LITERARY CAPE ANN shares a press release for the impressive May 6 panel discussion they’re presenting at Rockport Public Library
Journalism in the age of fake news and truth telling
ROCKPORT, MASS— Even the experts can’t always tell fake news when they see it. Technology, politics and shifts in reader habits all play a role in a worrying trend that many say is only going to get worse. The antidote to fake news? Information.
All are invited, free of charge, to take part in what promises to be a fascinating and illuminating discussion. Find out more about fake news, how to spot it and what it means for our democracy long-term. Come prepared with questions and concerns.
Journalism in the age of fake news and truth telling — a panel discussion featuring some of the Boston area’s leading journalists and scholars — is at the Rockport Public Library on Sunday, May 6, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Refreshments and a book signing (“The Return of the Moguls: How Jeff Bezos and John Henry are Remaking Newspapers in the Twenty-First Century” by Dan Kennedy) follow the discussion.
The panel of experts includes:
Dan Kennedy: WGBH commentator, Northeastern University journalism professor, reporter and author
Kyle Moody: Fitchburg State University communications professor and fake news expert
hosted by Literary Cape Ann – Together we celebrate and support our abundant literary arts Rae Padilla Francoeur • Diana Brown McCloy • Mary Riotte
Literary Cape Ann provides the community of Cape Ann with information and events that support and reinforce the value and importance of the literary arts.
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Dogtown has inspired artists working in all media. This photo shows some of the panels comprising the Dogtown Commons section of the Frederick L. Stoddard monumental “conventionalized treatment” (his favored descriptor) of Gloucester and the region — two story “mural fresco in situ, completed in 1934 for Saunders House, Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library, under the auspices of the WPA. The city of Gloucester was awarded an impressive array of WPA-era pursuits- from creative expression in all media to civic construction projects.
Lovely tribute to long term teacher and volunteer – Carol Ackerman (December 17, 1941 – October 31, 2017) Boston Globe obituary by Marvin Pave published Dec 3rd (following special memorial service held in the Shalin Liu Performance Center). Ackerman served on many boards in the community — Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free, the Gloucester UU, Rockport Music, and Wellspring.
Generous Great Marsh coalition symposium supporters (many are coalition members)- local municipalities, Essex County Greenbelt, Essex National Heritage Area, Mass Audubon, Ipswich River Watershed Assoc., League of Women Voters Cape Ann, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC), National Wildlife Federation, and The Trustees
Anna Lisa and Porter Grieve, “a recently married couple in their early 20s from Manchester-by-the-Sea” turned their blog and Instagram account “into a means of full-time travel.” Boston Sunday Globe, Making a living living the dream, Sept 17, 2017, Kaitlyn Locke
The recess city instagram account has 52,600 followers today.
“which started in conjunction with the Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives Association in 2008 and has about 400 people signed up for the current season…Recent species include…”
“Marshall gets her fish from about a dozen Gloucester fishing boats, and every CSA package includes a note with the name of the boat that caught the contents…”
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Salt Island, Good Harbor Beach and Brier Neck are naturally connected. The five acre Salt Island is about 1000 feet from Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts. A sandbar links the island and beach at low tide. I’ve culled a few milestones in its history. Scroll down to 2017 to find the links for the Cape Ann Beacon and today’s Boston Globe.
SALT ISLAND TIMELINE BITS
1860
History of the Town of Gloucester: Cape Ann, John Jame Babson’s published history includes a shipwreck of the vessel, Industry, at Little Good Harbor Beach near Salt Island in 1796
19th century
Joseph Parsons’ family operated a lobster business from Salt Island
pre 1919
silent movies were filmed on location
1919 Fox Film Co Bride Number 13
Parts of the Fox Film Corporation movie, Bride Number 13, were shot on location at Good Harbor Beach and Salt Island. The 15 part serial silent film –“the most costly pictures ever made…would consume expenditures of at least one million dollars.” It was conceived and written by Edward Sedgwick, directed by Richard Stanton aka “Salt Island’s Mighty Emperor”, and starred Marguerite Clayton, Jack O’Brien, and Ed Rossman. The script was inspired by Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Here are a few fun excerpts from 1919 correspondence published in the book, “My father, a silent films pioneer,” by George E. Mcavoy:
“Again the picturesque Gloucester shores have been sought by a motion picture corporation for scenery and the noted Fox Film Company of New York, with its prominent director, Richard Stanton, has arrived at Hotel Harbor View, East Gloucester, to start immediately on the work of filming “Bride Number 13” at Salt Island off Brier Neck.
