Long Beach riprap cleared of sand now
Sandstorm on beach sent us to the back of the Long Beach cottages. Strong winds continue.
Author: Catherine
posted content / cell phone photos mine, unless otherwise credited
(thumbnail portrait of Catherine at MFA, Boston © David Cox photo)
https://www.cryanaid.com/
All schools cancelled -Power outages about 30% #GloucesterMA
statewide 22,000
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Sam Novello asks GMG: What Happened to the Cannons at Stage Fort Park?
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Sam Novello asks GMG, “Joe, what happened to the cannons at Stage Fort Park—— two are gone?”
The cannon(s) are undergoing restoration (cleaning, chemical treatment and re-painting). In 2018, the CPA Committee awarded $22,705 of an estimated $46,000 to the Stage Fort Park Advisory Committee to refurbish the Parrot Rifle Cannon for work scheduled to commence spring 2020. The project is led by the Stage Fort Park Advisory Committee. The grant application project summary indicates the scope of work as follows:
- The fabrication of an aluminum “historic-rendering of a carriage for the Parrot Rifle Cannon as part of a multi-year project to restore the Fort area of Stage Fort Park.
- Cleaning, treatment and repainting of the Parrot Rifle Cannon.
- Machining or “sleeving” of the Parrot Rifle Cannon to create a narrow lined bore capable of firing a small charge report.
“Our final goal is to restore the Fort area as a historic feature of the Park and its importance to our local military history.* Repairs and restoration of this site are long overdue. The ramparts are overgrown with vegetation**. The cannon barrels are suffering due to neglect. The barrels are subject to trash, dirt and debris. We hope to preserve this site for future generations. The cleaning, capping and painting of the cannon will protect the barrel against future damage. We have proposed an annual stipend in the city budget of $2000 for maintenance of the Fort as well as a security plan for the Fort which would include lighting and security cameras. *Our ultimate goals include a visitor education center with historic references to the Fort and its history. It is expected that the entire Stage Fort Park will be used as a centerpiece of the city’s 400th anniversary celebrations.”
– Stage Fort Park Advisory Committee CPA application excerpt, photo from packet and phasing goals
Read the full application here: 2019 CPA Application SFP Parrot Rifle Cannon Carriage
*There is no finalized plan for this area overall. (See photographs then/now below.)There IS a history of Fort use and restoration for historic battles –as well as city celebrations– honoring this legacy and the kind souls who volunteered to do so.
For example: I’m not sure if the 187th Infantry Brigade was paid for the work they did in 1973, which I’m assuming was the last big overhaul. The CPA grant is just about the work on the cannons. The Historical Commission wrote a letter of support stressing replica accuracy using period materials (wood and metal)
**The area is overgrown at the moment because of various DPW work on the boulevard and future plans. (When I photographed the area annually it’s cleared.)
Stage Fort is the oldest fort in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2019
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1973
As part of the city’s 350th celebration prep, the cannon site area (earthworks, entrance area, powder magazine, and gun embrasures) was restored by an engineer brigade from Wollaston. The design intent turned the clock back to how the fort would have been built out in the 1700s. Julian Hatch, the chairman of the 350th, had been director of public works for the city. The project was decades in the wishing and sensitively designed at long last.
1930
In 1930, the Fort was spruced up from its formal design post Civil and Spanish war. Fisherman’s Field Stage Fort information plaques were commissioned and unveiled.
Bronze tribute plaques embedded in Tablet Rock at Stage Fort Park detail the site’s history and were commissioned and unveiled at different times. The monumental and stunning Founders plaque from 1907 on Tablet Rock itself is in fantastic condition. Two DAR plaques were inlaid on the glacial outcroppings past half moon beach on the way to the cannons. The Fisherman’s Field (ca.1930) is so worn it’s nearly indecipherable, though that’s part of its charm. The plaque compels close inspection, lingering and discovery. It’s a fun family activity for anyone who likes a challenge. For those who want help reading the content, I transcribed it back in 2010. ”
Printable PDF of the plaque translation here
Read more about historic battles and Gloucester Stage Fort Park in this trivia quiz designed by Shaun Goulart, GHS history teacher, in this prior GMG post.
1921
copy of Frank L. Cox fine art photograph (pre dates 1921) he used to illustrate his pocket Gloucester guide “The Gloucester Book”, and sell prints
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City Hall tower lights are purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month #GloucesterMA
Enza Taormina, clerk from the Office of the Mayor, relayed that the tower lights are “purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month” October 2019.
