The Gloucester Rotary has published a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2025, featuring the photography of several local photographers. In addition to the beautiful photography, each calendar includes a raffle ticket for a $50 weekly raffle drawing throughout the year. The calendars are $25 each and proceeds from sales will be used for the Gloucester Rotary’s many community and international activities.
The calendars are available for purchase at the Weathervane Gift Shop, located at 153 Main Street in Gloucester (phone 978-281-1227), at BankGloucester, located at 160 Main Street in Gloucester (978-283-8200), and from any Gloucester Rotary member. Calendars may also be purchased online at https://gloucesterrotary.org/page/calendar.
Elder Law Presentation: Protecting Your Assets- Myths & Misinformation
SeniorCare 49 Blackburn Center, Gloucester, MA Thursday, December 5, 2024, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Presented by: Natalie A. Simon, Esq. Law Office of Natalie A. Simon
Are you worried about losing your assets if you should need to enter a nursing facility?
Attorney Simon will discuss planning for your future: • Critical documents • Health Care Proxy • Durable Power of Attorney • Advance Directives • Do You Need a Trust?
Come get your questions answered!
Natalie A. Simon is a Gloucester, Massachusetts elder law attorney. Attorney Simon received her JD, cum laude, from Boston College Law School in 1981, and, after associations with Boston law firms, opened her own elder law practice in Gloucester. She has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys since 1991, is a founding officer of its Massachusetts Chapter and has served on the Chapter’s Board of Directors since its inception. She has received awards for Outstanding Achievement from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and its Massachusetts Chapter.
Ring in 2025 in regal splendor! Step into a world of enchantment as Hammond Castle Museum’s Great Hall transforms into the ultimate New Year’s Eve destination with our returning host Bruce Jaques. Dance the night away, indulge in gourmet treats, and uncover the mysteries of the Castle’s unique chambers. As the clock strikes twelve, join us for a spectacular champagne toast and witness our dazzling New Year’s illumination.
So, gather your friends, dress to impress, and create unforgettable memories at Club Castle – the North Shore’s most magical New Year’s celebration. Welcome 2025 in unparalleled style and grandeur! Reserve your tickets now to secure your spot at the North Shore’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve bash.
Doors open at 9:00 pm and the celebration goes to 1:00 am. 21 & Over, ID required upon arrival. Cash bar.
Come to the Sawyer Free Libraryon Thursday, November 21 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm for an engaging evening with award-winning cartoonist, author, and Gloucester native Mark Parisi.
Mark will share insights into his creative process, discussing his new book The Truth About 5th Grade, his Marty Pants middle-grade series, and his long-running Off the Mark comic panel. The event will also feature a live drawing demonstration by Mark himself.
Be sure to register for this fun family event at sawyerfreelibrary.org! Questions? 978-325-5500.
The Library’s 2024 Annual Appeal in support ofthe Sawyer Free 2025 Library Capital Campaign
The Sawyer Free Library has kicked off its 2024 Annual Appeal campaign, Our History to Tomorrow’s Possibilities: Transforming the Sawyer Free Library. With appeal letters reaching over 1,800 Gloucester households, the Library seeks community support to complete the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, a state-of-the-art facility where history meets innovation. All funds raised through the 2024 Annual Appeal will go directly to the Sawyer Free 2025 Library Capital Campaign, which has reached nearly 60% of its $29 million fundraising goal. Contributions will support the Library’s historic renovation, expansion, and modernization building project.
“The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will be more than just a building—it will stand as a beacon of knowledge, creativity, and connection. By supporting this transformative project, we are investing in our community’s future and creating an inclusive space where everyone can learn, grow, and thrive,” said Mern Sibley on behalf of the Library’s Board. “We need everyone’s help to make this vision a reality as we approach the finish line. Every gift, no matter the size, brings us closer to opening the doors to our new 21st-century Library.”
Scheduled to open in Fall 2025, the new Sawyer Free Library will serve as a vital community resource, offering expanded spaces for children, teens, and adults, enhanced digital resources, and sustainable design. It will boast a range of modern amenities, including a larger children’s area, a teen room with creative spaces, a digital learning lab, a local history research center, quiet study rooms, a 100-seat community room, and more. This new facility will allow the Library to serve a broader, more diverse audience and increase its offerings of public programs.
As the Library reaches this milestone, it invites the greater community and beyond to support the 2024 Annual Appeal, ensuring that the Sawyer Free 2025 Library can fully realize its potential as a beacon of learning and connection. Donations can be made online at sawyerfreelibrary.org or by mailing a check to Sawyer Free Library, Annual Appeal, P.O. Box 415, Gloucester, MA 01930.
For additional information, and to donate to the Library’s Annual Appeal, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Donate and help feed local people, right here on Cape Ann, this coming weekend!
