Thanks volunteers

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Great clean up at First Burial cemetery for Memorial Day.. the cemetery looked great but near the train tracks was not good.

Donna Ardizzoni / Circle Consulting Group 978-526-9222

WOLF HILL GARDEN CENTER HAS IT ALL!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Happy Memorial Day from Wolf Hill!

Wolf Hill has just about everything under the sun to make your garden sing, and then some. If not in stock, they will order it and have the item to you in a few short days. Choose from a gorgeous and super healthy selection of native perennials, shrubs, trees, flowering vines, annuals, tropicals, and every kind of garden tool and accessory needed.

Grace and owner Pam

The staff is beyond helpful at Wolf Hill. I hear customers asking questions non-stop and they always provide a pleasant and knowledgeable response. Whether answering questions, loading your car, or assisting with placing orders, the customer service at Wolf Hill is simply stellar. You can always tell when the owners are super special people when the same staff are there year after year.

These Guys! Always lending a helping hand – Jacob, Rick, and Ricky. Not only is Rick the tree and shrub manager, for which he has a wealth of information, but he is also very knowledgeable butterflies. Ask him what butterflies have been in the garden lately.

Late spring is the best time of year to pick out roses because most flower earlier at nurseries than they would in our Cape Ann gardens. You take the guesswork out and test the roses for fragrance and for color when in bloom. Wolf Hill has an extensive selection of shrub, climbing, and topiary roses.

We are so blessed to have not one, not two, but three fabulous garden centers here on our small island.

Happy Memorial Day and Happy Gardening!

19 of May Storm photos From Chad White

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hello my name is Chad White from gloucester…I have a couple of interesting pictures from the storm on may 19th….thought maybe you would want to post them.  This is over looking east gloucester….

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Liz Sibley Fletcher art sale to benefit two local organizations

Posted on by Catherine

Save the date- meet the artist. June 3, Rocky Neck. Dozens of sculpture and wall works by local artist Liz Sibley Fletcher will be available for a  special one day sale to benefit Maritime Gloucester and Pathway.

Liz Fletcher

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALiz Fletcher – Old Frog Pond Farm & Studio Annual Sculpture Walk around the pond and through the woods

http://www.liz-fletcher-sculpture.com/

Since graduating from Mass. College of Art in 1970, Liz Fletcher has worked in clay as a sculptor, potter, and teacher. She is an exhibiting member of the NH Art Association and the League of NH Craftsmen, showing her work around New England and as far as Georgia, Texas, and the state of Washington. Living in the woods, Fletcher became concerned about human impacts on the land. After getting a Masters degree in Resource Management at Antioch New England, she assisted the Nashua River Watershed Association with open space planning, coordinating their Greenway program to protect the rivers of the region. “The wonders of the natural world inspire me, as do the absurdities of the human condition, which is often not beautiful but sometimes humorous! People often sense a narrative quality in my work — the images speak, telling stories. Life forms fascinate me. I love to shape clay into creatures and strange beings whose combinations of human, beast, and bone embody the interpenetration of the natural and human worlds, of geologic time and daily life. We’re all in it together — voyaging in this great mysterious universe.”

Past exhibits, installations and commissions

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM MARSHALL’S FARM STAND (AND HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY, TOO)!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Happy Memorial Day from Marshall’s Farm Stand

Marshall’s Farm Stand is chock-a-block full of a tremendous assortment of annuals and perennials just waiting to be planted.

Owners Melissa and Karen created the colorful red, white, and blue Memorial Day themed display and all the pots are ready to set out in the garden, no fuss, no muss.

While there, wish the Marshalls a happy fiftieth year in business! Check out the 2017 Farmer Bob cards, with daily deals on just about everything at the farm stand. The photo on the flip side of the card is a wonderful family portrait. What a beautiful family! I wonder what year and am guessing, based on the outfits, the 1970s. I forgot to ask and hope a family member writes and lets us know. Marshall’s Farm Stand is located at 144 Concord Street in Gloucester, and they are open seven days a week, from 9am to 6pm.

Ann and Dolly loading up their truck to plant red and white flowers at her relative’s grave sites.

One more of adorable Dolly.

 

CEDAR ROCK GARDENS IS ROCKIN THE FLOWERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Come see the ever expanding selection of gorgeous flower and veggie seedlings at Cedar Rock Gardens. Not only are they offering annual flowers, herbs, and vegetable this year, but they are also growing native perennial wildflowers such as New England Aster and milkweed.

It was so cloudy and overcast when I was there picking up an order; these photos don’t do the garden justice. Come on down and see for yourself, Cedar Rock Gardens is bursting with beauty and fully stocked for the Memorial Day weekend.

Open seven days a week, from 8am til 5pm, Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 299 Concord Street in Gloucester.

Marigold Mania!

