Uncategorized

Sawyer Free Library to host Nick Sullivan, author of  “The Blue Revolution” on Wednesday, June 15 at 6 pm

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library will be presenting an engaging and informative evening with Nick Sullivan -the author of The Blue Revolution on Wednesday, June 15, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The New Bedford author will discuss his research and ideas on the “Blue Revolution, the rapid development of aquaculture in recent years. He will offer a new way of thinking about fish, food, and oceans by profiling the people and policies, transforming a challenged seafood industry into one that is fueled by fishermen, locavores, and local seafood supply chains interested in sustainable, traceable, quality seafood. He will share how the practices of 30 years ago that perpetuated an overfishing crisis are rapidly changing and the global challenges to preserving healthy oceans.

Sullivan is a writer and editor who examines the impact of business and technology on international development. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Maritime Studies Program and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Emerging Market Enterprises, both in the Fletcher School at Tufts University. The Blue Revolution is his fourth book.

The event will take place on the Main Floor of the Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. It is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5555.  

Gloucester Rotary Honors Tony Corrao

~ trixy546

The Gloucester Rotary has named Tony Corrao as a Paul Harris Fellow, the prestigious award named after the Chicago lawyer who founded Rotary in 1905. Corrao was selected by a committee of previous recipients of the award, and will be honored at a special dinner on Monday, June 27, 2022, at Cruiseport Gloucester, located at 6 Rowe Square in downtown Gloucester. The social hour will begin at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6:30pm.

Corrao, perhaps better known as Uncle Tony, was born and raised in West Gloucester. He graduated from Gloucester High School with the Class of 1977, and then spent 3½ years in the Army—serving at NASA’s Space Center in Alabama, Homestead, Florida, and Fort Bragg in North Caroline with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Upon his return to Gloucester, Tony founded Precision Roofing Services of New England in 1984. The company has been an important part of the Cape Ann economy for almost 40 years, providing solid jobs to several generations of laborers. In 2007, Corrao was the recipient of the Northeast Roofing Contractors’ Association President’s Award. After being nominated by his staff, he was named “Best Boss” of the year by the National Certified Contractor’s Network.

Corrao joined the Gloucester Rotary in 2002, and served as its President in 2011-2012. He is an active member of the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, working on several key committees and serving two terms on the Board of Directors. Tony is also a longtime member of the Friends of the Rose Baker Senior Center. His reputation as a volunteer is legendary, as is his willingness to put his trucks and his men to work on behalf of the City and numerous community organizations.

Tickets to the Paul Harris Dinner are $53 per person, and may be reserved by contacting event Chair Steve Kaity at 978-879-1051. The dinner is open to the general public, and friends and colleagues of Tony and Joanne, his wife of 25 years, are encouraged to attend.

Summer STEM opportunities for middle and high school students!

~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy’s popular Summer STEM program is back with new opportunties for middle and high school students!

Our STEM Enrichment Programs are courses designed to provide middle and high school students the opportunity to experience hands-on science in a biotechnology laboratory.

Held in state-of-the-art teaching labs at Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, the week long program allows students to dive into authentic laboratory investigations. Students use cutting-edge biotechnology equipment, the scientific method, and critical thinking to analyze samples and make data-driven conclusions.

All are welcome! There is no math or science experience needed to participate – the course is designed to meet all student needs.

Two courses will be offered this summer – Fish Fraud Forensics and the new Mean Glow Green – with two weeks available for each course. Click here to learn more and to download the registration paper work. Please reach out to Laura Richane, Director of Partnerships and Enrollment, at laura.richane@gmgi.org with any questions.

Book Launch Celebration for ‘Sea Gull and the Sea Captain’ at the Sawyer Free Library and Cape Ann Museum

~ Sawyer Free Library

From New York Times, bestselling author and National Book Award Nominee Sy Montgomery comes the sweet, brightly illustrated true story of a seagull and a sea captain who became friends over the course of four summers. 

To celebrate the release of THE SEAGULL AND THE SEA CAPTAIN, the Sawyer Free Library, Cape Ann Museum, and The Book Store of Gloucester are hosting a celebration on Saturday, June 4, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. The afternoon will feature the book’s author Sy Montgomery, illustrator Amy Schimler-Safford, and special guest Gloucester’s own, Schooner Lannon Captain Heath Ellis, who was the true-life inspiration for the story! 


Heath, the president of Schooner Sails, made headlines in 2019 when he made friends with a seagull who would visit him on his sailboat! Author Sy Montgomery heard this news and was inspired to write a picture book which became THE SEAGULL AND THE SEA CAPTAIN.


