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 anyone may join us from anywhere. Meet new people, expand your business connections and stay in touch with friends and colleagues.

Swarovski Optik & Essex Bird & Pet Supply 

The Chamber’s coveted Winter Birding Boat Trip to Stellwagen Bank is set to depart on Saturday, March 12 with 7 Seas Whale Watch. Attendees will have the opportunity to see many species of marine wildlife on this trip in addition to the concentration of winter seabirds. Tickets are limited, don’t hesitate to reserve your spot today.

Participating Businesses

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.

It is always a great time to Shop Local but the upcoming holidays are an excellent time to remind people. We are finishing up our "Shop Local Greater Cape Ann" campaign to encourage shoppers to visit Greater Cape Ann businesses for their shopping needs. Make sure your business uses the hashtag "#shoplocalgreatercapeann" in all social media posts and tags us.

Local Sales, Discounts & Promotions

Cathleen Cahill, owner and founder of Katie’s Gift Shop in Rockport, announced recently that she will be retiring at the end of this year and closing the business that she opened over 40 years ago in 1981. Katie’s Gift Shop has been a much-loved downtown Rockport business throughout the past four decades, serving residents and visitors alike with a wide array of gifts, clothing and souvenirs.

Check out the article from North Shore Magazine below on how Winter Lights on Cape Ann has created energy and enthusiasm for those participating and enjoying the beautiful displays.

Out of an abundance of caution, RNYE is regretfully canceling Rockport New Year’s Eve 2021. RNYE will offer refunds to all who have bought buttons. However, RNYE would appreciate the donation of button purchases to defray this year’s unrecoverable expenses and ensure a successful event next year. People who have purchased buttons online will be contacted by email. People who have purchased buttons at stores or at other events may contact RNYE by email at info@rockportnye.org or by phone at 978-309-9743.

Michael Coelho is the Director of Orchestra for Ipswich schools and is a finalist for the 2022 Grammy Music Educator Award. Check out WBZ's feature on Michael Coelho and his tremendous work with Ipswich students.

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.

Volunteers work about two hours in the late morning, picking up and delivering meals to older residents. This provides several benefits—the elder receives a nutritious meal (sometimes the main meal of their day), they get a quick visit from a friendly volunteer (sometimes the only person they see that day), and as the volunteer gets to know the elders on their route, the volunteer sometimes notices when the elder’s circumstances and/or status changes and can have SeniorCare check-in with the elder to make sure everything is all right.

For more information visit our volunteer section at www.seniorcareinc.org

In compliance with existing open meeting law and in the interest of keeping the public safe, only those elected officials being inaugurated along with immediate family and other ceremony participants will be permitted to attend in person. The public is invited to watch the ceremony on New Year’s Day at 1:00 pm, live on 1623 Studios Facebook page and local cable access television, Channel 12.

CELEBRATE the spirit of the season, and pack up the car and come enjoy the second Annual Winter Lights Celebration on Cape Ann! Local businesses throughout Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea are getting into the festive spirit by decorating their establishments with twinkling lights and/or creative window displays! Over 100 lighted locations will help bring joy to all those who visit from November 26 through January 2, 2022!

Gather with friends for a holiday night out at the Jingle Bar - Holiday Pop-Up Cocktail Bar and live piano music, hosted in the Beauport Hotel Lobby Lounge every Wednesday night this December!

Sip champagne and holiday seasonal cocktails, relax by the fire, savor light bites, and enjoy our signature Christmas trees and holiday decor, to the sounds of live piano entertainment.

Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s elegant Roaring-Twenties-themed decorations--pearls, feathers, champagne glasses, and more. Each room in the 1920s mansion is uniquely decorated for the holidays.

Timed entry will limit the number of guests for the comfort and safety of guests and staff. Masks are required. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Deck The Halls Holiday Celebration Hammond Castle Museum

Ring in 2022 on the water and under the stars on Beauport Cruiselines! Enjoy a champagne toast, DJ entertainment, Mac & Cheese Martini Bar, Chinese Food Station, & more! To book your tickets, follow the link below.

Celebrate the New Year with a First Day hike at Appleton Farms. We’ll follow our Plains Loop Trail around the property, offering hikers a chance to see some of Appleton’s highlights and get some inspiration for a year’s worth of visits to the farm.

This will be an approximately 2-mile hike that will cover a variety of terrain, including some uneven/rocky areas in the woods. Please wear appropriate clothing and shoes and bring water or snacks, they will not be provided on this walk. Space is limited, pre-registration is strongly recommended.

