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/

Write a letter to the FCC to support 1623 Studios (Cape Ann TV) community media

Posted on by Catherine

New rules may be implemented with the FCC that could decimate funding to local community television. You still have time to weigh in with public comments today and tomorrow. See below for a current 2018 update and easy how-tos for public comments. (You can read more about  the FCC history and cape ann tv leading up to 1623 studios in a prior 2016 post.)

Erich Archer says thanks and please feel free to share:

LETTER TEMPLATES & HOW TO FILE COMMENTS BY 11/14/18

You can submit a comment to the FCC before November 15th with these steps:

  1. Go to this link: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/proceedings?q=name:((05-311))
  2. Click on ‘+ Express ‘
  3. Fill in your information and send

You can also the template found here. You can find other sample letters you can get from local lawmakers about the rulemaking to enter into the record. Let us know if you have questions!


BACKGROUND

The FCC’s “Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making (FNPRM) on Cable Franchising” was published in the Federal Register on October 15. This means that the deadline for comments will be November 14. This proposed Rule seeks to redefine and place a value on cable franchise obligations that have been traditionally defined as “In-Kind” (backhaul of signal, IPG, possibly our PEG channels themselves). The result would be to charge these “expenses” back against the franchise fee and essentially undermine the intent of the Cable Act. The national impact on PEG Access and local municipalities could be devastating. 

LATEST UPDATES

US Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts knows community media and why it exists. He was on the House committee that helped enact the 1984 Cable Act that supported PEG across the United States. That’s why he’s outraged at the actions of the Federal Communications Commission to destabilize communities in its FNPRM on Cable Franchsing.

Among other things, the rulemaking proposes to define “in-kind” support so broadly it will allow cable companies to deduct just about ANY support against franchise fees – thus defunding municipalities AND community television.

Senator Markey is trying to organize Democratic US Senators to support a letter to the FCC disapproving of the proposed rulemaking. ACM wants to thank him for the effort. He’s been a champion of our cause for many years! Here are the Senators who so far have agreed to sign on to the Markey letter:

  • Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
  • Senator Ben Cardin (MD)
  • Senator Maggie Hassan (NH)
  • Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow (MI)
  • Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden (OR)
  • Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)

We want to thank all the ACM members who’ve been contacting their US Senators about signing on, but we need more! Please contact your US Senator about joining Senator Markey’s effort to oppose the FNPRM. You may notice some Democratic Senators who are not on the list!

If you need assistance or background information about the FNPRM, please contact Mike Wassenaar by email at mwassenaar@allcommunitymedia.org.

20161026_© c ryan Cape Ann TV Gloucester MA

Governor Baker & Lt. Gov. Polito invited Gloucester’s Mayor Romeo Theken to help open their election night victory speech!

Posted on by Catherine

Go Gloucester, Go Massachusetts!

Mayor Romeo Theken’s leadership is valued. She did an awesome job in a Baker-Polito TV commercial leading up to the 2018 election.  (I’ll add a link here soon. “H” for human!)

Along with the Mayor of Lawrence Dan Riveria, and Robert Lewis, she was invited to be part of the program for Baker’s victory evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Gloucester group went with the Mayor for support. Below-  Photo with the Massachusetts director of Veterans Services, Secretary Francisco Ureña. Courtesy photographs from the election night at John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center & Prudential Center, Boston, Ma

IMG_5910.jpeg

Weigh in! Sawyer Free Public library seeking ideas for next steps (since the summer 2018 thinkGloucester conversations) November 15th

Posted on by Catherine

Sawyer Free Library June 2018 center filled.jpg

The Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library is holding a public meeting  November 15, 6-8pm, seeking ideas about the library’s next steps.

