Get The Pork Off The Spit. Thank Me Later.
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.
Sunset From The Dock 2/17/12
After reporting to duty down here since I was 9 years old and after school and summers in High School and every day since graduating from Bentley I sometimes take the view for granted. But then every once in a while when it’s slow I stop for a second and get bowled over by how lucky I am to have this view from our dock.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Community Stuff Sunday
Thomas Patrican/Missed Field Goal Fund Fundraiser At Jalepenos February 22
Hi Joey,
I do some work for Jalapeno’s Mexican Restaurant. As you may know they have always been very generous throughout the community, donating where ever they can. On Wednesday February 22, 2012 they will be hosting a Fundraiser together with the the Friends of Aran Patrican and the Gloucester Police Department, to benefit the Thomas Patrican/Missed Field Goal Fund. I have included the details below if you would be kind enough to post them on your blog. I have also attached a flier, feel free to print it out and display it where you wish or to forward it along. We are also accepting any donations for the raffle, if anyone has anything they would like to contribute they can drop items off at Jalapenos preferably by Tuesday, or call Jalapenos at 978-283-8228 and we can make arrangements to pick items up. Thanks for your help!
Thomas Patrican/Missed Field Goal Fund!
Join the Friends of Aran Patrican, the Gloucester Police Department and Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant On Wednesday February 22, 2012 at Jalapenos From 4:30 – 11:00 PM. As We Celebrate the Life of Aran Patrican. Jalapenos will donate a portion of the night’s proceeds to the Thomas Patrican/Missed Field Goal Fund! There will also be a raffle with lots of great prizes!! If you are unable to attend but wish to make a donation, you can do so online at www.thomaspatricantrust.com or mail checks payable to Thomas Patrican/Missed Field Goal Fund care of Kelly Kirkman, Rockport National Bank, 16 Main Street, Rockport, MA 01966. You can also drop a check by Jalapenos and we will make sure they get it!! If you have any questions or would like to make a reservation please call Jalapenos at 978-283-8228.
Amy L. Randazza
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Savour Wine and Cheese and Beach Gourmet New Location First Look
John Lamirande Gives Good Morning Gloucester The Inside Scoop On What Will Be Happening At The Former Connors Pharmacy Location
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Back At The MAC
Between the new juicer and getting back to the Manchester Athletic Club it’s nice knowing that I’m doing some decent things instead of my normal winter routine of letting it all go to hell.
Here’s another guy David’s experience at the MAC
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Elise Marie Hansen
Dearest Joey,
Please post the following about my beautiful sister and let the Gloucester community know how much our family appreciates the loving kindness you have shown us during our deep sorrow. The picture is of Elise at the Bananarama Event at City Hall.
Love,
Erika
Elise Marie Hansen (age 45) died suddenly in a tragic car accident with her beloved brother Marc Hansen on February 14, 2012 in Oregon. Elise was born on January 20th 1967 to the late Woodrow James Hansen and Sandra Nunes of Gloucester. Her life was marked by her generous spirit, creative genius and abiding commitment to justice, freedom and the potential of each person to blossom, thrive and contribute to their community. One principal that framed much of her adult life is found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 29(1) “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.”
Elise is perhaps most known through her work in establishing KONPAY. She was integral to creating the Reforest Haiti program and had deep love for the youth of JADPE, and great determination to help them become strong and empowered. Prior to KONPAY, she worked at the Department of Public Health and at Partners for Health where she was inspired by the work of Paul Farmer, founder of Partners In Health and subject of the Tracy Kidder book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Locally, she was known to many for her work on Main Street at the Bookstore and at Bananas. While Elise received a B.A. from the Art Institute of Boston, she never commercialized her artistic talents; rather they naturally infused every aspect of her being, manifesting themselves everywhere from her dress to gardening to photography to writing, all done with an artistic flair.
She was a tremendously gifted photographer with an extraordinary eye and her camera was never far from her side, capturing people and landscapes. Her father kept a photo she had taken of her brother Ben and his wife Susan by his bedside, saying it was like having them in the room. While she disciplined herself to become a skilled expository writer in order to promote her work’s mission, her natural writing style had a stream of consciousness quality that would give Poe a run for his money. And a voice mail message from Elise was sure to go on for minutes before she eventually got to the point of her call. It was all part of her charm.
