Donna Ardizzoni

As of Saturday, February 12, all Cape Ann communities that had mask-wearing requirements for public indoor spaces have ended these mandates. Local public health advisories remain in place across the greater Cape Ann region. For a community-by-community summary please click below.

Please click on the button below for our weekly snapshot of national, state, county and city/town data.

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

Get a closer look at Rocky Neck Now 2022, mingle with artists and enjoy treats from The Last Stop while networking with fellow Chamber members. This event is free and masks are required.

Interested in hosting Business After Hours in March? Contact Sara at sara@capeannchamber.com

Join the Chamber for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating FreshPrep 360. Help us welcome Gloucester's newest and healthiest business. FreshPrep specializes in prepared meals, grab & go options and meal planning. Meet the incredible people behind FreshPrep 360 and find your new favorite healthy lunch and dinner option!

Winter Birding Speaker Series 

Free Events | Tours, Presentations, and Professional Guides 

Saturday, February 26 | 9 AM

Friday, March 11 | 5 PM

Sunday, March 13 | 9 AM

Saturday, April 30 | 8 AM

The Chamber's Economic Outlook Breakfast is core to our mission to help grow the local economy, and has been held annually for over 30 years. Join us with housing expert and award-winning Realtor and business owner Cynthia Nina-Soto, as we discuss how accessible housing is key to job creation, business development, stabilized neighborhoods, and overall economic prosperity.  

  

Ms. Nina-Soto, 2020 Board President at North Shore REALTORS ® is a staunch advocate for affordable housing and a board member for Harborlight Community Partners.

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 going fast so sign-up today!

Sponsorships are still available for the Annual Celebration. Please see the link below for a summary of sponsorship opportunities. Contact Sara at sara@capeannchamber.com for more information

Winter Birding Boat Trip 

Saturday, March 12 | 8 AM - 1 PM

The Chamber’s coveted Winter Birding Boat Trip to Stellwagen Bank is sold out, but you may join the 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.

On Thursday, March 17, the community of greater Cape Ann will come together once more to try their luck in our Irish Sweepstakes. 12 lucky leprechauns will win a "pot of gold", ranging from $500 - $10,000! Contact the Chamber today to purchase your lucky ticket!

The Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce office is a donation site for the OpenDoor & Ipswich Business Roundtable Food & Clothing Drive. Please drop off the items requested in the link below. Share the love this month and make an impactful donation today!

Select your favorite places on the North Shore of Boston to dine, renew, shop, and play. Vote in one subcategory or all 140+!

Backyard Growers is now accepting 2022 garden applications. Every year, Backyard Growers connects hundreds of Cape Ann residents with the resources to grow their own food in community gardens, backyard gardens, and container gardens. Interested parties can visit www.backyardgrowers.org to learn more and apply, or call 978-281-0480 for assistance filling out an application.

A Special Announcement From Conley's and Fit Forward! Watching the Olympics inspires us to get in shape for spring. Conley's is very pleased to announce our partnership with Fit Forward, a private fitness training facility in Ipswich. Fit Forward offers private and group semi-private fitness training dedicated to the idea that "Exercise is the Best Medicine".

March 1st Deadline! Employees may be surprised they qualify for this new construction, affordable rental opportunity! Please share with employees/friends/colleagues – anyone who may benefit from stable, below-market-rent (utilities included)

The Residence at Riverbend is asking for pet supply donations to benefit the Ipswich Humane Group and Dawgs Fight Back Rescue. Swing by 149 County Road in Ipswich and drop off donations in their lobby.

John Wigglesworth, science and math teacher at the Waring School in Beverly will give an overview of the long-term study that SEA Education Association of Woods Hole has conducted to quantify the amount and concentration of plastic pollution in the Western Boundaries of the North Atlantic.

Get outdoors for a magical night for grownups. Savor a hot cocktail from the 1634 Meadery while you warm up at a fire pit. Grab a tasty bite from Empanada Dada or a cup of hearty chili. Enjoy live music and a light show. Admission includes onsite parking, entertainment, food, and one drink ticket. Additional drinks may be purchased onsite.

Best known for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice, Liz Longley is an accomplished singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, TN. With her deeply emotional music, Longley has earned accolades from some of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country, including the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship Competition.

