Month: January 2024

COMMUNITY INVITED TO SIGN THE BEAM FOR THE 2025 SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

~ Sawyer Free Library

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library is taking shape, and the community is invited to make their name part of it from February 1-3 on the lawn of the Library’s Saunders House

The Sawyer Free Library invites the community to be a part of history by signing the commemorative steel beam that will be a cornerstone of the renovated, modernized and expanded 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The public beam signing event will take place daily from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, February 3, on the front lawn of the Library’s Saunders House located on Middle Street at Dale Avenue.

“As we reach this pivotal moment in our Library’s evolution, we are so pleased to extend an invitation to everyone to share in the excitement and pride of leaving their mark on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library,” said President of the Library’s Board of Trustees Mern Sibley. “This act of signing the last beam is symbolic, reflecting our collective commitment to knowledge, growth, and community engagement. We look forward to seeing the beam adorned with the signatures of those who make our Sawyer Free Library truly special.” 

From Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, February 3, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, the entire community can sign their names and express their support and excitement about the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The beam will be set up under a tent on the front lawn of the Library’s Saunders House on Middle Street. Permanent markers will be available on-site, and the Library asks everyone planning to sign the beam to ensure their lasting messages are community-friendly. The Library also encourages people to document this historic moment by taking a picture as they add their signature to the beam, and then tag Sawyer Free Library on Facebook or @SawyerFreeLibrary on Instagram with the hashtag #signthebeam. 

This unique opportunity allows residents, patrons, and supporters to leave their mark on the future of the Sawyer Free Library. The signed beam will crown the newly expanded 2025 Sawyer Free structure in the symbolic beam-topping ceremony scheduled for Friday, February 9, at 10 am, marking the next exciting stage in the construction of this historic project. Due to limited space on the site, the area for the ceremony will accommodate speakers and key stakeholders and the public is welcome to witness the historic moment outside the safety fencing.

“We’re excited about the construction progress and appreciate the outstanding work completed by WT Rich Construction and our subcontractors,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict.  “We hope that everyone from our incredible Gloucester community and beyond joins us in celebrating this milestone by signing their name to the last beam of this historic project and becoming a part of its lasting legacy. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library is a community project in every sense. It is through the support and participation of our residents and visitors that our Library truly reflects and serves our vibrant Gloucester community.”

The Sawyer Free Library is grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community. The capital campaign is continuing during construction to raise $11M toward our $29M goal. There are still naming opportunities available for donors who may be interested in leaving their legacy, honoring a family member, or aligning their company’s mission and values while supporting the Library, Gloucester and the Cape Ann community. To learn how you can invest in this historic project and make the 2025 Sawyer Free Library a reality, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The comprehensive renovation, modernization, and expansion of Gloucester’s public Library officially broke ground this past September. The project, which remains on schedule and budget, will take approximately eighteen months and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.   

When its doors open, the 2025 Sawyer Free Library will exemplify what a 21st-century public library can and should be in terms of architecture, sustainability, accessibility, use of natural resources and light, wayfinding, lines of sight, air quality, and public safety. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library project will preserve the original exterior, housing an entirely redesigned interior, and will also double the size of the existing Library’s footprint with a 14,000-square-foot addition. 

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will offer current and emerging public technology, diverse collections, engaging programs, and new dedicated spaces for collaboration, learning, and relaxation. It will feature a digital learning lab, a 100-seat community room with state-of-the-science media presentation equipment, a local history research center, a dedicated teen room, a beautiful expanded children’s room with an early learning center for toddlers, study rooms for individual and group study, a 16-seat conference room, and much more. With its modern and sustainable design, the Library will provide an inspiring environment for library patrons, staff, the community, and beyond. 

W.T. Rich Company of Beverly, MA, is leading the construction of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The comprehensive project was designed by a team composed of Oudens Ello Architecture and Dore + Whittier Architecture, Construction Management Firm W.T. Rich, and Library project leaders, along with the vital input of the citizens of Gloucester.

The Sawyer Free Library is temporarily located at 21 Main Street and online 24/7 during construction. The Library remains committed to providing a dynamic and enriching environment for all.  For more information about the Public Beam Signing Event please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500. 