In May and June 2018,  the library’s volunteer group, thinkGloucester, held a series of community meetings facilitated by Gloucester Conversations. People were invited “to join these open conversations to share ideas and input for the library’s five-year strategic plan.” I went to one of the meetings which was lightly attended with 12 participants beyond staff, board and facilitators. Further outreach included meetings off site in different wards as well as through social media and on line. Postcards were sent to every residence encouraging participation in an online survey. I’ll look for a link to a summary page of results from that feedback.  In the meantime, here’s a link to a message from the Board – Creating our Future an update on the building project, June 2018 

Sawyer Free meeting notice November 2018

More staff, books, better bathrooms, celebrate Saunders, children’s library, local art, archives!

Prior posts about proposed library plans Continue reading “Weigh in! Sawyer Free Public library seeking ideas for next steps (since the summer 2018 thinkGloucester conversations) November 15th” →

Weigh in! Sawyer Free Public library seeking ideas for next steps (since the summer 2018 thinkGloucester conversations) November 15th

Posted on by Catherine

Sawyer Free Library June 2018 center filled.jpg

The Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library is holding a public meeting  November 15, 6-8pm, seeking ideas about the library’s next steps.

In May and June 2018,  the library’s volunteer group, thinkGloucester, held a series of community meetings facilitated by Gloucester Conversations. People were invited “to join these open conversations to share ideas and input for the library’s five-year strategic plan.” I went to one of the meetings which was lightly attended with 12 participants beyond staff, board and facilitators. Further outreach included meetings off site in different wards as well as through social media and on line. Postcards were sent to every residence encouraging participation in an online survey. I’ll look for a link to a summary page of results from that feedback.  In the meantime, here’s a link to a message from the Board Creating our Future an update on the building project, June 2018 

Sawyer Free meeting notice November 2018

More staff, books, better bathrooms, celebrate Saunders, children’s library, local art, archives!

Prior posts about proposed library plans Continue reading “Weigh in! Sawyer Free Public library seeking ideas for next steps (since the summer 2018 thinkGloucester conversations) November 15th” →

What a photo! Moment when local veterans services Director celebrates boy’s father who is currently deployed across the oceans

Posted on by Catherine
Paul Bilodeau photograph cape ann celebrates its vets _ Front page Gloucester Daily Times Nov 9 2018.jpg
Gloucester Daily Times front page November 9, 2018 features photograph shot by ©Paul Bilodeau for Ray Lamont article “Cape Ann Celebrates its vets this weekend”

Cape Ann Veterans services helps families and community stay connected to those who  serve. The boy’s father, Jason Rutkauskas, is serving in the Navy. Jason is also a wonderful soccer coach!

Sign up for Mass Beer week, Applechusetts trail, Mass travel stats and FREE listings

Posted on by Catherine

News from Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) massvacation.com

Boston Globe Travel Show: January 18-20, 2019

MOTT is excited to announce plans to exhibit at the 2019 Boston Globe Travel Show, which will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston from January 18-20, 2019. We are planning to host a variety of costumed characters in our booth, so if you would like to feature your mascot, or wish to volunteer in the MOTT booth, please contact Phyllis M. Cahaly.

Congratulations Flynn Cruiseport Boston

Congratulations to the Flynn Cruiseport Boston on another record-breaking year of cruise passengers in the 2018 season. According to Tom Glynn, Massport CEO, Flynn Cruiseport Boston estimated that they welcomed 396,000 cruise passengers, 150 cruise ships and 20 different cruise lines to Boston. This translates to $485 million in economic output, $213 million to tourism-related businesses, nearly 2,000 jobs and $10 million in annual state and local tax revenues from cruise activity. Also, with the passing of the Economic Development Bill this past July, Massport will be spending $100 million in renovations for Flynn Cruiseport Boston which will include upgrades to efficiently handle 4,000+ passenger vessels.

