Cape Ann news in brief

Mar 30, 2024

Listings may be sent to: Goings On, Gloucester Daily Times, 36 Whittemore St.,Gloucester, MA 01930, or emailed to Joann Mackenzie at [email protected], at least two weeks prior to an event.

St John’s Episcopal Church, 48 Middle St. in Gloucester, is having a Summer Sale in its Regal Rummage shop through Sept. 16, with everything 50% off. St. John’s Thrift and Regal Rummage shops are open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with clothing for men, women and children. Freshen up your home with summery linens, dishes, furniture and decorative items. Proceeds support the mission of St. John’s to serve the Gloucester community and beyond. Mastercard and Visa accepted. Free parking at 33 Washington St.

Vendors are needed for The FinnFunn Marketplace on Oct. 28, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Gloucester High School gym, being hosted by the Cape Ann Finns with Gloucester 400+. A variety of vendors including those who offer Nordic-inspired goods are being sought; spaces are $35 each and table rental is $25. Apply by Oct. 1. The FinnFunn Marketplace takes place during the 31st Annual FinnFunn New England Weekend (finnfunn.org). Email [email protected] or call 202-420-8548 for an application.

Since its opening in 1897, Addison Gilbert Hospital has amassed over 300 works in its extensive and impressive art collection, including oil paintings, watercolors and prints. A selection of these are on view at the Cape Ann Museum Green (CAM Green), through Oct. 8. Most artists featured have worked on Cape Ann during the 20th century. Several on view in the Janet & William Ellery James Center include Alice Beach Winter (1877-1968); Louise Upton Brumback (1867-1929), Bertha Peyton (1871-1947), Vera Andrus (1895-1979), a printmaker, painter and book illustrator. There are also works by Annisquam watercolorist Harry Gage (1887-1982), who served as chair of the Cape Ann Arts Council. Historic artifacts and photographs from the hospital are also featured at CAM Green, 13 Poplar St., off Grant Circle, open Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. and is free to the public.

Local and regional merchants invite the public to the free FinnFunn Marketplace to be held in the Gloucester High School gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy live music as you browse a variety of goods, including Nordic items, and catch up with old friends and new. The marketplace or Finnish tori is part of the 31st FinnFunn New England Weekend — Cape Ann (finnfunn.org) hosted by the Cape Ann Finns partnered with Gloucester 400+ which spotlights Gloucester’s ethnic groups as shapers of Gloucester over time. Questions and vendor inquiries? Call 202-420-8548.

MANCHESTER — The Manchester Council on Aging is offering these events and trips for seniors. For further information or to reserve your seat on the van, please call the Council on Aging Office at 978-526-7500.

Friday, Aug. 25, trip to Trader Joe’s — and Burlington Coat Factory, & T.J. Maxx, Walmart. Van pickup starts at 10 a.m. Register as noted above.

Wednesday, Aug. 30, trip to The Old Manse in Concord — 1770 home of patriot minister William Emerson, a National Historic Landmark, and center of Concord’s political, literary, and social revolutions. Van pick up starts at 10 a.m. Admission is free; $2 donation if able. Register as noted above

Friday, Sept. 1, trip to Salem Willows — Chop Suey sandwiches, ice cream at Hobbs. Popcorn, taffy, Clam Shack, arcade. The van will start picking up seniors at 11:00 a.m. Return is expected around 2:00 p.m. For further information or to sign up, please call the C.O.A. Office at (978)526-7500.

Wednesday, Sept. 6, learn all about pizza from South Shore Bar Pizza — Sample pizza at free event at the Congregational Chapel. 11:30 am. Transportation available. Register as above.

ESSEX — Summer comes fully loaded for learning and creating fun at TOHP Burnham Library, 30 Martin St. in Essex. Unless otherwise noted, please register at the library website, www.essexpubliclibrary.org. All information and registrations can be found at essexpl.org/events. Questions? 978-768-7410.

Read and Meet Book Group for second- and third-graders, Thursdays, 10 to 10:45 a.m., registration required.

Art Adventures for ages 0-8 with caregiver, 10 a.m. on Saturdays, =with Miss Julie leading the fun in art and music. Registration a must at earlychildhoodpartners.com.

Rosey the Raccoon lottery on Mondays— Spot Rosey in an Essex business visible from the street. Call, email or stop in to be entered into a lottery for a prize.

Stories, songs and rhymes Wednesdays for ages 0 to 2 with caregiver, 9 a.m. ; and preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 with a caregiver, at 10 a.m. Register at www.essexpl.org

Read to Jackson the black Lab, 5 p.m. Wednesdays. Sign up for 15-minute reading slot. Register at www.essexpubliclibrary.org or call 978-768-7410.

Wonderbooks! New for kids — Great selection of audio sing-along and print bound picture books for literacy and fun! And don’t forget educational tablets.

