CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR WICKED PISSAH HARD MERCHANDISE T-SHIRTS!

Just as I would only have you vote for GMG for best Blog if you thought we are truly worthy I would suggest you vote for some of our other locals which in my mind are worthy of votes.  you can click on any of the highlighted links to go to that voting page for that category.  If you don’t see your favorite you can nominate them anyway.

We have three local Bakeries under the bread category which I could make a case for any one of them- Sclafanis, Virgilios and Alexandra’s Bread Co.

Then there is the Bakery sweets category in which you could make a case for Nichols or Turtle Alley.

We have a bunch of  different restaurants which in my mind are as good as you’ll find anywhere on the planet.

There are places you might get your lobsters or seafood to consider voting for.

There is the greatest brewery on the planet right here in Gloucester Cape Ann Brewing which deserves your vote IMO.

The Best BARBQUE.  I mean is anyone in their right mind going to argue with Smokin Jims under the best BarBQue?  Please!

Coffee Shop- Lone Gull, Pleasant Street, Cape Ann Coffee Take your pick.

Farmer’s Market- Cape Ann Farmer’s Market by a landslide.

Mexican- If Tacos Lupita doesn’t take this home there should be an investigation- huge portions, fresh, cheap prices.

Pizza- My favorite is Sebastians but I know there are a lot of Delaney’s, Captain Hooks and Maria’s fans out there.

Sushi- Lat 43

Romantic- The Rudder comes to mind as the most in the summer.

General Excellence- Helloooo Duckworth’s Bistro

Al Fresco Dining- If there’s a more beautiful view than that of the Lobster Pool in Rockport at sunset I haven’t seen it.  Bonus points for being able to brown bag your beer and wine.

Arts and Crafts- Duh social media savvy and always open Coveted Yarn

Again I stress only vote for folks you think deserve to win.  There are many more worthy local businesses but as I’m completely slammed here at work on Memorial day weekend forgive me if I left out some important ones as I’m just trying to remind folks to vote for their favorites..

Glosta people are everywhere!   Remember “Honor Thy Music”.

Joe Ciolino

The Old Map

The old map I picked up downtown at Fred Bodin’s

tells me a lot about where I am.

In 1884 my house would have been part

of the holdings of Wilber E. Proctor, whose family

owned quite a bit of land in West Gloucester.

But the map also tells me that there was no

dwelling where mine now stands, or anywhere else

on Mr. Proctor’s land; that nearly the entire area

of the Adams Estate, which included Wingaersheek,

and Wambull’s property along Coffin’s Beach, was vacant.

Atlantic Street was there, skirting the marsh as it does today;

branching with Atlantic Avenue which ran straight to

the beach, giving Benjamin Trumbell access to his home

near Sleepy Hollow Pond.  Who knows, the remains

of his three buildings may still be there in those woods.

But not a sign on the map of the houses now crammed

quite close together, each vying for a better view

of the ocean and the beach and the light across the bay;

each the home of joyous summer and the expectation

of more to come, but that map has not yet been made.

© Marty Luster 2012

Sinikka stopped into the gallery with friend Barabara Michel visiting from Berkeley, CA.  The girls have known each other since 5th grade in Mr. Nosenchuck’s class at Jefferson School. 

Sinikka will be exhibiting again this year at Khan Studio in September.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

AMARAL, MATTHEW PERRY III (Army/SP5)

BOWMAN, DAVID WINSLOW (Army/CPT)

BURKE, THOMAS JAMES (Army/1LT)

D AMICO, FRANK ANTHONY (Army/1LT)

KNOWLTON, PAUL DARYLL (Army/SP4)

KRESESKIE, FRANK THOMAS JR (Marine/PFC)

LANE, STEPHEN LESLIE (Army/WO)

MOORE, ROBERT E. (PFC)

PISCITELLO, SALVATORE JOHN (Army/SGT)

TYNE, JEFFREY GORDON (Navy/HM3)

WRIGHT, ARTHUR EMERSON III (Army/1LT)

Thank you for your sacrifice.

Waiting for a table at the Rudder.

