Rough Ideas from Dogtown

Posted on by Matthew Green

 

I was trying to come up with something for a post for today, and could only come up with rough ideas I found in Dogtown…

– Fr. Matthew Green

Annisquam Spring ~ Happy Easter!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

A little late but still a beauty

Fred Bodin submits-

Annisquam Village Church, 1941

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Bodin Historic Photo

82 Main Street Gloucester, MA 01930

info@BodinHistoricPhoto.com

Stepping Up for City Hall – a Bananas Fundraising Event

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Good Morning Joey,

Event visionaries Kathy Slifer and Jan Bell along with the amazing Maggie Rosa have once again teamed up to provide an exciting event of fashion and fun to benefit our City Hall restoration efforts. They have enlisted the mastermind of style, Richard Leonard, and his Bananarettes, to produce an elaborate and high class revue, Stepping Up for City Hall. You will feel you have been transported to Broadway from the minute you step into our historic Kyrouz Auditorium, and you will leave uplifted and entertained. Tickets on sale now for the two limited-seating shows, Saturday evening May 4th and Sunday afternoon, May 5th at Bananas. All details are contained in our attached flyer. Don’t miss out – tickets are selling fast!!

—- Friends of City Hall

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Here are the reviews from the last one this team put together-

Glam O Rama Reviews and Props From Maggie Rosa and Erika Hansen

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Joey C

From Maggie Rosa-

Gloucester has many treasures –  two of them were celebrated in a unique way this past weekend as vital contributors to the vibrancy of Gloucester’s downtown.


At the invitation of Kathy Slifer and Jan Bell, maestro and treasure RIchard Leonard staged one of his renowned Bananarettes shows in our treasured City Hall as a fundraiser for the restoration of CIty Hall.  During the two shows, one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday afternoon, the genius of Leonard to excite and tantalize with a hint of naughty but nice thrilled all in attendance.

City Hall was transformed from the center of city government to its second function, the center of our community. During its almost 140 year history City Hall seen circuses, Buffalo Bill shows, many parties and the 375th City Anniversary Sculpture Show but as Maggie Rosa, Chair of the City Hall Restoration Commission, remarked during the shows “Nothing, nothing can match the excitement of a Bananas show in City Hall – truly an historic event in an historic building.

From Erika Hansen-


Joey, you totally get how important this event was!

As you know, I have been looking at things that “lift my heart, open my mind and take my breath away” and the Banana Glam O Rama Fashion Show at City Hall did all those things and more!

I am intimidated to even take a stab at recording it, out of fear that I am not doing it justice, but I can’t resist your plea so here goes:

As Jackie Hardy commented, from the moment the lights dimmed and the music started, there was a palpable feeling that we had been transported to Broadway.

And then the first set of gorgeous women glided onto the stage looking like a 30′s Hollywood extravaganza come to life.

The production values were incredible:  everyone and everything looked and sounded stunningly gorgeous against the dramatic backdrop of City Hall’s Kyrouz Auditorium.  (And the silhouettes underneath the “Build not for today alone, but for tomorrow as well” quote were astounding!)

As a producer/director, Richard Leonard channeled Florenz Ziegfeld and Busby Berkeley; as a performer, he channeled Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy.  Most importantly, he added his own inimitable flair and essential Richard Leonard-ness to all of the above and gave us the show of a lifetime!

Each routine was masterpiece:  from Carmen Miranda to Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell to (yes!) Tom Jones…and all points in between.

It was a perfect mix of costumes, beauty, talent, humor, music, history and culture.

A special shout out to my sissy, Elise, whom many thought was a dancer by the way she moved so gracefully across the stage.  She epitomized 30s glamour and as Sue Ferhmann said (looking striking and elegant herself  in a classic tuxedo), it doesn’t hurt when you look like Elise!

And to Maggie Rosa’s very apt assessment that this event was a celebration of 2 Gloucester icons: Richard Leonard and City Hall, I add a third:  Margi Green’s legs!  Her already popular Relax and Lengthen stretching classes at the Arts & Wellness Center (222 Eastern Ave.) will now have waiting lists I’m sure!

I could go on and on (but I won’t!)…instead I will just leave you with this point:  my daughters, who were mesmerized for the entire performance (although my younger daughter did cover her eyes with her program during Tom Jones‘s gyrations!), were so inspired that they promptly acted out their own version of the spectacular Sisters act they had just witnessed (nuns (!) singing the song made famous by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in White Christmas).  As event visionary and organizer Kathy Slifer put it, “that’s what it’s all about!”

Banana Glam O Rama Pics From David Cox

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Joey C

Lots Of Stuff Happening at The Cape Ann Farmers Market- Mark These Dates!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
Cape Ann Farmers Market

Hi Joey-

I was hoping you could post these for us-We even have a nifty infomercial!!!

We have our first ever Early Spring Market on April 20 at the UU on Middle Street and our 5th Annual Dinner and A Movie Fundraiser on April 28th.

