Food Drive and Bake Sale – St. Vincent de Paul Society

This just in from Helen Downey:

Come join us at Shaw’s Plaza, 127 Easter Ave., Gloucester, as the members of Holy Family Parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society conduct a “Food Drive and Bake Sale” on Saturday, August 11 from 9am to 3pm.

The Society, through dedicated volunteer efforts, services the needs of many families here on Cape Ann.  We succeed in doing this only with  donations of monetary value or food donations for our emergency pantry.

Shaw’s is a great supporter of community projects and we have been chosen to be the recipient of any profits received through their participation in this event. So come on over and have lunch at the concession or perhaps a home-baked goodie from the many delicious items made by our members.  Hope to see you there on August 11th to support our fund raising event.

If you have any questions, contact helen at 978-283-7391. Thank you for your support!

Fr. Matthew Green

Chickity Check It! Gloucester HarborWalk Website is live! www.ghwalk.org

Joey,
The website for the Gloucester HarborWalk is live!  www.ghwalk.org.  The HarborWalk is a Walk of Stories, reflecting that we are a City of Stories (really great stories.)  Hints of these stories are given along the Walk, which weaves in and out of the waterfront, up to City Hall, and around and down the brick sidewalks and great food of Main Street, back to St. Peter’s Park.  It is a Walk through the heart of Gloucester.  People might like to preview the stories on the new website. There are Stories and links to more stories, Walking Cinema, and Postcards from Gloucester!  Cambridge 7 Associates produced beautiful designs, and Lise Breen and Catherine Ryan found terrific stories, videos, art and connections from all in the community.  Take a look!
Mayor Kirk invites all to the ribbon-cutting on Thursday August 9th at 1 p.m. with the Lt. Governor, and to walk the Walk with her following the ceremony.
Very best,
Sarah Garcia

Sarah Garcia
Harbor Planning Director
Gloucester MA, 01930

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Essex Coastal Byway Guide From Joel Brown From NBPT

The new Essex Coastal Scenic Byway links thirteen towns on the North Shore of Massachusetts to highlight their history, culture and scenic beauty. From Lynn to Salem to Gloucester to Newburyport, the Byway leads travelers to picturesque downtowns and busy working harbors, along sandy beaches and rocky shores.

There are plenty of guidebooks to tell visitors which motels have pools and which restaurants get three stars. What they need is a book written by someone who can tell them why the Great Marsh is important to everyone and where you really get the best fried clams and how Motif #1 got so famous. Someone who can also make the connections between  the proud and sometimes difficult history of cargo ships and privateers and fishing schooners and today’s very different environment of arts and culture and environmental preservation.

I grew up near Essex County and visited often. I’ve lived in Newburyport for almost fifteen years and written about life on the North Shore for the Boston Globe since 2005. I’ve kayaked the marshes, sailed the coast, biked and hiked and bird-watched, sometimes for a story and sometimes just for fun. From all this comes an appreciation of what makes the North Shore special and how its seemingly disparate parts fit together.

THE ESSEX COASTAL BYWAY GUIDE is divided into 14 chapters – for the 13 towns plus Plum Island – featuring separate entries on dozens of the area’s attractions, from the Crane Estate to the Lynn Museum and from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to Singing Beach. It will come out as a paperback and e-book in October.

Guide cover small

Joel Brown from NBPT writes-

You reach so many people, I was hoping you’d do a post on the ESSEX COASTAL BYWAY GUIDE, which I’m publishing this fall. I think many of your readers would be interested to know this is coming and maybe support it. It’s not officially connected with Essex Heritage or Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, but they’re aware and the executive director has written a foreword.

Here’s The Kickstarter for the project, which will fund the first printing and help pay the cover artist (Dylan Metrano, who did the paper cuts, lives in Rockport in the cold months) and the designer and copyeditor: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joelbrown/essex-coastal-byway-guide

Caleb Stone painting sold on www.wellsmaritime.com

My Childhood buddy Jon Cahill’s www.wellsmaritime.com just sold this Caleb Stone Piece-

Jon writes-

Joey C.,
We recently sold this fine piece by Caleb Stone, "The Westward," to a private collector in Wakefield, MA. The woman who purchased it just fell in love with the image. Who can blame her?
Best,
Jon

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GMG Navigation- Get Started Here. Subscribe, Find, See, Do. Immerse Yourself In The Good Morning Gloucester World.

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Passports Restaurant followed by Love and Other Anxieties at Cape Ann Community Cinema for a lovely night out!

