The Power of Play Festival is Back!
Gloucester Education Foundation is proud to host our second annual Power of Play Festival!
What: The Power of Play Festival: a day of play for ALL AGES. 
When: Sunday, March 26, 2017 11am-2pm
Where: Gloucester High School Field House, 32 Leslie O. Johnson Road, Gloucester
Who: Gloucester families and kids. Admission $5 per family at the door.
Gloucester Education Foundation’s Power of Play Festival will feature fun family activities like: an obstacle course, art projects, lego building challenges, hula-hooping, giant board games, music, dance, fort-building, goop-making, sand and water play, simon says and LOTS more.
Play promotes creativity and innovation, and helps kids develop skills that are a foundation for life-long success, including critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and collaboration.
Hosted by Gloucester Education Foundation and Sponsored by Cape Ann Savings Bank and Cape Ann Savings Trust & Financial Services Department
Gloucester Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization made up of parents, teachers and community volunteers. We drive innovation in the Gloucester Public Schools, supporting programs ranging from music and theater; to literacy and art; to technology, math and science.
How much do you know about Gloucester during the Depression? Come and find out!
Gloucester Snow Emergency Declared: Parking Ban Starts at 10AM 3/14, Schools Closed
The City of Gloucester has declared a snow emergency and parking ban on all city streets due to an upcoming severe snow storm. All city buildings including City Hall, library and schools will be closed on Tuesday, March 14th, with regular city hours planned for Wednesday, March 15th (weather permitting). Please see full parking ban timing, warming shelter updates and complete details below:
PARKING BAN:
Effective at 10:00 AM tomorrow, Tuesday, March 14th, until 7:00 AM Wednesday, March 15th all vehicles are banned from parking on city streets. Residents may park in all municipal and school parking lots. Please remove all vehicles from municipal and school parking lots before the parking ban expires at 7:00 AM Wednesday. School parking lots will be the first areas to be ticketed and towed once parking ban has concluded.Violators of this emergency declaration will be at the owner’s expense.
TRASH & RECYCLE PICKUP DELAY:
Trash and recycling will NOT be picked up Tuesday and will resume Wednesday on a holiday schedule (one day delay).
SNOW CLEARING:
All residents and businesses are reminded that they are responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property. Please make every effort to shovel out hydrants at or near your homes. Your cooperation during this parking ban is necessary for efficient and safe snow removal efforts.
NEIGHBOR SAFETY CHECK:
Please check on your elderly and disabled neighbors, especially if there is a loss of power. Various warming and safe shelters will be announced and updated for anyone in need, and seen below.
POWER OUTAGES:
National Grid is preparing for a Nor’easter which could bring blizzard-like conditions to our area, including high winds and approximately 1-2 feet of heavy, wet snow. National Grid reminds customers to keep safety a priority. It is a good idea to ensure cell phones and electronic devices are charged so that you can stay connected during the storm. To report an outage or see a map of outages currently reported, please visit: https://www1.nationalgridus.com/ReportOrCheckOutage-MA-RES or call: 800-465-1212
WARMING CENTER UPDATES:
Warming centers are locations where the public can congregate during daytime hours to remain warm through severe winter events. They often use existing staff at locations that are otherwise open, but all groups are committed to Gloucester in providing a coordinated multi-agency response for the community’s needs.
- Action Inc: Given the impending snowstorm, Action, Inc. has made arrangements for the Emergency Shelter (located at 370 Main St. in Gloucester) to be OPEN on Tuesday, March 14. Meals will be served. Staff can help any questions and can be reached at Main Phone: 978-282-1000 or via Email: mlezynski@actioninc.org. Open Door will be supplying food for Action shelter.
- Gloucester Housing Authority / Rose Baker Senior Center: The Gloucester Housing Authority office will be CLOSED on Tuesday, March 14 due to the storm. Residents are advised to remain indoors until after the storm has subsided. In the event of a maintenance emergency in one of our buildings, please call (978) 283-4435. GHA Operations Director Cliff O’Neill and Executive Director David Houlden can be reached via this number in the event of an emergency.
Maintenance crews will work to keep emergency access routes open during the storm, but will not clear remaining walkways and parking areas until after the snow has subsided. Common areas of the Sheedy & Clark Buildings are powered by generators during a power outage. The generator at McPherson Park powers the elevators and hallway lighting.
- The Grace Center: The Grace Center will be CLOSED on Tuesday, March 14. Their emergency team is available to respond and can be reached at Phone: 978-675-6240
- The Open Door: The Open Door programs, including Second Glance, will be CLOSED on Tuesday, March 14. Our emergency team is available to respond to open the building if a larger community emergency should arise. Open Door will be supplying food for Action shelter.
