Rockport’s HarvestFest is coming up on Saturday and THIS year Granite Savings Bank has generously furnished some cash prizes for the winning scarecrows in our Scarecrow Stroll Contest. $175 and $150 for first and second place in the 15 & Older Category. Yes, that’s right: $175 and $150! You could do a lot with that money. Teams are encouraged to enter, with nonprofits especially encouraged to enter to raise funds for your organization. The possibilities are endless! There is also an “Under 15” category for groups or individuals with $75 and $50 as the first and second place prizes. Don’t be shy! Make a scarecrow! You can pre-register online (Click HERE and scroll down when you get to the page for online registration) or just show up with your ‘Crow on Saturday, October 13th at 9 o’clock in the Scarecrow Stroll Headquarters in Dock Square!
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Coconut and I weren’t the only ones enjoying our Monday off. Lots of dogs and humans were enjoying the sunny weather on Wingaersheek. The pups especially were having fun, playing in the sand, going for swims and playing catch me if you can.
~Alicia
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0630 Oct 9th…. Ardelle is docked at Baltimore Marine Center in Canton close to Pride of Baltimore II and a flock of other schooners who will be participating in the 127 mile Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race to Portsmouth, VA. The race begins Thursday afternoon and the wind that is forecasted may be a bit challenging for some of the gaff rigged boats. Harold is among a lot friends there, and Canton/Fells Point is swarming with cordial volunteers. About 38 schooners are entered. Each boat will have a transponder aboard for tracking. Avid schooner fans might enjoy watching the race all night, keeping an eye on the weather buoys and wind forecast along the route. On Saturday there is a Pig Roast and Awards Ceremony that goes on for most of the day in Portsmouth. More information here:
JOEY!!!!! I have convinced (so far) about 18 different stores to open up with Island Art and Toodeloos! at 6AM on Friday, November 23rd!!!! and I have just begun my quest to "not be so alone" this year!!! Downtown Gloucester will be a shopping MECCA this holiday season. Please please PLEASE tell the world, at least once a week about this wonderful happening… I will email you a list of stores participating, as soon as you want me to. Thank you so much for all you do for local businesses. Also, a side note- Toodeloos! is having a "decorate Barbie for Halloween contest- I provided the first 36 Barbies (they belonged to my daughter) for people to take home to decorate, and we only have about 5 left! The contest started Oct. 1st and ends the 24th with 5 age categories . Prizes will be awarded. Costumes must be homemade. Can you tell everyone about that, too? Thank you! -Susan and Don
Susan Parent Toodeloos! 142 Main St. Gloucester MA 01930 978-281-2011 http://Toodeloos.com
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Another Month already? Here is our monthly listing for Skeptics in the Pub. This one looks really interesting – but so do they all.
Thanks, Rosie
Devil’s Island The Thacher Island Association will show "Devil’s Island," a film shot largely on Thacher Island in the summer of 2010, at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Rockport Community House, 58 Broadway. Shaun Goulart, a history teacher at Gloucester High School, wrote the film, basing its plot on classic good-versus-evil movie thrillers like "Heat" and "Public Enemies." In addition, Goulart directed the film and played one of its central roles. The cast also includes Nick Decoulos, Caralyne Fondulis, Rich Francis, Rick Doucette, and the late Mitch Cohen, with a cameo performance by Thacher Island lighthouse keeper John Fulton. But, for Thacher Island aficionados, aerial and ground views of the towers, trails, and buildings make the island itself the star of Goulart’s film. A suggested donation of $5 will be shared by the Thacher Island Association and Gloucester High School’s film club. A trailer for the film is available by typing "Utube Shaun Goulart Devils Island" into a search engine.
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Clarke Pond – Click photo for more of Coolidge Reservation
A one-mile trail starting at the parking area on 127 to the top of Bungalow Hill, around Clarke Pond to Magnolia Beach, and to the Ocean Lawn. A great walk, bring lunch and blanket to spend nice relaxing autumn afternoon.
