Halloween Season At Hammond Castle Museum Has Something for Everyone
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GMGI Updates from the Harbor: September 2022
GMGI Researchers Join OceanX for Young Explorers Program
As part of GMGI’s ongoing partnership with OceanX, GMGI researchers Matt Harke, Ph.D. and Jennifer Polinski took part in the organization’s third Young Explorers Program (YEP). YEP was created by OceanX to provide college students and recent graduates traditionally underrepresented in marine science with the incredible opportunity to learn about and explore the ocean – all while aboard the state-of-the-art research vessel OceanXplorer. Click here to read the full article.
GMGI Adds New Board Member: Introducing Lauren Liss
GMGI is thrilled to announce the addition of Lauren Liss to the GMGI Board of Directors. Lauren is an attorney who focuses her practice on environmental law and policy as well as on real estate development. Lauren has deep public and private sector experience, having served in a variety of governmental roles, including as president and CEO of the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency. She previously served as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and as general counsel and deputy secretary for Environmental Policy at the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, she was senior environmental counsel for the Central Artery/Ted Williams Tunnel project.
Lauren has authored several articles, as well as participated in panels for numerous federal and state organizations. She has guest-lectured on environmental and transportation issues at Boston College Law School, Suffolk University Graduate Program and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Board of Directors at GMGI,” Liss said. “I’ve been hearing about the organization for years through several different circles and have been impressed with the impact GMGI has made in such a short time. I’m looking forward to using my experience to help GMGI grow a thriving science community here on Cape Ann.”
Cape Ann Savings Bank Invests in GMGI
CASB donates $150K to support Academy’s new“Big Waive” tuition structure
Cape Ann Savings Bank recently announced a $150K gift to Gloucester Marine Genomic Institute in support of their mission to address critical challenges facing our oceans, human health, and the environment through innovative scientific research and education. The donation marks one of the early commitments to GMGI’s soon-to-be-announced See Change Campaign. Click here to read the full press release.
Growing our Talented Team
Desks and cubicle space once available for guests are no longer – GMGI is growing! Since April GMGI has hired five full time staff to join the research, education and administrative teams.
Executive Director Chris Bolzan is thrilled with the trajectory of the organization. “GMGI’s growth has been steady, and it’s been consequential,” she said. “We are fortunate to have been able to attract and retain a team of incredibly talented individuals. It’s because of them we can achieve the success we’ve seen and envision continued growth ahead.”
Each of the new hires bring a unique energy and skillset to the organization:
Lisa Tobias joined the team in April as Director of Finance & Administration. Lisa oversees GMGI’s financial health, ensuring sustainability for GMGI’s continued growth. She is a driving force for DE&I.
Laura Richane started this spring as the Academy’s first Director of Enrollment & Partnerships. She focuses on attracting young adults to our Academy training program, as well as connecting the Academy to industry partners.
Kristin Lewis and Mel Drexler are the newest Teaching Assistant & Laboratory Technician’s to join the Academy team. They are responsible for engaging students in hands-on lectures in the lab and teaching industry-standard protocols.
Reanna McAtee was recently hired full-time as a Laboratory Technician & Assistant Laboratory Manager after completing her Academy internship with GMGI. Reanna is assisting Postdoctoral Scientist Kate Castellano, Ph.D. with her work on studying healthy aging in the red sea urchin.
Click here to read more about all our talented staff.
Interested in being part of our team? GMGI has MORE positions available! Check out our Careers page for more information.
Summer STEM in Boston
Summer 2022 brought new developments to the Academy’s Summer STEM Enrichment programs. The “Mean Glow Green” curriculum was introduced, giving participating students the opportunity to grow and extract green fluorescent protein in the lab, learning about the growing field of biomanufacturing.
Academy instructors took the show on the road! Thanks to our partners at Lincoln Properties, Related Beal, and the South Boston Neighborhood House, John Doyle, Sadie Salazar, and Zach Dench packed up the necessary equipment and set up a temporary laboratory in the Mass Bay Credit Union in South Boston. An engaged group of middle and high school students extracted DNA, completed PCR protocols and learned how to properly analyze scientific results through GMGI’s Fish Fraud Forensics program. This was an exciting step forward as the Academy team works to expand access to the tremendous opportunities that exist in the Commonwealth’s thriving life science and biotech industries.