“It was decided that Salt Island in Gloucester, Mass., would be the setting of the silent film thriller, “Bride Number 13.” This island was an island at high tide and part of the mainland at low tide. Fox film Co. was building a wooden castle on the island, which was about one hundred feet high and hosted the actions of this silent film…”
“(This was five days before the real tornado blew the wooden castle out to sea.)”
Oct 24, 1919“Dear Mother: I left Mary and the babies in Gloucester. I am on my way through New Hampshire and Maine for a lumber camp location. I expect to be back in Gloucester Monday night…
the time for the blowing up of the castle on Salt Island and the rescue of the brides from the pirate band is rapidly approaching…
Billy Carr of Gloucester, Chief Gunner’s Mate on the Navy submarine R-1 that was assigned to the picture, was to play the hero who rescues one of the brides, slashes through the nest of cutthroats, leaps into the basket with her and off. It was now November 10th. A throng of 3,000 was at Good Harbor and all over Brier Neck to watch…On the fourth day Bill Carr was called away on duty and his place was taken by Tom Corbiey…”
“Mr. Sedgwick has achieved something heretofore unknown in moving picture production. He conceived the idea of the story, witnessed and helped direct the scenes, acted in them, had a hand in the grinding of the film, and in fact had a part in every process of the film production…”
“While all bid good-bye to Gloucester last night, there was a general expression of a desire to return and several of the company said that they intended to return here next summer for the vacation period if not in picture work.”
“The explosion was a heavy one and its shock was felt in all parts of the city. It shook the windows of houses on Mt. Vernon Street and vicinity, also at East Gloucester and as far as Rockport. It occurred at 4:20 o’clock and people who felt the shock readily attributed it to the blow-up of Salt Island.”
photo caption: Bride 13 star Marguerite Clayton and kids on vacation during filming of Bride 13. Background shows the stately castle film set on Salt Island
1923 The Silent Command
Then and now: filmmakers love Gloucester.
Fox Film Corporation returned to film the patriotic silent era Navy spy film, THE SILENT COMMAND on Good Harbor Beach, again on the Briar/Brier neck side.
1923 was a busy year for Gloucester, MA. In addition to the municipality managing the bustling tercentenary, Gloucester welcomed another major Fox movie production to shoot on location at Good Harbor Beach. The film was made in cooperation with the Navy. It was directed by J Gordon Edwards, and starred Edmund Lowe and Bela Lugosi in his first American film. It’s essentially a spy thriller with a honeypot formula: foreign power attempts to secure plans to the Panama Canal and blow it up. The villains are thwarted by the US Navy. The production required assistance from the city’s fire department and city electrician. The film crew stayed in Gloucester at the Harbor View Hotel and the Savoy. Local people were cast and spectators lined the beach to watch the thrilling production.
BEFORE CGI:
I love this excerpt from the Gloucester Daily Times describing the staged wreck and tremendous waves washing the crew (stuntmen and Gloucester locals) overboard:
“A crowd of several hundred thronged the (Good Harbor) beach for the picture taking and enjoyed the proceedings, which were interesting, and at times thrilling…The Good Harbor beach setting is a clever contrivance, and constructed to produce a natural rocking motion of a steamer in a heavy sea. The rocking is produced by four winches operated by a crew of 10 men…Storm scenes were filmed yesterday afternoon with local actors, Stuart Cooney, son of Marion J. Cooney, taking the part of the hero and making a thrilling climb into the rigging to the crow’s nest during the height of the storm. Fred Kolstee, a rigger, commanded the crew of the steamer. The crew were (locals) Alfred Marshall, Tony Amero, Tom Bess, Peter Rice, James Francis, James Whittle and William Byers. Rain was produced from lines of hose, and a most realistic effect was produced by two aeroplanes, the wind from the speeding propellors driving the water about, and rushing through the rattlings and rigging with all the vengeance of a real gale at sea. Three times the big tank of water was released and the thousands of gallons broke over the deck in a most thrilling manner. There was some concern among the movie men before the water was released that some of the men might get buffeted about and get hurt, and they were cautioned to hold on tight.
