Gloucester Smiles – 2001
Tag: environment
Long Beach status: sand creeps back, no stairs, more damage at seawall and walkway
Photo journal documenting rapid damage and repairs post trio of winter storms as of May 2018.
Sand
is creeping back, truly. (view looking across to Gloucester side)
(sand migrating back- view looking to Rockport– see 2017 post about Long Beach annual shifting sands )
beach erosion was significant
Damage continues
Spring tides slam the Long Beach seawall.
photo: A tree tossed up like a toothpick atop the rip rap helps to illustrate the ocean’s twice daily whollops.
vulnerable spots clearly visible to the naked eye (I marked up two with red lines)
When the seawall opened up and heavy concrete sections balanced like hanging chads or individual playing cards, I was not surprised. The massive promenade had shown signs of strain. Small fissures and tiny holes were noticeable before the winter storms accelerated its decline. Water finds a way in at high tides. The manmade wall is noticeably shifting and rumbling at a greater pace. Holes, cracks and breaks along the seawall expand, and new ones erupt. I can’t help conjuring up comparisons to Yellowstone’s boiling and unpredictable surface. I imagine stakeholders are mapping details of their immediate landscape. Though beaten down, the promenade is walkable and sturdy. Tiny holes do expand rather alarmingly.
example –
and another (filled)- the cone eventually dropped beneath the path
Fissures
more photos (before-afters, repairs, boulder pyres, stairs or lack thereof, and nuisance popples) and videos of seawall ramparts giant boulder shuffle
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WGBH radio: Maggie Penman asks Mike Hale Gloucester DPW and Rockport DPW Richard Souza are the beaches ready?
Cape Ann Department of Public Works (DPW) have been at it clearing and repairing our coastal communities non-stop since three back to back winter storms. Both Gloucester and Rockport beaches are open for Memorial Day. According to the story, Cape Cod not so much.
Here’s the link to read the WGBH article and to listen to the story in case you missed it on the radio this morning Memorial Day is Here. Are Massachusetts Beaches Ready? WGBH story (article and radio) by reporter Maggie Penman (apt name for journalist :))
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Dirty Beach gone | Mumbai volunteers remove 11 million pounds of deep trash from 1.5 mile Versova Beach
Rolling up their sleeves 88 weekends in a row. From Clean Up Versova twitter feed @Versovabeach: “Afroz Shah and Versova Resident Volunteers, a citizen led initiative committed to clean up Versova Beach, Mumbai. No political affiliations whatsoever.”
Residents, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers, and BMC heavy duty construction equipment and vehicles carted the trash to landfills (Deonar, Mulund, Kanjurmarg) which are at capacity struggling with waste management. The United Nations deemed it the “world’s largest beach clean-up project”.
DIRTY BEACH | original song-journalism by Mumbai artist Sawan Dutta about this inspiring clean up
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Testifying at the State House in support of Great Neighborhoods Bill- artists, seniors, housing
On May 2nd I joined people across the state who were asked to testify before the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government in support of the Great Neighborhoods Bill. Partners for the bill include Ma Smart Growth, The Trustees of Reservations, Mass Audubon, and MAPC. I was speaking about artists, seniors and live/work space, accessory apartments and multi family housing. I’ve never testified at the State House before, though I’ve been there often for events and art visits. The last time I went to the State House was when I went with Fred Bodin. This day was a long hearing, so much so it required a move to continue. The entire building was brimming with impressive hearings. It was fascinating to hear the testimonies and see the committee members in action. They don’t want anyone leaving MA!
Learn more
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Earth Day Fun: Help Celebrate Toad Hall Bookstore’s 40th Birthday!
HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY TO TOAD HALL BOOKSTORE!
On April 22nd Toad Hall Bookstore on Main Street in Rockport, as part of its 40th anniversary celebration, is sponsoring an Earth Day Beach Cleanup and Beach-Art Presentation. All are invited to walk to Front Beach with naturalist Robert Buchsbaum and to talk with local artist Nina Samoiloff as she creates a sculpture made from collected beach materials. Activities begin at noon at Toad Hall which donates all of its net profits to support environmental improvement and education projects.
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Anatomy Of A Lobster Buoy, Break Away Whale Safe Swivel
This is a whale safe break away swivel used on lobster buoys. The swivel has a weak part (highlighted by the blue arrow in the picture below) designed to break away with 600 pounds of pressure.
In the unfortunate instance that a whale might get caught in a lobster pot line, it will break the swivel and swim free. This is another in many responsible steps the lobster industry has adopted (along with escape vents for small lobsters on the traps and biodegradable hog rings which break down and let the vents fall out in the case of lost gear).
The offshore fishery and Pacific coast use 1100 pound break away swivels but our inshore lobstermen use 600 pound ones.
Look for a video with Johnny “Doc” Herrick at 7AM in which we break down the parts of a lobster buoy and their costs.
Anatomy Of A Lobster Buoy, Break Away Swivel, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
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Movie – “One More Dead Fish”
ONE MORE DEAD FISH
The Cape Ann Community Cinema
267 East Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
978/282-1988
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 @ 7:15PM
Allen and Stefan Forbes’s “One More Dead Fish” tells the heartwrenching story of environmentally-friendly handline fishermen fighting to survive in a rapidly globalizing industry. In fascinating interviews with local fishermen, government officials, biologists, and industry CEO’s, we learn about complex regulatory, legislative, and environmental issues. This film grounds the viewer in a clear historical context as it explains one of the world’s great environmental disasters, the destruction of the Grand Banks fisheries. And in examining the often Orwellian language of the multinational fishing industry, “One More Dead Fish” explores the media’s failure to report on the true environmental costs of globalization. This film points the way toward saving the world’s fisheries before it’s too late.
Join Joe and Helen Garland and Ron Gilson after the film for what is sure to be an impassioned discussion on the state of the fishing industry.
Good Morning Gloucester 