Rendering of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library from Dale Avenue

COME SIGN THE BEAM! Be a part of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library invites the entire Gloucester community and beyond to be a part of history by signing the commemorative steel beam that will be a cornerstone of the renovated, modernized and expanded 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The public beam signing event will take place daily from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, February 3, on the front lawn of the Library’s Saunders House located on Middle Street at Dale Avenue.

This unique opportunity allows residents, patrons, and supporters to leave their mark on the future of the Sawyer Free Library. The signed beam will crown the newly expanded 2025 Sawyer Free structure. The beam will be set up under a tent on the front lawn of the Library’s Saunders House on Middle Street. Permanent markers will be available on-site.

The Library also encourages people to document this historic moment by taking a picture as they add their signature to the beam, and then tag Sawyer Free Library on Facebook or @SawyerFreeLibrary on Instagram with the hashtag #signthebeam #SawyerFree2025. 

When its doors open, the 2025 Sawyer Free Library will exemplify what a 21st-century public library can and should be in terms of architecture, sustainability, accessibility, use of natural resources and light, wayfinding, lines of sight, air quality, and public safety. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library project will preserve the original exterior, housing an entirely redesigned interior, and will also double the size of the existing Library’s footprint with a 14,000-square-foot addition. 

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will offer current and emerging public technology, diverse collections, engaging programs, and new dedicated spaces for collaboration, learning, and relaxation. With its modern and sustainable design, the Library will provide an inspiring environment for library patrons, staff, the community, and beyond. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library is expected to open in the Fall of 2025.

To learn more about and how you can invest in this historic project, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Elementary Band Concert on Monday 1/29!

~ gloucestereducationfoundation

The Gloucester Education Foundation is looking forward to this elementary band concert on Monday! We are proud to fund band for grades 4-8 to the tune (see what we did there?) of $98,100 this year, and have already begun to secure funding for next year’s programming. Look for an article in the Gloucester Daily Times next week about the generosity of our community – especially the JMR Barker Foundation and the Byrnes family – in its support for our schools and the arts.

SFL Local Music Showcase: Steve Lacey, Jazz Guitarist on Saturday at 3PM

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to welcome local jazz guitarist STEVE LACEY on Saturday, January 27 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM as part of the Library’s Local Music Showcase Series @ 21 Main Street. 

All are welcome to come and enjoy some live jazz performed by the incredibly talented Steve Lacey at the Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street, 2nd floor, Gloucester. 

For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.


Sawyer Free Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group: “Getting Started in Italian Research” 

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to share that the Gloucester Genealogy Group is back in action and kicking off its monthly meetings this January at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. 

Researching your genealogy can provide information about where your ancestors lived, what they did, and how they may have lived.  The Sawyer Free Library holds a vast and diverse collection of resources to help you with your research. In addition, each month, the Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group will present genealogy-related programming, including lectures from guest speakers with expertise in numerous related topics. All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. 

On Saturday, January 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. nationally recognized professional genealogist, author and lecturer, Senior Genealogist Rhonda McClure will present virtually to the group at 21 Main Street on “Getting Started in Italian Research.” This lecture looks at how to start researching your Italian ancestors by examining records generated in the U.S. and Italy and what is most important in effectively researching Italian records. 

Then on Saturday, February 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Rhonda McClure will again join the group virtually to share about the importance and details of “Organizing Your Family Papers.” The March meeting will be presented in partnership with the Rockport Public Library. On March 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Libraries will welcome Michael Brophy, a nationally known, professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. This event will occur in the Brenner Room of the Rockport Public Library.

Registration is now open for all three Gloucester Genealogy events at sawyerfreelibrary.org or by calling 978-325-5500.  

Currently the Sawyer Free Library offers a wide variety of local history resources, in person and online, at its temporary location at 21 Main Street. The Library’s Local History Collection contains materials about Gloucester and Cape Ann and written by and about Gloucester and Cape Ann authors. Subjects include local history, genealogy, biography, and some fiction. Materials are in the form of books, hand-printed items, maps, city documents, and more.

The Sawyer Free Library is looking forward to officially opening its renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025 which will feature a Local History Research Center. This new center will revolutionize how Gloucester’s historical research materials are curated, archived, preserved, and accessed, offering an insider’s passport to the rich cultural history of the city and region.

