My View of Life on the Dock
Took a late in the afternoon walk to Good Harbor Beach. Everyone I met or talked to was so respectful of our little plovers. Since all the negative things about what goes on with dogs at GHB, we have to remember that most of the time things are good. Most important thank you volunteers for helping keep these cuties safe.
Are you ready Gloucester for the return of the Joe Mack band. Joe played the DOG BAR once a month for five years he’s with his band at the Minglewood tonight 9 to 12 don’t miss it it’s going to be a great musical night.
I am More at the Paint Factory, Magnolia Library Indoor Yard Sale, and of course the beach.
Representing in Queenstown, New Zealand with “The Remarkable’s” Mountain Range in the background and Queenstown below.
Along with visiting our daughter at college during our recent trip to Australia, my wife and I spent a few days in Queenstown, New Zealand.
It’s the beginning of their winter season in New Zealand, and the views from the Stratosfare restaurant (which is only accessible via the Gondola) were quite remarkable! I Guess that’s where they got the name for this Mountain region…because they really are….Remarkable!
We also took a helicopter tour and landed on top of them!
Amazing to say the least!
Sistas in Glosta-town!!! We decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the Beauport. Loved the experience. The hotel is so nicely done and definitely a pampering experience. Eric was our server and he did an outstanding job. I enjoyed my cider margarita, even if they did think they needed to hunt down their cider stock!! The fish and chips were a treat for my upstate New York siblings. As a treat, it was a great choice. Thank you, Eric!
The Rockport Middle School production of Annie, Jr. received 7 nominations for Massachusetts Educational Theater Awards. Over 70 middle and high schools statewide participate in this program sponsored by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild and Broadway in Boston, in which 3 adjudicators evaluate each school’s musical, and in each category, they select just 5 nominees from among all productions in the entire state
This is the most nominations the RMS program has ever received in the six years it has participated in this program. The nominees are:
Best Lead Actor – Sebastian Lovasco
Best Lead Actress – Amanda Padre
Best Supporting Actor – Colin Kelley
Best Specialty Ensemble – The Orphans – Julia and Sophia Sekercan, Madison Mosley, Nora Rockwell, Anita Magee, Pilar Davis, Piper Englin
Best Sound Design and Execution – Abby Marshall and Ella Lorenz
Best Hair and Make-up Design and Execution – Eve Dizio and Sophie Renda
Best Overall Acting Ensemble – the entire cast
The winners will be announced and awards will be given out in the ceremony at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on June 23.
For a complete list of nominees and for more information on the METG and the MET Awards, go to https://metg.org/met-musical-awards-events/musical-awards-2018.html
Tridents G6 Fishermen Youth Soccer, U12 Division 1
Tridents travel to Pingree for the Essex County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA) Championships today.
Today, Congressman Seth Moulton, and United States Senators Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren, announced that the Army Corps’ 2018 Work Plan includes a $6 million federal grant for the Gloucester Harbor/Annisquam River dredging project. Moulton, Markey, and Warren have been advocating for this funding for over three years.
“Dredging the Annisquam River is a public safety priority,” said Moulton. “By making the channel more navigable, we will ensure that boaters can safely travel up and down the river. Dredging the river will also have a positive impact on commercial and recreational activities critical to Gloucester’s economic development efforts. I am grateful to our local and state leaders, who helped move this forward, and pleased to see that the Army Corps has listened to us and funded this project.””
“If we do not maintain Massachusetts’s rivers, channels, and harbors, we hitch an anchor to our economy,” said Markey. “I am proud that this federal funding will help improve the commerce, recreation, and safety of Gloucester, the harbor, and the Annisquam River. I thank Representative Moulton and Senator Warren for their partnership on this crucial project.”
“This new federal funding is wonderful news for Gloucester, the North Shore, and the Commonwealth,” said Senator Warren. “This dredging project will not only make the Annisquam River safer and more navigable, but will also help support the local economy. I was glad to partner with Senator Markey and Congressman Moulton secure this critical funding and I applaud the Army Corps for including it in their Work Plan.”
“Dredging the Annisquam River is critical for our economy, public safety, our quality of life, and the preservation of this incomparable natural resource,” said State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr Steadily increasing accretion continues to reduce the navigability of the channel, and that demands remediation as soon as possible. Getting it done requires collaboration, focus, and persistence. Our partnerships at the state, federal and local levels has driven our progress to finally get approval for this project.”
“I would like to start out by saying thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. It has been a combined effort from so many federal, state and local partners, departments and elected officials,” said TJ Ciarametaro Jr., Gloucester Harbormaster. “This truly is very exciting news, for not only the City of Gloucester but for the tens of thousands of boaters and professional mariners that navigate the Annisquam river every year. Over the last couple of years, the Annisquam River has become almost impassable during certain tides making it especially challenging for first responders to safely navigate in rescue situations, so from a safety point this is huge for us. We as a whole are looking forward to the dredging commencement and look forward to working with all the partners involved to ensure successful completion of this long awaited project”.
Andrew “Cowboy” McCloy submits-
Joe Lucido helps a snapping turtle across Nugent’s Stretch in Rockport Wednesday night around 7.