Participate in Mass Beer Week

Calling all Massachusetts tap rooms, breweries, brew pubs, bottle shops, and restaurants. Join the Mass Brewers Guild, BeerAdvocate, Craft’d Events, Fat Basset Design, and the Mass. Brew Bros. in the celebration of Mass Beer Week taking place March 2-9, 2019. Joining is simple and only requires that you host an event focused exclusively on beer brewed in Massachusetts. Ideas for events include but are not limited to a Massachusetts tap takeover, beer/food pairing menus, specialty tastings, or panel discussion with brewers and consumers. For questions and additional details on how to get involved, contact the Mass Brewers Guild’s Executive Director Katie Stinchon.

New MOTT trail Applechusetts features Orchards, Cideries, and More- 
Leading up to the 24th annual Franklin County CiderDays festival, MOTT released Applechusetts, a guide to apple goods, experiences, and traditions across the Commonwealth. Applechusetts features pick-your-own orchards, farm stands, sweet treats, events, and cideries along with apple variety notes, recipes from local businesses, and hard cider tasting tips. An index and resources section at the back directs readers to MOTT and MDAR web pages for listings, maps, and more. Hard copies of Applechusetts were distributed at Franklin County’s CiderDays 2018, and a digital version of the guide is available on MOTT’s website at massvacation.com/apples.

Speaking of Franklin County’s CiderDays, MOTT also partnered with Yankee Magazine to distribute Yankee’s fall guide and a special food edition at the standout harvest festival. Mark your calendars: CiderDays will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019. That’s 25 years of cider tastings, tours, talks, and so much more. How do you like them apples?

Applechusetts – Congratulations Russell Orchards for representing North Shore (other regional options include: Brooksby Farm, Connors, Appleton, Smolak)

 

 

Gloucester and Cape Ann were represented in two other MOTT themed guides: the Massachusetts Whale Trail and the Massachusetts Masterpiece Trail

Notable Media Coverage of Massachusetts (other than sports)
Check out award-winning UK Journalist Mike MacEachern’s story on Springfield and the Dr. Seuss Museum, published on BBC Travel in October. With BBC Travel’s reach of over 78 million people, this is another great result of Mr. MacEachern’s media visit to Massachusetts this past summer. Ireland’s TV3’s The Elaine Show in Ireland recently featured a Halloween special on Salem. Fast forward to 29:30 in this clip, to follow presenter Sarah Cleary’s journey to Boston and Salem. The Elaine Show’s 1 million viewers in Ireland will be getting a taste of Halloween in the Bay State.

Check out – North Shore in the news – BBC featured Kim Smith, Gloucester, Cape Ann and New England 

New International Flight
Delta will launch new nonstop daily service from Edinburgh, Scotland to Boston on May 23, 2019. Here’s the press release.

MA Sports Marketing Office Upcoming Sporting Events
International Volleyball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, Springfield, Nov 10
135th “The Game:” Yale vs Harvard, Boston November 17
For a full schedule of major sporting events across Massachusetts, visit MAsportsoffice.com.

MA Film Office Film Festivals
Boston Jewish Film Festival – November 7 – 19
Northampton Film Festival – November 15 – 18
Boston International Kids Film Festival – November 16 – 18
For a full schedule of film festivals in Massachusetts, visit mafilm.org.

North Shore offerings: Cape Ann Cinema offers several festivals annually

BULLETIN BOARD – FREE means FREE!
With so many amazing free things to do in Massachusetts, we created a FREE category listing in our online calendar of events at massvacation.com. Now, you can feel free to add your organization’s cost-free events to MOTT’s year-round calendars. Just visit massvacation.com and click on ‘submit your listing’ on the bottom of the homepage. With questions, please reach out to John Alzapiedi.

By the Numbers MA Lodging Industry Performance
September, 2018 vs. September, 2017

Continue reading “Sign up for Mass Beer week, Applechusetts trail, Mass travel stats and FREE listings” →

Calling all photographers! Capture the beauty of Essex County photo contest…Essex National Heritage 📷

Posted on by Catherine

Rules for the 2018 annual photography contest from Essex National Heritage

Essex National Heritage 2018 annual photo contest.jpg

Photographers get snapping!

