Wednesday, April 20, 2022

View of Great Neck and Steep Hill Beach, Ipswich (Adobe Stock)

Birding Speaker Series 

Every season has great birds in Rockport. We will begin the day with a tour a Halibut Point State Park to see what birds are there. It is not unusual to see over two dozen species in an hour's walk.

We will return to the Emerson Inn for a presentation where we will focus on the change of seasons, from the wonderful winter birds on the ocean, to the spring migrants coming to refuel for their trip farther north or to stay and nest.

Occurring on the first Thursday of the month at 9AM, the Greater Cape Ann Chamber hosts Coffee & Connections, a virtual networking event! We will continue holding these via Zoom so that you may join us from anywhere. Meet new people, expand your business connections and stay in touch with friends and colleagues.

This event will showcase the Cape Ann region's broad range of health and wellness services. From yoga and massage to general health screenings and resources, this event will provide something for people of all ages! The event will also include a Blood Drive with the Red Cross.

Thank you to our sponsors: Addison Gilbert Hospital, Beauport Hearing Care, Cape Ann Savings Bank, and Dependable Benefits Advising

The Chamber and The Emerson Inn invite you join them for our Business After Hours Event! Stay for the whole two hours or just stop by for a quick visit.

Business After Hours events are a great way to meet your fellow chamber members and learn about their businesses. Guests are always welcome so please feel free to bring non-chamber members to show them what the Greater Cape Ann Chamber is all about!

Please register in advance if you plan to attend.

Join us by playing in and / or sponsoring this fun and impactful event at the beautiful Bass Rocks Golf Club; with food on the course and a buffet dinner afterwards, prizes, raffles and give-aways – this is much more than a round of golf. The event supports the Chamber’s extensive work with the greater Cape Ann high schools, Essex Tech and education non-profits. Our programming includes: monthly collaboration on DECA support, intern and mentorships, social emotional learning needs, annual greater Cape Ann Career & Collage Fair and several scholarships.

The Greater Cape Ann Chamber is seeking weekday and weekend volunteers for both the Gloucester and Rockport visitor centers . If you or someone you know if looking to connect with and give back to the community, please get in touch with Becca Campbell at 978-283-1601 or becca@capeannchamber.com.

Mayor Greg Verga announced the launch of a new online reservation and payment system for non-resident beach parking for the 2022 beach season. The City of Gloucester will utilize Yodel, a parking management platform, to allow non-resident beachgoers to reserve and pay for their parking space at City beaches up to ten days in advance. This innovative technology will streamline the parking procedure for all visitors to Gloucester's beaches.

Gloucester’s year-long public transportation pilot project is closing out its first year on strong growth and a positive outlook. According to Cape Ann Transportation Administrator Felicia Webb, CATA On Demand will continue through at least mid-2023 and may become a permanent part of CATA offerings in Gloucester. Visit CATA On Demand webpage to learn more.

Stephanie Vanderbilt, owner of Coastal Windows & Exteriors, was recently highlighted by James Hardie as the only New England recipient as a woman-owned business during Women in Construction Week. Stephanie, a former teacher of the hearing impaired, opened the doors for business in 2011, bringing her educational mission to the home improvement company. Read more to learn how Stephanie’s story and mission is changing how the home improvement industry and experience for you as a homeowner should be!

Manship Artists Residency and Folly Cove Studio LLC announce the launch of The Folly Cove Intensive, a novel program to support creative entrepreneurs and makers. The program will give small business owners an opportunity to problem-solve and create growth opportunities with the help of experienced professionals.

As a reminder, you have until May 1 to select your favorite places on the North Shore of Boston to dine, renew, shop, and play. Vote in one subcategory or all 140+! This also the last chance to get your company on the ballot.

GLOUCESTER:

Store Hours: 8 AM -10 PM

FREE 3rd Alarm Wood Fired Pizza: 12 -2 PM

MULTIPLE Boston Calling Music Festival ticket raffles!

