Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

CAPE ANN MUSEUM WINTER TOUR SCHEDULE

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present their guided tour schedule for December and January. Cape Ann Museum docents are trained in teaching the public about the Museum’s art, history and material culture collections. Docent led Highlights of the Collection tours will be offered every Friday at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served on Friday mornings as part of the tour. Tours are free with Museum admission. Please visit http://www.capeannmuseum.org for further details.

The Cape Ann Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Museum is closed during the month of February, on Mondays, and on major holidays. Admission is $8.00 adults, $6.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Children under 12 and Museum members are free. The Museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information please call: (978) 283-0455. Additional information can be found online at http://www.capeannmuseum.org.

Beeman School Holiday Fair

SEACOAST NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER ‘S HO-HO HOTLINE

This holiday season, children of Cape Ann have a direct line to Santa’s workshop through SEACOAST NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER’S HO-HO HOTLINE. From December 19 through December 23, from 3-5 pm., children’s calls will be answered by Santa, Mrs. Claus or one of their elves.

While Santa, Mrs. Claus and their helpers won’t make any promises to the children, they will listen to the children’s wishes and encourage them to be on their very best behavior. The phone number for Seacoast’s Ho-Ho Hotline is 978-283-1515.

Thanks to Christine Orlando for forwarding this-

Dec. 1st- The 33rd Annual  Ladies Night

Stores will be opened late, many offering special offers and free refreshments.

With every purchase receive a free entry to the One Winner take all $1,100.00 Shopping Spree given by forty three businesses.

Dec. 3rd- A Visit With Santa

Sponsored by Kids Unlimited and Hosted by Cape Ann Savings Bank, 109 Main Street

Santa Will Listen to the Kids Wish List

Get a sweet treat from Santa

Girl Scout Troop #73495 celebrating their 100th year, will be Caroling and giving hand made crafts to the kids

Free Photos with Santa – two 5×7

Free Refreshments will be served

All kids are invited to share this day with Santa and his Elves

Dec 8th- The 33rd Annual Men’s Night

Store will be opened late, many offering special offers and free refreshments.

With every purchase receive a free entry to the One Winner take all $1,100.00 Shopping Spree given by forty three businesses.

Dec 10th- Middle Street Walk

Programs and events in celebration of Gloucester’s Historic District  All of the events are free and open to the public.  Programs for the day’s events will be available at City Hall and the Cape Ann Museum that morning.

Visit Historic Houses, Churches, the Sawyer Free Library and the Cape Ann Museum.

Ride the CATA Trolley from 11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. with a Holiday Serenade starting at City Hall.

Enjoy  musical concerts, dance performances, kid’s activities, tours and much more!

At City Hall, see a short preview of “The Annie’s” Lobstah Crocka Ballet at 11:00 A.M. and view gingerbread houses.

At the Sawyer Free Library, attend the SeArts Holiday Wearable Arts Show Sale 9-5 P.M.

Finish the day at the Lobster Pot Tree Lighting at Court House Square ( outside the police station) decorated with lobster buoys painted by kids at Art Haven at 5 P.M.  Immediately following the Winner of the $1,100.00 Downtown Shopping Spree will be drawn.  Plenty of time before Christmas to be spent or given as Christmas Gifts.  Please join us for the drawing and all of our Downtown Events.

Trinity Congregational Church, 70 Middle Street, Gloucester, holds their Christmas by the Sea Fair and Luncheon on December 3 from 9am to 2pm.
There will be a variety of handmade crafts, fresh holiday foods, Christmas white elephant, jewelry, and “cookie walk”, pictures with Santa, and fresh greens and wreaths. The silent auction will feature gift certificates donated by local businesses and restaurants and other special surprise items. The luncheon is home-made fish chowder and hot dogs and will be served from 11:30 – 1:00.
The Trinity Thrift Shop, next door, will be open with white elephant and clothing buys. 
Proceeds support community and church projects. 

Peace & Democracy in Pakistan

What are the prospects and why does it matter?

Relations between the United States and Pakistan are at an all-time low, following a series of incidents involving U.S. and NATO forces either inside Pakistan or along its border with Afghanistan, even as Pakistan itself has been convulsed by a rash of antigovernment bombings and assassinations and as the Obama administration prepares to draw down U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Can Pakistan move towards peace, democracy and stability under such conditions, and why should this matter to Americans?

Beena Sarwar is a leading Pakistani journalist, artist and democracy, human rights and peace advocate. An initiator of the Pakistani Campaign for Democracy and a former Harvard Nieman Fellow, she is currently working with the Jang Group in Pakistan, and she maintains a political blog titled Journeys to Democracy (http://beenasarwar.wordpress.com].

Sarwar has worked for newspapers in Karachi and Lahore and was the founding editor of the Pakistan weekly "News on Sunday."  She has also written extensively for the InterPress News Service, and has made several film and television documentaries. She has degrees in Art and Literature from Brown University (1986) and in Television Documentary from London University (2001). Sarwar was a Nieman Foundation Fellow at Harvard in 2006 and a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy (Harvard Kennedy School) in 2007.

For more information, go to the Forum’s Web site at www.capeannforum.org

Tom Halsted writes-

Anybody know the origins of this massive timber on Good Harbor Beach, unearthed when the last storm scoured away more sand than usual near the high tide mark?
A shipwreck? If so, what ship?