CST Nominates GMGI to Join 1% for the Planet
This past month GMGI joined “1% for the Planet.” Only 3% of global philanthropy goes towards environmental causes and “1%” set out to change that. As an organization, they inspire business to donate 1% of their revenue to environmental nonprofits of their choosing. By creating a global network of partnerships, 1% for the Planet is increasing support for environmental solutions — and that is something we can get on board with!
By joining this initiative, GMGI hopes to increase awareness and support for our research initiatives, including biodiversity conservation, the promotion of sustainable fisheries, and uncovering new discoveries that impact human health.
Thank you to Cell Signaling Technologies who nominated us for this amazing global effort. As a loyal supporter and partner of GMGI, we thank CST for their generous commitment to our mission. If you know of (or are part of) a 1% for the Planet member organization, please consider GMGI!
Photos from the field
Did you catch these social media posts?
New England Aquarium visits GMGI
GMGI staff enjoy sail on Schooner Ardelle
GMGI hosts newly-appointed President of Emmanuel College
On August 16th, GMGI’s Discovery Series featured underwater photographer Andrew Martinez. Andrew was joined by GMGI researchers Jennifer Polinski and Matt Harke, Ph.D., as they shared the beauty of the Gulf of Maine through amazing underwater photographs as well as how genomic tools like eDNA and DNA sequencing can uncover biodiversity that cannot be seen with a lens.
Interested in attending future Discovery Series talks? Contact Maggie Costello for details.
Love Greater Cape Ann Silent Auction Now Open to All!
The Silent Auction portion of the 35th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction is now open to ALL! Simply go to bit.ly/lovegca22 to register and start bidding! Bidding will be open until 6:55 PM on Thursday, September 29. You do not need to be at the Live Auction event to win Silent Auction items! Check out all the great Silent Auction items at bit.ly/lovegca22 – there are some sweet deals to be had! You can also set your maximum bid for any item to give yourself a better chance of coming out on top! Bid today!! Bid often!!
2022 Middle Street Walk is being planned! Stay tuned for more information!
SAWYER FREE LIBRARY IS ON THE MOVE
The Sawyer Free Library (SFL) is on the move, although they are not going too far or for too long.
The Sawyer Free Library’s 2 Dale Avenue location will close to the public at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 30. The Library’s new temporary home will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 24 at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester, just a few blocks from the Library’s current location.
During the three-week closing, library resources will be available online through the Library’s website http://www.sawyerfreelibrary.org. Due dates for physical materials that are checked out will be extended and not become overdue during the move. The Library’s outside book drops at the front entrance and in the parking lot of 2 Dale Avenue will remain open for materials to be returned.
“The Sawyer Free Library is an essential service that supports our residents to reach their full potential in manyaspects of their lives,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library’s Board of Trustees. “This temporary location will ensure that our Gloucester community continues to have full access to the Library’s resources, including our dedicated staff, as we take another big step towards making the 2025 Sawyer Free Library a reality.”
The Library is moving in preparation for its upcoming historic renovation and expansion project. The temporary location will be in use throughout construction, which includes a renovation of the Sawyer Free’s 1976 main building at 2 Dale Avenue and an addition of 15,000 square feet toward School Street. The construction is expected to be completed by early 2025.
SFL will be working with professional relocation and moving services companies, National Library Relocations and Hiltz Moving and Storage, to move the library’s collections, furnishings, and equipment to the temporary location. The Saunders House will be used for library staff office space and onsite storage during the construction.
As a part of the temporary move, the Library’s Main Floor and Friend Room A/V equipment, valued at $60,000, will be loaned to the Rose Baker Senior Center for use in their Multi-Purpose Room and the Second Floor Meeting Room. The arrangement is an opportunity for the Library’s resources to continue to benefit the Gloucester community during the construction project.