As a child Elise, an adorable dimpled red-head was the adored toddler of the family. Always ready for an adventure she helped her sister win 1st prize in the Deer Isle Maine 4th of July Doll Carriage Parade by serving as a cosseted living doll. To us she was known as Tou Tou and when the family assigned roles based on Winnie the Pooh, Elise was named “Tigger” hands down. Always vibrant, lively, animated, active and moving, she was a natural dancer. When she hugged you it became a dance, a moment like no other. Such was her deep and abiding love, it spilled over into everything.
She made deep friendships with people wherever she went. People were attracted to her beauty and light, her joyous animated personality. Her love of travel and adventure carried through to her whole adult life, including driving a semi-trailer truck to Central America with provisions for the village. Elise spoke several languages including Spanish and Portuguese as well as the international language of music — her preferred method of communication. Music was always a huge part of her life. As her friends from the high school GHS class of 1985 remember, she was listening to Prince before anyone knew who he was. And so it was fitting that when she met the love of her life, Scott Southard, founder and owner of International Music Network International, he shared her passion and love for music. During their 5 years together, Elise enjoyed traveling with Scott and their home became Family Central as they hosted many memorable family and holiday dinners. She took pride and pleasure in her step-children and was an active participant in their development.
We will honor the great gift of her life by carrying forward each day her great curiosity, her active and loving heart that always sought to understand and to help others become all that they can be. We will take each moment and bring to it the tremendous joy Elise found in all that she encountered. As her friend Katherine Cordova said, “She saw and spoke and lived with her heart, with all her dear precious heart.”
Elise Hansen leaves her fiancé, Scott Southard of Gloucester, and his children, Nicole and Conor Southard, her mother, Sandra Nunes of Gloucester, her brother, Erik Hansen of California, sister Enid Hansen of California, brother Benjamin Hansen and his wife Susan of Texas, brother Christian Hart of Washington, sister Erika Hansen and husband David McCarley of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, formerly of Gloucester, and brother Ricardo Nunes and wife Darlene of Lowell, niece Karen Hart, niece Karissa Elise Hansen (daughter of Marc Hansen) niece Miranda Hansen, nephew Safaa Hansen, niece Gemma McCarley, niece Niku Hansen, niece Georgeanna McCarley, nephew Kent Hansen, niece Lily Nunes, great-nephews Corbin Carpenter, Ariyah Hansen and great-nieces Miela and Elise Carpenter (Marc’s grandchildren, the youngest of whom is carrying on Elise’s name), Aunt Bonnie Oakley, cousins Kevin, Adair, Diane and Shawn and friends from all around the globe, including Richard Leonard of Gloucester, Cathy and Jacques Reynaud of France and childhood friends, Jill and Carrie Stevens. Jill & Carrie were part of Elise’s childhood in Framingham as well as her 5 years growing up in Portugal and they will always be like sisters to Elise and Erika.
All are invited to a memorial service that will be held at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA on Sunday Feb. 19th at 11:00 am. A Memorial Fund has been established.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Cyril Connolly Quote of The Week From Greg Bover
“Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self.”
Cyril Connolly (1903-1974)
An Eton educated literary critic, Connolly was for many years the editor of Horizon, the influential English magazine on prose. He was well traveled, thrice married, and hobnobbed with many of the great literary lights of his generation, but never attained the success as a fiction writer that he desired.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Fort Square Cafe. Come For The Food Stay For The Entertainment (Rusty)
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Two Cape Ann Artists Win in Artwork Competition
Bill Hubbard writes-
Joey,
I recently ran an art contest on America’s largest artists website, Fine Art America for paintings of commercial fishing and guess what? Two Cape Ann artists won First and Third Place. Eileen Patten Oliver from Rockport came in first with a beautiful acrylic of Gloucester Harbor and Capt. Phil Cusumano took Third Place with his vibrant
oil painting, Morning on Georges Bank. I thought you might like to give them credit on GMG and prepared the writeup below. I’m sure Phil and Eileen and their Cape Ann Friends would like to see it. I was certainly proud to see those fine paintings from my home port.
Bill Hubbard
Cape Ann Artists Take First and Third Place in Commercial Fishing Boat Contest I recently had the privilege of conducting a contest for paintings of commercial fishing boats on Fine Art America, the world’s largest artists website. As a
painter and a direct descendant of a Gloucester fishing captain, I am proud to see these fine paintings in the winners circle.