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Fifth graders from the West Parish School took a field trip aboard the Thomas E. Lannon on Tuesday, Oct. 2. All third- and fifth-graders in the Gloucester Schools get the experience, which is funded in part by the City’s Community Development Block Grant Program and in part by each schools PTO. In addition to a two-hour cruise, the youngsters also spend part of their day visiting the Cape Ann Museum to learn about our city’s cultural history.
In photo below, Tom Ellis, skipper of the Lannon, instructs the youngsters in proper shipboard behavior prior to leaving the dock.
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Unofficial cenotaph curator, Gordon, explains the memorial to Ellen and Lou, visitors from Pottstown, PA. Gordon can be found doing his thing on the Boulevard most afternoons.
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The last Farmers’ Market at Stage Fort Park is next Thursday, October 11th, here are a couple of pictures from October 4th. I will miss Thursdays at the Farmers’ Market.
Fresh SpinachRefreshing Apple CiderSweetsColors of Chard
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Something big happened to the music business last week. Mumford & Sons’ new album sold 600K+ units during its debut week, making it the “highest selling debut week for a rock album since 2008” according to Billboard — and they became the first band since the Beatles to have six singles on the Billboard top 100 chart at the same time.
Why is this such a big deal? Well, a whole lotta reasons. First of all they have an accordion and a banjo, once thought the kiss of death in pop music. Secondly, according to this article, “it also notched New York-based indie label Glassnote Records its first Billboard 200 chart-topper.” Most importantly, even though he misses the big point, music curmudgeon Bob Lefsetz proclaims victory for music over hype in his recent post (see it here excerpts below)
… it comes down to the music. And that’s where Mumford shines.
They don’t dance. They don’t wear designer clothing. They don’t do beer commercials. They underplay and undercharge. They do everything the complainers say you cannot.
And then they blow up the chart. … It wasn’t their tweeting or social networking, it was the honesty of their music and message, in a phony world, their fans couldn’t stop spreading the word. …
He goes on to prognosticate about the future of the music business with this bit that I find tremendously optimistic:
This is only the beginning. Careers are now in the hands of the audience. That’s who spread the word on Mumford. It wasn’t a top-down media campaign, but a grass roots thing. People bought the album because they needed to belong, it was a badge of honor.
In case you’re wondering what he’s talking about, watch this video, shot by a fan:
But later in his post, Lefsetz can’t help commenting on the state and future of music distribution (something he touches upon in nearly every post):
The big story has been that the album was available on Spotify yet still sold a ton. That’s missing the point. If you think digital sales are the future, you’re still watching TV on a cathode ray tube. It’s not only music that’s in the cloud, everything’s on demand all the time.
Then his post continues with clever barbs for choice selections from the Bilboard 100, as Lefsetz lapses back into his perpetual, pessimistic, put-down rant and completely fails even to mention the real future of music: LIVE SHOWS! That’s where the music business is really going.
Bob, you can lament all you want about the labels’ decline or the sorry state of top 40 — and you’re absolutely right. But what IS the future? Where’s the light?
I’ll tell you, right here. It’s in live shows. That’s where most musicians make their money today. You can’t steal a show. You can’t download it. You can’t email it to somebody. There’s only one way you can get the live show experience. You just have to be there.
The Mumford video is one example. Here’s another one — Chelsea Berry at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA on June 28, 2012. You can hear the crowd in this one too (even though the camera was behind the last row).
Chelsea’s got it. She excites her audience just like you say musicians have to these days. It’s only a matter of time before you’re writing about her, Bob.
You never know who you’ll run into on Rocky Neck. Today Gabby and gang came by with their new 3 month old pet pig, named Paisley – isn’t that just the most perfect name for a pig! Paisley had painted red toenails, but was wearing no lipstick. Bogie the Westie enjoyed meeting his new neighbor too.
I’ll miss Rocky Neck this winter. I’m pretty sure I won’t meet any pigs named Paisley in Annisquam.
E.J. Lefavour
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Something big happened to the music business last week. Mumford & Sons’ new album sold 600K+ units during its debut week, making it the “highest selling debut week for a rock album since 2008” according to Billboard — and they became the first band since the Beatles to have six singles on the Billboard top 100 chart at the same time.
Good Morning Gloucester 