All photographers are invited to submit images to the 2018 Photo Contest. This contest captures the spirit of the Essex National Heritage Area & images that speak to the role of Essex Heritage in preserving the historic, cultural, and natural treasures of Essex County.  All submissions are due by December 15, 2018. Any photograph captured between January 1, 2018 and December 15, 2018, and assigned to one of three contest categories is eligible to win: People of Essex County; Off the Beaten Path; A closer Look

We’re looking for Instagram-worthy pics you have snapped that showcase the beauty and uniqueness of Essex County. The rules are simple: at any point during our Photo Contest period (January 1, 2018 through December 15, 2018) you can tag your best Essex County photos with #EssexHeritagePhotoContest to enter; if your account is private, be sure to direct message us the pic so we can see it. After the cut-off date, Essex National Heritage will compile what we have and our staff will pick the top 9. Then our Instagram community will vote on the best one! Questions? DM us @EssexHeritage

Categories for Essex National Heritage annual photo contest

kiosk for Essex Coastal Scenic Byway coming to Stage Fort Park

Posted on by Catherine

Essex National Heritage has helped Gloucester produce 2D informational signage at the Stage Fort Park Visitor Center; one large arts focused placard has served multi use as a screen.  These new kiosks are the first ‘in the round’ wayfinding markers for Essex National Heritage area and a natural progression for the Scenic Byway. The highway wayfinding signs for the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway have been in place and successful and took years to coordinate. David Rhinelander and others helped facilitate that endeavor in Gloucester and Cape Ann.

Save the date- Ribbon cutting December 19th

Essex Coastal scenic byway in Gloucester _ribbon cuting Dec 19th.jpg

Essex Heritage is pleased to announce the installation of 9 informational kiosks in communities along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway at the end of November-early December. The Byway is a state-designated route linking 14 coastal cities and towns from Lynn to Salisbury. These kiosks are a part of a wayfinding signage project that has been ongoing for over a decade with the goal of supporting a tourism-based economic initiative by showcasing the region’s historic, cultural, and natural places.

The 90-mile Essex Coastal Scenic Byway guides visitors and residents through one of the country’s most picturesque and historically significant regions – Boston’s legendary North Shore. The route features mile after mile of breathtaking vistas, historic homes, access to world-class art and culture destinations, distinctive local businesses and visitor centers. To celebrate the installation of the kiosk in Gloucester, please take note of the event details below.

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 19th at 10:00am

Location: Gloucester Visitor Center, 24 Hough Avenue, Gloucester

The Art of Geoffrey Bayliss opens at Jane Deering Gallery

Posted on by Catherine

from Jane Deering Gallery-

GBayliss . Blue Harvest VE1 2017 . Reductive linoleum print . Plate 18x24 inches . Paper 22x30 inches.jpg

Jane Deering Gallery is pleased to present The Art of Geoffrey Bayliss, November 10-December 10 with an Open Reception Saturday November 17th from 1:00-4:00pm at 19 Pleasant Street, Gloucester. The artist’s latest work — two suites of unique linocut prints — will be on view in the exhibition titled Harvest.  Blue Harvest, a series of 13 prints in beautiful color, and the companion series, Red Harvest, achieve a range of complexity emblematic of the reductive technique. Accompanying the new prints is a flock of highly inventive papier-mâché birds, fresh from the studio and ready for new destinations. These delightful objects are the result of explorations in papier-mâché by Bayliss and artist/printmaker Coco Berkman with whom Bayliss continues to study. The artist has generously offered to donate his proceeds from the sale of these works-in-progress to The Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry.

