Sending our heartfelt condolences to the Nesta Family. John will be deeply missed by his Rocky Neck community of family and friends, and by all who knew him.
John L. “In Love With My Next Painting” Nesta, 72, Prominent Cape Ann Artist, of Gloucester. Husband of Jennifer S. (Miles) Nesta, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, September 14, 2017. John had a gallery in The Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester, MA for over 40 years. He is survived by his loving family. His visiting hours will be held on Monday, September 18, from 5-7 p.m. in the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington St. Gloucester, MA. John’s service will be held on Tuesday, September 19 at 10 a.m. in the Greely Funeral Home. Burial will be held privately. A reception will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in the Rocky Neck Cultural Center, 6 Wonson St. Gloucester, MA at 2:30 p.m. Friends and acquaintances are all cordially invited to these gatherings. Online condolences may be given at: www.greelyfuneralhome.com Greely Funeral Home Gloucester, MA. 978-283-0698
Published in The Boston Globe on Sept. 17, 2017
John Nesta and Son Dom tool around the harborEntrance to the John Nesta Gallery on Rocky Neck
Photos courtesy Good Morning Gloucester photo library.
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Hockey & Figure Skating Group Lessons for hockey and figure skaters taught by professional skating coaches certified by USA Hockey and US Figure Skating Associations. Tuesdays 6 pm & Saturdays Noon. Classes held at Talbot Rink for Boys and Girls ages 4-12, Teens, Tiny Tots ages 2 1/2 & up, and Adult only classes. Classes start this week but run through spring. Start anytime in any session with our prorated late start. More ice times & days are available for private lessons. Bring your friends for skating fun! For more information see our website at www.cafsc.org or emailcapeannskating@yahoo.com.
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It’s “All Wired,” my new sculpture, made from 3,000 metal hangers! You’re invited to see it and the works of 37 other artists at the “Tension – Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay 2017” show at Maudslay State Park, Curzon Road, Newburyport.
The show runs through Sept. 30th. The Opening Reception is this Saturday, Sept. 16, 2-5pm with a group tour starting at 2.
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NEW YOUTH ACTING WORKSHOP PROGRAM TO BEGIN AT GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY
FALL Session 2017 Starts on
Friday, September 22 For Children &
Saturday, September 23 For Teens
Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops is accepting students 5-18 for the Fall Session. The six week Youth Acting Workshop Fall Session meets for a total of four hours per week through Saturday, October 28. The Fall Session features expanded class hours & lower tuition. The Fall 2017 Session curriculum features Acting Instruction taught by award winning actress, Harvard graduate and Gloucester native Heidi Dallin; plus instruction in Lighting Design; Stage Management; Costume Design; Acting Shakespeare and special classes taught by Education Apprentice Annika Schultz in Prop Construction, Devising Theater and Play Writing.
Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops are designed to provide young people an outlet to nurture their creative potential through developing self-confidence, communication and teamwork skills to use in their daily life as well as introducing them to the skills necessary for professional theatre.
Registration is open for the FALL 2017 Session. Students are divided in classes according to age. The Children’s Class (ages 5-9) meets Fridays,4-6pm and Saturdays, 11-1pm. The Teen Class (ages 10-18) meets Saturdays, 9-1pm Class size is limited and registration is on a first come basis. For class times and schedules and to register, call 978-283-6688 or visit www.gloucesterstage.com.
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Carl Jung spent his lifetime exploring the relationship of our individual existence to the Grand Cosmology of the world around us. He addressed simple questions which are still being asked today. What is our relationship to ourselves, to others and to the world of nature around us? As much as Jung was an academic his journey was very personal as well. We are going to explore “Jung’s Map of Soul” by Murray Stein as a way to find “tangible spiritual tools” to add more depth, understanding and to celebrate our own creative lives. Call David Calvo for more info 978-283-0231
It will be led by: Patricia Vesey-McGrew, MA, NCPsyA is a supervising and training analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute Boston, where she is past president and a faculty member. Additionally, she is Deputy Editor (US) on The Journal of Analytical Psychology, a member of the Council on Accreditation and Board of Trustees of ABAP and a past member of the NAAP Board of Directors.
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The following post was shared by my sweet friend and GMG reader Lois. Thank you so much Lois!
During the last week of August, Regional Scientist Robert Buchsbaum and several Mass Audubon naturalists and scientists took a field trip to Conway Hills Wildlife Sanctuary just west of the Connecticut River in Conway, MA. While there, they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. Here’s Robert’s report:
“The initial goal of our exploration was to document the odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) that are present at this sanctuary. Conway Hills is a relatively new sanctuary for Mass Audubon so our records of species that occur there is still a work in progress.
