Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Event 2025

~ chasnaz

GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE, MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. BIRTHDAY EVENT 2025
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation proudly presents its ninth annual
Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday event. It will be held on Monday, January 20th
at 2:00pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner
of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). An elevator is available
from the side door at 10 Church Street. No charge for admission but freewill
donations are gratefully received. For more information please visit:
www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org


This year’s program will honor Dr. King by featuring the work being done by two
local groups to reckon with history. Afterward, there will be a discussion about
how vernacular history gets written, “how the word is passed.” The program
will open with a recording of Martin Luther King, Jr. reading segments of
“Letters from Birmingham Jail.”


Joe Rukeyser from the Cape Ann Slavery and Abolition Project will present
recent research on abolition. Melissa Dimond of Wellspring House will follow
with that organization’s work on the Freeman Family, the prominent Black
family who called the Wellspring House home for over 100 years. Then Michea
McCaffrey, co-chair of the Gloucester Racial Justice Team, and Dick Prouty,
founder of TownGreen and board member of the Gloucester Meetinghouse
Foundation, will lead a discussion on critical points made by author Clint Smith
in his book How the Word is Passed. (It is not necessary to have read the book.)
The Paul Revere Bell in the Meetinghouse tower will be rung at the end as
people disperse onto the newly restored green.

ABOUT THE GMF: The mission of the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is to preserve the historic
1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, as a civic hub,
entertainment venue and community gathering center. The GMF is a 501(c)(3) corporation modeled on
a similar nonprofit that preserves Boston’s famous Old North Church.

How Does One Restore a Medieval Castle?

~ Hammond Castle Museum

Thursday, January 16th
10:00 – 11:45 am
10:00 – 10:30 am: Coffee & light refreshments
10:30 – 11:30 am: Presentation
11:30 – 11:45 am: Q&A/Conclusion.

Join us for a detailed discussion of recent and ongoing restoration efforts at the Museum with contractor and mason Roger Tremblay and Director of Education & Visitor Services Caleb McMurphy.  In the past few years, Tremblay, and his firm A+R Construction, have headed some of the most significant restoration projects in the Museum’s history, including the renovation of the Museum’s iconic 13th-century French monastery arches, originally situated in the Franciscan monastery of Couvent des Cordeliers, in Gers, France. In 2024, Tremblay’s team intervened to save a portion of the “towers” section of the building, modeled off of an 11th-century Norman keep, which had been badly damaged by winter weather.

Over the course of an hour, Roger and Caleb will discuss these and other ongoing and upcoming restoration projects, using photos taken during the work itself to give a look behind the curtain at just what it takes to maintain such a unique and historic building. After this, audience members will have a chance to ask questions of their own and get an opportunity to become involved with Hammond Castle Museum’s continuing mission to preserve John Hays Hammond Jr.’s legacy.  

Member savings apply.

General Admission: $15

Proceeds from this program will support the restoration and preservation of the Hammond Castle Museum.

Reserve Your Seats Here!

Author Talk at Sawyer Free: Thursday, Jan 9th

~ Sawyer Free Library

Please join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday, January 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm for an Author Talk with Diane C. Bradley.  The Boston-based author Diane C. Bradley will discuss The Summer Before, her gripping novel about trauma, guilt, and the resilience of friendship which explores the shattering impact of abuse and healing journey that follows.

All are invited, no registration required. The discussion will take place at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street in Gloucester. If you have questions, please contact: lsvensson@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

About The Summer Before:

If the perpetrator is also someone you love, there are no words.

Madeline and Summer are more than best friends. They might as well be sisters; they’ve claimed the title, anyway-and sisters tell each other everything. But Summer has a secret she’s been hiding for years. Someone’s been hurting her, someone close, and when it comes out, it destroys everything around her with the force of dying stars.

Six years after the trial, Madeline is a haunted young woman trying to build a new life in Boston, but the guilt of her betrayal brings her to the brink of suicide. To let go of the past, Madeline must confront her father, mother, and all those involved with the trial that split her family apart-or continue her descent, finishing what she started to escape it.

About the Author:

A raw, gritty New Englander, Dianne C. Bradley, is a registered nurse and freelance writer. Dianne and her family, both human, furry, and feathered, are firmly planted in a small town north of Boston, not far enough away to lose her city edge. After falling in love with Martha’s Vineyard on a weekend visit as a girl, she returns every summer, reigniting her passion for writing in the magical place that inspired it.

Celebrating a great 2024 at the Gloucester Education Foundation!

~ gloucestereducationfoundation

As 2024 winds down, the Gloucester Education Foundation is celebrating a banner year of community support and dynamic programming benefitting the 2,862 students of the Gloucester Public Schools. We distributed over $500,000 in grants to support 24 different programs in GPS this year! Thank you to everyone – students, educators, administrators, volunteers, board members, families, and especially our generous donors – for your work to strengthen teaching and learning in our local schools. Here’s to a great 2025!