First Place was won by Eileen Patten Oliver of Rockport with a beautifully detailed acrylic painting of Gloucester Harbor. Eileen has been painting in oils and acrylics in Maine and Massachusetts for over 40 years. While she likes to paint en plein or on
te scene, she also uses photographs as painting studies. She managed the art gallery at the West Quoddy Head Light Visitors Center in Lubec, Me for several seasons, has taught Adult Education classes, studied with Paul Shea, Peter Nyren and Constantine Sqouras and took a class at Mass College of Art but, is predominantly self-taught. She lives in Rockport, Ma with her husband, James Oliver, ho is also an accomplished painter, illustrator and print maker. Eileen is a member of the Newburyport Art Association
Third Place was one by Capt. Phil Cusumano with his vibrant oil painting Early Morning on Georges Bank, Phil, a marine artist and sea captain, has lived the life of his subject matter, commercial fishing. His work documents the fishing industry from the era of the tall ships to the present day. His images range from life aboard a modern day fishing dragger, to the Gloucester skyline in 1905.
Born and raised in Gloucester, MA Phil has had a long love affair with the ocean. His father owned and operated commercial fishing vessels in Gloucester for fifty years. At the early age of thirteen, Phil started fishing during summer vacations on his father’s commercial draggers. He graduated from Gloucester High School in 1969 and fished full time on his father’s boats. “But I was always drawing, even out at sea”. He honed his artistic skills when he studied for three years at the Vesper George School of Art in Boston and graduated in 1974. As part of commercial and design programs he learned about how to incorporate design composition and illustration in his work. From 1972-1988 he worked primarily in watercolors influenced by his study with internationally know Rockport artist, John Terelak.
—
Visit my artists website and Blog at:
http://bill-hubbard.artistwebsites.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
FOB Mikayla Ciolino Turns 12 Today Happy Birthday Mikayla!!!!!
Dad Frankie Ciolino Submits This Pic-
Stop Growing Mikayla! Your growing up too fast!!!!!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Community Stuff Saturday
La Vida Rock Gym update
The results are in, and we’re happy to announce that we will be hosting a special two-hour open gym time for families during the week of February vacation!
When: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 21-24, 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: The La Vida Rock Gym at Gordon College (255 Grapevine Road, Wenham)
What: Open climbing time, we’ll have a few staff to help belay and lead games & activities
Who: Everyone! We don’t have any age limits, but we recommend ages 6 to adult
Cost: Regular open gym rates – $10/day pass (valid for regular evening hours too). Or purchase a 20-visit family membership for just $95! Discounts for affiliates of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell.
Mention Good Morning Gloucester and get $2 off your day pass!
Parents and students 14 and older can also sign up to take a belay class this week: Monday, Feb. 13, 8-10pm or Saturday Feb. 18, 4-6pm. Cost is $10, sign up at rockgym@gordon.edu.
Check out our website for more info about our programs: www.gordon.edu/rockgym
FORUM TO ADDRESS AFTERMATH OF AFGHAN WAR
How U.S. pullback will affect Pakistan & South Asia
Hi Joey,
I hope you’re well and that 2012 is off to an excellent start.
The next Cape Ann Forum is upon us, and we appreciate your coverage of forum events in goodmorninggloucester very much. On Sunday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. Professor Zia Mian of Princeton will continue our focus on Pakistan. Professor Mian was originally scheduled to speak in December but had to travel to Pakistan on short notice; we are so pleased he was able to reschedule his talk so promptly.
Please note the new location for the forum, at the Unitarian-Universalist Church at the corner of Church and Middle Streets, Gloucester. As always, the forum is free and open to the public.
The Cape Ann Forum will host Princeton-based peace and security expert Zia Mian on the topic "After Afghanistan: The United States, Pakistan & the imperiled future of South Asia” on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian-Universalist Church at the corner of Church and Middle Streets, Gloucester. The event is free and open to the public.
Since 9/11 the United States has focused heavily on Pakistan’s critical role in the war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, investing billions of dollars in the effort with decidedly mixed results. The U.S. pullback from Afghanistan has already begun, with as many as 30,000 troops to be out by September and with Afghan forces slated to take over much of the fighting in 2013—a timetable that has sparked criticism from Republican presidential candidates and promises to be an issue throughout the coming presidential campaign.
Among the questions Mian will address are: What will the end of the American presence in Afghanistan mean for Pakistan? Can it overcome the many crises it faces, from an Islamist insurgency to a runaway nuclear rivalry with India? And how will its future be shaped by the emerging great-power contest between the United States and China?
The director of the Project on Peace and Security in South Asia at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security, Mian teaches at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. His research interests include security policy in South Asia with a focus on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy issues.
Mian, a physicist, is the editor and co-editor of several books, most recently Bridging Partition: Peoples Initiatives for Peace Between India and Pakistan (2010). Previous books include Between Past and Future: Selected Essays on South Asia by Eqbal Ahmad (2004) and Out of The Nuclear Shadow (2001). He has also worked on the documentary films “Crossing the Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India” and “Pakistan and India under the Nuclear Shadow,” and he serves on the board of the Eqbal Ahmad Foundation.
