CAPE ANN, MA. — Feel like going to the cape to catch crisp ocean breeze and watch films? You might want to check out the Cape Ann Film Festival.

The Cape Ann Film Festival kicks off this week at the Cape Ann Community Cinema at 21 Main St. in Gloucester, and anyone who wants to catch all 24 movies is going to have to rest up and do some serious planning.

That’s because there is so many movies and so little time to see them all.
“Consider it a glimpse at how I spend some of my days,” says Robert Newton, the creative director of the Festival and the Cinema. “Wake up, watch a movie, watch a movie, watch a movie, and if there’s time, do silly things like eat and sleep.”

For every film that screens at the Festival, Newton notes, another ten don’t make the cut. That means that a line-up of 24 films represents about 500 hours, or about 3 solid weeks spent watching.

The three weeks that comprise the Festival open on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. with a Festival Trailer Round-Up, followed by a short documentary to commemorate 20 years since the actual Perfect Storm (of Oct. 31, 1991). There will be prizes (such as movie passes and a private movie party at the Cinema) and surprises, and the night is sponsored by Cape Pond Ice of Gloucester.

Political satirist Jimmy Tingle opens the first official night of the Festival on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. with an encore of his JIMMY TINGLE’S AMERICAN DREAM: LIVE ON STAGE & SCREEN. October’s show that marked the CACC’s 3rd birthday was sold out. Tickets are $22.00 and are available in advance at www.CapeAnnFilmFest.com.

Writer-director Jay Burke presents a work-in-progress version of his fishing drama WHALING CITY on Saturday, November 12th at 7:30 p.m.. This dramatic narrative feature film is set in New Bedford, Mass. in the rapidly-changing world of the modern fishing industry. It tells the story of a 3rd-generation independent commercial fisherman, struggling to keep a grasp on his way of life – and a long-held family boat – as costs rise and the heavily-regulated fishing industry is pushed towards a corporate model of efficiency. While developing an unlikely relationship with a marine biologist, he is tempted to do whatever it takes to keep his boat.

GUESTS APLENTY
Other Festival guests include “Who Does She Think She Is?” director Pamela Tanner Boll (Sat. Nov. 12 @ 2:30pm), “The True 1692″ writer/director/producer Paul Van Ness (Sat. Nov. 19 @ 5:00pm), “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” star Gunnar ‘Leatherface’ Hansen (Sat. Nov. 19 @ 10:00pm), “Nuremberg” restorationist Sandra Schulberg (Sun. Nov. 20 @ 2:30pm) and “Take Shelter” producer Sarah Green (Sun. Nov. 27 @ 5:00pm), who will close the Festival.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS
As has been part of the Cinema’s mission since it began in 2008, this year’s Festival features three fundraisers for local organizations. “The Legend Of Pale Male” (Sat. Nov. 12 @ 5:00pm) benefits Kestrel Educational Adventures, “The Economics Of Happiness” (Sun. Nov. 13 @ 5:00pm) benefits Cape Ann Timebank and for the fourth Thanksgiving running, “Alice’s Restaurant” (Thurs. Nov. 24 @ 6:30pm) benefits Cape Ann’s food bank, The Open Door.

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW
On Sunday, November 20th at 7:30pm, the Festival offers a sneak preview of the new sports drama “The Hammer,” a Massachusetts exclusive. The film is based on the life of the UFC fighter Matt Hamill, and is a coming-of-age drama about the first deaf wrestler’s journey to win a National Collegiate Championship. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf community. But through sheer determination, he turns what could be a disability into an asset and in the process serves as an inspiration for both those who can hear and those who cannot. The film will encore at 7:30pm on both Friday and Saturday and Sunday, November 25th and 26th.

FREE CLASSICS SERIES
The Festival features a series of five film classics: “His Girl Friday” [1940] (Mon. Nov. 14 @ 2:30pm), “Meet John Doe” [1941] (Tues. Nov. 15 @ 2:30pm), “Detour” [1945] (Wed. Nov. 16 @ 2:30pm), “The Inspector General” [1949] and “D.O.A.” (Fri. Nov. 18 @ 2:30pm). All films in the Free Classics series, which continues in January, are completely free to attend.

THE PROFESSOR AND MARY ANN…
The rest of the films playing at this year’s CAFF are “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” “Chico & Rita,” “Mia And The Migoo,” the ‘restored’ “Monty Python & The Holy Grail,” “My Afternoons With Margueritte,” “Weekend,” “The Whale” and “The Women On The 6th Floor.” A full schedule, including synopses and trailers, is available at www.CapeAnnFilmFest.com.

