Pritchett read about it here
Well now after his install it’s up and running and the results are very rewarding!
Sign up to have your home evaluated for Solar by the same company Brian used who do all the paperwork and get you all the financial subsidies and incentives.
Watch the video where Brian he has zero reservations recommending anyone doing it. He says that everyone from the company from his advisor right on down through the installers were spot on and he’s really happy with the work and most importantly the savings.
SIGN UP HERE-
Here’s the progression-
Back In January we were there when Brianâs Solar Advisor Kevin Prickett came by to look at Brianâs house and make recommendations. Here is what he had to say back in January-
Hi Joey, Just a quick follow on Brian and Diane OâConnorâs Solar evaluation. Brian and Dianeâs home has qualified and they have decided to put rooftop solar on their home in Gloucester. (Only 15% of homes in MA are eligible.) Because of their homeâs orientation to the sun and other factors, their entire cost will be covered by various federal, state and utility incentives. In fact they will actually be making money over and above their cost. And getting 90% of their electricity for free. If anyone else would like to find out if their home qualifies, I just need their contact information and our techs will initially rate the home via satellite. If it qualifies, we can up with a time for us to talk about how it all works. (About 90 mins.) I am in the process of working with several other Gloucester residents and will keep you posted on their progress. Many thanks for your continued support, Kevin Prickett Solar Advisor
As you can see itâs all come to fruition!
If you would like a completely free Solar evaluation to see if your house qualifies for the crazy amount of incentives and as Kevin states potentially 90% of your electricity for free, Fill Out The Form and They Will Contact You To Set It Up-
From just a few months ago in the snow for the evaluation when we took the video, to an Earth Day install, Brian’s gotta be psyched! Looking at the installation it looks like a super clean job.
Check Out Other Interesting Posts From www.goodmorninggloucester.com
Other Interesting Posts From the Dock Today-
BeeGee Brown Aboard The Mighty F/V Kathryn Leigh Landed It At Our Lobster Dock Captain Joe and Sons #GloucesterMA Today At 3:00PM
12th Row. Â He is so awesome!
If you are on Rocky Neck, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Romula Art Gallery, G6 on Madfish Wharf. Romula’s art is very unique, bold and done completely with her fingers – no brushes used. Many of her pieces represent street and restaurant scenes in Boston’s North End, but she also has some beautiful figurative work.
E.J. Lefavour
Help ocean alliance collect whale snot!
-pvn, sent from my phone
Lyon Wuagh Auto Group proudly presents the 4th Annual Bluefin Blowout tournament is taking place July 24 – 25th at Cape Annâs Marina & Resort. Join the Boston Bruins Foundation as they host a silent auction during the Brewfest to raise money for the Gloucester Education Foundation. LIVE music, food and several event sponsors products and services will be on display for all fishing enthusiasts to check out! http://www.bluefinblowout.com
James Eves, owner of Cape Ann GiclĂŠe, Fine Art Printing and Gallery, is GMG’s Arts Enthusiast and the Calendar Guy. To submit arts related press releases, photos of arts events or any arts related posts email: james@capeanngiclee.com.
To add an event to the GMG Cape Ann Calendar go here to see how to submit events.
Sunday July 26, 2015Â 6-8p.m.
Rain date Monday July 27, 6:30-8:30pm
Come and enjoy this sumptuous event of feasting and performance on the idyllic grounds of Windhover!
Bring your own picnic dinner and creative settings of plates, silver, glasses & napkins and join us at our
extravagant white-clothed table arrayed with flowers. The evening will be enhanced with mini-performances
from dancers and musicians, a complimentary champagne toast and bonbons!
Admission donation is $25 per person. Dress is colorful festive.
Please make a reservation by sending a check to:
Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, P.O. Box 2249, Rockport MA 01966
Location: 257 (R) Granite Street, Rockport MA 01966
For any questions, please contact:Â windhover@verizon.net or 978-546-3611
Windhover is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation and all contributions are tax deductible.
July 17th
preview 4-6pm
166 Essex Ave
Essex, Massachusetts
Auctioneer: Walt Kolenda
Hi Joey: I was hoping you could share with your readers what I would categorize as a near miss drowning story that my wife Ginger and I were involved in this past Sunday on our beautiful Annisquam River in an effort to bring awareness to the potential dangers of recreational boating along the river.
First a bit of background if you will. Ginger and I have grown up on the Annisquam for over 50 years and know its ins and outs, it quirks, and its beauty. One might call us âriver ratsâ. We have seen the use of the Annisquam change from years gone by when the old eastern rig trawlers used her for saving hours of transit time between the gulf of Maine and Ipswich Bay to Gloucester Harbor and the river had limited recreational use due to pollution, today the river is alive, as clean as it has ever been in our lifetimes, and recreational boaters flock to her shores. Unfortunately, not all of these boaters have local knowledge of the many facets of rivers and currents.