While rambling through a big field in the center of the sanctuary, we couldn’t help but notice the large number of monarch butterfly caterpillars that were feasting on the milkweed plants in the field. Just about every one of the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plants had a Monarch caterpillar on it, busily chewing on leaves.
This was very heartening to all of us, given how scarce Monarch butterflies were last summer and the overall concern about the future of this stunning butterfly.
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LOOK AGAIN: Four Painters Interpret the Landscape of Cape Ann
September 14, 2017 – October 15, 2017
Opening Reception:
Friday, September 15, 2017, 4-6 pm
The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck
6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
Gallery Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12-4 pm
Free of charge
K_Coakley_NightShore_oil
K_Koch-weser_LastLight_oil
L_Slingluff_AtlanticPathRockport_oil
N_LeGendre_TidalPool_oil
The Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is pleased to present the exhibition, Look Again:Four Painters Interpret the Landscape of Cape Ann at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street in Gloucester. The public is invited to view the work during the gallery hours, Thursday through Sunday, 4-6 PM. The Cultural Center is wheelchair accessible.
In Look Again, Katherine Coakley, Karen Koch-Weser, Nancy LeGendre and Leigh Slingluff explore intention, vision, structure and beauty while painting en plein air out-and-about on Cape Ann. The public is invited to meet the artists at the opening reception on Friday, September 15, 2017, 4-6 pm. Light refreshments and beverages will be served.
When asked why they are motivated to paint landscapes of Cape Ann, Nancy LeGendre offered, “The rocks, cliffs, sea and sky are timeless. We are responding to the beauty that surrounds us and we expect the work to mirror a part of that beauty back to the viewer.” Each artist has a unique way of seeing and working, and this is evident in the individual work. She adds, “The elements of a scene that attract our attention differ, as well as how we manipulate line, space, color, and brush work to express emotion. Each painting is a unique recreation of light, pattern and form”. Happily, there’s always more than one way to see. Look Again at these painted surfaces to rediscover beauty and joy in our familiar landscape.
Look Again invites you to reconnect with your surroundings. Rocks, sky and sea dissolve and reappear in light, pattern and form; looking anew leads to rediscovery.
Leading Thoreau Scholar Comes To Gloucester Jeffrey S. Cramer to speak at the Cape Ann Museum
Image credit: Tom Hersey, 2017.
The Sawyer Free Library, Cape Ann Museum and Gloucester Writers Center are proud to present a public lecture celebrating the 200th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau’s birth (July 12, 1817) on Saturday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cape Ann Museum( 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester). Jeffrey S. Cramer, Thoreau scholar and author of The Portable Thoreau, presents Thoreau’s Resistance. This program has a suggested donation of $10; reservations are appreciated and can be made at capeannmuseum.org.
In Thoreau’s Resistance, Cramer claims that Henry David Thoreau’s arrest for non-payment of his poll tax in July 1846 is one of the most famous instances of individual resistance to government. The essay Thoreau wrote from his experience is the central text for all discussions that there are higher laws and moral principles to which every citizen of the world is obligated. Thoreau was long an advocate for individual resistance to deal with political issues, but it would be a mistake to treat Thoreau’s stance as self-involved or even strictly self-serving, because it is through observing the self that we can observe society, it is through the “me” that we can understand the “not me,” and it is by way of the individual the world can be changed. As Emerson wrote in “History”: “Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind, and when the same thought occurs to another man, it is the key to that era. Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.” Thoreau wrote to and about his contemporaries, and we are his contemporaries as long as we continue to think as his neighbors did. Thoreau’s writings are, and will remain, contemporary texts as long as we read but fail to comprehend, study but fail to learn.
Jeffrey S. Cramer is one of the world’s leading Thoreau scholars, about whom Jim Flemming, of Wisconsin Public Radio, said, “Jeffrey Cramer lives and breathes Thoreau. He may know more about the bard at Walden Pond than anyone else alive.” He is the editor of Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition (Yale University Press, 2004), The Portable Thoreau (Penguin, 2012), The Quotable Thoreau (Princeton University Press, 2011), Essays by Henry D. Thoreau: A Fully Annotated Edition (Yale University Press, 2013) and other works. He has appeared on various radio and television programs, including “On Point with Tom Ashbrook,” WUMB-Boston’s Commonwealth Journal, Wisconsin Public Radio’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” and C-SPAN’s Book-TV. He is also the Curator of Collections at the Walden Woods Project’s Thoreau Institute Library.