“This moment has been a longtime coming, and we are so grateful to the Gloucester community for their ongoing patience and overwhelming support of this historic project,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict. “In the meantime, we want to encourage everyone to visit us at 2 Dale Avenue before the move starts on October 1st. People can take pictures of places that had special meaning to them or just sit and take it all in. We realize how much this Library has meant to so many over the years, but we also want people to know that this is not a farewell to the Sawyer Free Library, but rather, see you again very soon after you get that much-needed TLC.”
Library hours at the temporary location will remain the same, open six days a week, with the Sawyer Free Library’s staff available to assist the public. The Library phone number and emails will not change and all information is listed on the website, sawyerfreelibrary.org. The centrally located space on Main Street is handicap accessible and offers on-street and public parking in the St. Peter’s Square lot. The Library’s parking lot located on School Street will also be available until construction begins and then will be closed through the project’s duration.
In its new temporary home, the Sawyer Free Library will offer select in-person services, curbside service, outreach programming, and an enhanced level of online services. The approximately 3,600 sq. ft. at 21 Main Street will accommodate library services for both children and adults, as well as the Library’s local history research resources and Wellspring House’s client intake center. The space will have public computers, printing and copying services, Wi-Fi access, and study tables.
A large selection of books, audiobooks, DVDs, and music CDs will be available for all ages, including adult new releases, bestsellers, magazines and newspapers. Through the hold system, cardholders can request items from the Library’s full CD, DVD and audiobook collections. While the size of the space limits the quantity of books onsite, cardholders have access to thousands of titles from other NOBLE libraries that will be delivered to Gloucester.
SFL will continue to offer a robust schedule of programs for residents of all ages throughout the community onsite at 21 Main Street and many off-site locations in Gloucester’s public schools, preschools, community centers, municipal spaces, local cultural institutions, parks, and other outdoor spaces. It will also work with its many community partners to host collaborative programming. In addition, the Library will continue to utilize and enhance its remote and online virtual programs.
“As we find new ways of providing the same service in our temporary location, it will feel a bit different and take some getting used to, but we are bringing so much with us that it will also be a lot the same,” added Benedict. “We look forward to the day we move back into 2 Dale Avenue. The current library building has so many memories from what the community has created here. It’s exciting to think how people will build new memories in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library.”
When doors open at the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, the building 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 modernized and expanded Library will double in size with the addition. It will boast new community spaces, including a 110-seat community room with state-of-the-art science presentation technology, a dedicated room for teens, and a digital maker space with a sound recording studio and film editing suite. Additional features include a Library History Center, a quiet Reading Room, and a 16-seat Conference Room.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners recently approved the Sawyer Free Library’s $9 million provisional construction grant toward the estimated $28 million historic project. In October, the Gloucester City Council is expected to vote on a request for a city loan to provide the financing for the project, which will allow the City to receive the state grant. Gloucester’s Public Library is owned by the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library, a nonprofit corporation, which will repay the series of short-term city loans through grants, corporate and individual donations.
The Sawyer Free 2025 fundraising campaign has over $15 million in committed funds and continues to seek funding of large and small donations through individual and corporate donors, federal, state, and municipal government grants, and nonprofit foundations. The public is encouraged to learn more about the project by visiting sawyerfree2025.org. The specifics of Sawyer Free Library’s move to the temporary location at 21 Main Street are available at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
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35th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction
Please register in advance at bit.ly/lovegca
You are invited to join us for the 35th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction on Thursday, September 29 from 5 to 10 PM at Cruiseport Gloucester. The night will feature:
- Live Auction and Silent Auction
- Fund the Future Paddle Raise
- Heads & Tails Game
- Passed Hors d’Oeuvres, Plated Dinner, Cash Bar
We Love Greater Cape Ann and work hard to help support our Community in many ways. Your generous bidding will help the Chamber build for the future of this special place where we live, work and play. Join us and share your love for Cape Ann.
