DO YOU NEED HELP PUTTING FOOD ON YOUR TABLE DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK? MESSAGE FROM BACKYARD GROWERS

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

COVID-19 is having a direct impact on many families and seniors in our community. We’ve put together a list of resources available to those experiencing food insecurity and hunger at this challenging time. We’re all in this together. For assistance, please see below:

🥕 Project Bread – Food Source Hotline: The toll-free Hotline responds to more than 28,000 calls a year from people across Massachusetts struggling to feed their families. FoodSource Hotline counselors refer callers to food resources in their community as well as provides them with information about school meals, summer meal sites for kids, elder meals programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

🥕 The Open Door – The Food Pantry at The Open Door provides emergency groceries to those in need. Community Meals offer free, nutritious meals to those in need of food.

🥕 Gloucester School Food Service Department – The City has established a lunch “Pick-Up Station” at O’Maley Middle School at 312 Cherry St., Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. – noon. All children ages 18 and under, regardless of their Free/Reduced/Full Pay status will receive a FREE complete nutritious bagged lunch daily. The meals are prepared under the same strict nutrition and food safety guidelines that are followed every day in our school kitchens. Meals may not be consumed at the “Pick-Up Station” limiting participants’ interaction and proximity to other participants.

🥕 The Office of the Mayor of the City of Gloucester – If you are self-quarantining or under mandatory quarantine (none as of 3/16) and need food assistance, please contact the Mayor of the City of Gloucester at mayor@gloucester-ma.gov. The City has runners and will drop off a food package to you.

🥕 Backyard Growers will soon be launching a program to make container gardening materials and resources available to our community – putting the power to grow your own food on more doorsteps, patios, back stairs, and backyards throughout the region, in a variety of shapes and sizes. Watch this space.

SHORT AND MAIN COVID-19 UPDATE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Dear Short & Main customers,

Obviously things are moving pretty fast.  Before Governor Baker’s announcement we had decided to close our dining room and switch to takeout service only.  We are ready to continue serving you in a safe and responsible way.

Place your order over the phone with a credit card and we will deliver to your car on Short Street.  No cash, no signatures, no door handles.
We are of the belief that we can’t be too cautious or too clean.  It’s for that reason that we will not be doing delivery at this time as it adds an extra link in the chain that we’re unable to control.  We hope that you trust us to be diligent and mindful during this time. That trust feels personal to us and we’d like to keep it at all costs.

We will be opening an hour early; 4pm to 9pm for now.

Our public events are obviously canceled but we will still be serving burgers and fried chicken on the first and last Wednesdays of the month.  You can pre-order via phone or email if you’re worried about our popular specials running out.

Let’s FLATTEN THE CURVE together!

-sincerely Short & Main

Wednesday March 25th Burger Night

Friday March 27th Steve Lacey Record Release

Saturday March 28th GIRL lbgtq dance party

Wednesday April 1st Fried Chicken from Green Circle Farm

CORVID-19 UPDATE FROM CAKE ANN

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

This has been an unprecedented week and its only Tuesday! After a lot of thought and consulting our team we decided to open and serve our community as long as we are able.

At Cake Ann we have:
– Stepped up hand washing and continue to use all good health practices for safe food handling
– Removed our small seating and waiting area
– Clean the Point of sale after every customer interaction.
– Sanitize all surfaces and equipment on a continuous basis
– Serve coffee to limit cross contamination of equipment
We ask you to:
– You not travel if you and or your family is not well
– Please do not help yourself – we will help you.
– Be patient and realize that we are working in extraordinary times.
– Support your local businesses as you can
– Reschedule – not cancel your existing event.
I am working on online ordering and starting today we will accept prepaid orders that we will be delivered within a window of 4-6 PM in Rockport and Gloucester. We will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
Thank you very much –

Our team at Cake Ann

Please help our small businesses, shop local

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

I know we are stuck in the house but please try to shop local when going out.  We need our local businesses to survive.  If you do not want to go out, call and order gift cards.

Live GloucesterCast 388 Chris and Connor McCarthy, Pat & Jimmy Dalpiaz and Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 3/17/20

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GloucesterCast 388 Chris and Connor McCarthy, Pat & Jimmy Dalpiaz and Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 3/17/20

Press play to listen-

When you subscribe you need to verify your email address so they know we’re not sending you spam and that you want to receive the podcast or GMG in your email.  So once you subscribe check your email for that verification. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder in your email acct so you can verify that you’d like to get them via email subscription.

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Topics Include:
Been Nice Getting Outside Doing Yard Work- Seeing Kids Outside Playing
Shopping experiences

City Of Gloucester Coronvirus Information Page click here

. Duckworth’s Gift Cards

Where will Tom Brady Take His First Football Snap Next Year?