For a full list of other citywide events celebrating Henry David Thoreau please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Flatrocks Gallery is honored to present
Roger Martin:
Woodcuts and Unseen Works
September 14th – October 15th. Opening Reception :Saturday, September 16th 6-8pm.
9×10, Woodcut, 1972
Pebble Beach, 20 x 12, woodcut, 1973
Born in Gloucester in 1925, and raised in Rockport, Roger Martin’s roots run deep in granite and the sea. His paternal ancestors came from the Azores, and his mother’s from Finland at the beginning of the 20th century. After a stint in the Coast Guard, Roger returned to his home town in 1953, vowing never to leave.He kept that promise. Over his lifetime he served his community as a public school teacher, volunteer fireman, deputy forest warden, and as a member of Rockport’s Planning Board and Board of Appeals. He wrote three books about the history of Rockport and two books of poetry devoted to his town. He was the first poet laureate of Rockport. After graduating from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston he began his artistic career as an illustrator, contributing work to publications such as The New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Atlantic Monthly. Over the course of his career, he aligned himself with other artists looking for new modes of artistic expression and, in 1970, was one of seven North Shore artists to establish the Monserrat School of Art. He went on to teach there for twenty years, leaving an indelible legacy of encouragment and support.
This Flatrocks Gallery exhibit, the first after his passing, focuses on Martin’s woodblock prints. The medium brought him back to his roots as an illustrator. The solid strong forms, the lively, active line, and rich flat colors are quick to engage the viewer. His work reflects a reverence for the Cape Ann landscape, and evokes a simpler time, a small-town life, surrounded by granite and salt water. Roger Martin will be remembered as one of Cape Ann’s most distinguished and creative artists.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, September 16th 6-8pm. Flatrocks Gallery, 77 Langsford St., Gloucester. Visit www.flatrocksgallery.com for more information.
National Book Tour Comes to Cape Ann
Meet the author and illustrator of BIG MACHINES: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton
“From the start of my becoming an author, I dreamed of paying homage to Virginia Burton’s vision, talent, and enduring characters, and hoped to introduce her work to a new generation of readers. Truly, the release of BIG MACHINES will be a dream come true.”
– Sherri Rinker, author
Image courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to welcome BIG MACHINES: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton author Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrator John Rocco on Sunday, September 17 at 2:00 p.m.. Rinker and Rocco will talk about the inspiration and artistic process behind their tribute to Virginia Lee Burton. Books will be available for sale in the Museum Shop and a book signing will follow the presentation. This program, geared towards adults, is free and open to the public. Space is limited. First come; first served. For more information visit www.capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10.
Two of today’s best-selling picture book creators collaborated in a loving tribute to the woman behind some of the world’s most iconic children’s books. In BIG MACHINES: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton(Pub date: 9/5/2017; HMH), Sherri Duskey Rinker and John Rocco celebrate Jinnee, as she was known in her Folly Cove neighborhood, and her classic books, including The Little House and the beloved Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Burton has a unique role in contemporary culture – not everyone knows her name, but most know her books. For generations, her stories about big machines with friendly names like Mary Ann, Maybelle, and Katy have delighted readers. Her books have sold over 4 million copies in 15 languages worldwide, and a documentary of her life, Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place aired on PBS stations nationwide.
Rinker’s breezy, child-centric language chronicles the spark of Jinnee’s creativity that led to each character and story, while at the same time highlighting her love of her own, most special creations: her sons. Rocco’s innovative illustrations depict Burton working on her art in a whirl of activity, almost as if dancing through the process with her trademark grace; with his own distinctive style, he has captured the timeless look and energy of Burton’s books. The impeccable design of BIG MACHINES is an elegant homage to Burton, as well, with an abundance of white space and room for artfully placed text.
Sherri Rinker, a former graphic designer, is the author of the number one best-selling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site; Mighty, Mighty Construction Site; and Steam Train, Dream Train, among others. Her own childhood love of The Little House, along with her sons’ obsessions with Mary Anne, Maybelle, Choo Choo and Katy, led her to writing children’s books, so it is fitting that she has now written this biography. Rinker does numerous school visits around the country each year to show children the power that books can have. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, a professional photographer, and sons. Find more at sherririnker.com.
John Rocco is a New York Times best-selling author of many acclaimed books, including Blackout, a Caldecott Honor recipient, Wolf! Wolf!, and the young adult novel Swim That Rock, which was a New England Book Award finalist. He is the illustrator of the covers for Rick Riordan’s internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. A former art director in the entertainment industry, Rocco has worked with and done projects for Dreamworks, Walt Disney Imagineering, the Newsroom in Washington, D.C., and Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington. Find more at roccoart.com.