“Green Screen 101” Cape Ann TV- Lunch & Learn Series ‘After-Hours’
Learn how to green screen at Cape Ann TV’s next Lunch & Learn ‘After-Hours’! on Tuesday, March 21 at 7PM
Cape Ann TV’s Lunch & Learn Series continues on Tuesday, March 21 at 7PM with “Green Screen 101”. Presentation and demonstration by Ted Reed, professional video producer.
Think of all the times you’ve wanted to battle with Vikings, dive deep beneath the ocean waves and fly to the moon and beyond. Well, now you can!
Join us for our first Lunch and Learn ‘After-Hours,’ when we explore the basics of shooting on green screen. We’ll cover the basics of what you need for cameras, lighting, and software right here at Cape Ann TV’s studios. Find out how to make your own special effects—special!
WHAT IS GREEN SCREEN/CHROMA KEY?
Chroma Key or Green Screen is a fantastic tool for filmmaking that opens up so many storytelling opportunities. It isn’t too difficult provided you know the basics and is easy to use for your films whether you are making an independent low budget film or Hollywood Blockbuster.
Green screens are a key tool in a technique called chroma keying. In a basic scenario this may involve a person/subject being filmed standing in front of a green (or blue) screen. Then using an editing program the green color is digitally removed from the video file leaving the person/subject. A new image/video is then layered behind them. If done well it should look as though the person is actually standing in the scenario that is happening in the background.
The ability to chroma key opens up an array of options for filmmakers. For example if you are filming a news story and you need your presenter to look as though they are standing out the front of the Taj Mahal, then you could use this technique instead of ACTUALLY taking a news reporter to the Taj Mahal. It saves a lot of time and money.
Join award-winning local video producer Ted Reed on Tuesday March 21st at 7PM at Cape Ann TV for Lunch & Learn After Hours “Green Screen 101”. This event is free and open to the public.
Space is limited for this event; please RSVP to rtober@capeanntv.org to reserve your spot.
Only A Few Tickets Left – Irish Sweepstakes Event
Only ten tickets left – don’t miss out on your chance to WIN BIG!
At next week’s Irish Sweepstakes event we give out a total of $20k in prizes, including a grand prize of $10,000. The party also features a 50/50 raffle, an Irish dinner and cash bar. Join us for the fun!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Gloucester House Restaurant | 63 Rogers Street, Gloucester
Tickets are $100 and may be purchased by stopping by or calling the Chamber office at 978-283-1601.
Free Immigration Information and Services
Immigration has always been an important part of our national heritage and defines our culture and identity. The City of Gloucester joins many other U.S. cities in offering community immigration support to its residents.
In collaboration with Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Carolyn Fuchs, Esq. has volunteered to meet confidentially at the Rose Baker Senior Center with any Gloucester resident who has questions about citizenship, family sponsorship or other immigration questions. Attorney Fuchs has practiced Immigration Law since 1979 and looks forward to helping the residents of Gloucester with any immigration issues they might have.
These services are free and open to residents of all ages. Please call the Rose Baker Senior Center at 978-281-9765 ext. 22 to schedule a confidential appointment.
9th Annual Cape Ann Farmer’s Market Dinner & a Movie Fundraiser!
Poetry Workshop at the Cape Ann Museum
Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop
Saturday, April 29
10:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
In this workshop, former North Andover poet laureate Gayle Heney will teach participants how to write poetry using the Cape Ann Museum’s collections as inspiration, concentrating on the new exhibition, Charles Movalli: Cape Ann & Beyond. As time allows, participants will be introduced to poetry prompts, stanzas, quatrains, ekphrastic poetry and experimental poetry. Depending on interest, discussion of the editing process and the option to read/perform may also be included.
$10 Museum members/ $20 non-members. Space is limited; reservations required. For more information email info@capeannmuseum.org. Tickets can be purchased by calling 978-283-0455 x10 or online at Eventbrite.
Rise Up and Sing Out!
Fourth Annual Pete Seeger Legacy Sing-a-long will be held Sunday, March 12 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
The Cape Ann Interfaith Clergy Association in cooperation with Folk Life Studio and the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church present the Fourth Annual Pete Seeger Legacy Sing in an open community sing-a-long entitled “Rise Up and Sing Out!”.
This family friendly event will be held on Sunday, March 12 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner of Middle and Church Streets in Gloucester, MA. Song sheets will be provided and those with acoustic instruments are welcome to come and play along.
The first sing, organized in 2014, was a memorial celebration held shortly after the passing of the iconic folk singer/activist.
Since then, a local social justice organization has been selected each year to be the 
recipient of freely given donations from the sing-a-long attendees. Those beneficiaries were the Grace Center in 2015 and the Backyard Growers in 2016. This year donations will go to ECCO: the Essex County Community Organization. ECCO is a diverse network of congregations and organizations across the North Shore building relationships and power to put human dignity at the center of public life.
The two hour event will begin promptly at 3:00 PM with a break planned at the half-way point. People are welcome to come and go throughout the afternoon.