- compete for great gatherings & trips
- take home your next piece of art
- experience a South Africa photo safari
- bid high with our professional auctioneer
- meet up with old friends & make new friends
- help us fund the future of the greater Cape Ann region
Live and Silent Auction Items may be previewed at: https://one.bidpal.net/lovegca22
Proceeds benefit the Chamber’s work to support Greater Cape Ann through business and regional promotion, economic growth, educational enrichment and community events.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
- GOLD: Beauport Hospitality, Institution for Savings, Johnson & O’Connor
- SILVER: Cape Ann Savings Bank, Coastal Windows & Exteriors
- BRONZE: Applied Materials, BankGloucester, Brookline Bank, Carroll K. Steele Insurance Agency, Inc., Cazeault Solar, Works by JD
Calling All Young Inventors!
Join us this Sunday for a fun, STEM program at Hammond Castle Museum, the home of one of the nation’s greatest inventors of his time!
Check-in will begin at 12:30 and the program will begin at 1pm.
*This program is geared to children in late elementary school and early middle school grades.
Inventing has changed a lot over the last century since our founder, John Hays Hammond Jr. began his illustrious career, but many of the fundamentals remain the same. Hammond Castle Museum is delighted to partner with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in presenting a new event: Inventors Day.
The event is inspired by one of Hammond’s inventions: “Seleno,” the world’s first robotic dog, which was controlled by a beam of light. During this two hour-long STEM program, competitors will group into teams with the goal to construct their own light-controlled robot. Each team will be given a robot kit to assemble as well as additional components and electronics to modify and improve upon the core design. The teams will then compete in a series of scored challenges using their robots. Each member of the winning team will receive an award and special recognition across Hammond Castle Museum’s social media platforms as well as its website. Winners also may enjoy all the bragging rights they could want as they may consider themselves a member of the Museum’s exclusive list of inventors.
Reservations & Chaperone tickets are $10 each and available at: www.hammondcastle.org.
Tomorrow: The Autumn Equinox And Psychic Readings & Spirit Mediumships
Thirty minute Individual Readings and thirty minute Couple’s Relationship Readings are both $50. Thirty minute Spirit Mediumship Readings are $65.00 each. The cover charge is $8 per guest.
Visit Hammondcastle.org to learn more and reserve your tickets!
35th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction
Please register in advance at bit.ly/lovegca
You are invited to join us for the 35th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction on Thursday, September 29 from 5 to 10 PM at Cruiseport Gloucester. The night will feature:
- Live Auction and Silent Auction
- Fund the Future Paddle Raise
- Heads & Tails Game
- Passed Hors d’Oeuvres, Plated Dinner, Cash Bar
We Love Greater Cape Ann and work hard to help support our Community in many ways. Your generous bidding will help the Chamber build for the future of this special place where we live, work and play. Join us and share your love for Cape Ann.
- compete for great gatherings & trips
- take home your next piece of art
- experience a South Africa photo safari
- bid high with our professional auctioneer
- meet up with old friends & make new friends
- help us fund the future of the greater Cape Ann region
Live and Silent Auction Items may be previewed at: https://one.bidpal.net/lovegca22
Proceeds benefit the Chamber’s work to support Greater Cape Ann through business and regional promotion, economic growth, educational enrichment and community events.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
- GOLD: Beauport Hospitality, Institution for Savings, Johnson & O’Connor
- SILVER: Cape Ann Savings Bank, Coastal Windows & Exteriors
- BRONZE: Applied Materials, BankGloucester, Brookline Bank, Carroll K. Steele Insurance Agency, Inc., Cazeault Solar, Works by JD
Firebird Pops Orchestra returns to Hammond Castle Museum for a night of music from the silver screen this Friday evening!
Firebird Pops Orchestra returns to Hammond Castle Museum for a night of music from the silver screen this Friday evening!
A smaller, chamber orchestra division of FPO will perform creative existing and custom arrangements of iconic film scores on our seaside lawn. Conductor Brendan J. Kenney will lead the chamber orchestra through the sweeping, magical scores of films and tv series such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, The Avengers, Game of Thrones, The Wizard of Oz, and more!
General admission is $40. Tickets are available at www.hammondcastle.org.
As always, special event ticket holders are eligible for a 20% discount on self-guided tours prior to 3pm on the day of the ticketed event. Parking is free.
All proceeds from this program will support the restoration and preservation of the 13th century, French cloister archways which are located at the front of the museum.
Photo by CMO Photography Studios.
Cape Ann Community 