Author: Kimsmithdesigns
Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."
Pajama Storytime at the Sawyer Free Library Tonight
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10 Hours of Walking New York City as a Woman
This afternoon I had the chance to catch up and watch the controversial video about the woman walking the streets of New York that we also discussed in the podcast. During the podcast I didn’t much want to comment on a piece I had not yet seen. After viewing my initial reaction is where are all the white men? Its hard to imagine that if she walked through every neighborhood of Manhattan, not a single white man catcalled or made a comment? The editing feels contrived, not entirely candid.
Perhaps I am inured to that type of harassment from years spent living in the city, and from when my daughter lived in the city too, and the constant worry about much worse events happening. I was mugged four times when we lived in Boston, twice at knife point, and two of the incidences were by women. Additionally, my children were with me during two of the muggings. Relatively speaking, catcalling and comments are easy to shrug off and ignore. The man who followed her for five minutes was truly perverse, but what would you do in a similar situation? In reality, you would never let it get that far. If I were alone without a cameraman present, I would have been very frightened and after about twenty seconds would have ducked into one of the many stores that were passed along the way.
What are your impressions after viewing the video?
Published on October 28th, with over 31 million hits.
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Global Climate Crisis to Local Action and How YOU Can Help Affect Change in Our City
Gloucester’s First Wind Turbine
Sunday night I was able to attend only very briefly the discussion that was held at Gloucester’s UU Church, about how our city can become fossil fuel-free, or carbon neutral, in ten years. An ambitious and daunting goal you might think. Yes it is, but other cities have accomplished this truly extraordinary feat. Over the next several months, the organizers will be seeking community-wide input. I sincerely hope that more of these these panel discussions will be held throughout our city to help inform fellow citizens about the possibilities that we can be achieved when we all work together. Global and national initiatives are slow to implement. By working together and by including all facets of our community it is possible to develop initiatives and provide solutions that can be accomplished much more in pace with our changing climate.
I am looking forward to learning more about the solutions that are available to us today. While briefly attending the discussion, I thought about another innovative project that I had been reading about, which is also taking place on the local level at many cities across the country, the Mayors Innovation Project, and specifically how we can learn from this successful program on how to obtain consensus to achieve solutions that will benefit every one of our citizens.
“The Mayors Innovation Project is a learning network among American mayors committed to “high road” policy and governance: shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government. Around the country, mayors are taking the lead on pressing social issues—climate change, infrastructure, economic revitalization, health care, prison reentry, and more. We support and encourage this innovation by providing cutting-edge thinking and concrete examples that your city can use right away. Building high road cities and metropolitan regions is both good for citizens and a key way to move the country to the high road nationally. Cities have enormous untapped assets and political strengths that can be organized better now. The Mayors Innovation Project exists to help its member participants lead by example, share their experiences with peers, and make this argument for cities nationally.”
Read more about the panel, the moderator, and the discussion here.
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Breaking News: Present Gloucester is Setting Up Shop!
Brittan Davis (left) and Amanda Cook were setting up Present Gloucester at their charming new holiday space, located at 269 Main Street. I heard through the grapevine that their grand opening is this coming Saturday night. Updates to follow!
To catch a glimpse of just some of their gorgeous hand made treasures that they have created, visit the Present Gloucester facebook page here.
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Scams Fraud and Identity Theft
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Ghoulish Ghosts and Ghastly Goblins, Nocturnal Noisemakers and Whispering Witches
They all made an appearance on Plum Street Friday night. Here’s just a sampling of vixen and vampire ~
Emma and Friends
Colleen and Lotus
Ben and Pillar
Skylar Corbett
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From Global Climate Crisis to Local Action: What Next?
Concerned about climate change? Be among the first to envision a solution!
The Green Committee of the Gloucester UU church, in cooperation with the Cape Ann Forum and Gloucester’s Clean Energy Commission, will present a panel discussion on the rise of carbon pollution causing climate change, and what we can do to stop or reverse the damages. Seven panelists from a broad range of organizations will discuss how to develop a plan for Gloucester to become fossil fuel-free or carbon neutral in a decade.
This event will be held Sunday evening beginning at 7pm at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church and is free and open to the public. The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer period, concluding at 8:45. All are invited to stay for a reception concluding at 9:45. This event is sponsored by the Superior Nut Company.
Continue reading “From Global Climate Crisis to Local Action: What Next?”
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Have You Ever in Your Life Seen Such a Huge Pile of Pooh (#2)?
Or one as cute?
Atitcus’s wonderfully imaginative Halloween Costume, with Mom Michelle and Sister BananaHead.
More pics from the East Gloucester Gang tomorrow!
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Spring Forward, Fall Back
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour tonight.
Ten Pound Island from the Paint Factory
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Home Sweet Home!
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Have a Spookalicious Halloween!
Do eat too much chocolate!
Gloucester City Hall and Harbor Foggy October Morning
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Ghost Ship in Gloucester Harbor!
Just in time for Halloween!
Does any one know the name of the very large ship that was turning around in the harbor yesterday morning?
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Olive Kitteridge HBO Miniseries Premiering Sunday Night
Olive Kitteridge is an HBO two-night, four part, mini series airing Sunday, November 2nd and Monday November 3rd. The first two parts debut Sunday at 9pm, parts three and four air Monday night, also at 9pm. In the trailer you’ll recognize many of the locations!
To see the complete GMG coverage during filming this past summer on Cape Ann, just type in Olive Kitteridge in the search box.
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Some Interesting Facts About Coyotes
Coyotes that dwell in New England and Appalachia are approximately 82 percent coyote dna, 9 percent dog dna, and 9 percent wolf dna.
The larger size of the eastern coyotes (compared to the western coyote) is thought to be a result of their rich diet and because they are roughly comprised of 10 percent wolf dna.
The coyote is an invasive species that never dwelled in the east until this past century. It quickly migrated eastward, due to habitat loss in the west. Along the way, the coyote bred with grey and red wolves, which biologists think increased its ability to withstand cooler temperatures, allowing it to adapt to New England and Appalachian winters.
Coyotes prey upon fox and fishers and also out compete them for habitat. Fox and fishers are the best hunters of mice, rats, chipmunks, grey squirrels, and bunnies. Few or no fox and fishers equals an unparalleled abundance of these species.
The increased coyote population has had a direct correlation in the rise in Lyme disease
An additional note about Fishers
http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/do-fishers-really-eat-cats/
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY!
Happy Birthday to the Best Editor-in-Chief Ever!
See More Photos Here
Continue reading “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY!”
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Dreaming of Spring Ephemerals at the Mary Prentiss Inn!
Loads of earth-moving in the fall equals a world of beauty in the spring. Thanks to my awesome crew, Patrick from the Mary Prentiss Inn and Jackson from the Kendall Hotel!
The Mary Prentiss Inn is truly the most welcoming of guest houses and yesterday while there planting the smell of the cook’s apple muffins baking wafted through the garden. A bit later, plates of warm muffins greeted guests; I couldn’t resist when offered. They were divine and are without a doubt the best muffins I’ve ever tasted! I’ve been promised the recipe and can’t wait to give it a go and to share!
For more information on the project, visit my Design Projects page here.
Link to The Mary Prentiss Inn here.
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Spooktacular Dancing!
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Sawyer Free Library Halloween with a Heart
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Navigating Our Milky Way at the Sawyer Free Library
Good Morning Gloucester 