Good Morning Gloucester

As you are probably aware, some of our restaurants will be allowed to reopen for outdoor seating starting Monday June 8.  Please remember that restaurants will likely have limited seating so reservations will be very important. New procedures will be in place which are new for all of us, so be patient with staff and other customers as we all work our way through these new times.

Some of the restaurants we are aware of that are making plans for outdoor dining starting Monday include the following (images borrowed from each Facebook page)

Oliver’s Harbor (978-559-7638) plans to use their outdoor patio as well as some of the parking area for seating. Prime view of Main Street!

Captain Carlos is now accepting reservations at 978-283-6342. Their outside deck is awesome and we are looking forward visiting again.

We had takeout (wonderful) from Seaport Grille last night and they displayed a sign that they will also be offering outside seating starting Monday June 8 (978-282-9799). Looking forward to some key lime pie!!

A beautiful sight on Niles Pond was presented to us to try out my new camera lens! It was such a perfect setting, I’m not sure it was actually a good test of the lens. But it was made even better by the company of family members. Thanks Paula, Lori and Chris!

We were killing some time before picking up our takeout so we went down to the Pier to see what was going on. Fishing vessels coming in, pleasure sailing and a family fishing were among the activities we saw. The fishing family was very successful!

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We rarely see the fleet as close to Eastern Point as it was this morning.

Parker River Wildlife Refuge announces on its Facebook page that it is reopening to motor vehicle traffic today Thurs June 4. This is one of my very favorite places to go and I have been missing it badly, so this is great news for us and I hope for others as well.  This is part of their announcement:

As of June 4, 2020, access to the refuge is as follows:

These are from my last visit April 14. I wonder if they miss me……see you again very soon! Now waiting for good news from Mass Audubon……..

• Short-term Rental & Mortgage Assistance is Now Available   Action Inc. has new short-term rental and mortgage assistance available for renters and homeowners who have recently lost their jobs, been furloughed, or lost significant income due to COVID-19.   We have the following new COVID-related assistance available:   –  Rental and mortgage assistance for Gloucester residents up to 80% Area Median Income –  Rental assistance for Ipswich residents up to 80% Area Median Income –  Rental and mortgage assistance for Manchester residents up to 100% Area Median Income   We have some existing funds available to assist Rockport and Essex renters and homeowners, as well.   If you need assistance, please contact us at 978-282-1000 to complete a short intake and schedule an appointment with one of our Client Services advocates. If you are approved, you may receive assistance with back or future rent or mortgage payments, based on your current income. This new funding has been made available thanks to the City of Gloucester Community Preservation Act, the Manchester Affordable Housing Trust, and the Ipswich Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Visit our Client Services page for more information. Action Inc. 180 Main Street Gloucester, MA 01930 Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser Unsubscribe

  

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  Megan Merlin <mail@networkforgood.com>

  To:goodmorninggloucester@yahoo.com

  Mon, Jun 1 at 2:24 PM

  Short-term Rental & Mortgage Assistance is Now Available   Action Inc. has new short-term rental and mortgage assistance available for renters and homeowners who have recently lost their jobs, been furloughed, or lost significant income due to COVID-19.   We have the following new COVID-related assistance available:   –  Rental and mortgage assistance for Gloucester residents up to 80% Area Median Income –  Rental assistance for Ipswich residents up to 80% Area Median Income –  Rental and mortgage assistance for Manchester residents up to 100% Area Median Income   We have some existing funds available to assist Rockport and Essex renters and homeowners, as well.   If you need assistance, please contact us at 978-282-1000 to complete a short intake and schedule an appointment with one of our Client Services advocates. If you are approved, you may receive assistance with back or future rent or mortgage payments, based on your current income. This new funding has been made available thanks to the City of Gloucester Community Preservation Act, the Manchester Affordable Housing Trust, and the Ipswich Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Visit our Client Services page for more information.

It was a little bit gray and overcast but that didn’t stop the fun at Good Harbor Beach one weekday afternoon recently. There seemed to be more birds than people. The lifeguards appeared a bit lonely and chilled but the nesting plover appeared calm and in charge. Others braved the water or just read.

The plover exclosure and the nesting plover. They are well camouflaged!

GMG contributor Pat Dalpiaz (yours truly) was recently interviewed by renowned genealogist and podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke for an episode of Genealogy Gems Premium. It was Gloucester hero John Handran’s story as told here on Good Morning Gloucester as well as on my personal family history blog Gathering the Cousins that Lisa thought her listeners might like to hear.

It’s a story I’ve told here previously. John Handran was a US Naval seaman on duty in Lisbon Portugal in 1876 when he rescued a fellow seaman from drowning. Apparently this was not his first successful rescue, and it did earn him the US Medal of Honor as presented by President U.S. Grant. He was only 24 at the time. A few years later he married Sarah Campbell and they made a home here in Gloucester with 3 children.

John’s life was cut short in 1885 upon the sinking of the Schooner Cleopatra, itself an amazing tale. His story has been told in our family circles for many years thanks largely to the research skills of our cousin George Handran, a former Gloucester resident and esteemed genealogist.

Now, thanks to the work done as told in this podcast episode, John’s memory is honored by a plaque placed at Calvary Cemetery just prior to the quarantine. This was an arduous effort finally come to fruition due in part to the wide reach of the Good Morning Gloucester blog. Researchers looking to honor John Handran found me through GMG and the story began! It’s a lesson in how far and wide the interests of the readers and followers of the blog stretch.

When restrictions are lifted, a dedication ceremony will be held at Calvary Cemetery and I hope anyone interested or related can attend. I would love to  meet you all.

Lisa Louise Cooke has generously made this episode freely available here. Genealogy Gems Premium is a paid subscription service and is worth every penny of the $49.95 per year for its reasoned advice and responsive nature. Please give a listen as yours truly tells the story of researching Gloucester resident John Handran to verify his service to our country and his heroic acts.  If you cannot listen, read the story as told in the shownotes.  His story might have been lost to history but now can be celebrated.

Thank you readers and listeners for sharing these stories widely. Thank you Joey for your vision and support for all of us who love Gloucester.