Last night I met my friend Lyda and her associate produce Erin at Passports Resturant for a glass of wine and an appetizer before Lyda’s screening of Love and Other Anxieties. They both loved Eric’s popovers (who doesn’t?) and we were all stunned by the enormity of the crabcakes, which were simply perfect. Golden brown and a tiny bit crunchy on the outside, and within, very nearly all crabmeat, with just a very small amount of breading to hold the crabmeat together; served on a bed of fresh greens and roasted red bell peppers.

We then walked the two short blocks to the Cape Ann Community Cinema. Movie tickets included dinner. That struck me as a little odd and I didn’t quite understand how they could pull that off. Dinner is prepared by none other than neighboring Virgilios–a piping hot concoction of pasta, chicken, and broccoli in a creamy cheese sauce along with a lovely garden salad and ginormous chocolate cupcake. And Cape Ann Community Cinema recently acquired their liquor liscense. You can enjoy a glass of wine while dinning, sitting on a large comfy sofa, all while viewing the movie.

Kent, Lyda, Erin, and Rob

Lyda’s screening went beautifully and her movie played to a crowd of enthusiastic and engaged attendees. The audience stayed for about 45 minutes following the film for an informal talk with Lyda.  I think we all found the discussion highly informative and inspiring. Special thanks to Rob for hosting Love and Other Anxieties.

Erin and Lyda

Check out Cape Ann Community Cinema’s summer long schedule–what a fabulous events venue Rob has going here. By the way–any leftover dinner goes straight to our local shelter.

Catherine Ryan Kicks The NY Times In the Nuts With Her Killer Edward Hopper Interactive Maps and Photos and Other Stuff

8 Slides from the NY Times vs 100 Hopper Slides from Catherine Ryan, Who Ya Got?

The NY Times Features 8 Hopper Slides Here

Catherine Ryan’s awesome Edward  Hopper Gloucester MA Website-

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ZAPD http://5trg.zapd.co/

Catherine Ryan’s Edward Hopper Gloucester MA Interactive GOOGLE MAP Below

Click on map for descriptions and Hopper Tour Directions/Explanations

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GOOGLE DOCS Featuring over 100 Slides

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Andrea Gail Builder Looking For Help

Lisa Freed asks-

Hey Joey!

Sort of odd question for you.  My 80 year old dad builds ship models. He’s in NY, but we all grew up on Long Island Sound, so sailing is in our blood.  You know I love the blog- it’s part of my daily routine.

Anyway, my dad is building the Andrea Gail.  According to him, the sister ships are the Lady Grace and Hannah Boden. He’s asking me if I can find them, or similar, and get him as many photos of deck layouts, interior, exterior, etc.

Any clues? HELP! Or do you have photos from the docks? I’ve attached some of his recent models. All are from wood, and he gets the ships plans to start the hull, piecing it together as a shipyard would. He does it all from scratch, turning ridiculous stuff into ship parts. He’ll take a thimble and suddenly it’s a captain’s chair, he shops for suede til he finds the right one for seat covers. The model he did for me has sails- he had a sailmaker cut them. It’s amazing, and quite honestly, I have no clue how he has that steady hand and eye sight at 80. I can only hope.

Anything you can offer for help, I’ll take it!

Lisa Freed

bridgecabinlobster boatsailing

2012 Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Auction Photos from Angela Cook

Angela Cook owns Oasis in Rockport check her out here

Hi Joey
Here are some photos from the Cape Ann Chamber Auction, held July 19th at The Essex Room at Woodman’s
Enjoy!
Angela

Tonight: Love and Other Anxieties at Cape Community Cinema!

Love and Other Anxieties is having it’s Gloucester premier at the Cape Ann Community Cinema tonight!  Tickets include dinner and the screening of the movie with Lyda.

Lyda, Lily, and Kent

See my interview with director Lyda Kuth here.

Yacht Never Say Never Docked At Cruiseport Gloucester Photos and Ship Website From Anthony Marks

From CharterWorld.Com-

 

Galley-

Motor Yacht Never Say Never – a Sunseeker Predator 130 Superyacht

Yacht Description

38.4m motor yacht Never Say Never is a luxury Sunseeker Predator 130 performance vessel launched in 2011. Never Say Never superyacht features great visual appeal thanks to her sculpted windows and angular facets. She is an elegant vessel in her overall design.