Need help getting groceries? Let food be one less thing to worry about with The Open Door’s new programs. New clients and those returning after more than two years can create an online shopping profile at FOODPANTRY.org/newshopper or call 978-283-6776. New profiles will be processed within one business day. Active clients can place orders at FOODPANTRY.org/order or call 978-283-6776. Translation services are available in many languages. Groceries will be ready for pick-up, with limited delivery available. Need food today? Visit the Gloucester Food Pantry at 28 Emerson Ave., during business hours for basic groceries. Ordering online or by phone for pick-up or delivery within one to three business days allows you more choice. The Open Door is open Monday through Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Need SNAP (Food Stamps)?One-on-one, confidential prescreening for application, recertification, and interim report available at 978-283-6776 ext. 201 or [email protected]. Community Meals? Pick-up and delivery, 3 p.m. to close Monday through Friday. Extra meals available on Fridays for the weekend. For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.

The Annisquam Exchange, 32 Leonard St., Annisquam Village, Gloucester, is open for the 2023 season. Hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.annisquamexchange.com.

DANVERS — The Northshoremen Barbershop Chorus welcomes men of all ages who love to sing to join them. The chorus rehearses every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 46 Cherry St., Danvers. Come to the next rehearsal, or for more information call 866-727-4988.

MANCHESTER — “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is the theme of the Manchester Knights of Columbus ongoing 24/7 food drive for The Open Door’s food pantry in Gloucester. The need on Cape Ann is greater now than ever before, so all are encouraged to leave food donations in the designated bins in the garage on Friend Street behind Sacred Heart Church, School Street, Manchester. Food items most needed are peanut butter; canned tuna, chicken, turkey; healthy snack items; breakfast cereal; 100% juice/juice boxes; hearty soups; canned vegetables and fruits; spaghetti sauce; macaroni and cheese; rice; noodles and pasta; and cake, muffin, and pancake mixes. (Please no glass items-jars, bottles, etc.) Knights of Council 1232 transport the donated food to The Open Door weekly. This food drive is an open-ended and on-going effort.

ROCKPORT — The Rockport Public Library has added Creativebug to its list of online databases. Creativebug offers more than 1,000 videos by artists and professionals detailing a wide variety of art and crafts projects for all ages. Videos cover painting, ceramics, knitting, quilting, jewelry-making, party crafts, and more. Some crafts can be learned in a single video, or skills can be honed over multiple videos. To get started, visit www.rockportlibrary.org, go to home page, enter your library card number and email address. After that, you’ll only need to enter your card number to get crafting! Questions? 978-546-6934.

Severely wind-damaged last spring, the bell tower of Our Lady of Good Voyage Church needs restoration. Home to historic carillon bells, repairs have held up this rough winter, but permanent structural restoration is necessary. American Steeple of Salem will repair the tower and replace the roof, hopefully starting this year. Insurance will cover some cost, but at least $150,000 is needed to fully restore the tower. Donations can be made at ccgronlineolgv.churchgiving.com or mailed to Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, 74 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA 01930. Questions? Call 978-281-4820 or email [email protected].

“Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape” in 2023 — the first exhibition dedicated to Hopper’s formative development on Cape Ann is now running now at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester and through Oct. 16, and is presented in collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art. The exhibition features 65 works culled from the Whitney, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, National Gallery of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art and 23 other institutions and private lenders. Timed-entry tickets will be required for the Hopper show and are sale at www.capeannmuseum.org. Admission, which includes both “Edward Hopper & Cape Ann” and general museum entry is adults $23; Cape Ann residents, seniors, and students, $18; and youth younger than 18 are free.

The Eastern Point Yacht Club is hosting Thursday Night Sailing Races, which are free and open to the public, through Aug. 31. Start time is 6 p.m. off Eastern Point between Niles and Raymond’s Beaches, with the race committee on VHF 72 after 5 p.m. Races are typically one hour to an hour and a half and are scored under PHRF handicap. Questions? Call 978-283-3520 ahead of time, refer to VHF on the water.

Funded by the Friends, the Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main St., offers library cardholders passes to many local cultural attractions. To reserve library passes to the Boston Children’s Museum, Cape Ann Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Maritime Gloucester Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, Peabody Essex Museum, New England Aquarium, Sargent House Museum and Zoo New England, library patrons should visit sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact 978-325-5500.

Manchester Public Library offers passes to the Cape Ann Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Museum of Science, Peabody Essex Museum and Zoo New England. Manchester Public Library patrons may visit www.manchesterpl.org and click on Museum Passes to begin the reservation process. Click on the museum you are interested in visiting and there you will see instructions to reserve a timed ticket. If you have any questions, please call the library at 978-526-7711.

