Good Morning Gloucester

With the Thrush gone, radiation done, a couple of blood transfusions, and rest, I’ve reached 161 pounds and have some energy. And the current news events keep me on my toes. I hope to start publishing more photos and spending more time at the gallery soon. One thing giving me joy is raising some decorative and edible plants (patio tomatoes, lettuce, and basil). I’m happily spending more time shopping at Goose Cove Gardens and less at the hospital.

Hi Joey,

It has been awhile since I’ve updated your readers on things that are going on at the PD. I apologize, as we have been getting ready for summer and Fiesta, and have launched our new initiative on the addiction crisis.

Our new program addressing addiction is off to a great start and I think we are doing some good work getting people off the streets and into treatment. So far, 22 have come in and been placed into treatment. At no cost to any residents. I know it’s gained a lot of attention and I guess my bottom line is this: I do not believe a program like this could have started anywhere but Gloucester. The tightknit, “take care of your neighbor” attitude this City possesses allows us to go against the traditional thinking and simply do the right thing. I’m really proud and humbled to serve here as the Chief of Police. Thank you to all who support this idea.

Fiesta is upon us again! We are keeping our fingers crosses for good weather! Last year’s Fiesta was a great success from a public safety standpoint and from the feedback I received; businesses, residents, and visitors alike all agreed it was what Fiesta is all about –A family event celebrating the City and St. Peter. We expect this year to be no different. We have communicated to businesses our expectations of them to be responsible and cooperative and they have been doing a great job. Our officers are ready to insure a safe and fun atmosphere and we know that the people of Gloucester will be respectful to each other during this event.  With that combination, we hope for a repeat of last year, where we had only 15 public safety issues throughout Fiesta that resulted in only 3 arrests. Yes, the horses will be back this year (this time with a pooper scooper). We got great feedback from people who really enjoyed their accessibility and friendliness and they were a great asset late night when things can get a little dicey. I hope to see a lot of your readers again this year. Viva San Pietro!!

We continue to make strides toward certification and accreditation, which are the highest standards a police department can obtain in the state. It is a long process, but we are getting there. We have revamped all of our policies and procedures to be in line with the process and are training our officers in a new way as to provide more professional services to the community.

Look for the new Citizens Police Academy in the fall. We have put about 150 residents through the Academy and it has been a great experience for all involved.

We are in our second year with a school resource officer and the program is going well. It is a partnership with the school system we hope will continue for many years. We have been able to identify and resolve issues before they becomelarger and build relationships with the youth of the City on a whole new level.

Next week we hope to announce, with the support of Mayor Theken, a major addition in our collective fight against domestic violence. Stay tuned.

We have two officers graduating from the MBTA Police Academy in July and we look forward to welcoming them on.

We have a second Animal Control Officer, fully trained now and working daily. We are working on not only enforcing the new ordinances, but in encouraging proper registration and working with responsible dog owners to make sure all voices are heard and we are following what the community want.

We continue to address all quality of life issues, including parking, animal control issues, speeding, and other daily issues that can frustrate and cause problems. We are always available to hear your concerns about making the City a better place to live and work.

As always, I can be reached directly for any and all questions and concerns at 978-281-9775 or lcampanello@gloucester-ma.gov

Thanks Joey, I hope you and your readers enjoy Fiesta and the summer season, and let me once again say how happy and humbled I am to be the Chief of Police in this great City.

Lenny

Respectfully,

Leonard Campanello

Chief of Police

City of Gloucester, MA

Hypothetically….if you were shopping at a really large chain store for a long list of random items and, only after having driven 25 minutes away, realized that you didn’t pay for an item COMPLETELY by accident, what would you do?   What if, to up the ante, you had spent about  $82 and the accidentally unpaid for item cost about $12?  Would you immediately turn around and go back to pay?  Would you call, apology profusely, and go back and pay at your earliest convenience?  Would you fist pump and shout, “Take that, Corporate America”?

