Day: March 11, 2019

Group show of Essex Heritage 2018 Photo contest winners at Salem Visitor Center

Posted on by Catherine

News from Essex National Heritage- Congratulations to all the winners including Amy Smith of Gloucester:

Essex Heritage Announces Winners of 2018 Photo Contest

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest. The annual photo contest encourages photographers of all levels to “capture” the living landscapes, unique places, and interesting people of Essex County, MA. The contest is presented in partnership with Hunt’s Photo & Video, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and the National Park Service at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites.

From rocky coasts and harbors and rural farms to historic downtowns and parks, photographers vividly captured a variety of special places in Essex County for their award-winning submissions to this year’s contest. All of the photographs were taken within the Essex National Heritage Area and fell into the categories of “Off the Beaten Path,” “People of Essex County,” and “A Closer Look.”

2018 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest Winners
Grand Prize Winner
• “Waves,” taken in Salem by Laurence Spang of Salem

Category: A Closer Look
• 1st Prize: “Sunflower, All For Me,” taken in Newbury by Ken Jordan of Lynn
• 2nd Prize: “Storm Damage,” taken in Salisbury by Caroline Stella of Saugus
• 3rd Prize: “Head Sails,” taken in Gloucester by Frank Conahan of Groton

Category: People Of Essex County
• 1st Prize: “Sandstorm,” taken in Ipswich by Kristin Bender Kyllingstad of Beverly
• 2nd Prize: “Essex Tech Teaching Moment,” taken in Danvers by Sue Plutsky of Beverly
• 3rd Prize: “Winter Hop” taken in Peabody by Judy Schneider of Middleton

Category: Off The Beaten Path
• 1st Prize: “Walking on Clouds” taken in Gloucester by Sarah Burrows of Wenham
• 2nd Prize: “Appleton,” taken in Ipswich by Amy Smith of Gloucester
• 3rd Prize: “Nature’s Window,” taken in Manchester by the Sea by Stephen Dagley of Beverly

People’s Choice Winner
• “Monarch and Thistle,” Taken in Haverhill by Kathy Diamontopoulos of Haverhill

Instagram Winners

New to the Essex Heritage Photo Contest was an Instagram category. Instagrammer were encouraged to tag photos that they took during 2018 with #essexheritagephotocontest. Over 450 photos were entered and 9 winners were selected for their stunning shots that captured the special quality of Essex County. The accounts that won the Instagram category are as follows: @a.a.g.photo, @dcmills89, @funky_monkey_photos, @harbors_edge_photography, @lomachusetts, @saltwaterlabphoto, @sarahtracyburrows, @sjdagley, @tugapeaks

 

Group Show in 2019 for the 2018 contest winners

The eleven winning images will be exhibited for one year at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem (2 New Liberty Street, Salem, MA 01970) and at the office of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (160 Main Street, Haverhill, MA 01830).

Essex National Heritage 2018 Photo contest winners exhibited in group show at Salem Visitor Center 2019.jpg
See all the winning photographs on the Essex Heritage Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EssexHeritage

Prints for the Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest exhibits were generously provided by Hunt’s Photo & Video. Prizes for the Photo Contest were generously contributed by Hunt’s Photo & Video and the National Park Service.

About Essex Heritage and the Essex National Heritage Area
Essex Heritage is the non-profit organization that manages the Essex National Heritage Area by developing programs that enhance, preserve and encourage recreation, education, conservation and interpretation projects on Boston’s North Shore and the Lower Merrimack River Valley. The Essex National Heritage Area is comprised of the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, MA. For more information, visit EssexHeritage.org or call (978) 740-0444.

City Auditor Kenny Costa on Excellence in Financial Reporting Award and more GOOD NEWS! Well done Mayor Romeo Theken Administration #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

One of many precepts for life that artist and friend, Michael Mazur, impressed upon me: make sure and celebrate life’s ta-dah moments. Here are a range of recent bright announcements and achievements in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Congratulations Mayor Romeo Theken, administration, departments, city staff — well done to all involved!

Kenny Costa, City Auditor, describes a major award for Gloucester, with Jim Destino and John Dunn at full City Council on February 13, 2019:

Gloucester receives Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

City Auditor Kenny Costa presentation to City Council about major award financial reporting_20190213_© catherine ryan

City Auditor and Jim Destino with City Council_20190213_Gloucester MA major recognition for accounting reporting

“The City issued a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for Fiscal Year 2017.  The City was awarded for the first time the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for our Fiscal Year 2017 financial audit report also known as the CAFR.  This achievement is nationally recognized and its the highest form of financial reporting.  This is a great achievement for the City and a credit to our finance team.  The preparation of the report was a total team effort.  This achievement will be favorable to the bond rating agencies.  The Finance Team is very proud of this achievement.  We’re proud to be one of only 40 communities in Massachusetts to accomplish this.” – Kenny Costa, City Auditor

You can read the full report here: Gloucester CAFR 

He expects Gloucester to make this target annually from here on.

Sampling of more recent good news:

 

  • Plans settled for YMCA at Gloucester Crossing

 

 

  • New UMASS grant from Seaport Economic Council Sean Horgan writes in the Gloucester Daily Times “The University of Massachusetts system, which includes UMass Amherst’s Gloucester Marine Station at Hodgkins Cove, received a $276,854 grant from the council to identify economic growth opportunities for the Massachusetts commercial fishing industry.”

 

 

Peabody Essex Museum selects Brian Kennedy as new Director following Dan Monroe’s retirement

Posted on by Catherine
That makes two new museum directors taking charge on the North Shore in 2019 – Brian Kennedy at PEM and Oliver Barker at Cape Ann Museum.
IMG_20190224_122851.jpg
The news from Toledo’s perspective
Toledo Museum of Art director Brian Kennedy leaving in June by Roberta Gedert for The Blade March 10, 2019
 

“Brian Kennedy, the Toledo Museum of Art’s ninth director since its founding in 1901, will leave his post in June to lead the nation’s oldest continuously operating art museum.

Mr. Kennedy, who has been with the TMA since 2010, is moving to become the director of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., it was announced Thursday. His last day with the Toledo museum is June 30, and he admitted during an interview with The Blade in his office that the decision has a bittersweet quality.”

PEM new director.jpg

No official release from PEM, see news from Salem in the GDT   and the Boston Globe

 

 

Video tour I took of our Paris apartment and free $40 Airbnb coupon

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Sign up for Airbnb and get $40 off your first adventure. Here’s my invitation link and video tour I took of the apartment we highly recommend centrally located in the heart of Paris. Even if you don’t book right away, by signing up for Airbnb you’ll get a $40 credit added to your account when you do. Free money. No-brainer :

Here’s the link for your $40 credit :

https://abnb.me/e/BvR3zLsfYU

Here’s the video I took of our Paris Airbnb apartment just before we left-