Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

The creator of goodmorninggloucester.org Lover of all things Gloucester and Cape Ann. GMG where we bring you the very best our town has to offer because we love to share all the great news and believe that by promoting others in our community everyone wins.

GloucesterCast 100 Taped At Cape Ann Giclee With 15 Of Us 10/25/14 #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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GloucesterCast 100 Taped At Cape Ann Giclee With 15 Of Us Taped 10/25/14

Topics Include: 100th GloucesterCast, Cape Ann Giclee, Last Stop Variety Muffins, 15 Contributors, Fred Bodin In The House, Marty Luster Taping, Donna Ardizzoni, Kim Smith, Craig Kimberley, Nichole Schrafft, Kenny MacCarthy, Paul Morrison, Melissa Cox, Alicia DeWolfe, Bill Cox, Anna Eves, Hanna Kimberley, James Eves, Lowell Peabody, Rich Bean, Shout Out To Jenn Cullen, Kenny MacCarthy My Original Podcast Partner, Shout Out To Niece Amanda and Sista Felicia and Barry Who Is In The Hospital, Rotary Trivia Night Must Do Event, Chad Koneckey’s Stripper Dance, Merideth Fine and Sal Frontiero Go Down To Joel Favazza’s Team, Kudos, To Rick Doucette, Ruth Pino and Tracey Arabian, Toby Pett Breaks China Port News, Hoping Dragon Light Keeps The Kitch, Joey’s Pet Peeve Cable’s “Free With Subscription” Is Never Free!, Blame ObamaCare, Free TV With UHV Antennae Works, Kenny MacCarthy Breaks Down and Buys A TV, Amazon Prime Free With $99 Subscription, James Eves Favorites, Fred Bodin’s GMG Holiday Parties, Phil Who Recently Passed From Northern Vermont Travels Down For The GMG Holiday Party, Donna Ardizzoni Risks Her Life To Get A Shot Of Paul Morrison Paddling Under The A Piatt Andrew Bridge During The Blackburn Challenge, The Blog Never Sleeps, The Pressure To Come Up With Decent Content, Kim Smith Falls Apart, Kim’s Fishermen Thanksgiving Video, Loveletters To Gloucester, Bikini Speedo Dodgeball Coverage, The Farm Bar and Grille, Craig Kimberley Talks About The Fury That IS GMG Fiesta Coverage, Being From Somewhere Else But Being Taken In By The GMG Family, No One Is Getting Paid, Nichole Schrafft Talks About Jeff Schroeder and The Amazing Race, The Diversity and Wealth Of Community Events Reported About On GMG, Cardboard Box Races, Bluefin Blowout Coverage, Nichole Recognized While Hollering At her Children, Dealing With the Haters, The Difference Between Posting A Difference Of Opinion Comment vs An Ignorant Hurtful Comment, Kenny MacCarthy Loves The History, Being The Clearinghouse of Local Information For Newcomers and Locals, Rich Bean Another FOB Who Moved Here Because They Fell In Love With Gloucester Through GMG, Rich Figures Out It’s About Positivity and Not Money, The Diversity, When My Father First Asked Me Why I Would Do GMG Without Getting Paid, Friendships Worth Wayyy More Than Any Money, GMG Unlike Comcast Is Actually “Free With Subscription, Lowell Peabody Fell In Love With The Political Correctness of Joey’s Rants, Lowell Decides To Cover The Bikini Speedo Dodgeball Tournament And Gets A Big Surprise, Alicia, Dewolfe As A Townie Says The Blog Opened Her Up To Many Local Things That She Wouldn’t Have Ordinarily Participated In And How We Break 95% of Local Restaurant News, How If We Don’t Break The Restaurant News They Become Dead To Me, Stay At Home Mom Yoga Pants Post, John McElhenney’s Yoga Pants That Said Joey Across The Butt, Manscaping, Overly Sensitive Hypocrites, The Person Who Pukes Out The Side Of My Car Shitfaced Who Says They Are Offended By Comments I’ve Made, Cancel Your Free Subscription, Trying To Push An Edgy Joke With Overly Sensitive People, Paul Morrison’s Life Lessons From Joey, Being A Judge In The Hot Wing Challenge At The Farm Bar and Grille, Marty Luster Moves To Gloucester After Spending One Weekend In Town And Falling In Love With The Place, Bill Cox Appreciates The Help For The Non Profits We Provide, Every Person That Came To The Phyllis A Steele Drive Came And Donated Because They Saw It On GMG, The Impact GMG Has Made On Making Things Happen In Gloucester, Melissa Cox Remembers The Coyote That Was Hit By A Truck On Moorland Ave and Wants To Be A Part Of Our Horribles Parade Float, Anna Eves Loves Vajazzling and The Woman With the Extreme Camel Toe, Appreciates The Positiveness, The Banter Broadcasting About Local Businesses with Humor, Felicia’s Favorite Memories, Horribles Float Building, Building The Outdoor Movie Screen with Ed Collard, Tuffy, Sean’s Jock Strap Jump, Buddhist Lobster Liberation, Buddha Is My Homeboy, Bottom Line- A Group Of Good People Pulling In The Same Direction Can Achieve So Much More Than One Individual, Thanks To Our Fans and Our Contributors.