WHEN: Saturday, Nov.23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Participating locations include:
Market Basket at 101 Gloucester Crossing Road, Gloucester MA
Stop & Shop at 6 Thatcher Road, Gloucester MA
Shaw’s at 127 Eastern Avenue, Gloucester MA
Shaw’s at 146 High Street, Ipswich MA
Crosby’s Marketplace at 3 Summer Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea MA
Market Basket at 231 Newburyport Turnpike, Rowley MA
WHAT: The Open Door Thanksgiving Food Drive will have donation locations at six area grocery stores.
Most needed items this year include shelf-stable breakfast foods: cereal, oatmeal, coffee, tea, maple syrup, pancake mix, waffle mix, 100% fruit juice, and granola bars. The Open Door asks people to please avoid donating anything in a glass container.
The Open Door is also holding a Clothing Donation Drive in conjunction with the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Those that wish to donate gently used clothing at The Open Door’s thrift store, Second Glance, can drop donations off without an appointment from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 Pond Road, Gloucester MA. Clothing sold at the store helps raise revenue for The Open Door’s hunger-relief programs.
NEED HELP SETTING THE TABLE FOR THANKSGIVING AND THE DECEMBER HOLIDAYS?
The Open Door has free Holiday Meal Baskets available for local people who need a little extra help setting the table. Order yours today at FOODPANTRY.org.
Each Holiday Meal Basket includes a turkey (or a special diet alternative) and all the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner. For December, hams will be available.
Want to learn more or donate to help feed our neighbors through the holidays and beyond? Visit FOODPANTRY.org.
Join the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, November 19, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm for an author talk with Virginia Pye on her latest novel, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann.
The event is taking place at the Library at 21 Main Street in Downtown Gloucester. The Bookstore of Gloucester will be onsite selling copies of her works.
About The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann:
Set in Gilded Age Boston, the novel follows Victoria Swann, a bestselling romance author, who defies her publisher to write from her own perspective, becoming a champion for women’s rights. As she loses her standing, she finds an ally in her young editor, discovering that both writing and reading can be powerful acts of defiance.
About Virginia Pye:
Virginia Pye is the award-winning author of four books, including Shelf Life of Happiness, which won the IPPY Gold Medal. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, and other publications. She has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence and teaches at GrubStreet in Boston.
For questions, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
Discover how to effectively market your creative arts business with a tailored plan designed for you and your audience.
On Tuesday, November 12 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm – – Creative Arts Entrepreneurs – – are invited to the Sawyer Free Library to learn how to creating a marketing plan! This session will guide you toward sustainable actions and growth, whether you’re launching your business or looking to elevate it to the next level. Led by Leah Hancock, founder of Placid Marketing, this is the third session in the “Branding Your Own Creative Arts Business” series.
Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact: moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Please join us for the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library Corporation’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 13 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. It will be held at Gloucester Stage located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. The annual meeting is open to the public, but only corporators can vote. Refreshments will be served.
The evening will allow the community to come together and celebrate the Library’s achievements, learn about its finances and engage with the Library’s board members and staff. There will also be an update on the 2025 Sawyer Free Librarybuilding project.
New members of the Library Corporation and Board of Trustees will be elected, and the Mary M. Weissblum Volunteer Award will be presented to Simon Paddock. Each year, the award is given by the Trustees to recognize and show appreciation for the Library’s outstanding volunteers who help to maintain and promote its services and programs.
ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PLANS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE LIBRARY
Refreshments will be served. No registration is required. Questions? Contact: 978-325-5500.
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is proud to present author and journalist Colin Woodard speaking on the future of democracy. His book, “American Nations,” explains how our country’s regional, cultural and ideological differences can be largely explained by patterns set by early settlers, where they emigrated from, and what kind of societies they established.
Woodard will be referencing this work regarding the polarization we have experienced in the last ten years, the threat that holds to democracy, and the rise of groups trending towards authoritarianism. Following Woodard’s presentation, a panel of local educators and activists will join him, discussing ways that our republic, governed by the people, has been threatened and what can be done to preserve it.
● Kerry Herrmann, Rockport Middle School Civics and History Teacher.
● Steve Mott, Professor of Sociology at Massasoit Community College-Brockton Campus, MA.
● Michea McCaffrey, Co-Chair of the Gloucester Racial Justice Team, Gloucester Human Rights Committee Member, Activist
We invite the community to attend this free civic event in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located on the green at the corner of Church & Middle Street (GPS 50 Middle Street). Event parking is available on the Green and also in the parking area behind Trinity Church. An accessible side entrance with an elevator is at 10 Church Street. Please join us for an incredibly relevant and important conversation, no matter what are the results of the current election.
Cape Ann Community 