http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/ en-us 2005-09-07T06:34:31-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000749.php In this issue, rather than traveling from corner to corner, we will attempt to seek out the in-between taxis of today and of yesterday. Well let us begin our journey by hailing a ride from the newest company of these... Essays Cape Ann Web 2005-09-07T06:34:31-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000696.php At this time we see the corner of Main & Pleasant as a total emptying of store fronts. This corner in years past was one of the busiest in Gloucester. In my time it was Sterlings Drugstore. It was managed... Essays Cape Ann Web 2005-07-11T05:38:13-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000651.php Well here we are again tracing back on the imprints of my pages of time. With all the work going on and around the Gloucester Depot I have to add my thoughts. First the new building does not look anything... Essays Cape Ann Web 2005-05-13T09:06:45-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000590.php I am going to attempt to take you on a City Hall tour. Let us begin our journey from the top. Of course we have the City Hall Bell. While its date I am not sure of, but I do... Essays Cape Ann Web 2004-12-31T11:25:57-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000565.php 10/24/2004 The last of the leaves to fall on the ground With shoppers making ready for long winter nights The children playing and singing of their songs Under the sunlit sky and soft moonlight Preparing and cooking of each Thanksgiving... Poetry Cape Ann Web 2004-11-23T08:23:25-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000529.php ]]> Faces & Places Cape Ann Web 2004-10-29T17:11:22-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000528.php Looking at today's building construction work I cannot help but bring to my readers my recollection of that area when I used to have a shoeshine stand at the Gloucester Depot. First I must say the building that is being... Essays Cape Ann Web 2004-10-22T09:21:06-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000490.php Chikako Atsuta loved Gloucester and shared her poems and an essay in Dogtown UnCommon. Chikako Atsuta, 39, died Aug. 20, at Massachusetts General Hospital after being involved in a traffic accident while she was biking to work.]]> Chikako Atsuta Cape Ann Web 2004-09-01T14:36:23-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000486.php ]]> Faces & Places Cape Ann Web 2004-08-24T08:43:51-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000462.php ]]> Faces & Places Cape Ann Web 2004-08-01T09:47:29-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000458.php Cape Ann Storm, a girls' fastpitch softball summer team, are pictured here at Burnham's Field after their come-from-behind win over the Everett Riptides on Thursday evening. The Storm is one of several teams from Cape Ann that play in the Middle-Essex Summer Softball League. The girls play from late June through the middle of August. ]]> Faces & Places Cape Ann Web 2004-07-30T02:01:03-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000457.php In continuing to look back into the pages of time, let us continue our journey of Main Street. First and foremost we had Kyrouz's Shoe Shine Parlor, which was at the front of Nat's shoe repair. Fred Kyrouz operated the Shine stand. The store was always filled with customers as well as politicians. There was always a waiting line to get in. The local police and firemen would get their shoes shined almost every day. Freddie's was said to be the political hot spot of Gloucester . If you wanted to know the future of Gloucester or the history of our city, then this was the place to go. Across the street we had Kresge's Five & Dime . To me it seemed like they had the longest soda fountains in the world. You could get pie & coffee for fifty cents. Essays Cape Ann Web 2004-07-30T01:10:48-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000450.php ]]> Faces & Places Cape Ann Web 2004-07-25T13:09:29-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000380.php First let me impart to the reader that there is no intention of making fun of the Tally brothers. Back when I was a small boy, I used to shine shoes in the downtown area. Around my second year of shining shoes I branched out to the West End area. My first contact with one of the brothers was with Anthony, commonly known as Tony. Tony had, back then, the personality of a happy go lucky guy, just as he is now. I had the privilege of shining his shoes while he was greasing a car. We always had a running joke of myself being in the Sunday Papers. Truly, back then the Sunday papers had great characters. Hence the Taliadoros family was given nicknames by me. However, first I had to be given one. During that time I was given the name of Sunshine. The truth be said, my mother thought I was so bright she called me Sunny - hence my new given name. It was then that I gave Tony the name of Dimmy Dimwit, by reason of who in their right mind would ask a kid for a shoeshine under a grease rack. Now we journey across Tally's corner to Tally's Lincoln & Mercury Essays Cape Ann Web 2004-05-04T05:39:49-05:00 http://www.capeannweb.com/dogtown/archives/000374.php Introduction ~ Author's Note
Prologue (Excerpt) ~ Chapter 6 (Excerpt) South Hamilton, Massachusetts April, 2004 For any person who has never been owned by a dog much of what I am about to disclose will not make a great deal of sense. But for you dog people, and animal lovers in general, I know you’ll understand. Dogtown Drifter got its start as a short story that I wrote for my wife, Carol, as a means of relieving the grief we were both feeling after the loss of our beloved female keeshond, Sydney. A finer beast I’ve never known. All of my past dogs (and present) have been special to me, but Sydney was something else all together. She had character not usual in dogs. A sense of humor even, and she would often tilt her head when greeting you and grin with all of her teeth. She was a quiet dog, and I like to think an introspective one. A dog capable of reflection. Sitting on the front lawn with our other keeshond, Owen, she would keep watch over the driveway, the long green lawn, and the road beyond. She was a friendly animal and the best companion. She was a good dog. We lost Sydney in the fall of 1999. The prologue to Dogtown Drifter was the original short story that I wrote for my wife in an effort to immortalize the animal.]]> Book Excerpt: Dogtown Drifter Cape Ann Web 2004-04-29T20:10:56-05:00