The Power of Play Festival is Coming Up!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Emily Siegel's avatarCape Ann Community

Gloucester Education Foundation is proud to host our third annual Power of Play Festival!

What: The Power of Play Festival: a day of play for ALL AGES. GEFcolorPlayLogo

When: Sunday, March 18, 2018 11am-2pm

Where: Gloucester High School Field House, 32 Leslie O. Johnson Road, Gloucester

Who: Gloucester families and kids. Admission $5 per family at the door.

Gloucester Education Foundation’s Power of Play Festival will feature fun family activities like: an obstacle course, art projects, lego building challenges, hula-hooping,  games, music, dance, fort-building, goop-making, sand and water play, and LOTS more.

This year, each student who attends the Power of Play will receive a “homework IMG_2017pass” good for replacing one school homework assignment with some at-home playtime. All Gloucester Public Schools, K-12 will honor the pass.

Play promotes creativity and innovation, and helps kids develop skills that are a foundation for life-long success, including critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and…

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Cape Ann Community Foundation Announces Grant Opportunity

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce's avatarCape Ann Community

Cape Ann License PlateThe Board of Directors of the Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) recently announced that they are inviting proposals for the Foundation’s
second annual round of grants. CACF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable
organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage funds and award grants from the proceeds from the Cape Ann License Plate. CACF will make grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and vacation.

• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the…

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Upcoming Events at Backyard Growers

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

backyardgrowersgloucester's avatarCape Ann Community

Backyard Growers is excited to join Rose Baker Senior Center for another awesome party! We’ll be there from 10am-12 with a fun seed planting activity; hope to see you there!

Rose Baker St. Patty Blurb

Join us on March 24th for our annual FREE SEED SWAP! Stop by our office anytime between 12-3PM to swap seeds, connect with other gardeners, and learn more about indoor seed starting. Want to be trained in our square foot gardening method? Join us beforehand at 10AM. Call 978-281-0480 for more details.

Seed Swap 2018 (1)

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Riverdale Rockets Softball FUNdraiser

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

coliecatherine's avatarCape Ann Community

LET’S BOWL!!!!

Date: March 25, 2018

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Cape Ann Lanes (53 Gloucester Ave, Gloucester MA. 01930. Phone 978-283-9753)

This FUNdraiser will support the Riverdale Rockets Softball program & its’ athletes!

Cost is $20 per person for 3 strings & shoes (remember to bring socks)

Prizes will be awarded for TOP SCORING TEAM, HIGHEST SCORE & MOST GUTTER BALLS — Raffles will also be held

Sign-up as an individual or a team (teams consist of 4-6 bowlers)

To sign-up or if you have any questions, please contact Nicole Tucker https://www.facebook.com/events/423371291417245/or email nct1031@gmail.com

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TIME LAPSE VIDEO: SNOW MOON DESCENDING OVER BEAUTIFUL GLOUCESTER HARBOR -By Kim Smith

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

The full moon of February is most often called the Snow Moon, but some Native American tribes called it the Hunger Moon or the Storm Moon. After this past week’s nor’easter, I think perhaps Storm Moon is most apt. The full moon actually took place over the cusp of February 28th and March 1st, and just as it occurred in the month of January 2018 when we had two full moons, the end of March will bring a Blue Moon.

 

 

 

Beautiful fish: Hook-eared sculpin and Mailed sculpin -By Al Bezanson

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Meet the sculpins

The several members of the sculpin and sea raven tribe that are known from the Gulf of Maine are a homogeneous group, characterized by large spiny heads; very wide gill openings; very broad mouths; slender bodies; separate spiny and soft-rayed dorsal fins (united in some rare species); large fanlike pectorals but small caudals; and by ventrals that are reduced to three long rays. All of them, too, have a fashion of spreading the gill covers and of flattening the head when taken in the hand. They likewise produce grunting sounds, and some of them have the power of inflating themselves with air or water when they are molested.