For more information about Sawyer Free Library’s digital archives, local history resources, and services or to register for the Gloucester Genealogy Events, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500

To learn more about or to invest in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library’s History Research Center, please visit sawyerfree2025.org.

Don’t Miss Out on Cape Ann Big Band and BrassFed Nation Youth Swing Orchestra this Friday at Shalin Liu Performance Center

~ Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

All are invited to join the Greater Cape Ann Chamber’s 102nd Annual Celebration at Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday, January 26 from 5 to 9 PM as we welcome incoming 2024 Board President Karen Ristuben and thank 2023 Board President Loran Caputo. Tickets may be purchased online at bit.ly/AnnualCelebration2024 or by calling the Chamber at 978-283-1601. Ticket options include Program and Cocktail Reception plus Live Performances for $100; or Live Performances Only at $45 for adults and $20 for youth under 18. See below for a list of the talented performers (there will also be a surprise guest performer!)

With the 2024 theme of Creativity, Culture & Commerce: Stronger Together, our goal this year is to inspire new synergies between greater Cape Ann’s arts, culture, and business communities. This unique Annual Celebration represents the visual and performing arts – music, painting, drama, poetry, and dance – from all five of our communities. 

The Program and Cocktail Reception will be held from 5 to 7 PM (heavy appetizers). The Live Performances begin at 7:30 PM.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

  • Cape Ann Big Band with featured vocalists: Alexandra Grace, Emily Grace, Rhiannon Hurst, Scott Parisi, John Rockwell, and Nathan Seavey
  • BrassFed Nation Youth Swing Orchestra with featured vocalists: Scarlett Berge, Jessica Cote, Alexis Geary, and Alessandro Schoc 
  • Spoken Word: Luce Wren Brandt and Kaley Fantasia
  • Dancer Performance: Sarah Slifer Swift and Carey McKinley, Movement Arts Gloucester MA (MAGMA)
  • Lanes Coven Theater Co: Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna
  • Live Art: Loren Doucette, Seven Suns Gallery. Pastel Artwork*

ADDITIONAL ARTISTS

  • Wood Carving Demonstration by Harold Burnham*
  • Live Painting Demonstration by Joli Ayn Wood*
  • Centerpieces: Chubby Clay Bodies by Miranda Aisling, filled with beautiful floral arrangements by Betsy Morris Quinn (Dirt Floral Works). (Flat-fee purchase price of $40 each – first-come, first-served)
  • Life-sized Portrait of “Captain Kyle Nelson, Pigeon Cove Lobsterman” by Leslie Heffron, in the Lobby. (Available for purchase from the artist.)
  • Photography Display by Melissa Cox. (Available for purchase from the photographer.)

* Finished artwork to be sold via Silent Auction. Silent Auction bidding sheets are available in the Lobby.
Additional art pieces by Loren Doucette will be on display and available for retail purchase.

Thank you to our sponsors:

PRODUCER LEVEL

DESIGNER LEVEL

Gloucester 400+

Johnson O’Connor

ELECTRIFY EVERYTHING

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to host the Cape Ann Climate Coalition on Thursday, January 25, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at 21 Main Street for an interactive presentation on the benefits of electrifying everything in your home.

Whether you rent or own, are ready to make decisions, or are gathering information for future decisions, you’ll want to attend this free discussion. Learn from Cape Ann residents about what you can do as a Cape Ann resident to “Electrify Everything” and make your home here on Cape Ann more energy efficient.

The event will feature a “Breakfast for Dinner” demonstration on induction cooktops. They will make pancakes, hot cocoa, and tea for everyone to eat and drink using induction cooktops; explain the benefits of cooking with induction stoves; raffle off a portable induction cooktop; and discuss the energy rebates and incentives for all income households, including tenant households. The event is free and open to all. Registration is requested at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The Sawyer Free Library, temporarily located at 21 Main Street and online 24/7, is looking forward to officially opening its new and modernized space in the fall of 2025. The renovated and expanded 2025 Sawyer Free Library will be the first public building on Cape Ann that generates renewable energy from solar and uses no fossil fuels for the building’s site energy. The Sawyer Free Library is committed to achieving a LEED Gold Certification and Mass Save Path 1 Net- Zero-Ready Verification —a status achieved by minimizing energy demand, generating as much electricity on site as possible through solar, and securing a renewable source for additional electricity to achieve net-zero energy.

