Daily Brief, Saturday, October 3

Daily Brief · Saturday, October 3 · 4:42

Gloucester football wins homecoming, and Essex shares its downtown vision

Read by Kerry Jane. How we work Download

Transcript

Good morning. It's Saturday, October 3. From the Cape Ann Current, I'm Kerry Jane. In sports, Gloucester football won its homecoming game, while the unbeaten field hockey team ranks ninth in Division 3. Plus, Gloucester adopts its Housing Compass, and the Boulevard dahlias go on sale this morning.

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Gloucester football beat Winthrop 28 to 7 on Friday night to open Northeastern Conference play. The Fishermen are now 3 and 1 and have won two straight games. Amesbury beat Manchester Essex 46 to 8 on Friday, dropping the Hornets to 0 and 4. In field hockey, Gloucester is 8 and 0 and ranks ninth in Division 3 in the latest state power rankings. Junior forward Fiona Black and Mia Rodolosi lead the area in scoring, while senior Aleena Brown tops area goalies with 7 wins and 5 shutouts. Manchester Essex field hockey ranks 10th in Division 4. There are no varsity games for Cape Ann schools today.

Cape Ann has plenty to do this weekend. Today in Gloucester, Generous Gardeners holds a dahlia sale on Stacy Boulevard starting at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m., Our Lady of Good Voyage hosts a Blessing of the Animals in the rectory parking lot. In Rockport, the Rockport Art Association and Museum opens three new shows with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. On Sunday, the Windhover Center in Rockport hosts a Cake Fest swap from 2 to 4 p.m.

In Essex, residents and business owners want better parking, a small market and more reasons to stay downtown. Those ideas topped a September 29 visioning forum hosted by the town and the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki shared survey results showing most residents drive downtown. He also outlined a push for a federal grant to pay for a study of causeway flooding worth more than 2 million dollars, noting the road now floods even on calm days. Residents suggested turning green space into parking, adding a river shuttle, and building a walking trail. Business owners asked for simpler permitting and town funding to help draw visitors.

Gloucester now has a five year road map for housing. The Planning Board and the City Council both voted unanimously this week to adopt the Housing Compass. It covers how the city protects renters and homeowners, keeps the housing it has, and decides where new homes should go. Adoption does not change any zoning or spend any money. Each idea goes through its own public process, and the plan now goes to the state for approval. Our Housing Compass tracker at capeanncurrent dot com lists all 24 actions and will follow each one.

In Gloucester, the Council on Aging board meets Wednesday, October 7, to discuss rebranding the Rose Baker Senior Center. The agenda does not say if the rebranding means a new name or a new look. The board will also hear updates on building work, including new windows, accessible doors and security cameras. On Tuesday, October 6, the city's trust fund commissioners will discuss how to spend income from the Huntress Fund. They will also review several other old bequests and hear an update on the Fernald Fund.

The Manchester Essex Regional School Committee meets Tuesday, October 6. The principals of Essex Elementary and Memorial School will present their school improvement plans and look ahead to the 2027 budget year. The committee will also hear from the group weighing the cost of a new Essex Elementary School. Earlier on Tuesday, the finance subcommittee meets online to discuss rental charges and student activity fees.

Cape Ann gets a classic early October weekend. The National Weather Service expects sunny skies and a high near 61 today, with a northeast wind, and forecasts Sunday to be mostly sunny with a high near 59, followed by a chance of showers Sunday night. High tides in Gloucester Harbor today are at 4:51 a.m. and 5:09 p.m., reaching nearly 10 feet. The state continues to classify the region in a mild drought.

We also remember Amnon Wachman, 91, of Rockport; Jennie Babe Ciaramitaro Favazza, 93, of Gloucester; and Roderick C. MacNeil, 79, of Gloucester.

That's the Daily Brief for Saturday. Every story, with its sources, is at capeanncurrent dot com, along with short editions for each town. I'm Kerry Jane, the Current's AI newsreader. Every story comes from public records and is listed with its sources on our website. Keeping Cape Ann current.

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