July 2020

Manchester-Essex Rotary Club “Run for the Roses” Raffle

Manchester-Essex Rotary Club announces its “Run for the Roses” raffle which features three grand prizes, 1^st place is $7500, 2^nd place is $1500 and 3^rd place is $1000. Only 300 tickets have been printed which makes the odds one to one hundred to win one of the three cash prizes. Tickets are $100 each. Contact a M-E Rotarian to purchase a ticket. (Mike Storella at m.storella@comcast.net, 781-710-2475 or Chris Shea at cknsshea@aol.com, 508-843-4979). The drawing will be held September 5, on a live Facebook event.

This year the pandemic forced us to cancel our major fundraising events, the Kentucky Derby Auction and the Red, White and Blue Pancake Breakfast. These two events help us raise approximately $30,000 half of which goes directly to $10,000 in scholarships in May. The other $20,000 is distributed to local organizations such as Open Door, Beverly Boot Straps, Action, Wellspring House, Cape Ann Symphony, civic enhancements such as the Essex Memorial Park and various other charitable needs. We ask your help to make this raffle a successful fundraiser in a time of greater need due to the pandemic. Take a chance and do some good in the community.

We continue to invite guests to our weekly meetings, now via Zoom. Contact President Sean Zahn for the link to our meetings and see if Rotary is for you. We are a group of local residents and business people who are dedicated to giving back to our community and supporting international relief. Our motto is “Service above Self.” We look forward to meeting you.

Seniors are invited this summer to participate in the Massachusetts Farmers Market Nutrition Program– hosted by SeniorCare Inc. and your local Council on Aging. Due to COVID-19, instead of issuing Farmers Market Coupons, Seniors will be provided with bags filled with a variety of fresh produce from local farms. Eligible seniors will receive two bags of fresh produce each valued at $12.50. The first bag will be distributed during the months of July or August. A second bag will be distributed in August or September approximately 14-30 days from receipt of the first bag for a total value of $25.00 in fresh produce.

To be eligible, participants must be 60 years of age or older and have a monthly income below $1,968.00 for one (1) person and $2,658.00 for two (2) people.

To register or for more information contact your local Council on Aging. (click here for list of participating Councils on Aging) Participation is limited and based on a first-come, first-served basis, per person.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.

To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

SeniorCare Inc. is an equal opportunity provider.

Join us on Thursday, July 9th for the final GMGI Science Hour of the season: “GFP: Lighting Up Life” with Nobel Prize winner Martin Chalfie.

In 2008, Dr. Chalfie was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with co-recipients Osamu Shimomura and Roger Tsien for the discovery and development of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). His demonstration of the GFP gene’s capability as a biological marker revolutionized the biological sciences and contributed to major advances in genetics, cell biology, and neurobiology, and to a better understanding of cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_972Cd7nZQDG0wxx_LkWDtg?fbclid=IwAR1iC_eqfJ2E9pNKMIxkZrl3FkoOc4-aYd0AY7wUhWCndueYh2x7LNd_Rc8

It is with much sadness that we announce the cancellation of the 36^th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. Maritime Gloucester and the Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee worked diligently to create alternative options and try to keep this signature celebration going, but the realities of the pandemic and growing concerns for participants and spectators made this a necessary and timely decision.

The Gloucester Schooner Festival is one of Cape Ann’s most beloved cultural events. This gathering of schooners, hosted by Maritime Gloucester, is made possible by the volunteer efforts of over 30 people and local organizations who serve as committee members, as well as the many sponsors and donors who fund the event. Raising money and planning for this weekend is a year-long process and we do not take cancelling it lightly!  We had held out hope that there would be a window of opportunity by Labor Day, but it is time to make the call.

“No one is more disappointed than Maritime Gloucester, the Committee, and the Schooners to not be able to offer the Festival this year,” states Michael De Koster, Executive Director of Maritime Gloucester. “While it is a difficult decision to make, we all know that this is the right call and needs to be done sooner rather than later. For the sake of our volunteers, organizers, sponsors, visiting schooners, crews, and city officials, the time to cancel has to be now.”

This year’s Festival would have commemorated the 100^th Anniversary of the International Fisherman’s Cup race. “Maritime Gloucester had planned a summer-long series of exhibits, visiting vessels, and programs that would have culminating in one of the best Schooner Festivals to ever grace Cape Ann,” added De Koster. “But the pandemic has changed those plans. We need to make sacrifices and smart decisions now so that we all can return to school, work, and promote the general health of our community.”

Maritime Gloucester is looking forward. The 37^th Annual Festival planning has started.  “Without the revenues and sponsorships from this year’s events, we will need to work twice as hard to raise funds for next year’s celebration,” states De Koster. “Although we are cancelling our event, we cannot cancel the cultural importance and love of this Festival throughout the community.”

Maritime Gloucester plans to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of the International Fisherman’s Cup race by repackaging this year’s cancelled exhibits and programs into a series of events, virtual programs, and lectures throughout the coming year, leading up to a great 101^st Anniversary and 37^th Annual Festival in 2021.

We thank ALL of the wonderful sponsors, donors, volunteers, City officials and workers, and the Cape Ann community for their efforts and support!

