Month: December 2019

Gift guides and ideas from the Gloucester Daily Times Dec 6 1934. In many ways, things haven’t really changed that much, have they?

As the winter solstice approaches, some of us dream of summer and all of the many special activities that can be enjoyed outdoors immersed in the natural world.

Windhover Performing Arts Center in Rockport, Massachusetts will have a full program of arts activities for the public to enjoy in 2020. The month of July alone will have a concentration of dance events, leading the way with the PAUL TAYLOR 2 Dance Company returning to Windhover for their summer artistic residency starting Wednesday, July 8–Sunday, July 12^th, 2020.  Modern dance classes for all ages and levels will be offered that week. Open rehearsals on our outdoor stage will captivate the public by showing how movements are put together and phrases are constructed and perfected by the Taylor 2 Company Director Cathy McCann and the company’s six dancers. Concluding the week will be two full evening performances of Paul Taylor’s works that have not been previously seen at Windhover, taking place on Friday, July 10^th and Saturday, July 11, 2020.

The Teen Dance Intensive takes place at Windhover during the week of July 12–July 18^th concluding with a performance by the students on our outdoor stage (weather permitting) on Saturday, July 18^th at 5:00pm.

Toward the end of July, the QUARRY DANCE lX will take place at an undisclosed location (to be announced in 2020). The Quarry Dances have attracted quite a crowd over the nine years of its existence, performed by the renowned Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre.  Please save these dates of the 2020 quarry dance performances:

Friday, July 24^th at 5:30pm; Saturday, July 25^th at 11:00am and also 5:30pm; and Sunday, July 26^th at 1:00pm. These special dance performances mark the unique topography of Cape Ann, drawing attention to these sacred spaces.

This year for the first time, Windhover has invited guest dance companies for residencies, culminating in performances throughout the summer. Details will be revealed in the next newsletter.

In order to sustain and support these programs, Windhover does rely on your support. We are a 501©3 non-profit organization; therefore all contributions are fully tax deductible. Our website:www.windhover.org has a DONATE button linking to paypal or a credit card, so please contribute whatever you can so help us meet our goals to support these exciting endeavors.

You can also donate through Amazon Smile, by selecting Windhover Foundation as the beneficiary for Amazon’s program. It does not cost any extra to do this. The link is: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/04-2708940​ and then specify Windhover Fdn.

Lastly, Windhover is compiling a list of building supplies it needs, so donations in-kind for building materials are appreciated.

Many thanks for helping sustain the vision of bringing the arts to the Cape Ann Community through education, classes and performances for everyone to enjoy.

Happy Holidays, and thank you for your support.

Lisa Hahn, Executive Director of Windhover

Windhover Performing Arts Center
P.O. Box 2249
(257 rear Granite Street)
Rockport, MA. 01966
Phone: 978-546-3611
Email: windhover@verizon.net
Website: www.windhover.org

December 17, 2019

City of Gloucester Reaches Settlement with the Town of Essex

–Gloucester and Essex Agree to Financial Settlement for Capital Costs

–Amends Inter-Municipal Agreement for 25 Years; Wholesale Rate Set

GLOUCESTER, MA (December 17, 2019) – Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken today announced that the City of Gloucester recently reached a settlement with the Town of Essex regarding litigation involving the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project.

In 2000, Gloucester entered into an inter-municipal agreement (IMA) with the Town of Essex setting the terms and conditions for which Gloucester agreed to sell and Essex agreed to buy wastewater treatment and disposal capacity from Gloucester.

In 2017, there arose a dispute regarding certain language in the 2000 IMA.  As a result, Gloucester brought suit against Essex for certain damages that included, among other things, breach of contract.

After engaging in successful mediation, a settlement was reached in September that was ratified by the Gloucester City Council on December 10 and by the Town of Essex’s Board of Selectmen at their December 16 meeting.  The settlement requires Essex to pay Gloucester $1,664,134.75 in equal, annual installments of $66,565.39 each over a period of twenty-five (25) years to be made on or before the 31st day of July in each fiscal year, beginning in Fiscal Year 2021.

James Destino, Gloucester’s Chief Administrative Officer said, “We are pleased to have reached an amicable settlement with our neighbors.  The money the parties agreed to represents Essex’s share of the CSO project.  With that behind us we look forward to our long-term partnership and ongoing regional cooperation for this work.”

Annual payments will go into the Enterprise Fund and be used to pay down debt.

Additionally, both parties agreed to the renegotiation of the IMA outlining the terms on how Gloucester’s Department of Public Works will continue to provide sewer service to Essex in consideration for payment of applicable sewer use rates and fees.

In recognition of the infrastructure work, maintenance and operation Essex will manage in its own town an IMA-Wholesale Rate was set.  That rate is fourteen percent (14%) less than the sewer rate charged to Gloucester’s residential users.  Gloucester’s residential rate may be amended from time to time and the IMA-Wholesale Rate will automatically adjust for a period of twenty-five (25) years from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2044.

Essex expects that the annual savings from the new IMA-Wholesale Rate will offset the amount it has agreed to pay Gloucester for each annual CSO-related payment.

Andrew Spinney, Chairman of the Essex Board of Selectmen, said “The Essex Board of Selectmen is happy that, through mediation, we have reached an agreement with the City that will satisfy both communities’ needs for the next 25 years.  I applaud all of the officials in both communities for their hard work in coming to this important agreement.”

Gloucester also has an IMA for this project with the Town of Rockport.  The two communities have begun discussions for amending that IMA based on the Essex settlement.