However, it was a mere trifle for Gloucestermen, veterans of many a gale on the banks.
It was best expressed by Alfred Marshall when he stepped toward the ladder to leave the craft after the picture taking was done. Alfred was quite vexed. “Blankety, blankety, blank___, is this the best you can do? Blank, I’ve bailed bigger seas than that out of a dory. And he sung it right out so all could hear, too.”
Stuart Cooney ensured that the movie was a success from a technical perspective and “purchased the outfit and (took) it over” after the filming finished. He was a Gloucester pioneer in the film industry that’s still going strong. Film Cape Ann facilitates bringing local productions here, like the award winning Manchester by the Sea. The Wikipedia page doesn’t have any mention of Gloucester, but it helped me with an illustration for The Silent Command lobby poster.
See for yourself; here’s a link to the complete movie. A few of the Gloucester scenes (not all) 1:03:44, 1:08:54, 1:09:54 (some coast), 1:10:21, 1:10:52 (dory lowered from navy ship), 1:11:12 (beach island)
AFI for TCM brief synopsis:“This is one of those ‘Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean’ pictures. Full of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ patriotic to the nth degree with the navy floating all over the screen. A real hero, a vamp, and a flock of thrills.” (from Var review.) Foreign agents, determined to destroy the United States Navy’s Atlantic Fleet and the Panama Canal, after an unsuccessful attempt to obtain from Capt. Richard Decatur information regarding mine positions in the Canal Zone, hire adventuress Peg Williams to vamp Captain Decatur, thereby putting him at their mercy. Decatur, advised by the Chief of Naval Intelligence, plays along with the spies to gain their confidence. He leaves his wife and is dismissed from the Navy as a result of his association with Miss Williams. Finally, he goes to Panama, thwarts the saboteurs, saves the fleet and the canal, and gains honorable reinstatement and the gratitude of his country for his heroism.”
1940s
Guy Parsons used one of the old family fishing shacks as a summer place
1950s
By now the fishing shacks were no longer visible
1952
Parson family sold Salt Island
1959
James Kimball purchased Salt Island for $2000
1972
Yankee Magazine article about Bride Number 13 Lights! Camera! Disaster! by Joseph E. Garland
1979
Gloucester Daily Times article mentions that James Kimball “has no plans for the island, although in the past he has thought of building a summer home on the island. When I was young my family spent their summers on Brier Neck…So when the island became available I jumped at the chance.”
2000
One of the designated “Special places in Gloucester”
2005
“Special places in Gloucester” appendix list for the MA Heritage Landscape Inventory Program, MA Dept of Conservation and Recreation Essex National Heritage
“Where is this film? I’d love to know. All sources indicate that Bride 13 was either lost or destroyed, as happened with many silent films. The reference used for this post was the May 1972 Yankee Magazine article, Lights! Camera! Disaster!, authored by the late Joseph E. Garland of Gloucester.”
“If somebody buys it and builds, it’s because these guys didn’t step up to the plate and protect it the way my father did when I was a little girl, ” said Maslow, who pointed out that she and her siblings are not rich people with big summer houses. “I can’t help it if someone buys it and paints it purple and puts pigs on it.” – Karen Maslow
“…this island has been available for public use informally for generations thanks to the goodwill of that family. That point should not be lost.” — Chris LaPointe, Essex County Greenbelt
Here’s the link (plus some installation photos) to the Boston Globe Cate McQuaid review of Cape Ann Museum’s wonderful exhibition “Rockbound: Painting the American Scene on Cape Ann and Along the Shore” (on view through October 29) and “The Importance of Place: A Sketchbook of Drawings by Stuart Davis”.
I’ve included some installation shots of the show that I took in June, and will write more about this must see exhibition. The paintings are superbly displayed and most were generously lent from private collections else we wouldn’t have a chance to see them!
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Ways to beat the traffic and work around MBTA closures– Bob Ryan (General Manager Cape Ann Transportation Authority) and Heidi Dallin (Gloucester Stage and so much more) are such incredible Gloucester–and greater Cape Ann– ambassadors.
Article by Boston Globe correspondent Emily Sweeney
Photos courtesy Kim Smith
A popular swan at Henry’s Pond in Rockport managed to stay one step ahead of rescuers who were trying to capture him Tuesday.