Thanks for all you do

Niki Bogin

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Susan Sontag Quote of The Week From Greg Bover

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

“Do stuff, be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention, attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.”
Susan Sontag (1933-2004)

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Educated at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Harvard, and Oxford, Sontag was known as the “Dark Lady of American Literature.” Although she described herself as a novelist, she was a prolific essayist and critic as well, not only of literature but also photography, the Vietnam War, patriarchy and Western Civilization. Her articles and short stories in the New Yorker magazine brought her widespread fame and a MacArthur Fellowship in 1990. Sontag was married to writer David Rieff from 1950 to 1958, but was openly bisexual in a time when it was not generally accepted, and had a long-standing romantic relationship with photographer Annie Leibowitz. Sontag’s last novel, In America, was given the National Book Award.

Greg Bover

live blogging from the Larcom Theatre

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Henri Smith, Charles Neville, Amadee Castenell setting up for tonight’s show. a few tickets just became available. Come to the future and you can get in

-pvn, sent from my phone

BREAKING NEWS: Advanced seats for Henri Smith ft. Charles Neville Sold Out – Standing Room Tickets Available @ Theatre

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

MardiGras2013_CabotAd
Thanks to everyone who is coming to support the YMCA TEENS REBUILD NEW ORLEANS TRIP!

All advanced tickets are sold out.  We will have some Standing Room Only or partially obstructed view seats for sale at the Lacrom Theatre @ 14 Wallis St. Beverly.  Those tickets will be available at about 3:30pm.

 

Renate’s Red Fox Kit Photos from Several Years Ago

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Renate's Back Yard

GMG Reader Renate writes: “I am writing to you today to tell you that I also noticed the absence of foxes in the past two years. We live out near Wingaersheek Beach and we used to see the foxes crossing the big meadow, that is used for parking in the summer and we even had a fox walk up our driveway, with a dead bunny in his mouth, to go behind our neighbors property, where she had young ones waiting for food, I am sure. I woke up a couple of nights ago to the screaming of coyotes (it is probably mating season), not a pleasant sound. A couple of years ago, we had a coyote leave her young ones behind our house to go hunting for food and I was able to take a couple of pictures. I am attaching one for you to see if these were in fact young coyotes. Some people think they are foxes, but I think they are too big in the legs. What do you think?”

Renate, I believe these are Red Fox kits. Thank you for sharing and sending the photos!

Don’t miss Daisy Nell, Capt. Stan & Crabgrass @ One World NEXT SATURDAY

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Crabrgass

Check out this video of Daisy and crew at One World a couple of years ago

Big night for music with 10 live shows Cape Ann starting at 6:30pm.  See full schedule here.

Cape Ann Youth Hockey Girls U12 and U14 Teams Update From JD Perry

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hello Joe,

I’d like to send you some updates for the upcoming Cape Ann Youth Hockey Girls U12 and U14 teams through their end of the 2012-13 season playdowns, which take place at the Ed Burns Arena in Arlington.

Regardless of our overall success during this post-season, this has already been a highly successful season in many ways.  The vast majority of these girls — who come from Cape Ann and all over the north shore — skated together for the first time this year.  Beyond the development in skill over the course of the season, many strong friendships have been forged between the girls.

Thank you for supporting the local sports scene in general and, specifically, the new Girls Hockey program.  Over the coming days, I will send additional information on the post-season results as well as registration information to sign up and play in the 2013-14 season.

The first post-season game was played to victory by the U12 team two weeks ago, beating Arlington in a 1-0 battle.  Jesse Alexander scored with an assist from Grace Bertagna and Callie MacLaughlin earned a shutout for the game (synopsis at bottom of this post).   They will be playing Lexington/Bedford in the championship game this Sunday morning, April 7, at 10:00).

The U14s skated to victory last night, April 4, beating Medfield 3-1 with two goals from McKinley Karpa and the insurance goal coming from Crystal Mahan in the third period.  Goaltender Hannah Corcoran stood on her head with acrobatic saves to shut the opposition out until the third period.

As reported by Kathy Cincotta, Director of the Middlesex Yankee Conference Girl’s Hockey League:

MYC Playdowns went off as scheduled tonight (Wednesday, March 20 @ 7:00 )at the Ed Burns Arena in Arlington featuring Arlington U12 B vs Cape Ann U12 from the U12 Mid South II Division and Wellesley U14 A vs Dover Stars U14 from the U14 Mid North Division.

Arlington U12 B and Cape Ann U12 descended on the rink early for their game, body-slamming each other, munching on candy and trying to convert their birth month to numbers. Both teams hit the ice gunning for a spot at Champ weekend and what a game it was. Back and forth play, snipers out in full force, but defense and goalies were the key to this game. Game was tied 0-0 until half way through the 3rd period when Cape Ann finally wizzed one past Arlington. That would be all they would need to secure a win. Hats off to both goalies, Arlington’s Casey Smith, and Cape Ann’s Callie McLaughlin (Ms. 0) who both had stand on their head’s games. We say a sad goodbye to Arlington and wish the best to Cape Ann at Champ weekend. Scoring: Cape Ann – GraceBertagna, Jesse Alexander, Callie McLaughlin.

On behalf of CAHY Girls program,

JD Perry, CAHY Girls U14 coach

Exclusive Cape Ann Tool Company Video From Angela Cook

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Angela writes-

In light of the upcoming demolition, I was allowed exclusive access inside the Cape Ann Tool Company recently to take some photos prior to it being demolished. Thought I would share. I put them together in a video montage.