Please keep in mind this post comes from a humble mother, whose son had a trip to the ER for stitches doing something similar…on a MUCH smaller scale….when he was with me. So, this post isn’t a holier-than-thou-for-pete’s-sake-watch-your-kids-I-don’t-make-any-mistakes kind of post.
So…if you EVER see one of my kids screaming full throttle…smack down the middle of South Street in Rockport at 7:35 (meaning DUSK) on a scooter…with no helmet… like the young man that I had to swerve to miss last night…. please, please do your best to make him stop.
This particular young man…and I have no idea who he was…scared the day lights out of me, but also could have been really, really hurt. I’m not even necessarily meaning hurt by a vehicle, but hurt by something as simple as a pebble or a crack in the pavement that could have sent him flying through the air.
Oddly enough, I just had to have a reminder with my older son after watching a Go Pro video that he shot while biking around our neighborhood. I could tell by the video that he wasn’t looking over his shoulder to survey for cars behind him before crossing to the other side of the street. I’m so glad that I was able to show him the video to reinforce the lesson. Likewise, watching that boy last night gave me the opportunity to tell them what not to do, but I know they won’t always listen.
Sigh. Be careful kids. Please.
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A place where non-profit Cape Ann organizations can post press releases directly and then those press releases will be reposted to http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com . This is not an advertising space for businesses, fitness or wellness organizations, or music listings.
11th Staged Readings: 10-Minute Plays at Rocky Neck Cultural Center
Six ten minute plays written by participants in M. Lynda Robinson’s workshop at the Gloucester Writers Center will be presented at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center on Sunday, June 12, at 6pm with a reception to follow. The playwrights are: Shep Abbott, Jeana Grady, Ann McArdle, David McCaleb, Flinda Nix, M. Lynda Robinson, and Stan Spencer.
The GWC welcomes this opportunity to bring together writers and audience as a community event. The writers and professional local actors will present a lively show and are looking forward to response and feedback from the audience as part of developing their works from page to stage. Providing a space in the community for voices to be heard through writing, dialogue, and the artistic process is a big part of the GWC’s mission. Suggested donation for the event is $10, $5 for students, and no one turned away for lack of funds. Find out more about the Gloucester Writers Center at www.gloucesterwriters.org
HAPPY NATIONAL DONUT DAY!
Ok where’s my free donut?
I saw that DD is giving out “free” donuts.
But you have to buy something. So much for free.
Are there any other places on Cape Ann giving out “free” Donuts?
Please let me know.
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Landscape design work is keeping me away from beloved film projects (although I do love my work no doubts). I did mange this morning to go to Good Harbor Beach to check on the Piping Plovers, to Henry’s to see Mr. Swan, and to the marsh for the ducklings. There were two plovers awakening in the little GHB cordoned off sanctuary, feeding and chasing away intruders. Mr. Swan was chilling at Henry’s, and the three sweet duckling families I have been filming don’t appear to have lost any additional members.
Spending time at Good Harbor Beach filming the plovers before the beach has been cleaned has certainly been an eye opener. Although not even officially summer yet, every morning at daybreak I find the beach littered with an astonishing amount of plastic bottles, trash, food, and plastic bags. According to Rose Piccolo at the DPW, the cleanup crew arrives around 7am and typically has the beaches cleaned by 8:30am. They do a really truly phenomenal job of making our beaches look pristine and attractive before the 9am opening.
A most sincere thank you to Joe Lucido and the Gloucester DPW for a job well done.
An ongoing series of one-day contemporary art installations at the Historic White-Ellery House
The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present CURRENT by Tim Ferguson Sauder and Rob Alexander on Saturday, June 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the White-Ellery House in Gloucester. This collaboratively created installation will use sculpture to explore issues related to Cape Ann’s fishing industry. Tim Ferguson Sauder is design professor at Olin College and a resident of Lanesville; Rob is Creative Director of Office, a brand strategy and design firm based in San Francisco.
The White-Ellery House (1710), owned and operated by the Cape Ann Museum, has served as the backdrop for a series of one-day contemporary art installations since 2010. The House is located at 245 Washington Street in Gloucester and is free and open to the public on select Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each month from May through October as part of Escapes North 17th Century Saturdays.
