My View of Life on the Dock
There must have been good eats at Clark Pond on Monday. These Glossy Ibis were enjoying themselves. Some info on these interesting birds from Wikipedia.
The glossy ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning “sickle” and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.
Feather & Wedge is thrilled to have the Gorrell-Landoni jazz duo join them this Thursday. Enjoy dinner with entertainment from this accomplished jazz duo performing selections from the Great American Songbook as well as some pop, R&B, and original compositions. Reservations suggested. 978.999.5917
Thursday, May 17
7 – 9 PM
Feather & Wedge Restaurant & Bar, 5 Main Street, Rockport, MA 01915
I had the pleasure of sharing a toast with Kurt and Richard Hosman at the “soft opening” of their all new Drift Cafe (formerly Cafe, Brew & Spirits) at 3 Main Street on Saturday and can’t wait until they are in full swing in a couple of weeks! I loved coming here last year because it had a great vibe, and it’s a perfect place to hit after dinner for some music and a drink (and a muffin…they are delicious!) or during the day for a espresso and light fare! Good luck to Kurt and Rick!
With the help of prior owner Will Bard we were driven by the strong sense of place and purpose to create a Café built for those seeking to continue that warm, musical Café vibe.
During the day, we are a coffee house Café that focuses on espresso-based drinks while proudly serving an array of fresh made, pastries, muffins, scones and croissants along with fresh seasonal salads and sandwiches. At night, we transform into a bar where people feel “at home”, dishing out an array of bar bites and stirring up both classic and contemporary elixirs for every taste and price point. Whether you go booze free or spiked, we welcome you to go ahead and espresso yourself. Drawing inspiration from the unique character of the neighborhood and the local community, and the creator of Café Brew and Spirits the NEW Drift Café Gloucester has been designed to be part of this growing community, satisfying both body and spirit from sun up to lights out.
Please do stop in to see us, check out the new look of the Café and say hello.
We look forward to seeing everyone back at DRIFT. ~Kurt & Rick
This Saturday, May 19th, from 10am to 2pm will be Safe Boating Day at Station Gloucester. In addition to all of the excellent and important activities listed below, Thatcher…Cadet Schrafft…will also be on hand with some of his fellow US Navy Sea Cadets to discuss the program with any visitors who may be interested.
GMG recently received a press release announcing the retirement of librarian/archivist Stephanie Buck after serving in her role there since 2004. Since she has been of great personal help to me over the years in my research, I was anxious to speak with her about her experiences before she retires.
She seems reluctant to blow her own horn, but her vast knowledge of Cape Ann and the holdings of the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives has been shared widely with many people such as myself who needed some expertise to sort through the various resources. And since Ms. Buck also volunteers at the City Archives, the card catalog in her mind is packed with a variety of helpful information.
These are some of the resources at Cape Ann Museum available to visitors. I’m sure Ms. Buck and the other volunteers have these cataloged in their brains ready for access at request by interested parties.
She told me she has been on Cape Ann since the 1970s and was grateful to have landed on Cape Ann. She was an integral part of the research team that finally uncovered evidence of Fitz Henry Lane’s actual middle name: a renowned local artist born as Nathaniel Rogers Lane and sometimes known as Fitz Hugh Lane. Information provided by the Cape Ann Museum (Sarah Gledhill) informed me that Ms. Buck wrote a book about this discovery called Fitz Who? The Artist Latterly Known as Fitz Hugh Lane. She also co-authored other books about Fitz Henry Lane ( Fitz Henry Lane : Family and Friends as well as Chronology of Mary Mellen, published in Fitz Henry Lane & Mary Blood Mellen : Old Mysteries and New Discoveries.
Tellingly, she did not mention these to me herself, but she did mention she is working on another book and that she likes to do house research. The Museum library and archives will miss her deep knowledge and talents. I know I will miss seeing her behind her desk when I visit!
Dr. Molly O’Hagan Hardy will be taking over the position following Ms. Buck’s retirement at the end of the month. She is the guest curator for the current exhibit Unfolding History, Cape Ann Before 1900; a fascinating display of old documents relating to the history of Cape Ann from a variety of perspectives. The oldest one I took note of was from the 1620s!!!!! Imagine that! I suggest you take time to view this marvelous exhibit.
We wish Stephanie Buck a long and happy retirement. Best wishes from GMG and a grateful public.
Beautiful cover of Nonna, What is St. Peter’s Fiesta?
Enjoy an evening with Annette Dion to discover the power of being in the HERE and NOW through mindfulness meditation. You will learn the basics of meditation, breathing and mindfulness techniques to take with you in your every day life. No experience necessary and all levels welcome!
Mindfulness Meditation is a powerful tool for stress reduction, clarity, balance and focus. Learn simple, easy practical techniques that you can take into your life!
$25 Register at http://www.nsryoga.com
Mandatory info sessions will be held May 21st and May 23rd. Call now to register. A great opportunity for local folks to get good paying local jobs!
