My View of Life on the Dock
Ahhhhhhh it’s over! I had a great night. Sharon did a great job, hell everyone did a great job. The truth is that with all the great people we have helping to make it a success each time I’m always nervous that there’s going to be some catastrophe the whole week leading up to them.
I’m sure Jay Albert at Cape Ann Images will have some great pictures of the event.
It’s over, on to the next project.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
What a terrible way to spend the afternoon.
It’s A Day At The Beach, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Thanks Kay for submitting the photo.
File this under -DOH!
Schooner Crash Pictures From Kay Ellis, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Hi Joe,
We sure had fun sailing the Lannon on Race Day. It is always exciting, especially at the start when all the schooners are jockeying for position, trying to be at full speed right at the start line, without using engines. The most horrifying part of the Race was captured by several of our passengers. Attached are a couple of shots of the collision, which happened just off our port bow as we were approaching the line. They were taken by Christina Hays of Gloucester.
There was a collision between the Spirit of Bermuda (big black schooner) and Perception (small white schooner). Both had come up on the line a bit early and were trying to stall so that they didn’t go over the line before the bell. You can see the Spirit’s bowsprit in the rigging of Perception. The small schooner suffered a snapped main boom. No one was hurt, which was amazing given the five foot swell and the pounding of the Spirit’s bowsprit on the Perception’s deck.
Kay Ellis, Schooner Thomas E. Lannon
(978) 281-6634
This Sunday, September 20th at 2:00pm, the Cape Ann Community Cinema at 21 Main Street in Gloucester will host a “Water S.O.S. Cape Ann” gathering for all Cape Ann residents concerned with the state of our water systems and our water rights.
Specials guests Gail O. Darrell, Community Organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) New England, and Ellen J. Hayes, M.S. Executive Director and Co-Founder of Advocates for Community Empowerment, will speak about their experience helping other towns deal with water crises. Excerpts from the program “Democracy School: Communities Decide” will be shown.
The event is free, though donations will be accepted to help defray both guests’ travel expenses.
ART on the PIER
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Sculpting, Illustration Skills, Use of Color & MORE
Co-ed Ages 7 – 12 (space limited)
INSTRUCTOR: BOB VIAU: BFA from Mass Art and
Owner/Artist of STUDIOVO:Commercial and Fine Art
121R East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. (at East Gloucester Marina)
WEDNESDAYS: 3:00 – 4:15 (materials included)
Fall Program Sept. 16 – Dec. 9: (12 weeks)
10 CLASS PUNCH CARD: $150.00: This payment system offers flexibility to use
your 10 class card within the 12 week session: Should your child attend East
Gloucester Elementary, Bob will walk children down to the studio from school
directly at release time at 2:30. Students from other locations may be
dropped off at 3:00. StudioVO will provide the Students with a drink and
snack prior to start of classes.
Registration and payment by Friday Sept. 11, 2009
Bob will instruct the children in sculpting, illustrating and drawing
techniques as well as the elements of size, dimension, shading and more.
Any questions please contact us at dviau3@verizon.net or 282-0269
Tommy has been doing engine work to the Arethusa all summer long along with other repairs. He had been lobstering out of a lobster boat half it’s size which meant he couldn’t shift lobster traps the way a true lobsterman would to follow the lobsters around. With a boat like the Arethusa you can put a good amount of gear aboard and shift teh gear according to what the lobsters are doing.
There’s a saying in the lobster industry I heard my father say when I was much younger but it has stuck with me. There are “lobstermen” who fish the gear and move the traps around to maximize their catch. Then there are “pot haulers” who simply dump the lobster lobster traps back in the same spots and don’t move the gear around to maximize their catch according to lobster movement patterns.
Tommy Burns is a “lobsterman” and he is now back to lobstering.
Tommy Burns’ Arethusa Back Lobstering, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
From Donna Ardizzoni-
Hi All:
Hope everyone had a great summer… loving the beach … As I was walking up Fitz Hugh Lane area, noticed a mess. I think that would be a good place to fix up. Please let me know what you all think and hope to see everyone at the Block Party on Saturday evening.. Looks like great weather.