LOOKING AHEAD
In that the Cape Ann Community Cinema is “the film festival that never ends,” the magic continues this winter. On Saturday, December 3rd at 7:30pm when the Cinema hosts Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and filmmaker Alexia Anastasio and her new documentary about Plympton called “Adventures In Plymptoons.” On Wednesday, December 28th at 7:30pm, the CACC welcomes Oscar-nominated writer/producer/director John Sayles and his creative/partner Maggie Renzi, with whom he has been working since they made “The Return Of The Secaucus Seven” together in 1979. They will host a Q&A (moderated by Sarah Green) after a screening of their new film “Amigo” (his 17th). On Saturday, January 14th at 7:30pm, former Providence mayor Buddy Cianci lands for a screening of the documentary “Buddy,” a Q&A and a book signing. Tickets for all of these post-Fest events are available at www.CapeAnnFilmFest.com.

Tickets for most films are $9.50 adults, $8.00 students & seniors (60+) and $6.50 for Cinema Members. For a full list of films both regular price and premium-priced, visit www.CapeAnnFilmFest.com.

For more information on the Festival or the Cinema, contact Robert Newton at (978) 309-8448.

HARTFORD – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced today that Connecticut is back on the map.

Discover New England, the official tourism website for New England, had removed Connecticut from its map, marketing materials, and efforts because the state failed to pay its dues to the organization.

Much broader than a website, however, Discover New England  works to raise international consumer, travel trade, and media awareness of New England as a memorable, high-quality, four-season destination.

In the past,  Malloy has spoken at length about the pennywise and pound foolish decision to drastically reduce tourism marketing funds. While the money for dues to Discover New England was removed from the budget last year from the commission’s marketing budget, Malloy directed other funds within existing resources to be used for Discover New England dues immediately.

“I’m pleased that we could release this money – which had already been allocated to the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism – so quickly and get the state back on the map with its New England neighbors,”  Malloy said. “Connecticut has so much to offer, and it’s a shame more people don’t know about it. Connecticut’s exclusion from overseas marketing materials and efforts – and with it, information about the state’s cultural venues, tourist attractions and other events – was embarrassing, and spoke to a larger lack of understanding about the decisions we need to make to invest in our state and our region. As I’ve said before, my overarching goal is to ensure people know Connecticut is open for business.”

HARTFORD –Greater Hartford residents wanting to travel from Bradley International Airport to Florida and the Caribbean now have a another choice in low-cost airline: JetBlue Airways.

JetBlue launched its first flight from Bradley today to Fort. Lauderdale.

Spokesperson Alison Croyle said the option to international airlines is then offered on line and only selected destination in the Caribbean are offered.So far, travelers can get direct flights from Bradley to Ft. Lauderdale and then get a connecting flight to the Bahamas, and several Latin Caribbean countries, including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Bogota, Colombia; and Cancun, Mexico.

For now, the airline has two daily nonstop service from Bradley to both Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport  and Orlando International Airport.

“We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with our JetBlue partners,” said Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Jeffrey Parker. “Anytime we can expand our offerings to travelers, everyone profits, and so does Connecticut’s economy.”

HARTFORD – Calling Hartford one of the most beautiful cities in the country, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra announced a comprehensive greening effort to clean, revitalize and sustain the Capital City’s historic parks.

In joining the national celebration of Parks by the National Parks Service, Hartford’s  “Week of the Parks” will take place August 23-28^th but the efforts that happen leading up to it are just as important, Segarra said.

“A strategy and vision are already in place as part of our ‘One City, One Plan’ conservation and development.  What is essential is that we recognize the value of our parks which are huge assets to our city,” said Mayor Segarra.  “But the most important and essential part of all of this, if it is to be a success, is to get the community involved.”

Click here for details about Hartford\’s parks.

There are several elements of this greening campaign including jobs, the physical clean-up and repair, health and recreational activities, and educational events.  The hiring and re-hiring of 30 seasonal part time workers has already been announced and is underway, according to a press release.  Clean-up efforts regarding tree-trimming, mowing and picking-up litter have begun as well throughout the city’s parks and cemeteries.