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GMG 100th Podcast ©Kim Smith 2014

Taping the 100th podcast this morning. Please send in…

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

We’re taping the 100th GloucesterCast this morning at 9am. Please add your comment on this post about what was the most outrageous thing we’ve done or covered on GMG and please try to jog your memory to the early days.

I think for me it was the Buddhist Lobster Liberation When We Pretended That Tuffy’s Lobster Boat Went Out And Caught All The Lobsters That The Buddhist Bought and Released and the Media Shit Storm That Ensued.

https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/we-talk-about-the-liberated-lobsters-on-the-bob-and-sheri-show-in-charloette/

Here is the post that set everything off-
https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/the-crew-of-the-degelyse-would-like-to-personally-thank-the-buddist-monks-who-released-lobsters-they-purchased-in-gloucester-back-to-the-ocean/

Joel Favazza and crew knock off The Fine/Frontiero /Enos death grip on Rotary Trivia Championships!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Huge win. When I spoke to Joel before the evening got underway I asked him who was on his team.

The reply? "A bunch of guys my age, you wouldn’t know them."

Oh snap! Congrats on the win and thanks to Tracy Arabian, Rick Doucette, Ruth (she’s still got it) Pino and all the rest of the Gloucester Rotary and who made the night special.

Special thanks to our ringer Steve Saleeba who made the trip all the way up from Walpole, team leader Johnny Mac, and Chad Koneckey for keeping the laughs going all night long!

Glimpses of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Portsmouth, VA – Part 3

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Glimpses of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Portsmouth, VA – Part 3

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North Landing from my window in the Renaissance.  Pig and Oyster Roast Awards in the tent at far left.  Portsmouth Visitor Center and landing for the ferry to Norfolk on the far side.  The ferry was evicted for the weekend to make space for schooners.  On the near side center, with flags flying, LIGHT REIGN, first in Class A and winner of the Perpetual Trophy for the best corrected time to Thimble Shoal (127 nm)

2014 Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race – Official Results 10/18/2014

Start off Annapolis; AA and A boats race 127 nm to Thimble Shoal, B and C boats race 80 nm to Windmill Point

