March 16, 2015 — The Selling of Gloucester to the Seafood World, approaching an HBO miniseries, rolled into its second day today with a whirlwind mini-tour of the city and an abduction of the U.S. ambassador to Iceland by Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken.
Just another ho-hum day on the Gloucester waterfront.
"I kidnapped our ambassador to Iceland," Romeo Theken confessed soon after arriving at The Gloucester House late this morning to host a reception for the international contingent of about 25 seafood representatives attending the Seafood Expo of North America in Boston. "I told him, 'You're coming with me'."
The mayor had met Ambassador Robert C. Barber, at an earlier event this morning at the Innovation House in Magnolia, and convinced him to accompany the Seafood Expo group on the Jodrey State Fish Pier portion of its tour of the city.
"I told him that if he didn't want to come, we could always do business with Scotland," Romeo Theken said.
In fact, Romeo Theken made it clear she would love to do business with Scotland. And Iceland. And Malaysia. And Indonesia. And the United Kingdom. And the Netherlands and any other country interested in partnering with the city, its fishermen and seafood companies.
"You are very important to us," Romeo Theken told the assembled seafood buyers, owners, government representatives and processors from around the globe. "Gloucester is here for you. Gloucester wants to partner with you. We believe in partnership. We believe in innovation."
The pitch seemed to go well.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times