Author: Pat D

I took a walk along the State Pier on a sunny day recently to take a closer look at some of the mighty vessels. I thought you might enjoy the same.

The planned flood control project to protect the high school, stadium and parking lot from future Annisquam River flooding is well underway. As many remember, the storm of January 2018 caused severe damage to those areas and this project was designed to address that and prevent it from recurring. Some details can be found at the following links: 16031 ENF Gloucester High School Flood Control Project from July 2019 OR the more recent Gloucester High School Flood Protection Project info from Construction Journal updated Dec 2022.

Dictionary definition of stalwart: “loyal, reliable, hardworking”. If they could add an image, she would be it.

We decided to give Boo-Bird on Central St in Manchester a try for lunch a few days ago and we are very pleased to report that we enjoyed it very much! They had just opened for the day so it was a little bit quiet upon our arrival, but take out orders and other patrons soon started appearing. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The bird theme is understated but unmistakeable. Your favorite Bird Nerd loved it. Olivia was our knowledgeable server. Jim had a burger with tater tots and I had the meatball sub with homemade potato chips. As most of you are aware, we are not foodies, but meatball subs sometimes fall short with me because I prefer a healthy scoop of red sauce in the sub. This one did not disappoint in that regard or in any other way! Outstanding. The sub was nicely sauced while the bread didn’t get soggy. Perfection. And GMG Jim ate every bite of his burger. We’ll be visiting again for lunch.

Sharing Instagram info updating Maritime Gloucester Museum hours:

Sharing information from our friend Bill Wrinn:

If you see this guy, get him a lobster roll! He needs one bad!

We have a famous gentleman cartoonist coming to town this weekend and he needs your help. You’d think with all his success, Keith Knight would have it all. But this North Shore native now lives in a North Carolina seafood desert and he is starving for a real lobster roll. Like REALLY starving.

It’s gotten so bad down there, he’s forced to chase the lone lobster food truck from town to town just for an overpriced knockoff. 

Why is he here? On Monday at 2 p.m., the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will host Keith in honor of Martin Luther King Day. (Free, but lobster roll donations accepted)

Keith is many things to many people: artist, rapper, social activist, tv producer, husband, and father. He is also one of the funniest and most highly regarded cartoonists in America. For almost three decades, this multi-award-winning artist has brought the funny back to the funny pages with a uniquely personal style that’s a cross between Calvin & Hobbs, MAD, and underground comix. His art has appeared in the Washington Post, Daily KOS, San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Herald, Ebony, ESPN the Magazine, L.A. Weekly, MAD Magazine, and the New Yorker. 

Keith’s autobiographical strip, “the K Chronicles,” launched in early 1990 and has won the Harvey Kurtzman Award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip. “The K Chronicles” has also won the Glyph Awards Best Comic Strip multiple times. He has brought his comic strip slideshow presentation – the same one he will be giving Monday at the Gloucester Meetinghouse – on America’s racial illiteracy worldwide, prompting the NAACP to recognize him as a 2015 History Maker. 

Keith has also won a Belle Foundation grant, earned a Comic-Con Inkpot Award for Career Achievement (one year before director Stephen Spielberg got his!), presented at the U.S. Library of Congress, and performed hip-hop naked at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Keith’s work was also the subject of a recent exhibition at San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum. 

He is also the co-creator of the television show “Woke” that recently completed its second season on HULU. The show stars Lamorne Morris as “Keef” and is based on Keith’s life and work.

Keith is a 1990 graduate of Salem State University and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the school in 2022.  His presentations are infused with urgency, humor, satire, politics, and race. Designed to provoke constructive, civil dialogue amongst people of all colors and orientations, the presentation has been a hit at university campuses and community organizations around the U.S. and in Europe. (For more on Keith and his work, visit www.keithknightart.com) 

If you’re skeptical, ask Bev Low. She’ll vouch for him. 

Hope to see you there and don’t forget his lobster roll!

The renovation project of the Beeman Memorial Playground seems to be nearing completion. We visited just as the final bell rang one afternoon last week and I can attest to the shiny new equipment and soft groundcover. This was mostly federally funded and the new “up-do” is looking great for our children!

When the boss asks you to bring a mudiga steak from Virgilio’s to the airport when you pick him up, that’s what you do. Thank you Virgilios! It was the perfect welcome home.

Fundraising event tonight at St. Peter’s Club. Hoping to see you there. Bring a friend.

It’s not generally advertised as a museum, but perhaps our City Hall should be described as such. There is a wealth of history and artwork on display throughout City Hall, some small and some larger than life. Next time you are there, maybe take some extra time to really look around. Our City is certainly blessed.

Sharing an invitation from our AmVets Club Facebook page:

If you need a Sugar Magnolia fix, this is the weekend to do it as they will be closing Jan 16 until April 2023. We had a yummy lunch with a Buffalo Chicken Taco and a Walnut and Pear Chicken Salad Toastie. We also got some lemon ricotta scones to bring home. I treated myself to a mimosa flight as a send off to Sugar Mags for their winter break. Always a great atmosphere, delicious menu and helpful staff. Get there this weekend! You’re going to miss it while they are closed. Sugar Magnolia’s Main St Gloucester

Welp, this photo took me back to childhood at warp speed. Yikes. Anyone else? My dad ALWAYS had one. He was raised in Gloucester so perhaps they were popular here at some point too. Pretty handy item, I have to say.

We met up with friend Rick and Rose at 525 on Lexington Ave in Magnolia for dinner and drinks earlier this week. We have long enjoyed the cozy neighborhood atmosphere at 525 and it has never disappointed us. Even on this visit, when our lovely server Juliana had to deliver the news that an option wasn’t available that evening; she did so with good humor and grace. I always look to the specials and Jim got one: Fish and Chips (HUGE piece of fish). The table also ordered nachos with guacamole, gluten free pizza and chicken pot pie. Carrot cake and Spanish coffee for dessert and everyone was very happy with their choices. We lingered without guilt getting caught up but it was relatively busy even on a Tuesday in January. Clearly we aren’t the only ones gathering there with friends and family. Thank you 525 and Juliana for a lovely meal!

Sharing information if you are interested in helping GHS Girls Basketball program. We’ll be there and hope to see you too!

Here’s the story prompt. Your story must include the elements wheelchair, picture frame and roadside. It cannot include anything related to trash removal services. I saw this and knew there was a story waiting to be told. Let’s here your plot summary.

We were reminded what a masterful job Mother Nature does in protecting its creatures on a trip north to Salisbury Beach Reservation and Parker River Refuge this week. This hawk was brilliantly hidden in the grasses, the coloring so well blended that only its movements gave it away. The Barred Owl at Parker River could have been part of the tree it was resting in. We surely would have missed it without the help of other photographers and sharp eyed fans. A good reminder to be aware that we are surrounded by things we cannot see unless we really look.

I saw a Facebook post questioning the presence of a bunch of large rocks on Pavilion Beach so I went down to take a look. To be clear, I do not know why there are apparently several new rocks down there but I can say that there appears to be no evidence of construction machinery recently on the beach, though they could have been deposited from above…..but not all of them. So, here it is for you to see for yourself.

Sharing information from the Gloucester 400 Facebook page. You’re going to want to give them a follow for all the celebration events to celebrate our 400th anniversary this year. The kick off is scheduled for Sun Jan 15 at 1:30 in the Putnam Auditorium at the high school. Event free, but registration is required. More information and reserve tickets here.

The sun came back out in brilliant fashion yesterday and we went down to Wingaersheek Beach to enjoy it. Many others, mostly dog owners, had a similar idea.