Month: August 2018

Women to Women – small business donation drive for women in active duty

Posted on by Catherine

Roughly 20% of each branch of the Military is Women –  Woman-Owned Businesses along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway great idea donation drive in the works on Cape Ann

women to women 2 sign

We will have the boxes in shops Labor Day Weekend  thru Columbus Day. Any money donations will go towards the shipping of the boxes overseas. We will have a pick up date also with www. operationtroopsupport.com by the end of October.

As of August 11, 2018, the following Women Owned Businesses will have the boxes in their shops:

Pauline’s Gifts Gloucester
Essex Bird Shop and Pet Supply   Essex
Sea Meadow Gifts and Garden   Essex
Olde Ipswich Shop and Gallery   Essex
Bookstore Gloucester
Cape Ann Olive Oil  Gloucester
Premier Imprints   Gloucester
Roamin’ Baths Mobile Pet Spa On The Road all over Cape Ann

 

 

Reenactors, Swimmers, and Roadies: Busy morning Gloucester harbor

Posted on by Catherine

And the Block party tonight!

“Landing” – before Battle of Gloucester Reenactment – for great photos of the event, see Bridgette Matthews photos from event here on GMG  and Manny Simoes photos on GMG.

Landing of reenactors_First Battle of Gloucester Reenactment _20180811_c ryan

 

swimmers check in before the 40th annual Celebrate Clean Harbor Swim at Niles Beach, kids swim up first

 

 

 

Stage Fort Park – annual Gloucester Blues Festival preps for the music

temporary fence in place for Gloucester Blues Festival_20180811 ©c ryan

and the Block party tonight!

 

Hiding in Plain Sight

Posted on by Pat D

Monarchs in the backyard. It’s great to see them again. Peek-a-boo! I see you…

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If you look carefully on the right side of the photo, you will see the bee that startled Monarch away.

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It’s hard to stop. I love the contrast of color provided by Mother Nature.

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MIXED: A Cocktail Competition to benefit Action Inc.!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

megmerlinaction's avatarCape Ann Community

MIXED

There can be only one: 8 bartenders, 4 rums, one winner. Join us as 8 of the North Shore’s best bartenders battle to create the ultimate cocktail. You’ll watch as they mix their drink for the judges and you’ll get to sample some of the cocktails for yourself and help crown the “crowd favorite”.

While you’re sampling cocktails, Mile Marker One will provide some hearty appetizers (included in the ticket price) and post-competition, enjoy the live band we’re bringing with us!

It gets better: Proceeds from the night will benefit Action Inc, a non-profit based in Gloucester that offers affordable housing, homelessness prevention, fuel assistance, energy conservation programs, education and job training.

Purchase tickets here!

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Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim Festival this weekend Niles Beach SCHEDULE

Posted on by Catherine

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Fun spectator sport even if you’re not out there! And for this special 40th anniversary it’s a two day affair. Here’s the schedule for the  (already) registered folks for  friends and fans who’ll cheer them on.

SATURDAY AUGUST 11, 2018

8:15 – SAFETY Director will meet with Kayakers/Lifeguards.
8:45 – MANDATORY Meeting for coaches, officials, and swimmers
8:00- 8:45 WARM UP

Events 

1. 8-12 year old  boys/girls 500 meter –  Event starts: 9:00 A.M. 
The race will consist of a 500m course which will be along the beach and back around green buoys   Shallow water start and shoreline finish. 

2 .  Open Men/Women 1.2 mile – Event start: 9:30 or 10 minutes after the final swimmer finishes the 500 m event.  The course will be a rectangle, starting in shallow water. The swimmers will swim approximately 0.55 miles out from the beach to a buoy where they will make a 90 degree turn to the left, keeping the buoy on your left. The second leg will be approximately 0.1 miles, and the swimmers will make another 90 degree turn keeping the bouy on their left. The swimmers will then proceed to swim back to Niles beach and finish at the orange buoy at the shore/finish line.

NEW THIS YEAR – SUNDAY EVENT

The 10 Mile Celebrate the Clean Harbor Relay.
6:30 a.m. Registration/Check in opens
7:15 a.m. Safety Meeting. 
7:30 Start of First leg.
No one will be allowed to start a new leg after 1:20.p.m. 2:00 p.m  Course will be cleared.

NEOWSA (formerly NEMSA) Printed matter about the Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim:

The CELEBRATE THE CLEAN HARBOR OPEN WATER SWIMMING FESTIVAL will be held  August 11 and 12, 2018. This year, in celebration of 40 years of aqua activism for Goucester Harbor water quality, we are expanding to a two day open water event  sponsored by New England Open Water Swimming Association (NEOWSA), formerly New England Marathon swimming Association (NEMSA).