Sweet William

Loads and loads of peppers, in every degree of heat imagineable.

I love stopping by just to say hello, Elise and Tucker are so friendly and helpful. Tucker built the new office shed.

Coming later this spring are pick your own peonies!! And after that, sunflowers, zinnias, and straw flowers 🙂

CIAO FROM SUNNY CINQUE TERRE ITALY!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

With the rainy weather and chilly temperatures we’ve been having of late, I thought readers would like to see some snapshots from our daughter Liv’s wonderful trip to Italy. One of her best friends from college, Natalie, is getting married this weekend in Florence. For a pre-wedding adventure, Liv has been staying in the beautiful village of Manarola,  located on the Italian Riviera. Manarola is one of five fishing and wine producing towns that make up Cinque Terre (“Five Lands”) in the Province of La Spezia. The photos are from Manarola and the village of Monterosso.

Cinque Terre National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paths, trains, and boats connect the villages; cars are not allowed. 

Liv is loving the local seafood. Aren’t these paper cone containers fantastic for fish-on-the-go?

Liv enjoys going to beaches where ever she travels and I’ve asked her to let us know how folks manage trash in remote villages by the sea, like Manarola and Monterosso. As you can see in the photos above, there are trash and recycling barrels along the beach, and lifeguards also pick up garbage left behind.

Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, Monterosso al Mare

 

CAPE ANN VERNAL POND TEAM HUGE YARD SALE SATURDAY, TOMORROW, AT ST. PETER’S SQUARE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Greetings from the Pond Team…

The huge Kestrel and Vernal Pond Team yard sale will be this Saturday, May 27th, from 9 am – 1 pm at the parking lot behind St. Peter’s Square (site of the Fiesta, 1 Rogers Street) in Gloucester.  

We could really use your help:

1)  Donate: If you have anything that you’d like to donate, please bring it to the Get Outside Center over the next two days, or feel free to drop it off at the Yard Sale sometime on Saturday morning.

2) Volunteer for a little bit:  It’s a fun, but exhausting event, so if anyone feels like doing any greatly appreciated community service and pitching in for an hour or so, it would be awesome. We especially need help during set up from 7 – 9 am, and most especially during clean up at 1 pm.  No need to RSVP, just show up.

3) Shop:  I’m not exaggerating that the donations we get are often ridiculously nice, almost like new, but sold at amazing prices. I generally don’t go to yard sales because I’m picky, but this one is like none I’ve ever been to. We also have 400 – 500 brand new books about crafts, art instruction, gardening, sports, cars and more that were donated by a publisher, and will be at least half off the cover.

4) Spread the Word: We always end up with lots of great stuff left over, so please help spread the word!  I’d really like to increase attendance this year, so please pass on this link to anyone you think might enjoy a beautiful day in Gloucester and an amazing yard sale!

https://www.capeannvernalpondteam.org/yard-sale
http://kestreleducation.org/annual-yard-sale/

Hope to see you on Saturday!!

   Anna DiPerna – Team Member

We just added some new photo spreads from recent activities to our website depicting what were up to!
https://www.capeannvernalpondteam.org/Motif-No.1-Day-Festival-Snakes-and-Vernal-Pond-Exhibit-5-20-2017

MA senate votes on creative economy master plan

Posted on by Catherine

IMG_20170526_162849

One of Senator Tarr’s bills, the 4 cultural districts and a failed vote were reported by Kate Lannan in today’s Gloucester Daily Times.

The bill

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the secretary of housing and economic affairs, in consultation with the executive director of the Massachusetts cultural council, the executive director of travel and tourism and the secretary of labor and workforce development, shall develop and maintain a master plan for the development and advancement of the creative economy throughout the commonwealth, provided that such plan shall be reviewed and updated in increments of not less than three years.

For the purposes of this section the creative economy shall include but not be limited to elements that encompass the visual and performing arts, cultural interpretation and presentation, tourism and affiliated economic activities related to and dependent thereon.

In developing and maintaining said plan the secretary shall seek to ensure inclusion of necessary components to support and strengthen the creative economy of each region and sub region of the commonwealth, as their special circumstances may escalate, and shall seek to maximize and capture to the fullest extent possible the opportunities for job creation, workforce training and skills development, in such regions and sub regions.

The process of developing and maintaining such plan shall include, but not be limited to, at least one public hearing in each geographic region identified in the plan, provided further that the plan shall recognize and support cultural districts as critical resources in advancing its goals.

https://malegislature.gov/

S.202 SD.1688 By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 202) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation to create a creative economy master plan. Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.

creative economy stats: of the 226,000 North Shore jobs, how many do you think are arts and culture related?    Tourism related doubles that count

Gloucester Downtown Harbortown Cultural District

Gloucester Rocky Neck Cultural District

Rockport Cultural District

Essex Cultural District