My View of Life on the Dock
Hi Joey
I was out driving around the water front last night and came upon
this Yacht docked at Cruise Port Gloucester. The yacht is STONEFACE
from Ft. Lauderdale Fla.
Best Anthony Marks
It also has it’s own webpage with all the stats on Super Yacht Times-
http://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/details/3058
Hi Joey, Here is my Fiesta Story. The Heart of Fiesta: Prayer for our Fisherman.
My son, Hilary, actually had you post my pictures before, but they are so beautiful,
I like to look at them over again. Virginia (Frontiero) McKinnon
PS. My Father’s side Frontiero Family is having an informal reunion at the
Cupboard on Stage Fort on Thursday, June 11 from 4-5 pm
My mother’s side the Piscitello’s are having a Grand Reunion on
Sunday, July 14th at Stage Fort Park. My mother was the first born of 11 children.
I will send pictures and an account of the Grand Affair Piscitello Reunion..
“Viva San Pietro” Virginia (Frontiero) McKinnon 6/2013
Another Fiesta, another joy for Gloucester, starting with the nine day novena. I participated with my friends at American Legion Hall.
The ladies look forward to this annual event. Seeing old friends again. Rose Verga is the organizer of this pre-fiesta program. She reads a verse from the Bible, followed with prayer to St. Peter for his intercession in keeping our fisherman safe, praying for our beautiful city of Gloucester and many prayers for healing, receiting each name of people in need of prayer. We recite the rosary in Italian and sing our traditional Sicilian hymns .The service last for one hour. Renewing friendships over coffee and wonderful pastries each evening. On the ninth day, Tuesday evening our Pastor Father Kiley celebrated Mass. After mass our traditional cassata cake was served. Our new St. Peter’s pins were distributed Then the statue of St. Peter was taken down from the altar on the stage of the American Legion hall. We had a procession, chanting “Viva San Pietro,” all he way down 14 Beach Court to Pavilion Beach. After a dedication ceremony, the St. Peter‘s statue was taken back to the St. Peter’s Club on Roger St. On Friday evening the ladies accompany the St. Peter statue in another procession to St. Peter’s place of honor on the altar in St. Peter’s Square.
So many memories and stories to tell of Fiesta’s in the past. I have seen 83 of the 86 fiesta’s, I remember seeing a group of fishermen wives and families seated in a circle on Commercial St., praying for nine days to St. Peter for his intercession to bring their loved ones safely home from their fishing trips. proceeding St. Peter’s fiest day on June 29th. In later years beautiful ornate altar’s were erected on this spot. Every year an Italian man came from Boston with his sons and put the masterpieces altars together, mostly with paper, foil and pins. Each year the altar was different and took a month to erect. I have so many precious memories of 14 Beach Court, where my Dad lived before he married my mother. This was our family gathering place for Fiesta. My grandfather, Paul Frontiero and my Aunt Vincie made us all feel so special. Lots of cold drinks, cookies, sandwiches, everyone together having a good time. My dad had seven siblings, all had large families. I have lots of cousins. I loved watching the seine boat races on Pavilion Beach, the greasy pole, many contest for children, the procession on Sunday and the fireworks on Sunday night. Big set pieces fireworks on the beach followed by the American Flag display. Sometimes we would climb out my grandfather’s bedroom window on to a little ledge for a bird’s eye view. Recently I looked up at that little ledge and wondered how all the kids were able to fit on that little ledge.
Please come join me on Saturday, July 13th, at 1:00 and at 2:00, for guided tours of the butterfly gardens at the Gloucester HarborWalk. The guided tour is included in the cost of the ticket for the Gloucester Garden Tour. Please feel free to email me with any questions about the butterfly garden tour at the HarborWalk at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com.
One of my favorites, and in bloom now at the HarborWalk Gardens, is the stunning North American native wildflower Culver’s Root or Veronicastrum virginicum. The plant typically grows to five feet and, when in flower, creates a lovely, airy candelabrum effect. Culver’s Root prefers full sun and moist well-drained soil. When I was there checking on the gardens several days ago all manner of bees and butterflies were nectaring from the diminutive florets of the spikey racemes of the Veronicastrum.
