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BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Meeting – Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Chair – Marcia Lambert
Present: Chairperson Marcia Lambert, Amy Alpert, Sara Fiore, Mary Ellen Halliwell, Bev Moustakis, Maryanne Piechocki, Sandra Power, Ellen Talkowsky, Judith Wolfe
The Meeting was called to order at 7:40 P.M.
The minutes of the meeting held September 28, 2010 were reviewed. Item number one under “Old Business” was amended to report that the tree planting project is the work of the Global Work Party rather than the Salem Recycling Committee. The minutes were approved as amended. .
Old Business
1. Review of tree planting – Marcia reported that tree planting work went well. It was a great day and the project is a good thing. Work was centered on Jefferson Avenue near the garage. Sandi and her daughter Betsy worked on breaking up asphalt with pick axes. The Committee has contributed $150.00 to the project.
- Haunted Happenings – Maryanne reported on the “after school” pumpkin decorating contest project. She noted that Stop and Shop donated fifty pumpkins and she and her family donated twenty five more for the project. Pumpkin decorating sessions were held at the Bates and Bentley schools for children enrolled in the Y and For Kids Only programs. The sessions were very successful. The pumpkins were to be displayed from Friday, October 22nd through Halloween night. The contest judging was scheduled for Sunday, October 24th. Ellen reported that the pumpkins were displayed in a well lighted large open-faced trailer at the entrance to the Common. Local children brought their own pumpkins to the trailer. Four members of the High School Honor Society
helped set up the trailer display and manned display. Over the course of the days, local children brought their decorated pumpkins to add to the display. It was reported that participants in two weddings took advantage of having photographs taken with the display. For purposes of the contest the pumpkins were grouped into three age groups and were judged on three criterium. The judges were Beautification Committee member, Amy Alpert; Salem Common Association President, Michael Coleman; and National Honor Society member, Natasha. Winners were notified and their names were published in the local newspapers. It was suggested that in the future, the event should be more widely publicized.
- Christmas – The group reviewed and discussed the activities that were undertaken last year which included affixing bows to wreaths and the wrapping the light poles on the mall with red ribbon. The Committee is to meet with Main Streets to coordinate activities. There was interest in dressing up Derby Street from the Fire House to Waters and Brown. It was decided that the Committee will again wrap red ribbons around lamp posts and trees, dress up wreaths with bows and decorate the kiosk behind old city hall. Members will be notified of work dates and times.
- Traffic Islands – Sandi submitted the following report:
- The new Congress Street islands were redug out to remove the weed grasses that were taking over.~ Sandi requested a yard of loam which the City delivered.~ It was spread over three of the islands by Sandi, daughter Betsy, BCom associates Jack Melin and Lucy Sprague.~ Target Construction, who did the installation has promised to come in to fertilize the dying Honey Locust in hopes they will revive next year.~ If not they will make good on the guarantee.~ They have also promised to replace all the dead grasses next spring, an estimated 25% of the plants.~ Several plants that survived were transplanted to other areas.~~ Unfortunately one area bordering a parking lot has been severely truncated when the City installed a new curb and the soil is full of rubble.~ There may not be room to replace the three dead trees that were
removed, and the many dune grasses that Sandi removed to save may not have room there to be put back.~ Note that some of them now reside at McDonald Island.
- The Peabody Street Park meeting with Michael Blier, landscape architect, Barbara Warren of Salem Sound Coastwatch, and Natalie Lovett, Salem Development Planner,~ did take place.~ Mr. Blier explained the difficulties of the site; underground concrete which necessitated a cap and flipping the plans to an entirely different design.~ The hill at the concrete patio was designed to provide seating for public activities but also left a very hot, sunny area unprotected by shade trees.~ He agreed that the addition of a couple more trees would be desirable, if the shallow cap could be avoided, but Ms Lovett advised that this was not practical at this time as approval by City committees would have to be sought.~ Before our meeting the hills had been resprayed with grass seed and was starting to take.~ Unfortunately the fact
that the area has no irrigation and no one is in charge of weeding or maintenance continues to be a problem.~ The weeds are rampant and the grass is growing where it wasn't planted (but often not where it was).~ Ms Warren plans to ask the charter school to adopt it and maintain it insofar as they can.
- The 10/10/10 international tree planting was a lot of fun.~ Marcia, Sandi, and Betsy took part.~ The site of the tree donated by the Beautification Committee on Jefferson Avenue across from the DPW garage, in addition to the one in front of Maria's, was a real challenge - tree lawns full of concrete and asphalt.~ With the help of a volunteer passerby and a pickax, the deed was done.
- Sandi and BCom associate Janis Manning cleaned up and winterized the college's Lafayette Street island today.~ They are not paying for maintenance but had not responded to our request to weed and winterize it.~ The South Salem Neighborhood Association has decided to attack the hardscaping and planting of the Loring Sq. island in the spring.~~ Sandi called on Scott Hurley, owner of the Deli~ at the Point on Congress Street and he affirmed that he will sponsor the Congress St. islands.~ He was informed of what his responsibilities would be.~
Sandi Power, Traffic Island Committee
- Public Art – Marianne and Mary Ellen met with Pat Zaidos of the Salem Partnership on October 5th to discuss the Public Art Street Festival. The project was well received. It was recommended that the group meet with other local organizations and that an introductory letter from the Mayor would be helpful in generating interest in the project. On October 13th, the subcommittee applied for a $2500 grant from the Salem Cultural Council. Mary Ellen and Marianne are scheduled to meet with multiple groups in November. And the Committee was pleased to learn that the activities of the group were noted in the Salem Gazette.
- Establish sub-committees for 2011- The pros and cons of creating subcommittees to manage projects was discussed. It was decided to incorporate further discussion of this topic into a general review of what the Committee has accomplished to date and what the Committee intends to do in the future and how best it can go about accomplishing its plans and projects. Towards this end each Committee member is to pick three project sites listed in Sandi’s list of public spaces to put up for discussion
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 8:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Wolfe
Next Meeting: November 23, 2010
Chairperson: Marcia Lambert
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