The elderly bird, known affectionately as “Mr. Swan,” has been a common sight at the pond for many years. During that time, he’s fathered many cygnets and outlived two of his mates, and led a peaceful existence on the water.
But things took a turn recently when Mr. Swan hurt his leg. Although he could still swim, some people began to notice that Mr. Swan was having difficulty walking. And they began to worry.
Soon enough, the Animal Rescue League was called in to help.
“The swan is considered a community pet, so the goal was to capture it, have it treated, and then returned to the pond,” said Michael DeFina, a spokesman for the Animal Rescue League.
While that mission sounds simple, carrying it out proved to be anything but. Catching Mr. Swan turned out to be an impossible task for the organization’s rescue team. Armed with large nets, the two rescuers — Bill Tanguay and Mark Vogel — used kayaks to pursue Mr. Swan on the water. At one point, Vogel almost caught Mr. Swan in his net, but the bird was able to break free.
Mr. Swan eventually sought refuge in the reeds, and the rescuers decided to call off the chase.
“The swan was stressed, and the soaring temperatures made him very tired,” said DeFina. “The fact he eluded capture and was able to swim without showing obvious signs of pain led to the conclusion that the injury may not be that severe.”
“After giving up the chase, ARL and the concerned parties agreed to continually monitor the swan’s condition, and if it worsens, ARL will be contacted to get the swan medical attention, and again, have him returned to the pond,” DeFina said.
Kim Smith, a Gloucester resident who counts herself among one of Mr. Swan’s many fans, described the rescue attempt as a “wild swan chase.”
“He was chased back and forth across the pond,” she said.
What made his escape even more impressive is Mr. Swan’s age. According to Smith, sightings of Mr. Swan date back to the early 1990s, which would make him at least 27 years old. (Smith knows Mr. Swan well: she’s spent the past six years filming him for a documentary film.)
“He’s an amazing creature,” she said.
DeFina said that the average lifespan for a swan in the wild can be about 10 to 15 years due to the hazards they can encounter (getting caught in fishing gear, getting hit by a boat, etc.), while a swan living in a protected environment can live 20 to 30 years.
“It’s clear that there are certainly people in Gloucester who care for this swan, if he’s in fact been around that long,” DeFina said.
Smith said that although the Animal Rescue League’s efforts were well-intentioned, she’s happy that Mr. Swan eluded capture.
“He’s lived this long, he deserves to spend his last days in his own neighborhood with his friends,” she said.
Congratulations to Danielle for the terrific article in the Boston Globe. We’re so fortunate to have Danielle and her amazing pasta (and other deliciousness) shop!!
Danielle Glantz makes pasta in 10 to 12 shapes each day at her shop, Pastaio Via Corta, in Gloucester. PHOTO BY JINTARA NUTPRASAS
In Gloucester, pasta for the people
By Alison Arnett
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
APRIL 25, 2017
The elderly man stands in Danielle Glantz’s little Gloucester shop, Pastaio Via Corta, and motions to the handmade pasta and olives he’d like to buy. She asks him how much, carefully following his whispered instructions, and then helps him get his money from his wallet. The interaction is understated and gracious — and part of what Glantz, who makes and sells 300 to 500 pounds of pasta a week, aims for in serving her community.
Glantz, 30, has impeccable culinary cred — she graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., for almost four years before returning to her native state to work at The Market and then help open Short & Main in Gloucester. Last June, she opened Pastaio Via Corta, a short hike up Center Street from Gloucester’s main thoroughfare. Each day she makes pasta by hand from local and regional flours and organic local eggs, rolls out the dough, and, using a small hand-operated machine, cranks out 10 to 12 shapes from whole-wheat radiatori to rigatoni to fettuccine. Twice a week, she makes ravioli with seasonal, usually vegetarian fillings, and occasionally other filled pastas.
As she turns the crank of her extruding machine, she explains: “Instead of being a chef in a restaurant, I can service so many people in the community.” Her “customers really care,” she says as a woman comes in to buy pasta, olives, and a little salami, and also gets a full recipe for a sauce of butternut squash, pancetta, and hot pepper to cook that evening. “Your pasta is amazing,” the customer tells Glantz as she leaves.