Class AA 127 nm Start Thu 13:40:00

Elapsed time / Corrected time / Place

Summerwind  18:19:26 / 14:46:58 / 1

Pride of Baltimore II  23:15:34 / 20:56:26 / 2

Liberty Clipper  DNF

Lady Maryland  DNF

A J Meerwald  DNF

Mystic Whaler  DNF

Lynx  DNF

Class A 127 nm Start Thu 13:40:00

Light Reign 18:54:44 / 13:04:58 / 1

Woodwind 18:13:34 / 13:18:33 / 2

Brilliant Fri 18:37:00 / 13:54:37 / 3

Adventurer (56) 20:51:49 / 14:51:37 / 4

Hindu 35:58:00 / 30:20:44 / 5

Britanya  DNF

Liberté  DNF

Class B 80 nm Start Thu 13:50:00

Apella 19:02:00 / 14:45:32 / 1

Tom Bombadil  18:49:00 / 14:51:54 / 2

Adventurer (65)  19:07:00 / 15:24:44 / 3

Sally B   22:11:00 / 17:53:41 / 4

Libertate  36:47:04 /  32:01:15 / 5

Edlyn Rose  DNF

Shanty  DNF

Sultana  DNF

Bonny Rover  DNS

Class C 80 nm Start Thu 13:50:00

Farewell  18:15:00 / 12:59:21 / 1

Susan B Merryman  23:22:06 / 17:48:36 / 2

Istar  30:32:00 /  24:17:16 / 3

Adventure DNF

Summer Wind  DNF

Norfolk Rebel  DNF

Quintessence  DNS

Celebration  DNS

According to Race Chair Bill Mellen, “It was light air at the start with winds appearing early AM on Friday. Then it was a drag race on a reach for schooners Woodwind and Summerwind as they made the 47 nm between Windmill Point and Thimble Shoals in 4hr 6min neck and neck with Woodwind making it to the line at Thimble Shoals first.”

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This year Jay Irwin received the Black Dog Trophy, created in 2006 to honor the individual(s) who supports the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in the spirit of Captain Lane Briggs (1932-2005), the founder of the GCBSR. Named after Captain Briggs’ faithful companion, Reb, this bronze statue of a black dog signifies loyalty to the race mission and faithful and honorable support for the event without personal recognition. In the words of Captain Briggs, “It’s amazing what you can get done if you don’t care who gets credit for it!”

The board of directors presents this award, honoring significant contributions to the race, as deserved and not on an annual basis, making it the most prestigious presentation of the organization.  Flanking Jay are Race Chair Bill Mellen and Al Roper in his role of perennial emcee.

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Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Perpetual Trophy  Awarded to LIGHT REIGN (A Fleet), James Turrell at the helm, with the best corrected time at Thimble Shoal of 13 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds.  LIGHT REIGN was first in the new Special Class this year in Gloucester.

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Howdy Bailey Buckle, awarded to a B or C Fleet schooner for line honors at Windmill Point, was given to FAREWELL (C Fleet), sailed by Linda Gunn, with an elapsed time of 17 hours and 18 minutes.  The Windmill Point Trophy, formerly the Michelob Chesapeake Bay Challenge Trophy, was also awarded to FAREWELL, with the best corrected time at Windmill Point of 12 hours, 59 minutes and 21 seconds.  Linda is hobbling with ski poles after hip surgery.  Looking on is P-town’s Stormy Mayo, who hung in with ISTAR for third place with an elapsed time for the 80 miles of 30h32m.

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Capt. John Eginton with Pat Dutton of Mystic Whaler received the Rebel Educational Trophy, which balances the triad of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race: a valiant race down the length of the Chesapeake Bay; historical preservation of the schooner fleet; and an education program focused on the heritage, ecology and natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay. We all know that it takes an experienced crew to race a schooner under full sail, but often the educational program the schooner carries along goes unnoticed. The schooners participating in the education program spend untold hours planning, fundraising, training and executing their educational program. The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Educational Program Committee selects the schooner deserving recognition for their contribution to this essential element. It is the schooners’ educational programs that will perpetuate Captain Briggs’ vision of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race for generations to come.

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The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Clock, awarded for line honors at Thimble Shoal to the fastest schooner in the race, again went to WOODWIND, Capt. Jen Kaye, with an elapsed time of 18 hours and 15 minutes.

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Every year a donation is made to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation with the stipulation to put students on the water for a day.  Many of  these kids are from large cities, and it is a very special experience for them.  $177,624 has been donated to date.  Nan Nawrocki, Race Chair from Baltimore, George Treiber, GCBSR Treasurer and Elizabeth Buckman of CBF.

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James Grundy, owner of Class AA winner Summerwind (the ex-Merchant Marine Academy boat familiar in Gloucester) made a personal gift of $5,000 to match the GCBSR.

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The volunteers that make the GCBSR so enjoyable for schooner crews are like family to those who are, or have been regular participants.   This is race chairman Bill Mellen, who has run the event for seventeen years.  It is a complicated one-way race that requires a very wide starting line for the large schooners close to the main shipping channel.  Bill is always ready to listen to suggestions about handicapping, safety or any other aspect at the Sunday morning captains’ recap of the race.    Roger Brown donates a breakfast for all the captains, crew and volunteers at his popular restaurant.

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Schooner crews have a way of blending and here we have folks from ADVENTURE, BRILLIANT, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II etc. etc. and etc.