Watch PBS documentaries about national parks

The Week of the Parks schedule will include a centralized focus on the following areas:

Monday, August 23^rd:  Keney Park  (Woodland Street entrance):

• Cut and remove fallen trees
• Clean and remove leaves along hiking roads and trails
• Remove old fence at tennis courts, clean area
• Repair broken benches
• Repair broken basketball rims
• Clean, patch and paint handball courts
• Remove old baseball backstop

Tuesday, August 24^th:  Colt Park

• Cut, remove and prune trees
• Repair park benches
• clean area under old stage/pavilion
• Clean and remove boards at old ice rink
• Repair Massek parking lot
• Repair basketball courts

Wednesday, August 25^th:  Goodwin Park

• Remove branches and wood along Maple Avenue
• Repair fit trail and equipment
• Repair basketball courts
• Trim and cut trees on Maple Avenue

Thursday, August 26^th:  Bushnell Park

• Remove perimeter shrubs near Pump House
• Repair park benches
• Prune Pump House shrubs
• Refurbish mulch beds where needed
• Trim and prune trees
• Remove old fencing around playground area

Friday, August 27^th:  Keney Park (Barbour Street entrance)

• Cut up and remove fallen trees
• Remove old fence and nets at northern tennis courts
• Replace or repair rims and nets at basketball courts
• Paint basketball courts

The Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the City’s “Health Hartford” campaign, will sponsor a number of activities in the parks on these same days.  Health screenings and recreational events will occur and swimming pools will remain open this week (the week before school starts in Hartford) which is one extra week beyond what has already been scheduled.

The educational component will engage the newly created Green Ribbon Task Force.  Mayor Segarra announced that neighborhood activist Bernadine Silvers and noted local architect Tyler Smith— both Founding Directors of Riverfront Recapture— are the Chairpersons.  One of their many roles is to be part of panel discussions about the unique park system’s past, present and future including exciting activities at the Pump House in Bushnell Park.

What will kick off on August 20^th as a celebration at the Riverfront with the Dragon Boat and Asian Festival will culminate on Saturday, August 28^th with a Community Clean-Up Day.  All of this is in conjunction with the long term vision of the “One City, One Plan” strategy for conservation and development (POCD 2020) that was adopted in June.

More information will be made available as the “Week of the Parks” approaches, city officials said.

By Ann-Marie Adams, Staff Writer

BARBADOS — In Barbados, you’ll find many people with a long-lived life.

Settled by the British in 1627, the Caribbean island has the most people over 100 years old per capita and who are among the most healthy. Such has been the case since its early colonial days when America’s first president, George Washington, visited the island in 1751 with his ailing brother. They journeyed to the southeastern Caribbean to seek out the “cures of the island.”

Of his visit to Barbados, Washington wrote in the 1700s that: “The Healthiest of this Island sufficiently shown in the countenances of the Country Gentleman and its said they live to great ages where they are not intemperate.”

Having visited Barbados myself, it’s not difficult to see why the island attracts many from Europe and other parts of the world, including North America. Soon after landing in Barbados, it was clear to see that it was mighty hard to get depressed in the peared shaped island. A dose of happiness comes from the brilliance of the sun, sea and sand, all of which easily penetrate one’s psyche and then lift the spirit. On a four-day weekend, I was lured by the roar of the deep, blue ocean punctuated by the local sparrows’ crisp chirps and the spectacular colors of the rainbow that bursts from the sky after a brief torrential shower. At night, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the wind rustling in the palm trees, serving as a lullaby as I drifted into sleep.

Stay:

This experience is bound to be yours if you stay at a hotel like Cobblers Cove, an English Country House style hotel and a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux. Located in the historical Speightstown, the Cove is surrounded by lush flora and fauna indigenous to Barbados, a setting that might have a special appeal to Connecticut residents who relish understated elegance and exclusivity. The Cove sits on the edge of the platinum coast known for its soft, white, sand beach with clear blue ocean water tamed enough for swimming.

Eat:

Champers Wine Bar and Restaurant is an elegant dining facility with sumptuous meals for discriminating taste buds. Highly recommended is the coconut shrimp with chili sauce.

The dinner menu offers a wide variety of delectable fish dishes. And the ambiance is, without a doubt, one of its main features because the outdoor dining area sits on a cliff and offers a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Visit:

George Washington House and Museum is a restored 18^th century plantation house where George and Lawrence Washington slept in 1751. Barbados boasts that it is the only place American’s first president visited outside of Virginia. The museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m.

St Nicholas Abbey was built in 1650 and is one of only three houses of Jacobean architecture still standing in the Western Hemisphere. It was the home of a prominent farmer and has no connection with any religious order. That might explain why they are now manufacturing rum there. Visitors can tour the home. They will be entertained by the 1936 gentleman’s chair in the study. The mahogany chair, made in England in the 1830s, is one of the ultimate luxurious relaxations with adjustable tables, book holder, reading lamp, back rest and foot rest. It gives many a peek into the gender roles of that era. Visitor could also take a sip of Barbados specialty: it’s pure rum. The estate is open to the public weekdays from 10: a.m. to 3: 30 a. Admission is $15.