City Hall Clock Tower Illumination
The tower lights are illuminated to recognize special causes, organizations, events and holidays. They were instituted by Mayor Romeo Theken and her administration. The City Electrician with Gloucester DPW installed an LED system which is outfitted with changeable color lenses. Requests for commemoration come to DPW through the Office of the Mayor. Check the Mayor’s Facebook page or local media to see announcements for new lights and/or news related to a cause.
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The wreck of the lobster traps – Long Beach after the storm
Tangled lobster trap clots washed ashore after this week’s nor’easter, landing on the Rockport side of Long Beach between fire break #3 and the bridge to Cape Hedge. “Looks like a shipwreck,” people remarked.
The sand was stripped away from the riprap but the seawall is fine. The high tides did not swamp the wall or reach the street.
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Please support GHS JROTC! cadets at Shaws on Eastern Avenue
Cadets from the Junior ROTC program at Gloucester High School volunteer for 3 hour shifts at Shaw’s on Eastern Avenue.
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Wingaersheek Beach: kite surfing fruit slices & windy choppy waves on day 3 nor’easter #GloucesterMA
I wondered what impact the storm had on Wingaersheek and was surprised by penny candy on the horizon. If surf on the ocean side is not amenable, there are so many alternate beach options in Gloucester.
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GMG reader asks: What do the colored lights on Gloucester City Hall clock tower mean?
A GMG reader asks Joey about the colorful night lights on city hall and compliments Good Morning Gloucester:
“Thanks for all the work you do on the blog and podcast, and welcome center. I love the blog so much because of how funny and enthusiastic it is, and I always look forward to learning more about Gloucester. My friend and I were wondering, is there a story about the colored light on city hall at night? Sometimes there’s a pattern of colors, sometimes just one color. Do the colors have a meaning or is it just for decoration? We figured you’d be the person to ask, if anyone knows! Thanks a lot, hope you’re having a good day.” – Oliver
City Hall Clock Tower Illumination
Thanks for the great question, Oliver. The pretty City Hall clock tower lights are illuminated to recognize special causes, organizations, events and holidays. They were instituted by Mayor Romeo Theken and her administration. The City Electrician with Gloucester DPW installed an LED system which is outfitted with changeable color lenses. Requests for commemoration come to DPW through the Office of the Mayor.
The Mayor’s Facebook page may announce new lights and/or news articles related to a cause. The lights are fun to decipher: green for St. Patrick’s Day, rainbow cycle for Gay Pride, Fiesta trio, and so on.Who remembers the first color lights occasion?
update: Enza Taormina clerk from the Office of the Mayor relayed that this month, October 2019, the tower lights are ” purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”
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October storm waves day 2 #GloucesterMA
The surf was greater before and after high tide today which is unusual.
z
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Live from Sawyer Free- 1623 Studios streaming debate hosted by League of Women Voters
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so this was low tide at Cape Hedge Long Beach nor’easter
The storm brought impressive waves even at low tide. The next high tide is later tonight.
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Lobster Cove: Gloucester DPW rebuilding stone wall along Washington Street / 127 (and brush clearing at Bennett)
CAUTION- slow down!
Gloucester DPW crews are restoring the old stone fence along Washington Street/Rt 127 between the Annisquam footbridge and Annisquam Church. They are filling and resetting capstone and top stone along its length and attending to areas of greater disrepair. The fence on this route has been hit by cars more than once. Estimates for contracting the work went far outside the department’s budget. Thankfully, Gloucester DPW is up to the city maintenance of a traditional public works build. They began the job last week (see below)
BEFORE (and one in process/mortar)
AFTER
So far- Gloucester DPW is just a fraction of the way into this project. They’ll tackle sections at a time.
Goose Cove
Gloucester DPW repaired the stone wall at Goose Cove (also hit)
Nearby another DPW crew completed much needed roadside overgrowth clearing on Bennett Street up towards Dennison Street
Before (Google Street view) / After
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Balance
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Motif Monday: 3 Long Beach cottages off season construction
Side by side photographs: BEFORE (April 2017) / DURING CONSTRUCTION on the 8s (October 2019) Stay tuned for After.
88 Long Beach
68 Long Beach
Behind 28 Long Beach
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123 Eastern Avenue former Gulf Station
The temporary fence is down and clearing underway at 123 Eastern Avenue, formerly the Twin Stop Gulf station, convenience shop, and memorable Happy Taco food truck landing spot. Wonder what’s coming next? The site was rejected for development as a potential marijuana shop because of square footage requirements. There is quite a bit of property available for rent at the abutting shopping area properties.
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New color fresh coat of paint 370 Main Street Action Inc
370 Main Street adds into the blue architectural character downtown Gloucester
photos: 2019 AFTER above; and BEFORE 2017 and 2015 below. Jason Burroughs repurposed the Action Inc mural incorporating Cole Herbst’s original commission that had faded. This sunny location is hard on paint.