From Fishes of the Gulf of Maine by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) courtesy of MBL/WHOI

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Artediellus_uncinatus.htm

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Triglops_ommatistius.htm

Waves three days after the storm

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

New obsession, the huge waves in Gloucester.  It makes you wonder how something so beautiful can also be very destructive.  Took some photos on Monday from The Back Shore and Shore Road.

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Job opening at Gloucester Downtown Association

Posted on by Catherine

Downtown Assoc

“The Gloucester Downtown Association‘s Sidewalk Bazaar Coordinator has moved to Salem; Danielle Capalbo did a great job for us for the Bazaar and our Christmas promotion.  I am sure we all wish her well in settling into her new home. The Glouceser Downtown Association (GDA) is now looking for a new Bazaar Coordinator which is a paid contract position.  So if you know of anyone who you think might be interested, please have them send a resume to Patty Gates (Premier Imprints)  or myself ( The Weathervane) for consideration.”
Thanks,
Joe Ciolino, Director GDA”

Gearing Up

Posted on by Nichole S.

We were away for the weekend and missed the entire storm.  I was feeling a little out of the loop and have been missing the waterfront so we took a quick drive down to Pigeon Cove Harbor this morning on the way to school/work.

Dreary and drab today….but, always pretty.

Old Time Minstrel Show

Posted on by Pat D

I found this program in a downtown Gloucester shop.  It states: “We, the members of the Gloucester Service Chest welcome you to our entertainment, an Old Time Minstrel Show, which is given for the benefit of all our own boys in the Armed Forces.”  It was held on January 20 1944.  I was tickled to see my dad listed (“Patty Ryan” though he was generally known as Paddy) as a performer.  My childhood memories of his many performances are full of End Man/ Host duties at variety shows for various charities, so this was perfect.

He must have been only about 16 at this time and it’s gratifying to see that his End Man experiences had a long history.  Another cousin, Edna Handran, is listed on the ticket committee so it was a bonus. Some of the other names include Virginia Friend, Priscilla Cahoon, Theresa Sylvester, Buzzy McKinnon, Norman Ball and Lester Bragg.  There are others but perhaps some of you recognize these.  Presumably the ladies were members of the Junior Women’s Club at the time.

Performances included songs like My Shining Hour, My Heart Tells Me and Pistol Packin’ Mama; and, of course, Yankee Doodle Dandy. You’re humming right now, aren’t you?

SNOWY OWL HEDWIG SURVIES MARCH NOR’EASTER RILEY! -By Kim Smith

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Our beautiful Snowy Owl Hedwig survived, and looks none the worse for wear. She spent the afternoon of March 5th resting in a sunny, but wholly unphotogenic location (and extremely windy corridor, too, I might add). Perhaps a New England Nor’easter is nothing to her, when compared to an Arctic tundra storm. She’s clearly a genius 🙂 And has some mighty good survival skills.

Thank you to Betty G. Grizz for sharing her Hedwig sighting this afternoon ❤

BEFORE AND AFTER ATLANTIC ROAD ESTATE MARCH NOR’EASTER STORM RILEY -By Kim Smith

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Atlantic Road estate, after a relatively mild storm last week.

Sunday afternoon, after March Nor’easter Riley.

READER DAVE FINDS DOVEKIE ALIVE ON THE BEACH–AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A DOVEKIE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Dave writes, “Saw this Dovekie at low tide Saturday. The gulls were picking it up and dropping it to the side. I chased them away – temporarily and shooed it back into the water.”

Dovekies are easily blown ashore during severe winter storms.  They don’t walk very well on land. If you find a Dovekie on the beach, and it does not appear to be injured, gently pick it up and bring it to the water. And do as Dave did, shoo away interested gulls.

Thank you so much Dave for sharing your photo and for helping the Dovekie back in the water!

Read more about Dovekies here:

RARELY SEEN ON LAND TINY AND BEAUTIFUL DOVEKIE FOUND ON LOCAL BEACH -BY KIM SMITH