I wonder…..

….

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association invites the public to a 24 hour continuous live demonstration of amateur radio.This 24 hour event called “Field Day” will be starting at 2 PM at the Fuller School in Gloucester, Mass on Saturday June 27th and will end at 2 PM the following Sunday June 28th. During this demonstration the public will see various forms of worldwide communications based on a scenario if the power goes out and all other cellphone and internet communications goes down in a disaster or other emergency.The public will even have the opportunity to actually talk on the air on an amateur radio.For more information on this event and amateur radio please go to http://www.caara.net

Greats is a Brooklyn based footwear company that uses premium materials and has a slightly contemporary twist on old classics.  My buddies in Town swear by them.  Def getting the navy blue Wilson’s and debating on the Dune “Hirsh”.  Frickin sweet!

Click here for a link to Greats with a $10 discount code

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

The cedar waxwing is easily found in open habitat where there are berries. It times its nesting to coincide with summer berry production, putting it among the latest of North American birds to nest. It is highly gregarious; flocks of hundreds, occasionally thousands, are encountered during migration and winter.

I haven’t seen a cedar waxwing in years.  I used to see them when I lived in Newbury, and a flock would land in a tree in the yard that had red berries.  They would perch in a line along a branch.  The first bird would pick a berry and then pass it to the next bird in line and on down until the last in line would eat it and on they would go in a progressive communal dinner party.  It was the coolest thing to witness.  This one was gathering dry stuff, obviously to make a nest.

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

Viva San Pietro!

Cape Ann Museum celebrates Fiesta with film,
photography, sculpture and more

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to offer a special view of Fiesta-inspired art. The mini-exhibit will be on display in the lower level atrium from Tuesday, June 23 through Sunday, June 28 during Museum hours. Drawing on the Museum’s own collection, along with private collections in the area, the exhibit includes works by New York artist Philip Reisman who worked in Gloucester during the 1940s and 1950s, painters Lucette White and Eileen Mueller who captured the color and excitement of Fiesta in more recent years, and collage artist and sculptor Hans Pundt. Two documentary films about Fiesta will be available for viewing on a continuous loop throughout the week. Related exhibits and information can be found in the Museum’s Maritime Galleries.

St. Peter’s Fiesta – Festa di San Pietro – honors St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. It is the largest and most colorful of the celebrations that Sicilian immigrants brought to Gloucester. The tradition of celebrating Fiesta began in Gloucester the late 1920s as a neighborhood novena and expanded to a city-wide event in the 1930s. Fiesta is still celebrated in Gloucester in late June, with four days of music, dancing, parades, fireworks, seine boat races and the traditional greasy pole competition. On the last day of Fiesta, an outdoor Mass is held, followed by the blessing of Gloucester’s fishing fleet.

NORTH GREETS SOUTH!  NORTH SHORE ARTS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL REGIONAL COMING TOGETHER OF ACCLAIMED ARTISTS FROM OUR NORTH AND SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITIES.

AT THE INVITATION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH SHORE ARTS ASSOCIATION, artists from communities south of Boston will mix and mingle with NSAA members in a day of plein air painting on Tuesday, June 23, from 10 AM – 5:30 PM.

Refreshments will be served in the morning and late afternoon.

Seventy! artists, many of whom are internationally known, will paint en plein air at six private property locations on Rocky Neck opened only to them for this special event, and at the harbor side grounds of the NSAA overlooking East Gloucester’s sparkling Smith Cove. All places have been filled, however to be placed on the waiting list, and for more information please contact the following Coordinators: North Shore: Judythe Evans Meagher, jemeagher@comcast.net; South Shore: Nancy Colella, saltydogstudio@comcast.net

The North Shore Arts Association’s galleries are open, free to the public, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m.

More information on all North Shore Arts Association events is available by visiting their website at www.nsarts.org, and by email at arts@nsarts.org, or by telephone 978 283-1857.