Starting off  the festival will be the  Clean Harbor Kids Swim on Saturday, a 500 meter swim along the shore of Niles Beach for 8-12 year olds. Held since 2015, this is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the sport of Open Water Swimming.

Also on Saturday will be the 40th Annual 1.2 Mile Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim

For 2018, we are adding a second day to the event, creating the festival. We will be holding the  10 mile Clean Harbor Relay event on Sunday, August 12th. This event will be held on a 1.0 mile course, very similar to Saturday’s event.  We suggest teams of 5, and swimming through the rotation two times..  Your team may have more or less than 5 swimmers. We believe the more the merrier. There will be a 6.5 hour limit. This will be a fun atmosphere, so bring a beach chair/blanket, snacks, some sunscreen and shade, and have a great time hanging out on the beach between your swims with your closest swimming friends.  

Proceeds from the event will go toward supporting two organizations in the local area: Maritime Gloucester and Gloucester Fisheman’s Wives Association.

The mission of Maritime Gloucester is to inspire students and visitors to value marine science, maritime heritage and environmental stewardship through hands-on education and experiences.

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association is a non-profit organization promoting the New England fishing industry, helping to preserve the Atlantic Ocean as a food supply for the world, and assisting active and retired fishermen and their families to live better lives.

We have reason to celebrate this incredible resource that is Gloucester Harbor, and we owe it all to  four Cape Ann residents who, in 1979,  swam across Gloucester Harbor in protest of its polluted status. This evolved into an annual Audubon Society-sponsored event to help raise funds for cleaning the harbor, hence the name “Swim for a Clean Harbor.” When, in 1993, the harbor was deemed clean by the Audubon Society, the efforts of these pioneering swim-eco-activists became a cause for celebration and “Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim” was born. Don’t miss this year’s event. We have reason to celebrate and what better way than to Jump in. Get Wet.”

Complete results will be posted to the New England Open Water Swimming Association Facebook page. A few prior GMG posts about the swim:

STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

After exploring the beach, the three-day-old Least Tern chick decided to take a short cut through the rocks to nestle under Mom. She was well-camouflaged while brooding and keeping warm and cozy her second chick.

He tried and tried to get to her, first hopping from one foot to the other,

while trying to squeeze with all his tiny might through the space between the rocks…

before tumbling backward, with legs splayed and wings all akimbo.

Quickly righting himself (with directives from Mom),

around he went the long way and had himself a good long snuggle under Mom.

While observing and thinking about tiny shorebird chicks, like Least Terns and Piping Plovers, I am continually struck by their resiliency, by their tenacity, and by their ability to prevail, despite the natural and manmade threats to their survival.

Segðu nafn mitt

Posted on by Alicia Unleashed

Episode 84! For those that don’t speak Icelandic, well you are going to have to listen to the full episode to find out what it means!

The “Other Alicia” is back! She dishes with us on the Hot Plate item of Match.com average cost of a first date. She follows up with us about the last time she sat down with us (there’s a lot)! She talks about being towed, Set Up gone weird? Her trip to Iceland and tips you should know!

Hot plate includes FOOTBALL IS BACK (preseason but still), RIP Roller Palace-it’s official this time. Block Party this weekend 6-10pm, Blues Fest this weekend starts at 11am. The Fred Rogers movie at Cape Ann Cinema. B also fighting the return of PSL at starbucks in late August. It’s our longest hot plate yet!

Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Or rated and subscribed to us on iTunes? IT’S A NO BRAINIER!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can someone explain to me why Ginger Beer is so expensive?

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

With the rise in popularity of Moscow Mules, I’d think there would be an enterprising soda maker that could exploit this opportunity and sell it for half the cost and still make money.

Twin Lights Bottling Co, are you up for it?

Essex River Cruise

Posted on by Pat D

We finally took the Essex River Cruise that we’ve been meaning to take for quite a while now and it was delightful.  Under the leadership of Capt. Larry, who narrated; and his first Mate Joe the nearly full vessel sailed out to the ocean and back in about 90 minutes.  High tide was just going out and the breeze was a refreshing change from the recent heat wave.  One passenger even put a sweater on against the cool ocean air.

I’d recommend the ride if you haven’t taken it yet.  I think I’d like to go back when the leaves are changing.

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These are greenfly traps, in case you were wondering like I was…….