HARTFORD — Here in Connecticut, we are always looking for that quick getaway. We usually head to New York City or Boston. But now we can mix it up a bit. We  found a new locale we can hop to in about two to three hours from Hartford.

So if you need a “holiday” from the 4^th of July holiday weekend, you can head to the Adirondacks to experience Lake Placid Lodge’s new “Treats” package, offering the ultimate in relaxation, rejuvenation and respite. The three-night package, available mid-week (Sunday through Thursday), July 5 – 12, 2010, includes everything a guest needs to fully de-stress following a long weekend of 4^th of July entertaining, including  accommodations in a breathtaking mountain view cabin, a fully prepared daily breakfast for two served in-room or in Artisans Restaurant overlooking Lake Placid and two lunches in Maggie’s Pub. 

Folks at the Lodge say that your  experience will end as peacefully as it began with complimentary chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the cabin on the last evening, followed by a deep sleep with a late check-out at 1:00pm the following day.  For additional information on Lake Placid Lodge, visit www.lakeplacidlodge.com.

By Ann-Marie Adams, Staff Writer

LONDON – London, England is unbelievable warm and pleasantly foggy in the wintertime. So in the summer, you should brace yourself for a hot and sticky but quaint experience that’s affordable—if you plan your trip carefully and frugally.

There’s now reason to search out this Old World country. That’s because it has become an affordable European destination for North Americans. Summer is a good time to hop over the Atlantic because fares are cheaper, which  is good news for the busy and budget conscious wanderlust.

Traveling from the southern part of London from Gatwick Airport to Central London by bus is not that exciting unless you want to see lots of fog and prairie.  It’s also not cheaper to fly in there and go by bus, so opt to fly in closer to London. Then after settling in, head out on a doubled decker bus or the underground tube. Both are good ways to get around because taxis are expensive.


About $30 will get you an all week multiple pass called the Oyster. This makes for traveling around London easier and faster, especially by the Tube. Most of London’s historic landmarks are at the Westminster stop on the tube’s green and yellow district lines.

Up from the tube, depending on which exits you take, you can see the London Bridge, the Parliament with Big Ben, West Minister Abbey, the London Eye, the Tate Museum,  Parliament Square and of course, the Thames River—all in one day.

Here’s a suggestion for the budget-conscious and busy traveler who can get away for four-day weekend.  Since the pound is stronger than the dollar, almost two to one, you should opt for places with free admission.

First up is the West Minister Abbeythat sits in the middle of Parliament Square. The Anglo-Saxon church is believed to have been built in the year 960.  All of Great Britain’s kings and queens, bishops and gentlemen of stature are buried there. The tomb of Sir Issac Newton and many familiar names to Americans are also prominently displayed in Abbey.  This gothic building holds the distinction of being the coronation church of all the crowned sovereigns since William I in 1066. The monks of the Westminster followed the Rule of St. Benedict, devoting their lives to regular worship, manual labor and study. But if tombs and architecture is not your thing and you don’t want to pay $30 to take a tour, you can experience the awe of the Abbey by just attending church services. It’s for free. There is so much to see in this ancient and cavernous building, you may be overwhelmed. But a one-hour self-guided tour is available to help you along.

Step outside the Abbey and across the street you can see the House of Parliament building with Big Ben atop the northeastern section of the building. Big Ben is a four-face chiming clock that is synonymous with London, just like the Eiffel Tower is signifies Paris and the Empire Building signifies New York. The Parliament houses heads of government officials who conduct the business of governance in England. You are allowed to sit in the gallery during debates among parliamentarians. You will find the debates similar to ones here in the US, except with a British accent.

Next to the Parliament is London Bridge. With legendary tales that preceded it, you would expect to see a towering and monumental bridge. But no, it’s quite small in comparison to the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge sits above the muddy and powerful Thames River, on which you can experience the Cruise on the Thames. The river runs 215 miles long. But it also serves a functional role: to get you over to the other side if the bridge and put you in Southwark, where you can hop on the London Eye.

The London Eye is a 30 minute rotational tour of the city of London.  It’s the alternative to seeing London on foot or by bus. No wonder, it’s the most visited attraction in London. This year there’s a special price—(£10 for a rotation or flight). That’d be about $20.

Quite frankly, if it’s a foggy day, all you will see is fog. It the sky is clear, you will see miles and miles of ancient buildings, very little greenery or mountains. So it’s something to splurge on if you haven’t paid for the West Minister Abbey. Or you want to experience their new 4D Theater.

