Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

INDULGE IN A NORTHERN ITALIAN WINE DINNER

Rockport High School DECA is putting together a Career Day for Wednesday, April 3, from 8-10:30AM at the school.

We are reaching out to find out if you could attend or if you know people who might be interested. 

Career Day is beneficial for the students, exposing them to some of the different career opportunities out there. 

The format is just in small group format with presenters giving a summary of their professional experiences and taking Q/A from students. 

Career Day is not possible without volunteers so please consider helping out

Sign Up Link is below 

Link To Purchase here

Also available at our shop at 44 Main Street.

$10 for each pack and perfect for Valentine gifts for any Croc lover in your life!

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

Sawyer Free Library will raise steel beam signed by community into place on February 9

It has been just four months since the Sawyer Free Library broke ground on its historic renovation, expansion, and modernization project, and at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 9, the Library will celebrate the project’s next significant milestone, the placement of the highest steel beam at a topping off ceremony. The long-standing construction tradition of a beam topping will mark the completion of the structural phase of this historic project.

The ceremony will feature remarks from local elected officials and library representatives, to be followed by the exciting moment of the last steel beam of the newly expanded 2025 Sawyer Free structure being put into place by a crane. In keeping with tradition, the beam will be adorned with an evergreen tree on one end and an American flag joined by the City of Gloucester’s on the other. Due to limited space on the site, the public is welcome to witness the historic moment outside the safety fencing.

This momentous day will also pay tribute to the incredible community that the Sawyer Free Library has the great honor of serving. Over the past week, the commemorative 11-foot steel beam was signed by over 400 people from throughout Gloucester and beyond, making them a permanent part of this transformative project. Participants of all ages joyfully joined together to leave their mark on the symbolic steel beam, expressing their support, sharing personal messages, and commemorating loved ones, making it a beautiful representation of the community’s collective spirit and deep appreciation for its beloved public Library.

As we reach this exciting milestone for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, we celebrate not just the physical structure taking shape but also the collective vision and dedication of our Gloucester community,” said Sawyer Free Library Board of Trustees President Mern Sibley.

“The topping of this beam symbolizes the culmination of the tireless effort and shared commitment of so many, including the countless volunteers, elected and city officials, generous donors, talented creative partners, dedicated Library staff, and our incredible patrons,” added Sibley. “Reaching this exciting milestone has been a tremendous team effort, and as construction progresses, I would especially like to recognize the outstanding work of our partner, W.T. Rich Construction, and our subcontractors in bringing us closer each day to the grand opening of the reimagined 2025 Sawyer Free Library.”

“W.T. Rich is proud to celebrate this construction milestone for the Sawyer Free Library project. We are honored to be a part of a project that is so important to the Gloucester community. We have had a great working relationship with the City and our construction partners, and we look forward to continuing that collaboration to turnover a beautiful, newly renovated and expanded Library in the spring of 2025,” said Jonathan Rich, Chief Executive Officer of W.T. Rich Company.

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library capital campaign is continuing during construction to raise $11M towards the $29M goal. To date, it has approximately $10.3 million in grants secured from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Project (MPLCP) and Green Library Incentives. In addition, the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a Commonwealth of Massachusetts program administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council, has provided substantial funding for the project.

The Library is also immensely grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community committed to realizing the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The project has received transformational gifts from individual and corporate donors, including room-naming contributions from the Institution for Savings, Bank Gloucester, Cape Ann Savings Bank, Gorton’s, and Sudbay Motors.

There are still naming opportunities available for donors interested in leaving their legacy, honoring a family member, or aligning their company’s mission and values while supporting the Library, Gloucester, and the Cape Ann community. To learn more about investing in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The comprehensive renovation, modernization, and expansion of Gloucester’s public Library officially broke ground this past September. The project, which remains on schedule and budget, will take approximately eighteen months and is expected to be opened to the public in the summer of 2025.

When its doors open, the 2025 Sawyer Free Library will exemplify what a 21st-century public library can and should be in terms of architecture, sustainability, accessibility, use of natural resources and light, wayfinding, lines of sight, air quality, and public safety. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library project will preserve the original exterior, housing an entirely redesigned interior, and will also double the size of the existing Library’s footprint with a 14,000-square-foot addition.

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will offer current and emerging public technology, diverse collections, engaging programs, and new dedicated spaces for collaboration, learning, and relaxation. It will feature a digital learning lab, a 100-seat community room with state-of-the-science media presentation equipment, a local history research center, a dedicated teen room, a beautiful expanded children’s room with an early learning center for toddlers, study rooms for individual and group study, a 16-seat conference room, and much more. With its modern and sustainable design, the Library will provide an inspiring environment for library patrons, staff, the community, and beyond.