The city‘s Gloucester Fresh initiative had a big week, with a major promotional event and the announcement of a $13,000 grant award. It hosted more than 70 guests — including businesses from Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Mexico, and Iceland — at a tasting reception at Seafood Expo North America in Boston. The three-day expo, which ended Tuesday, attracted about 100 new business leads, according to a prepared statement from organizers. Also this week, Gloucester learned it would receive $13,000 from the state Division of Marine Fisheries’ Seafood Marketing pilot grant program. “If you are looking for fresh seafood, the quality that comes off our boats is 100 percent,” said Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, who spoke at the reception and ran a cooking demonstration with Angela Sanfilippo of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association.
Mayor Sefatia and Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association Angela Sanffilippo provide and update to the Seafood North America Expo delegation on the seafood opportunities in Gloucester.
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Congratulations to Rockport Chamber Music Festival and Clara Wainwright for making the list! Rockport Chamber Music Festival is June 2-July 9 at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Clara Wainwright, artist and First Night Founder, is one of 8 artists selected for the 21st round of Art on the Marquee, the “massive three sided, seven screened, 80 foot tall marquee at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center” public art project. Look for that exhibit March 16-April 17.
Here’s the geographic tally:
Boston area, MA arts events: 19
Western, MA: 8
North Shore, MA: 2 –Rockport/Chamber Music Festival and Lincoln/Thoreau. (Clara’s work will be shown in Boston)
Cape and islands, MA: 4
ME: 4
RI: 3
VT: 1
CT: 1 (could be New Bedford…)
Most of the MOTT seasonal round ups and e-blasts are light on North Shore listings.
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It’s not a surprise party, but it is limited in size. Invitations will go out in April. Mass Audubon is hosting a special retirement tribute for Chris Leahy in celebration of his remarkable career –45 years of “impact and success”. How nice to see a Gloucester naturalist treasure being recognized in the spring –(bird-a-thon season!)– at Joppa Flats Education Center, Parker River National Wildlife sanctuary. Folks and fans can also swarm cards and MA Audubon gifts as a great way to acknowledge this milestone. Chris’s astonishing powers of observation and communication skills can make anyone care about birds, nature, and place. Within a mere twenty seconds of conversation he can capture history and immediacy in such an affable and effortless manner. What an ambassador.
“If I said, ‘Are there more birds around in the summer or the winter?’ most people would say the summer, and that’s right. But not by much,” said tour leader Christopher Leahy of Gloucester, who holds the Gerard A. Bertrand chair of natural history and field ornithology at Mass Audubon. “Actually almost 50 percent of the 300 bird species that occur in Massachusetts occur here during the winter.”– Chris Leahy from Boston Globe article Thrills and Chills: Birders Brave the Cape Ann Cold and Find What They’re Looking For by Joel Brown, published February 5, 2009
Congratulations, Chris
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MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — Gail and Ernst von Metzsch are the kind of art collectors who purchase paintings serendipitously. If they come across a canvas that speaks to them, they’ll buy it.“Ernst will say, ‘I’m just going to a gallery, I won’t buy anything,’ and then six weeks later, when the show closes, a package will arrive,” Gail says. Ernst, 77, started picking up a painting here and there in the 1970s, before he met Gail, 65. Together, they have built a vibrant collection of artworks, notably local in its focus on contemporary Boston-area artists and landscapes. “As We See It: The Collection of Gail and Ernst von Metzsch,” at the New Britain (Conn.) Museum of American Art through Jan. 8, spotlights more than 80 works by close to 30 artists from their collection.
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How? Executive Director Erich Archer states it plainly: “The team at Cape Ann TV and this community make that goal possible. There’s something special and local: the characters, stories and the beauty of Cape Ann. People actively participate in this community, which is incredibly important. Plus, there’s high caliber and diverse talent.”
CATV AND COMCAST
Cape Ann TV is located at 38 Blackburn Center in Gloucester, MA, and it’s community television, local, social, and non-commercial. Unlike PBS –which produces shows for a national audience and broadcasts broadly via satellites– community television stations create, produce, and distribute content locally, via a cable provider. There are 350+ active community television stations across the country that operate with a variety of funding sources depending upon how they’re set up. *Since an FCC mandate in 1972, cable providers receive access to rights of way in exchange for funding local cable TV channels by and for the public. The cable television franchise contract fees pay for equipment, training, facilities, studio time and channels (air time). Currently the fiscal model for Cape Ann TV covers operation and capital needs. Comcast is the local Cape Ann TV cable provider. Archer said that Cape Ann TV has spent more than a year working together with local governments, area schools, partners and citizens to outline and identify what the communities wanted to include in renegotiation terms for the next 10 year contract with Comcast. It was a massive document and effort, and is currently under negotiation.
