Beautification Committee

Salem Beautification Committee Minutes April 25, 2017 Meeting began at 7:02 p.m. In attendance: Ellen Talkowsky, Sam Fiore, Mary Ellen Halliwell, Sandi Power, Denise Balfe, Colby Miller, Barbara Sirois, Lisa Lyons Absent: Marcia Lambert Guest: Giulia Bellofatto, soon-to-be BComm Member. Brief intro/welcome to Giulia – welcome to BComm. 1. Review/comment/accept Minutes from March 28, 2017 (Motion- BarbS, Second- Sam Fiore) 2. Traffic Islands RCG/Washington Street Sam and Tom O’shea will meet to discuss irrigation on RCG traffic island (formerly HomeDepot traffic island). Planters/urns (5 big, 31” tall, 26” across, with moss colored paint) will be placed between trees on TI. Sam expressed concern about granite blocks on TI where Barton Square meets with Washington St. – After Washington Street is paved, could there be ‘no parking stripes’ at that corner (in front Aurora) so that trucks/cars exiting Barton Square have enough room to exit and won’t drive up on the traffic island, crushing granite stones, etc. Tim Jenkins helped Sam and Bev with clean up of the island and rebuilt the little garden on the strip. Thanks, Tim! Mill Street Median Strip It was decided that the Salem Beautification Committee would sponsor this median strip. We will be looking into getting more soil, mulch or peastone for this space. Ellen will get us area measurements Sandi’s Traffic Island Report below: We were somewhat shorthanded this month, as a couple volunteers were in the deep south until after Easter. In all, with fewer volunteers than usual, we managed to edge, weed, and prune eighteen traffic islands over a three- week period. The Salem Chimney Company’s island on Norman Street was partially destroyed. It was cleaned up as well as possible and the sponsor notified. The sidewalk hosta islands and the HMA island on Summer Street remain to be done on Friday next. HMA will be informed that their median strip will no longer be planted by us because of its risky location. Matt Picarsic of RCG was approached about the muddy patch in front of Bank of America and he has agreed to have it landscaped and planted to coordinate with his island on the other side of the walk. Sam and Bev have been independently working on the Washington Street median strip, newly sponsored by RCG. Five urns and a watering system are being installed on the lower, narrow end. I have recommended that the Mill Street median strip install pea.stone to match the original under the urns and to cover the plastic piping and mulch presently there. I have also recommended to Ellen, on the advice of Thomson’s Nursery and Matt Picarsic of RCG that the service island on Mill Hill should not be planted until the construction activity is concluded. She will consult with City Engineer Dave Knowlton. The three islands at Lafayette/Loring (APlus, St. Jean’s, SSU) were cleaned up, yellow pansies planted at their ends. A hit and run mess at the island on Norman (Salem Chimney Co.) was cleaned up of all the plants lying on the top and in the street The sponsor is okay with it and will renew and replant. 1  RCG’s garden in front of Bank of America and Bouchard Garage’s island in the Derby St. Ext. across from Bank of America were cleaned up with little problem. Riley Plaza’s many gardens have had two visits to partially get it in order and will need more. Grasses have invaded Salem Auto’s big garden and it will take a lot more work and some new plants to bring it back. The Knock Out Roses have not been doing well at all in the other gardens and I don’t know why – maybe too much shade, undependable water last year? The three gardens at Hawthorne Blvd were done in 45 degree weather and high wind. It took six of us and three hours to clean up, edge, weed, and prune: 1.) the upper garden (Boys & Girls Club) 2.) the middle garden (Fisher and Shaw) across from Charter Street 3.) last but definitely not least, the garden on the corner of the Blvd. and Derby Street (no sponsor). In spite of our clean up last fall, it is invaded by ivy and witch grass (how appropriate). We removed as much as we could in the time we had. It will need to be regularly attacked by whoever