List of Restaurants offering Takeout-

Mom’s Kitchen, Sugar Mags, The Farm Bar and Grill, 525, Sherry’s Corner, Yellow Sub, Cove Cafe, Duckworth’s working on it, Cafe Bishco will also do curbside and delivery, Zeke’s Place, George’s coffee shop, Willow Rest,Charlie’s Place, Oliver’s Harbor, Rhumb Line, Hooks, Destinos, Two sister’s Tacos Lupita, Hale Street, 15 Walnut, The Spot andMaggie’s Farm will remain open for takeout only, starting Wednesday March 18th., Machaca, Causeway, Essex Seafood, The Mill, Windward Grille, Cape Ann Pizza, Woodman’s of Essex, C.K. pearl *currently closed for kitchen reno until end of week/stay tuned, Great Marsh Brewing *growlers only, no food, Village Market, Chebacco Market, Essex Pizza, Blue Marlin Grille.

Baby Boomlet coming up “Quarantines” thirteen years from now

Kim’s Butterfly movie premiere has been postponed

Drinking On St Patrick’s Day While Everyone Is Working From Home

Connor McCarthy (the silent assasin) has a dating app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Gloucester Irish Story for St. Patrick’s Day 2020

Posted on by Pat D

Mary Ryan Brotherton 1866 – 1943

I was tickled to find a picture from the Gloucester Daily Times (Oct 6 1943) to accompany this obituary for Mary (Ryan) Brotherton.  It seems appropriate to share her story today especially since many of you have a little extra time to do some reading these days!
Mary was my Irish immigrant Timothy Ryan’s daughter–she was born in 1866 and died 1943.  Her story is a very typical one of my Gloucester Irish fishing families. She lived her whole life in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This Mary appears to have been named after a sister Mary who died when she was 2 a few years before this Mary was born.  It may also have been a tribute to her mother Mary Squires Ryan.  This picture was obviously from later in her life but I see a little resemblance here to her brother William, my direct Ryan ancestor.

I recently obtained some new information about Mary after one of those “dope-slap” moments that often occur in life.  The Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters was originally based in Boston after its founding in 1879 by Irish immigrants to provide life insurance for its members.  It soon spread to other cities, so Gloucester Irish were among its target demographic.  In the past, I have found a couple of our ancestor’s files in this collection (now being housed at the University of Massachusetts).  Their applications for membership have been scanned and made available.  They are several pages long and provide intimate details of their lives at the time of the application.  They are especially helpful because applications were often made in a range of life span that often lacks detail in normal research.  Often, the applicants are heads of young families with living siblings and parents.  These details are extraordinarily helpful in pinning down the lives of the applicant as well as the life of their families.

And I made the CLASSIC mistake of only seeking the males in these files.  Since the files were recently transferred to UMass, more have become available and it finally dawned on me that I should look for some of the females (cue the dope-slap).  And Mary was my first discovery!

This is one page of the file showing the status of Mary’s parents and siblings as of 1913 when this application was made.  This helps establish her life circumstance in a period that is sometimes hard to research: “mid” life.  These policies paid $1000 upon the death of the member.  Mary’s Foresters file contains 16 pages all together and they are extraordinarily valuable and interesting.  You can bet I’ll be looking for others.

Special St. Patrick’s Day wishes to other Gloucester Irish families on this special day for remembrance.

Gloucester UK Adventure With Adventureman, Don, Rabbit and Chris Nyland

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

What a great time.  What great people.  Gloucester UK very similar to our Gloucester.  Lots of texture.  A bit gritty in all the right ways.  From humble gin joints to posh dining and everything in between.  Regular folk just like here.  🙂

Get a Garden and Give a Garden with Backyard Growers & Black Earth Compost

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

backyardgrowersgloucester's avatarCape Ann Community

G4 2020 poster

We’ve partnered with the crew at Black Earth Compost, a local company with a mission to collect food waste, process it into nutrient-rich raised bed soil, and return it to the community. Through this partnership and our Get-a-Garden, Give-a-Garden program, you get a garden of your own and give a garden to a local low- to moderate-income family or senior in need.

As our joint thank you, in addition to a raised bed full of powerful soil, you will receive a Garden Welcome Pack, access to Backyard Growers’ garden resources, and reduced price workshops, all while providing the same benefits to a local family or senior in need.  Backyard Growers will acknowledge your tax deductible $500 donation.

Click here for more information and to order a garden for you AND a family or senior in need.

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TWO UNRELATED BUT JOYFUL SIGNS OF SPRING!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

I look forward to the appearance of these beautiful lavender crocus, a patch that blooms without fail every spring. It has naturalized from a garden probably planted long ago and now springs up along the road’s edge at Niles Pond.

And we had our first sighting of plovers, not Piping Plovers mind you, but Kildeers!

