DRAFT
SALEM BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Meeting on July 26, 2011
Minutes
Present: Sam Fiore, Mary Ellen Halliwell, Marcia Lambert, Beverly Moustakis, MaryAnne Piechocki, Sandi Power, Ellen Talkowsky.
Absent: Judith Wolfe
Chairperson Marcia Lambert opened the meeting at 7:35 p..m..
The minutes for the meeting of June 28, 2011, were accepted as sent.
Old Business:
Plant sale procedures - Procedures for guidance on the next plant sale were drawn up by MaryAnne and Sandi and emailed to members for their review and comment. There were no comments.
Traffic Island Program - Sandi reports that there are two new sponsors: Perriwinkle Restaurant at Vinnen Square and Councilor Steven Pinto at Essex and Summer Streets. Lifebridge has planted the other half of their island on Margin Street and placed a wooden bridge replica on the first half. The City has mulched the two sponsored islands at the interection of Essex and Summer (thank you, Ellen). Mary Whitney of the Essex Street Neighborhood Assoc. advised that their name on the sign is incorrect but they don't care to use the sign anyway. They are still in the process of cleaning and planting the Captain Driver Park on the corner of Essex and Summer.
The five new islands at Congress, Ward, and Peabody Streets were weeded, replanted, and mulched over three very hot mornings in July by North Shore CDC teens and their supervisor, Emily Lanois, along with volunteers Judith Wolfe, Jack Melin, Charlene Bailey, Eleanor Lynn, and Lucy Sprague, under Sandi's direction. The CDC teens will weed and pick up litter for the four weeks of their employment by the CDC.
Traffic Island and Window Box Competition - Ellen reports the Garden Club judging will take place approximately July 28 to Aug. 4. She notes that there are about dozen entrees, fewer than last year, but a big increase in new business entrys. Discussion around the awards to the traffic island sponsors resulted in the consensus to include the island picture with award, to consider separate prizes for professionally planted vs. non professionally planted, to mount pictures of the winners on a board at the award function, as is done with the window box winners, also to award a "Certificate of Appreciation," with island picture, to Common residents Barbara Pervier and Barbara Swartz for their beautification of the Washington Sq. island. Mary Ellen offered to take digital pictures of all islands that
might conceivably be winners and the winners will be on the BCom web site.
Lady of Salem: Mary Ellen reports Northeast Gallery, the supplier of the Lady figures, has not been paid. Ellen will take care of it. The Lady will not be displayed during the Maritime Festival as it is too soon for the committee to be ready. For Heritage Day she will be displayed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mall on August 13 and 14. Mary Ellen will provide the table, and our banner will be on display; our members will work shifts. There will be Lady of Salem drawings for children to color and post cards (displayed at the meeting) for the taking. She will also be featured on the Salem Now TV channel on August 9 at 5:30.
Mary Ellen will meet with Michael Lash, former director of Public Art Chicago and the creator of various "sculptures" recently placed around downtown Salem, regarding grant money and where to go from here. Ideally the Lady needs twenty sponsors by the end of August to be ready for October.
Active Duty Service Island - Marcia reports that the plans for grass on the island have changed because the City does not want to mow, so mulch will be substituted. Paul Brown and veterans from SSU prepared the site. Thomson's cannot plant until the second week of August; therefore, the original plan for Wave Petunias will be modified to plants more suitable for late summer. Concern was expressed about having a completely mulched island and Marcia will talk with Scott about this. The small concrete islands bordering the sidewalk at the end of the service island need to be cleaned of weeds.
New Business:
1.) The Garden Club has officially notified the City it will no longer be planting and maintaining the Essex Street Mall gardens. It was moved, seconded, and voted to substitute a planning walk through the mall for our next meeting on August 23rd. Because of the earlier sundown by then, we will meet at 7, instead of 7:30, in the downstairs lobby of 120 Washington St.
2.) It was suggested BCom do some fall bulb planting; e.g.., the five new islands at Congress St., the Mary Jane Park at the Point, etc. Concern was expressed about the messy look of the bulbs after they go by.
3.) Ellen reports the City mulched the pedestrian mall, the Wash. St. urn median strip, the sidewalk islands on Wash. St., and gave mulch to the CDC for tree islands they were cleaning out.
4.) Concerns about the Common received from a Common resident will be directed to Doug Bollen.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50.
Sandi Power
Secretary pro tem
Next meeting: August 23, 2011, 7 p.m., the foyer of 120 Washington Street.
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