sponsors it. The plastic fencing has failed and has been removed. The concrete stone edging along one sidewalk should probably be removed. Also other small gardening areas have been established there. We did not clean them up and they should be allowed to revert to grass. (Seeding would help.) This week we shall probably do the sidewalk hosta islands on Washington Street (no sponsor) as well as the median strip on Summer Street (HMA). This is a dangerously narrow strip in the middle of two narrow streets. I have tried to reach the sponsor, unsuccessfully so far, but will be informing him that we cannot plant it this year – too risky. 3. Lady of Salem – review/update/activities for 2017 – Mary Ellen Halliwell - A clean-up day at the YMCA took place on 4/10/17– volunteers touched up Ladies of Salem, re-decoupage the Bates School Lady. (Sam, Marcia, Mary Ellen). They look great. - Ladies will go up (along Essex Street) on May 30th – start time 7:30-8:00 a.m. at YMCA. DPW assistance will be needed to take the Ladies out of the basement. - The Ladies will be on display in time for Salem Arts Festival June 2nd , 3rd, 4th . This year’s theme is Tidal Shift. Sam Fiore and Barb Sirois have created jellyfish decorations that will adorn the Ladies and complement this year’s theme; will be attached to Ladies on May 30th. - Mary Ellen submitted receipt (Winer Bros.) for supplies used for clean up and for new clamps ($200 was budgeted, $120, spent). - Mary Ellen requested help from BComm members for social media support and taking pictures. 4. Clean Salem, Green Salem/Clean Sweeps – May 6th, 2017 – 8:30a.m.–11:30a.m City-wide/Volunteer Pizza @Noon on the Salem Common (set up TBD) - Creative idea from Colby – “COSPLAY” – a friend may volunteer time that day for costumed-entertainment on the Common. - Ellen has been in touch with schools about Clean Sweeps Day – two schools have signed up. Ellen has not heard from the neighborhood groups about their participation. - BComm members will focus clean up efforts (and mulching/loom?) on downtown areas including, Front Street (in front of parking lot), Beginning of Central Street and at Red’s Diner – these flower beds were mulched last year. Depending on what appears to be coming back this year, we may not need to plant many things. - Ellen will have supplies and will purchase ‘grabbers.’ 5. Plant Sale – May 20th, 2017 on Salem Common – 9:00 a.m–1:00 p.m. (set up time TBD) - We will have the carts again this year! 2  - Sandi will coordinate with Darlene’s Flowers to order flowers (details in April/early May). - We will have tomato plants from Peter Gibney this year and probably a few from Darlene’s. - Raffle items to include: Herb?/lettuce? Bowl (Sam) - Giulia may bring herbs to have for sale, also - Shop the Tarp – gardening items will be made available (free) to plant sale attendees. - Marcia has lots of aloe plants (may need help splitting them) - Details/logistic info to follow later 6. Misc. - New BComm t-shirts and vests have been ordered (Gorilla Printing/Sandi coordinating). $15.65/shirt, v- necks; safety vests $12. Total $434. - Ongoing financial considerations: - Peastone for Mill Street traffic island ( $$ TBD) - Mulch (traffic island $ account) - $2,030 for Washington St. irrigation lines (voted/approved 3/28/17) (BComm funds) - $2K for water truck repairs - $few hundred for ‘grabbers’, supplies, clean sweeps pizza, etc., window box awards, etc. 7. Ongoing for Reference - Calendar 2017 – BComm Activities Lady of Salem – hang/Salem Arts Festival participation – May 30th/June 2-4th Clean Salem, Green Salem – May 6th Annual Plant Sale on Salem Common – May 20th Traffic Island and Window Box Awards Event – August 10th Lady of Salem @Maritime Festival – August 5th Lady of Salem @Antique Boat Show –August 2th Pumpkin Decorating Contest – mid-October Lady of Salem take-down – early November Wreath, lamp post ribbon wrap – end of November * BComm Members – remind residents/neighbors/businesses to participate in Window Box Competition in July* Next meeting is May 23, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 8:51 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lisa Lyons 3