East Elementary School Fourth Grade “Battle of the Books”

~ Sawyer Free Library

Sawyer Free Library was honored to participate in this fun event, promoting literacy and education within the community.

Fun was had by all fourth graders last week at East Gloucester Elementary School first ever “Battle of the Books,” a challenge where students read books and then came together to test their book knowledge in a game show-style competition. This fun literary competition was between three teams of East Elementary School fourth graders. 

With the students’ parents and families cheering them on, the fourth graders competed by answering questions about books on the “Battle of the Books” list. It was a competitive until the end, with the final score being: Team 1: 27 points, Team 2: 29 points and Team 3: 27 points.

Over the past four months, from April 3 through June 7, East Gloucester Elementary School fourth graders have been reading an assortment of children’s book titles — from a designated list of 15 books — to equip themselves with knowledge about plots, characters, and themes for the school’s first-ever “Battle of the Books.” Organized by the school’s Fourth Grade teacher Ruth Flaherty, who served as the host of the event, with support from Sawyer Free Library’s Tween Librarian, Marisa Hall, the aim is to make this an annual event and expand to include all fourth graders across the school system.

This “Book Battle” was meant to encourage reading for pleasure, reward the development of comprehension skills and encourage teamwork among young readers. The titles selected vary from easy to more difficult within the 4th-grade reading level. Each participating student was assigned a book to begin the “Book Battle.” They were encouraged to read other book titles if they completed the book. They could read as many as they liked and were able to read over the four months. 

Mrs. Flaherty asked questions to the teams one at a time, and they had one minute to discuss the answer. Teams receive 1 point for each correct answer and 0 for incorrect or incomplete answers. The opposing teams had the opportunity to answer a question that was incorrectly answered.  

Sawyer Free Library was honored to participate in this event. The Library believes in the power of reading to ignite young minds. SFL Tween Librarian Marisa Hall was a part of the program kick-off, visited the students regularly to discuss the books, hosted after-school study sessions in preparation for the big day at the SFL, and served as guest host of the Book Battle! 

Langsford Cemetery Tour

~ cmaney27

As part of the Gloucester 400+ celebrations, on Saturday, June 10th from 1:00-2:00PM, Melissa & Russell Hobbs’ cemetery tour, “Families of Lanesville” will be held at the Victorian Langsford Cemetery (32-34 Langsford Street, Gloucester, MA). The tour will cover the families of Munsey, Langsford, Duley, Sargent, and Haraden. There will be a reading of the Veterans names listed on the cemetery’s Civil War Monument by Veterans. The Hobbs will discuss the Lanesville Veterans of the War of 1812 and the “Battle of Gloucester 1814” which occurred at Folly Cove.  There will also be a demo on “How to Clean a Gravestone”, (https://www.gloucesterma400.org/event/cemetery-walk-series-families-of-lanesville/). The cemetery is not handicapped accessible, and the terrain is uneven.  This particular free cemetery tour does require an Eventbrite registration, https://www.gloucesterma400.org/calendar/list/page/2/

Limited parking is available on Washington Street and Langsford Street. On Saturday there is a CATA bus to Lanesville leaving the Rose Baker Senior Center (6 Manuel F. Lewis St, Gloucester, MA 01930) at 9:25AM & 11:25AM. See the CATA link for the times the CATA bus leaves Lanesville and returns to the Rose Baker Senior Center, https://canntran.com/routes/lanesville/

Lane’s Cove Fish Shacks

~ cmaney27

Lanesville is a buzz on Saturday, June 10th with 400+ Gloucester celebrations. After the free Cove Hill Cemetery tour (https://www.gloucesterma400.org/event/cemetery-walk-series-5/), visitors can grab some lunch from the Lanesville merchants and make their way to Lane’s Cove to visit the free Pocket Museum Open House at the small Fish Shack between 11:30AM – 1PM. There will be a free 30-minute presentation, History of Lane’s Cove, at the large Fish Shack at 12:00PM. These cove events are sponsored by the Lane’s Cove Historical Association (https://www.gloucesterma400.org/event/pocket-museum-open-house/).