 

More info here

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Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Newsletter July 2012

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Click here to find out all the business that’s going on around town from the insiders at The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

Discovering a local author

A while ago, Joey posted about a book “Confessions of a Gourmand, or How to Cook a Dragon” published by Gloucester author Tom Bruno. It looked interesting; I am a big fan of fantasy and science fiction, and the description of the book made it sound like an unlikely and original entry in the fantasy genre. However, I forgot about it after I downloaded it to my Kindle…

Then, a few months later (back in April), Joey posted about another short story by the same author, this time in the realm of scifi: “Bibliophile (L is for librarian)” I dutifully clicked over to Amazon.com and downloaded the Kindle edition… and only got around to reading it over the past week or so! But I’m glad I did. The story’s protagonist is a librarian on a rural colony on a far distant planet, where he has taken on the personal mission to provide good books and to kindle an enthusiasm for literature in the local population. His endeavors are impeded by local culture and by galactic politics, but he is not easily daunted. It’s a well-crafted and fun read, with likable characters and a satisfying conclusion. He promises a sequel, so I’ll have to keep my eye out for it!

So, now have started to read the longer book I downloaded earlier in the year. A word to the squeamish: you might not want to read the beginning of the book, which is a detailed explanation of how to butcher and cook a dragon, while you eat lunch, as I did (fortunately I’m not very squeamish). I’ll post a full review when I finish! Thanks to Joey for sharing the links to these stories; otherwise I would not have discovered them.

Other Notable Local BONS Winners From Crescent52

Crescent52 writes-

Congrats on the BONS Award- you do a great job.

Because I love to research best of lists etc, etc, I made this list of Gloucester restaurants that also won- an admirable selection.

Italian

From pasta and meat entrees to paninis and pizzas, La Trattoria & Pizzeria of the west end in Gloucester will make you think you’ve somehow arrived in Italy. The family-run ristorante’s menu is filled with delicious, home-cooked, Sicilian-style dishes. Come hungry, because the portions are huge. Molto bene! La Trattoria & Pizzeria, 64 Main St., Gloucester, 978-281-0790,
latrattoriaandpizzeria.com

Lobster Roll

When it comes to lobster rolls, there tends to be two camps: those who love theirs with mayo, and those who prefer them without. We dare say the version served at the Seaport Grille at Gloucester’s Cruiseport just might unite parties on both sides of the aisle. Seaport Grill’s lobster salad is indeed tossed with a little mayo, but the condiment far from overpowers the meat. Rather, it binds together all those juicy, tender chunks of lobster and crunchy bits of celery. The whole savory mix is piled in heaping spoonfuls onto a freshly baked Virgilio roll, making for what we say is the best lobster roll around. Seaport Grille, 6 Rowe Square, Gloucester, 978-282-9799, cruiseportgloucester.com/seaportgrille

New Restaurant

With only a few months under its belt, Ohana in Gloucester is off to an impressive start. Ohana (which means “family” in Hawaiian) adds Hawaiian twists to American cuisine, and dishes are as beautiful as they are mouth-watering. With options from sashimi to ribeye, there’s something for everyone. Ohana, 151 Main St., Gloucester, 978-283-3200, ohanacapeann.com

Pizza

For years, locals have flocked to this nondescript roadside spot for a tank of gas and a bite to eat. But what really sets Willow Rest apart from the Gloucester dining scene is its homestyle brick-oven focaccia. Just one slice of the crisp, thin-crust dough topped with herbs and fresh ingredients is a bite of pizza heaven. Willow Rest, 1 Holly St., Gloucester, 978-283-2417,
willowrest.com

Pub Food

If you’re craving some bona fide pub grub, Minglewood Tavern at Latitude 43 in Gloucester is where you should head for the happiest of hours. Order a house starter from the menu, like the infamous nacho pile, Parmesan-truffle fries, or Brian’s chili con carne. Hearth-oven pizzas are also all the rage, and with six different varieties, you’ll definitely want more than one slice of each. Minglewood Tavern at Latitude 43, 25 Rogers St., Gloucester, 978-281-0223, minglewoodtavern.com

Tapas

For the best tapas in town, Gloucester’s Alchemy Cafe and Bistro can’t be beat. The cozy, romantic bistro offers exquisite dining at affordable prices. Try a small plate for yourself or split a sampler plate with a friend. Our fave, the antipasto platter, comes with olive tapenade, grilled vegetables, seasonal fruit, assorted cheeses, arugula and tomato salad, and warm chips. It’s sure to whet your appetite for more. Alchemy Cafe and Bistro, 3 Duncan St., Gloucester, 978-281-3997, alchemybistro.com

Sushi

There’s a reason that Latitude 43 Restaurant and Bar in Gloucester is back for the second year in a row as the top pick for the best sushi on the North Shore: It’s the freshest and best we’ve found. For a well-rounded sampler of the restaurant’s standout sushi, opt for the Lat 43 Sushi Boat—a feast of California rolls, spicy salmon press box sushi, nigiri, and sashimi. Throughout the sushi menu, unique touches— think mango, microgreens, and wasabi goat cheese—put welcome spins on tried-and-true favorites (but there are plenty of those, too). Latitude 43 Restaurant and Bar, 25 Rogers St., Gloucester, 978-281-0223, latfortythree.com

