This past weekend was a very big one for Gloucester - one that shows the city's commitment to preserve its past while charting its future. It should bring hope to longtime residents that while its identity must evolve to meet a changing economy and a changing world, its maritime roots remain.

Celebrate Gloucester, a Memorial Day weekend festival to honor the city's heritage, marked the opening of the Cruiseport Gloucester Marine Terminal, off Rogers Street at 6 Rowe Square. The terminal, which sits on 2 acres adjacent to the waterfront, includes a 250-seat ballroom which featured activities from an art show to maritime demonstrations. There was live music all weekend as well, including a reunion of the original Pousette-Dart Band on Saturday night.

The opening is an obvious signal of one major path to economic resurgence for Gloucester. With the fishing industry crippled by regulation, businesses on the harbor must be allowed to diversify.

The terminal is a prime example of that diversity. It will cater to cruise lines that have already begun coming to Gloucester in recent years, bringing thousands of tourists to downtown merchants and restaurants.

Besides that, Suez North America, one of the energy companies planning to build an offshore liquified natural gas terminal, has signed a 20-year lease for office space at the terminal, beginning July 1. The company said it will bring 24 jobs to the city and as much as $10 million over the 20-year life of the LNG terminal into the local economy.

At the same time, however, comes a connection to the past - the $3 million restoration of the schooner Adventure is nearing completion. This past week, the 80-foot foremast and 95-foot main mast were placed on the ship, which was built in Essex in 1926 and used for fishing.

The restoration is a combined effort of donors and staffers of The Schooner Adventure Project, led by president Marty Krugman, director Joanne Souza and her husband, vice president and chairman Peter Souza.

Fishing will no longer sustain Gloucester. But the restoration of the Adventure is evidence that fishing will always be a part of the city's identity. And the Cruiseport Terminal is evidence that the city is ready, as it must be, to embrace its future.

More woe for harried N. Shore commuter

The commute into Boston, never easy, is worse these days as a result of work being done on the Tobin Bridge and Revere Beach Parkway. It points out once again how tenuous are the physical ties that link the North Shore with the state's major city - just a few miles and a harbor crossing away as the crow flies, but a daunting journey when one is trapped in the middle of a long line of vehicles going nowhere.

Not surprisingly, there were reports of significant delays last week both on Route 1 leading up to the bridge and Interstate 93, an alternate route for some.

We suspect more than a few motorists decided to take the long way around - Route 128 to I-93 - in order to avoid the painting project on the Tobin which has two lanes closed on both the upper (southbound) and lower (northbound) decks. But even those highways - though wider and newer than Route 1 - can quickly become clogged during rush hour.

Unfortunately, public transportation, while available, is not as ready an option as it could or should be. Buses have to deal with the same traffic problems motorists encounter; and rail service in and out of North Station is not as frequent as it should be except during the peak morning and afternoon commuting periods. And then there's the lack of parking at the busiest stations like those in downtown Salem and Beverly.

Speaking at a meeting of legislators and local business people in Danvers last Wednesday, state Rep. Steven Walsh, D-Lynn, rightly pointed out that the region has been left behind when it comes to transportation options. Colleague Mary Grant, D-Beverly, agreed that the issue is a huge one for the North Shore.

Unfortunately, the state continues to drag its heels on relatively easy fixes like the construction of new garages in Salem and Beverly or the institution of more frequent service on the Rockport and Newburyport branches of the commuter rail line. As for the extension of Blue Line rapid transit service to Lynn, many have come to regard it as a pipe dream.

With both the Tobin and Revere Beach Parkway projects expected to last until the end of the year, tempers are bound to fray as people crawl along in traffic so they can pay their $3 to get into Boston via the bridge or tunnel.

One silver lining: State-subsidized ferry service between Salem and Boston resumed last Friday, offering the savvy commuter a much less stressful way to get in and out of town.