Bayliss, a native of Gloucester, holds a BA in architecture from Columbia University. He has studied with artist Celia Eldridge, sculptor John Bozarth, printmaker Coco Berkman, and artist Charlotte Roberts.  His work is held in numerous private collections in the US.  This is the artist’s 3rd solo show with Jane Deering Gallery. The gallery will be open Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm, November 10 – December 10, and by chance or appointment at 917-902-4359, info@janedeeringgallery.com, 19 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA. 01930.

portrait of artist GEOFFREY BAYLISS ©Celia Eldridge_courtesy photo shared from Jane Deering Gallery_ Gloucester Ma.png
portrait of the artist Geoffrey Bayliss (photo credit: Celia Eldridge)

 

And Orange Leaf content absolute auction 11AM Walgreens Plaza, Gloucester, Ma.

Posted on by Catherine

Across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts and the recently shuttered Papa Ginos in Walgreens Plaza, the content of Orange Leaf Soft Serve francise in Gloucester, Ma., will be sold at absolute auction today at 11:00 by Swampscott based Michael C Purcell A-1 Auctions. Preview inspection opens at 9am. In 2013, local news reported that the owners invested a whopping $300,000 into the build out of the structure erected in 2008 by Walgreen Plaza developer, Mac Bell. Classic Cooks and Orange Leaf shared the space for a few months this summer.

Orange Leaf, 102 Rogers Street, Gloucester, MA

Orange Leaf soft serve francise Gloucester MA shuttered _content auction_20181106_ was open 2013-partial 2018 © C Ryan (2).jpg

 

Here’s a look at iconic art inspired by #GloucesterMA for sale at the big auction houses November 2018

Posted on by Catherine

For sale at Sotheby’s November 2018

WINSLOW HOMER Yacht in a Cove Gloucester Harbor_ca 1880_wc_Sothebys Nov 2018 American pre sale auction estimate 200000 to 300000
WINSLOW HOMER Yacht in a Cove Gloucester Harbor_ca 1880_watercolor_upcoming Sothebys Nov 2018 American sale. Pre-sale auction estimate is $200,000 – $300,000

Last spring a Homer image of Gloucester boys in a dory fetched $400,000. Relatable, though not Gloucester: Life Brigade is expected to fetch 4x that amount at Sotheby’s; another classic motif , Gathering Wild Blackberries, is estimated to sell for $150,000-$200,000. There is a smashing Marsden Hartley of Dogtown.

 

EDWARD HOPPER_Two Comedians_ upcoming Sotheby's American sale Nov 2018_from Sinatra collection est 12 mil to 18 mil
EDWARD HOPPER_Two Comedians_ upcoming Sotheby’s American sale Nov 2018_from Sinatra collection_The pre-sale estimate is 12 million to 18 million. (Not a Gloucester Hopper- there are no Gloucester Hoppers in these November sales)

For sale at Christie’s November 2018

c STUART DAVIS_Private Way_(Gloucester MA)_1916_ oil on canvas_Christies Nov 2018 presale auction est 60 to 80,000
STUART DAVIS Private Way, 1916.oil on canvas. Christies Nov 2018 presale auction est 60,000 to 80,000

Besides Stuart Davis, artists featured include Jane Peterson, Martha Walters, Hayley Lever, and George Bellows. There’s a classic Nahant work by William Stanley Haseltine and a marine themed WPA mural study by Lyonel Feininger.

c EDWARD HOPPER _Chop Suey_32 x 38_ 1929 oc_Christies presale estimate 70 mil to 100 million
EDWARD HOPPER Chop Suey, 1929, 32 x 38 inches, oil on canvas, Christies steep presale estimate 70 million to 100 million (from Barney A. Ebsworth collection) There are no Hopper works featuring Gloucester in these sales.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge the photo and see descriptions. I’ll post results after the sales. 

 

 

Coyote above the boulevard- caption this Cape Ann wildlife!

Posted on by Catherine

I received these great shots of a healthy looking coyote in Gloucester, Ma. The photos were taken about 6pm on November 3, 2018 and lend themselves to clever captioning, especially photo 1! What do you think?