4:20PM: First Boston Calling Raffle Ticket winner pull. Winner will receive TWO single-day tickets to the 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival!

7:10PM: Second Boston Calling Raffle Ticket winner pull. Winner will receive TWO single-day tickets to the 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival!

Crocker Snow will discuss his book Muskeget, followed by his film Unintended Consequences: Protected Seals of Muskeget and Cape Waters.

A little-known island between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Muskeget is awash in natural wonders. Author/journalist Crocker Snow has been visiting uninhabited Muskeget, 9 miles east of Chappaquidick, to hike, hunt, fish, clam, paint, and experience its uniqueness for seventy years.

Sacred Heart Parish Hall, School St.

Mary Ellen Lepionka will present a short program about the Indigenous Artifacts in the MHM collection followed by appraisals of privately owned pieces. Registration required to have your arrowheads and other Indigenous Artifacts identified and documented.

Bring a picnic blanket and your favorite lunch to enjoy the return of spring. Then pick up a free art project at CAM’s Art Cart! CAM Docents will lead tours of the White-Ellery House and the new historic gardens, planted by local elementary school students with Backyard Growers during April Vacation Week. Step back in time and imagine what it would be like to pick plants from the garden and cook at the large kitchen hearth.

Children, their families and everyone who loves our Earth & storytelling are invited to an Earth Day celebration filled with Stories & Songs with one of America's most beloved storytellers. Diane Edgecomb is known for transforming into the characters in her tales bringing stories to vibrant life. Her warmth and invitation to participate brings today's family audiences into the heart of the moment. Registration is required.

Join us on the Saturday of Earth Day weekend to help us clean up, improve and beautify our own little corner of the planet at Appleton Farms. From 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, we will have a number of different activities for volunteers, including tree planting, mulching, garden tending or planting, and trail cleanup or maintenance.

Groups are welcome and encouraged to attend. All ages and levels of skill or experience are also welcome. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm and energy!

This year marks the fifth running of the race hosted by the Ipswich-Rowley Rotary in partnership with the Ipswich Ale Brewery, Ipswich YMCA, Institution for Savings, Trustees of Reservations and Beverly Hospital. All proceeds from the race are used to support local high school scholarships and other local charities. In the four years that the race has been run, it has raised more than $85,000 for deserving local charities. The race starts and finishes at Crane Beach and they expect 300-400 runners this year.

The film features Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre dancers filmed at two private Cape Ann quarries during the summer of 2021. This 36-minute film, produced by Lisa Hahn, Executive Director of Windhover and filmed by Anders Johnson, features original music composed by Joe Mulholland. The Zoom premiere is free to attend but RSVP is required for this event.

Boston based Canadian concert violinist Adrian Anantawan has dedicated his life to impacting people in and outside the concert hall. As a violinist he has performed in concert halls all over the globe and as a speaker, educator and disabilities advocate he has worked on bringing awareness to issues of access and equity in the arts for disabled communities. Adrian joins with pianists Leigh McAllister and Molly Joyce for a program of classical favorites and new arrangements for his Rockport debut.

Join us for a festive spring evening of food, friends and celebration of community to benefit Pathways for Children.

Honoring the inaugural recipients of the Sue Todd Service Award, presented for tenure and tenacity in support of Pathways for Children

Tickets: $100

Table of 10: $1,000

In an effort to bridge relationships between youth and law enforcement, Project Adventure is excited to present its first annual Amazing Race -

a teambuilding competition designed to take law enforcement and youth teams through a series of low and high challenge course activities. Members of the various Greater Cape Ann police departments are participating. Children and teens from Grade 6 to 12 are invited to participate.

Sponsorships also are available.

The Sawyer Free Library’s first-ever Comic-Con will be on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. It is an all-ages event celebrating comics and graphic novels, as art, as literature, and as a part of pop culture – bringing together fans, young and old, and creators for a jam-packed day of special guests, workshops with comic book authors and artists, live programs, fandom games, crafts and activities, photo ops with characters, exciting surprises, and much more. Attendees are also encouraged to wear costumes.