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At the Gloucester Schooner Festival no volunteer worked harder than Brett Ramsey.  Our mutual friend Jay Irwin is no stranger to Gloucester.  Jay, 81 drove up from his ‘old folks home’ in Baltimore to help rig Ed Boynton’s SUGARBABE in May,  then again to race with Ed in the Gloucester Schooner Festival.

So hat’s off to the volunteers!

Al Bezanson

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Postcript ___  In Baltimore, before the race, there are days of festivities with a similar dose of hospitality.  Every schooner is assigned a liasion in Baltimore and another in Portsmouth,  insiders, who make a real difference in the quality of the participants’ visits.  It can be a tough slug getting a boat to and from this race, with a substantial  commitment in time and expense.   The typical autumn weather often makes the race itself challenging to say the least.  Why do we do it?   It’s the people!

Seaport Grille RESTAURANT WEEK SPECIAL FOR $25 IS A STUPID GOOD DEAL

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Ends tonight!
Three courses.

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Baked stuffed lobster lobster cake,  salad mashed potato butternut squash huge dessert.  $25

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I Had Me Some Black Bottom And I May Never Go Back…

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Just one whiff of those sweet Black Bottoms is enough to turn you into a black bottom fan for life.  Get your nose right in there and smell that sweet aroma.  Ahhhh, take it in… heaven. 

Get your Black Bottoms at Alexandras Bread Co. while they last.

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Thank You To The Person Who Called Out My Insensitive Post

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Last week I posted something that was a definite use of poor judgement. I can admit when I’m wrong and in that case I was definitely wrong.

Not going to bring up what it was about but wanted to thank the person who wrote in the comment and opened my eyes to the insensitivity I displayed on the subject.
Since I don’t have that person’s email address I hope they see this post of thanks and apology.

Your comments weren’t simply brushed aside, I’ve thought long and hard about them and am extremely remorseful for having written it in the first place.

So thanks again.

Joey

Community Stuff 10/24/14

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

At the Gallery….

Is it Halloween already?

This summer was great — very busy, visitors from around the world, and lots of commissions. Poppies are still a favorite, and pebble beach paintings are a wonderful reminder of the beauty of summer in Rockport.
The gallery is open year-round:
Autumn Hours:
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11 am –  5 pm EST
Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm
Tuesday & Wednesday: Open by chance or appointment
So please do visit, just be sure call the gallery first to confirm hours during the unpredictable New England weather.

My Pebble Beach paintings are especially popular with visitors to Rockport. “Pebble Beach No. 29”
was featured in the inaugural issue of Cape Ann Magazine (read more about my interview below.)

Interview with
Cape Ann Lifestyle
Tusinski Gallery was also chosen to be featured in the first issue of
Cape Ann Lifestyle, published this summer. I enjoyed sharing my perspective on my early artistic influences, the joy of working in Rockport and other interesting topics. Two of my paintings: “Dreamy Still Life” and “Pebble Beach No. 29”  appear in this beautiful magazine.

From Jodi,

Our rented house is being sold, closing in on nov 10th, hoping you can print our press release.

I’ve included some photos if you want to use them.  Photos credit is Law Hamilton for all except the photo of me and the little screech owl, photo credit for that one is Erin Parsons Hutchinson.

Thank you so much, I’m praying one of your readers will help us continue to help our wildlife, if we cannot find a place, Cape Ann Wildlife may need to shut our doors permanently or until enough funds are raised for a facility.

Thank you so much
Jodi

Cape Ann Wildlife, Inc (CAW) is in immediate need of a new facility to rent, due to the rented home being sold.
Cape Ann Wildlife, Inc and Jodi Swenson has been rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife in Gloucester since the 2005, saving hundreds of animals, primarily songbirds every single year.
Closing the doors on this valuable resource for our community will be a great loss.
Preferred is a affordable single family home, 3 bedroom, away from the center of town (Gloucester, Essex, Rockport, Manchester, Ipswich) for the small rehabilitation center and Jodi’s family.
As a 501(c)3 non profit, there may be a potential tax write off for a landlord.
We of course need an animal friendly kind of place, that’s affordable. 
Only permanent pets are 1 small dog and 4 birds.  During the songbird baby season, we can have up to 30 little babies at a time, fall, winter and early spring being a quiet time.
We need enough room outside to build simple pre-release cages for birds to get acclimated to life outside and flight conditioning. 
So please help us continue this important service to the community and our quickly declining songbirds.  If you know of a property that might be suitable please contact Jodi Swenson at 978-325-2501, visit www.CAWinc.org orpsychobirds@hotmail.com

