My View of Life on the Dock
I decided to play around with the new camera on a tripod to compare how each manual setting compared on the new camera to try to get the right shot.
Longer exposures, Faster shutter speeds.
These were all taken with the Sony NEX-5N and Zeiss 24mm 1.8 lens on a tripod.
The first number is the exposure time, 2.5 seconds, second aperture, third ISO
I’ll add to this list as restaurants submit their flyers
Hey Everyone,
Still no plans for New Years Eve? Well the Topside Grill has a little bit of everything! We have a special NYE menu featuring Filet Mignon, Roast Duck Ala Orange, Sautéed Pork Scallopni Ala Oscar, Almond En Crusted Salmon, Braised Lamb Shanks, Lobster and Finnin Haddie. Reservations welcome 
We also have Live Entertainment in the Bar/Pub starting at 9:00 featuring John Jerome. Also complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight!! New Years Day come and check out some of the beat brunch on the North Shore! Eggs Benedict, Corned Beef Hash, Kahlua French Toast, Omelette’s & more! Don’t forget about Mimosa’s, Bloody Mary’s and Passion Flowers…
Thanks, Doug Silva
Topside Grill, 50 Rogers St.
Don’t miss out on our New Year’s Rockin’ Sleepover! A great way to ensure that your children (and you) have a great New Year’s Eve! Drop your children off at the YMCA for an overnight full of art projects, dance parties, swimming, gymnastics, sports, movies and FUN! Drop off is December 31 at 6:00pm and pick up is January 1 at 9:00am.
Registration forms are available at the Cape Ann YMCA front desk.
YMCA Members- $50
Community- $75
Rockport will be having a grand celebration, you can read about that here
From the Rockport NYE website-
Welcome to NEW YEAR’S ROCKPORT EVE: the web site that is dedicated to celebration. We celebrate the future, the joy of sharing a special evening with family, friends and neighbors and our hope that a New Year will bring good health, happiness and new opportunities.
We will entertain you with clowns, cowboys, magicians, musicians – classical, pop, jazz, Dixieland, folk, country, gospel swing and rock and roll – ventriloquists, dance, drama, puppets, and MUCH, MUCH MORE! And, we have planned a spectacular midnight event that will be a truly memorable welcome to the beginning of a new millennium.
Our buttons ($15 adults, $6 children 12 & under, 3 & under, free–no button needed) are now available.
NEW YEAR’S DINNER
Two Menus
Two Prices
One Fabulous Way to Celebrate the New Year
3 course $40
Choose 1 item from course one, two or three
Choose 1 Main Entrée, Dessert Flight
5 course $60
Choose 1 item from each course, Dessert Flight
5 course option Includes ticket to NYE Bash with Hootchies in Minglewood Tavern and DJVITO in the dining room and a complimentary glass of champagne.
Course One
Lobster Bisque with brioche crouton, wasabi truffled crème fraîche and wasabi caviar
OR
Jeff’s Clam Chowder with applewood smoked bacon
Course Two
Winter Napoleon of Beets with layers of apples and shaved fennel, finished with picked watercress and a pistachio and goat cheese vinaigrette
OR
Caesar Salad with romaine hearts, garlic croutons, shaved parmesan and parmesan-anchovy dressing
Course Three
Beef Carpaccio
OR
West Coast Mushroom and Baby Brie Streudel drizzled with cinnamon and chipotle teased agave nectar
OR
Grilled Bruschetta topped with roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Main Course
Chilean Sea Bass
OR
Heart Steak
*Available with a Lobster Tail for additional $20
OR
Australian Rack of Lamb
Dessert Flight
Chocolate Hazlenut Truffles, Egg Nog Panicotta and Thai Banana Spring Roll with coconut ginger gelato
Reservations at 978-281-0223
Party like it’s 1918
New Year’s Eve
Pre-Prohibition Elixir Dinner
Mix Masters Clay and Matt will Shake Things Up
with a cocktail menu fashioned reflective of more genteel times.