The O’Maley Innovation Middle School campus setting is rather bucolic. There’s a line of apple trees that still bear fruit and suggest the original farm, playing fields are stepped down surrounded by marsh and pond, Dogtown stretches along one edge, and Pole Hill rises up across the way. Community volunteers and students have created lovely decorative gardens. Yes, the track needs work and the playing field could be upgraded to turf like Gloucester High School’s New Balance field at Newell Stadium. But it’s a beautiful spot to walk or catch a game. Ed Tedesco designed O’Maley in 1971. Although I believe the architect was quite sensitive to the setting, I understand how people criticize the exterior as harsh, or worse. “It feels like a prison!” exclaim some (and others joke. It is a middle school afterall.) You know what I see on the exterior when I come to O’Maley? Beautiful walls. Interesting shapes. Expansive public space ready for art and ideas.
O’Maley walls, photos from 2015
You can’t judge a book by its cover. OR can you? O’Maley has the potential for its shell to match the creative arts and legacy at its core. There are stunning historic murals from the 1930s and 40s in the Commons. The arts curriculum is valued and celebrated. The arts teachers are amazing. If there is any school in Massachusetts that sings out arts and legacy, let it be here. Monumental public art and street art abound in Gloucester.
Parsons Street before, after, and after
public art in Gloucester, MA and context collages
And not just for flat surfaces. Artists have suggested creative responses to Americord’s striated surface like a piano keys mural along the wall (a motif you may have seen elsewhere); others proposed a changing light installation when the cultural district designation was underway.
Stephanie Benenson’s temporary installation Harbor Voices at City Hall
Street art has become big business. Cities and towns around the world vie for renowned muralists in a competitive commercialized market with varying degrees of success.
O’Maley Innovation Middle School has the perfect walls for showcasing creative voices of former alumni who are art school grads (or currently enrolled)– professionally trained and inspired to leave a mark. Ever since the dynamite 18UP and Under 30 exhibition, supporters hoped to catalyze possibilities for these emerging artists. Murals taken to this scale warrant investments of $15,000 per artist per wall.
just a few of the grads…Chris Budrow | Kate Bresnahan | Jason Burroughs | Lexi Chipperini |Jon Cooney | Jeff Cluett | James Curcuru | Nicole Dahlmer | Leon Doucette | Alessia LoGrasso | Avery McNiff | Micah O’Conner| Mary Sullivan
Before I saw walls of possibility. I still see that, but now I imagine specific artists and I hope you do, too. There are plenty of walls to go around at O’Maley.
a few more international street art mural examples
Early this morning I found the endangered species signs covered in seaweed as well as tire and dog tracks in the nesting areas. The vandalism happened sometime overnight, between 6 pm and 6am. 
The grossest thing were the poles bent over, with a wooden box holding down the roping, and on top of that, a huge pile of sand-covered DOG POOP. There was so much poop it had to have been collected.
I cleared off the signs, but rubber gloves and/or a shovel are needed to remove the dog poop on top of the wooden box.
People, and not just young people, were doing donuts in the parking lot on Sunday, right next to the PiPl cordoned off nesting area. When the PiPl monitor Heather asked if the donut-makers were aware of the PiPl, they said, “Yes, but we weren’t going to hit them.”
One pair of Plovers has already been forced into the parking lot by dog owners not properly managing their dogs. There is at least one more pair of PiPl, and The Bachelor, making use of the roped off nesting areas. It would be a heartbreaker to see a second pair forced off the beach and move their nest into the parking lot, too.
Please call 911 if you see anyone harassing or harming the Piping Plovers, or vandalizing the nesting areas on the beach or in the parking lot. Thank you so very much.
Tire tracks in the Piping Plover nesting area #3.
Barbara and I recently had the pleasure of visiting our son Brian and daughter-in -law Karen in Venice where they are living for three months. They were great guides and interpreters.
Here’s part 1 of the trip video. Hope you enjoy it.
After a cloudy start to Mother’s Day, the sun came out with beautiful clouds.
Photo from Len Burgess, Thanks again for a fun and informative class.
The Annisquam Exchange is opening, May 18, 2018
http://bluefinblowout.com/2018-bluefin-blowout-family-fun-5k-sunday-june-10/
Sunday, June 10th, 8:00-12:00, will be the Inaugural Lyon-Waugh Auto Group Bluefin Blowout Family Fun 5K, benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association!
All are welcome to the Inaugural Lyon-Waugh Bluefin Blowout Family Fun 5K!
Join the fun as participants run, walk, and stroll from Stage Fort Park to Hammond Castle and back to Stage Fort Park for a 5K loop.
Enjoy the beautiful Cape Ann waterfront and fresh ocean air while having fun and raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Registration Fees:
Please note that advanced registration is at a discounted rate. Race day registration is cash only.
Adults – $30 ($40 day of race, cash only!)
Kids- $10 ($15 day of race, cash only!)
Good Morning Gloucester 