If you ever wondered why the Nevilles are known as New Orleans’ first family of funk, this video tells the story.  It was shot at Jazz Fest 3 weeks ago.  You can see Aaron with his brother Charles on sax plus the quintet at North Shore Music Theatre on June 30 (get tickets here or you can try to win tickets here).  This is their only concert in the Northeast U.S. this year (they recently returned from a wildly successful tour of Japan).

Opening for the Nevilles will be Gloucester’s favorite New Orleans transplant Henri Smith, who is assembling an all-star band for this performance.  June 30 will be a night you won’t soon forget.

There’s music all day today — it’s going on right now and will continue into the night.  You can get to most of it because the shows are spread fairly evenly throughout the day and evening.  If you start now you could take in 8 free shows (see the full music schedule here).  Where else on Earth could you do that in a friendly environment surrounded by water, beaches and one of the world’s most beautiful harbors?

LAST MINUTE GIG ALERT!! TONIGHT at MingleWood Tavern the Groove will rock your Sunday funday…. keep your Memorial weekend going with some funky rock & reggae jams…..We start at 9pm…..bring your buzz-on!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GROOVE/164865875787

http://minglewoodtavern.com/

I walked around the Fort on a misty, cloudy day.  It was not conventionally beautiful weather, but it had a lot of ambience, which I tried to capture somewhat in this photo.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Kentucky, Ali won the Olympic gold medal for light heavyweight boxing in 1960. He worked his way up to a title fight by 1964 and was the youngest challenger to take a title from a champ (Sonny Liston). A follower of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, Ali was arrested and stripped of his title in 1967 for his refusal, as a conscientious objector, to be drafted during the Vietnam War. His conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court four years later. He went on to take the title twice more from Joe Frazier and George Foreman. He retired from the ring in 1981 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, likely caused by repeated head trauma. Since then he has traveled extensively as a UN ambassador of peace and is active in promoting education and the defense of the Bill of Rights. George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.

Greg Bover

A small crew has been working on making replacement spars for the Schooner Adventure, at Harold Burnham’s yard in Essex.  Right now we’re working on the main boom.  These pics show a series of steps for putting together laminations of 12” X 2” Douglas Fir planks.  Note: we’re not done yet!

setting up the jig

Bruce and Bernie cutting a series of scarfs on the stacked planks using a chain saw on a frame fit over the jig.

Bernie after the first cut.

the rough scarfs, later to be planed smooth and for the right fit.

Bruce showing his clamped scarf joint.

epoxied planks ready to go.

all clamped up.

Harold Burnham’s Shop

Hi Joey,

My mom and two sisters are buzzing off their hair in an event to raise money for children and their families fighting pediatric cancer. It’s called the One Mission Kid’s Cancer Buzz-Off and will be held on Sunday, June 3, at Gillette Stadium. All proceeds will benefit Children’s Hospital Boston and the vital programs and services they provide to help kids beat cancer.

They have chosen to buzz off our hair because the toll pediatric cancer takes on patients and their families is profound. Children must endure painful treatments and lengthy hospital stays while their families cope with unimaginable stress, anxiety, and financial strain.
A fundraiser will be held at Jalepenos on Monday, May 28th from 4:30 – 10:30 pm.  A portion of all food sales (dine-in and take-out) during that time period will go to support my family’s team, "The Bald and the Beautiful."  Come out and enjoy a great meal while helping raise funds for a great cause!

Nanci Milone Hill

		Rockport From Nicole Schrafft VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Nicole Schrafft writes-

Have you ever heard the expression, "It takes a village to raise a child"?  Well, while I wouldn’t say that the town of Rockport is actually raising our sons, I have, 2 years in a row, been touched and awed by how certain people in this town (our village)  have gone out of their way to help enrich our sons’ lives and make them feel special. 

