BCOM Meeting Agenda 5/26/15
In Attendance: Marc Berube, Lisa Lyons, Ellen Talkowsky, Sandi Power, Judith Wolfe, Bev Moustakis, Marcia Lambert
Absent: Sam Fiore, Mary Ellen Halliwell
Meeting Started at 7:08 pm
1. Approval of Minutes – 4/28/2015 Meeting
DISCUSSION:
- A question was posed as to whether there are any comments/changes on the minutes being submitted by Marc Berube for the 4/28/15 meeting.
- Changes: Marcia needs to be added to the absentees list for March minutes. Marcia, Bev and Judith delivered flyers for the clean sweeps to Lafayette Street businesses and neighborhood. Flora Tonthat needs to be added to the Guest section. Marcia did not record volunteers as stated in the minutes. Judith volunteered to pot plants with Marcia.
MOTION:
- Motion made to approve minutes from 4/28/2015 meeting with the above amendments/changes, seconded and all in favor.
2. Clean Salem, Green Salem Wrap Up
DISCUSSION:
- Sandi - Lafayette Park did not have tickets for pizza. A logistical challenge that will be noted for next year.
Lisa – Commented that overall the even went very well and thanked the BCOM team for their hard work and participation.
Councillor at Large Legault was in attendance to help clean Lafayette Park.
Furlong clean up went well due to the North Field Neighborhood Association.
Many did not show up for the pizza party lunch. Consider reducing pizza order next year. Ellen thinks it could be due to not having as many students as previous years. Could be also due to new Principals in the schools not familiar with the program. Also, students were on vacation that week. Ellen offered that schools are somewhat limited to what the students can do given they are cleaning up their own schools.
Cleaned 15 sites that day. We did not do the YMCA clean up this year. Perhaps more outreach needs to be done to engage and encourage the YMCA to participate.
Maybe we should consider adopting one school to participate. A letter goes to the superintendent to approve the flyers going to the schools.
Consider engaging the Salem Common Neighborhood Association to assist with cleaning the Common.
Discussion ensued about changing the date of the Clean Sweeps but the date has coincided with Salem Recycles. Nice to have all 3 organizations on the Common doing these events at the same time. We will lock in the date for next year.
Will consider doing Lafayette Park again and coordinating with the SCNA to assist.
Discussion around possibly cleaning the beaches next year.
Lisa made a note that we’ll revisit Clean Sweep plans in our December meeting.
Sandi suggested we do a Fall Clean Sweeps – Sometime in either September/October/November. More discussion to come on this topic.
3. Plant Sale Wrap Up
DISCUSSION:
- Owe Darlene $825.50 and we netted $1803 on that day in checks and cash including sales for plants and raffle. Last year we paid John $842 dollars and made approximately $390 in 2012.
- Last time we tracked raffles it was $160. We did not track separately the raffle, home grown and the plants supplied by Darlene’s. Will put process in place for next year for better tracking.
- Hanging plants, large geraniums, house-plants and herbs sold exceptionally well. Need to be mindful of this when ordering next year.
- We sold a lot of plants from the Bertram house.
- We did not have a lot of inventory left over with the exception of sunny home-growns.
- We did not get balloons from Darlene’s so we want to be sure we did not get charged.
- We did have Home Depot contribute some flats which cost $75 and they’ll be reimbursed when the invoice comes to the city of Salem.
- We netted approximately $1000 for the say.
- We had great support from the Bertram House with plant donations and worked the table and assisting with collecting cash.
- Marblehead had 2 plant sales the day before Mother’s Day. Discussion regarding whether we should change the date to the day before Mother’s day however Darlene’s would not be able to assist.
- We made more $$$ in one day this year then in the 2 days last year.
- The event was well publicized.
- Need to make a note for next year to send the information to the Garden Club for our plant sale.
- Final thoughts – if we netted almost $1000 in one day we did well.
- Lisa to send Marc the names of the BCOM plant sale raffle winners to be included in the minutes.
