Monarchs in the News

Three very interesting articles were shared this past week by friends and GMG FOBs. Thank you!!! I love reading what you send and below are the links to share with readers. Again, thank you!

Monarch Butterfly Butterfly Bush  ©Kim Smith 2014

Frieda from Again and Again forwarded this from Nature:

“The monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, is famous for its spectacular annual migration across North America, recent worldwide dispersal, and orange warning colouration. Despite decades of study and broad public interest, we know little about the genetic basis of these hallmark traits. Here we uncover the history of the monarch’s evolutionary origin and global dispersal, characterize the genes and pathways associated with migratory behaviour, and identify the discrete genetic basis of warning colouration by sequencing 101 Danaus genomes from around the globe.” Link to Nature article.

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Our Catherine Ryan forwards from the New York Times:

Why Some Monarch Butterflies Are Marathoners”

Monarch butterflies can be found throughout the world, but only in North America do they make a spectacular mass migration, annually flying from as far north as Canada to winter in Mexico.

Now, by sequencing genomes of 90 monarch butterflies from around the world, researchers have discovered a gene that plays a critical role in determining whether monarchs are migratory, along with new details about their origins, migratory behavior and coloring.

Read Full Article Here

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Josh Dickinson from the University of Florida in Gainseville forwarded the following:

“A Strange Cloud Over St. Louis Turns Out to Be an Enormous Swarm of Butterflies”

Late last week, meteorologists in St. Louis noticed a cloud acting peculiarly: It was beating a path toward Mexico while changing into a variety of odd shapes. Was it a radar glitch? The debris signature of a south-moving tornado?

The answer was more heartening—and bizarre. After analyzing the reflections,the National Weather Service concluded they showed an immense swarm of Monarch butterflies migrating to their winter home in the Mexican mountains:

Here’s how it technically arrived at that conclusion, for the weather geeks out there:

Keen observers of our radar data probably noticed some fairly high returns moving south over southern Illinois and central Missouri. High differential reflectivity values as well as low correlation coefficient values indicate these are most likely biological targets. High differential reflectivity indicates these are oblate targets, and low correlation coefficient means the targets are changing shape. We think these targets are Monarch butterflies. A Monarch in flight would look oblate to the radar, and flapping wings would account for the changing shape! NWS St. Louis wishes good luck and a safe journey to these amazing little creatures on their long journey south!

Read Full Article Here

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Gordon Bok with Daisy Nell and Capt Stan – Saturday 10/11/14 at Old Sloop Coffeehouse

Gordon Bok learned many tunes, sea songs, stories, legends and ballads growing up in Camden, Maine. Where he couldn’t find songs that matched his experiences or needs, he wrote his own, and he has kept up a lively flow of poems, songs, stories, choral and instrumental works. He has performed extensively in the United States, and in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand and has appeared on the radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. Daisy Nell & Capt. Stan will open.

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People Have Been Blowing Up My Email Asking Where They Can Get These “Glosta” Sweatshirts…

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The answer is “Shirts Illustrated” Check Them Out Here

Telephone-  978-744-7873

email- info@shirtsillustratedsalem.com

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More of a Good Thing: Fall Fest @ Mile Marker One

Both Donna and Joey already posted some fantastic photos from this weekend’s Fall Festival at Mile Marker One, but it was such a great event, that more can’t hurt.  Mile Marker One, Marshall’s Farm Stand, and The Bridge pulled off a fantastic afternoon despite some threatening weather.

The city of Gloucester provided some pretty awesome vehicles including Fire Engine 3, a police Hummer, an ATV, and even a Coast Guard Vessel.  That’s pretty much all my boys needed to make a day of it, but the pony rides, face painting, bouncy houses, awesome vendors, pretty yummy Bloody Marys, gelato, the Sam Adams Brewery Oktoberfest Beer Hoisting Competition (what?), and some pretty sweet alpacas made it all that much more fun.  And…that was by no means all that the event had to offer.

A true collaboration of forces to pull off yet another fantastic family event here in our great city.  Thanks to all!  Put this one on your calendar for next year for sure.

 

Paul Bruce Talks About Community Involvement At Benjamin Smith Playground

Like the effort’s Facebook page here-

https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminSmithPlayground

 

Bacon Doughnuts From Brothers brew In rockport Are Every Bit As Ridiculous as They Sound

DSC08242Thanks Paul Bruce for bringing these bad boys in when you came by for our interview about Benjamin Smith Playground.