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Commander Mark Nestor welcomed the city’s Tourism Commission to the Capt. Lester S Wass American Legion Post 3, Gloucester, MA. Gloucester Congressman A. Piatt Andrew (1873-1936) founded the American Field Service and was instrumental in forming the National American Legion at this post. It’s the third oldest in the country, and its 100th anniversary in 2019 is fast approaching.
The building and legion accommodate thousands of visitors annually. The building itself was constructed ca.1844 and is one of the greatest examples of residents crowd sourcing together to purchase a municipal building. The architecture serves an enduring patriotic role: first as a Town Hall, then school, and since WW1 the Legion Post 3.
Nestor expressed gratitude for the city. This past summer they restored the wood floors, which brightened the space from the everyday black/brown grime of the past 20 years. They’ve greatly improved the space and display. A museum mount for the handwritten contemporaneous Official City Clerk copy of the WW1 army and navy register is a high light. A writer has already relied on it for original research.
The Legion is open to the community and rented for private events. There is a private recreation room for veterans which is under renovation. Upkeep and care of the building is ongoing.
CAN YOU HELP SOLVE THE WW II SHIP’s BELL MYSTERY?
Can you help identify the WWII naval vessel? The bell belonged to Reverend John J. Sheehan who was a Navy Chaplain. “It’s believed the bell was from the vessel he served on, but the ship remains unknown.” Sheehan’s cousin donated the ship bell to the Post. From the Legion’s plaque:
“After World War I, Reverend Sheehan served as Director at Camp Stella Maris for more than 40 years. It was a summer camp for youth located in West Gloucester. Its name is inscribed on the bell. Reverend Sheehan was also the National Chaplain for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also served as Pastor in a number of Catholic parishes on the north shore. The bell was dedicated to a Stephen Chamberlin. Stephen Chamberlin was a Ret. Lieutenant General who served in the army during WWII and was the Asst. Chief of Staff,G-3 in General Douglas Macarthur’s General Headquarters in the southwest Pacific area. His relationship to Reverend Sheehan is unknown.”
Thanksgiving deliveries Nov 2015
Mark Nestor Thanksgiving Nov 2015
The commemorative coin celebrating the Capt Lester S Wass Post No. 3 100th anniversary and the Cape Ann Veterans Services coin are for sale.
Adam Curcuru, Director Cape Ann Veterans Services, attended the meeting and remarked how great it was “to see our Veterans organizations being utilized to support our great communities.”
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He was a wonderful artist and always enjoyed visiting his studio on Rocky Neck. We will miss seeing his truck all around town as he painted beautiful works of art.
RIP
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So the 64 geese move out of the way, the bathrooms will be opened, and Gloucester’s O’Maley middle school sports fields are a beautiful backdrop for spectators. Come see the games!
JV 2 home games
Tuesday September 19, 4PM, vs Malden
Monday October 2, 4PM, vs Danvers
Thursday October 5, 4PM, vs Beverly
Friday October 13, 4:30PM vs Medford
Monday October 16, 4:00PM vs Everett
Tuesday October 24, 4:00PM vs Somerville
Friday October 27, 4PM vs Marblehead
Wednesday November 1, 4PM vs Peabody
Thursday November 2, 4PM vs Revere
All the fields are in steady use. Gloucester Public School GHS practices and games for many sports utilize the fields year round, boys and girls. Flag Football (not GPS-GHS run) use the fields on the weekends. Community members walk and run to stay in shape. I wish it was used for recess and gym. Thank you to volunteers and donors who added amenities and care with the city for super green spaces city wide. Some of the good eggs that helped O’Maley are mentioned on the contributors sign of the Sandy Tucker Memorial Building, “Home of the Riverdale Rockets.”
The landscape design was well done when the school was built. Dramatic skies and expansive natural amphitheater are memorable bleachers.
Early vision proposal for Mill River area that became O’Maley is pretty accurate to the built out site (30 acre+ middle school site was estimated to cost $4,500,000 in 1971 which roughly equates to 28 million in 2017.) I’ll write more about the history of the O’Maley design and properties.
JV2 warming up
Before the game begins, geese are midfield, non-plussed at the action on the edge.
Lunch has always been an issue for me while working. When I was still teaching it was hard to find the time to run out to get something quick…yet healthy. I fully admit that I drop the ball each weekend in shopping for myself between all of the boys’ activities and shopping for their favorite foods. Freddy also does most of the grocery shopping….and while he would certainly pick up whatever I ask for…I never really know what I want when he offers.