A stroll along the river or two bus stops up the road from the Abbey is the Tate Modern Museum, known for cutting edge modern art shows. And diagonally across from the Museum, is the Lamberth’s Palace walled in and situated in the middle of London’s bustling center. Entry is free, except for major exhibitions.

London is so rich with its well-preserved heritage on every cobbled street, gothic building, and prominently placed pubs.  It’s a city that has impacted every part of the world. You owe it to yourself to visit this old country that changed the course of lives for many in the Americas.

BY KATHY BARRETT

IPS NEWS AGENCY

NEGRIL, JAMAICA (Tierramérica) — For centuries, Negril, a seven-mile stretch of white sand beach on the western tip of Jamaica, was cut off from the rest of the island by bad roads and a large swamp.

It remained relatively unknown to the world until the 1960s and 1970s, when U.S. “hippies,” students and Vietnam veterans gravitated towards this laid-back village.

The U.S. travelers arrived in ever-increasing numbers and, towards the end of the 1970s, Negril blossomed as a tourist destination. But with the growing population and improved infrastructure, the natural beauty of Jamaica’s third largest tourism centre has suffered visible deterioration.

“When I first visited Negril from Kingston in 1960, just after the first road to the coast was built, there were no buildings the entire length of the beach. The waters were crystal clear,” wrote Thomas J. Goreau, president of the non-governmental U.S.-based Global Coral Reef Alliance, in a paper published in 1992.

“Now that it is Jamaica’s fastest growing resort area, all the tall coconut trees are gone, the beaches are crowded with people and buildings,” states the text.

Eighteen years later, the demise of the Negril environment has again been brought into sharp focus, this time by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Division of Early Warning and Assessment.

Expert Pascal Peduzzi, who heads the Early Warning Unit, predicted in March that several beaches on the western end of Jamaica could be totally wiped out in the next five to 10 years if local authorities and residents do not act now.

His prediction is based on data coming out of a UNEP study on the role of the ecosystem in disaster risk reduction.

“The data has found that beaches in Negril are receding between half and one meter per year,” said Peduzzi.

The scientific evidence shows that over the past 40 years Negril’s beaches have undergone severe and irreversible shoreline erosion and retreat, according to the study entitled “Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Methodology Development Project (RiVAMP): The Case of Jamaica.”

“The highest erosion rates have occurred after 1991, when beach recovery after storms has been slower, and these trends are likely to continue,” Peduzzi said.

The UNEP report says bad environmental and building practices and illegal dumping of pollutants in the sea were killing sea grass and coral reefs, thus reducing their effectiveness in protecting the beaches from erosion.

In the opinion of Maxine Hamilton, executive director of the Negril Environmental Protection Trust, the UNEP study will help determine the way forward in finding solutions for an already fragile environment.

“It will help us to structure our program to ensure that we conserve the environment and to increase the resilience of the vulnerable communities in our area to natural disasters… It gives us ammunition to move ahead to take the appropriate action,” she said.

In April 2000, the Negril Chamber of Commerce invited professor Edward Maltby, who headed the Commission on Ecosystem Management of the World Conservation Union, to visit Negril and assist in guiding the community on the way forward.

Maltby was adamant that the Negril Great Morass, a wetland covering 2,289 hectares, must be revitalized. The Great Morass constitutes one-fifth of Jamaica’s wetland area.

The Great Morass once completely surrounded the Negril beach, preventing access to the coast. The area has been subjected to extensive man-made changes that have influenced its hydrological function as well as its role as a wildlife habitat.

“Greed is what functions now. They have built hotels on the last forest swamp which had mangroves and was where the crabs and fish spawned,” ecologist and hotel owner Sylvie Grizzle told Tierramérica. She moved here from her native France in 1981.

The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) in the area grows toward the sea, holding the sands in place. “That gave us a bit more land every year, so of course that’s gone, that’s finished,” she said.

“I was probably the only person who protested. I said, ‘please, you can have your hotel anywhere else, just not in that area because that is the last little bit of coastal forest that we have’.”

“One of these days we won’t even have a beach if nothing is done,” lamented Grizzle, who owns the Charela Inn and is a pioneer in the country’s environmental movement.

She says there has been no planning in Negril or in the rest of Jamaica. “We are destroying our coastlines everywhere. Jamaica is a small island and Jamaicans are being pushed out and that is terrible,” Grizzle said.

One of the problems, she says, is the violation of rules and regulations. “For those who put their hotels on the sea, let them pay a terrible tax for the rest of their days for breaking the law” or tear down their buildings.

(*This story was originally published by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramérica network. Tierramérica is a specialized news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Environment Program and the World Bank.)

IPS NEWS AGENCY