Due to the recent significant increase in cases nationally and locally, we are providing you with a weekly snapshot of current metrics - please click on the button below for national, state, county and city/town data.

For additional information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please see the "COVID-19 Updates" section below.

Join the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the opening of Happy Humpback Cafe with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Help us welcome the cafe to Magnolia and the greater Cape Ann business community as we help kick off Happy Humpback's Grand Opening.

Celebrate our 100th year with us! We’re safely gathering with Greater Cape Ann’s business leaders and local, city, and state officials at the beautiful Beauport Hotel to enjoy delicious food, great company, and dance the night away on Thursday, March 10. Tickets are now available and going fast. See the registration page for COVID protocols.

Winter Birding Boat Trip 

Saturday, March 12 | 8 AM - 1 PM

The Chamber’s coveted Winter Birding Boat Trip to Stellwagen Bank is on a waitlist! Set to depart on Saturday, March 12 with 7 Seas Whale Watch, attendees will have the opportunity to see many species of marine wildlife in addition to the concentration of winter seabirds. Don’t hesitate to reserve your spot today on the waitlist.

Call for ideas and actions! The City of Gloucester is looking for your input for the Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP). Please take a few minutes to fill out this anonymous survey. Please share this survey link and invite others to participate.

Make a donation to SeniorCare's Meals on Wheels program before February 9, 2022, and a Valentine will be delivered to a North Shore elder in your name. Join Us Online on Feb 14, 2022, at 10 AM for a special photo montage of past breakfasts.

The Gloucester Rotary has produced a beautiful 2022 calendar, featuring scenic photography from local artists. In addition to the calendar, each purchase enters the buyer into a weekly raffle. $50 prizes will be drawn each week with two bonus prizes-- a $250 prize in June and a $500 prize in December. Calendars are $25 each, and proceeds from the sale of calendars will be used to support the many projects of the Gloucester Rotary.

The calendars are available for purchase online or in person at the Weathervane Gift Shop, located at 153 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (978-281-1227), at BankGloucester, located at 160 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (978-283-8200), and from any Gloucester Rotary member.

Montserrat College of Art Gallery will present Samuel Bak and the Art of Remembrance, from January 19 to March 5, 2022, at 23 Essex Street. Presented in cooperation with Pucker Gallery, Boston, this exhibition presents a selection of paintings by the acclaimed artist and Holocaust survivor. A public reception will be held on January 27 from 5 to 7 PM. It is free and open to the public.

Please join us as we listen to respected artist Brian Rutenberg discuss his artistic journey. This exciting talk is free and open to the public! All are welcome! Widely considered to be one of the finest American painters of his generation, Brian Rutenberg has spent forty years honing a distinctive method of compressing the rich color and form of his native coastal South Carolina into complex landscape paintings that imbue material reality with a deep sense of place.

This workshop will briefly look at the traditional elements and principles of landscape painting, and use these tools to inform and create compelling abstract work of art. This workshop is designed to provide the structure necessary to enter an abstract painting language with intention and ease, while still providing space for freedom and intuition.

At the end of January, the Cape Ann Museum is partnering with cultural institutions and businesses across Gloucester including Art Haven, Movement Arts Gloucester, MA (MAGMA), Maritime Gloucester, Dogtown Books, Discover Gloucester, the Gloucester Cultural Council, and the Cape Ann Makers Market to celebrate the Fish City’s recognizably salty character with Gloucester’s So Salty. Inspired by our friends down in Salem and their annual Salem’s So Sweet event, Gloucester’s two-day event will include ice sculptures on display, salty sweets for sale, free kids art activities, and much more.

Get outdoors this Winter with a Fire Pit Adventure! Take a hike and explore the grounds and then warm up around one of our campfires.

Admission includes parking, 2 hours for a self-guided hike, exclusive use of a campfire for 1 hour, firewood, s'mores supplies, and seating. You are welcome to bring your own seating, blankets, and snacks. Please no alcohol or dogs.

Need help understanding your iPad? Enroll in iPad Undergrad, a free three-session class with Technology Assistant Librarian, Joann. Learn about settings, apps, Siri, and more. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Beth Israel Lahey Health and its member hospitals are conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment to better understand the most pressing health-related issues impacting the people living and working in the communities they serve. Please join them to hear key themes from our assessment, share your perspective, and discuss potential solutions.

Join Greenbelt and meet local trail runner Kyle Robidoux, and hear about his journey overcoming the continuing challenges of running while visually impaired. Kyle has now completed over 25 marathons and ultramarathons, including five Boston Marathons and three 100-mile races.

Misselwood is ready to ring in the new year with an amazing limited-time special! Take your team out of the office and join us on campus.

Book your corporate meeting during our semester intersession dates and receive 50% off the facility rental. Call 978-232-2128 or email misselwoodevents@endicott.edu to start planning your meeting today.

Local Sales, Discounts & Promotions

January 18th, 2022 – The Essex National Heritage Commission (Essex Heritage), in keeping with its long tradition of supporting the region’s unique cultural heritage, announced the start of the 2022 Partnership Grant program cycle, now through February 25th. Over the next year, the 12 grant recipients will be working to implement a diverse range of educational, interpretive, accessibility and preservation projects throughout Boston’s North Shore and the Merrimack Valley. Any eligible organization is encouraged to apply, the application process has been designed with simplicity in mind and most applications take less than an hour to complete.

