Beautification Committee

Salem Beautification Committee Meeting minutes 12/8/15 In Attendance: Ellen Talkowsky, Sandi Power, Sam Fiore, Marc Berube, Bev Moustakis, Lisa Lyons, Barb Sirois. Absent: Mary Ellen Halliwell, Marcia Lambert Meeting Started at 7:06 pm 1. Approval of Meeting Minutes from September 28, 2015 DISCUSSION: Approval of minutes. A motion was made by Barbara Sirois to accept the 9/28/15 minutes. Beverly Moustakis seconded the motion. All were in favor, motion so carried. 2. Pumpkin Decorating Contest Follow Up DISCUSSION:  All awards, letters and checks were sent to the winners.  The schools we selected this year worked well – The Boys and Girls Club After School Program and the Bates After School Program. Great participation and the kids were excited and well behaved.  Ellen coordinated the collection of the kid’s names with the Bates teacher who was coordinating for the school.  We received lots of last minute entries on Sunday’s collection day.  The Boys and Girls after school program presented the BCOM with a handmade Thank-you Card.  We received 150 pumpkins from the Sheriff’s office.  Bev obtained 20 pumpkins from Shaws and from Thompsons.  We need to have the Decorating Contest intake forms completed in entirety to ensure we have the entrants’ full name, address and phone number. This will ensure a smooth and efficient process for notifying the winners.  For next year’s planning we need to plan to go earlier to the trailer to account for cleaning the trailer. 3. Holiday Decorating Follow Up DISCUSSION:  Ellen reported that Sandi and Kylie Sullivan from Salem Main Streets, George Sands from the Park Department, Bev and Ellen met to assemble the wreaths with lights and bows.  100 wreaths were purchased by Main Streets.  George Sands and the Park Department installed the wreaths on the poles in the city.  Kylie Sullivan coordinated the wrapping of the poles throughout the downtown. BCOM members volunteered and joined in the activity.  We will send thank you notes to those who assisted us on this day.  We had 2 volunteers express interest during the event in joining the BCOM. 4. Traffic Islands DISCUSSION:  Ellen and Lisa informed the group that a full reporting of the costs associated with the Mill Street Island project will happen at the next BCOM meeting in January.  Ellen, Lisa and Sandi discussed updating the master list of sponsors.   We have decided to add Mill Street Island Mural Project as an agenda item going forward. Sandi and Marc can provide updates. We will invite Deb Greel, City Art Planner, to update on this project sometime in 2016.  In preparation for the temporary removal of the Active Service Island over the next few months, we transferred all the roses there to various volunteers’ gardens. Sandi emailed to Ellen the measurements of the island as well as pictures to serve as a guide to replace it next spring when RCG has finished its underground work.  We have cleaned up and put to bed the gardens at Riley Plaza, as well as those sponsored by The Chimney Co., the unsponsored garden across from the Tavern on the Square, A+. St. Jean’s Credit Union, Freedom Communications, Fisher and Shaws, Boys & Girls Club, Lafayette Park. Remaining to have plants pulled and transplanted is Loring Square, which we are told, will be eliminated in the spring.  Concern has been expressed regarding the high sunflowers in Tree Girl’s island at Essex and Summer. They were cut back but there now exists a Zebra grass in a bad spot which needs to be moved before it becomes too large and blocks pedestrian view.  The list of sponsors needs to be checked for errors and omissions before MOU’s are sent out next spring. We had a couple sponsors omitted or with wrong addresses last spring. Driver’s Park is no longer in the program, they have a grant. Councilor O’Keefe will not be a sponsor. The SSNA garden will disappear as part of the upgraded Loring Square in the spring. Mike Riordan Landscaping (Vinnin Sq.) is a new one and needs to be added. The letter and MOU’s themselves may need updating. 5. Lady of Salem (LOS) DISCUSSION:  Bev presented a sponsorship check for $500 from the Village Tavern for an LOS in the 2016.  We have 3 very good prospective sponsorships for 2016 in addition to the Village Tavern.  The check to pay Jean Pare was processed for payment.  The LOS’s are stored at the YMCA. They are experiencing some wear and tear from the weather.  We received many positive comments when the LOS’s were decorated throughout the year e.g. Halloween and Textile theme for the Salem Arts Festival. 6. Dates for 2016 Events DISCUSSION:  Some dates are set in concrete due to other events coinciding with our events.  May 7th for the Clean Sweeps to tie in with Salem Recycles Event  May 21st for the Plant Sale, keep the sale one day as in 2015.  Dates for our BCOM activity calendar will be discussed and finalized at our next meeting in January. 7. Old/New Business DISCUSSION:  No discussion. MOTION:  A motion to adjourn was made and seconded and all in favor.  Meeting adjourned @ 7:53 pm. Respectfully submitted, Marc Berube