Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

Order and book at Tock or visit www.sushisanglee.com

Candidates who will be on the Gloucester preliminary ballot on 9/19/2023 in Gloucester are: 

Candidates for Mayor:  Tracy J. O’Neil, Mary Ellen Rose, Francisco A. Sclafani, and incumbent Gregory P. Verga. 

Candidates for City Council Ward 2: Dylan C. Benson, Daniel J. Epstein, Barrett S. Pett, and Donald W. Tgettis. 

Candidates for City Council Ward 3:  Marjorie J. Grace, Jason Michael Hakes, and Joseph R. Orlando.

The League of Women Voters of Cape Ann is scheduling individual interviews with preliminary candidates to be covered by local media including Studio 1623 and The Gloucester Daily Times.  Voters are invited to send questions or topics for consideration.  Send or call to 508-284-2418 or mail to LWVCA PO Box 244, Rockport MA   01966 by 9/2/2023.  If you sign your name, we can acknowledge your contribution.

978-281-1700

147 Thatcher Rd Gloucester MA

Dearest Gloucester/Cape Ann Friends and Family

Back in February 2023 when we were all told our 25 year old son Greer Viau would need a kidney transplant my immediate response to his medical team was “I’m his mother, take my kidney right now, operate NOW”. The response was “It doesn’t work that way”.  We were told he was on a health journey for the rest of his life and that the HOPE would be with Greer being so young, to receive a living kidney donor as living kidneys can last considerably longer, perhaps 20-30 years before he would need another transplant.  In addition the wait for a deceased kidney can be 7-10+ years. It was all shocking and mind blowing for all of us. We were guided by Brigham and Women’s Transplant Program which participates in the National Kidney Registry. I was guided how to create Greer’s microsite page that would share Greer’s story/condition and how to help. It was up to us as a family to promote that Donorship awareness to encourage individuals to come forward on Greers page to see if they would/could be medically be evaluated to donate. Potential donors can live anywhere. You can test in your own state.  Everyone can live with one kidney.  My husband was eliminated for evaluation due to diabetes. They do not want our other son at this time because they have no idea why Greer developed this condition and due to their genetic connection, they cannot say our younger son Dylan couldn’t also develop this so they want to watch him. Hopefully he stays healthy and he could be Greers next donor 20 or so years from now. I myself immediately began the evaluation totally expecting to be Greers donor. After all, of course, I’m his mother. Two months into my evaluation I was eliminated. It was devastating….just a gut wrenching day when I received the news. 

I receive a dashboard weekly showing how many to date have started the evaluation process. Over 4000 people have visited his site. Approximately 60 individuals to date have gone  into the registration process. It can take 2-4 months for a person to be evaluated. It is a process beginning with a medical questionnaire all applicants start with.  I have been told more than three quarters of that 60 have been eliminated for many various reasons since this all began. I am told some are still in the que being “worked up” for eval. So far no one is a match nor have we been told anyone has banked a kidney in his name.

The hope is a direct match. If no one is a direct match yet still has a healthy & viable kidney to donate, they can donate “in Greers name” and someone’s life will be saved and then the registry will in fact find Greer a kidney. Essentially it is banking a kidney, that voucher will allow Greer to then receive one. Typically this happens within a couple of months. 

Donor testing takes place on their time frame when a person is available for the various tests. There is nothing invasive in this evaluation. Expenses are through Greers insurance. With each portion of evaluation, applicants will be notified if they are eligible to move forward. Applicants will also be contacted by a Donor Mentor who also was a donor to answer questions and be of support. 

A Donor will have a short hospital stay, upon release, rest, no lifting over 20 pounds for several weeks. No Nsaids are allowed again after surgery. Many return to work very soon after. The donor mentor will provide much insight to that. The great thing is YOU HAVE SHARED YOUR SPARE & SAVED A LIFE. Greer is currently on 13 hours of Peritoneal Home Dialysis every single night. Please consider our 25 year old son Greer Viau. His card is pictured in this post also you can go to www.nkr.org/ATE793  PLEASE SHARE his info. 