The new Creative County Initiative website is user-friendly and beautiful. Over the next two months, website developers would like to collect at least 200 Artist and Organization Profiles, and populate the events page with as many live and virtual events, workshops, and opportunities as possible. Organizers plan to launch a major promotional campaign in March as they build public awareness of this amazing resource.

Work has begun on constructing a temporary bridge. Please see below for a general timeline of the Essex bridge replacement project over the next three weeks. Please note that the schedule is subject to change.

On December 13, the Governor signed a $4B COVID-19 spending plan to support continued recovery across key priority areas, making substantial investments in housing and homeownership, healthcare, workforce development, premium pay for essential workers and infrastructure. The funding, first proposed by the Baker-Polito Administration in June of 2021, will put to work a portion of the Commonwealth’s direct federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Read more about the bill – including its support for housing, small business, and the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund – in the press release below.

Mass Growth Capital Corporation has matching grant funds to help eligible small businesses develop digitally. With Empower Digital, qualifying businesses will receive advisory support and funding for hiring, equipment, software, and more.

For more information about Empower Digital and Biz-M-Power grant opportunities, please visit the website below.

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

Click the link below, and complete the form to place your order. No credit card information is required.

Governor Baker announced last week that beginning this week, and continuing through March, Massachusetts will receive a total or 26 million rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits. The Governor also announced that the Department of Public Health has also issued updated guidance on when to get tested. To view the Governor’s press conference, please click here. To see the latest guidance from DPH please below.

PCR testing site has opened in the Stage Fort Park parking lot. Testing will be by appointment only, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM Monday – Saturday. Testing is by appointment only, make your appointment below.

CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.

Based upon review of current COVID-19 caseloads, testing positivity rates, average daily

incidence rates, regional hospital capacity and the rise of variants with increased infectiousness, the Gloucester Board of Health has found that there exists in the community a disease and cause of sickness that is dangerous to public health and that action is necessary to minimize the further spread of that disease.

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave law requires employers to provide up to one week of paid sick leave to employees who need leave for a covered COVID-19 related reason. Read the full update below.

Conley's Drug Store is no longer offering in-store vaccinations. Please go to their new clinic located at 79 Turnpike Road in Ipswich. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 10 AM - 5 PM.

Conley's also sells at home antigen tests, KN95 masks, and other protective equipment.

Identification and health insurance are not required. Walk-ins will be accepted while supplies last at each clinic.

Ipswich | Mondays from 2 - 6 PM

Our Lady of Hope Rectory

Essex | Thursdays from 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Town Hall Annex

Rockport | Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon

Community House

Located at 40 Beach Street in Manchester, Allen's Pharmacy has RT-PCR test appointments available this week. Their RT-PCR test device offers a runtime of 30 minutes which allows them to provide you with same day results. RT-PCR tests are considered the "gold-standard" of COVID-19 testing. This molecular test is administered using an anterior nasal swab to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material or RNA.

Cape Ann Savings Bank is a $850 million mutual savings bank, serving the Cape Ann Community for 175 years! In 2022, the Bank will be opening the new “Gloucester Crossing Branch” at 4 School House Road in Gloucester. “We are growing and hiring at ALL locations”. Cape Ann Savings Bank prides itself in offering its employees an excellent benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, 401(k), defined benefit plan, life insurance and more! Click below to view their current job openings.

This is a dynamic, flexible, 20-30 hour/week job for someone with strong communication, project management, and administrative skills who is passionate about supporting public schools. GHS alumni and anyone that reflects our diverse school community are encouraged to apply.

Growing Gloucester CPA firm, is looking for part-time tax preparation and bookkeeping help from January through April. Potential for full time.

Seeking a tax preparer to prepare and/ or review tax returns. Flexible hours. Basic knowledge of Tax returns and forms including W2, 1099s required. Knowledge of Lacerte helpful but not required.  Knowledge of QuickBooks online helpful but not required. Please send your resume to: janselmo@hmpccpa.com

The Executive Director has primary accountability for the accomplishments and fiscal integrity of the entire organization and works with the Board of Directors to determine the focus and direction of the organization. The Executive Director is responsible for the operations of the NBCVB, by acting as its spokesperson and representing it before others.

Anthony & Dodge is a full-service, progressive public accounting firm located north of Boston.

Our firm has been providing consulting, tax, and accounting services to individuals and businesses for over thirty years. We believe in a hands-on approach which translates into an intimate knowledge of our client’s personal and business financial and tax needs. We are currently seeking a self-motivated, highly organized, team player with experience in public accounting to lead tax and accounting engagements.

Iron Tree Service is looking for a ground crew member to join their team. Their ground crew team members receive competitive rates commensurate with your experience. Working with Iron Tree Service is not a job; it’s a way of life. Their team is the heart of their success. They’ve become the fastest growing and highest rated professional tree service company in Massachusetts

Action Inc. has more than 70 current employees. For over 50 years, our staff has been committed to promoting social change and improving our community. Now, we are looking for dedicated individuals – who want to make a difference – to fill the positions listed below. Apply now to join our team!

Senior Care offers ongoing training, supportive supervision, great team relations and a sense of challenging, worthwhile work within the local communities they serve. This position is an important part of an Agency that has been in operation for over 45 years and is devoted to multiple programs supporting people’s ability to live in the setting of their choice as they age.

If you are interested in promoting with the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and sponsoring this newsletter, please contact Ken Riehl at ken@capeannchamber.com