DUCKWORTH’S GIFT CARDS- HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF A WAY TO HELP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Many share our worries in regard to local small businesses. Our restaurants and the friends who work in these establishments, downtown Main Street retail shops, Cape Ann’s fishermen and lobstermen, the nonprofits that serve our community, artists, writers, photographers, musicians, designers, the list goes on and on. We are all going to be hit hard by this devastating turn of events.

One way in which we can help each other stay afloat is to buy gift cards. It may sound inconsequential, but every purchase will help. Our friends at Duckworth’s have a link to purchase gift cards and it is a great example of one small way we can help. Duckworth’s Gift Cards

Any local business that wants to communicate with their customers and the public about special offerings during these extremely challenging times please feel free to email me (kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com) or email any of our contributors and we will post here. Thank you!

Statement from the Cape Ann Symphony REGARDING UPCOMING CONCERTS 

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns
To Our Patrons, Supporters and Friends of the Cape Ann Symphony:
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our patrons, the musicians and our staff, and heeding the advice provided by Massachusetts and Federal authorities about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Board of Directors of the Cape Ann Symphony announces the cancellation of the upcoming concerts scheduled for Sunday March 22nd and for the Musicians Unleashed on April 26.
 We will make a decision as to the status of the concerts scheduled for May 16th and 17th and will notify the public as to the status of these concerts early in April.
We are suspending all ticket sales for all concerts effective immediately. We will be in touch with all ticket holders as soon as possible.
 
Thank you for your patience and understanding. 
       Fran White                                                                        Yoichi Udagawa
       President                                                                          Music Director  & Conductor
       Cape Ann Symphony                                                      Cape Ann Symphony

City of Gloucester Coronavirus Update 3/16/2020

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Earlier today Mayor Romeo Theken met with her senior managers to discuss the evolving coronavirus situation.  Due to ongoing coronavirus public health concerns the City of Gloucester is moving forward with unprecedented precautionary measures to help slow the spread of the virus.  Beginning Tuesday March 17, Gloucester municipal buildings will be closed to the public for at least two weeks.  For a detailed list of those closures please see attached notice.
Should you have any questions or need any other information please let me know.  

Regards,Vanessa
—
Vanessa KrawczykAssistant to the Chief Administrative OfficerGloucester City Hall
9 Dale AvenueGloucester, MA 01930

WOODMAN’S IS OPEN FOR TAKE OUT MENU!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Woodman’s is open for take out!  Click here to see the menu.

 

PASTAIO VIA CORTA – ONLINE IS UP AND READY TO ORDER!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

MESSAGE FROM DANIELLE AT PASTAIO:

ONLINE IS UP. We are now accepting online orders. You can visit my website to not only have my dried pasta shipped to you but also some really really amazing specialty pantry items. As usual we still plan to open on March 25th, Wednesday, with the intention of servicing good food for our community here taking the most serious precautions. Your health and ours in the most important and we want to make sure everything goes smoothly. My need now here in my community is to make sure everyone has access to good food, whether it’s local or imported from small farmers, we plan on being fully stocked and providing the best food possible. Stay tuned!

Using my new lens on Sunday

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Ricky is so good to me, very early birthday present, a Tamron lens, 18 to 400 mm.  Very excited.  Also getting some fresh air.

 

 

RNAC-Being Safe.

Posted on by James Eves

Dear friends and members of The Rocky Neck Art Colony,

As a result of the health concerns and restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 virus, The Rocky Neck Art Colony has determined that the safest course of action for the protection of our members and our staff is to close the Cultural Center to the public for a time.

The following events at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck are canceled or postponed:

  • Closed – The Cultural Center until it becomes advisable to reopen.
    • Rocky Neck Now 2020 will be extended after the Center reopens.
    • Beyond Likeness will be scheduled to follow Rocky Neck Now 2020.
    • Elements: Nature in Art has been removed for the schedule this year but we hope to include that topic in the future.
  • Cancelled-  The BigTiny art making workshops scheduled for March 15th and 21st.
  • Postponed- The April 16th Big Tiny event until the fall, when things will be looking brighter.
  • Cancelled-  The Eric Coville concert scheduled for Friday night March 13th.
  • Postponed- The March 18 Pastels with Susan Ellis workshop.
  • Cancelled-  Monday afternoon Life Drawing sessions for the time being.
  • Postponed- The Run/Walk & Team Challenge 5k on May 3rd.
  • Cancelled-  Mahjong at The Cultural Center until the Center reopens.

Recognizing that the arts are an essential outlet and emotional comfort for many of us, we have already begun the work of providing art, entertainment and visibility for our members through on-line resources.

We welcome your comments and suggestions for unique and wonderful ways to help with this effort.

If you’d like to be involved or help us from the comfort of your home, please let us know by contacting our Operations Manager, Loren Doucette at rnac.operationsmanager@gmail.com

Our thanks for your continued support and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,
Kathy Archer
Kristie Bernard
Co-Presidents