Join our staff in donning your haberdashery finery (or choose to stick with your current couture) and enjoy two different prixe fix options
Amuse…
Local Jonah Crab Bisque
shallot rings, poblano peppers, crab demi, crème fraiche
And then…
Choice of
Quick Fried Oysters
apple & blood orange gremolata, cumin, tarragon & lime aioli
Grilled Eggplant Roulades
burrata cheese, fennel, spinach, warm farm beet vinaigrette
After that…
Choice of
Endive Salad
Belgian Endive, blood orange supremes, melted fennel,
goat cheese croutons, simple vinaigrette
Beet Timbal
roasted farm red & golden beets, honey crisp apple,
Great Hills bleu cheese mousse, arugula
The Big Show…
Choice of
Farm Raised Pork Osso Bucco
saffron risotto, root vegetable mire poix, blood orange water
Fire Charred Bone-in Filet
Yukon gold potato puree, sauce espagnole,
roasted west coast mushrooms
Pan Seared Fisherman’s Wharf Cod
Fried boniato, tat soi salad, flash fried uni, thai vinaigrette
Fin…
Chef’s Choice Petit Dessert
3 course Option
with surprise course and champagne
$50
3 Course Complete Option
with time-travel worthy pairings, champagne and surprise course
$70
Call to reserve 978-281-3997
Come join us for our 3rd New Years Eve Show, which also happens to be Sober Connections Second Anniversary!
Dance with DJDK, Live music featuring Group 62 and Tmax. There will be a 50/50 raffle, and Dancing thru-out the night for those that might want to let loose! Refreshments and snacks will be for sale as well, & the coffee, as always is free! (Proceeds to also to Benefit Sober Connections).
We will count down the New Year with Live feeds of New York City’s Times Square, and we will provide noisemakers as well!
This New Year’s Eve show is looking to sell out! Make sure you purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee a seat!
Please consider our "Sponsor a Ticket" program to help those new in Recovery at local organizations and sober houses are able to experience what it’s like to find a great time without the use and abuse of Alcohol and/or Drugs!
This show is open for everyone, and the net proceeds will be donated to Sober Connections to help them support those in recovery, promoting events as well as outreach.
For More info call: 978-381-9888 or 978-407-0219 or you can check out SoberConnections.org
Location: American Legion Hall (Side Entrance) 8 Washington St, Gloucester MA 01930
Time: 7:30pm – 12:30am
Ticket Price is $7.00
The Farm 
HI Joey, Karen here from Sailor Stan,s ROCKY NECK we will be open this weekend, SAT.,SUN. &MON. 7:30am til 11:30am for breakfast lots of variety,& special homemade hashes ,LOBSTER BENEDICT, omelets ,pancakes, and more! please post thanks Karen HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4&5
Information-
INFO: LTA is a no-budget/non profit web series brought to you by Independent filmmakers from the New England area. The entire series was shot primarily in Gloucester, MA over the course of 5 days. It was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II and 60D.
Special thanx to: Ryan and Wood Inc., Distilleries(ryanandwood.com/), Rich Hersey, Ms Yami Cartagena, Paul Lucci and Anthony “Bonez” Colarusso for helping out.
EXTRA SPECIAL THANX to the town of Gloucester, MA for allowing us to shoot there.
LIKE the fan page for all the updates: facebook.com/LettersToAnnabelleSeries
Hope everyone enjoyed this lil’ series.
Emily’s Bar Card
Fred writes-
It’s true, a little thoughtfulness across the bar or table goes a long, long way. Last September I drove to the North Shore Mall to buy an iMac. At Apple’s Genius Bar, the technician asked me to come back in an hour while he installed software and documents onto my new computer. So I walked over to P. F. Chang’s restaurant to order a takeout lunch for myself and recuperating friend back in Rockport. We’d been to Chang’s only a few times, it’s always tasty and a positive experience. I sat at the bar, and said "hi" to the bartender. Emily, who had served us before, is also a Rockport native. She didn’t remember my name, but did remember the Rockport connection, and asked where my friend Janet was. After she poured a beer for me, Emily wrote this note on a bartender’s card. Guess where we go every time we’re in Peabody.