Note to other folks wishing to come on to promote their stuff- We don’t charge and love to help get the word out about your organization but buttering up your host with scrumptious food, well that’s just plain intelligence at work.

I’m not saying that by bringing in these Bacon doughnuts had anything to do with Paul getting the top GMG time slot of the week (8AM Monday morning) but it totally did. Winking smile

 

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Oh yeahhhh baby!

Monday Oct 6th , 2014 Cape Ann Weather..

Marine Forecast :
Today SW winds 5 to 10 kt…becoming S this afternoon. Seas 2 to 4 ft.
Tonight S winds 5 to 10 kt…increasing to 10 to 15 kt after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 ft.

Today sunny 50’s and lower 60’s SW winds light and variable ..
Tonight clear 40’s and lower 50’s..

Hourly Forecast :

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Sorry for late Forecast , I’m sick 😦 …. Have a great Monday !

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Community Stuff 10/6/14

The Rotary Club of Gloucester will host a Trivia Night on Friday, October 24, at the Gloucester House, located at 63 Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the game will begin at 7 p.m. Teams of four will compete for the title of Cape Ann Trivia Champions.

All trivia fans are invited to this fun night of knowledge and laughter. The registration fee is $100 for a team of four players. Proceeds from this event will support programs of the Gloucester Rotary Club. The night will also feature a 50/50 raffle, a cash bar, and light snacks for purchase. A registration form is attached to this email. Additional forms may be obtained any Gloucester Rotary Club member or may be downloaded from www.GloucesterRotary.us

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CAARA offers amateur radio license course to public

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The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association is offering an all day study course for those interested in earning the FCC Technician Class Amateur radio License.This course will be held on Saturday October 25th starting at 8:30 AM at the Lanesville Community Center on 8 Vulcan Street in Gloucester Mass.The course will conclude with the FCC Technician Class amateur radio license test being administered at the end of the afternoon.The course cost $20.00 which includes study materials,the FCC test fee and snacks.For those interested in taking the course and wishing to reserve a spot please contact course leader Stan Stone W4HIX at techinaday @caara.net .As of 2014 there are over 715,000 amateur radio operators in the United States in a hobby that is over 100 years old.Amateur radio has also been used for emergency communications and has saved lives such as in the Katrina Hurricane disaster and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.For more information on amateur radio on Cape Ann please go to www.caara.net 


Fall Book Sale at Rockport Library

HI Joey,

Hope you can include this in your column at some point.  We appreciate your support.

The Friends of the Rockport Library Annual Fall Book Sale is Friday, October 17 from 10 am to 5 pm; Saturday October 18 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday October 19 from 1 pm to 5 pm. Hard backs and paper backs, a large collection of art books, children’s books, books on tape and dvds all in good condition are on sale.

On Saturday during Harvest Fest there will be a table of children’s books on sale at Harvey Park.

All profits from the book sales are used to supplement programs at the library including, Meet the Author Nights, Passes to area museums, Cabin Fever movie series, special programming events for children, and other enhancements beyond what the town budget can provide.

The library is on the corner of Broadway and School Street.

For more information  visit the website at www.rockportlibrary.org

Thank you

Dianne Anderson


“The Gift” –  Local Artist’s Generosity Gifts Thousands to Local Charities:

In the many generations long tradition of Cape Ann artists serving the community,
acclaimed Rockport artist and teacher Betty Lou Schlemm, in a gesture of great personal generosity, recently sold off the personal archive of her own work to support the vital mission of Cape Ann’s three major charities:  The Open Door, Wellspring House, and Cape Ann Animal Aid. 
Hosted by the North Shore Arts Association,  the benefit sale event, entitled “The Gift”, garnered approximately sixty-six thousand dollars which has been equally divided among the three charities.  Dolores Erickson Reid, Co-Vice President of the NSAA and Dixie Clark NSAA Trustee stewarded the event with the help and support of scores of Betty Lou’s students, friends, and the Cape Ann charities’ supporters.  Here Dolores Erickson Reid is shown presenting a check in the amount of twenty-two thousand dollars to Julie LaFontaine of The Open Door, one of the three charity representatives which included Kay O’Rourke of Wellspring House and Sunniva Buck of Cape Ann Animal Aid.


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The Businesswomen’s Fall Luncheon is right around the corner- in fact it is next Thursday, October 9, 2014, from 11:30am-1:30pm, at the Gloucester House Restaurant, 33 Rogers Street, Gloucester, MA.

