Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

The Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport is sponsoring a Holiday Fair on December 7th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the  church vestry, 4 Cleaves Street, Rockport. Among the featured hand-made items will be baked goods, calendars,  greeting cards, sea glass mobiles, jewelry, hand-knitted items, and a large assortment of themed gift baskets.

Hello Everyone,

Coming up on December 9th, two very special events in one evening at the Cape Ann Community Cinema. This is going to be a great night. Please share the attached flyer with any parents, teachers, kids, or others who care about reconnecting kids with nature, love wildlife, or enjoy humorous british documentaries.

SHORT NATURE FILMS FROM CHEBACCO WOODS: First, our 7-10 year old Nature Film Making Students will introduce and present the films they have spent many hours tromping through the field with cameras to make. They’ve worked on learning camera handling skills, wildlife sneaking and nature awareness, story creation, and technical editing skills. Their movies feature an array of wonderful footage, woven together to make stories that could only happen in Chebacco Woods. You will see footage of underwater snakes, talking fish, under – log creatures, the elusive pickle frog, and a restless coyote.

PROJECT WILD THING: This BRAND new documentary from Great Britan amuses and changes your world with frog kissing, climbing from trees, ridiculous irreverrence, and a new way to tackle a growing issue. I believe (though can’t confirm just yet) that this will be the first North American showing of this film. We had to pay the screening fee in pounds!

BOTH SHOWS ARE ADMISSION BY VOLUNTARY DONATION AND WILL SUPPORT NATURE CONNECTION IN CAPE ANN/NORTH SHORE AREA. WE’D LOVE A MILLION DOLLARS BUT WILL LET YOU IN FOR ONE DOLLAR, OR NO DOLLARS. JUST COME ON OUT!!!

ANNISQUAM SEWNG CIRCLE – 176TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FAIR ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013

Dear Joey at Good Morning Gloucester,

I’m writing on behalf of the ANNISQUAM SEWING CIRCLE to ask if you would kindly help us promote our CHRISTMAS FAIR on Saturday, December 7, 2013.  Our members work very hard to produce an excellent event and raise money that goes directly to Gloucester schools and Gloucester non-profits, such as the Open Door.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7

Please shop us first!

The 176th Annual ANNISQUAM SEWING CIRCLE CHRISTMAS FAIR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 ~ 8:30 am – Noon

At the ANNISQUAM VILLAGE HALL, LEONARD STREET, ANNISQUAM

A delicious LUNCHEON will be served at 12:30 pm!

The Christmas Fair features fresh holiday greens, centerpieces, wreaths and plants; exceptional handicrafts, and a glittering display of costume jewelry.  The Sewing Circle is proud of the lovely presentation and wrapping of home-baked, gourmet foods and preserves prepared by our members. Delightful hostess baskets are always popular items at the sale. The Circle of Recipes cookbook, filled with cherished family recipes and historical commentaries from Sewing Circle members, will be available as a perfect Christmas gift!

The festive and delicious three-course luncheon will be served at 12:30 and tickets are $15.00. Reservations are recommended.
Please call 978-283-2247.

Founded in 1837, the Annisquam Sewing Circle is one of the oldest, continuous, independent societies of women in the United States. The Sewing Circle contributes the proceeds of their Christmas Fair and other fundraisers to the needs of many of Cape Ann’s community programs.

The Village Hall in Annisquam, Gloucester, is located on Leonard Street off Rt. 127A. Watch for the signs at Gran Circle and the Annisquam Village Church!

Cape Ann Wildlife’s plight from Pam Mansfield

Hi Joey – I was wondering if I could ask to spread the word about Cape Ann Wildlife’s plight?  Here’s the story…if you can either use it or do a piece on Jodi Swenson’s situation! We could get pictures to you, or maybe you have already done a story on her in the past…..

Thanks.

Pam Mansfield

Where do the wild things go? Who comes to their aid when they are injured and helpless? I never knew the answer until I learned of Cape Ann Wildlife and Jodi Swenson, the North Shore’s state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator. When I first met her she had a room full of eager little baby birds brought to her by caring people who’d found them in need. There were nestlings without parents, like the 7 baby flickers (beautiful woodpecker-like birds), a mockingbird with a broken leg, a cardinal getting over an injury, a chipping sparrow, a robin with a taped broken wing, a crow (soon to be joined by another who a friend was bringing from Tufts University, who works with Jodi), a screech owl who’d been hit by a car, and a pigeon.  They were all cared for until they could be released back to the wild in good health and able to fend for themselves.

So when one busy weekend this summer I drove past a beautiful young hawk who was hopping around in the road dodging cars, I knew something was wrong, but I could try to help.  I gently picked him up when he flopped over in submission, and carried him to a box I had in my car. Jodi was waiting for me when I arrived. The Broad-wing Hawk didn’t seem to have anything wrong, but was unable to fly – perhaps he’d been hit by a car? She found he weighed only half of what he should have and needed medication for parasites, thanks to an examination by Dr. Ray Cahill of Seaport Vet.  Two weeks later he was at his fighting weight and ready to rejoin his flock.  Not long after I found the hawk, a friend became concerned about a crow that hadn’t left the same spot in her yard for a couple of days. Jodi knew right away the bird had West Nile Virus, and immediately administered treatment, but as is sometimes the case she was too late to save him.  She gives her rescue crows the vaccine to ensure they won’t get the virus once released.

By the end of the summer 2013, Cape Ann Wildlife had rescued over 300 birds – more than half of them babies –  and released most of them successfully, including seagulls and a large owl who had been found trapped and caught in a soccer net.

Now, as Thanksgiving approaches, I’m learning that despite all that she does for our wild birds, she is going to find herself out in the cold. The very modest home she rents is for sale, she is unable to buy it, so when it’s sold she will have to leave and currently has no idea where she can go to continue her bird rescue and her business, which is restoration of fine antique china.  It’s one of those situations where networking might help – does anyone reading this know of a place for rent or have any ideas?  Or looking to buy the property and rent to her? Have a look at www. valentine-design.com/Birds/ or her Facebook page to learn more about her work, and to offer ideas. We are so fortunate to have a place to bring the helpless wildlife we might encounter, instead of watching them suffer or wondering if they ever made it.  She’s the only federally and state licensed wildlife rehabilitator in our area, and she’s been here in Gloucester since 2005.  There is one other in Hamilton who specializes in raptors and birds of prey.

Pamela Mansfield, Gloucester