The community’s young artists’ talent and creativity is front and center for all to enjoy at the Library located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester nowthrough June 5, 2021.
Gloucester Education Foundation’s Annual Arts Festival has kicked off in the Library’s Matz Gallery with a display of works by Gloucester High School seniors and Honors Art students, Advanced classes in Sculpture and Clay Work, and Advanced Photography.
Photo by Kyle Clifford, GHS Senior on display in Matz Gallery at Sawyer Free Library
Then, Wednesday, June 2 – Saturday, June 5, 2021, the community is invited to enjoy a special video compilation produced by the Gloucester Education featuring artwork by students of all ages, kindergarten through high school.
The video, which local filmmaker Stephen Brock generously produced, will be shown Library’s big screen on the first floor as well as in the Children’s room through the day during regular Library hours. The video will also be available to view on GEF’s website, thinkthebest.org beginning on June 6th.
Hearts created by students at Beeman Elementary School
For more information about the Gloucester Education Foundation Art’s Festival, visit thinkthebest.org and for information on the Library, go to sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Slice of Cake by GHS Senior, Aryana Moreno on display at Matz Gallery at Sawyer Free Library
The SAWYER FREE LIBRARYand WELLSPRING HOUSE are pleased to announce the launch of GLOUCESTER CONNECTION. This innovative multi-lingual website (gloucesterconnection.org) connects the greater community to Gloucester’s vast social services for education, health care, housing, and much more. The new free-to-use web platform is an easy-to-navigate centralized online directory and calendar that consolidates information from local organizations, services, and events for residents, visitors, and service providers, prioritizing accessibility by making it available in over 100 world languages.
Recognizing the need to streamline access to critical local resources, the Sawyer Free Library and Wellspring House, with contributions from Action Inc., Gloucester Housing Authority and Gloucester Public Schools, came together to align their efforts —and created the Gloucester Connection. Social Capital, Inc. was hired to develop the site.
The group identified and enlisted over fifty Cape Ann social service organizations, both public and private, to participate, organizing their information into six categories: Basic Needs, Youth Education and Programs, Adult Education and Job Training, Housing, Transportation, and Health and Wellness. The Gloucester Connection resource partners collectively provide access to a wide variety of direct services from how to register kids for public school, sign up for MassHealth, find information and applications for housing, and information about Cape Ann transportation, where to find English classes, and more.
Through Gloucester Connection, users can directly contact the resource for assistance. Participating organizations can also access similar information and look up individual organizations’ pages to determine their services and update their own offerings, programs, and events. Lastly, the website features a community calendar where all Gloucester Connects’ resource partners can share events, programs, and new initiatives with the public.
“Every day, at the Sawyer Free Library, we aim to improve the lives of people in our community with the power of information. Gloucester Connection is a direct expansion of our core mission,” said LibraryDirector Jenny Benedict. “There is a wide range of social services available throughout Cape Ann, but trying to find what exactly you are looking for can be overwhelming, especially if you are new to Gloucester or English is not your primary language. With Gloucester Connection, we hope to change this with a welcoming platform that easily connects people to the resources and social services they need in a language they understand. From legal services, shelters, school and library services to mental health resources and more listed on the site, each organization acts as a lifeline for those in need on Cape Ann. We are proud to be a part of and sponsor such an important collaboration that directly supports our community.”
“We want community members to have easy access to the resources and services they need, whether they have just arrived or have lifelong family ties in Gloucester,” said Melissa Dimond, President and CEO of Wellspring House. “Gloucester Connection helps people get clear and current information for any number of life circumstances. For example, we see firsthand at Wellspring House the manychallenges immigrants face as they adapt and get acclimated in their new community. Our collective hope is that the Gloucester Connection will help make this transition easier. It is part of what it means to be a welcoming community.”
Cape Ann based non-profit organizations or resource-focused agencies are invited to join Gloucester Connection to help strengthen the resource network for Gloucester residents. Those interested in registering with the platform may contact Sawyer Free Library Community Librarian Julie Travers, jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Gloucester Connection is sponsored by Sawyer Free Library with key support from Wellspring House. To access services or to learn more, visit www.GloucesterConnection.org.
The coronavirus shut down our schools for 66 days this spring. That’s over ⅓ of the school year. In a split second, teachers were forced to rethink entire teaching plans and move classrooms online. Administrators had to quickly find the technology and devices for 2,900 students to access remote learning. Children were forced to accept that they would only see their teachers and friends on a screen for the rest of the school year.
The pandemic has left Gloucester’s schools with unforeseen challenges, additional student support needs, increased expenses, and urgent needs for technology, supplies and resources to prepare for the coming school year.
The School Response Fund, created by Gloucester Education Foundation, will provide flexible support, so demands can be met quickly to current and evolving school needs. These include tutoring to help students rebound from learning loss during school closure, and resources to meet student and family social-emotional needs in the wake of the pandemic. Additional technology and supplies for learning at home may also be needed if remote learning continues.
Please donate online at www.thinkthebest.org to GEF’s School Response Fund. No amount is too small, and every gift is appreciated.
Massachusetts will be impacted by a significant storm tonight into Tuesday evening with the potential for blizzard-like conditions and snowfall rates of 1-3” per hour. This storm could bring significant snowfall and strong coastal high winds with potential for power outages. Snow is expected to begin tonight and continue into Tuesday evening across much of Massachusetts. National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for all of Massachusetts, and a High Wind Watch for Cape Ann, the eastern coastline, southern Bristol and Plymouth counties, and the Cape and Islands.