Ring in the New Year with a Laugh!

~ coliecatherine

Join us for a Bad Xmas Gift Yankee Swap at the American Legion Post 3 on December 31st @ 6PM!

Unleash those unwanted Xmas gifts! Bring a wrapped, unwanted, funny, or slightly embarrassing gift to participate in the Yankee Swap.

Details:

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Food: Delicious Chinese Food Buffet (included!)
  • Swap: Bring a wrapped gift to join the fun!
  • Lounge: Open until 10:00 PM

Let’s swap those bad gifts for something (hopefully) better and celebrate New Year’s Eve together!

What are you doing this New Year’s Eve?

~ Hammond Castle Museum

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!

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.
Free parking.

Learn more & reserve your tickets here!

12/29 CAPE ANN BIG BAND and JAMBALAYA HORNS, NEW YEAR’S CONCERT!

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation proudly presents the Cape Ann Big
Band with the Jambalaya Horns, plus guest vocalists Katy Geraghty and
Rhiannon Hurst, in a festive New Year’s Concert. The concert is on Sunday
December 29th at 5:00pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, on
the green at the corner of Church and Middle Streets. Admission: $30 General,
$10 Students (all ages), Under 12 free. Tickets at the door and online with more
info at: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

Since 2010, the Cape Ann Big Band, conducted by Carlos Menezes, has connected
with local musicians of all ages and backgrounds to inspire, challenge, and
educate. Inspired by the sounds of Jazz, Swing, New Orleans’ street bands, Soul,
and Rock n’ Roll, the Band prides itself in a repertoire without horizons. The
Jambalaya Horns provide added punch, with added Funk, Soul, and Brassy
Second-Lines. They will make you feel like you’re in New Orleans!
This is a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy the sounds of two of our
community’s most amazing bands and to celebrate the coming New Year in our
historic 1806 Meetinghouse!

Side entrance at 10 Church Street provides a lift/elevator for those who are challenged by stairs. Street parking as well as parking on the green is also available.

Sawyer Free Library Receives $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant for new Digital Learning Lab

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $50,000 Hometown Grant from T-Mobile. This generous grant will support the creation of the Digital Learning Lab, a cornerstone of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library transformation. The future focused space is designed to bridge the digital divide and equip the community with essential 21st-century skills.

The community is invited to join the celebration during the Middle Street Walk festivities. A ceremonial check presentation will be held on Saturday, December 14, at 12:00 p.m. in Kyrouz Auditorium immediately following The Cape Ann Big Band’s performance. All are welcome to attend!

T-Mobile’s Hometown Grant program is part of the company’s commitment to investing up to $25 million by 2026 in small towns and territories across America. These grants aim to create lasting impacts by supporting community-focused projects like Gloucester’s Digital Learning Lab.

Thanks to T-Mobile ‘s investment in Gloucester, the Sawyer Free Library is poised to continue serving as a beacon of learning and empowerment, ensuring all members of our community have access to the tools they need to succeed in our rapidly evolving world. The Library’s new Digital Learning Lab will offer:

  • Two audio recording studios
  • Four digital media creation, digitization, and collaborative workstations
  • A 12-seat classroom with an interactive teaching display

Spanning 800 square feet located on the ground floor, the Lab will be fully accessible, climate-controlled, and equipped with high-speed broadband internet and advanced technology. It is designed to support a wide range of users, from workforce development participants to budding entrepreneurs and independent innovators.

As part of the larger 2025 Sawyer Free Library renovation and expansion project, the Digital Learning Lab underscores the Library’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive learning environment for Gloucester’s residents.

Come one and come all this Saturday at City Hall at 12 noon and help us thank T-Mobile for their tremendous support of our incredible city!

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy Accepting Applications!

~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

The second cohort of the Class of 2025 begins January 6th, with spaces still available. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

This innovative, hands-on training program prepares young adults for professional careers as life sciences laboratory technicians. Students spend six months of hands-on learning in a state-of-the-art teaching facility in Gloucester’s Blackburn Center, followed by three-month paid internships at a North Shore or Greater Boston biotech company.

The program is open to students ages 18-30 with a high school diploma or the equivalent. No math or science experience is needed to apply.

Once again, tuition and fees will be waived — in their entirety — for the Academy’s class of 2025. In addition, qualifying students can receive a stipend of $1,000 per month to help support their living expenses while training. GMGI is committed to providing STEM education opportunities to all, regardless of financial background.

Please visit the Apply page on the GMGI website for more information on the program, and to submit your application. Space is limited so don’t miss this amazing opportunity! Reach out to Laura Richane — laura.richane@gmgi.org — Director of Enrollment & Partnerships, with any questions or to request a tour.