Don’t Miss Out on Cape Ann Big Band and BrassFed Nation Youth Swing Orchestra this Friday at Shalin Liu Performance Center

 ~ CHAMBERCACC

All are invited to join the Greater Cape Ann Chamber’s 102nd Annual Celebration at Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday, January 26 from 5 to 9 PM as we welcome incoming 2024 Board President Karen Ristuben and thank 2023 Board President Loran Caputo. Tickets may be purchased online at bit.ly/AnnualCelebration2024 or by calling the Chamber at 978-283-1601. Ticket options include Program and Cocktail Reception plus Live Performances for $100; or Live Performances Only at $45 for adults and $20 for youth under 18. See below for a list of the talented performers (there will also be a surprise guest performer!)

With the 2024 theme of Creativity, Culture & Commerce: Stronger Together, our goal this year is to inspire new synergies between greater Cape Ann’s arts, culture, and business communities. This unique Annual Celebration represents the visual and performing arts – music, painting, drama, poetry, and dance – from all five of our communities. 

The Program and Cocktail Reception will be held from 5 to 7 PM (heavy appetizers). The Live Performances begin at 7:30 PM.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

  • Cape Ann Big Band with featured vocalists: Alexandra Grace, Emily Grace, Rhiannon Hurst, Scott Parisi, John Rockwell, and Nathan Seavey
  • BrassFed Nation Youth Swing Orchestra with featured vocalists: Scarlett Berge, Jessica Cote, Alexis Geary, and Alessandro Schoc 
  • Spoken Word: Luce Wren Brandt and Kaley Fantasia
  • Dancer Performance: Sarah Slifer Swift and Carey McKinley, Movement Arts Gloucester MA (MAGMA)
  • Lanes Coven Theater Co: Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna
  • Live Art: Loren Doucette, Seven Suns Gallery. Pastel Artwork*

ADDITIONAL ARTISTS

  • Wood Carving Demonstration by Harold Burnham*
  • Live Painting Demonstration by Joli Ayn Wood*
  • Centerpieces: Chubby Clay Bodies by Miranda Aisling, filled with beautiful floral arrangements by Betsy Morris Quinn (Dirt Floral Works). (Flat-fee purchase price of $40 each – first-come, first-served)
  • Life-sized Portrait of “Captain Kyle Nelson, Pigeon Cove Lobsterman” by Leslie Heffron, in the Lobby. (Available for purchase from the artist.)
  • Photography Display by Melissa Cox. (Available for purchase from the photographer.)

* Finished artwork to be sold via Silent Auction. Silent Auction bidding sheets are available in the Lobby.
Additional art pieces by Loren Doucette will be on display and available for retail purchase.

Samantha Jones submits: I Started a new local party business called Rent the Pretty and I am running a promotion for Valentine’s Day rental bundles that I’m offering free delivery for Cape Ann residents!

My name is Samantha Jones, I am a born & raised Gloucester girl just like my mom, grandma, and great grandmother before me ☺️ I started a new local party business called Rent the Pretty and I am running a promotion for Valentine’s Day rental bundles that I’m offering free delivery for Cape Ann residents!

It would mean the world to me if GMG would help me promote my new business and push this Valentine’s Day promotion I’m running as a way to introduce myself to the community that I’m really excited about!

This is the link to my post I hope you’ll consider sharing on your platform through Valentine’s Day with me.❤️ 

Instagram.com/RentthePretty 

Nice Bass

Someone has been dying to go ice fishing and finally had the opportunity last weekend. He spent several hours last Friday on the ice and caught some nice pickerel. The next morning he was up at 6:30 am and landed this nice bass. Bring on winter, I guess.

Turner’s Seafood For Lunch

Our friend Jeff from Turners ‘s Seafood stopped by Gloucester Apparel and Pat D’s Photos on Main St recently and ordered a new mousepad for himself. It had arrived just in time for us to decide to have some delicious fish and chips for lunch so we made a delivery and a pick up in the same trip to Turner’s Seafood on Smith Street in Gloucester. It made for an amazing lunch on a dreary day! Thanks Jeff for lunch and for stopping by.

PS check out today’s Gloucester Daily Times for an article about Gloucester Apparel and Pat D’s Photos at 44 Main St! Thank you Ethan Forman!

SFL Local Music Showcase: Steve Lacey, Jazz Guitarist on Saturday at 3PM

 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to welcome local jazz guitarist STEVE LACEY on Saturday, January 27 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM as part of the Library’s Local Music Showcase Series @ 21 Main Street. 

All are welcome to come and enjoy some live jazz performed by the incredibly talented Steve Lacey at the Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street, 2nd floor, Gloucester. 

