City of Gloucester Continues Commitment to Balancing Bird Conservation and Beach Access
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gloucester, Mass. (May 9, 2024) – The City of Gloucester announces the extension of its partnership with Mass Audubon to continue the vital monitoring and management of coastal nesting birds.
This collaboration underscores Gloucester’s ongoing dedication to the protection of piping plovers, which inhabit the city’s shoreline. Designated as “threatened” on the US Endangered Species List since 1986, these birds face ongoing challenges along the Atlantic coast. Mass Audubon will play a crucial role in overseeing the presence of and minimizing disturbances to coastal birds, including piping plovers, least, common, and roseate terns.
“Mass Audubon’s nationally recognized expertise will greatly contribute to our ongoing efforts in protecting these vulnerable bird species,” stated Mayor Greg Verga. “This extension of our partnership reaffirms our commitment to preserving the delicate balance between conservation efforts and the enjoyment of our beaches by residents and visitors alike.”
Through collaborative efforts with the City’s Department of Public Works, Mass Audubon will continue to implement measures such as symbolic fencing and signage at Good Harbor Beach to raise awareness among beachgoers about nesting areas and the importance of protecting Piping Plovers.
Additionally, the prohibition of dogs at Good Harbor Beach from April 1st to September 30th and at Wingaersheek Beach from May 1st to September 30th will be enforced.
The extended agreement encompasses a comprehensive range of activities, including predator mitigation, public education initiatives, and ongoing communication and coordination with City administration and staff, ensuring the continued protection of coastal bird populations while facilitating beach access for all.
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Next week, Thursday and Friday 16/17, Lenny Kaye from Patti Smith’s band is bringing his Nuggets all-star show to town at The Cut. Quite a few Cape Ann-ers – Tony Goddess, David Robinson, me, Willie Alexander, Ts Burnham, Sam Goddess – are joining David Minehan, Josh Kantor, Peter Buck from R.E.M. and others for a show that’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of the double-album that musicians have had as a touch-stone influence – He’s had sold out shows in NYC, LA, N. Carolina, NJ, and just a couple of weeks ago in London. It’s quite a thing that he’s coming here instead of playing it in Boston.
Here’s the flyer for it; I’d be grateful if you could write about it on GMG.
Thanks,
Hugo B.
E. Gloucester
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As many of you know, we recently travelled to Ireland with my sister and her husband. I appreciate so many of you being interested in our adventures, so here’s just a few photos and some observations.
First and foremost, the Irish people are very friendly and helpful (though that seemed to come to a dead stop at with airport personnel). It was a joy to talk with the locals and get insights and advice….which came in very handy when we blew a tire and needed to have a repair done! Other random observations: bike lanes there make so much more sense. The tipping culture is a whole new animal there–there isn’t the feeling of “demand for tip” everywhere and tipping feels much more optional. They offer pizza crust dippers as side options with pizza (genius)! Most establishments we went to offered soft drinks in reasonable sizes (less than a quart like we are used to). Salad is routinely served with breakfast. And so much more! But we are glad to be back on our home turf and hope to see you around town soon. If you are interested in additional photos and details of our adventure, feel free to check out Pat D’s Photos and Adventures on Facebook.
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Support the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) annual, nationwide Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive this Saturday!
Locally, NALC Branch 25 post offices participating in the food drive include the Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ipswich post offices. People in those communities can leave non-perishable food donations by their mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 11. Letter carriers will deliver the donations to The Open Door to help feed local people.
The Open Door asks participants to please NOT donate anything in a glass jar.
The Open Door is specifically requesting donations of the following: coffee, condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and salad dressings), peanut butter, tuna, and cooking oil.
Those who live outside the above four communities are encouraged to contact their post office to learn if they are participating in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
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YMCA of the North Shore and Manchester-Essex Middle School Present the 2024 Young Theatre Artists Festival
photo caption: playwrights, actors and directors
featuring 6 world premiere 10 minute plays written and directed by Manchester-Essex Middle School students. The theme for the 2024 Festival is Facing Your Fears: From Beasts to Bullies. The playwrights have spent the past 2 months writing plays in a multi-draft process that adhered to the 2024 theme.
All tickets $11.00
Performances: Friday, May 17 at 7pm; Saturday, May 18 at 7pm and Sunday, May 19 at 2pm.
Perfect day for a walk through the tulips in Ipswich . Take the road next to Dairy Queen ! You can pick your own tulips for one dollar each and admission is ten dollars per person . Well worth it . Beautiful day !