While we wait & hope for a living kidney donor. In the meantime, Greer would love to work contract work part time @ 20-25 hours a week. He has a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in A.I. and a minor in Math. He has a YouTube channel under his name with some videos of independent work he’s done. For his senior project in college he designed his own self driving car.  His job prior to this was with a robotics group that worked on drone systems that surveyed land areas for percable water/agricultural systems and so forth. If anyone needs or know anyone who could use his creative talents, please message me/email. hwsdance@gmail.com

Thank you

The Viau Family

Could you be the HOPE to Save a Life

They are literally the perfect layering piece of apparel for any gender.

Great for summer evenings or layered in the fall, winter or spring. Also the best for going out to dinner when you know there’s going to be air conditioning and you go from being warm to freezing and uncomfortable.

LAYERING SEASON!!!!

We are coming up to that time of year where you wake up in the morning, head out and it’s chilly, then the middle of the day is hot and then the evening you freeze. You put this over a white t shirt or polo and you’re ready for any temperature swings. You can wear them with jeans, with shorts, just all around the perfect versatile piece.

In sizes from Small to XXXL

Link To Purchase Here: https://gloucesterapparel.square.site/product/gloucester-fishing-premium-quarter-zip-jacket/24

When Rabbit @brianpitcher and I visited Gloucester UK to visit @adventureman a week before the covid shutdowns we were lucky enough spend time with @alan_myatt @ice_mindset @cnyland and Jamie’s dad Don. @alan_myatt is a Guinness World Record holing Town Crier who has been at it over 30 years. Alan made a special proclamation for us in honor of @gloucester400. Thanks Alan!!

Follow the page for updates- https://www.facebook.com/boatparadeoflights?mibextid=LQQJ4d

147 Thatcher Rd

978-281-1700

Hi Joey,

I am writing once again looking for help to spread the word. The Gloucester Luminaries & Love display (13th Annual Gloucester Overdose vigil) is Monday August 28th from 6:30-8:30pm. This event is truly a labor of LOVE in helping us remember those we have lost to substance use & supporting the community members they left behind. 

In the last three years we have included a canned food drive to help weigh down the bags for display & then we donate to the Open Door. In 2022 we collected 1100 lbs of food. Collection boxes are at Cape Ann Lanes & Cape Ann YMCA. There is also an AMAZON link 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/11WERXHE53IN4. Having canned goods prior to the event helps us to get a head start setting up the display.  

As you know it’s a peaceful night. Our goal is to just “hold space” for people to come & be with others who know and understand. Feel free to bring a chair & linger. 

Thank you for consider posting.  Let me know if I can answer any questions! Fliers attached photo credit of luminaries goes to Isaac J Aiello photography.  

Thank you. 

Donna Rogers turned us on to it. It’s available at Market Basket. Give it a try

Hey Joey! Here is a summary of our negotiations thus far. Thank you for sharing with your blog. All support is greatly appreciated!

Have you seen posts on social media about GAEP Negotiations or ESPs deserving a living wage and wondered what it is all about? Well look no further, and continue reading here for all you need to know about what is going on in the negotiations between the Gloucester School Committee and the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals.

You might be wondering what is GAEP?
GAEP stands for Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals, it is the local union for Educational Support Paraprofessionals aka ESPs. ESPs are essential in the effective education of our students and operations of our schools. They not only work with some of the most vulnerable students but they collaborate with teachers, literacy and math coaches, administrators, counselors and other support staff to ensure that students’ needs are being met. They implement safety and behavior plans, they give interventions, collect data and support students in any way they can.