Fredrik D. Bodin, Bodin Historic Photo
82 Main Street
Like us on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/BodinHistoricPhoto
Hi Joey,
Merry Christmas to you and the GMG family. I wanted to share some love about Cape Ann Animal Aid. What a great group of people! I was driving by a week ago and saw an older dog sitting outside visitng with a staff member. I could not stop thinking about this dog and his sweet face! Last Wednesday, my husband Morgan and I went and adopted Buddy. He is such a good dog (although he is a wild man in the truck) and we are very happy to give him a home. I was so impressed with the kindness and professionalism of the staff at Cape Ann Animal Aid. And they have a lot of great dogs and cats looking for loving homes.
Best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year. And good luck with the plunge!!
Liz, Morgan & Buddy
Thursday, December 29, is the last day that for the Rocky Neck Art Colony Winter Show and your last chance to get one of Mary Rhinelander’s beautiful linoleum block prints of "The Center" at Rocky Neck with your tax-deductable donation to the Rocky Neck Art Colony. Simply donate whatever quantity you wish in our charming church donation box (thank you Kathy Archer) and the card is yours. While you’re there take a look around at the beautiful Art Colony exhibition …. it will be the last time to see such a diverse collection until our member show in the spring. The gallery closes at 5pm.
photo by Manny Simoes
Erik at Passports Is Offering Up an $8.99 Breakfast Buffet Pre Plunge! The Good Morning Gloucester folks plan to meet there at 10AM, come eat with them!
If you enter your name here on GMG beforehand, get listed as a pledge to plunge and do it, we will enter your name into a hat and pick one of the GMG listed plungers post plunge for a $100 Azorean Gift card. Card was donated by our Terry Weber. No entries will be accepted on the scene of the crime, you have to put in a comment here or contact me ahead of time to confirm you are on "The List".
If you pledge to plunge and then bail out for ANY REASON, that gives us free license to ridicule you for the entire year! I can tell you it is incredibly invigorating and the very best way to start your year. It sets you up to overcome a fear and once you do it the rest of the year you feel like you can and will do anything!
The plunge goes off at noon on Oaks Cove Beach on Rocky Neck.
Joey C, Donna Ardizzoni, Rick Moore, Ed Collard, Paul Morrison, Rick Paolillo, Melissa Cox, Dr. Ray Cahill, Colleen Apostolos-Marsh, Lotus Marsh, Lukas and Lasse Struppe, Owen, Henry, and Jon Hardy, Alexandra Rhinelander, Charles Du Deaubien Gaspien (or something like that), Ericka Hyam, Steve LeBlanc, Jamie Verga, Kevin Ryan, Patrick Ryan, Denny Cunningham, Carolyn Kirk, Bill Kirk, Amanda Nash, Tom Robinson Cox, Mike and Eva DiLascio, Amandacakes and Beasley, Keara the chick with the heavy green eye shadow (I forgot her last name), Vickie Van Ness, Greg Bover, Brian O’Connor, Skip Montello,Kane Oshiro,Barry “Cuda” Pollack, Charles Rodgers, Lindell Willnow, Terry Weber, Jason Grow, Maisey, Jeamima and Matilda, Karen Ristuben, Wendie Demuth,Scott LeVasseur ,Tony Goddess,Mike Nicastro, Alicia Pensarosa, Nicole, Ben and Emma Duckworth
Cathy McCarthy is organizing a food drive at the Plunge for The Open Door … Please bring these items that are most needed .. . TUNA, 100 percent juice, Hearty Soups, Peanut Butter, Pasta Sauce, Breakfast Cereal, Baking Items to Oak Cove Beach during the Plunge.Start the New Year off on a good note : help out and give back. Call Cathy McCarthy 978-282-7320 for more info.