Last year, as part of the Administration, my work load changed significantly, but my schedule became much more flexible. The new normal for me was to run out to Tendercrop Farm in Wenham on Mondays to buy my staple list of lunch foods. That usually consisted of some cherry tomatoes, a couple of avocados, some yummy bread, blueberries, a great wedge of cheese, some apples, and figs. While delicious and healthy….it actually wasn’t incredibly affordable…and there were plenty of Mondays that I simply couldn’t get away from my desk.
Daily Harvest Smoothies had been appearing in my Facebook Feed off and on for months. A couple of weeks ago I finally decided to take the plunge. I created an account, custom designed my delivery box, and eagerly awaited my 24 meals to come directly to my office.
Monday deliveries weren’t an option, but now every 4th Wednesday I can look forward to a giant box of YUM. 24 individual smoothie mixtures and “overnight oats” get delivered with dry ice in super cute cups. After taking some photos, of course, I tucked them away in a freezer.
I was so excited yesterday afternoon to pick a flavor, throw it in my blender with some coconut milk, and see how they really tasted. I’m not going to lie….I was keeping my expectations low. First of all….despite the website photos that looked like the individually packaged cups would be chock full of “real” fruits, vegetables, etc….I kind of envisioned them actually looking more like the dry, fine, veggie dip mix kind of deal. Boy was I wrong….and pleasantly surprised!!
Check out the photos! Maybe not super cheap….but incredibly convenient, healthy, and delicious!! Highly recommend!
In addition to the smoothies I ordered some “Overnight Oats.” Also super easy….take one out of the freezer, remove cover, add liquid of your choice, and store in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight…and then blend and enjoy the next day. I haven’t tried one of those yet…but look forward to having one about the same time this post airs.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Liberty Tree Mall, Danvers
The 10th annual A Reason to Ride bike-a-thon will take place on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 75 Sylvan Street in Danvers. Register today at areasontoride.com.
A Reason to Ride started out as a labor of love for brain cancer survivor and grateful Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) patient, Tom DesFosses. Along with his wife, Judy, their close friend, Bob Barry and numerous grateful patients, friends, and family, they launched A Reason to Ride in 2008 to raise funds for Eric Wong, M.D., and the Brain Tumor Fund. Join us each year as we continue our efforts to support the critical research being done, leading to better treatments and someday a cure.
A Reason to Ride presented by Fuddruckers is an annual bike-a-thon with the option of 10- 25- or 50-mile bike rides through the north shore towns of Danvers, Beverly, Wenham, Essex, and Gloucester to benefit cancer care and research at BIDMC. The family-friendly event also features a trike-a-thon for kids, a Fuddruckers cookout, raffles, music, a car show, and much more.
Each year the ride draws an increasing number of riders, participants, and supporters and has surpassed its ambitious fundraising goals. In 2011, Tom and Dr. Wong expanded the ride to support other cancer areas within BIDMC. They recognize that cancer touches everyone’s lives in different ways and A Reason to Ride could continue to grow by joining forces with other grateful patients and supporting their personal connections to BIDMC’s cancer center.
Since its start in 2008, the ride has raised more than $610,000. These funds have supported research initiatives and lab researchers. Dr. Wong and his team of researchers recently completed and published research papers with findings that directly impacted brain cancer patients’ treatments at BIDMC and beyond. They also investigated the function of cerebrospinal fluid, the clear fluid that occupies the space around the brain and found that the fluid is an important channel for the body to send signals to promote growth and brain tumor development. The implications for how this knowledge could influence future research and care are yet to be uncovered, but the potential is exciting. Continued funding will allow research such as this to continue and could accelerate the discovery of improved cancer treatments and hopefully someday, a cure.
The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce hosts the premiere giveaway night on Cape Ann: The $25,000 Game. A total of $25,000 is given away including- one Grand Prize of $10,000!
Tickets are going fast but we still have some left. They can be purchased at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. Call or stop by to purchase yours today! 978-283-1601.
12 CHANCES TO WIN
Grand Prize: $10,000
Second Prize: $5,000
Third Prize: $2,500
Fourth Prize: $1,000 (6)
Fifth Prize: $500 (3)
The $25,000 game also features a 50/50 raffle, door prizes and much more! Tickets are sold for $100 each and grant you and a guest entrance the night of the event. Only 500 tickets are sold – BEST ODDS ON CAPE ANN!
Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
33 Commercial Street, Gloucester
Born in Gloucester in 1925, and raised in Rockport, Roger Martin’s roots run deep in granite and the sea. His paternal ancestors came from the Azores, and his mother’s from Finland at the beginning of the 20th century. 
Good Morning Gloucester 