There is limited parking on Washington Street. A Saturday CATA bus to Lanesville leaves the Rose Baker Senior Center (6 Manuel F. Lewis St, Gloucester, MA 01930) at 9:25AM & 11:25AM. See the CATA link for buses leaving Lanesville and returning to Rose Baker Senior Center. (https://canntran.com/routes/lanesville/)

Cove Hill Cemetery Tour

~ cmaney27

As part of the 400+ Gloucester celebrations, a free 10:00 -11:00 AM cemetery tour, “Cove Hill 1720” will be given on Saturday, June 10th at Cove Hill Cemetery (1052R Washington Street, Gloucester, MA) by Walter and Joyce McGrath. The cemetery tour will discuss the early settlers of Flatstone Cove and the evolution of the village of Lanesville.  The tour will cover the families of Duley, Lane, Gott, Sargent, and Young, pauper stones, different types of headstones (slate, marble, and zinc), orientation of headstones, and Veterans of the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars. There is limited parking on Washington Street. On Saturday there is a CATA Lanesville bus leaving the Rose Baker Senior Center (6 Manuel F. Lewis St, Gloucester, MA 01930) at 9:25AM with a returning Lanesville bus heading back to the Rose Baker Senior Center around Noon. For more details visit, https://www.gloucesterma400.org/event/cemetery-walk-series-5/

SAWYER FREE LIBRARY RECEIVES SUPPLEMENTAL STATE GRANT FOR HISTORIC LIBRARY RENOVATION AND EXPANSIONS

~ Sawyer Free Library

Library grateful to local elected officials for helping to secure critical funding and commitment to 2025 Sawyer Free

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), in collaboration with the Executive Office of Administration and Finance of the State of Massachusetts (A&F), has devised a comprehensive plan to address the escalating costs for current public library construction projects within the confines of its regulations and annual cap. As part of this plan, the MBLC has approved a maximum one-time additional grant payment of up to $999,963 to the Sawyer Free Library to mitigate the impact of cost escalation for its renovation and expansion project. These funds supplement the just over $9 million construction grant awarded by the MBLC Construction Grant program to Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library for its comprehensive renovation, modernization, and expansion. 

“The Sawyer Free Library would like to extend its deep appreciation to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance for recognizing the importance of our historic renovation and expansion project and taking proactive measures to assist us in overcoming the financial challenges associated with cost escalation,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Sawyer Free Library’s Board of Trustees. “We are also especially grateful to our local elected officials including Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante, and Mayor Greg Verga, for advocating on our behalf, leading us to secure this funding and their unwavering support and commitment to our public library. This additional grant payment brings the City of Gloucester closer to realizing its vision of the 21st-century Library it so needs and deserves.”   

The supplemental funding of $999,963 from the MBLC will tremendously help offset the negative impact of pandemic-fueled cost escalation. In fall 2022, the appropriation for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library project was set at a total cost of $29M, including fixtures, furnishings and equipment. Current cost estimates remain on track to be under budget. 

This extraordinary additional one-time grant payment is a crucial boost to the Sawyer Free Library’s fundraising efforts to modernize and expand Gloucester’s Public Library. The Library is obligated to raise the total amount for Gloucester’s revitalized and reimagined Library. Public support for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library continues to be great and grow, evident in the funds it has raised to date. The Sawyer Free 2025 fundraising campaign, now with this grant, has over $17.5 million in committed funds, with more each day. 

The Library is grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community. While the campaign is now over half way to its goal, the Library project still need everyone’s support. For those interested in learning more or for ways to donate to this historic project, visit www.sawyerfree2025.org

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 2025 Sawyer Free Library project will preserve the original exterior, housing an entirely redesigned interior, and will also double the size of the existing Library’s footprint with a 14,000-square-foot addition. 

The Library will be designed for collaboration, creativity, and life-long learning featuring a digital makerspace, audio, and video recording studios, a 100-seat community room with state-of-the-science media presentation assets, a climate-controlled center for Gloucester history, a dedicated teen room, a beautiful expanded children’s room, study rooms for individual and group study, a 16-seat conference room, and much more. 

The Sawyer Free Library Board will officially break ground on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library this Fall. The project will take approximately eighteen months. The Library is currently operating at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.  For more information on the Sawyer Free Library’s services and summer programming, visit, sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Rending of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library Dale Street Entrance

THIS WEEKEND: Seaside Vintage Market at Second Glance

~ todtheopendoor

Shop for vintage-style home décor, housewares, linen, art, furniture, jewelry, and clothing!