This Saturday, June 4, at 1:00 pm, Author Sy Montgomery will do a reading and a book signing at the Sawyer Free Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue. Copies of the book will be available for sale. After the reading, participants are invited to the Cape Ann Museum at 2:00 pm for a ‘The Seagull and the Sea Captain’ -themed kids art activity. It promises to be a fun-filled afternoon for everyone! 

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

Book Launch on Saturday, June 4 at Sawyer Free Library

“Ask A Muslim Anything” with Robert Azzi at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

On Thursday, June 2 at 6:00pm, join Robert Azzi at the Sawyer Free Library, for a conversation about being a practicing Muslim in small-town New England. The Exeter-based photojournalist, who is an Arab-American Muslim, has put together the program called “Ask a Muslim Anything” that he hopes will help reduce misunderstandings between people of different faiths.  As a part of it, he visits area communities to provide space for open questions about his faith, offering one man’s perspective and experience. Is there a question you’ve always wondered about Islam but never had the opportunity to ask? This is your chance.

Ask a Muslim Anything: Thursday, June 2 from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. The event is free and open to all to attend. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Winslow Homer: American Passage – an evening with curator and author William R. Cross at the Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library is pleased to welcome curator and local author William R. Cross for a discussion of his book Winslow Homer: American Passages on Thursday, May 26 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  

Cross’ newly published book Winslow Homer: American Passage is a definitive biography of the painter. It studies Homer in the context of how his life as an artist was shaped by the turbulent, dramatic political times he lived through, from the Panic of 1837 to the Civil War and Reconstruction. Filmmaker Ken Burns (The Civil War) comments that curator/author William Cross “has done an admirable job bringing to life this most American of painters. Finally, Winslow Homer’s brilliant work and fascinating life are united in one volume.” 

During this special presentation, Cross will discuss Homer and his art, illustrated with slides of images and photos collected from his research.  

William R. Cross is an independent scholar and a consultant to art and history museums. He served as the curator of Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869–1880, a nationally renowned 2019 exhibition at the Cape Ann Museum on the formation of Winslow Homer as a marine painter. Bill is a graduate of Yale College, magna cum laude, and received an MBA at Harvard Business School.  He and his wife live on Cape Ann. 

Winslow Homer: American Passage will be available for sale at The Bookstore of Gloucester, located at 61 East Main Street in Gloucester, for those interested in having it autographed at the event. 

This event is free and open to the public at the Sawyer Free Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. Registration is not required. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org. 

Dementia Communication: Using Art and Art History to Connect presentation with Siobhan McDonald 

~ Sawyer Free Library

 On Saturday, May 21 from 2:00 – 4:00pm, the Sawyer Free Library will be concluding its series Of Sound Mind with a presentation by artist, teacher, and author Siobhan McDonald.

Siobhan is passionate about helping seniors with memory loss to connect with loved ones and caregivers through conversation and sharing their personal stories. She will share how providing visual arts workshops to seniors with memory challenges inspired her interactive book designed for entertainment, understanding, comfort, and connection: Hilda’s Story: New Bedford, MA.

Get a nostalgic glimpse into the true-life story of Hilda, the child of immigrant parents, as she grows up during the years following World War II in a historic city on the coast of Massachusetts. Experience the decades through the wonder of invention and love of family.

Hilda’s Story: New Bedford, Massachusetts is meant to be shared, and your interaction with your listener can become as meaningful as the story itself. This Picture Book style hardcover (11″ x 8.5″ / 40 pp.) is a wonderful resource for families and caregivers but can also be offered for someone to enjoy at their own pace.

Caring for a senior who is dealing with dementia or other health issues can be challenging, but also joyful and rewarding. Come learn more about this important topic. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit SawyerFreeLibrary.org or call 978-325-5550.

May Veggie Seedling Sale

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

🍅 Our May Seedling Sale is now OPEN to the public! Visit our online shop for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and MORE, generously grown for our community by our friends at Cedar Rock Gardens. Shop here.

Proceeds from this sale support Backyard Growers’ programs empowering people to grow their own fresh food 🌿 THANK YOU for partnering with us in this work.

Some fine print…

🌱 The sale is open until Thursday, May 19; seedling pick-up is on Saturday May 21, 11am-2pm, at 103 Maplewood Ave, Gloucester. We will also have other growing supplies and any surplus vegetable seedlings available for purchase.

👉🏾 Seedlings marked FREE are reserved for our program participants, who also receive advanced access to our seedling sale to ensure they get the plants they need. Please do not order a FREE seedling if you did not receive a raised bed or GrowBag garden from us this year. Thank you for helping us support our program participants.