Veronicastrum virginicum and Cabbage White Butterfly, Gloucester HarborWalk Butterfly Garden
GMG Reader Becky Edleman writes:
“Hello! I was emailing you to inquire about the monarch butterfly migration that comes through Gloucester. I recently moved to MA and was told that the butterflies migrate through that area, but have found little evidence as to when this usually occurs. After doing some googling I came across your website discussing the migrating monarchs many times. If you have any information for me as to when I should plan to come up and where to go I would really appreciate it! I love reading your articles and am eager to find out more about the migration pattern! Thank you!”
Hi Becky ~ Thanks for writing and wonderful to know you found us through a Google search! The Monarch Butterfly migration through our region is not an exact science. The “when” of the migration depends on may variables including the success of their breeding during July and August, air temperature, and wind flow. When I look back through my records, I would say, generally speaking, we have the greatest number of Monarchs migrating though Gloucester beginning around the second week of September through October 1st. The butterflies are are found in gardens and wildflower fields and meadows throughout our region. You can often see clusters near the Eastern Point Lighthouse.
Do you have space for a garden? If so, and you would like to attract the migating Monarchs to your garden, plant nectar-rich flowers that are in bloom during their migration. Seaside Goldenrod, New England Aster, and Smooth Aster are just three gorgeous Massachusetts native wildflowers that will attract the Monarchs to your garden.
I hope you’ll stop by the dock and get a GMG sticker when you are visiting!
Tomorrow there is an an origami class for kids scheduled at Art Haven, 3:30-5PM! But no one has registered yet, so the content and level of difficulty of the class is entirely flexible according to the needs and interests of those who sign up.
So, for example, if your child (or a child you know) has an origami book and has stopped using it because he/she is stuck on a difficult model or discouraged, register them for the class and bring them with the book in question! I will help them through whatever difficulty they may be facing, and we can fold some model(s) from the book with the other students.
Or, we can do basic water-themed origami, learning things like how to make a paper cup that holds water, origami boats that float, and the (in)famous “water bomb” that you can full up and throw like a water balloon! And maybe jumping frogs, made out of business cards. They are fairly easy to make, and the best jumpers I know (better than the traditional jumping frog made from an ordinary square). And a fish or two…
The possibilities are endless! Contact Art Haven for details on pricing and registration, and if you do register and have a specific interest or need, let me know ahead of time so I can prepare if necessary (you can comment on this post).
We DON’T LIVE IN PODUNKVILLE ARKANSAS!!!
WE live in a vibrant active community full of creatives, businesspeople, fishermen, ect, ect, ect.
In my mind THERE’S NO EXCUSE to not have uninterrupted cell service all the way through Main St.
I have Sprint and there was a time when I rarely lost a call but it seems in the past couple months it’s gotten worse.
I believe they are taking comments on what you would like to see happen for downtown.
if you’re like me and think that in the year 2013 we might want to look at getting this shit corrected write in-
City officials will pull common themes from residents’ likes and grievances tonight, then engage in a discussion about those themes and solutions at another meeting Aug. 20, and develop the downtown’s plan for implementing improvements and stepping into the future at a Sept. 17 meeting.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x218352785/Downtowns-destiny
For the life of me I don’t know why they don’t hide a cell service repeater up inside the City Hall Tower like I suggested years ago-
Posted on September 29, 2009 by Joey C
Charge the Cell phone companies rent for the space and provide decent cell service in your most critical area of business –Down-Freakin-Town!
Christopher Lewis submits-
JOEY:
Two photos attached. The first is "Red Roof" on Eastern Point taken from the "Ardelle in 2012." This was the home of A. Piatt Andrew – for whom the Route 128 bridge is named. He was an under secretary of the Treasury. Red Roof was demolished on December 14, 2012. The second photo is of "Red Roof Redux," the new house, taken from the "Thomas Lannon" on Sunday. The wing to the left and the stone work in front of the house were retained.
