Frank Neal took home the Friday Greasy Pole flag in the second competitive round of over 40 walkers this year. Frank’s numerous attempts finally paid off and he will be walking with champions on Sunday from now on! Walker Chris Dailey was honored by several walkers and the Lily Jean crew was high on everyone’s mind as well. As usual, the spectators were treated to a number of colorful costumes and fancy moves across the pole and into the water. Congratulations to all the participants and organizers for this traditional event holding memories for many.
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Congratulations to the organizers (YMCA I’m talking to you), the volunteers (especially first responders) and the community for a wonderful Fiesta 5K for 1800 runners last night. It was an absolute mass of humanity especially along Rogers Street between runners and spectators out on a beautiful night for a run. I was especially impressed with the number of young people out there with friends and family, as well as with the impressive show of support for Chris Dailey. Well done people! Additional photos available at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook if you are interested.
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From left: Summer Meals for Meals Associates Erin Cole, Somer O’Brien, and Abby Dawson, with Nutrition Education Coordinator Rachel Orie. (Photo Courtesy of The Open Door)
The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program is back! Local children and teens up to age 18 can get free breakfast and lunch meals at 16 locations across Cape Ann.
Last year, The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program distributed 17,389 meals, all prepared in-house. The program has sites in Gloucester, Rockport, and Ipswich, and continues to add new locations each year.
Full schedule below:
Gloucester Walk-Up Locations
The Open Door at 28 Emerson Ave. From June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available for pick-up Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Riverdale Park at 1A Veterans’ Way from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Thursday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and Fridays from 11 to 11:45 a.m.
Willowood Gardens at 40 Willowood Rd. from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Pond View Village at 23 Lepage Lane from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Field Days at Burnham’s Field (with East Gloucester Community Church) from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:45 a.m.
Story Hour at the Sawyer Free Library (with Backyard Growers) at the Saunders House Lawn on 88 Middle St. from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Enrolled locations in Gloucester include: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Academy, Camp Spindrift, GPS Extended School Year at East Veterans, Literacy and Math Summer Learning at East Veterans, and Gordon STEAM Camp at East Veterans.
Ipswich Walk-Up Locations
Ipswich Community Food Pantry at 00 Southern Heights in Ipswich from July 1-Aug. 27. Meals available Wednesday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Three Sisters Garden Project at 2 Washington St. In Ipswich from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 12 to 1 p.m.
Enrolled location: Winthrop Elementary School.
Rockport Walk-Up Location
Rockport Public Library at 17 School St. In Rockport from June 22-Aug. 28. Meals Available Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The full schedule is also available at FOODPANTRY.org and will continue to be updated through the summer.
For the second year in a row, Summer Meals for Kids is being entirely funded by The Open Door. Previously, the program received federal funding. Today, it continues thanks to donations and sponsors of The Open Door.
About The Open Door
The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, Wenham, and Georgetown. In 2025, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 12,780 people from 5,718 households through the distribution of 2.48 million pounds of food over 136,851 visits.
Last weekend I spent Saturday at Gloucester’s Stage Fort Park watching the reenactment of the ‘Battle of Gloucester,’ and on Sunday Anne-Lise and I were aboard Thomas E Lannon for a different angle on the repeated reenactment. Capt John Lindsay, commanding the British sloop of war HMS Falcon, was on assignment to seize supplies and food from ships and farms along the coast to support the British troops occupying Boston. He sailed Falcon into Gloucester Harbor on Aug 8, 1775 accompanied by a captured American merchantman schooner (reenacted by Ardelle), while chasing another (Lewis H Story). The second schooner purposely ran aground to avoid capture. Capt Lindsay sent longboats to refloat her, and a separate “distraction” crew ashore to set fire to the town. The Gloucester militia thwarted all of his actions.
Stage Fort Park, with the town (L), and white tents (R) where the reenactors spent the night.HMS Falcon sent longboats in to silence the Gloucester militia which was firing from shore.Members of the town militia fired over the seawall at the longboats.While others shot from behind the rocks on the beach.British marines and sailors returned fire.One of the longboat crews boarded the grounded American schooner to, unsuccessfully, refloat and capture her. Militia fire from shore killed 3 of the British and pinned down the rest.Capt Lindsay ordered his naval prize schooner, with a British crew and American impressed (captured) sailors, to assist.A town militia officer, during our lunch and reenactor-public interaction break.A quiet moment in the British encampment, before the staged land battle.Capt Lindsay bombarded Gloucester from Falcon and sent more forces ashore to burn the town. The impressed Americans exploded the powder early before setting fires, and the militia captured the British.Gloucester’s fighting force of townspeople was ready to take on the king’s Royal Navy.They met the British marines emerging from the beach.Superior British firepower forceed the militia back through town.The Americans knew the terrain, regrouped, and pushed the British back twice.The third time, they routed the British down to the beach, their boats, and to Falcon to withdraw.