Ginger and I were transiting at no wake speed north bound approaching the area known as Jonesâs Creek. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for boating, as could be attested by the hundreds of fellow boaters enjoying the river and her sandy banks. At the time the current was in full ebb at the apex of Jonesâs and the Annisquam and the outbound current was flowing very strongly. As we neared the intersection we could not help but notice out of the corner of our eyes an orange object in the water off to port. For me, a 24 year USCG veteran, orange on the water only means one thing, some sort of lifesaving device. It was out of place. So I maneuvered across the boating traffic, which was heavy and moving both north and south, to investigate; we simply could not help ourselves. As we got closer it became apparent the orange was indeed a âPFDâ (Lifejacket) and as we got even closer we could see two heads, nothing more. Two folks were barely keeping their heads above water in the rapid current. It was apparent we had a life threatening situation on hands, and as we approached to within shouting distance, it was confirmed the two men were in extreme distress. Luckily we were able to come up on them, cut our outboard engine, and pull them aboard one at a time via our stern ladder. They were exhausted and clearly only minutes away from succumbing despite the fact that they were both physically strong individuals. They sat onboard with us for a while to catch their breaths and regroup as I idled in position. Once able to convey what had happened it was a scary but not untypical story.
It seems these men were not locals, had come to the Annisquam to enjoy the beauty of the day, get some swimming in, and simply have a great day. We were able to get them to tell us where they had come from and we proceeded to head for their boat. It was anchored properly out of the channel in what one would call a âgreat spotâ. As it was a hot day, one of the fellows dove off the back of the boat upon completion of getting the anchor set without evaluating the current and was quickly swept away. He tried in vain to swim back to the boat, against the current, which quickly sucked all energy from him. His friend, noticing his predicament, grabbed a life jacket (smart move), and dove in after him. He did reach his buddy, got the life jacket on him, and then tried in vain to swim them both back to the boat against the current. By the time he realized that that was not going to happen they were close to the river channel quite a distance from the shore. When we came upon them they were exhausted and had just grabbed a mooring pickup to keep themselves from going under.
There are so many lessons to be learned here, I have to share them with your readers.
⢠Once safely anchored, take some time to evaluate your surroundings, know and understand the depth of water and current. As one of my friends said later in the day, âthis is not a lakeâ.
⢠If you are going to swim off the back of your boat and you notice a current even ever so slight, trail a life line over the stern with a floating device attached to its end.
⢠Always keep a throw able device at the ready. This could have prevented the second guy from having to risk his life going after his buddy.
⢠If caught in a strong current, never ever try to swim against it. Allow the current to carry you and swim diagonally to the shore. You may have a bit of a walk to get back to your boat, but you will be able to walk, not swim with the fishes.
⢠In the above mentioned situation, the rescuer should have put on a lifejacket of his own before going after his buddy. There is no sense in the rescuer drowning as well.
⢠And this one a pet peeve of mine. NEVER EVER allow people near the stern of your boat with an engine/outboard running. I witness this foolishness dozens upon dozens of times daily when boating/beach season is in full swing.
⢠For all you boaters out their, always be aware of what is going on around you. I swear a dozen or more boats passed directly by these guys as they struggled to stay afloat.
After, we exchanged pleasantries, shared the above tips with our happy swimmers once we had them safely back on their own boat, we departed ways heading for beautiful Wingearsheek to claim our bit of sand for a few hours of fun in the sand and sun.
All in all a great afternoon on the River
Joe and Ginger McKechnie
These lovely Ladies have been friends for over 50 years, all graduates of St Annâs High School
Ladies from California visiting a friend in Rockport (far left)
Couple from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
A wonderful day on the Harbor on the Lady Jillian from Cape Ann Harbor Tours.
Clean Gloucester and The One Hour at a Time Gang along with Gloucester’s Clean Commission have put together an article regarding the problem with cigarette butt littering.
Cigarette Butts Are Litter Too!
Indoor smoking bans were created to protect the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke, which is great, but when smokers were moved outdoors, the butts went with them. Now the streets, sidewalks and beaches of Cape Ann have become an ashtray, but we can change that.
Wait, arenât cigarettes biodegradable? Tobacco and cotton fiber? If thatâs what you thought, youâre not alone. Cigarettes contain approximately 600 ingredients and more than 60 are known to cause cancer. Where do those chemicals go (besides in your body)? If you throw your butt on the ground they go into the environment. The filter alone is made of cellulose acetate that not only persists in the environment, it collects the harmful chemical additives that help make cigarettes addictive. Add that to water and youâve got a chemical soup.
But theyâre so small, how much harm can they do? Sadly cigarette butts are the most common marine debris found at shoreline clean-ups (we can personally attest to that). And thatâs just the beach. What about the butts that end up in our lakes, streams and wetlands?
What can you do if youâre not ready to quit?
Carry a portable or pocket ashtray outside
Litterers are more likely to litter when they see trash–it creates a sense that no one cares. Letâs show visitors that we care about our beautiful home.
– Gloucester Clean City Commission
Good Morning Gloucester 