New Year’s Rockport Fundraiser, Paint Night, Wed. Nov 12th, 6:30 PM at the Pigeon Cove Circle, Rockport, MA.  Paint Night is a company that supplies an artist who will come to your location and teach you how to paint a finished painting in an evening of fun, food, drink & socialization.  We need 35 applicants by Oct. 29, but you can still register up to the day of.  Pre-registration is required at https://www.paintnite.com/pages/events/view/rockport/849786. Contact Claire with questions: claire.nyre@comcast.net.  Help New Year’s Rockport Eve dig out of debt from 2013 and prepare for 2014.


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Metcalfe Show Opens At RAA

Rockport Artist Judy Metcalfe will open a two-week solo show of her award winning watercolors at the Rockport Art Association on Sunday, October 26th with an artist’s reception from 2:00-4:00 PM.
 
In Judy’s words, “I attempt to catch the moment when sunlight transforms a simple object into something wondrous.  When a flower glows with inner light, a water droplet sparkles, or an intricate network of shadows is cast by a spray of leaves or the facets of a glass vase. Each of us see these things in our everyday life, but they are fleeting. I try to capture them and hold them for others to enjoy.”  In viewing her works, the observer realizes just how well she succeeds.  Meticulously rendered, they seem to be real – not painted – with a simplicity that belies just how intricate they really are.
 
Metcalfe received her BFA in Fine Art from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.  She is a signature member of American Watercolor Society, Hudson Valley Art Association, New England Watercolor Society & National Association of Women Artists.  She holds elected memberships at Rockport Art, North Shore Arts & Connecticut Academy of Fine Art.
 
The Metcalfe exhibition will continue through November 6th.  For more information visit the RAA’s website at http://www.rockportartassn.org or call the gallery at 978-546-6604.  The RAA is open Tuesday – Sunday.

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JOHN W. ORLANDO SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER

Johnny Orlando is remembered as teacher, mentor, and friend to countless students during his decades as carpentry teacher at Gloucester High School.  John passed away suddenly two years ago, but his memory as a master carpenter lives on in the form of a scholarship awarded to a graduating senior for college or advanced vocational training.

Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant, 86 Main St in Gloucester, has agreed to donate ten percent of proceeds of food sales on Monday, October 27th to the Scholarship Fund; and all who remember Johnny are invited to join with his family and friends that evening to celebrate his life.

Tax-deductible contributions in any amount may be also made to:

The John W Orlando Scholarship Fund c/o Gloucester Scholarship Foundation, Cape Ann Savings Bank,

109 Main Street

Gloucester, MA 01930 .

For further information, contact Rosalie Parisi at (978) 283-0286

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Glimpses of The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Portsmouth, VA – Part 2

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Al Bezanson submits-

Glimpses of The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Portsmouth, VA – Part 2

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Mystic Seaport’s BRILLIANT, first in the medium class this year in Gloucester, was among the few that finished early.  Most of the fleet was well astern dealing with light air, then heavier headwinds.

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WOODWIND runs public sails out of Annapolis and is a consistent winner in this race. She is of lightweight construction, built by John Scarano in Albany in 1993.  Every year, after the pig roast, there is a famous rum party aboard for all the crews and volunteers.

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APELLA, 2nd in class in Gloucester this year, with PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II.  She is a Shearwater 45, designed by Dudley Dix and built in South Africa.

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This was the 25th GCBSR and LADY MARYLAND has sailed in most all.  She is a pungy, built in 1985 by Living Classrooms in Baltimore and used for hands-on multidisciplinary education for students of all ages.

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A J MEERWALD of Bivalve, NJ is the state’s official tall ship.  Built in 1928 for oyster dredging, she is fully engaged in educational programs with the Bayshore Discovery Project.

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FAREWELL, built in a backyard in Annapolis and launched in 1972, is a scaled down Grand Banks schooner design by Peter Van Dyne.  FAREWELL and GREEN DRAGON were rivals in Class C in six of these races between 1997 and 2009.

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Brett Ramsey took time out for a high speed drive to VA over the weekend to talk to boat owners and sample the legendary hospitality that is the feature of the GCBSR.