Why are we talking about GAEP and ESPs?
GAEP began contract negotiations with the School Committee back in April. In the ESPs campaign, they are asking for a Living Wage for all ESPs, Respect as Educators and Affordable Education to Strengthen their Careers. Since the first session proposals and counter offers have been exchanged from both sides and there are already many tentative agreements. Agreements have been made on things like language clean up, more inclusive bereavement leave and test reimbursement for parapro and MTEL tests. The School Committee also offered a comprehensive professional development package for ESPs and added in tuition reimbursement at the request of GAEP. While things seem to be moving along, there is one area of the ESPs campaign that cannot be ignored, A LIVING WAGE FOR ALL ESPs.

The ESPs living wage proposal, which was modified on June 28, included increasing all ESPs pay by $5000 annually, for the next 3 years. This pay increase does not immediately raise their salary to a living wage, but creates a clear path to a living wage over the life of the contract. With this proposed increase the starting pay for an ESP would go from the current rate $22,016 annually to just over $37,000 and at the top pay rate, from around $26,000 to $41,000 over the next 3 years. The School Committees proposal is much different. They offered a 10% increase in the first year, which is approximately $2200 for new employees and $2500 for employees at the top of the pay scale. For year 2 and 3 they offered 2.5% & 2.6% in the second year, which is approximately $600 for new employees and $720 for members at the top of the pay scale and 2.6% in the third year which is approximately $650 for new employees and $755 for members at the top of the pay scale. So over the life of the 3 year contract, ESPs pay would increase by 15.1%, which sounds like a lot, but for the amount of money they are currently paid, over the next 3 years the increase is approximately $3450 at the starting step and $4000 at the top. This would bring starting pay from $18.41 and hour or $22,016 annually to $21.30 an hour or $25,469 annually and for a member who are already at the top step it would increase from $21.87 hourly or $26,155 annually to $25.29 hourly or $30,245 annually with the added 15.1% over the life of the contract as proposed by the School Committee. While 15.1% sounds good, it still does not get ESPs close to a living wage.

GAEP also asked for the School Committee to decrease the number of steps it will take an employee to reach the top step and while the School Committee did not offer to eliminate as many steps as GAEP initially asked for, they did agree to eliminate 4 of the current steps, which will help members advance to the top of the pay scale in only 6 years. They also agreed to increase the longevity stipend for employees who have worked more than 10 years in the district by $200. The school committee recognizes that ESPs working in some of our specialized programs should have an increase in the stipend they currently receive due to the nature of their work and they proposed a $400 increase to the stipend.

ESPs have asked for Respect as Educators in the form of equal pay for equal work, i.e. if you perform the work of a teacher/same work as a teacher, you get paid the same as a teacher for that work as well as fair compensation for professional development. Currently, ESPs can earn $10 annually for 10 hours of professional development for up to a total of $300 over your career, at that rate, you need to work 30 years and complete 300 hours of professional development to earn an additional $300. GAEPs Affordable Education proposal asks for tuition reimbursement to help make earning a degree more affordable, while learning new content and skills to improve the education of the students they are working with. The school committee’s comprehensive professional development package touches on these items and we hope to reach an agreement about these issues soon.

The role of an ESP has changed dramatically over the last several years, but more so since the pandemic. The needs of students have increased as well as the demands on ESPs. The cost of living in this area has also increased significantly, but the salaries of the people who work closest with our most vulnerable population has only increased by a 2.5% COLA. The School Committee agrees that ESPs deserve more and have offered a 10% salary increase. 10% is a great starting offer, but when your salary is just over $22,000 a year, that 10% increase only brings your salary to just over $24,000 which is well below the $46,000 living wage in Essex County according to MIT.

How can you help support GAEP and our ESPs?
Follow our Facebook page, Gloucester Association of Educational Support Paraprofessionals – GAEP, to stay up to date on all the upcoming events and information we share about negotiations. Share the information we share to help us get it out to as many community members as possible. Join us at any rallies or events we have. Talk to an ESP about what kind of work they do. Let the school committee know you think ESPs deserve a living wage! You can also log on to our open bargaining sessions, next session Wednesday August 23 at 3pm. The zoom link will be shared on our Facebook page as soon as we have it.