Seafood

Though not octane posh, The Causeway in Gloucester is the place to be if divine seafood is your goal. Favorites like fried calamari, steamed mussels, and clam chowder are served alongside some dishes with interesting twists, like baked coconut-rum haddock. Crowds here are nothing out of the norm, but once seated, you’ll agree your meal was worth the wait.  The Causeway Restaurant, 78 Essex Ave, Gloucester, 978-281-5256

Cape Ann Brewing wins in the PLAY category

Brewery

There’s nothing like a lively pub and a frothy beer after a long day, and Cape Ann Brewing Co.in Gloucester is where we love to go. The brewery, which moved to a new location on Front Street last year and now boasts its own Fisherman’s selection, featuring ales, IPAs, and stouts, among others. Using two-row Barley imported from Europe, the brew crew concocts some of the most memorable flavors on the North Shore. Cape Ann Brewing Company, 11 Rogers St., Gloucester, 978-282-7399, capeannbrewing.com

Interview with Lyda Kuth, Director of Love and Other Anxieties

Love and Other Anxieties is having it’s Gloucester premier at the Cape Ann Community Cinema on Monday night. I loved the film–hearfelt, poignant, and funny–I think you will too! Come join us Monday night.  Tickets include dinner and the screening of the movie with Lyda.

Kent, Lily, and Lyda

Kim Smith: We’ve been friends now for at least ten years, when I helped you with the interior design of your home.

Lyda Kuth: I had heard about you—you had been in the film business early on as a set designer, and then you turned interior designer. As soon as we met, I felt we had a shared sensibility, which made working together such a pleasure.  I remember you encouraging me to use a fabric for a couch that I was afraid would be too “busy” for my taste.  But you encouraged me to be bold, and you were absolutely right.

KS: When I saw Love and Other Anxieties in Somerville, I thought it was so beautiful and heartfelt. You speak about your marriage with Kent in such an open way. Everybody who is married asks the kind of questions you ask. It’s a story that everyone can relate to, certainly anyone who is married or in a long-term relationship.

LK: The film is intended to be provocative, and perhaps allow people to voice some things that don’t often get voiced.

KS: I love that your film has examined marriage so intently, by examining yourself, but in such a way that feels universal.  One of these themes is wondering what life will be like after the kids leave home. Is anticipating the empty nest part of why you made Love and Other Anxieties?

LK: Yes, but what’s funny about that, this was largely unconscious at the outset. Over the course of making the film, which took five years from start to finish, it became blatantly obvious. I realize that one of  the things I hope audience members take home is that there is a “second life” that starts to happen after your kids leave home, and it can be equally as rich.

KS: Seeing your daughter Lily on screen, getting ready for prom, reminded me so much of what it felt like for me, when my daughter Olivia was a senior and I was telling her how wonderful college would be but thinking, “Oh my god, she’s leaving and what will our family unit feel like with one is person missing?  We’ll never be a whole family again.”

LK: Did any of your anxieties about this turn out to be true?

KS: I haven’t told this to many people, but at the same time that Olivia left for college, there was a massive Monarch migration through Gloucester– something that only happens every ten to twelve years. I was amazingly transported out of myself and began writing about and  photographing the butterflies, which then led to my learning how to film as well.

LK: Isn’t it interesting how the title of your book, “Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!” alludes to fresh beginnings and reflects what lay behind the creative work we each took on, in one way or another? I wasn’t consciously aware that the imminent departure of my only child was motivating me.  And yet some part of myself was preparing me for this transition.  It’s reassuring to know there is something at work, mapping the next step, at a deeper level than my “ruminations,” which are generally circular in nature!

KM:  The other aspect of your life, which also finds its way into your film, is your long time role as director of the LEF Foundation, based in Cambridge.  When we met, you had already been introduced to Gloucester and the Cape Ann community through having supported artists including Henry Ferrini and Dana Salvo.

LK: Yes, and what stands out for me is having the photographer Dana Salvo introduce me to the wonderful, rich tradition of the Feast of St. Jospeh, and being invited into people’s homes to see their alters and to be part of their tradition. I’ll never forget it.

KS: Yes, it is an extraordinary experience.  And Henry Ferrini’s father was the poet laureate of Gloucester; and now Henry, in addition to making films–which is what LEF supported–has co-founded something right in my neighborhood, the Gloucester Writers Center.

