Month: February 2024

Untold Story of 1960s Women’s Olympic Glory Featured at Sawyer Free Library Author Talk

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to host local author Aime Alley Card on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. She will be discussing her book The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State. Joining her in the conversation will be fellow author, Jean Duffy, author of Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World. 

The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State chronicles the 1960 Tennessee State University all-Black women’s track team, which found Olympic glory at the 1960 games in Rome. It is an epic story of desire, success, and failure—of beating the odds—against the backdrop of a changing America. 

Published this month to coincide with Women’s History Month in March,  the author, who lives in Wenham, will speak as part of the Sawyer Free Library’s author event series from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at the library, 21 Main Street (upstairs) in Gloucester. There will be books available for to sign. No registration required.

Tigerbelles is a multi-layered inspirational tale of triumph over adversity.  The elite group of talent includes Wilma Rudolph, Barbara Jones, Lucinda Williams, Martha Hudson, Willye B. White, and Shirley Crowder.  These are women who once were and should still be known worldwide.  Ultimately, the team’s drive is for more than medals.  Their coach, Edward Temple, and the Tigerbelles offer a challenge to the world’s perception of what a group of young Black women in the Jim Crow South are capable of.

For the past several years, Aime Alley Card has been researching, interviewing, and writing about the Tennessee State Tigerbelles and those who supported them along their path. She conducted and reviewed hundreds of hours of interviews and read just as many books and articles, ranging from concurrent to retrospective. She is a nonfiction editor for Pangyrus literary magazine and a board member for the Women’s National Book Association, Boston Chapter, and serves on her town’s cultural council supporting educational programs.

Please join us for this special event. For more information visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Open House @ Gloucester Biotechnology Academy

~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

Curious about Gloucester Biotechnology Academy? Stop by Wednesday, February 28th from 3p to 5p and learn more about this innovative, hands-on program!

Tour our state-of-the-art laboratories, speak with Academy instructors, learn about the 2-semester curriculum, and hear about the application process. Interested community members, prospective students, and curious family members…all are welcome!

Where: 55 Blackburn Center, Gloucester
When: 2/28 from 3p to 5p

The Academy is a 10-month certificate program that trains high school graduates for careers in biotech and the life sciences. And even better…applications are currently being accepted for the Class of 2025!

For more information, please reach out to Laura Richane at laura.richane@gmgi.org

Participate in Leap of Kindness Day – February 29

~ Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

As part of a 2024 nationwide promotion, the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has joined the ranks of over 200 communities representing Chambers in 43 of 50 states to use the “extra” day of Leap Year to do something kind for someone else.

Originally conceived by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, the first Leap of Kindness Day saw hundreds of local organizations helping thousands of local people on February 29, 2016. Four years later in 2020, Leap of Kindness Day was even bigger and better as chambers throughout the US, Canada, and Ireland joined in for the spread of a lot of kindness.

For our part of #LeapofKindnessDay this year, the Chamber is promoting non-monetary donation requests from our non-profit members. As of this posting, 19 non-profit members have sent in their requests, which are posted on the Chamber website at https://bit.ly/LeapofKindnessDay. Requests were also sent out individually on our Facebook and Instagram feeds over the past few weeks.

If you have a minute, please check out the list of requests, which are summarized below. They range from small item donations to volunteer time to more substantial needs (but it never hurts to ask!). Full request details and contact information for each non-profit participating are available at https://bit.ly/LeapofKindnessDay. If you are able to help fulfill one request, remember to let us know

Leap of Kindness Day Donation Requests from Member Non-Profits

Share Your Plans for Leap of Kindness Day 2024

Please help us keep track of all the wonderful acts of kindness happening in communities across the region on Leap of Kindness Day – February 29, 2024. Is your organization, company, or family doing something to help? Please fill out this form and let us know so we can share it on our website!

Please contact Cindy Rodzen, Director of Marketing & Communications, at cindy@capeannchamber.com if you have any questions.

Dungeons & Dragons at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Embark on a grand adventure with Dungeons & Dragons at the Sawyer Free Library this Saturday, February 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Create your character and venture on an epic quest with Dungeon Master Ephraim Weaver. Free pizza lunch will be provided.

Program designed for 5th-12th graders. All experience levels are welcome. Space is limited. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

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

Don’t miss GMGI’s final Science Hour of the season!

~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute
photo credit: Andy Mann

Don’t miss our final Science Hour of the season!

To wrap up this winter season of talks, GMGI welcomes our neighbor (in Boston), Dr. Jeff Kneebone, Senior Scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium. His work sheds light on the mysterious underwater life of some of New England’s resident fish through the use of two very different, but complimentary, techniques – electronic tagging and DNA analysis.

Join us on Thursday, February 29th at 7p for Dr. Kneebone’s talk, Magic Markers – How Electronic Tags and DNA Help Us Understand the Life of Marine Fishes and the Impact Humans Have on Them. Click here to register! 

As always, the GMGI Science Hour is free and available to all who are interested!

Questions? Please reach out to Maggie Costello at maggie.costello@gmgi.org

Seed-Starting Workshop & Free Seed Giveaway

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

🌱🌿🍅 Join Backyard Growers for an ONLINE WORKSHOP and FREE SEED GIVEAWAY to jumpstart your growing season. We’ll be sharing tips and tricks, plus offering a live Q&A, on how to successfully start seeds indoors this winter, followed by a drop-in free seed giveaway at our offices at 103R Maplewood Ave in Gloucester.

Online Workshop: How to start seeds indoors
February 27, 6-7pm
FREE for Backyard Growers Program participants / $15 general admission

Reserve your spot

Free Seed Giveaway
February 29, 3:30-5:30pm
Backyard Growers HQ @ 103R Maplewood Ave, Gloucester
FREE vegetable seeds for all!

