My View of Life on the Dock
George’s Coffee Shop expanded.
The Office at George’s — “Thirsty…You won’t be!”– a new local pub and local music and events will be open soon in the space of their former ice cream shop, Salah’s. (Some of the fixtures related to the ice cream business were repurposed for new owners opening across the street.) Also, George’s Coffee Shop added **new** outdoor seating as an option in response to Covid-19 phased re-opening.
Mike Hale, Director of DPW, and Jeff Destino, VP at O’Maley, reviewed top to-do list items at O’Maley back in January 2020, before Covid-19 hit. They also consulted with the principal and teachers, mentioning Ms. Crosby as one point of contact. The third floor (7th grade wing) was deemed “the most tired”. DPW slated work for February and April vacations with more lined up for the summer. When the pandemic closures ensued, many of these projects were ready to roll. Essential improvements and remodel efforts inside O’Maley include a wide assortment of interventions and upgrades by the DPW team: floor cleaning/refinishing/buffing (perpetual! a la Golden Gate Bridge painting); fresh coat of paint in various classrooms (in consultation with the teachers); wall repairs; 8 bathroom renovations; custom murals with hand painting by Jason Burroughs; built-in benches and high top counter; remodel of the resource officer’s room; renovation of one of the teacher lounges; and new classroom clocks.
About those classroom clocks. Ralph B. O’Maley (O’Maley) school was built ca.1972 and first class welcomed in ’74. The original classroom clocks were synced (hardwired and controlled from the main office) and no longer operational and hadn’t been for some time. They were kept up until they couldn’t be; after so much time the manufacturer was long gone. Bids for repairing the classroom clock system were astronomical. Instead, DPW replaced them with new clocks, automatically synced and operated via a wireless station in the Commons.
(update: *phase one is 50 replacement clocks- 30 more to be added if these do all they should)
The hodgepodge assortment of abandoned seats and folding tables in the teachers’ break room were replaced with quality and safe amenities.
Two large bathrooms on the ground floor and six small bathrooms on the third floor were renovated. The bathrooms looked rough and dated. Swapping out elements with smart design choices have made a huge difference. New non-porous epoxy flooring in stock colors, fixtures, ceiling tiles, and brushed aluminum wall squares (to clean up and conceal fifty years of mismatched accessory drill holes) work wonders.
Similarly, spot design choices in long halls appeared to complete punch items lingering from the original build. For instance, random walls of cinder blocks– where banks of lockers were planned for and never needed–are now sheet rocked and finished. Others were repaired and painted. The odd, old wood base runners and lifts (again related to locker banks) were removed. Built in custom benches in one hall and a counter for another clean up long corridors and are functional for these spaces in ways they hadn’t been before. Paint color, good quality “brag” boards, and painted quotes were selected by teachers and students. Jason Burroughs hand painted the custom selected phrases.
Custom built-ins
Wall murals hand lettering by Jason Burroughs
Classrooms – Cleaned up walls and fresh coats of paint (colors selected by teachers)
Teacher’s desk rather than folding table (bonus- match case goods already there)
Acquisition of case-goods in some classrooms was necessary. For instance, this teacher’s desk is no longer a folding table.
Mike Hale describes the recent DPW O’Maley interior projects as small yet necessary and beneficial to staff and students alike. He added,
“Coming in at roughly $100,000/ $10,000**, all in all they’re worthy, and relatively short money on the return.”
-Mike Hale
Note from author- typo- $100,000 for this work (includes less than $10,000 for clocks).
Exterior efforts at O’Maley include: new trees; garden sprucing; and sign appearing brand new and now sporting Gloucester colors–out with the green/gold in with the red. See prior post related to the completed (long planned) courtyard improvement phase
*Before snapshots courtesy Director of Public Works, Mike Hale.
After a lull, construction has resumed across from Good Harbor Beach at the corner of Thatcher and Witham. The property is legally described as Assessors Map 184, Lots #5 and #9, also known as 70-74 Thatcher Road. (Brier Neck Shores project)
new sign
Covid-19 and summer brought an old post to mind. Reposting summer 2020; First published in July 2016.
Are you up for a Gloucester beaches challenge?
A mid-week vacation day is the easiest. Oh, and you’ll need your resident beach sticker. We prepped our car with a picnic blanket for the seat, extra towels, and ice waters. Start early and grab a big “lobsterjack” breakfast because you’ll need the fuel. End late.
Let’s establish some base rules here.