This past Sunday, May 20th, will go down as one of those special days that our small family will never forget.  But, allow me to back up a bit.  Last spring, as my son’s 4th birthday approached, he asked to have it on "the Pirate Ship"…also known as The Formidable, in Rockport harbor.  Not having it in my nature to do things half way, I immediately started planning to throw together a party that he would love.  One of the final things I arranged was a treasure hunt that would take the children from the ship upon disembarking, through town, and ultimately to the Mill Pond Park where his his cake, etc would be waiting for the guests.  I fell in love with the town of Rockport all over again as several merchants stepped up and offered to hand out some treasures to the children along the way.  Employees at the Fudgery, Kenny from Roy Moore Lobsters, the owner of Tuck’s, and a manager from the Paper Mermaid didn’t hesitate for a moment to add to the children’s excitement and to join in the fun.  I remember hearing from guests how special it was that "the townspeople" played a role in Thatcher’s party and how nice it must be to live in such a wonderful community.  At the end of the day I was humbled by how fortunate we are to be raising our children in this great town. 

If one negative could be said about last year’s party, however, it would be that due to his party, Thatcher had to miss Rockport’s annual EMS day.  And, it is that unfortunate truth, that takes us to this year’s party.

Back in October we bumped into Rosemary Lesch, Rockport Harbormaster and EMS Director.  I mentioned to her how sad Thatcher was to have missed the event, that she plays a huge role in coordinating, because it fell on the same day as his birthday party.  Rosemary, possibly not realizing exactly the magnitude of the can of worms she was opening, simply said, "you should have his birthday party at EMS Day this year."   And with those simple words, Thatcher was hooked and my wheels were spinning.

As I was busy planning the details that were within my range of capabilities such as invitations, party favors, the cake, the decorations, etc., Rosemary, somewhat unbeknownst to me, was busy making sure that she and the Rockport EMS made Thatcher’s birthday more special than we could have ever asked for or even imagined.  While she was generous and accommodating from the beginning of the planning stages with important items such as tables and a tent, she kept a few secrets up her sleeve that absolutely made our son’s party one of the best days of his life.  From a banner that she had designed to wish Thatcher a "Happy Birthday" from the Rockport EMS (which still brings tears to my eyes and is now hanging proudly in his bedroom) to a fire truck and an ambulance of his own for his guests to tour and climb on.  From a surprise visit from Sparky and Smokey the Bear to helping to keep us informed of events happening during the actual EMS event so that Thatcher’s guests could attend.  Rosemary and the Rockport EMS took Thatcher under their wings and went far above and beyond just for the sake of making a little boy happy.  I can’t help but think "where else in this world?" and to once again thank our lucky stars that we are raising our children under their watchful eyes, in their helping hands, and surrounded by their kind, kind hearts.  While the things that Rosemary arranged for Thatcher may seem small to her, I am certain that they are acts of kindness that he will never forget and will help to shape the man he’ll become.  To know that there are such kind and giving people in his world is by far the best gift that we could ask for for him. 

Cindy Dunn, Sunniva Buck, Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante, Don Fryklund, and Camilla Rich all shared what this shelter meant to them personally and all the hard work involved.

(click on image to see more)

And after the ribbon was cut, we were able to see the new digs for all the very lucky cats and dogs. Such a spacious, bright, and light filled facility with enough room to save many furry lives!

(click on image to see more)

The animals will be placed in their new home next week. I think they will be very pleased and thankful.

~Alicia

The Degelyse’s Tuffy and Sean delivering the daily catch to Captain Joe’s.

Although I am not an expert on the lobster’s anatomy this looks accurate, and beautifully rendered.

Read More about the adventures of Sean and Tuffy:

Sean Diving Off the Roof of Captain Joe’s

Degelyse Crew Captures Buddhist Lobsters

Here’s something you don’t see (or hear) every day — father & son performing  together with voices that blend this beautifully.  In this video, Allen & Dylan Estes sing one of Allen’s classic songs on his show Local Music Seen.  Tomorrow (Sunday) you can see them at Giuseppe’s — and they’re even better live!  You might want to call ahead to be sure you get a seat.  Music starts at 6pm.  Take your kid(s) and get inspired.

Now for tonight.  It’s time to get out and DANCE!  Gloucester is HOT tonight with all kinds bands ready to ROCK!  Take your pick or try to fit them all in.  Whew!  Check out the hot music lineup here.