Judythe Evans Meagher celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of her
gallery at 37 Rocky Neck Avenue with new paintings of Rocky Neck
scenes on July 12, 13 & 14, noon to 8 pm. Opening Reception is
Friday, July 12th 4 pm to 8 pm. All are welcome.
GMG received the following call for help from Diane Lapin this morning. If anyone living on Langsford Pond can help Diane, please leave a comment in the comment section and I will email you Diane’s phone number. Thank you!!!
Joey,
Kim Smith’s post on the Eastern Painted Turtle is quite timely. I have a request for help from GMG.Last fall, while renovating an area of lawn that I had torn up in the spring, but never got to finishing, we accidently dug up a clutch (??) of baby painted turtles, destroying their nest.
Long story … they have been cared for a wild life rehabilitator in New Hampshire and are now ready to be released.
My neighborhood is heavily wooded and fairly large, but Langsford Pond is the pond the mother came from. It is through the woods behind my house and difficult to traverse from here.
The 5 surviving turtles are ready to be released and I need access to the pond (near a reedy part for their protection) for their release. Chris, the wildlife rehabilitator from NH will be releasing them.
I know a lot of people in our ‘hood read your blog, so perhaps someone will have and be able to provide that access to us to return the babies home?
The release will be on Friday or Saturday of this week (still awaiting finalization).
As per law, the turtles must be returned to Mass and to the body of water they came from.
Perhaps a helpful GMG reader can help us secure a accessible location with lots of reeds to return the little one’s back to their home?
Warm regards,
Diane M. Lapine
the game’s afoot: fun with urban planning
Hi Joey,
Ok. So Downtown. I know, Joey, you want more block parties among other stuff! What else everyone?? What’s on the table for you? Cycling? Parking? Arts? Jobs?
We really hope there will be a good turn-out for tomorrow’s 6PM public meeting at City Hall to discuss thoughts on downtown. All of downtown. It’ll be a good chance for everybody to knock about what they like downtown, what they think could be better, and to listen to others’ views.
Busy? The next 2 meetings will be on August 20 and September 17.
Hate to speak in public? That’s ok, too. If you have a comment, question, idea, impression…bring it, send it! Even if it’s a repeat (squeaky wheel…just sayin’) Everyone can email anytime and have voice.
Email Tom Daniel, Community Development: TDaniel@gloucester-ma.gov
No city plan is an ultimate fixed anchor. At any window in time, planning involves simultaneous sweeping aerials along with pockets of hyper focus. Responsible cities explore multiple scenarios and need to be adaptable and resilient– and try. Cities by nature are in flux. Gloucester tries! It has heart.
We’re lucky that Gloucester has had years of a dedicated and talented community development department including folks like Tom Daniel—the current Community Development Director who is orchestrating these evenings– and former Community Development Directors Sarah Garcia (now Harbor Planning Director), Dale Brown, and others, along with responsive teams including Marie Demick, Gregg Cademartori, Matt Coogan, Steve Winslow and so many more. Thanks so much for doing this work.
More info?
GDT editorial today http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x35808383/Editorial-Time-to-speak-up-regarding-city-downtowns-future
Mayor’s column http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x35807469/The-Mayors-Desk-Input-needed-for-downtowns-future
Lenny Linquata’s letter http://www.gloucestertimes.com/letters/x2113333240/Letter-Private-sector-must-take-lead-on-waterfront-economy
http://glostablockparty.com/downtown
www.gloucesterdowntownassociation.org
Good Morning Gloucester Fav Posts Including The Lobster Roll Rants
Subscribe to GoodMorningGloucester by Email By Clicking Here Free
Award winning and best selling author Judy Blume is appearing tonight at Cape Ann Community Cinema. See for more information see: Judy Blume at Cape Ann Community Cinema Monday Night!!!