Take care
Donna Ardizzoni
Look for the second set of Schooner Festival Pics From David Cox later today.
Schooner Fest 09 Set II Pics From David Cox, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
I bumped into Todd Feinberg this morning downtown and he invited me to speak about the bumping of the Gloucester Man at The Wheel from the Massachusetts quarter. Hopefully we can talk about the good stuff too like last weekend’s Schooner Festival and this upcoming weekend’s Block Party.
I’ll be calling in at 8:05AM, you can listen to it via internet radio by clicking this link- http://www.wrko.com/finnerans-forum
Or you can listen on the radio WRKO AM 680
Yesterday morning I finally made my way to Tucker’s farm Family Diner in the location of the former iconic Uncle Moe’s. I’m happy to report that while it is a different owner, the family who runs this establishment have stayed true to affordable home-style cooked meals that maintain a high level of quality. Video at 8AM
Tucker’s Farm Family Diner, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
People from out of town who want to support the effort to put the Man at The Wheel on the Massachusetts Quarter after it had already been voted by over a 4 to 1 margin on a ballot put forth by the Governor’s office have been emailing as to how they can help.
So Kat Valentine put the petition into PDF form so anyone can click this link and print one out for themselves even if you are not around Gloucester but still want to help the cause-
Man at The Wheel Petition Can Be Downloaded And Printed Here
Be heard.
Culina Cafe Now Open, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Many of you read my outrage when finding out about The Man At The Wheel being bumped off the Massachusetts Quarter in favor of a park in Lowell. The outpouring of disgust in this decision has been overwhelming. People have been asking what we can do, who we can call, what letters we can write.
Well Ray Lamont, Editor of The Gloucester Daily Times contacted me yesterday and asked what I had planned if anything and if we should try to make a difference. So we’re teaming up and looking for all the help we can get in getting this petition out to folks. Ray put together this letter addressed to Senator Kerry and Congressman Tierney-
I will be printing them out as a petition and bringing them to our local coffee shops and retailers. I will also have a link to it in pdf form which you will be able to click and print and send in yourself.
Enough is enough. We don’t get our fair share of school funding, they build huge research facilities in Woods Hole on the South Shore, they castrate our fishermen and consolidate our fishing industry through regulations, they force our harbor to remain in a DPA “for the good of the Commonwealth” while we get no benefits from it, and when it’s finally time to for us to get a little positive recognition- voted on by over 4 to 1 by the people and on a voting system put forth from the state itself, we get bumped in favor of a building in Lowell. A building that could be placed anywhere. The Man at the Wheel is uniquely Gloucester, Uniquely Massachusetts.
We’re sick and tired and we’re not gonna take it anymore.
Here’s the form, copy and paste it and send it in. By Monday we will have it around town at the coffee shops and I’ll post a list of other places for you to sign.
U.S. Senator John Kerry
U.S. Representative John Tierney
September 2009
Dear Sen. Kerry and Congressman Tierney,
I, the undersigned, respectfully request that you petition Congress to ask that the U,S, Mint revisit its decision to select the Lowell National Historical Park over the Gloucester Fishermen’s Memorial Man At The Wheel statute as the featured image on the back of the next edition of the Massachusetts quarter.
While we recognize that, due to miscommunication, there is now a belated question as to the Man At The Wheel’s eligibility for this honor, it’s important to note that the Man At The Wheel, an iconic symbol of the role of fishermen in the heritage of Gloucester and in Massachusetts, drew the support of more than 109,000 voters in the online poll commissioned and promoted by the office of Gov. Deval Patrick to make this choice based on the will of Massachusetts’ citizens,
For the U.S. Mint to unilaterally override that decision stands as a slap in the face to the people of Gloucester, to the governor’s office that coordinated the polling, and especially to all of the Massachusetts residents who took the time to make their feelings known regarding the Man at the Wheel and all that it represents.
We thank you in advance for your consideration.
Name Address
Gloucester Classic- The Cupboard, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Good Morning Gloucester 