ROCKPORT— Five Circles Tai Chi class is led by teachers Fayette Severance and Amy Seabrook with Kasha Gula assisting. They lead the practice each Wednesday, 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Rockport First Congregational Church, 12 School St. A suggested donation of $7 pays for use of the church. The circling movements of tai chi help us to incrementally align our muscles between our left and right sides to create more stability and balance. Email Amy at [email protected] for more information.

A local Gloucester-based cribbage league is looking for new members. The league plays Thursdays at 7 p.m., at the Pilot House, 3 Porter St, Gloucester. Cost is $5 a week and each round lasts ten weeks. For more information, call 978-491-8660.

Cribbage at the Magnolia Library Center is on hiatus for the summer and will resume Labor Day. Players are asked to be a library member. For more information, email [email protected].

If you need help with your resume, cover letter, or some job searching advice, contact [email protected] or call 978-325-5500 to make an appointment for in-person resume and cover letter assistance with a librarian. Computers, Chromebooks, tablets, Wi-Fi Hotspots, printing, photocopying, scanning, and saving via email and flash drive are all free at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main St. Questions? Visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Tips from the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission on ways to conserve water apply to Cape Ann: Limit lawn watering, maintain healthy soils, choose native plants or plants and turf that need less water, use mulch to reduce evaporation and moderate soil temperature, leave grass clippings on lawns to shade and return nutrients to soil, sweep driveways, walkways, patios and other outdoor areas with a broom rather than hosing them off. Wash vehicles using a bucket and sponge employing a hose with a shut off nozzle for rinsing only, or, if available, use a commercial car wash that recycles water (most do), cover swimming pools when not in use to prevent evaporation. Choose high-efficiency plumbing products and appliances. never let the water run, use water-saving showerheads, wash only full loads of laundry and dishes, fix leaky faucets, toilets and pipes, compost instead of using garbage disposal.

ROCKPORT — Every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. a Drum Circle will be held at The Performance Room at Whale’s Jaw Cafe. Drum Circles have been known to be a healing and growth event for all who join the circle. So bring a drum or percussion instrument and join the group led by Dickie Newport at the cafe, 17 Railroad Ave. in Rockport.

Registration is now open for Rockport and Manchester residents to enter the “Walk Massachusetts Challenge.” Stay healthy and win prizes for yourself and your Council on Aging. There are six challenges for different fitness levels, running through Oct. 31. As you complete each, you are entered into a drawing for a gift card. For each person who completes their challenge, their respective Council on Aging gets an entry to win up to $1,000 for fitness programing. To register, visit: walkmachallenge.com. For those who want to walk but don’t have access to a computer, the Council on Aging can help you with that. Eligible for Massachusetts residents 18 years old and up.

Arthritis relief without pills? Exercises can help functional movement, increase range of motion and improve ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living), and you won’t have to leave the house to do it. PACE at Element Care is offering a free virtual exercise program over Zoom every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Sit, stand, and join us. All are welcome, and it’s absolutely free. Register for your Zoom link at: https://elementcare-org.zoom.us/j/83819924499?pwd=N1N6ZHNmbUxUaXRtWm1EWmR1bzF1UT09. Meeting ID: 838 1992 4499.

Home-delivered meals might be for you if you are age 60 or older, and unable to prepare a balanced meal because of physical, mental, or emotional limitations, or lack of home assistance from family, friends, or neighbors, to prepare balanced meal. If this sounds like you, and you are unable to participate in the congregate dining program comfortably or safely, Meals on Wheels delivers daily to your door. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program. For more information call SeniorCare Inc. at 978-281-1750 or call toll-free 866-927-1050.

A project of the 400th+ Literary Committee, the Gloucester Literary Walking Tours have proved so popular that more dates have been added to the schedule on Saturdays, Aug. 26, and Sept. 2 and 30. The tours are from 10 a.m. to noon, starting at Sawyer Free Library’s temporary location, 21 Main St., rain or shine. Home to great writers including the late 17th century feminist poet and writer Judith Sargent Murray, the 20th century’s Nobel Prize-winning poet T.S. Eliot, and Charles Olson and Vincent Ferrini who maintained a poetic dialogue, and Rudyard Kipling who wrote “Captains Courageous’ here. Henry Wordsworth Longfellow wrote “The Wreck of the Hesperus.’ Learn all about them and more with local literary raconteur Phil Storey who leads the tours, which are free, though donations will be gratefully accepted. Reservations are recommended at https://www.gloucesterma400.org/event/literary-gloucester-a-walking-tour/

The Gloucester High School Alumni Scholarship Fund’s treasurer of close to 30 years is resigning from this volunteer position. If you are an organized graduate of Gloucester High School with experience in record keeping, accounting, tech skills, and enjoy helping deserving students, you are who the fund needs. Please contact GHS Alumni Scholarship Fund Chairperson Janet Linsky Lemnah at [email protected] or call 978-317-6059.

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