Seeing and talking to people wearing hardcore masks is still jarring to me.  I completely understand why they are needed but they still make me so uncomfortable- wearing them and talking to people in them.

The buffs that fishermen, farmers and landscapers use to keep the sun off their faces and necks in the summer are much more pleasing in my opinion.  Not to mention you can put them on in the morning and they’re always there.  It’s like a fashion statement and you don’t have to go scrambling for a mask.  Total no-brainer purchase.

You can get them on Amazon link here

You can get them on Amazon link here

Hope to see you there!

Some of you might remember we were fortunate enough last year to have a hawk family nesting in our backyard. Sadly, it seems we do not have hawks in that nest this year BUT we do see hawks around pretty regularly.  This Cooper’s Hawk has been visiting just off our deck recently. Such a regal posture!

Osprey in flight calling out:

This red tail hawk seemed to be very large and healthy. I thought he was particularly beautiful. We are so very fortunate in this are to have seabirds, birds of prey and songbirds galore!

Oliver’s Harbor Facebook page announces they reopened yesterday Tuesday April 28 for takeout and delivery.  They will be open for lunch and dinner Monday – Sunday 11:30am to 8:00pm and for Brunch Saturday and Sunday 8:00am to 12pm. We are excited to see our local establishments finding ways to accommodate restrictions.  Welcome back Oliver’s Harbor and all others! See you soon. Call 978-559-7638 to order.

We’re offering this LIMITED BATCH OFFER… 100% of the proceeds from our “Every Little Bit Helps” soap bars will go to The Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry.   We’ve all been doing our part to stay home and save lives but like so many others, feel helpless at a time when there is great need in the community. Your $10 purchase for two-bars of our Every Little Bit helps soap, while supply lasts, will be directed to benefit The Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry! 100%! Made purely and simply on purpose, with purpose. These are rustic hand milled, hand cut soaps made from a blend of shavings from our Pure and Simple line. Made with a perfect formula of all natural oils to create a daily use bar with a rich lather that gently cleanses head to toe. Made with olive oil, coconut oil, water, sodium hydroxide (for saponification), and a blend of essential oils. A perfect soap for any skin type.  Each hand cut bars average between 3.25-4.25 ounces.  $10 for two-bars, while supply lasts will benefit The Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry! The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.  Every Little Bit Helps soap bars are available for local purchase only with curb side pick up or porch drop off.  Free shipping is not available for purchases of only Everly Little Bit Helps soap unless part of a larger additional products order.  Thank you for your support and understanding. 

Gloucester Education Foundation has organized an effort to manufacture over 50 face shields per day using 3-D printers at Gloucester High School and O’Maley Innovation Middle School to protect front line workers against the coronavirus. The effort began on Friday night, with teachers running 40 printers nearly nonstop through the weekend to create the personal protective equipment for front line workers.

“This is another example of our wonderful Gloucester community coming together during this time of crisis.” said Aria McElhenny, executive director of Gloucester Education Foundation. “All of us want to help our friends and neighbors on the front lines and this project is giving us that opportunity.”

The shields are being printed and assembled at O’Maley and Gloucester High School by teachers wearing protective face masks and practicing safe social distancing. The teachers include middle school Science teachers David Brown and Amy Donnelly, high school Engineering teachers Kurt Lichtenwald and John Barry, and high school Makerspace Coordinator Timothy Quinn.

The 3-D printer labs at both schools have been rooted in community collaboration from the start. The O’Maley 3-D printer lab was created during a weekend-long “make-a-thon” in 2014, when local volunteers built 24 printers. At Gloucester High School, the 3-D printer lab is part of the Makerspace, which gives students and community members the opportunity to work on state of the art equipment including 3-D printers, a water laser cutter, a circuit printer, robotic arms, dry laser cutter, and other industry-grade tools and equipment used in design and manufacturing.

Funding for both came from Gloucester Education Foundation thanks to generous donors including the Applied Materials Foundation, JMR Barker Foundation, and local philanthropists John and Mollie Byrnes, Richard Weiss and Barbara McLaughlin, and Joe and Maggie Rosa.
Gloucester Education Foundation drives innovation, encourages creativity, expands student opportunities and empowers educators to strengthen teaching and learning in the Gloucester Public School District. Since it was established in 2005, Gloucester Education Foundation has raised more than $8 million to fund programs in the Gloucester Public Schools.

Additional Info:

Face Shield Design being used at O’Maley: 

https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/protective-face-shield/sk/M7LP9Q7M

Face Shield Design being used at Gloucester High School:

https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-face-shield