WHEN: Saturday June 10 and Sunday June 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door, at 2 Pond Road Gloucester MA 01930

WHAT: Don’t miss the vintage shopping event of the season!

Revenue at Second Glance supports the hunger-relief programs of The Open Door.

In 2022, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,486 people (4,872 households) through the distribution of 1.78 MILLION pounds of food. Learn more at FOODPANTRY.org

Storytime Yoga at Treetop Yoga: THIS TUESDAY!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Namaste! Enjoy yoga with your little ones at Treetop Yoga!

Join Erin McKay and Sawyer Free Library for Storytime Yoga – FREE yoga for children exploring stories, movement and fun this Tuesday, June 6 at 10:45 a.m. at Treetop Yoga!

Hosted by Sawyer Free Library, the free program will be held at Treetop Yoga Studio, 3A Pond Road.  Yoga for children 5 and under and their caregivers. 

Register at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact: jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.org

G400+ Athletic Committee Presents Youth Track & Field Day!

~ g400+events

G400+ Athletic Committee presents Youth Track & Field Day! Join us on June 18th from 10am-1pm for this FREE event for K – 8th grade aged kids; no experience necessary but pre-registration is required! This will be a fun day outside at Newell Stadium at GHS with a number of events, including: 100M & 200M race, softball throw, (soft) javelin, and long jump.

You can register your kiddo’s at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZzooz8n2J6tNNbMhzQyXCPzkASVG2OvfyOlS3-i8CfcG4GA/viewform

Backyard Growers Workshop: Tomato Care Tips & Tricks

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

Keep your tomatoes healthy so they can produce the most delicious fruit this season!

In this workshop, Backyard Growers Program Coordinator Xavier will share the most important things to take care of to ensure good tomato health, including tomato ailments and challenges to watch for. We’ll also give examples of different trellising styles and their uses to give you a range of methods to keep your tomato plants growing upright.

Join us to keep your tomato skills sharp!

📆 June 8, 4:30-5:30pm

📍 Burnham’s Field Community Garden (Courtside – by the basketball courts)

🎟 FREE for Backyard Growers program participants (eg 2023 Backyard Garden, Community Garden, GrowBag Garden Programs)

🎟 $15 general admission – proceeds support Backyard Growers’ work to build healthy, connected, resilient communities by empowering people to grow their own food

Learn more & purchase your tickets.

Hayley Reardon kicks off Sawyer Free Folk Showcase on Thursday, June 1!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Critically acclaimed local singer songwriter Hayley Reardon to perform at SFL @ 21 Main Street on Thursday evening!

Sawyer Free Library is excited to announce its Sawyer Free Folk Showcase this summer, a series spotlighting local singer-songwriters. The showcase will be held on the first Thursday of the summer months at its 21 Main Street location in downtown Gloucester. The first one is this upcoming Thursday, June 1, with Gloucester-based singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

Hayley will perform a 45-minute set of her music followed by a brief discussion about her approach to songwriting and lyrical composition. The evening is free and open to all to come and enjoy.  No registration is required.

Hayley Reardon is a critically acclaimed folk-pop artist and a storyteller in the truest sense of the word. Her songs are postcards from an artist brave enough to take the road less traveled. Raised in Massachusetts, Reardon dove headfirst into music at 15 and honed her craft for over a decade, sharing the stage with acts like Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, and Anaïs Mitchell, among others. Her raw artistry boasts a lyrical and melodic weight far beyond her years. Her music has been described as “brilliantly moving folk/pop with a lyrical depth and soul” (Performer Magazine) and “a melancholy little masterpiece” (American Songwriter Magazine). She recently made a splash with her single, “Losing From Within,” grabbing the attention of Spotify Editorial Playlists like Fresh Folk, Folk Pop, Morning Coffee, and Today’s Singer/Songwriters. Her latest EP, In The Good Light, was recorded in Barcelona with Catalan collaborator Pau Figueres (one of Spain’s finest guitarists). Having recently made her home here in Gloucester, Hayley wowed audiences at the 2023 Singer/Songwriter Challenge at Machaca, winning first prize and making a memorable impression on the Cape Ann music scene.

The Sawyer Free Library is honored to have her perform for its first Sawyer Free Folk Showcase series. 

For more information, visit the calendar at sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5571.