Since her first novel was published in 1969, Judy Blume has written nearly thirty more books, appealing to children (“Freckle Juice”), teens (“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”), and adults (“Summer Sisters”) and varying widely in the topics she so smartly covered with them. However, none has made the trip to the big screen, until now. Blume’s 1981 novel “Tiger Eyes,” about a teenage girl named Davey who is transplanted into a New Mexico mountain town after the sudden loss of her father, is the first, and is now in theaters. But why such a long wait for a Judy Blume movie, and why this one, and why now? Lawrence Blume, Judy’s son––and the director of the film––had some answers to these and other questions that her legions of fans want to know.
“Many producers have pondered adapting ‘Tiger Eyes’ over the years,” the junior Blume told North Shore Movies. “There were some false starts, and some things that didn’t work out.”
If things had worked out, Blume may not have been able to realize his dual dreams of adapting the book himself (he read all of them either in process or as they were released) and working with his mother on producing that adaptation.
“Making a film out of the book is something I’ve wanted to do since I read it in high school,” Blume says of the project. “The timing is perfect, and the deal was hard to resist. Yes, we had to make-do with a tiny budget [from a European producer] and just 23 days in which to shoot, but we had full creative control.”
For some, working on such an important project with one’s mother would be a situation far from ideal, but for Blume, it was just the opposite.
“The collaboration was joyful,” he says. “She is an unbelievably fertile artist, and it was amazing to have her to collaborate with. She was with me for nearly every shot, next to me in the director’s chair. It was incredible to be able to turn to her after a shot and say ‘This is the direction I’m going with Willa [Holland, who plays Davey], to have her there, saying ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘you are going off the rails.’ Directing is lonely, so to have someone who knows the story as intimately or more so was great.”
To read Rob Newton’s full interview from online NorthSHoreMovies ~
Due to a scheduling conflict, the Blues Festival has replaced Biscuit Miller with Mr. Nick and the Dirty Tricks. These guys know how to rock. Check them out here:
Now don’t let the hot summer weather and amazing amount of local entertainment (see schedule here) distract you too long. You can only get $28 tickets to the Blues Fest until Aug 4. After that they’re $40. So get them NOW.
I caught one of the last showings of Greasy Pole, The Musical this year. This year’s cast (mostly new) did a great job keeping up the tradition of past years! Here is a slideshow of photos I took (warning: spoilers implied!)
If you missed this one, catch it next year! But the same troupe – Henry Allen’s North Shore Folklore Theatre – has a lineup of shows and other activities that you can see – and participate in – throughout the year! Besides the website at the previous link, you can also find them on Facebook.
Fred Bodin submits-
Last week Janet and I parked ourselves at the Madfish Sushi Bar. It had a view of our two professional sushi chefs and Smith Cove. Our appetizer was a dozen Pemaquid (ME) oysters, which were new to us. They get Chowhound Fred’s seal of approval. Excellent! The waitstaff gives you prompt service and coordinates seamlessly with the chefs.
These are two sushi rolls: the Rocky Neck (L) and the Parisienne (R). So delicious, and there’s so much to choose from.
Not exactly dessert, but better. This the the "Toro" Sashimi. They sear the edges with a torch. It literally melts in your mouth!
Madfish Grille, Rocky Neck: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Madfish-Grille/219110261434146?rf=117896918222946
This shot was taken from aboard the M/V Lady Jillian, Gloucester’s Harbor Water Shuttle and Tour. The water shuttle is a great way to get around and see Gloucester’s inner harbor for short money ($10 for adults, children 6-12 $5 and under 6 free). Hop on/Hop off all day (daily during the summer noon – 6:00pm; last depart at 5:00pm). Pick ups on the hour at Harbor Loop/Jacobs Landing, 15 minutes after the hour at St. Peter’s Landing, 30 minutes after the hour at Rocky Neck Art Colony and 45 minutes after the hour at Cripple Cove, Cruiseport and Head of the Harbor (on request). Leave your car and hop aboard the Lady Jillian for a nice tour and refreshing trip around Gloucester Harbor.
E.J. Lefavour
Good Morning Gloucester 