KS: Do you foresee having chatting time after the screening at Cape Ann Community Cinema?

LK: Absolutely. The Cape Ann Cinema is just the right kind of place to screen my film– an intimate and somewhat informal setting that allows for conversation.  I’m really looking forward to it!

Tickets include dinner and a screening of the movie with director Lyda Kuth.  Love and Other Anxieties at the Cape Ann Community Cinema on Monday July 23, at 7:30 pm, 21 Main Street, Gloucester.

Chickity Check It! Mayor Kirk Touts The Harborwalk In The Boston Globe Metro Section

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Gloucester hopes to lure tourists with high-tech harborwalk

By David Filipov

|  GLOBE STAFF 

  JULY 19, 2012

GLOUCESTER — Among the weathered docks and fishermen’s shacks of this renowned port lives another Gloucester: a world of sea serpents and seafaring stories, world-renowned artists and beloved cultural icons.

The problem has always been how to find it. The working waterfront that supplies the city’s lifeblood also presents a maze of piers and industrial lots that are as difficult for visitors to navigate as they are crucial to Gloucester’s economy.

Next month, the city hopes to solve that problem with the opening of Gloucester Harborwalk, a 1.2-mile loop that brings to light previously hard-to-find historical and cultural lore and reunites the city’s main streets and its seaport. It does so with a network of 42 markers that is accompanied by a virtual tour that can be downloaded onto a smartphone.

City officials see the Harborwalk as a way to lure visitors who stop by for lobster, whale watching, or a trip to the beach into longer stays that will help drive the local economy.

Click here for the entire story and larger photo

Chickity Check It! Cape Ann Museum’s Got A Brand New Designed website

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Melissa Garabedian writes-

Hey Joey!

Congrats on being named BONS Best Blog Editors Choice and Best Blog Readers Choice – well deserved!

I’m sure you’ve probably already saw it, but Cape Ann Museum launched a new website which we are officially announcing today. The site was designed by Plein Air Interactive from Portland Maine. Plein Air specializes in creating websites for museums and cultural organizations.

The new website extends the unique and engaging Cape Ann Museum experience onto the web and social media channels. It allows people to easily be in contact with all aspects of the Museum such as how to visit, exhibitions, events, programs, research and more!

FYI – you don’t want to miss the next Music in the Courtyard series next Friday, July 27 from 4-5pm featuring Allen Estes! Allen Estes brings his unique blend of country, rock ‘n’ roll and folk to the Cape Ann Museum’s summer music series. An opening act for Bonnie Raitt, J Geils, Tim McGraw, America, Jose Feliciano, Reba McEntire, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Chesney, Tricia Yearwood and more, Allen Estes is a performer you don’t want to miss! This program is free and open to the public. In case of rain this program will be held inside the Museum.

Thanks again for your continued support and interest in the Cape Ann Museum! Talk to you soon!

Best,

Melissa

More Farmer’s Market craze

Thursday, 3-6:30 at Stage Fort Park! Don’t miss it! It’s not just food (as if delicious local food were not a sufficient reason to go…); there are also people selling cookbooks, pottery, and art; plus there are art activities for the kids, run by teens from Art Haven.

One of the things I like most about the Farmer’s Market is that the people who are selling things there are usually closely involved in the production of what they sell.  That makes a world of difference; you can see that they are proud of what they are selling, they really know it inside and out, and they are convinced of its value. Their enthusiasm is contagious!  And they often offer free samples.  So, be forewarned: you are likely to spend more money than you planned to.  But that’s OK, it’s supporting the local economy!

Here are some photos from last week. Click on the block of thumbnails to see a slideshow, or scroll down to see some of the photos larger without leaving the post.

 

 

 

Edibles flowers, believe it or not:

Gloucester Harbor Walk ~ What a Difference! Construction Phase Accomplished in Only a Few Months!

Congratulations and thank you to Mayor Kirk,  Sarah Garcia, Chris Muskopf, Jay Ramsey, and including everyone involved (there are many, many more than named here–these are the people I have had the pleasure to work with on the project) for having the vision, courage, tenacity, and talent to create Gloucester’s Harbor Walk.

Gloucester Harbor Walk ~  View of Gus Foote Park

The Harbor Walk is nearing completion. Despite the plethora of unforeseeable problems with the landfill at I4-C2, and current drought, the walk looks gorgeous. Come, take a stroll!

Gus Foote Park Last Year at this Time. What a difference–the build phase of the project was accomplished in only a few short months!

I will be bringing GMG readers more ‘before and after’ photos, as well as information about the native plants habitat gardens (and how you can translate that information to your own garden), in the coming months.