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Several terns accompanied the ride

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Fun to see the beaches from the water side.

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A very pretty day for such a ride!

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Our Annual Fine Art Auction will be Saturday, August 11 – a great party supporting a great cause! Welcome back Auctioneer Extraordinaire Rick Doucette! Tickets are on sale now! www.nsarts.org/Auction_2018.html Here’s a SNEAK PEEK . . .

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

11pirates's avatarCape Ann Community

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NSAA Annual Fine Art Auction will be Saturday, August 11 – a great party supporting a great cause! Welcome back Auctioneer Extraordinaire Rick Doucette! All lots are on view at the gallery and online. Tickets are on sale online, at the gallery and by phone 978.283.1857. Save $! This is tax free ($2,500 and under) weekend in Massachusetts. www.nsarts.org/Auction_2018.html

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

11pirates's avatarCape Ann Community

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LOCAL FILMMAKERS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MUSICIANS AT BLUES FESTIVAL

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
LOCAL FILMMAKERS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MUSICIANS AT BLUES FESTIVAL
(L to R) Craig Kimberley, Terry “Harmonica” Bean and Ted Reed in Pontotoc, Mississippi
When Gloucester filmmaking team Ted Reed and Craig Kimberley set off by car this past May to explore Mississippi’s Blues Trail, they knew they would be meeting up with some legendary blues musicians. What they didn’t expect to find was that there was a way to help blues musicians who had fallen on hard times. That’s why they will be running an information table at the 7th Annual Gloucester Blues Festival this Saturday, August 11, at Stage Fort Park.
“I had made a film in my college student days with the idea to go find as many of the old Delta Blues musicians that were still living, and put them on film before they were gone. This was only a few years after some of the ugliest battles in the civil rights movement had been fought there, and it was a different south then, certainly a different Mississippi. I found some of the blues most iconic performers—Furry Lewis, Son House, Sleepy John Estes—living in grinding poverty, receiving almost nothing from their recordings. Furry Lewis told me, ‘You don’t play the blues to get rich.’
“This year, I happened to watch my early film for the first time in decades, and realized I had what is now some great archival footage. Wouldn’t it be interesting to return to Mississippi and see what had changed?”
Over the course of exploring and documenting milestones along the Blues Trail, founded by the state of Mississippi in 2006 to mark historic places in the evolution of the blues, Reed and Kimberley were made aware of the Mississippi Blues Foundation, an arm of the Mississippi Blues Commission. The Foundation, through its Benevolence Committee, has a mission to “raise and expend grant funds to provide assistance to any blues musician in need.”
“There was nothing like this when I traveled down there before. The blues was a cultural treasure the state government had swept under the rug. Now, they’ve realized that music fans from all over the world want to visit where the blues was born, and they had better do something to preserve it.”
It was when Kimberley and Reed had the opportunity to interview the chairman of the Mississippi Blues Foundation Benevolent Committee that they saw Mississippians had recognized the need to support blues artists, and they decided to do their part at this year’s blues celebration in their home city.
“We’re going to be handing out information about how people who care about the blues can keep the music alive by helping the musicians who need their support,” Reed says.“
“Getting a chance to help out some of the remaining unsung blues musicians, as well as raise overall blues awareness in our home town is pretty special,” Craig Kimberley says.” “Once we dug into the blues trail, met some living legends, and visited some of the oldest juke-joints in the south, we knew we had to increase our involvement.”
In addition to informing festival attendees about the Mississippi Blues Foundation, and the Mississippi Blues Trail, they will also be raising contributions for the national Blues Foundation, based in Memphis Tennessee. That organization’s Handy Artists Relief Fund (as in W.C. Handy, widely regarded the Father of the Blues) also provides relief to blues musicians who are in need of help with their medical care as well as funeral expenses. Both funds channel 100% of their donations to the musicians.
The filmmakers hope to see as many of Gloucester’s music fans at the festival this weekend. “Festival organizer Paul Benjamin offered us his support right from the start,” Reed adds. “He’s a regular contributor to the Blues Foundation and really believes in what the foundation is doing.”
“Being able to support National Blues Foundation, the Mississippi Blues Foundation, as well as the fantastic blues movement right here in the northeast, is truly positive and exciting. Come join us in Gloucester this weekend!” says Kimberley.
Kimberley and Reed are planning to return to Mississippi in the fall to shoot additional scenes and interviews, and hope to release the film sometime in 2019.
For more information, please contact Ted Reed, 978-578-2834 or at ted@tedreed.tv