Includes several special sessions that require registration to participate.

Join Hammond Castle as they celebrate their 47th Season with a ribbon cutting ceremony and daylong celebration!  The festivities begin at 10 AM with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. The Lynnfield Middle School Pioneer Singers from the Lynnfield Middle School will perform in the Great Hall from 1 to 1:30 PM. The Museum will open to the public free of charge from 10 AM to 4 PM, offering self-guided tours. Registration is required and may be made in advance or upon arrival at the Museum.

In a partnership, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation and Temple Ahavat Achim of Gloucester present a Yom HaShoah program, marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Sunday, May 1, at 3:00 p.m. at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, Middle and Church Streets, Gloucester.

The program features the world premiere of a specially composed work for strings, piano, clarinet, and vocalists, The Grip of Evil: The Endurance of Hope, by American composer and lyricist Leslie Steinweiss, commissioned for the occasion by Temple Ahavat Achim with the support of sponsoring donors.

Come one, come all to the BlackBizBall and Awards Ceremony, a fantastic opportunity for those who want to do more business with people of color and for those who want to increase racial equity by welcoming Black people to Gloucester. Twenty-eight Black business owners and leaders will be honored.

The event is planned to be meaningful, productive, and fun. Proceeds will provide startup funding for the Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Academy for high-risk youth ages 13-24 in the Boston area. Individual tickets are $175 or a pair for $300. Sponsorships and tables of 8 are also available.

Join Gloucester 400+ for an enthralling presentation and dialogue with Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm.

Slide Into Spring Savings with 3 Ways To SAVE!

- Up To 20% Off Roofing, Siding, Windows & Doors!

- NO Interest, NO Money Down, NO Payments Financing Up To 24 Months!

- Free $100 Gas Gift Card with every purchase!

It’s Spring! Time to enhance your curb appeal & save money on energy bills with new windows, siding, roofing and doors. Whether you have an old leaky Roof, drafty Windows, ugly Siding or inefficient Doors.

Are you a boutique, an art gallery, an event venue or are you just looking to take your business's virtual accessibility to the next level? Virtual Tours aren't just for real estate! As a Greater Cape Ann Chamber member, book a virtual tour with VRtical Media and get an hour of post-production ($100 value) towards your first virtual tour.

Local Sales, Discounts & Promotions

The SBA Massachusetts District Office will be hosting an open discussion in which we will discuss the products and services SBA has available to entrepreneurs and small business owners. From SBA lending to technical resources and all the way through Federal Government contracting opportunities our team wants the small business community to be informed about all the resources available within the Small Business Administration.

- Visit CapeAnnWorks.com and post opportunities

- Works Perks: sign up on the website and help us create a robust program

- Attend the Recruiting and Hiring Workshop on Monday, May 9, 8:30 AM at the Beauport Hotel with Richard Weissman

Governor Baker announced a new grant program for Massachusetts businesses that hire and retain new workers. The grant is a flat rate of $4,000 per new hire, up to $400,000 per business (100 workers). This grant program runs from March 23, 2022, until December 31, 2022, or until the funding runs out. We urge interested employers to learn the full rules of the program and how to apply.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards, and the Commonwealth Corporation are joining forces to present a series of workforce and upskilling “road shows” this spring. These regional events will seek to provide important information on how employers can access state resources, as well as serve as an opportunity for the business community to engage with state workforce officials. Event details are still in the works. We have been asked to share this information with Chamber members and all employers in the Greater Cape Ann region. If you are interested in attending a session in our region, please fill out this brief form.

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.

Marine Retail Store and Parts Manager needed at Cape Ann Marine Sales & Service

Gloucester Housing Authority is seeking a Public Housing Manager and a Maintenance Working Supervisor.

Happy Humpback Cafe is in need of a Cashier/Barista.

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