Congratulations Essex Heritage on 20 years of leading Essex County by helping us connect, celebrate, and preserve our exceptional cultural and natural resources!
Essex Heritage established the Essex County Scenic Byway and annual Trails and Sails weekends. They bring stakeholders together as they did with Scaling Up at Peabody Essex Museum. They have partnered, supported and funded dozens of ideas and projects in Essex County including in Gloucester and on Cape Ann. Let’s do something easy that they’re asking in return.
Please help Essex Heritage narrow down that big, big list of worthy Essex County contenders for a special shout out at the 20th Anniversary Gala. It’s up to us to choose which 4 Trailblazers will get a toast at the Essex Heritage’s milestone 20th Anniversary Gala on April 5, 2017. This idea is a very Essex Heritage thing to do: reflecting on what’s fine and good and sharing it around.
No surprise, I’m going all in Gloucester for this ballot.
Yes, they are all wonderful and deserving nominations, and you’ll recognize favorites throughout the county. BUT this isn’t an everyone gets an award type of deal. You have to narrow it down to one in each category; – thankfully else Joey might need to add an arts rant 🙂 post.
Here’s the rundown as I see it. For Category 2 “connecting people to place” it has to be Kim Smith. She is a one of a kind and exceptional artist. Kim is inspired by the people, wildlife and the natural world all around us. Right here. We are so, so fortunate that she shares her visual experiences and art every day.
And she has memorably captured nearly ALL of the other nominees in photo or film!
Here’s the crib sheet breakout through a Gloucester lens:
1. Who is the best at Preserving the special region? CHOOSE ONE
Schooner Adventure, Gloucester
Cape Pond Ice, Gloucester
Good job to Cape Ann Trail Stewards, Essex County Greenbelt, Great Marsh Coalition, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Thacher Island Assoc…
2.Who is Best at Connecting People to Place? CHOOSE ONE
Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
Cape Ann Museum
Discover Gloucester
Gloucester HarborWalk
Schooner Thomas E Lannon
Kim Smith
Stage Fort Visitor Center
Also love Trustees, Ipswich Visitor Center (go Kerrie Bates :)), Rockport Art Association, North of Boston Convention and Visitors, but …go Kim!
3. Who is best at advancing our educational mission? CHOOSE ONE
Maritime Gloucester, Gloucester
Kestrel Education Adventures, Gloucester
also love Essex Shipbuilding, Buttonwoods, and Wenham Museum
4.Who is the best at Building and growing our future? CHOOSE ONE
Vote YMCA of North shore (includes Gloucester)
also love Peabody Essex Museum, Brooksby Farm, Russell Orchards, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), Essex County Community Foundation, and Community Preservation
Read more about it in the Boston Globe David Rattigan article
Good Morning Gloucester 