W.T. Rich Company of Beverly, MA, is leading the construction of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The comprehensive project was designed by a team composed of Oudens Ello Architecture and Dore + Whittier Architecture, Construction Management Firm W.T. Rich, and Library project leaders, along with the vital input of the citizens of Gloucester.

The Sawyer Free Library is temporarily located at 21 Main Street and online 24/7 during construction. The Library remains committed to providing a dynamic and enriching environment for all. For more information about the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, please visit us in person at 21 Main Street, online at sawyerfreelibrary.org, or 978-325-5500.

For the fourth year in a row, Project Elm is gifting

• tight climat

FREE EIm Trees to local property owners on Cape Ann.

WANT A TREE?

If you’d like to plant a free disease-resistant tree(s) on your property, please reach out. We have the costs covered. We also have a skilled volunteer team ready to help plant trees on the optimal spot on your property.

First come, first served! Trees have gone quickly in past years so get in touch soon if you’d like a tree.

http://www.capeannelms.com

Summer Camp is Coming – Reserve Your Spot

We know winter just started…but we’re already dreaming of summer camp!  Get ready to have the best summer ever when you choose your adventure at Y camp. We can’t wait to see you at camp!

Need Flexible Pricing for camp?

Click here to apply or renew today! You must have an up-to-date approval for 2024 before enrolling in summer camp; we will not be able to honor income-based pricing retroactively.

Register for Camp

Spring Program Registration is OPEN!

It may be winter but spring programming is right around the corner! Sign up for swim, sports, gymnastics and more to stay active this spring. 

Register

Share the Y This Month!

Bring a friend to the Y in February, if they join, you get March free and we’ll waive their joiner fee. Share this link with a friend!

Book at this link

The Gloucester Historical Commission is seeking nominations for awards to be presented to individuals, organizations or groups in the following categories:

·      Lifetime Achievement

·      Restoration and Rehabilitation

·      Local Preservation

·      Archaeology

·      Stewardship

·      Adaptive Reuse

·      Education and Outreach

·      Preserving Gloucester History

These awards are designed to inspire others while recognizing contributions to Gloucester’s history and culture.

Please send your nominations with a brief description to Lillian Olmsted at lillian.olmsted@gmail.com no later than February 28, 2024.

The Historical Commission will review submissions and send an award confirmation letter to those who best represent the categories listed above. Awardees will participate in the awards ceremony with a short presentation of their project.

The ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024 between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM in the Granite Gallery Auditorium at Cape Ann Museum. 

Plan aims to address barriers and close the digital divide

The City of Gloucester is proud to partner with the Sawyer Free Library to create the City’s first-ever Digital Equity Plan; this planning effort officially launched in November 2023 and is currently entering the community engagement phase.

The Digital Equity Plan, developed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), aims to bridge the digital divide within the community by assessing the three pillars of digital equity:  broadband connection, device access, and device literacy. 

“Access to reliable internet and understanding how to use this technology is pivotal to some of the most basic of things in life, like viewing your medical records online or applying for a job,” said Mayor Greg Verga. “We recognize that there are members of our City that may face different barriers than others, so this plan will help us identify those obstacles and understand what the challenges are. The plan will help us look ahead to the future and put forward realistic recommendations to help bridge these gaps.” 

The planning effort will be comprised of four phases, including:

• Existing conditions Assessment and Data Analysis, December 2023 – February 2024
• Community Engagement and Qualitative Research,  January – March 2024
• Action Plan Development, February – April 2024
• Documentation and Plan Communication, February – May 2024

“Sawyer Free Library is at the forefront of the work to close the digital divide in Gloucester and is recognized for its leadership in addressing public Internet access since the pandemic,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict.  “We are thrilled to see increased investment in our community and to work with community partners to  prioritize recommendations that are going to make the biggest difference and help the most number of people.” 

The City, the Library and MAPC will work with relevant stakeholders within the community to assess the current shortfalls through online community surveys, interviews, and focus groups.  

To learn more about Gloucester’s Digital Equity Plan, visit:https://digitalequity.gloucester-ma.gov/home. This project is fully funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute’s Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program. By having a Municipal Digital Equity Plan, Gloucester will be eligible for future digital equity funding opportunities through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including allocations from federal resources and programs.

Friday, March 8, 2024

9 AM – 3 PM

Rockport Police Department

FEBRUARY 5, 2024 ~ SAM

-151 Climate-controlled storage units ranging in sizing
-40 Parking spaces to rent for your boat, RV, trailer…
-Convenient, 24 hour, gated access
-Everything monitored by security cameras
-Free carts to move your stuff
-Boxes & moving supplies for sale on site
-Safe, secure, dry facility
-Easy online payment

For rates & availability go to www.GroveStreetSelfStorage.com
Or give us a call at 978-879-4524
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
61A Grove Street, Gloucester