Beautification Committee

Beautification Committee Meeting 2/8/22 Present: Sam Fiore, Mary Ellen Halliwell, Sandi Powers, Brooke Nagle, Micaela Guglielmi, Guests: Charlene Bailey, Ariana Lema-Driscoll January Minutes were approved . Traffic island review  Micaela share list of the signs that were at the DPW and their condition. Lifebridge, Periwinkles, and Federal St Neighborhood Association were not at the DPW. Sandi thinks Periwinkles and FSNA has their signs. Most were in good condition, some minor repairs needed on a few.  Micaela will reach out to Gabe to discuss repairs.  Sandi explained how Lifebridge never paid their fee and did minimal work on their island, so Sandi never put their sign up. Mary Ellen suggested we give them a second chance and offered to reach out to them.  Sandi recommends we do not a have a plant sale this year since the garden is no longer available for the perennials we always offered and which were potted up by the T.I. volunteers and trucked to the location and which contributed probably at least 3/4 of the profits from it, and that Darlene’s, who provided the annuals and took back what wasn’t sold, is no longer in business.  Sam suggested we reach out to Salem Trolly and she if the could give us all a tour of where all our islands are so new members can see them.  Sam will be putting hearts out on the Washington St strip this week. Lady of Salem Update  Mary Ellen sent an email to us all with the work that needs to be done to all the Ladies: 1. FIGUREHEAD REPAIRS IN PEM BASEMENT... Sam&ME w/vendors assist. To be finished by end of March ! Lady YVONNE.........Clean existing plaque or purchase NEW ONE. New ROSE decal on bust. Painter's tape edge paint Teal border. Refresh gold lettering. QUAKER........Remove bee decals. Battleship gray paint for dress repairs. TREASURES.......New plaque... Artist: Jeanne Pare Muse. Add seaweed; maybe some fish decals. Paint OVERTIME PABICH......New plaque. White paint (nose). SALEMFIVE.......New plaque. Paint backboard (maybe some gold trim). Add coins. HOMEDEPOT.......New line (14'). Washers etc for necklace. Clean & paint skin tone bust. BATES......Modge Podge skirt with shades of green & red tissue paper . Needs total UV COATING. SHALIMAR.......Redo Name with purple paint. Remove bees.  PEACOCK LADY.....New plaque.....change to Jeanne Pare Muse. NAUMKEAG ......Fish, fruit decals headband, feathers. BEVERLY COOP......Remove bees. Add gold roping if it will stay.... 2. VENDORS: ACE for clamps; Colonial Engravers (Jim Connolly) for plaques; Concept Signs(Ken McTeague) for backboards, brackets & UV-ing. ALL VENDORS HAVE ACCOUNTS WITH THE CITY OF SALEM! 3. LADIES OUT FOR REPAIR: DAY OF THE DEAD & BERNARD'S (Cynthia Smzyck). STATUE OF LIBERTY (Essex Pizza) under major renovation at ME's home. 4. New Lady for 2022...Rebecca Nurse of witch trail fame...Artist Kenneth Glover.  Mary Ellen thought it would be a good idea to have a Lady in Old Town Hall during the art installation. Micaela suggested she email Julie Barry.  Brooke suggested advertising the Ladies in the summer tourism pamphlet. 2022 Planning and Resources  Micaela shared current balance of BCOMM account.  Sandi mentioned replanting the Mill Hill Island – we have around $4,000 set aside for this project. Micaela will follow up about this money.  Charlene asked if the new hotel will landscape around the Washington medium strip.  Mary Ellen mentioned removing the dead tree in front of Salem 5 Bank on Essex St. Micaela will reach out to the tree warden again.  A discussion about whether or not we should include the Mayors name on the Traffic Island signs occurred. Micaela will follow up on this.  Clean Sweeps day will be added to March agenda for further discussion. Brooke had some ideas about incentivizing groups with gift cards. Sandi received a citation from Senator Joan Lovely: BCom received an “official recognition” on November 21, 2021, from the Mass. State Senate at the behest of Senator Joan Lovely. Micaela notified Sandi in late January when it was received Sandi called Joan’s office to thank her. Joan advised that this was issued in response to Sandi’s letter to the SNEWS editor in November to praise and acknowledge all the many volunteer groups giving their time energy to volunteer for the City and its residents. Sandi, in addition to thanking her for the citation, offered that sharing this recognition with the media could help bring attention to the Beautification Committee and help us in our efforts to attract new members to replenish our ever more limited membership. Otherwise, to continue or expand our programs would obviously be severely constricted. Senator Lovely was enthusiastic about doing this, notifiying the media of the State citation and, through her aide, Micaela Maloof, asked that I send more information about BCom to them that could be used for this purpose. One of our T.I. Program associates, Charlene Bailey, and Sandi worked on a brief history, with some helpful historical input from Ellen Talkowski, longtime City liaison with BCom. Today a letter with the requested info has been sent to Micaela Maloof and we hope it will be helpful. I am looking forward to an excellent article in the paper arising out of Senator Lovely’s outreach and a resulting “surge” in applications for membership. As an aside, I had also emailed the mayor’s aide Dominick Pangallo early in January suggesting that the Mayor follow up on her efforts of 2006 when she established the new Beautification Committee and appointed a chairman and nine members. I suggested a notice could be put out that members are needed. Mr. Pangallo responded that he was aware that one new member was about to be appointed by the Council and that he was confident that more would be coming, that the administration would do its best to help us.