Alice Gardner
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The Annisquam Village Players, one of the country’s oldest community theatres, will hold auditions at 6:15 p.m. Monday May 27 for its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella that will be performed Aug. 6-11 at the historic Annisquam Village Hall. Auditions for ages 6-12 will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Several roles are available for all ages. Kids are encouraged to participate.
Auditionees will be asked to sing a portion of a musical selection from the show and read a few lines of dialogue. Copies of the musical selections, character sides, and full details can be found on the AVP website, www.annisquamvillageplayers.org.
See the complete list of available roles below.
The story is derived from the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre (1697), by Charles Perrault. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother. She dreams of a better life, and, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince.
In the Rodgers and Hammerstein version, however, she opens the prince’s eyes to the injustice in his kingdom, and the genuine personalities of the stepsisters are more exposed. The new book also introduces several new characters and a sympathetic stepsister, and the score features several additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs.
Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the show with CBS executive Richard Levine as an original musical expressly for television, rather than merely adapting an existing one to the special television format. It was considered a novel idea at the time and the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote for television.
The show originally broadcast live in color on CBS on March 31, 1957, starred Julie Andrews, and was viewed by 107 million people – about 60% of the country’s population at the time. Years later, it was remade twice for television: Once in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon, and in 1997 starring Brandy Norwood in the title role, with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. Both remakes added songs from other Richard Rodgers musicals.
While various stage versions of the musical were produced beginning in 1958, the show did not open on Broadway until 2013 at the Broadway Theatre. The original cast included Laura Osnes in the title role, Santino Fontana as the Prince, and Victoria Clark as the crazy Maria/the Fairy Godmother. That production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning one for costume design.
Available Cinderella Roles
ELLA (CINDERELLA) is a young lady with the kindest heart in the kingdom. She dreams of escaping her endless chores so she might one day see the world.
MADAME is Ella’s stepmother, a vain and tyrannical woman only concerned with her wealth and her daughters’ happiness. Madame does not consider Ella, her stepdaughter, a true daughter.
PRINCE TOPHER is the Prince of the entire kingdom, but he needs a bit of guidance and inspiration to realize his full potential.
SEBASTIAN is Topher’s Lord Chancellor. Although Sebastian wants to protect the Prince, he does so by improperly shielding the Prince completely from what is going on in the kingdom.
LORD PINKLETON is Sebastian’s second-in-command and the herald for all important events.
MARIE enters the story as a senile poor woman, but she magically transforms into her true form as Ella’s wise and compassionate Fairy Godmother.
JEAN-MICHEL is a poor revolutionary with many ideas about how to improve society. Jean- Michel is in love with Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE begins the story as just another selfish stepsister but finds camaraderie in Ella when she reveals to Ella that she would give up her riches to be with Jean-Michel.
CHARLOTTE is Ella’s other stepsister, who treats Ella cruelly but, quite honestly, doesn’t know much better because she is so self-involved. Charlotte’s a bit of a clown and definitely the last one in on the joke.
Chorus Ensemble: Interchanging parts to include a Giant, Fox and Raccoon, Footman, Coachman, Knights, Peasants, Townspeople, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, etc.
The Executive Committee of the Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Carey as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization.
Elizabeth brings with her a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in the fields of marketing, tourism, and destination management. From 2016 to 2022, she served as the Executive Director of Discover Gloucester, where she played a pivotal role in promoting Gloucester as a premier visitor destination. Elizabeth’s strategic plans and collaborative approach resulted in increased tourism, heightened visitor spending, and expanded market share for Gloucester. Such initiatives include “Re-Discover Gloucester, be a tourist in your own backyard “ (during COVID) and the inspiration of “Culture Splash”, a collaborative campaign that integrates Gloucester’s two cultural districts.
Headquartered in a renovated 150-year-old former chapel, RNAC today encompasses more than 300 members who make and appreciate art. The organization runs galleries in the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck (6 Wonson St), at Cove (37 Rocky Neck Ave) as well as partnering at the Salted Cod Arthouse (53 Rocky Neck Ave.). Member galleries are strung along the streets of Rocky Neck, from East Main to Madfish Wharf. President of the Board Janice Brand says, “Those of us who have worked with Elizabeth over the past months have been impressed by her can-do attitude, energy, Gloucester connections and positivity. She is up for the challenge of this new role at Rocky Neck, and we are eager for her leadership.”