On the first Shabbat after Pittsburgh attack, Temple Ahavat Achim unites hundreds in Gloucester Mass. #ShowedUpForShabbat

Posted on by Catherine

Rabbi Steven Lewis welcomed the community to the November 2, 2018 Kabbalat Shabbat at Temple Ahavat Achim. Organizers had an idea just how big the support and need could be when four hundred RSVP’d. Every seat was taken downstairs and upstairs– where it was standing room only– a full house of interfaith harmony, beautiful music and prayer. It was heartbreaking and hopeful.

#ShowUpForShabbat_20181102_© c ryan

Mark your calendars-

Public progamming and community engagement is robust at Temple Ahavat Achim and informed its architecture. For those far away, you can get an idea of just how big the crowd was by seeing the interior.  For those lucky enough to worship and/or visit, upcoming announcements mention several collaborative interfaith events (see Facebook), and the date for the annual Lobster Trap Menorah lighting is December 4th, 2018.

Temple Ahavat Achim _ TAA Gloucester MassLooking to Gloucester Harbor Temple Ahavat Achim_ Library_Dale_Middle Street_ UU and more_20161210_ aerial from Gloucester Ma City Hall © Catherine Ryan

*I hope to add a link to the program and the interfaith Facebook page

Harvard magazine profile about Karen King by Lydialyle Gibson

Posted on by Catherine

Fantastic, thoughtful feature profile about Karen King, by Lydialyle Gibson in the current issue of Harvard Magazine, November-December 2018.

Early Christianity. The bits the Bible Left Out: Karen King. the Harvard University Hollis professor of divinity and a historian of early Christianity, studies texts from Christianity’s first centuries to reinterpret the history of the early church 

excerpts:

“…I think a history of Christianity, which is a kind of story, serves us better if it has all the loose ends, the complexities, the multiple voices, the difficulties, the things that don’t add up, the roads not taken—all of that,” she says. “We need complexity for the complexity of our lives.” 

“Karen’s book really shifted the discussion,” says Princeton religion scholar Elaine Pagels, Ph.D. ’70, LL.D. ’13, whose 1979 bestseller The Gnostic Gospels dislodged the idea of early Christianity as a unified movement and launched the conversation that What Is Gnosticism? later took up. “Karen’s book showed how those terms”—Gnosticism, heresy, orthodoxy—“were coined, how those concepts were shaped, and how late they came into scholarly discourse,” says Pagels. “It’s like clearing away the brush, so that people could look at these texts with a much more open mind.”

“As an undergraduate at the University of Montana in the early 1970s, King took a religious studies course from John Turner, one of the scholars working to edit and translate the Nag Hammadi texts. In class, she and other students read unpublished drafts of English translations that the wider public wouldn’t see for several years. It was electrifying. King had never imagined that there were early Christian writings beyond the Bible. “Why these texts and not those?” she wondered. And: “Who decided, and why?”

KAREN KING Harvard magazine Nov-Dec 2018 issue_cover story profile by Lydialyle Gibson.jpg

www.harvardmagazine.com

 

Pirates Part 2 | Aargh Matey! Pirate kids program at Cape Ann Museum

Posted on by Catherine

Argh Matey! Pirates to sing, dance and tell stories at the Cape Ann Museum morning kids program

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (November 2, 2018) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a pirate storytelling program for kids on Saturday, November 10 at 10:00 a.m. It’s all hands on deck for a morning of stories and songs celebrating pirates with the King Serpent Variety Troupe. Treasure map making will be available after the presentation. Free for families with children. To register or for more information, please call (978) 283-0455 x16 or email sarahflanagan@capeannmuseum.org.

The King Serpent Variety Troupe is an outlaw themed performing group based in New England. With music, dance, singing, and storytelling, they have invaded a wide variety of venues and made away with the hearts of audiences young and old. Led by director and lead writer David Breen, the King Serpent has performed on many stages around New England, including Topsfield Fair, Mahi Mahi Cruises & Charters, and Cape Cod Irish Village Hotel.