If you have not reserved your spot, Please do so now!

Lunch is $35, when you register, please make your choice of Baked Scrod or Yankee Pot Roast.

This year our keynote speaker is Angela Sanfilippo– a beloved daughter of Gloucester!  Angela has spent the better part of her life advocating for Fishermen and their Families.  Come hear her speak passionately about her life’s work.

To register, please go to: 

http://web.capeannchamber.com/events/Women%27s-Fall-Luncheon-1535/details

Please remember to make your choice of meals for the day when you register.

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Register today for Marine Halloween II – Planktonstein’s Lab! Maritime Gloucester’s marine science center becomes a mad scientist’s lab during our 2nd annual Halloween party. We will be offering three different activities full of creepy creatures, spooky science, and frightening fun. Full info and registration: http://maritimegloucester.org/visit/event.php?s=2014-10-25-marine-halloween-ii-planktonsteins-lab

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The Gloucester Area Astronomy Club will be celebrating its 11 year anniversary on Friday night October 10, at 8:00 at the Lanesville Community Center. 

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Astronomy educator Virginia Renehan will be presenting the story of Space Weather, enormously powerful solar phenomena which can knock out satellites, kill the power grid, or light up the northern sky like nobody’s business. Come and see all about it, have some cake, and help us celebrate the first year in a new GAAC decade!

The club meets on the second Friday of every month at the Lanesville Community Center, 8 Vulcan Street Lanesville, from 8:00 to 9:30 pm. Parking is free. The public is warmly welcomed and there is no cost. More information is available through the website, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gaacpage or in the club twitter feed, @gaactweet.


Working Waterfront Writers Group

Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 7:30 pm through Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Registration : no charge, but participation is limited to 10 writers.

Audience: adults

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Do you have stories to tell about working on Gloucester’s waterfront?  The Gloucester Writers Center and Maritime Gloucester are joining together to offer a writers group for current and past waterfront workers.   Amanda Cook of the Gloucester Writers Center will lead the group. This is a free program, limited to 10 writers.  Meets every other Tuesday beginning Oct. 7 to Dec. 16 from 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm at Maritime Gloucester’s Sarah Fraser Robbins Classroom located down the walkway to the pier. Register here or by calling (978) 281-0470. Questions? Contact Amanda Cook at orangeamanda@yahoo.com or Melanie Murray-Brown at mmurray-brown@maritimegloucester.org. 

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Paul Strisik, N.A. – The Artist & His Collection

October 4 – November 16

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The RAA is proud to present the fourth of its special summer exhibitions: Paul Strisik, NA: The Artist & His Collection from October 4th – November 16th. This beautiful show will not only feature the works of this National Academician, but also highlight the vast collection that he and his wife Nancy acquired over the years both here on Cape Ann and during their worldwide travels. The exhibition will feature gallery walks led by two of Strisik’s long time friends Ron Straka and Rudy Colao. These free gallery walks will take place on Wednesday, October 15th and Wednesday, October 29th respectively, at 10:30 AM.

Opening Reception October 4, 2014, 6 – 8 pm
$25 per person

Alison Landoni

Rockport Art Association


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GloucesterCast 96 With A Group Of Your Favorite GMG Contributors

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GloucesterCast 96 With A Group Of Your Favorite GMG Contributors

Subscribe to Get The GloucesterCast Podcast by Email For Free

Topics Include:Lone Gull Coffee, Brothers Brew Bacon Donuts, BIL Barry, Sista Felicia, Alicia DeWolfe, Donna Ardizzoni, Nichole Schrafft, A Lot Of Cox, Life After Mamie’s Kitchen, George’s Coffee Shop, Fort Square Cafe, Pumpkin Coffee Love vs Pumpkin Coffee Disgust, Donna Ardizzoni From Summahville, That One Bad Pistachio and Burnt Coffee, Paul Bruce and The Benjamin Smith Playground, Is It A Donut or Is It A Muffin?, GMG SuperFan Dave Moore, Olive Kitteridge, Bex, Passports,Pirate’s Lane, Frances Macdormand,Captain Amanda Madeira, Schooner Ernestina, Effie Morrissey, Maritime Gloucester, Piper Boatworks, http://www.ernestina.maritimegloucester.org/,Chester Bringham, Pheonix Of The Seas, James Eves, Cape Ann Giclee, Changing The Name Of The Ernestina, Ocean Classroom, Thomas Lannon, Ardelle, Connors Farm, Pumpkin Cannon, Safety Concerns With The Pumpkin Cannon, Corn Maze, Russell Orchard, YMCA Taste of Cape Ann, Cruiseport, Open Bowl, Art Haven Buoy Auction.