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2015 BCOM Plant Sale Raffle Winners
Dahlia Flower Bowl (by Bev)~ Winner = Rose McMullen~
Ivy Plant (by Marcia) Winner = Bev Moustakis
Darlene's $25 Gift Card (from Marc) Winner = Tracy
Jade Bowl (by Sam) Winner = Barb Swartz
Herb Garden (by Sam) Winner = Paisley
Watering Can (by Sandi) Winner =~Jonquil Furse |
4. Traffic Islands
DISCUSSION:
- BCOM have cleaned up and readied several traffic islands for sponsorship: RCG’s two areas, Rotary’s garden under their sign at Riley Plaza, the T.I. in street at Tavern in the Square, The Chimney Co. of Salem, Joe O’Keefe’s at Loring Square, the three at the intersection of Loring and Lafayette, all the gardens at Riley Plaza. Several others left to do.
- We gained one Friday volunteer, Mary McIntyre, and lost one who moved to Ipswich, Andrea Hall. Two others are adopting traffic islands.
- Sandi is concerned that the City stick to it’s stated intention to start watering on June 1st. Sponsors will lose their gardens in this dry spell if this is not adhered to.
The veteran’s island needs some cleaning, new mulch. Sponsor may need some assistance in this regard.
Sandi is asking the BCom committee members to consider recommending to the Fire Dept. that it adopt a new fire hydrant color – orange – to spark up the hydrants and to fit in with our Halloween traditions. She has seen it in another community and it’s quite striking. It would be a great project to engage volunteers, pull in new volunteers. Sandi will do some investigating to determine if this is possible and perhaps this could be a BCOM project. Ellen to call the Chief to investigate the feasibility of this suggestion.
Home depot team: How to we get more volunteers for Washington Street/Home depot island?
Ellen will send an email to Sandi regarding 4 volunteers who signed up at the Clean Sweeps day. Weeding especially is needed for this island.
Lisa to have message on the patch to ask for volunteers.
- Mention to Phil that Flag day and July 4th will be coming up and he should include flags on the Veteran’s Island.
Sandi has sent out general letter to volunteers who signed up last year.
Judith commented that Sandi and her volunteers do a really great job.
5. Mill Street Island Project
DISCUSSION:
- Bev, Marc and Judith visited Northeast Nursery to select perennials for the pots and islands. Ellen has processed a PO for $650 for the flowers.
- Waiting for Tom to begin island dirt removal, fixing drip system and replacing island with loam and pea stone. Ellen to coordinate with Tom.
- Dig Safe has marked the island.
- Ellen is waiting to hear back from John Tomasz as to whether we’ll have to pay for the DPW workers and then we can move forward and begin the digging.
- Discussion regarding what happens with the flowers and the pots in the winter. To heavy to move and perhaps we put a plan in place to protect the pots/plants. More discussion to follow.
- Marc to send details regarding the Mill Street island project to Lisa/Ellen so a press release can be sent out.
6. Lady of Salem
DISCUSSION:
- Ladies are going up on the Pedestrian Mall on Thursday May 28.
- All the ladies have scarves and or some adornment to coincide with the Arts Festival.
- New rack cards for the LOS will be created once the current card supply is depleted. The new cards will be distributed to the appropriate outlets.
- Looking for a carver for some of the summer events – Sails and Trails and the antique boat show on August 8/22 and 23.
- All of the damaged ladies have been repaired.
7. Old/New Business
DISCUSSION:
- White Street Gardens (WSG) Correspondence – Ellen to send the BCOM a link to WSG. Owner asked if the BCOM could take on maintaining the WSG located at Derby/Blaney Street. The group decided it would be too much to take on right now. Potentially recommend that a neighborhood take the project on.
- Marcia asked if we could have a new list of our members with contact info. Lisa to distribute.
- Bev asked if we are still doing hanging baskets on the pedestrian mall. We’ve been waiting for the LOS to be installed to then determine how many hanging plants we’ll need. Then we’ll make a decision – more discussion to follow.
- Jacob from CDC regarding Youth Build Students Days in Salem on 7/31 and on 8/15 asked if any of the BCOM members would be interested in volunteering either day. Ellen will send the info to the team and we can decide and reach out directly to Jacob if interested in volunteering.
- Lisa showed us the new “BCOM” thank you card. Everyone had positive comments.
- The garden club is giving away the large urns around the fountain on the pedestrian mall. We might want to consider using them in the future and we’ll revisit this during our December meeting. They’ll be stored at the cemetery.
MOTION:
- A motion to adjourn was made and seconded and all in favor.
- Meeting adjourned @ 8:38 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marc Berube
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