Michael De Koster, Executive Director, Maritime Gloucester

Daisy Nell Collinson, Chair, Maritime Gloucester Schooner Committee

June 30 CACF Grant Application Deadline Just Days Away

June 30 CACF Grant Deadline Fast Approaching

Online Applications Available

The revised deadline for grant applications to the Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) is next Tuesday, June 30, 2020 now just a few days away.  The CACF Board of Directors, in addition to extending this year’s application deadline, has streamlined the application form and submittal process.  Printed copies of applications are no longer necessary. A submittal by email is sufficient.  A pdf of the revised application is available on the CACF website www.lovecapeann.com.  Board members have also created the application as a Google form, which is available here.  Many organizations have submitted applications already, but for those that have not time is running short.

Eligible applicants include religious, educational, scientific and cultural institutions; poverty relief agencies; and in general any organization that qualifies as a 501(c) (3) charity and is based in or providing services to the Cape Ann community. Local governments and their subdivisions, including schools, in the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport are also eligible to apply for CACF grants.

CACF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage funds and award grants from the proceeds from the Cape Ann License Plate.  CACF will make grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and vacation.

• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the start-up of new enterprises or the expansion of existing enterprises on Cape Ann.

• Training and Education: projects that support the training and education of the current and future Cape Ann workforce, including entrepreneurial training, to help Cape Ann residents succeed and thrive in the 21^st century economy.

In their first three annual grant rounds the Cape Ann Community Foundation has made awards totaling $39,000 to 14 Cape Ann area non-profit organizations and schools: Action, Inc., Backyard Growers, Cape Ann Art Haven, Cape Ann Farmers Market, the Educational Foundation for Rockport, Generous Gardeners, Manchester Essex Regional High School’s Green Team, Pathways for Children, Project Adventure (in partnership with Schooner Adventure), Rockport Exchange, Sawyer Free Library, The Open Door, The Sunrise Fund and Windhover Performing Arts Center.

“My fellow Board members and I encourage all Cape Ann area non-profits and municipalities with eligible projects to submit proposals for this funding cycle,” said CACF Board President Ruth Pino. “And remember, any Massachusetts resident can buy the Cape Ann License Plate. We need more Cape Ann plates on the road to ensure funding for worthy initiatives in the future,” Pino added.

Looking for plans this Thursday night? Join GMGI for our virtual Science Hour!

Nina Overgaard Therkildsen, fisheries scientist, assistant professor at Cornell University, and GMGI Science Advisory Board member, will join us via Zoom on Thursday, June 11^th at 7:30pm to discuss how she and her team use genomics as a tool for improving fisheries management.

Nina’s research aims to leverage the ongoing revolution in genomic analysis tools to help support sustainable fisheries management and marine conservation. Her talk will discuss the enormous potential of DNA as a tracing tool in a wide variety of ocean applications.

Invitation with details below.  RSVP to ashley.destino@gmgi.org.

The Cape Ann Farmers Market is happy to announce a Drive Thru/Pre-Order Cape Ann Farmers Market at Gloucester’s O’Maley Middle School starting Thursday June 4! 

Thank you to the CAFM community for your patience as we have been working hard to put together a plan to keep you, our patrons, and our vendors safe in this time of uncertainty. Cape Ann Farmers Market will look different this season, but we are, as always grateful for the opportunity to contribute to food access and security in our community.

For the 2020 summer season, the Cape Ann Farmers Market will be:

Thursdays 3:00-6:30
at the O’Maley Innovation Middle School
32 Cherry Street Gloucester

*Drive-thru and pre-order ONLY*

Summer is nearly here, and along with it comes the first delicious greens, radishes, and green garlic from our local farms. The harvest is coming in as it always does, and the Cape Ann Farmers Market is working to make sure that you can access it safely in these uncertain times. Preorder NOW to get your veggies, fruit, and baked goods for Thursday – or for the season if you become a shareholder at one of our farms. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and Farmer Dave’s  still have vegetable and fruit CSA shares available that you can pick up right at the Cape Ann Farmers Market. You can even use your SNAP/HIP benefits to sign up!

For this Thursday, you can preorder from one of the links below (more to come in future weeks), or come pick up your CSA share if you’re already a member:

Farmer Dave’s – Get your order in by 12:00 pm Wednesday before our Thursday market, and pick up your veggies, baked goods, flowers, and more!

Marshview Farm  – Get a spring veggie sampler, eggs, lettuce, or bok choy! Get your order in ASAP!

A&J King – preorder all of your favorite bread, cookies, pastries, granola, and other sweet things on TUESDAY so that you can pick up your delicious treats on Thursday.

Kim Gregory Pure Pastry – delicious options across the board for gluten lovers and gluten free alike!

If you preorder from one of our vendors -or you are a current shareholder of one of our farms – we can’t wait to see you on Thursday!

Please visit our website at capeannfarmersmarket.org and review our guidelines for joining us at the market to help us keep our community, our farmers, our bakers, and each other safe! 

**PLEASE NOTE: We too will be missing our home at Stage Fort Park and our friendly, social, open air market, but due to the current circumstances CAFM will be a drive-thru/pickup ONLY market held at O’Maley Innovation Middle School (32 Cherry Street, Gloucester). **