The original purpose of cable access continues to be providing TV studios and support for community members so they can make their own content. Our station, CATV, has much to offer that’s relevant. If you need video, CATV can make it for you whether you are an individual, non-profit, for profit or municipality. Make it a point to visit the station and use this invaluable resource. While you’re at it, why not
START YOUR OWN TV SHOW AT CATV
Here’s your chance. Members can use the cameras, production, and the studio to make their own TV show. You can sign up for film maker and editing classes, lunch workshops, state of the art equipment, cameras, the conference room for community meetings, editing banks, and studio time. Do it. Have fun.
CREATE YOUR OWN PODCAST AT CATV
There have been upgrades to CATV headquarters: new wall color, original art, and re-design including transposing an under-utilized lobby into a beautiful podcast studio. Podcasts are on an uptick everywhere thanks to easy on demand listening. Since the podcast studio was put in at Cape Ann TV there have been hundreds of downloads–beyond clicking and listening. Invested audiences are saving the shows to listen at their convenience. Archer notes, “We have podcasts about high school sports, one from NOAA about fishery-related issues, arts and variety, and more.” CATV encourages people to start one if they’re interested. “We’ll help them every step of the way.”
WHAT’S ON CATV?
Cape Ann TV broadcasts original programs and local coverage: area high school sports, city council and municipal meetings, community meetings, Cape Ann Museum programs, library events, local artists and art groups, Cape Ann scenics, and school productions to name just a few. Award winning programs include: The Portrait Series; Awesome Gloucester; GMG podcasts; Writers Block with John Ronan; All Things Victorian; and the Emmy-winning On the Waterfront, a series about how local seafood gets to your plate.
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN HIRE CATV FOR COMMERCIAL CONTENT?
Does your business or organization need any professional video shot? Cape Ann TV funding sources also include for profit productions for commercial content. So, if you want to make a video for commercial purposes that will not air on Cape Ann TV, you can contract Cape Ann TV to make it. CATV can work at a high quality and any budget. Do you have an exciting event you’d like to capture? Do you need to film a board room meeting? One example- CATV produced film for a permanent display at Cape Ann Museum.
DID YOU KNOW GRANT FUNDERS AND COMMUNITY GET DOUBLE VALUE?
CATV has strategically partnered with organizations seeking grant funding. If an organization is writing a grant proposal that includes a video element, they can write CATV into the grant, and CATV will match the grant funds with in kind services. So for example Cape Ann Seafood Exchange wrote a big grant, and they won $5000 as part of this big grant to make a video. CATV matched that award which meant Seafood Exchange could make a $10,000 value video. Next time you’re writing a grant, think about ramping up the application with a video component, and plan ahead so it can happen!
A NOTE FROM MAYOR ROMEO-THEKEN
“Cape Ann Television is an invaluable asset to Gloucester and the Cape Ann community. The city turns to CATV for important local news, information and media education opportunities. The dedicated staff members and volunteers at Cape Ann Television through the leadership of Erich Archer work tirelessly to improve and broaden their coverage of public, education, and government events, keeping our citizens informed and entertained. I have been involved with Cape Ann Television for many years, sharing my views as a city councilor, mayoral candidate and finally, today as Mayor. From this personal experience, I have always recognized the value that CATV provides, allowing local citizens the opportunity to share opinions and information. It is a critical piece of our city’s democracy.” Mayor Romeo Theken, City of Gloucester, MA
DIRECTOR CATV
Erich Archer has been at the helm of Cape Ann TV for three years. He is a filmmaker and editor by profession. “I try to produce at least one original project a year that I’m proud of. The two On the Waterfront episodes are definitely in that category, as are the two Portrait Series pieces.”
Prior to running the station he worked in Los Angeles in TV and advertising. He moved back from LA for…love. His wife, Tara, is a wardrobe stylist who grew up on the North Shore. They have two children and reside in Beverly. As a boy, Archer spent summers on Wingaersheek beach with his family. His parents recently moved to Rocky Neck; his mother, Kathleen Gerdon Archer, had a gallery on Rocky Neck. That’s her original art on the walls.