The Sawyer Free Library knows that every action we take individually and collectively toward making our environment resilient and sustainable is a step toward a net zero-impact future.

To learn more about or to invest in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library’s sustainability features, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org/sustainability.

For more information or to register for the Electrify Everything presented by the Cape Ann Climate Coalition on Thursday, January 25, at 5:30 pm, go to sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Sawyer Free Library Shares Most Popular Books of the Year

~ Sawyer Free Library

Library’s most-borrowed books give a glimpse into what Gloucester was reading in 2023

Have you ever wondered what everyone around the community has been reading? Look no further as Sawyer Free Library has dug into its data and compiled a list of some of the most popular books from 2023, sharing its top checkouts for adults, teens, and children.

With SFL’s total circulation last year close to 170,000, new authors and familiar favorites, including Geraldine Brooks, Jodi Picoult, and Barbara Kingsolver, were among the most read books, eBooks, and audiobooks. Royalty graced the list with Prince Harry Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare, which became a must-read for many library users. Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel Lessons in Chemistry was another favorite, along with Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong’s New York Times bestseller An Immense World, a multisensory exploration of the many ways in which animals perceive their environment. 

Of the thousands print, digital, and audiobooks borrowed from the Sawyer Free Library, these were Gloucester’s favorites in 2023:

Top Adult Fiction:

  1. Horse by Geraldine Brooks
  2. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
  3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  4. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
  5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  6. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  7. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  8. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
  9. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
  10. Verity by Colleen Hoover

Top Adult Nonfiction:

  1. Spare by Prince Harry Duke of Sussex
  2. An Immense World by Ed Yong
  3. Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep by Lisa Bryan
  4. The Healthy, Happy Gut Cookbook by Dr. Heather Finley
  5. Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World, by Pádraig Ó Tuama
  6. Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg

The top checkouts for children’s books featured titles from popular series, including Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, and The Babysitter Club based on the novel by Ann M. Martin.

The Young Adult titles with the highest circulation were The Tryout, a graphic novel about courage and friendship by Christina Soontornvat, Throne of Glass, the first in Sarah J. Maas’s popular fantasy book series along with the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the powerful nonfiction book, Killers of the Flower Moon by journalist David Grann.

Top Teen Fiction:

  1. The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat
  2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
  3. The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald
  4. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
  5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Top Children’s:

  1. Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
  2. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
  3. Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
  4. The Babysitter Club: Karen’s Worst Day by Katy Farina
  5. The Babysitter Club: Kristy and the Snobs by Chan Chau
  6. Diary of the Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney

Find these and millions of other books through the Sawyer Free Library. Visit the Library at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester or sawyerfreelibrary.org where Librarians are always there to help you find a new book to read and much more.

Approximately 14,000 people currently possess Sawyer Free Library cards. Anyone who resides or attends school in Gloucester can obtain a Library card for free by applying in person, online, or by mail. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.

The Sawyer Free Library, temporarily located at 21 Main Street and online 24/7, remains committed to providing a dynamic and enriching environment for all and looks forward to officially opening its newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025. For details on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library and the many ways to support this historic project, visit sawyerfree2025.org. 

Beauport Hospitality Group Wedding Showcase 2024

~ bhgmarketing2023

Recently winning Editor’s Choice for 2024’s Best Bridal Shows by Northshore Magazine, join the Beauport Hospitality Group’s Wedding team (Beauport Hotel, Cruiseport Gloucester, Beauport Cruiselines) and the best Professional Vendors in the business for our annual Wedding Showcase hosted by The 617 Event Group!

Meet, mix and mingle with vendors in every category, leading up to and during your wedding day, while viewing one of the North Shore’s premiere wedding venues – Cruiseport Gloucester.

We will also be showcasing Beauport Cruiselines, Editor’s Choice winner for Unique Venues 2024 by Northshore Magazine, docked just outside Cruiseport. Specializing in all of life’s celebrations, our Cruiseship is perfect for your unique rehearsal, dinner or wedding!

Purchase tickets today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beauport-hospitality-group-wedding-showcase-2024-tickets-790603535457