BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Agenda
Meeting – Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Chair – Marcia Lambert
Minutes
Present: Marcia Lambert, Mary Ellen Halliwell, Jan Kendall, Sandra Power, Amy Alpert, Judith Wolfe. Absent: Bev Moustakis, Sara Fiore, Ellen Talkowsky. Guests: Beth Beringer, Mary Ann Piechocki
Beth Beringer of the National Park Service introduced the Committee to the grant funded First Bloom project. The project is designed to put children in touch with gardens and gardening. The current project is focused on one section of the Derby House garden. The goal is to identify the existing plants and then work of create a garden of native plants. The Commission has linked up with the Boys and Girls Club. Thirteen to fifteen fourth through six graders meet on Thursdays. The group is looking for “experts” to assist with the various aspects of the project. Committee members suggested names of people who could be helpful and tasks (e.g. keying the plants for identification purposes) that may be of interest to the children. Ms. Beringer was asked to keep in
touch with the Committee.
The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed. It was noted that the Home Depot got the New Business entry award for its work on the traffic island on Washington Street. Traffic Island sponsors were not notified of the contest review dates. The minutes were approved as revised.
Old Business
1. Traffic Islands – It was suggested that the Garden Club consider two new categories of traffic island contest entries: professional and amateur sponsors. Sandi then submitted the following report:
The Traffic Island competition in August was won by: First prize – Rockafellas and Cole Landscaping; Second prize – Tache Real Estate; Third prize – Rose Ins. Agency. A new prize category – New Entry, Business Winner – was given to Home Depot at the Washington Street median strip.
Members and associate members (Janis Manning and Marvin Johnson), helped to weed and turn over the soil at the unplanted bed on the parking lot side of Riley Plaza, in preparation for future planting. Janis and Marvin later, on their own, returned to Riley Plaza and continued the cleanup. We are looking for suggestions on giving this area a permanent perennial and shrub planting. Help will be needed to clean up the Norman Street traffic island and the rest of Riley plaza. Sandi has purchased mums for the Norman Street island, the Bike island on Summer Street, and the small sidewalk garden in front of Treasures Over Time. The latter has been planted.
It has been reported by very reliable observers that Sam and friend Pete have been seen repeatedly at the Home Depot island early in the morning performing miracles in color. The island is now fully involved in mums and is a wonderful sight to behold. Thank you, Sam and Peter, and Home Depot.
Sandi now has several outside recruits for outside work, as well as those who have volunteered for non gardening projects in the past. It is hoped that we can keep them involved and invite them to participate in upcoming projects such as the Tree-mendous events, plant sales, and, of course, traffic island planting and maintenance.
Sandi also reported that Jason Silva had the Loring Aveunue island cleaned up.
2. Artist Row – Mary Ellen has scheduled October 9th for picking up new plants and for cleaning up and replanting existing barrels with mums, cabbages, etc. She said she would put out a call for volunteers to help.
3. Newspaper Boxes – Marcia reported that the Boxes are now rented and several of the shabbier boxes have been removed. The City is now involved in the maintenance of the boxes.
4. M.B.T.A. – Mary Ellen reported that the project is “a work in progress.” She is continuing to work on it.
New Business
1. Future New Project Adoption Guidelines – Sandi volunteered to draft a letter that will sent to anyone requesting that the Committee become involved in a new project. The Request would be discussed at the next Committee meeting.
2. Public Art – Mary Ellen suggested that the Committee might be interested in developing a statute figure like symbol for Salem (e.g. the cows in Chicago) for display in and around town. The discussion will continue at future meetings. In her earlier report, Sandi proposed that such a project be separate from the traffic island project with its own subcommittee.
3. The Tree-mendous event – Dates for the event were discussed. Marcia is to contact Donna Michaud regarding status and scheduling and volunteers.
A Motion to Adjourn was proffered and approved
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Wolfe
Next Meeting: October 27, 2009
Chairperson: Marcia Lambert
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