“Hello Joey: I’ve been trying for many years to find out some information about a painting by Rosario Piraino that I have. In image of that painting is embedded below.
I did mail a letter to an address in Gloucester back in about 2003, to whom I thought was a relative (I think the name was Carmella Rosario), but my letter was returned and marked “Not at this address.” I’d sent some emails to a woman who’d shown on her Facebook page that she was indeed related to Mr. Piraino, but I never got any response.
In any case, I’m trying to find out if there is a gallery or other place where some of his paintings may be on view. His work is quite good.
If you might have any information about the subject I would be very appreciative if you would be so kind as to share any of it with me.
Thank you.”
Rediscovering art and artists can be slow detective work. I don’t know the approximate year of the painting. The rocks could be identified. GMG readers may know more: is there a fellow artist that showed together in a group show with Rosie, traded art, stories? Did he hang his paintings in his house? Did he have a studio? Do you own a similar work? I did not find his name in some local artist member directories. The obituary describes seascapes and schooner as motifs. Let’s see!
For GMG readers like me who did not know him (I know many did), here is some information about Rosario Piraino that may jog some memories. Joe G thanks for the note and intriguing request.
Rosario A “Rosie” Piraino (1927- 1989)
Rosario was born in Gloucester on November 23, 1927. He was a life long Gloucester resident and graduate of the Class of 1945. He was a member of the ROTC. His interest in the GHS yearbook, Flicker? Drawing. He was a WWII army Veteran and member of the Capt. Lester S. Wass Post #3, American Legion and the Gloucester Lodge of Elks No. 892. He was a professionally trained artist with a fine arts degree from the Art Institute of Boston. In 1971 his family resided at 14 Orchard Street. For nearly 3 decades, he worked as an artist and Art Director at MIT before retiring in 1991*. There is a comment about carpooling with him to Lincoln Labs.
*From the printed matter for his obituary:
“Rosario was dedicated to his family and his beloved city. He was happiest strolling the boulevard meeting and greeting his friends. He spent his younger years working as a fish cutter along the waterfront. Along with his friend, the late Charlie Favalora, he owned and operated the Pioneer Fish Company.
He was an accomplished fine artist, having painted many seascape images of the Cape Ann waterfront. One of his favorite subjects was the schooner “Gertrude L. Thebaud”. Rosario was an avid golfer, who was affectionately known as the “King of Candlewood”, a nod to the three “holes-in-one” he made in his retirement. He will be missed by the many friends who enjoyed his sense of humor, stories and positive attitude.
In addition to his wife of six years, he is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Stephanie and Steve DelTorchio, Kathryn and Douglas Goodick and Paula and John Reilly all of Gloucester, three sons and two daughters-in-law, Stephen and Gayle (Frary) Piraino of Rockport, Dominic Piraino of Phoenix, AZ and James and Donna (Durland) Piraino of Gloucester, six grandchildren, Jeffrey Piraino of Rockport, Stephen and his wife, Kimberly DelTorchio of Satellite Beach, FL, Lindsay and Amy DelTorchio and Lauren and Adam Goodick all of Gloucester, three brothers, Frank Piraino of Gloucester, James and his wife, Marie Piraino of Waltham and Walter and his wife, Susan Piraino of Peachtree City, GA, a sister, Phyllis and her husband, Ernest Morin of Gloucester, a brother-in-law, Paul Ventimiglia of Gloucester, two sisters-in-law, Eileen Trupiano and Francesca Piraino both of Gloucester, Josephine’s grandson, Jonathan Moore of Essex and many nieces and nephews. He was also predeceased by his first wife, Grace M. (Ventimiglia) Piraino, a brother, Anthony Piraino and a brother-in-law, Salvatore Ventimiglia.”
“In the onetime fishing capital of the world, the St. Peter’s Fiesta – a five-day festival where faith, family, and celebration are emphasized – brings thousands of people into Gloucester’s downtown. But over the last decade, as the fishing industry has nearly collapsed and the fiesta has taken on commercial sponsors – such as liquor companies – some wonder if more people see the event as a reason to party than to pray. “They took God out of it,” says Rosario Piraino, a retired fisherman and fish plant owner.”
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through Jan. 8, spotlights more than 80 works by close to 30 artists from their collection.
Good Morning Gloucester 