Join True North Ales' fun competition the first and third Wednesdays of every month. Questions will cover a broad range of topics. Teams are limited to six members. A True North Ales gift card will be awarded to the winning team.

Enjoy free admission to the Cape Ann Museum every First Friday during Art After Hours from 5 - 8 PM. Each month, CAM will partner with a practicing, contemporary artist to interpret the Museum’s collections.

In January, Sarah Slifer Swift from Movement Arts Gloucester, MA (MAGMA) and Steven Lacey, guitarist, will bring art to life through improvisational dance and music. Visitors will be able to enjoy short performances at 5:30 PM, 6:25 PM, and 7 PM.

Loren Doucette is back! Join us for a critique of past work and jumpstart suggestions for the new year. Class starts with a supportive and helpful group critique of 6-8 of your past works (please choose works that you would like feedback on and that possibly inform your next body of work—where you want to go.) The second part of the class will be a time to "go within" and reflect on the feedback of where you have been and set ideas for where you want to go next. Please bring a journal, pen, charcoal, sketchbook and some small travel paints of your choice to explore new visual concepts.

Montserrat College of Art Gallery will present Samuel Bak and the Art of Remembrance, Jan. 19 – 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 Jan. 27 from 5 - 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.

The Gloucester Board of Health will be meeting Wednesday, December 29 to discuss the current surging COVID-19 numbers throughout the city of Gloucester. The meeting is virtual and will cover possible responses to the rise in cases. See the agenda below.

The Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea will reinstate an indoor mask mandate at all businesses and public buildings effective at midnight on Thursday, December 30, 2021. The Board of Health voted unanimously in a meeting on December 28 to bring back indoor masking to help mitigate recent COVID variants and prevent further community spread. The mask order will remain in place until further notice.

In response to the spread of the Delta variant and the emerging Omicron variant, the Department of Public Health now advises that all residents, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home). The DPH particularly urges this recommendation if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated.

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.

The Gloucester Health Department is working with the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to inform our members and share the message that the easiest and more effective ways to protect staff and patrons is to follow these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control.

No-cost, walk-in (advanced registration recommended) COVID-19 testing is now available from Curative at The Open Door Annex at 26 Emerson Ave. in Gloucester!

There is no cost to the business and no out-of-pocket cost to the recipient. Conley's Drug Store can offer either the Pfizer Vaccine (Ages 12+) or the Johnson&Johnson (Age 18+).

The GCACC serves the 5 Greater Cape Ann communities, including Boxford, Hamilton, Middleton, Topsfield and Wenham. Vaccines are free to all Massachusetts residents age 5 and above. Identification and health insurance is not required. Walk-ins will be accepted while supplies last at each clinic.

MONDAYS

Ipswich: Our Lady of Hope rectory, 1 Pine Swamp Road, Mondays, 2-6 p.m., through the end of 2021. Register for the Pfizer vaccine here.

THURSDAYS

Essex: Town Hall Annex, 30 Martin St., from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register for a dose of the Register for Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen (J&J) vaccine here. (No clinic will be held on Thursday, Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Day.)

SATURDAYS

Rockport: Community House, 58 Broadway,

10 a.m.-12 p.m. Register for a dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or (J&J) vaccine here.

**Vaccinations will not be available the next two Saturdays due to the holidays (12/25/21) & (1/1/22)**

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.

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.

What's the #1 reason businesses aren't getting the results they need from digital marketing? They don't have time to do it well. The #2 reason? They don't know how. At Boot Camp Digital, we have solutions.

We get it. Digital and social media marketing can feel overwhelming. There are so you could do. The businesses that use digital tools to successfully grow are focused on what they should do. They make smart decisions about what makes sense for them. And that answer isn't the same for everyone. Investing just one hour a week can take you from knowing digital is important to getting the results your business deserves.

SCORE is offering numerous virtual workshops that small business people can take advantage of for low/no-cost investment. Can't make one of the seminars, don't worry, there are also recorded workshops and seminars on their website. Upcoming workshops include: Tax Filing Requirements for Small Businesses, Setting Your Brand Up For Success in the New Year, and Getting found with Google My Business. Stop procrastinating and attend a SCORE workshop today.

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.

The part-time position is based at GMGI headquarters located in the heart of the historic harbor, at 417 Main Street, Gloucester, MA, and will require up to 20 hours per week. Flexible, remote work can be accommodated. Compensation is commensurate with experience and other qualifications.

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