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On  the inside, TOM BOMBADIL, Pasadena, MD with ISTAR, the 37 ft schooner launched this summer in Provincetown by Stormy Mayo.  ISTAR has been a project for nearly forty years, and would have been at the Gloucester race this year had she not been held back by headwinds as she returned from Maine.

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Dr. Al Roper, President of the GCBSR Executive Committee, was up all night managing docking and seeing to it that every schooner got a full measure of southern hospitality.

More to come, including the race results in Part 3 of this series.

Al Bezanson

GMG via the Weather Channel From Samantha Wood Goddess

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey,

When I checked my Weather Channel app on my iPhone this morning to see how the day’s weather was looking (rainy), the attached ad was placed in the middle of my forecast.  Not surprisingly, I thought of you!  Estee Lauder has stolen your tag line!
See you soon!
Samantha

GMG Estee Lauder

First Parish Burial Ground and Clark Cemetery Volunteer Group Looking For Help From Crystal Daley

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Good Morning,

I am part of a volunteer group working on First Parish Burial Ground and Clark Cemetery.  There has been a lot of talk around about the goats that have been placed there to help out and I was wondering if you would publish my article more about the humans who are working there.  We are in need of more volunteers and would love to segway from the goats into that. 

Thank you very much.

Crystal Daley

 

ROBERT POINTING OUT THE FOOTSTONEROBERT TAKING A PICTUREROBERT TELLS US ABOUT HIS FAMILYROBERTS FAMILY PLOT AFTER

Goats are awesome but we need people too.
Up at the First Parish Burial ground the team of goats is happily munching away a section of the brush.  The volunteers however don’t have such luxury.  The overgrowth and neglect that the cemeteries have suffered is great.  We are only three out of town people who are hard at work reclaiming the proud lost history of Gloucester’s people and military service.  It is true that these cemeteries were not designed as more modern one with space for people to visit but we would like the change that.  The first step is getting them cleaned and safe.  We have been working diligently every weekend over the summer and have made giant strides towards that goal.
Now that a lot of the clearing for First Parish has been done it is time to focus on the smaller Clark cemetery behind it.  Rose bushes, berry bushes, trees and bamboo have overtaken this sacred space.  Using the website findagrave.com we have started to connect people with their ancestors in Clark and First Parish.  Those connections to our past are why it is important for us to do this work.
On our first day of clearing a few months ago in First Parish we met a family that had come down to see a grave of one of their ancestors.  They were unable to find it as the age of the stones makes it hard to read them.  But over the course of the day we were able to find it for them and emailed them the location for them to visit again.  The next time we were there a lovely bunch a flowers had been left.
More recently after the first article ran in the Gloucester Times I contacted an online commenter on the article.  He had said that his family owns a plot in Clark Cemetery.  Through a few emails I asked him where the plot was and invited him to come down to show us where to clear out.  By the time he got there last Saturday we had already figured out the location of his family and had cleared it for him.
Robert had not been able to go to his family’s plot since before 2008 due to the overgrowth.  He told us that he used to come a few time a year to see the plot of his Great Grandmother and kin to leave geraniums.  Originally we were told that the last person buried in either cemetery was in the 1920’s but Robert informed us that the last person laid in his family’s plot was in the 60’s. We were so happy that he is now able to go to the plot without having to wade through tough overgrowth and that he is able to come back to continue his tradition of honoring his history.
There are other stories like this but we do need the help of the community.  There are only the three of us doing the work usually (light)rain or shine, with the exception of lighting.  You can find us there on Saturdays after noon; we are Rachel Meyer, Josh Gerloff and myself Crystal Daley. Anyone coming to volunteer their time is only asked to dress for work.  Jeans or other work pants, comfortable shirt (you will get hot working) and comfortable sneakers or boots.  Tools are also welcome to be brought and used.  The most helpful tools we have found are trash bags, tarps, rakes, clippers of all sizes, brush cutters, weed whackers, saws and we could use one or more people with chainsaws for some dead trees that have fallen over.
If you are interested in helping out we are excited to work with you.  We would love for anyone to come down to help out.  There is something for any skill level to do.  If you would rather donate instead of volunteer that is also helpful.  You may email me at crystalrae1024@gmail.com and I can answer any questions you might have on donating or volunteering with us.  I look forward to having more stories like Robert’s in the near future.