Click Here To Show Your Support For Maritime Gloucester Rebuilding The Ernestina Instead Of Some Joint Up In Maine

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Thanks To The Earl Foote Band For The Intro Music. Download Gloucester Til the End Free Here At Gimme Sound

Click to Listen to The GMG Podcast On Stitcher Radio On Demand For Free

The Ernestina Can Home To Gloucester With Your Lobbying Help

Continue reading “The Ernestina Can Home To Gloucester With Your Lobbying Help”

Friends, Old and New!

One of my dearest friends, Donna, spent the weekend here in Gloucester with us. I took her for a driving tour around Cape Ann and, at every bend of scenic roadway and charming street corner, she was simply knocked out at how beautiful is our island. Donna is in Massachusetts working on the Disney film, The Finest Hours, which tells the true story of the US Coast Guard’s most daring sea rescue. The film is based on the book of the same name and is set in 1952. Production is taking place all around the South Shore, including the Quincy shipyard, and Chatham, too. The book sounds fascinating and I just ordered my copy from Amazon. Here is the link: The Finest Hours. 

Donna Casey, David Robinson, Lisa Griffiths ©Kim Smith 2014

While touring around we stopped in to see Joey at the dock, and to pick up a second batch of lobsters (Donna thought they were the best she had ever had!), and then on to show her our stunning beaches. We then headed over to Rockport where we surprised an old friend, David Robinson, at his gorgeous gallery Windemere Art and Antiques, located on Rockport’s Main Street. David is the gallery’s owner, jewelry designer, and member of the Boston-based Cars rock band. The beautiful Lisa Griffiths, also known as That Nutty Redhead, was also stopping by the gallery to say hello to Dave. Dave took a break from gallery hours and took us all three out to lunch across the street, conveniently, to Bracketts, where we had an ocean view, delicious lunches, and excellent service. It was a wonderful day spent with friends, old and new, and made me realize once again how very fortunate we are to live on Cape Ann–for the natural beauty found at every turn, and most cherished of all, for our community of friends.

Thank You, Dave

DSCF0697 GMG’s Commenter – In – Chief Dave Moore recently sent packets of postcards and other memorabilia of his home in South Korea to several GMG regular contributors. We met Sunday morning to compare and trade our bounty and to thank Dave long distance for his thoughtfulness.

From L, Marty,Paul M,EJ, Donna, Joey, Sista Felicia, Barry, Nichole, Alicia C.

GHS Football vs Marblehead

Another tough loss to a much bigger team 35-12

Giuseppe’s Ristorante and Piano Bar CLOSES

Giuseppe’s Ristorante and Piano Bar CLOSES
2 Main Street, Gloucester

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Downtown Gloucester food and entertainment staple, Giuseppe’s Ristorante and
Piano Bar is closing it’s doors after five memorable years.
Owners Joe and Memory Gnerre said, “It’s been a wild ride, we’ve enjoyed it, but,
at this time in our lives it’s time to get back to family life”.

The establishment will be sorely missed. Known for it’s gourmet pizza and a
vibrant piano bar Giuseppe’s was home to the Thursday night Singer/Songwriter
Shuffle hosted by TMax of “The Noise” where a multitude of local and regional
songwriters have appeared to showcase their originals.
The restaurant also featured owner Joe “Thomas” Gnerre at the piano every
Saturday where audience members were always encouraged to participate.
Memory commented, “you never know who was gonna get up and sing from
“Wild Bill” to Henry Allen to 93 year old “Dottie from Salem”, each night had it’s
own flavor”.
On the walls of the restaurant hung Memory’s artwork, as well select photo’s from
local photographer Brenden Pike. “I’ll miss this space, but I’ll definitely have more
time to devote to my painting”, said Memory. Asked what he’s gonna be doing
with himself Joe replied “you’ll probably find me somewhere playing the piano as
usual”. Asked about a sense of loss Joe said “yes, there is a sadness in seeing
something you’ve worked on so hard come to an end, but, there is also the
richness you take with you from all of the experiences you’ve had along the way.
Memory and I are extremely grateful for our time with our amazing staff, our
patrons, and the Gloucester community.”