November 10, 2018 is CAM Kids Second Saturday. The Museum is free for families with school-age children from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month — come in to discover & explore!

Flyer click to enlarge, print and share

Image courtesy of King Serpent Variety Troupe.

Part 1 afternoon: Local author to speak at the Cape Ann Museum: best-selling author, Eric Jay Dolin, spotlights America’s history of pirates…including Cape Ann’s

Local author to speak at the Cape Ann Museum: best-selling author, Eric Jay Dolin, spotlights America’s history of pirates…including Cape Ann’s

Posted on by Catherine

Flag your calendars, next week at Cape Ann Museum:

Dolin Book Cover.jpg

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates Local author to speak at the Cape Ann Museum

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (November 2, 2018) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to welcome Eric Jay Dolin, author of Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates, for a book presentation on Saturday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m. Dolin’s latest book spotlights America’s history of pirates, including some from Cape Ann! This program is free for Museum members or $10 for nonmembers (includes Museum admission).

Books will be available for purchase in the Museum shop. For more information or to make a reservation visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10. Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the dramatic and surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age”—spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s—when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and the Indian Ocean. In this talk and slide presentation, bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of colonial solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Dolin depicts the star pirates of this period, among them towering Blackbeard, ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Black Flags, Blue Waters provides a wholly original account of the seafaring outlaws whose raids reflect the precarious nature of American colonial life.

Eric Jay Dolin is the author of Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which was chosen as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and Providence Journal, and also won the 2007 John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History; and Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, which was chosen by the Seattle Times as one of the best nonfiction books of 2010, and also won the James P. Hanlan Book Award, given by the New England Historical Association. He is also the author of When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail, which was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of 2012; and Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, which was chosen by Captain and Classic Boat as one of the best nautical books of 2016. A graduate of Brown, Yale, and MIT, where he received his PhD in environmental policy, Dolin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family. For more information on his background, books, and awards, please visit his website, ericjaydolin.com. You can also follow Dolin’s posts on Facebook on his professional page, @ericjaydolin.

black flags blue water flyer

About the Cape Ann Museum The Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, two historic homes and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Visit capeannmuseum.org for details. The 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. Admission is $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at www.capeannmuseum.org

Annisquam Sewing Circle Christmas fair December 1, 2018

Posted on by Catherine

Perry McIntosh shares a save the date for the Annisquam Sewing Circle annual Christmas fair stressing that it’s traditionally slated after Thanksgiving which comes early this year. Don’t miss it!

Dottie's Wreath.jpg
courtesy photo, Annisquam Sewing Circle, Dottie’s wreath

CHRISTMAS FAIR
Saturday, December 1, 2018
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Annisquam Sewing Circle 
Annisquam Village Hall, 32 Leonard Street, Annisquam, Gloucester

“For years, residents of Cape Ann have lined up at the Annisquam Village Hall before the doors open for the annual Christmas Fair to purchase the beautiful greens, gifts, and gourmet goodies made by the ladies of the Annisquam Sewing Circle.

The fair is known for its beautiful wreaths, but there will also be decorated boxwood trees and mantle and table centerpieces suitable for smaller spaces.

The abundance and variety of handcrafted items will dazzle the eye—sweaters, socks, hats and mittens; placemats, potholders and monogrammed dish towels; needlepoint tree ornaments created by the members of the Annisquam Sewing CIrcle just for this fair, as well as many more one-of-a-kind items that will not be found anywhere else! Once again, Circle member Grace Murray has knitted one of her unique hats (her 335th!), which will be offered in a silent auction. Only one of these hats becomes available to the public each year.

Beautifully wrapped foods and baked goods grace the gourmet table —from homemade preserves to fancy cakes, gluten-free items and even Food for Fido and your Favorite Feline. The fair also features a glittering display of costume jewelry which for many shoppers is a destination itself. Hostess baskets and grab bags are also popular traditional items at the fair.