The score: Gloucester recaptured both American schooners, took 24 prisoners, freed American sailors impressed by the British, and lost 2 lives. HMS Falcon departed having accomplished none of her goals, losing American crew, and leaving 3 dead behind. This recounting of the battle at Stage Fort Park on June 20 and 21, 2026 is a combination of historical information, and how the reenactment was actually staged. They differ, particularly regarding the land battle.
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My son Dimitri and his friend Anna are selling Lobster Rolls, Shucked Oysters and Tiramisu during Fiesta out of the Mutha Shucka kitchen across from St Peter’s Square on the Hotel side. Street side order window. Get something yummy!
Also keep Mutha Shuka catering in mind when you’re planning your summer parties – owned by Kim Cox the daughter of our beloved GMG contributor David Cox!
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COSMOS Gallery 20 Pleasant St, Gloucester, MA 01930
The next exhibition at COSMOS Gallery, Drawn to Paint, explores the role of drawing, both informal and preparatory, in the creative process of painters Jeffrey Marshall and Alex Stroup. Through the installation of paintings paired with their drawn origins, the exhibition creates a dialogue between two approaches to imagery that exist independently and interdependently.
Jeffrey Marshall works solely from observation, placing himself in public environments where conversations with inhabitants reveal the invisible layers of a place. Marshall’s current work pairs carefully observed industrial tarps with paintings that explore the hidden imagery inside those forms. Alex Stroup prefers to show rather than tell. Stroup’s process involves a simple use of time: listening and waiting for imagery to bubble up out of experience. Drawn to Paint
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Explore this landmark exhibition, discover revitalized galleries and collection spaces, and enjoy the art, history, and culture of Cape Ann in renewed and reimagined surroundings. We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate this exciting new chapter in the Museum’s 150-year history.
Cape Ann is one of the most important places in the history of American art and industry.
The Cape Ann Museum, thanks to supporters like you, celebrates the history and remarkable contributions of this place to the cultural enhancement of our community and the world at large—yesterday, today and tomorro w.
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🔥 Pizza Lovers’ Deals 🍕 Buy any 18″ Pizza and get an 18″ Cheese Pizza for just $5 🍕 Buy any 16″ Pizza and get a 16″ Cheese Pizza for just $5 🍕 16″ Pizzas are HALF OFF! Maximum of 2 half-price pizzas.
🦞 Lobster Roll Special Only $18.99 + tax Served with chips & pickles!
I took a walk down Commercial St. to check out the honors wall. An outstanding job by the committee honoring past champions! Make sure to check it out hen you are at Mom’s Kitchen for your Fiesta treats.
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June has been a season of celebration at Wellspring House. In a matter of weeks, we marked three milestones: 31 adults graduating from our Healthcare Office Support Training program at MGB Salem Hospital with a historic 100% graduation rate; 18 local Cape Ann high school graduates awarded scholarships, and the first Cape Ann High School Graduates Fund cohort to cross the college graduation stage; and 56 students completing spring English language and computer literacy courses at a joyful evening in Gloucester.
Each celebration is a testament to what becomes possible when opportunity and support come together, and a reflection of what this community has chosen to invest in.
But behind every ceremony is a harder truth. A thriving community depends on people who can afford to live and work locally. When housing becomes unstable and wages fail to keep pace with the cost of living, that foundation erodes. Parents without childcare, residents without reliable transportation, families in unstable housing – these are compounding barriers that, without the right support, make long-term stability feel out of reach.
Financial security is the most powerful lever we have for improving quality of life, health, and opportunity. That belief is at the core of everything Wellspring does.
Since 1981, Wellspring has worked to turn potential into progress across the North Shore, combining housing stability, education, job training, and career readiness under one roof. This year, we worked with more than 2,000 individuals and families across 20 cities and towns. We don’t ask people to choose between stability and advancement. We provide both, simultaneously, for as long as it takes.
Tuesday, June 30th marks the end of our fiscal year. If these stories move you, we invite you to learn more about Wellspring and consider joining the community of supporters who make this work possible. Visit wellspringhouse.org.