Design/Build: The Drawings of Phillips & Holloran, Architects
Opening reception: June 4 On view: June 4 to October 9, 2016
This summer, the Cape Ann Museum presents a special exhibition exploring the work of Phillips & Holloran, one of Cape Ann’s most successful architectural firms. Design/Build will delve into the 300-plus sets of drawings they produced while in business from 1894 through the 1950s. The plans, which were given to the Museum in 2011, include drawings, blueprints and elevations of private residences, civic buildings, summer hotels, artist studios and commercial structures.
Working during a time that witnessed the professionalization of the field of architecture, the firm of Phillips & Holloran left an indelible mark on a substantial and important swath of Cape Ann’s built environment. Included in the collection are such recognizable and notable structures as the T.S. Eliot House on Eastern Point, sections of the Cape Ann Savings Bank on Main Street in Gloucester, the iconic Bent house in Annisquam, Spiran Hall in Rockport, the Pulsifer building at the corner of Beach and Union Streets in Manchester and the saloon built for Howard Blackburn on the east end of Main Street in Gloucester (pictured here).
The Museum will be partnering with Historic New England and other regional resources to provide a broad selection of programs and events designed to complement the exhibition—a full schedule can be found at http://www.capeannmuseum.org/events/exhibition-related-programming/.
Public Sculpture Walking Tours
at the Cape Ann Museum
Get your art fix outside.
The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present its first summer walking tour, this Saturday, June 4, focusing on the public sculpture we see around us every day. Participants will learn about art, history and culture all while enjoying the beautiful summer breeze afforded by Gloucester’s harbor.
Museum visitors on a Public Sculpture Walking Tour, 2015.
All tours begin at 10:00a.m. in front of the Cape Ann Museum. Guided walking tours are held rain or shine and last about 1½ hours; participants should be comfortable being on their feet for that amount of time. $10 Museum members; $20 nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Space is limited; reservations required. Call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org for details. Tickets can also be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Public Sculpture – June 4, July 2, July 9, August 13
Get up-close and personal with the sculptures you drive by every day. From works commemorating those who went to sea, to those who fought in war to those who changed the artistic landscape of Cape Ann forever—this walking tour will uncover the stories behind the public sculptures of Gloucester, including the unique processes of the artists who created them.
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Thursday night Ms. Cheryl Arena returns to Fred’s Coliseum in force! Yes, that lovable gal with the nasty harmonica and the big voice is ready to chase you back to whatever evil rock you’ve been lying under.
And, oops, I forgot to write down who the guitar player is, but rest assured you won’t be disappointed. Forrest “Forrest” Padgett will be the heartbeat du jour. My buddy Paul F’oss will be arriving by sled dog from the hinterlands of Bangor ME to tickle the ivories, and I’ll be on base with two men out.
40 Railroad Avenue
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283-9732
Back in April, guests lucky enough to attend the Cape Ann Reads program at the Rockport Public Library enjoyed a lecture given by Anita Silvey. She spoke about the development of the American picture book from her years of experience in children’s picture book publishing, editing and most recently as an author. If you went to the afternoon lecture, you would have heard about the staggering success of the Newbury honor awarded Millions of Cats, written and illustrated by Wanda Gag in 1928. (The first Caldecott wasn’t awarded until 1938.) I sold lithographs and wood engravings by Wanda Gag and worked with a few of her artist friends; she died young, aged 53. Gag’s artistic career was going well prior to this book. She was one of the most praised printmakers of the 1920s and 30s and had a solo exhibition at Weyhe Gallery in 1926. (A lot of her prints have cats in them, too.)
Gag’s brother created the wrap around hand-lettering for Millions of Cats, including the memorably repeated refrain: “Cats here, cats there, Cats and kittens everywhere, Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats.” The art and double page spreads revolutionized picture books. It had immediate and record sales. Silvey related that this book has the distinction of being the longest American picture book continuously in print, and that it was helped along by an editor. (Gag had abandoned a prior version in 1923.)
Anita Silvey with Cindy Grove, Director, Rockport Public Library, Cape Ann Reads lecture series. (Rockport Goes To War, WPA era mural by Sam Hershey)
What’s coming next for Cape Ann Reads?