Come Make a Zine at the Library – this Saturday!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Stop by the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street between 2 and 4 pm on Saturday, February 17 to make your own zine! We will provide all the supplies for you to finish something that you’ve been working on, or start something new.

Zines (pronounced “zeen” like “bean”) are self-published magazines with limited print runs. They typically provide an alternative point of view and provide a platform for underrepresented voices. We believe they belong in the library.  No registration required. All ages welcome! 

What: Drop-In Zine Making Workshop

When: Saturday, February 17. 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Where: Main Floor – Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main Street,Gloucester, MA, 01930

No registration required. All ages welcome! 

Questions? contact Julie Travers at jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5525.

~ todtheopendoor

THIS SATURDAY:

Free Bowl Painting at the Gloucester Elks!

Paint a bowl this weekend for The Open Door Empty Bowl fundraiser this spring!

WHEN: Saturday February 17 at 10 am to 12 pm

WHERE: Gloucester Elks Lodge |101 Atlantic Rd Gloucester MA

Please register today to reserve a bowl to paint with us– there are limited spots available! CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

A bowl will be provided AT NO COST for each person to paint, along with all the materials needed! Your bowl will be fired and distributed through The Open Door Empty Bowl flagship fundraiser on April 24, which supports summer programs of The Open Door including Summer Meals for Kids and Mobile Market programs.

Topping-Off Ceremony to Mark New Phase in Construction of 2025 Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Sawyer Free Library will raise steel beam signed by community into place on February 9

It has been just four months since the Sawyer Free Library broke ground on its historic renovation, expansion, and modernization project, and at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 9, the Library will celebrate the project’s next significant milestone, the placement of the highest steel beam at a topping off ceremony. The long-standing construction tradition of a beam topping will mark the completion of the structural phase of this historic project.

The ceremony will feature remarks from local elected officials and library representatives, to be followed by the exciting moment of the last steel beam of the newly expanded 2025 Sawyer Free structure being put into place by a crane. In keeping with tradition, the beam will be adorned with an evergreen tree on one end and an American flag joined by the City of Gloucester’s on the other. Due to limited space on the site, the public is welcome to witness the historic moment outside the safety fencing.

This momentous day will also pay tribute to the incredible community that the Sawyer Free Library has the great honor of serving. Over the past week, the commemorative 11-foot steel beam was signed by over 400 people from throughout Gloucester and beyond, making them a permanent part of this transformative project. Participants of all ages joyfully joined together to leave their mark on the symbolic steel beam, expressing their support, sharing personal messages, and commemorating loved ones, making it a beautiful representation of the community’s collective spirit and deep appreciation for its beloved public Library.

“As we reach this exciting milestone for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, we celebrate not just the physical structure taking shape but also the collective vision and dedication of our Gloucester community,” said Sawyer Free Library Board of Trustees President Mern Sibley.

“The topping of this beam symbolizes the culmination of the tireless effort and shared commitment of so many, including the countless volunteers, elected and city officials, generous donors, talented creative partners, dedicated Library staff, and our incredible patrons,” added Sibley. “Reaching this exciting milestone has been a tremendous team effort, and as construction progresses, I would especially like to recognize the outstanding work of our partner, W.T. Rich Construction, and our subcontractors in bringing us closer each day to the grand opening of the reimagined 2025 Sawyer Free Library.”

“W.T. Rich is proud to celebrate this construction milestone for the Sawyer Free Library project. We are honored to be a part of a project that is so important to the Gloucester community. We have had a great working relationship with the City and our construction partners, and we look forward to continuing that collaboration to turnover a beautiful, newly renovated and expanded Library in the spring of 2025,” said Jonathan Rich, Chief Executive Officer of W.T. Rich Company.

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library capital campaign is continuing during construction to raise $11M towards the $29M goal. To date, it has approximately $10.3 million in grants secured from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Project (MPLCP) and Green Library Incentives. In addition, the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a Commonwealth of Massachusetts program administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council, has provided substantial funding for the project.

The Library is also immensely grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community committed to realizing the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. The project has received transformational gifts from individual and corporate donors, including room-naming contributions from the Institution for Savings, Bank Gloucester, Cape Ann Savings Bank, Gorton’s, and Sudbay Motors.

There are still naming opportunities available for donors 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 more about investing in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, 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 opened to the public 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 2025 Sawyer Free Library, please visit us in person at 21 Main Street, online at sawyerfreelibrary.org, or 978-325-5500.

rendering of 2025 Sawyer Free Library

Author Talk with Eric Lessinger: Stethoscope on Reality

~ Sawyer Free Library

Please join the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street this Thursday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m. for an author talk with Gloucester resident, Eric Lessinger, who will be discussing his book Stethoscope on Reality: how my journey as a working-class Jew from Brooklyn informed my 50 years of medical practice, opening my heart and mind.

In his book, Dr. Lessinger documents his education as a striving, intelligent, upwardly mobile student in New York City public schools who went to Harvard College and NYU Medical School. He exposes the oppressive nature of medical training, from medical school through the years as an intern and resident. Overwork, exhaustion, humiliation in front of one’s peers, and competition rather than cooperation were routine parts of his daily experience. Still, he refused to relinquish his full humanity in the process. Working as a family doctor, utilizing both science and deep caring, he is not defensive about his mistakes, but rather, honest and remarkably willing to show us his vulnerability.

Eric Lessinger, MD grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He is a family doctor who graduated from NYU Medical School in 1972 and did his internship at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, New York. He completed his residency in Rochester, New York. He practiced Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative care in Trumansburg, New York, near Ithaca, for many years. He is now happily retired and lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with his wife Meredith and two cats. 

No registration required for the event. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Details: Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 5:30-6:30pm at Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street.