Downtown Gloucester Cultural District: A Downtown Cultural District Committee has been formed and is currently working through the Massachusetts Cultural Council application process. The Committee has been contacting various stake holders within the downtown area and since there is an area overlap between the proposed Downtown Cultural District and the new Harbor Walk – we have scheduled a meeting of the two committees. It is our hope to announce a public hearing date soon. For information contact: Judith Hoglander, judith@nii.net.
The East Gloucester Cultural District proposed map is with the City (through Councillor Paul McGeary). The City Council will take it up, pass a resolution, and schedule a public hearing. Date will be announced.
Great news! On Tuesday evening November 29 the Rockport Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to pass a resolution endorsing the creation of the state designated Rockport Cultural District.
Sue Daly’s painting "Water Iris"won the Innovation/Experimention Award at the Naples Art Association Members’ Gallery
This photograph of an ancient pine tree in Grand Teton National Park, taken the morning after an October snowstorm, was elected as the winner of the World Landscapes category in the "Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2011" competition conducted by Outdoor Photography magazine, a popular and highly commended publication based in the U.K.
Sanker’s photographs have been named winners of three major categories in three prestigious international competitions over the last several years. In 2007, his photograph of a moose jumping a fence won first place in the Mammals-Professional Photographers category, National Wildlife Federation Photography Contest ( see http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/PhotoZone/Archives/2007/Photo-Contest-Winners.aspx). In 2010, his photograph of a black bear cub looking into the camera from behind a tree won first place in the Wild Planet category of the Outdoor Photographer of the Year Competition of Outdoor Photography magazine (see http://www.opoty.co.uk/#/past-winners/4546783040).
Rich Seeley’s image of the Lunar Eclipse of Saturday December 10th is published in the Summit County Daily Newspaper, Colorado: Lunar Eclipse in Summit County Daily Newspaper
Read the blog post and story behind the image at: Lunar Eclipse
Shot on the Sony NEX-5N with Zeiss 24mm f/1.8
Edited with Windows Live Movie Maker 32 times speed.
Hi! My name is Julie, I am a ten-week-old Shepherd mix. I am at the Cape Ann Animal Aid, a non-profit shelter caring for homeless cats and dogs located at 260 Main Street in Gloucester.
I am a happy, curious and playful puppy who has lots of energy. I am eager to learn and I am very intelligent. I hope you will stop down and consider adopting me. It doesn’t seem possible, but the New Year will be here soon!!!
Remember to save the date for the 9th Annual Winter Bash on February 11 at Cruiseport
Gloucester, Six Rowe Square, (snow date February 12). More details later. I want to go, I just love to Dance…Dance…Dance!
…low tide,sea smoke and the sand had a little icing!
Joey.
I know we have a lot of who plungers who have not participated before and want to make sure we all honor our traditions.
My husband ,myself and Amanda Nash started this years ago as Jeff and I were L street Brownies and his friend who brought us to southie passed away, we decided we would do it on the neck.
We have George Sibley do an poem . Its quick ….. We do a count down from 10 and we all plunge in mass. That’s it.
I have got a few calls about what we are about and we are just a great group people who like to celebrate every occasion.
I thought it was important this year to do something to give back and organized the food drive.
Thanks for the plug. Fyi. My husbands name is Jeff Surette (not Mccarthy)
Best,
Cathy Mccarthy
Erik at Passports Is Offering Up an $8.99 Breakfast Buffet Pre Plunge! We plan to meet there at 10AM, come eat with us!
If you enter your name here on GMG beforehand, get listed as a pledge to plunge and do it, we will enter your name into a hat and pick one of the GMG listed plungers post plunge for a $100 Azorean Gift card. Card was donated by our Terry Weber. No entries will be accepted on the scene of the crime, you have to put in a comment here or contact me ahead of time to confirm you are on “The List”.
If you pledge to plunge and then bail out for ANY REASON, that gives us free license to ridicule you for the entire year!
I can tell you it is incredibly invigorating and the very best way to start your year. It sets you up to overcome a fear and once you do it the rest of the year you feel like you can and will do anything!