First off, you need to spend at least 15 minutes at each beach. (You can tweak this a little if you want.) Next, you need to dive under. We suggest a ritual for each beach, e.g. ‘The Five and Dive’. Finally, you have to stop for ice cream and candy. Remember, you can do these beaches (or others or quarries in Gloucester) and jumps in any order. Be flexible for different ages and unexpected delays like staying at one beach for hours, or a friend asking you to drop off a sub (*cough* Joey *cough*). Most importantly, you have to do at least 13 beaches and 2 jumps in one day. Mind the tides. Be grateful we have so many choices.
alphabetical order
Annisquam lighthouse. Coffin’s beach. Good Harbor beach. Long beach. Magnolia beach. Niles beach. Pavilion beach (by Beach Court). Pavilion beach bonus (by the cut). Plum Cove beach. Rocky Neck Oakes Cove beach. Stage Fort Park (1) – Cressy’s beach ( our alt. title ‘sea serpent’ big beach). Stage Fort Park (2) – Half Moon beach. Wheeler’s Point. Wingaersheek beach.
Annisquam bridge. Magnolia Pier.
*We did this challenge at least once each summer. (In 2016) we started off with breakfast at Willow’s Rest and continued from there. Our timing was random especially as we spent hours at Wingaersheek. The second meal to get us through the day came from the sandwich counter at Annie’s by Wingaersheek. Yes, they have a sandwich counter.
Gloucester Beaches sandwich directory
across Coffin’s beach at low tide
Well. that. was. cinematic.
5 sec video
take 2(Coming soon…Archie’s picks 🐶🐶!~ And before/after photos of a new jewelry and collector bag display by Kim)
(Coming soon…Archie’s picks 🐶🐶!~ And before/after photos of a new jewelry and collector bag display by Kim)
Cape Ann Museum is offering a special cultural tour. Enjoy special sites connected to art and history from your boat!
“Participating vessels will be guided along the coast of Cape Ann on a tour that highlights spots that were fundamentally important in the careers of many of America’s greatest artist, including Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Jane Peterson, Edward Hopper, Milton Avery, Mark Rothko and more!”
Cape Ann Museum leads wonderful walking tours, too.
Good egg private events at Outside the Box Cafe (alongside Audrey’s Flower Shop and The Rhumb Line )
It was an easy drive out of town and back this morning: Here’s 9AM at two ‘apt to back up’ spots. The Good Harbor Beach parking lot was closed, open to residents only, before 10.
Looking back up 128 – Turning on to 127
turning on to Barn
Excerpt from ‘The Uncertain Future of Places That Preserve America’s Past’
“Thanks to the City’s infamous witch trials, the historic homes and gardens on the Salem, Mass., waterfront usually get about a third of their annual visitors in the Halloween season. But the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lock-downs have created a scary situation for these places: most of the rest of their visitors arrive in the spring and summer. Thanks to the pandemic, this year’s busy time has been a wash, and it’s not looking like the fall will be much different. At the site of Salem’s The House of the Seven Gables and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace…” Read the full article TIME magazine here
Peabody Essex Museum has reopened with a modified schedule:
“Thursdays through Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm. To allow for safe physical distancing, a limited number of visitors will be allowed inside the museum and its galleries at any time. Reserve your tickets in advance at pem.org/tickets or by calling 978-542-1511.”
In Gloucester, both Beauport Museum and Hammond Castle are open. While Cape Ann Museum is not open, its on line, virtual fare has increased. Check out “CAM connects”- the most recent July 23, 2020 Cape Ann Music
Hammond Castle- Advance purchase of timed tickets is required to enter the museum. Purchase your tickets here. Guest are also welcome to explore the Museum grounds including the Bell Tower, Drawbridge, Look Out Point and our iconic arches. The grounds are open from 9:30 am to 4 pm daily. Face masks are required and social distancing should be maintained as recommended by the State of Massachusetts and the City of Gloucester.
Beauport Museum – Historic New England property details: “The tour has been altered to maximize social distancing, and each tour is limited to four guests. Please read the “Know Before You Go” section below for more information on safety requirements. Advance tickets are required, and admission is free for Historic New England members. Buy tickets now.”
See more from March 2020 here
July 2020 (apartments will have view of historic Net & Twine)
What movie would you play?
Scenes from a beautiful summer evening on Long Beach July 21, 2020.
Rose Baker Senior Center curb appeal revitalization continues. The new exterior paint job continues.
Local businesses adjust to Covid-19 reopening “new” normal.
Surfside Subs and pizza shop one way routes and sanitized pens and on point pizza box placard
Chair brigade busy by 7am.
The art of Long Beach. Not quite chair wars. More like summer morning ritual for regulars.
views from both the Rockport and Gloucester ends at about high noon (tide heading out)
Cape Ann SUP is set up renting paddle boards and lessons at Long Beach by the Cape Ann Motor Inn, and the Cow Mobile Ice Cream Truck. Dominic is too modest to mention but we know that he keeps an eye out there beyond his clients and has rescued swimmers. The rip tide sign reflects the corner of the cove. There was a rescue covered in the Gloucester Daily Times this week, “Friends pull 5 from riptide“. Afterwards a lifeguard chair has been relocated closer to this side and a new sign added at the entrance.
about 11 and again at 4pm
mid-July 2020
Virgilio’s added the champagne tricolor Italian cookie atop the pie and it looks so festive! Year round Viva
11am July 2020
Good Morning Gloucester 