For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Valentine’s Day Is Coming Orrrr… You Just Might Want This For Yourself- Travis Mathew New With Tags Thirsty Seagull Shacket Retails for

Travis Mathew Shirt Jacket Size XL Retails For $160- Our Price $60 New With Tags

My Design- Lobster American Flag Black Camo Cap

Thirsty Seagull Performance Rope Caps

Beanie Caps Are Sold Out and On Reorder!

contact me at goodmorninggloucester@yahoo.com if you would like to purchase or go to our shop at 44 Main Street Gloucester in between The Cave and Caffe Sicilia

I got a parking ticket and guess whose fault it is?

If you guessed my fault, then you’d be 100% correct. Not the meter maid’s fault, it was all mine. I’ve been trying to be good about parking in St Peter’s lot or on Rogers St and feeding the meter through the Flowbird app, but I was traversing Main St talking to other downtown retailers about doing something special for the Saturday before Valentine’s Day and I let the meter run out due to a foggy brain.

But the fact is, it was my fault. Not the meter maid. She isn’t a bitch for doing her job like some people resort to expressing their frustration when they are clearly in the wrong.

I messed up, I own it, and I’ll pay it.

Disney’s High School Musical Jr at Manchester-Essex Middle School this weekend!

Starring

Troy Bolton: Jack Rousmaniere, MERMS 8th grader
Gabriella Montez: Kit Carpenter, MERMS 8th grader
They lead a cast of 30 MERMS students

Grove Street Self Storage not only offers climate controlled storage units.. We also have RV, vehicle, and boat parking spots available for rent on site. Rates can be found directly on our website. For more information or to secure yours visit us at www.grovestreetselfstorage.com

Affordable Climate controlled units

Boat, RV & vehicle parking spots for rent

Convenient 24 hour accessMonitored 24/7 by security cameras

Gated access

Easy online pay

Safe and clean facility

Conveniently near 128 and close to downtown Gloucester

Friendly staff

61A Grove Street Gloucester MA 01930

978-879-4524

Monday Night Dinner at Tonno

It had been one of those days….I think you know what I mean. We had driven back from New York and all I wanted was some warmth and comfort. We went to Tonno on Main St in Gloucester for an early dinner and the comfort of familiar surroundings and delicious food. We were not disappointed!

Sarah, our server, was knowledgeable and provided efficient service. Joe, the manager, greeted us with items from the bar bites menu: Scallop Bites and Crispy Shrimp (absolutely perfect). We were greeted by Pablo from behind the bar. I ordered my comfort food choice: Sunday Sauce and Jim got the Eggplant Parm that was on the specials menu. Each totally hit the mark, as usual. I ordered the Nutty Italian coffee as my dessert and Jim had biscotti. It felt a little bit like walking into Cheers as Norm. We were greeted warmly and served well. It was a little treat to start our week and I look forward to going back soon.

Sawyer Free Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group: “Getting Started in Italian Research” 

 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to share that the Gloucester Genealogy Group is back in action and kicking off its monthly meetings this January at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. 

Researching your genealogy can provide information about where your ancestors lived, what they did, and how they may have lived.  The Sawyer Free Library holds a vast and diverse collection of resources to help you with your research. In addition, each month, the Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group will present genealogy-related programming, including lectures from guest speakers with expertise in numerous related topics. All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. 

On Saturday, January 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. nationally recognized professional genealogist, author and lecturer, Senior Genealogist Rhonda McClure will present virtually to the group at 21 Main Street on “Getting Started in Italian Research.” This lecture looks at how to start researching your Italian ancestors by examining records generated in the U.S. and Italy and what is most important in effectively researching Italian records. 

Then on Saturday, February 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Rhonda McClure will again join the group virtually to share about the importance and details of “Organizing Your Family Papers.” The March meeting will be presented in partnership with the Rockport Public Library. On March 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Libraries will welcome Michael Brophy, a nationally known, professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. This event will occur in the Brenner Room of the Rockport Public Library.

Registration is now open for all three Gloucester Genealogy events at sawyerfreelibrary.org or by calling 978-325-5500.  

Currently the Sawyer Free Library offers a wide variety of local history resources, in person and online, at its temporary location at 21 Main Street. The Library’s Local History Collection contains materials about Gloucester and Cape Ann and written by and about Gloucester and Cape Ann authors. Subjects include local history, genealogy, biography, and some fiction. Materials are in the form of books, hand-printed items, maps, city documents, and more.

The Sawyer Free Library is looking forward to officially opening its renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025 which will feature a Local History Research Center. This new center will revolutionize how Gloucester’s historical research materials are curated, archived, preserved, and accessed, offering an insider’s passport to the rich cultural history of the city and region.

For more information about Sawyer Free Library’s digital archives, local history resources, and services or to register for the Gloucester Genealogy Events, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500

To learn more about or to invest in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library’s History Research Center, please visit sawyerfree2025.org.