Professor Mian was scheduled to speak in December but had to postpone his talk to travel to Pakistan. His presentation will draw on his impressions from that trip, as well as his extensive scholarship. Meanwhile, the venue for the program was changed from City Hall to the church due to problems with the sound system, according to Forum organizers.
The Cape Ann Forum was organized shortly after the 9/11 attacks to increase public understanding of international issues. The all-volunteer organization has sponsored 66 forums since then.
Future forums will feature Woman’s World founder Meredith Tax on “Challenging global fundamentalism: Building a secular, feminist alternative” (March 18) and Harvard international relations expert Steven Walt on “The Twilight of the American Era” (May 13).
For more information, go to the Forum’s Web site at www.capeannforum.org.
The Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe is presenting the premier of the new four hundred year old comedy, "Closets", by Nat Segaloff and inspired by Ben Jonson’s 1606 satirical comedy, "Volpone". "Closets" is set in the present day gay community of West Hollywood , with the protagonist, Julian, feigning impending death, but unlike Volpone (the fox), not to get expensive gifts from his friends with the promise to be named sole heir, but to test their loyalty. Vying for Julian’s favor are his ex-wife, Sharon, his ex-lover, Brendan, and the straight friend who got away, his college roomate, Charles. Add to the mix, Calvin, a gay escort hired to be Julian’s valet, Paolo, Brendan’s butch new toy boy, and Adam, Charles’ son who’s not sure which side of the closet he’s on, shake well and serve up a laugh cocktail.
"Closets" directed by Joseph Stiliano will be performed March 8, 9, 10, 16, & 17 at 8 PM, March 11 & 18 at 3 PM at the Gorton Theatre (home of the Gloucester Stage Company) 267 East Main Street. Tickets are $15, general admission; $10, student; $5, 18 and under are available at the door or reserved at cast2008@prodigy.net . Parental discretion is advised. More information available at capeannshakespearetroupe.blogspot.com or Facebook.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
The Beaver’s Pretty Bottom From Len Burgess
Copper and a hundred thousand nails.
–Len Burgess
Would you look at Len getting’ all cheeky with the title of this post!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Old Essex Photos At The Penobscot Marine Museum
Thank you Penelope (Fischer) Crane For Forwarding The Link
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Chickity Check It! “Water Under The Keel” From Rockporter George Grimes
George writes-
I will attach a copy of an article written by Gail McCarthy for the Gloucester Times last September. Also included is a copy of the front and back sections of the cover. It has been well received on the North Shore. Thank you for your interest. I am enjoying "Good Morning Gloucester" very much since I signed up.
There are copies in the Bookstore in Gloucester, Dogtown Book Store, Building Center, Maritime Heritage Museum, and Cape Ann Museum or Amazon. It is also available at Toad Hall in Rockport.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Bowie – Pet of the Week
My name is Bowie and I am residing at the Cape Ann Animal Aid (CAAA). If you are looking for a handsome male cat, who is ten-months-old, black-and-white and rather dashing; I am the cat for you. I have lived with children and dogs. I am affectionate, I love to snuggle, I think I am almost perfect!
The CAAA is a non-profit shelter caring for homeless cats and dogs. Visit
CapeAnnAnimalAid.com and learn more about our upcoming programs, events and most importantly, more photos of me!
If you would like to visit me, stop down to 260 Main Street in Gloucester. Thank you to all the friends who supported the "Winter Bash" last Saturday night. I didn’t attend, I stayed back at the shelter grooming and looking at myself in the mirror! It’s not easy being this handsome and remain humble!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Hearts all over Town
Ken Belanger writes-
Joey,
I could not help notice yesterday all the full page hearts posted all over Gloucester and Rockport yesterday. Someone is spreading the Love I guess. Very Nice! Do you know who is behind this?
see few pictures attached.
No I don’t know who was responsible but I kinda like the mystery of it all. Like it’s better that we don’t know and get the little unannounced surprises, right?
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Visiting Gloucester
Hi Joey,
My girlfriend (laura) and I just visited Gloucester and some of Cape Ann for the first of I hope many times. Its just an amazing and new landscape for both of us to experience, having just relocated here from Nashville we are in awe of Cape Anns beauty. Laura is a writer and I am a photographer. We have been traveling together and collaborating on travel and essay projects for the last year. We took this photograph overlooking Rafe’s Chasm on the morning of our visit, on our way into town.Fred Bodin encouraged us to submit it to you for possible inclusion in your blog. We would be honored if you would consider it! We love Gloucester and intend to haunt there often.