We recommend that all citizens shelter at home and avoid all travel during the storm. Poor road conditions are expected across Tuesday and emergency teams need all streets clear to allow effective service. Gloucester will enforce an emergency parking ban across all city streets until 6 AM Wednesday, March 14th (unless updated otherwise). This parking ban means all vehicles are banned from parking on city streets. Residents may park in all municipal and school parking lots, but please be aware that citizens are solely responsible for any weather related liability at public parking lots.
Please use caution across this storm and call 911 for any emergencies.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
If you are in danger, CALL 911 FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE or call Gloucester Police Department at (978) 283-1212. Please note the following social services in the City will be open this weekend during the storm and frigid cold.
Action Inc. will be open all day Tuesday and Weds until 11 AM (978) 282-1000
In the event that you lose power or heat over the weekend, the City encourages residents to shelter in place, stay with a family/neighbor who has heat and contact the Gloucester Police Department immediately for any concerns about staying safe or warm. The police can assist you in finding a place to go with power and will be working with American Red Cross of Massachusetts to assist residents in need.
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, and please check on your elderly and disabled.
Your cooperation during this snow emergency/parking ban is necessary for efficient and safe snow removal efforts, but please use the following links from state agencies for more insights:
Updates will be forthcoming as the storm progresses. Please check the City of Gloucester website and social media for further updates at www.gloucester-ma.gov.
Thank you for your assistance and stay safe during this snow emergency. ~Chris
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.
Issued by Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken at 2:20PM, Sunday, Feb 12th:
Effective at 6PM tonight, Sunday, February 12th, the city has declared a snow emergency and parking ban on all city streets due to expected heavy sleet, snowfall, and powerful wind gusts. Additionally, Gloucester schools will be closed tomorrow and trash collection will be delayed one day.
Again, starting at 6PM tonight, Sunday February 12th, until 9AM tomorrow, Monday, February 13th, all vehicles are banned from parking on city streets.
Residents may park in all municipal and school parking lots but must remove their vehicles once the ban has expired at 9AM tomorrow or will be subject to ticketing and towing at the owner’s expense.
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, and please check on your elderly and disabled. Again, violators of this emergency declaration are subject to ticketing and towing at the owner’s expense.
Your cooperation during this parking ban is necessary for efficient and safe snow removal efforts.
To repeat, the City of Gloucester has issued a parking ban on all city streets as of 6PM tonight, Sunday, February 12th, 2017 until 9AM tomorrow, Monday, February 13th, with all vehicles banned from parking on city streets between those hours. Additionally, Gloucester schools will be closed Monday and trash collection will be delayed one day.
Updates will be forthcoming as the storm progresses. Please check the City of Gloucester social media pages or website for further updates at www.gloucester-ma.gov.
Tomorrow, Thursday, February 9th the City of Gloucester and all public buildings including City Hall and schools will be closed. Effective at 8:00 AM tomorrow, Thursday, February 9th, the city has declared a snow emergency and parking ban on all city streets due to an upcoming severe snow storm.
From 8:00 AM tomorrow, Thursday, February 9th, until 7:00 AM Friday, February 10th 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 Friday. 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. Your cooperation during this parking ban is necessary for efficient and safe snow removal efforts.
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, and please check on your elderly and disabled. All city buildings will be closed on Thursday, February 9th with regular hours planned for Friday, February 10th weather permitting.
To repeat, the City of Gloucester will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, February 9th, with a parking ban issued on all city streets as of 8:00 AM tomorrow, Thursday, February 9th, 2017. The ban shall be in effect until 7:00 AM, Friday, February 10th
Updates will be forthcoming as the storm progresses. Please check the City of Gloucester website and social media for further updates atwww.gloucester-ma.gov
The Gloucester Public Schools Art Festival is here! Join us for a free day-long celebration of art, music, dance and theater. Amazing artwork by Gloucester’s pre-K-12 students will be on display and performances will take place all day. We’ll even have a group art project taking place in the Cape Ann Museum Courtyard. Don’t miss this fun, family event for all ages. Sponsored by Gloucester Education Foundation
When: Saturday, May 14, 2016 10:30am – 3:30pm
Location: Downtown Gloucester – Sawyer Free Library, City Hall, Cape Ann Museum, The Hive, Pleasant Street Tea Co. & Toodeloos!
Schedule of Events
10:30 AM: Opening Remarks – City Hall / High School Drama Workshop – Sawyer Free Library 10:45 AM: Dancing Through the Decades workshop with Sarah Swift – City Hall 11 AM-1 PM: Collage Art Project – Cape Ann Museum Courtyard (inside the Museum if raining) 11:15 AM: Mad Hot Ball Demonstration – City Hall / High School Culinary Reception – Sawyer Free Library 11:45 AM: Elementary Schools Recorder Concert – City Hall / 3D Printing Demonstration – The Hive 12:15 PM: Ukelele Demonstration by East Gloucester Elementary School – City Hall 12:45 – 1:45 PM: Pottery Wheel Demonstration – Cape Ann Art Haven / Gloucester High School Chorus – Sawyer Free Library Amphitheater 1:30 PM: Poetry Reading by Middle and High School Students – City Hall 2:00 PM: Into the Woods Prologue by High School Drama Students – City Hall 2:15 PM: O’Maley Middle School Band – City Hall 2:45 PM: GHS Docksiders Jazz Band – City Hall 3:15 PM: GHS Docksiders with O’Maley Middle School Band – City Hall 3:30 PM: Closing Remarks – City Hall All Day Visual Art Displays Elementary Schools – Cape Ann Museum
West Parish Elementary – Toodeloos!
Middle School – City Hall & Pleasant Street Tea Co.
High School – Sawyer Free Library
High School Woodworking – City Hall
Cape Ann Community 