A delicious three-course luncheon will be served at 12:30. Tickets are $18 and reservations are recommended (visit Annisquamsewingcircle.org)

Founded in 1837, the Annisquam Sewing Circle is one of the oldest continuous independent societies of women in the United States and is the oldest one on Cape Ann. All proceeds from the Fair are contributed by the Annisquam Sewing Circle to Cape Ann community programs.”

 

GHS Boys Soccer state tournament bracket – away game vs. Watertown Nov. 2

Posted on by Catherine

State tournament bracket for GHS varsity boys soccer  – from Coach Armando

First Round – GHS boys soccer vs. Watertown (4th seed) tomorrow. Lynnfield is ranked #1 going in

GHS boys varsity soccer MIAA North Div III bracket.jpg

Early voting and voter ballot questions

Posted on by Catherine

Early voting at Kyrouz Auditorium, City Hall, Gloucester, MA, today to 7:00 PM and Friday, November 2,  8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

Early voting Gloucester MA_City Hall_20181030_©c ryan.jpg

Ballot questions Pro/Con one sheets WGBH

 

Salem witch trials end with Esther Elwell, from Gloucester, Sarah Jessica Parker’s ancestor

Posted on by Catherine

Sarah Jessica Parker season 1 episode 1 NBC Who Do You Think You Are tv show_ ancestor ESTHER ELWELL one of 3 women from Gloucester was accused of witchcraft.jpg

In the tv show, Who Do You Think You Are? (March 5 2010), produced by Lisa Kudrow, season 1, episode 1, Sarah Jessica Parker learns that her tenth great grandmother, Esther (Dutch) Elwell, was found guilty of witchcraft in 1692. Her arrest was the last formal accusation recorded during the Salem witch trials. The grisly court was dissolved days prior to her sentencing because spectral evidence was banned. Esther lived to be 82 years old. Parker visited Danvers to meet with historians and inspect the original records, and then on to Salem to pay respects.

Did Sarah Jessica Parker come to Gloucester?

Well, not according to the final edit. The show could have filmed here.

Witches of Gloucester

Beckoned to Gloucester, Salem teenager and accuser, Betty Hubbard, officially confirmed the false suspicions in 1692. And just like that three women from Gloucester– Esther Elwell, Abigail Rowe and Rebecca Dike– were arrested for killing Gloucester resident, Mary Fitch, by witchcraft. Historians determined that nine women from Gloucester were caught up in the witchhunts, jailed, and released (by the spring of 1693). Accused were more often than not related and at odds with accusers, well off, and/or “trouble”.  Collaborating institutions and collections have gathered and digitized 17th century documents. You can peruse them here: http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/17docs.html

Later history of witches in Gloucester revolve around Dogtown. In the 1896 book,  In the Heart of Cape Ann, Charles Mann described Gloucester’s Dogtown as “practically the only ruined city in America.” By then Dogtown legends persisted about “witches” like Tammy Younger (died 1829), her aunt Luce George, Peg Wesson, and Judy Rhines.  Percy Mackaye’s 1921 poem Dogtown Common acknowledged Mann’s book, “curious reader may learn many strange, half fogotten facts concerning the old Puritan life of that region…”  Here’s the eerie opener setting a fitting scene for Halloween.

Inland among the lonely cedar dells
of old Cape Ann, near Gloucester by the sea,
Still live the dead–in homes that used to be.
     All day in dreamy spells
They tattle low with toungues of tinkling cattle
     bells,
Or spirit tappings of some hollow tree,
And there, all night–all night, out of the
     dark–
They bark–and bark.

eerie opening Dogtown Common 110 page poem by Percy Mackaye 1921.jpg

 

Apparently, when Sarah Jessica Parker starred in Hocus Pocus (1993), she did not know this family history. Some of the movie was filmed on location in Salem and Marblehead.