The plunge goes off at noon on Oaks Cove Beach on Rocky Neck.
Joey C, Donna Ardizzoni, Rick Moore, Ed Collard, Paul Morrison, Rick Paolillo, Melissa Cox, Dr. Ray Cahill, Colleen Apostolos-Marsh, Lotus Marsh, Lukas and Lasse Struppe, Owen, Henry, and Jon Hardy, Alexandra Rhinelander, Charles Du Deaubien Gaspien (or something like that), Ericka Hyam, Steve LeBlanc, Jamie Verga, Kevin Ryan, Patrick Ryan, Denny Cunningham, Carolyn Kirk, Bill Kirk, Amanda Nash, Tom Robinson Cox, Mike and Eva DiLascio, Amandacakes and Beasley, Keara the chick with the heavy green eye shadow (I forgot her last name), Vickie Van Ness, Greg Bover, Brian O’Connor, Skip Montello,Kane Oshiro,Barry “Cuda” Pollack, Charles Rodgers, Lindell Willnow, Terry Weber, Jason Grow, Maisey, Jeamima and Matilda, Karen Ristuben, Wendie Demuth,Scott LeVasseur ,Tony Goddess,Mike Nicastro, Alicia Pensarosa, Nicole, Ben and Emma Duckworth,Lily Steiner, Chelsea Audin, Malena Lund, Jennelle Rhodes,Jim Dowd and Rebecca and Treely Dowd, Kellie Rich, The Del Vecchio Family,Bob and Andrea Ritchie, Sonja, Evelyn, Daniel and Edward Merz .
Carol McCarthy is organizing a food drive for the Open Door Food Pantry. Here’s the deets-
Just a heads up that I am organizing a food drive the day of the Plunge… PLunge will be at Noon and the food drive is to benefit The Open Door.. They are in real need this year and Its time we give back on the Neck..  I asking everyone to bring what is needed by the Pantry.. I emailed Judy Cox and she is posting in the newsletter this week.. We need to make a HUGE push for the food pantry… What is desperately needed!!!!  Barrels will be set up at the entrance of Oak Cove Beach for the non-perishables.. Thanks Joey..
Cathy McCarthy 8978 317 2352
TUNA, Peanut Butter, Pasta Sauce, 100% Juice, Baking Items, Breakfast Cereal…
2011 Rocky Neck Plunge Video From InterMurph
Paul Frontiero’s Video From 2011’s Plunge-
EJ’s video
American Lung Association Smoking Cessation Program
Beverly Hospital at Danvers & Addison Gilbert Hospital
The American Lung Association’s "Freedom From Smoking Program" is an eight-session group smoking cessation program. Participants will learn a positive approach to becoming a non-smoker. Classes incorporate several different smoking cessation techniques including relapse prevention, weight control, stress management, behavior modification, nicotine replacement therapy and group support.
The program will begin on Tuesday, January 3, with classes on January 10, 17, 24, 26, 31, February 7, 14 at Lifestyle Management Institute, Beverly Hospital at Danvers, 480 Maple St, Danvers.
This program will be held at Addison Gilbert Hospital, 298 Washington Street, Gloucester, beginning on January 9, with classes on January 16, 23, 30, February 1, 6 and 13.This program will be held in the Longan Room, inside the Washington Street entrance.
Classes are held from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The cost: $125.00 ($100 for employees of Northeast Health System). Several insurance companies cover the cost of the program; check with your insurance company).
For further details or to register, please call: 978-304-8020.
Molly writes-
Hey!
It’s manual focus, shutter speed 1/13, aperture 4.5, manual iso (400) and there are 335 frames included! I think I had the interval between shots at 5 seconds. Each image is a full-size jpeg, (which I don’t think was actually necessary, especially not for the web!) and I used final cut express software to edit the time lapse. (each frame is .03 seconds long I think). It was one of the first time lapses I have made with the intervalometer but I think it worked out pretty well… next time I will set the interval for a little shorter and take more frames so the final time lapse is a little longer! Oh and by the way, at the end I made the last few shots with longer and longer shutter speeds so that it would gradually fade to white. It wouldn’t have been that drastic at the very end if I hadn’t done that.