Don’t miss this Saturday’s June 4 2016 round-trip double Story Walk for the whole family from 10am-2pm at the Manchester public Library and Manchester Historical Museum. Picture book lovers of all ages are invited to walk and read, and act the route together! The featured books are: Stella, the Star of the Sea by Mary Louise Gay and Storm Whale by Benji Davies.
Cape Ann Reads events are listed on the awesome Good Morning Gloucester arts calendar. For all the latest information and details, check the Cape Ann Reads website. Additional programs will be added to the calendar. Cape Ann Reads is a collaboration among the Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library, Manchester Public Library, Rockport Public Library and TOHP Burnham Library in Essex and regional partners. Check them out!
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Sunday, June 5th 10:00-4:00 rain or shine @ the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
$15 per car…member and non-member
Join us on Sunday, June 5 for a day of nature and fun. Featuring Marcia and Mark Wilson of Eyes on Owls.An unforgettable natural history experience for the whole family!
Among the many activities:
Live owl presentations throughout the day
Insect Zoo
Face-painting & Henna
Children’s games and activities
Craft demonstrations & sales
Butterfly Plant Sale
Food! Whoopie Wagon! Captain Dusty’s ice cream!
Raffle with lots of great items to choose from
Naturalist-guided walks & pond explorations
Guided tours of our butterfly & bird habitat gardens
Exhibits and activities on solar power, sustainability, & being green
Pick #2: Intro to Geocaching at the Cox Reservation
My boys and I love using our hand-held GPS to look for geocache boxes in our area. I’ve been meaning…and will eventually…do a blog post it. For now, I bet this event will be lots of fun!
Come experience the fun new sport of Geocaching, the web-based hide-and-seek game that is growing by leaps and bounds across the country!
Instructors will share how to use a GPS unit and astute powers of observation to find hidden caches at the Cox Reservation.
Learn strategies for locating cleverly hidden caches and Geocaching etiquette.
Along the way, we will also teach basic GPS skills, including creating waypoints and plotting a course. One GPS unit will be provided to be shared per family.
We love hopping on the Lady Jillian, going for a cruise around the harbor, listening to the informative tour, and maybe jumping off for a bite to eat, an ice cream, or a stroll through Rocky Neck before getting back on to head home.
Not only a great mode of transportation, but also an inexpensive way to spend some time on the water with the kids.
As always, for a more comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid
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I’m in Worcester, MA, attending the 2016 Smart Growth Alliance conference (I was an invited speaker at a prior conference.) The conference brings city planners, transportation and civic innovators, real estate and housing professionals, business leaders, non-profits, architects, Great Neighborhood and gateway cities, and –well, let’s just say a wide range of (primarily) policy folk.
It’s surprisingly enjoyable.
This year, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito is the key note speaker and we’ll hear from Worcester the host city. Other headliners include Michael Hogan President & CEO of AD Makepeace Company; Mayor Donna Holaday of Newburyport; Dan Burden the ‘walkability guru’; Parris Glendening former MD Governor and President of Smart Growth America’s Leadership Inst; Veronica Eady, VP Conservation Law Foundation; and Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Executive Director 128 Business Council. There will be more than 70 speakers. Attendees often fan out in groups to cover more panels. I’ll report back where I’ve landed.
One topic that will swirl in the background concerns housing and a landmark bill S.122 proposing changes to planning, zoning and permitting. The organizers support this in a big way. Director Andre Leroux writes, “We believe that the (legislators) have done a thoughtful job balancing the needs of municipalities, developers, and the environment. “
“With two-thirds of Millennials desiring to live in walkable, transit-accessible places at the same time that seniors shift to apartment living, suburban communities have a real test before them. Communities like Newtonville need to decide between planned growth and unplanned growth. For its peers like West Concord village, Winchester Center, Andover and Newburyport, the future is already happening.” Quite a dishy prompt.
This summer, the Cape Ann Museum presents a special exhibition exploring the work of Phillips & Holloran, one of Cape Ann’s most successful architectural firms. Design/Build will delve into the 300-plus sets of drawings they produced while in business from 1894 through the 1950s. The plans, which were given to the Museum in 2011, include drawings, blueprints and elevations of private residences, civic buildings, summer hotels, artist studios and commercial structures.
Good Morning Gloucester 