Regards Jeff
Laura wrote;
Wherever Jeff and I travel, we make friends. We make friends with people and we make friends with places: the places through the people who are their ambassadors and the people that give the places their character and spirit. This photo is of us at Rafe’s Chasm on our first morning in Gloucester, greeting the sea that is the port city’s power and sovereignty. To our left, the ancient Atlantic is surging up in a cleft and then lowering itself, again and again, in the richest dark green you could ever dream to see, veined with white froth and deepening to black. The twisty pale woods are behind us.
We must have made a good impression on the ocean because Gloucester welcomed us: the friendly folks hanging around the entrance of the Saint Peter’s Club; Fred Bodin at his historic photo shop, the prints a lovely counterpoint to his narration of the city’s history; Bob Ritchie at Dogtown Book Shop, who not only sold us lovely books about birds and codfish but told us the stories of the books themselves; Geno Modello with his Saturday-afternoon Dory Shop crowd, cooking sausage on his great iron stove, wood shavings everywhere from the gorgeous hull he is shaping, who gave us a Shipyard Ale and shared the inside skinny on The Perfect Storm. At the old-school Pilot House Jeff burrowed into a fish-and-chips and I had a big vegan spaghetti. It was a perfect day.
Everything wants us to come back. Everything in us wants to come back. Good morning, Gloucester! We love you.
~ Laura Marjorie Miller
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Sunset at Good Harbor, Monday evening From Len Burgess
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
GMG Inside The Numbers- Almost A Million A Month 912,756 Views for January 17th-February 15th
By the growth we’ve been experiencing we should be doing well over a million a month by summer.
Do you subscribe?
It’s free and it comes to your email around 8:30PM each night with an aggregation of the day’s posts.
You can subscribe to Good Morning Gloucester by clicking this link
If you don’t subscribe don’t blame me when you hear everyone around town talking about something we posted and you missed it. 
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
February Vacation at The Y
Dear Joe,
A lot of parents have been asking us if there is a way we could post some of the awesome stuff happening during February Vacation at the Y. We were wondering if there was any way you could post some of our programs for us. Here are our “open time” schedules:
Open Gym
Monday 6:00pm-7:00pm
Tuesday 3:30pm-5:00pm MIDDLE SCHOOL PICK UP
6:00pm-7:30pm
Wednesday 3:30pm-6:00pm HALF COURT
6:00pm-7:30pm
Thursday 3:30pm-6:00pm HALF COURT
6:00pm-7:30pm
Friday 3:30pm-6:00pm HALF COURT
6:00pm-9:00pm
9:00pm-11:00pm TEEN NIGHT
Open Swim
Monday 12:00pm-2:00pm
4:30pm-9:00pm
Tuesday 12:00pm-2:00pm
4:30pm-7:15pm
Wednesday 12:00pm-2:00pm
4:30pm-6:00pm
Thursday 12:00pm-2:00pm
7:30pm-9:00pm
Friday 12:00pm-3:00pm
4:15pm-9:00pm
9:00pm-11:00pm TEEN NIGHT
Open Gymnastics
Monday-Thursday 11:30am-1:00pm FAMILIES 7 & UNDER
Monday-Thursday 5:00pm-6:00pm CHILDREN 6+
Friday 9:00pm-11:00pm TEEN NIGHT
We will also be running two family programs- a carnival and a magic show. If you could post some information on these two programs it would be awesome! Here is the info:
Family Carnival
Ages 3-12
Spend some awesome fun time at the Y! We’ll have face painting, carnival games and a big bouncy house! Every family participant has a chance to win a free program of your choice for next session! Don’t miss the chance to kick off your vacation in style! Monday, February 20 @ 4:00pm-6:00pm
Fee:
YMCA Family Memberships: FREE!
YMCA Youth Memberships: $5 per child or $10 for the family
Community: $5 per child or $15 for the family
Magic Show
Ages 3-12
Come join our after school kids and be amazed by some magic tricks! This magic show will entertain kids of all ages! All children attending must be supervised by a responsible adult. Friday, February 24 @ 1:00pm. The magic show will be located at 67 Middle Street (one door down from the YMCA!)
Fee:
YMCA Family Memberships: FREE!
YMCA Youth Memberships: $3
Community: $5
Thank you so much for your help! We all really appreciate it at the Y!
Good Morning Gloucester 