Come join us for our 1st "Pint for a Pint Blood Drive" of the winter at True North Brewery. 116 County Road, Ipswich, on Saturday, Feb, 19th, 2022 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Be one of those hero's - give a pint of blood and receive a voucher for a pint of one of True North's award winning brews as our thank-you!

Kicking off February school vacation, another FREE Children’s Program of entertainment is on tap for Saturday, Feb. 19 – right in your home, via virtual internet Zoom broadcast – presented by the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation to start Cape Ann public schools’ 2022 Winter Vacation.

What responsibility do museums have to actively collect and exhibit Black history? How can this responsibility be fulfilled through collaborative exhibition practices? Doneeca Thurston, Director of the Lynn Museum will share the conception, collection, and implementation of the Lynn Museum’s exhibition Untold Stories: A History of Black People in Lynn. She will be joined by Kyera Singleton, Executive Director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters in Medford, MA to discuss the growth and change of both institutions.

Join National Heritage Fellow Harold Burnham, and his Apprentice KD Montgomery (Dench) for an update on their progress for the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship. After a hiatus for the summer sailing season Harold & KD are back working on the rehabilitation of Sylvina W. Beal, the return home of Schooner Isabella, and all manner of shipyard nonsense.

No need for mountain travel, or skis! Dress in your winter best and gather friends for another fun evening in the Beauport Lobby, this time transformed into a stylish "apres-ski" chalet-like Champagne Lounge - for one night only! Sip on Veuve Clicquot Brut or Rosé, available by the bottle and glass, and groove to upbeat sounds by the award-winning Jimmie Espo of 617 Weddings & Events! Enjoy a gourmet light menu featuring shellfish towers, caviar, savory bites, sweets and more.

Try your hand at maple sugaring at Appleton Farms! Join for a fun, hands-on workshop that kids and adults will love. After exploring our maple sugaring tools, use our hand drill to practice tapping a tree! Go through the whole process from maple sugar tree ID to boiling sap, and we’ll be sure to play along the way. Appleton Farm's knowledgable educator will answer your questions so you can be a sugar maker at home. We’ll finish up with a story– and, of course, a maple syrup sample!

Join the Cape Ann Museum's Teen Arts Council to learn about a variety of creative career paths, including careers at cultural institutions like the Cape Ann Museum, artistic careers represented by artists in CAM’s collection, and careers in the trades that build the world we live in.

The Ipswich Business Roundtable and the Open Door have teamed up for a food and new clothing drive. Stop in at any participating business and drop off any of the items listed. The Greater Cape Ann Chamber is a donation drop off site for the drive. Share the love this Valentine's Day!

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

The City of Gloucester is now accepting applications for the 2022 Community Preservation Act (CPA) round of funding. Eligibility forms must be submitted by March 8, with full applications due May 3. CPA funds can be used for:

Join leading authorities and learn how the state’s economic development programs can be applied to your business. In this time of recovery, it’s critical that our business community take advantage of all the resources the Commonwealth has to offer – from job recruitment to hiring incentives, tax credits to workforce training, grants and money-saving initiatives, and everything in between. Join us and see how both MassHire BizWorks can assist your business.

LEAP is now recruiting employers and

community members! Be a “Career Mentor” and virtually advise a youth/young adult summer intern in a six-week project-based remote learning experience.

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 25. 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.

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.

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.

For the Annual Fund & Donor Services Manager, we are seeking a strategic, results-driven, experienced professional who is energized to further Wellspring’s mission through development and fundraising activities.

Don Gorvett Studio and Gallery in Gloucester, MA, is seeking a part-time studio assistant to work alongside the master printmaker. Flexible hours are necessary, and training will be provided—compensation depending on needs.

Cape Ann Savings Bank is an $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.

Works by Jesse DeBenedictis, LLC is the North Shore’s premier residential contractor, with a staff of 30. Based in downtown Beverly, the company is known for superior quality, high-end residential construction, both new and remodel. You can learn more about us by visiting worksbyjd.com

Schooner Adventure is seeking a new Executive Director in partnership with Pillar Search & HR Consulting. Please visit their opportunities page below to learn more about this exciting leadership position.

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.

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.

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

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.

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