Photos by Andrew”Cowboy” McCloy
Gloucester’s Animal Control Officers Teagan and Jamie were on the scene at the crack of dawn at 4:30 this morning fixing the posts around the PiPl nesting area and writing tickets. Last night Jamie was on the beach as well. Thank you Jamie, Teagan, and Chief McCarthy for the stepped up patrolling.
The posts needed to be pulled out of the sand because last night we had yet another super high tide, all the way up to the bluff for most of the length of the beach.
I read a comment yesterday that stated falsely that the animal control officers make $80,000.00 a year and sit around and drink coffee all day. I have it on good authority that their combined incomes do not total $80,000.00 a year. Stating misinformation and disparaging the hard working people in our community is creating a false narrative and is hurtful to everyone involved, to the people, the dog owners, and to the shorebirds.
Teagan and Jamie writing tickets at dawn this morning.
We don’t have as much an enforcement problem as we do an issue with entitlement and ignorance. Ignorance in the sense that scofflaws may be from out of town and may be unable to read, and entitlement in that some people know the rules and know the dangers that dogs pose to the shorebirds, yet choose to do as they please.
Upon entering Good Harbor Beach this morning, the scofflaws with their dog walked by these three signs.
Walking a dog on a beach is a purely recreational activity. For teeny tiny nesting shorebird chicks, protecting that same beach habitat is a matter of life and death.
If you see a dog at anytime or anywhere on Good Harbor Beach, please call this number: 978-281-9900.
As of late, it appears as though many more people now have the need of a service dog. Having a service dog requires that it be on leash at all times, not jumping on people, and not running through the dunes. Service dogs cannot go in the dunes, or anywhere on the beach that is restricted to humans.
Would the people with service dogs consider taking their dog to any other of Cape Ann’s stunning beaches, rather than to Good Harbor Beach during shorebird nesting season I wonder? 
Folks getting ticketed and escorted off the beach.
Truly, the most important action people can take is to volunteer to help watch over the chicks. We have a number of folks posing as helpers but sadly, they are not actually volunteering for shifts. Two monitors on each shift would be ideal, but this year we have fewer volunteers, and don’t even have single person coverage during large chunks of time. Keeping watch over the baby birds will make a difference in whether or not the chicks survive. Anyone can be a volunteer and anyone of us can show you what to do. Finding people to help has been especially difficult on the weekends. Please contact kwhittaker@gloucester-ma.gov if you would like to lend a hand. Thank you so very much 
Six-day-old Piping Plover Chick
This morning’s dog tracks at Good Harbor Beach – Dog tracks are easy to spot and to differentiate from other canids (fox and coyote). For example, notice the sharp toenail indentation. Coyotes have rounded toe tip prints because they wear their nails down.
Dog tracks Good Harbor Beach
Look what other tracks were spied this week, deer! These too are easy to spot in the sand. The deer’s cloven hoof makes a broken heart shape.
White-tailed Deer Tracks Good Harbor Beach
Today’s early morning Good Harbor Beach view of Thacher Island Twin Lights
Last night the GHB volleyball players group appeared to be larger than usual yet, despite that, there wasn’t an ounce of trash left on the beach. Typically what happens after a large group gathering on the beach is that the gulls descend en masse, eating and dragging all over the beach the food and garbage that is left behind. It becomes particularly difficult for the PiPl parents to keep the chicks safe from the hovering and deadly dangerous gulls and crows. Keeping the beach clean helps tremendously in keeping the gulls away. Thank you!
Phil Cucuru and Mike Tarantino installing the sign board.
Thank you again to the Gloucester DPW, and again to Phil Cucuru and Mike Tarantino. The repaired footbridge looks beautiful and the signage placement is very noticeable. We are grateful to Phil, Mike, Joe Lucido, Tommy Nolan, Kenny Ryan, Newt, Cindy, and the entire DPW and Good Harbor Beach crew for their outstanding effort in helping our PiPl family, since when they first arrived, way back on April 3rd. Their assistance, interest, and kindness is making a difference. Thank you ❤
That’s City Councilman Scott Memhard walking the footbridge to check on the PiPl. So sorry to Scott for not getting a better photo.
Over at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum on Friday, these great 8th graders launched 2 more boats. The faces on these kids speaks volumes of how much fun and educational this experience is. The teachers who were there, I wish I had them in 8th grade. Thank you to the Essex Shipbuilding Museum for all your experience and to Teacher Dave Brown and Amy Donnelly for your dedication to these students. It was also so wonderful to see Harold Burnham watch some future boat builders launch their creations.
Pilot House sushi is back. Not only is Pilot House known for having some of the best sushi on this island but their presentation is amazing! They serve sushi Tuesday through Sunday starting at 5:30 p.m. Drop in and give it a try you won’t be disappointed!
Avocado Ball: inside tempura with crab and salmon. One of the tastiest things I’ve ever ate.
Shrimp Tempura roll with a great presentation
Stop by for the keno, stay for the sushi
Fun! Special delivery donation for Sawyer Free Children’s library from good egg, Ellen B
Music on Meetinghouse Green is back: Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation announces their 2018 line-up
First up Berklee Be-Bop Guitars on July 6 to benefit Pathways for Children
More info: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org
Good Morning Gloucester 