Prior to her role at Discover Gloucester, Elizabeth held various leadership positions, including Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Attract China LLC, Sales & Marketing Manager at Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, and Regional Vice President for the WHERE Hawaii Market at Morris Visitor Publications. Her extensive background in promoting travel destinations and fostering partnerships with businesses and community stakeholders has equipped her with the skills and insights necessary to lead RNAC into its next phase of growth and development.
As CEO of RNAC, Elizabeth will leverage her strategic vision, organizational management experience, and passion for the arts to further enhance the organization’s mission of supporting and promoting the arts in the Rocky Neck community and beyond.
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About Rocky Neck Art Colony: The Rocky Neck Art Colony is one of the oldest continuously operating art colonies in the United States, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Established in the 19th century, RNAC is dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts through exhibitions, events, and community outreach initiatives.
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Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation to host screening of Nubar Alexanian’s film, ‘FINDING ARMENIA’
On Saturday, May 18th at 3:00pm the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will present the premiere North Shore screening of ‘Finding Armenia’ by noted Gloucester resident, documentary photographer and filmmaker Nubar Alexanian in the sanctuary of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
The program will include remarks with an audience Q&A with the filmmaker. After the screening, a reception with the artist will be held in the Church’s historical room for those who may want to support the completion of the film project as donors.
An intimate portrayal of one man’s search for his Armenian identity, Nubar Alexanian’s ‘Finding Armenia’ not only provides a vital history lesson for those unfamiliar with the Armenian Genocide, but also challenges its viewers to grapple with the profound questions that influence all of our identities. What does the healing of intergenerational trauma look like? What does it mean to regain control of our ancestral narratives? How can these narratives be reconciled with a hostile world? And what responsibility do we have to painful histories, even when they are not our own?
Tickets ($13.50 General, under 12 free) are available at the door and in advance online, with more information, at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org
The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church is located on the green at 50 Middle Street, at the corner with Church Street. Note: the green is closed for renovation but the main entrance is open. Please seek parking on the street and in lots nearby. A side entrance with an elevator is located at 10 Church Street.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Nubar Alexanian is an acclaimed photojournalist and filmmaker who, for the past 50 years, has worked for magazines in the U.S & Europe including Life Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, Geo, Time & Newsweek, National Geographic and many others. He’s also produced & directed long and short form videos for organizations and companies such as Bose Corporation, The Conversation Project, MTV and others. Nubar has six books in print, including JAZZ with Wynton Marsalis and Nonfiction Photographs with filmmaker Errol Morris.
Since October 2012 he has been working on a feature documentary film which deals with the powerful legacy of the Armenian genocide and the ways that a century of silence and denial has shaped him and his family. His production company, Walker Creek Media, LLC was created in 2006 and produces short documentary films for non-profit organizations. He is President of the Board of Directors at Atlantic Public Media, Woods Hole, MA and formerly Board Chair at Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, Inc.
Solo exhibitions of his work include the Walker Art Center, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Burden Gallery; the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph and Clark University with prints in private and public museum collections internationally.
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SPONSORS OF THE AUTUMN-WINTER-SPRING MEETINGHOUSE SERIES, 2023-24
GUARANTORS: H. Woody Brock and Scobie Ward
PLATINUM: J.J. & Jackie Bell, John & Janis Bell, Karen Bell, Peter Calkins & Susan Casey, Linzee Coolidge, Massachusetts Cultural Council
GOLD: Cape Ann Savings Bank, Susan Gray, Patricia Roach & Robert Martin, David Rabin & Heather Atwood, Andrew Spindler & Hiram Butler, Nancy Steele
SILVER: Beth Graham & William Schulz, JoeAnn Hart & Gordon Baird, Charles Nazarian, Patricia Poore, Geoffrey Richon, Sandra & John Ronan, Holly Tanguay
BRONZE: Anthony & Dodge CPA, Phillip Cutter
ABOUT THE GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE FOUNDATION
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit, founded in 2015 to undertake major projects to preserve this historic landmark, built in 1806 for first Universalist Church in America, as a civic hub, entertainment venue, and community center. For more information about the ongoing restoration, a full schedule of upcoming concerts and events, or to sign up for the GMF newsletter, please visit: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org.
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Dinner specials will include Lamb Chops (pair of grilled chops, roasted eggplant puree, chickpeas, mint & red onion gremolata), and a Brownie Sundae (warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel)
I had never noticed this Night Deposit “box” outside the building on the corner of Main Street and Duncan Street in Gloucester. It caught my eye the other day while walking by.
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Good Morning Gloucester 