Good Morning Gloucester

We met the nicest lady while riding the T from the TD Garden to Fenway Park yesterday. I can’t stop thinking about her.  I wish I had a photo.

She climbed on the T when it still wasn’t quite so full and took a seat kind of far away from us.  She caught my eye immediately.  She was a tiny little thing.  Maybe 5 feet tall…but I’m guessing still in the 4s.  She was dressed like Richard Simmons meets Punky Brewster and made me smile instantly.  There wasn’t a shade or hue of any color that she was wearing somewhere. She was rocking head phones and a fanny pack.  She had to be in her 70s.

The car got really full….and then started to empty out again.  As it did, she changed seats, and landed right next to one of my boys.  She immediately started to chat them up.  Not super familiar with riding the T and maybe a bit overwhelmed by it all, they were hesitant to offer more than one word answers at first.  But soon, even they, were under her spell.  She was equal parts quirky and charming.  A total breath of fresh air….and on a crowded T…that is a pretty big compliment.

Talking with the boys seemed to remind her of her own….and she was quickly telling us about them.  The youngest of which is now 43.  Exactly my age.  In the 10 minutes tops that we sat with her, we learned more than I know about some people who I have known for years.  I regret, that due to the noise on the subway, I missed key bits and pieces of what she said and found myself merely nodding and smiling. There were times when I could tell that she wanted more of a response, and I was sad that I couldn’t offer one.

What I could gather and hear was completely heartwarming…and a little bit “Cat’s in the Cradle”.  It made me smile and be sad all at the same time.

Grown children, birthday yesterday, one son can’t get time off, her husband used to know his boss years ago so she was able to arrange for him to not work yesterday, a special day together, something about Kentucky Fried Chicken, went to a place full of long ago Mother’s Day memories, should they invite the other children?, “no” someone will have complications, someone will have to be late, let’s just spend it together, a quick trip to Nantasket Beach, before they knew it 9 hours had gone by, his girlfriend had called several times, played games they used to play in the sand (I have to admit that image made me chuckle), how did it go by so fast, she feels like she woke up one morning and was old, there are years she is happy to not remember, yesterday was a great, great day.

It was time for us to get off and she smiled and said, “Boys, you be good to your mother.  Even when you think she is wrong, tell her she is right.  Mom, you try to be good too.  There’ll be times you know they’re wrong, but they need you to believe in them anyway.”

After we got off and were in the daylight of Kenmore Square, Thatcher said, “That lady was nice.  But, was she happy or sad?”   I told him I figured she was a little bit of both. I can’t stop thinking about her.

Boilerplate GMG Political Statement:

Good Morning Gloucester Does Not Endorse Candidates and this press release should not be indicative of a an endorsement or non endorsement of any candidates:

I want to be your next Ward 1 City Councilor. I am running because I believe in public service and I want to more for Gloucester…because of Gloucester.

The Ward 1 boundary includes everything from the Jodrey State Fish Pier, Eastern Point Lighthouse, Blackburn Industrial Park, Pond Road businesses, Good Harbor Beach and the Back Shore. In such a small region, Ward 1 shows how well industrial and marine industries can operate alongside residential areas, naturally protected areas, and businesses – many based upon tourism – in true symbiotic harmony. Much of East Gloucester was removed from the DPA but still remain as Marine Industrial designated areas. I want to work to continue to find a happy balance between marine, recreational, and water-based industries.

Many people before me have worked very hard to conserve the natural landscape that exists in Ward 1. From Essex County Green Belt’s Seine Field, Niles Pond, Cripple Cove and the great salt mash of Good Harbor Beach, all can enjoy these protected open and green spaces, but they are not without other dangers. As a City, I feel we should be better prepared for rising sea levels and a direct hit from the next Perfect Storm, super-storm or hurricane. I believe the City should to do more to update key Ward 1 infrastructure systems from storm drains to hobbled roads and non existent sidewalks. As residents, we can do much more to retain excess run-off rainwater on our properties from existing weather patterns through simple backyard landscaping techniques and sidewalk enhancements. As citizens, we can do more to clean up after each other by participating in volunteer community movements like The One Hour at a Time Gang where I’ve helped them pick up harbor detritus on the pier to Ocean Alliance (aka The Paint Factory) on several occasions.

One of the things I love about living in Ward 1 is the beaches: Good Harbor, Niles, Wonson and Brace Cove – what riches! Even if some of them are not public, I still enjoy the fact that anyone can walk and enjoy them, especially at sunset. But the City can and should do more to enforce beach visitors who park illegally in Ward 1. I fully support the amazing work that The Friends of Good Harbor Beach is doing to protect its sand dunes and salt marsh and to make the beach more accessible for visitors on foot.  And lots of people come to Gloucester in the summer for the beaches, which in turn generates a lot of auxiliary income for the City.  

When people to come here they need places to stay. I was an outspoken advocate for the Beauport Hotel on Pavilion Beach, publishing letters in the paper and participating in the community forums because I believe that blighted property should be made bright again. And still, Ward 1 has some of the best and busiest accommodations in the City. I am a strong supporter of cultural tourism and applaud the City’s decision to allot 30% of the revenue from the hotel tax to the fund the implementation of the City’s new tourism plan. I’ve served as an officer of Gloucester’s Harbortown Cultural District for two-years and helped co-lead a free mobile app project which helps promote and connect visitors to everything that our four Cape Ann Cultural Districts have to offer. When people new to our area see how much amazing stuff is happening here, they want to find ways to extend their stay, plan to come back and/or tell their friends how amazing their stay in Gloucester was.

Gloucester is awash in culture and heritage and I believe the creative capital of Ward 1 is boundless. It’s one of the other things I love most about living in Ward 1 because it boasts an exceptional cultural corridor that extends from Cripple Cove to Historic New England’s Sleeper-McCann House, with our newest addition being the T. S. Eliot House. On any given day, I can find one of my neighbors performing on stage, hosting a gallery opening, teaching Montessori art classes to young hands and impressionable minds, hanging new artwork at a local coffee shop, building her business by making bags from old sails, crafting a new gourmet farm-to-table menu in one of the City’s best restaurants, or working on a blog or online portal that both garners national attention and builds a sense of community connectedness at the same time (GMG, GloucesterClam, “Because Gloucester”). The list goes on and on.  So many residents in Ward 1 cannot NOT express themselves. To us, it’s nothing special. It’s who we are. And I found my tribe – which is another reason why I want to become the next City Councilor for Ward 1.

I know I can do more for Gloucester because of Ward 1.

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca Borden

Beautiful day..

Find me at http://www.ardizzoniphotography.com

Joey,

i know Greg Bover usually does the “quote of the week” to give us something to think about from individuals with some notoriety and late in their years. Here is a six-year old who has something to say in her beginning years for us to think about too as well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATHY FRONTIERO!
Our 4 boys Sal, James and Chris surprized their mother with dinner at the Seaport Grille.