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College students just want normal libraries Atlantic Magazine | Beautiful books and nooks
just a few photos of many beautiful libraries in Massachusetts (Boston, Gloucester, Quincy, Beverly, Middleton)
As do towns! The proposed new building (Dore & Whittier/Matt Oudens) related to the Sawyer Free Library is landing at the tail end of the visioning trend called out in this Atlantic article by Alia Wong:
“College Students Just Want Normal Libraries: Schools have been on a mission to reinvent campus libraries—even though students just want the basics.”
excerpts:
“Likely in the hopes of proving that they have more to offer than a simple internet connection does, many college libraries are pouring resources into interior-design updates and building renovations, or into “glitzy technology,” such as 3-D printers and green screens, that is often housed in “media centers” or “makerspaces.”
“Yet much of the glitz may be just that—glitz. Survey data and experts suggest that students generally appreciate libraries most for their simple, traditional offerings: a quiet place to study or collaborate on a group project, the ability to print research papers, and access to books.”
“So-called digital natives still crave opportunities to use libraries as libraries, and many actively seek out physical texts—92 percent of the college students surveyed in a 2015 study, for example, said they preferred paper books to electronic versions. (Plus, a growing body of evidence shows that physical books and papers are more conducive to learning than digital formats are.) The dean of learning and technology resources at one of the six campuses of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) recently told me about a student he had met: Upon learning that her campus library had only the e-book version of a text she needed to read, the woman opted to make the trek to another campus a nearly half-hour commute away that had the hard copy. A 2016 survey of students at Webster University in Washington, D.C., also illustrates limited use of digital resources, finding that just 18 percent of students accessed e-books “frequently” or “very frequently,” compared with 42 percent who never used them.
“Duke University’s 2016 survey of its students drew similar conclusions, finding that book delivery was one of the most important services to students; fancy library services such as instant messaging or data-visualization help fell much lower on students’ priority lists. A separate, years-long project on community-college students by the NOVA dean and a team of researchers found that respondents “most often view the library as the service provider they would likely go to” for an array of bread-and-butter needs, such as help gathering research for a paper, registering for classes, or applying for financial aid. Demand for access to devices such as 3-D printers and virtual-reality headsets was relatively low; respondents tended to highlight the need for reliable Wi-Fi instead.
“Many college libraries are reinventing themselves, but perhaps they’re trying to fix an institution that isn’t, in fact, broken…”
Read the full article here:
Rockport Library has dedicated quiet conversation and reading spaces as do Beverly, Quincy and Boston.
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6 September sunrises Long Beach
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GHS boys soccer next home game at New Balance Field at Newell Stadium is…
OCTOBER 7, 6:30PM HOME vs. Salem
The team is half way through its 2019 season. Pump up the volume! For Joey and other spectators: mark your calendars with 4 more chances to see season home games.
Gloucester Daily Times sports writer, Nick Curcuru, describes the boys varsity soccer team as one not to miss: “Gloucester is not only good, it is one of the most exciting teams in the conference as it can light up the scoreboard and put up goals in bunches against any defense.” excerpt from The Contenders article. His report on the Malden game, Resilient Fishermen, is a great read about that exciting game.
upcoming games (see full schedule here )
GAME 10. MONDAY OCTOBER 7, 6:30PM (JV postponed), HOME vs. Salem
Game 11. Tuesday October 8, 3:45 (JV 4:00) AWAY vs. Lynn
12. Friday October 11, 4:00PM (JV 4:00PM) HOME vs. Marblehead
13. Tuesday October 15, 4:00PM (JV 4:00PM) AWAY vs. Peabody
14. Friday October 18, 4:00PM (JV postponed) AWAY vs. Salem
15. Monday October 21, 6:30PM (JV 4:30PM) HOME vs. Swampscott
16. Wednesday October 23, 6:30PM (JV 4:30PM) HOME vs. Danvers
17. Friday October 25, 4:00PM (JV 4:00PM) AWAY vs. Beverly
18. Monday October 28, 7:30PM (JV 6:00PM) AWAY vs. Malden
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Master Storytellers share their secrets- Literary Cape Ann event
“It was a dark and stormy night: Master storytellers share their secrets”
Literary Cape Ann brings Peter Berkrot, Susan Oleksiw, Steve Almond, Bruce Robert Coffin, and Brunonia Barry to Rockport Public Library. Enjoy a book sale, live storytelling and panel discussion.
FREE
October 12, 2019 3pm
sponsors include Sun Engineering in Danvers, Bach Builders in Gloucester, and the Institution for Savings
Good Morning Gloucester 