Historical Commission

Sterling Heights Historical Commission October 2 nd, 2019 6:00pm Meeting Minutes of Meeting I Call to Order Meeting was called to order at 6:06pm by Mott. II Roll Call Present: Cynthia Appleton, Nicholas Cavalli, John Connor, Douglas J. Harvey, Meghan Mott, Mark Schell, Bryan Wojciechowski Absent: Tammy Turgeon, Library Director Staff Present: Emily Benoit, Archival Intern III Approval of Agenda Motion to approve the agenda was made by Mott, supported by Appleton. Motion carried. IV Minutes of August 1, 2019 Motion to approve the minutes of the August 1, 2019 meeting was made by Mott, supported by Connor. Motion carried. V Communications/Reports/Correspondence A. Upton House Status Process of renovation is progressing on both levels. Windows on the upper level have been renovated, while windows are boarded on main level and will be undergoing replacement. Question of whether or not the floorboards on both levels are original was raised, and if so, whether or not they will be retained. Mott will contact Turgeon for more specifications on the contracting/risk management plan for the flooring. It is suggested by the members of the Commission that the original flooring be retained if feasible. Mott shared the details of Turgeon’s email sent on Tuesday, October 1st. Plan for liquor license/appetizers seems to be proceeding appropriately at this time.  Suggestion that fundraiser price be raised to $30 instead of $25, suggested by Cavalli and supported by Schell, Connor, Wojciechowski. Mott will talk to Turgeon for opinions. Appleton suggests reaching out to clubs (Kiwanis, Lions) as invitees. Mott suggests MCHA; Appleton suggests requesting a post on newsletter/website for outreach. Mott suggests reaching out to the Chamber (SHRCC), county commissioners. Harvey suggests reaching out to surrounding counties. Mott follows up with other Commission members, supported by Cavalli and Wojciechowski. Current list of suggested organizations for support, attendance will probably reach fifty attendees, as suggested by Wojciechowski. Decorations suggested are greenery, ribbons, mistletoe, candles (electric and/or battery-operated). Connor and Mott suggest candy canes to pass out to attendees, supported by Cavalli. Question of whether or not letterhead will be used and/or is currently created was posed by Appleton, and will be communicated to Turgeon by Mott. Benoit initiates conversation regarding paint colors and rug locations. Clarification of rug location(s) will be needed, as Commission is unclear of intention for décor in rooms. Appleton suggests that present suggestions made for paint color are too light in color to be period appropriate, an opinion that is universally supported by the board. Benoit volunteers to research appropriate color selections. Cavalli questions whether or not the intentions for the rooms are to be recreations as opposed to a “museum-feel.” This will have to be clarified. Function of the room will have to be determined—rooms downstairs are suggested as “museum” rooms, but it is not clear why this choice has been made. Members of the Board (particularly Connor) will be meeting with Benoit for a quick walk-through of the Upton House when the latter goes to take her weekly pictures. This will occur on Wednesday, October 9th between 3:00pm and 3:30pm. Lighting situation in the parlor and other areas of the house will be asked of Turgeon by Mott. VI Unfinished Business A. Names Project Mott will confirm that names project has been shared with the rest of the Board. B. Historical Display in Library Connor’s materials have been added; Wojciechowski needs to add his materials. Next display is currently undecided and will be based on the renovations. Mott will investigate. C. Historical Marker Program No updates at this time. D. Cemetery Walk (October 19) Schell confirms that sign-up has “not gone well.” Cavalli remarks that social media posting may drum up more interest. Appleton suggests that the 4pm slot is blocked off to drive more attendees into the 2pm and 6pm slots. Appleton suggests deciding a minimum number of 10 in order for each time slot to commence; Mott will confirm with Turgeon. As of now, all roles have been filled.  Practice date is set for Monday, October 7th. In the event of rain, a new date will be set for the practice, although having a practice in the cemetery to get “the lay of the land” is imperative. As of now, the current date is suggested to hold. Schell remarks that costumes will tentatively be available on Friday, October 4th, and will plan on bringing them to the rehearsal on October 7th. Mott will confirm with Turgeon on rain day protocol on Saturday, October 19th. Appleton suggests that the event be called as ongoing or not on Friday, October 18th so that patrons can be contacted in advance. Mott will follow up with Turgeon on this as well. Appleton will print listing of names of “characters.” Mott suggests that a program for the event itself is created, supported by Wojciechowski and Appleton. Mott will take this under advisement. Cavalli remarks that Turgeon had mentioned having someone from the City look over the cemetery to fill any holes/right any lopsided stones. This should be confirmed. Lanterns, provided by Danielle Cox, will be taken by Mott for practice on-site. More outreach efforts should be considered. Cavalli suggests better outreach on Facebook. Appleton suggests flyers in the SHPL lobby. Connor suggests flyers placed in the senior center, as supported by multiple members of the Commission. Cavalli recommends prioritizing the status of the flyers. E. Inventory/Processing Statement Schell remarks that this has been signed off on already. Appleton recommends that the process manual needs work, but confirms that the inventory and policy statement have both been approved. Mott requests update to the minutes to include a review of the Procedures and Process Manual of the Upton House during the next meeting. F. Purchasing Items for the Upton House No updates at this time. G. Sterling Heights History Traveling Box Mott shared this information with the Board since the last meeting. Information on this item is not due until March 2020, and Mott will consider this further following the culmination of the cemetery walk. Suggestions on this are welcomed from other members of the Commission. VII New Business A. Upton House Displays Touched upon in ad hoc meeting on Tuesday, September 10th. B. Upton House Sneak Preview Event Commission members will be expected to purchase tickets to attend, but Mott will verify whether or not this is actually the case. Cavalli questions whether or not the Commission will be expected to serve as hosts of the event, and therefore may not need to be included as ticketed attendees. Information regarding the schedule of events and who will be making opening/closing remarks will be confirmed as well—double-checking the consistency of the event is paramount. Cavalli suggests that someone from the Board should make opening remarks; program should consist of Commission member(s), as introduced by Turgeon. Appleton suggests that Mott make opening  remarks as Commission Chair, supported by Mott. Mott suggests that Nate Shannon is approached as a speaker, as supported by Cavalli and Connor. Speakers should be restricted to five-minute speeches or less. Whether or not the event is open to the general public is dependent upon the amount of attendees who purchase tickets from the suggested organizations (after a week out, the event might become open to the public). Mott mentions CNG, SHTV, and The Macomb Daily. Appleton remarks that having television spot would be beneficial in promoting public awareness. Follow-up for this will be done via email/telephone between Commission members. Commission members should be at the Upton House no later than 5pm on the 19th. C. Sterling Christmas Date is confirmed on Saturday, December 7th. Outreach should be placed on Facebook and in community magazines, if possible. Schell states that new decorations may be needed this year, as supported by Appleton who suggests that a letter be sent on October 23rd-24th. This may also be affected by whether or not the opening date is on November 19th or December 2nd, which may complicate the preparations for the 7th. Mott will reach out regarding the community tree (which will be placed upstairs). It is possible that a second tree could be donated for the lower level as well. Wojciechowski suggests a full-sized tree for the parlor, which is confirmed to be a period- appropriate tree by Mott. Appleton suggests outdoor decorations outside the House, perhaps including Connor’s lanterns Again, much of this is contingent upon the date of the Upton House Reopening. VIII Communications from Citizens No updates at this time. IX Adjourn Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Wojciechowski, seconded by everyone. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:14pm. Next Meeting: December 5, 2019 Ad hoc meeting dates dependent on the schedule of when items are returned to the Upton House.