LOVE the one you did with the clouds! Gorgeous. It looks just like a time lapse but less jerky which is good for clouds. Very nice!
Here’s a link to a short little video I just made compiling some of the photos and short video clips from going out on the boat.
15 second exposure, f/14, iso 200
click for larger view
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Tina Ketchopolos Shares her Photos From Christmas Morning In Rockport
Joey: Here are a few photos I took on Christmas morning at Dock Square in Rockport where Santa arrived!
It was a very happy scene in the beautiful town of Rockport!
Happy New Year!
Tina
Following up on my thoughts about service at restaurants and bars for the owners and managers and servers and bartenders-
The point I was trying to make in yesterday’s tirade about the lousy attitude at that particular restaurant was that it behooves everyone to do with that establishment to engage your patrons.
I completely understand if the place is mobbed and your staff is doing everything in their power to get people their food or drink that they shouldn’t be expected to have a full on conversation with every customers. I get it believe me. If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time at all you know how often I eat out and like to sing the praises of the awesome restaurants we have here locally. But even if you’re mobbed you should still be able to afford a smile or gesture of acknowledgment.
There are coffee shops like George’s, Sugar Mag’s and Fort Square Cafe that even when they are full on balls to the walls (I use these places as examples because they are usually very busy and for good reason) the owners and/or servers find ways to engage their customers. It’s an art form.  There are plenty of lunch and dinner joints that perform the customer service thing equally as well.
The thing is that while I know that there are some patrons that no matter how good the service you provide they will break out their calculator and leave exactly 15-20% of their bill regardless of how well they were served or treated. However I know there are enough people like myself that if you go just a little out of your way to make me feel welcome that tip on a $10 breakfast can easily go to $3 from $2 or in large parties out for dinner when we are all throwing money in toss in an extra $5 or more because they had a great time because they were made to feel special by their server. Now $3 instead of $2 is 50% more and at the end of the day if you are working for tips and then at the end of the year you add all that up you just gave yourself a huge raise.
That’s all from the server or bartender’s perspective, what about the owners of these restaurants?
If you think I’ll be going back to that restaurant/bar from the other night any time soon you’re crazy. There truly are way too many great restaurants/bars in Gloucester where the people welcome you even if they don’t know you and at the very least offer a smile when you belly up. If you’re not insanely busy and can’t offer up a smile you’ve lost me forever, multiply that times every other person like me.
I think it would benefit you as a restaurant/bar owner to go to one of these places and observe how the servers and bartenders interact with their customers- The Farm Bar and Grill, Duckworth’s, Passports, Topside Grille, Lat 43, Ithaki, Stones Pub, Mamie’s Kitchen. Please don’t take offense if your restaurant isn’t listed here, there are way more very worthy local restaurant candidates but for the sake of space I’ll just highlight a few of the standouts.
Check them out and then check out how your staff interacts with their customers. Are your servers doing anything other than the bare minimum to take an order and bring people their food/drink? Because in as competitive a restaurant scene as we have here in Gloucester if your staff isn’t good enough to offer up a smile then you are losing your share of customers to the places that are.
Look, I get that not everyone, everywhere can be “ON” all the time, but when I’ve been to the same place a couple of times in a row and get the same “I could care less if you’re here or not” attitude, let me tell you, I’m gonna opt out in favor of someplace that wants to take my money.
Just a reminder- the Cape Ann YMCA’s Youth Basketball League sign-ups are going on now. League starts next Saturday!
Game times are as follows:
Dyno-Mites (ages 3.5-5)- 11:30am
Mites (kindergarten)- 10:30am
Rookies (grades 1-3)- 9:30am
In addition to Saturday morning games, this year we will be having optional additional weekly practices and a family movie night! Please contact the Cape Ann YMCA for registration or more information 978-283-0470.
Good Morning Gloucester 