The 24 Norman Street Blog is written and privately maintained by resident George Courage. This blog is no longer endorsed or paid for by either Markwood Management, or Harvest Properties and the opinions, observations and recommendations expressed therein are those of the author alone. This blog welcomes constructive comments, opinions and feedback about anything and everything affecting the quality of life in, near and around 24 Norman Street and Salem, Massachusetts.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

24 NORMAN STREET CONDOMINIUM TRUST NOTICE OF 2017 ANNUAL MEETING

The 2017 Annual Meeting ofthe 24 Norman Street Condominium Trust will be held Wednesday, January 11,2017 @ 6:30 PM in the Heritage Room ofthe Heritage Plaza Condominium, 10 Norman Street (next door, lower level), Salem, Massachusetts.
You should have received the meeting package and proxy for your information and review by mail. If you have not, please contact Markwood Management.
At this meeting, you will be electing three trustees for one-year terms. George Courage, Anna Zabierek, and Jessie Zuberek have volunteered to serve as trustees. If you are interested in adding your name to the ballot, please contact Markwood Management no later than Friday, January 6, 2017 and be prepared to present yourself at the meeting.
There will also be news about progress on the National Grid "pit" situation.
Please direct any questions to Markwood Management. Thank you!

Monday, December 5, 2016

A Word About Dealing with "Issues"

As we all know, living in a small space with neighbors above, below, and on either side of you, can lead to occasional friction. This is bound to happen at some point, so it is important to know, and follow some simple protocols for dealing with those frictions.
Recently Markwood Management was surprised to learn that there was an incident on the third floor where the police were called to intervene.  "Surprised" is the operative word here. Markwood had no idea that this incident had been the capper of an ongoing situation. This is unfortunate, because it is an issue that should have been resolved internally, without involving the police, but is all too common. This shows a breakdown in communication between Markwood and the residents, so...
Here are some information and guidelines for problem resolution to keep in mind.


Emergencies:
LEVEL 1:  If there is a situation which is immediately threatening: Fire, Accident, Medical Emergency, Criminal Activity (burglary, theft, physical violence) Call the Police or the Fire Department first. After the emergency has been addressed, (and only then) call Markwood and let them know what happened.
LEVEL 2:
If there is an incident in the maintenance realm (broken pipe, leaking toilet or water tank, electrical issues, roof leaks, blocked driveway or dumpster, broken washing machine or dryer, non-working lights, locks etc.) Call Markwood Management immediately. There is an emergency number to call if there is an actual emergency.
Markwood will try to get back to you as soon as possible (usually within 20 minutes).

Issues with neighbors:
If you are having a recurring, persistent issue with a neighbor over noise, pets, smoking (or other noxious smells), you need to let Markwood know what is going on. Don't wait until you are in crisis mode before you call them. Calling the Markwood the emergency line in the middle of the night when you are upset about a loud neighbor is probably not the most productive way of addressing the issue.  Even a "heads-up" call can go a long way to helping sort out a situation.
There are several channels for addressing this this. You can call or e-mail the Markwood office. You can e-mail or call one of the (3) trustees. You can speak in person to the two Trustees who live in the building. You can even comment on the blog.

The Process for problem resolution:
 Whenever there is a reported "incident, it takes time for Markwood to investigate and sort out the situation. There are two sides to every story, and just because one party is convinced  that something is a problem doesn't mean that it actually is one, or that the incident they related is what actually happened. 
Also there are limited tools for dealing with repeated violations of the condo rules and bylaws. Markwood is not a police force. The main mechanism of enforcement (besides written warnings), is the fine. Fines are levied on owners for violations of the condo rules (not tenants). The fines at 24 Norman Street are substantial starting at $100 for the first incident, and escalating if the infractions continue.  They can amount to hundreds and even thousands of dollars. If they are not paid, a lien is attached to the property. That means the property cannot be sold without paying the fines. That gives owners a pretty compelling reason to make sure that they and their tenants behave.
Markwood also relies on the owners who sublet to renters, to educate their tenants about the rules and bylaws. Too often new tenants are not even informed of the rules or given a copy of the bylaws by the owner. Ultimately it is owners who are responsible for maintaining and enforcing the rules.

Responsiveness:
Markwood  Management manages many different properties. They are a small office with many duties and responsibilities, so they may not get back to you immediately about every issue. That does not mean that they are not addressing it. Addressing tenant/owner issues is a slow process and it sometimes takes months to resolve an issue; either the tenant complies with the rules, or the owner is forced to evict the tenant. The more cooperative the owner is, the quicker it usually goes.

If Markwood does not get back to you in a timely way, please speak to one of the Trustees.
It is their job to make sure that Markwood is doing it's job. If you never tell us there is an issue, then we assume there isn't one. So let's avoid any future "surprises".


Friday, December 2, 2016

Holyoke Petition Update



 
A petition to overturn (or modify) the current tour bus parking ordinance for Holyoke Street has been posted to the bulletin board at 24 Norman Street. The tour bus parking is adversely affecting  Gedney Street merchants, and they are also supporting the petition and have their own version posted at Steve's Market. 
In case you missed it, Kate Fox of Destination Salem, (with the support of our Ward 2 Councilor Heather Famico), petitioned to change the City Ordinance pertaining to Tour Bus Parking and make all of Holyoke Square (east side) designated Tour Bus parking.
This process was started last May without informing any of the local residents or merchants of the proposed change. After two council meetings the ordinance passed several weeks ago in a narrow 5-6 vote. Ward Councillors, Sargent, Milo, Lovely and Dibble were opposed. 
If you are feeling concerned about the lack of neighborhood parking now that the east side of Holyoke St. is reserved for tour buses, we urge you to sign the petition. 
This effort is being spearheaded by Joan Zabkar, who successfully headed up efforts to undo the ill-advised installation of parking meters on Gedney St. by Steve's Market. 

Our goal is to collect as many as 4,000 signatures from area residents, merchants, and sympathetic Salem residents from other wards. It is our only chance to undo the ordinance which is in effect year round, 7 days a week between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

Please sign the petition!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

City of Salem’s 6th Clothing and Household Textiles Recycling Drive

In honor of America Recycles Day, celebrated annually on November 15th, SalemRecycles is partnering with Goodwill Massachusetts and SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association) to host the City of Salem’s 6th Clothing and Household Textiles Recycling Drive. It will be held:

This Saturday, November 19
Riley Plaza (across from the Post Office)
8:00 AM - 3:00
PM

It is your opportunity to donate all usable and questionable items in one central location.
What began as a program to educate the citizens of Salem that used household textiles and clothing can be reused or repurposed, has become over the course of 5 years a sort of pilgrimage. Fittingly it is celebrated the Saturday before Thanksgiving and it has grown with each passing year. Contributors come by car, truck, bicycle, and even by foot. They come because they know those questionable items they don’t think have value can make a difference to someone else.
Do we save the t-shirt with the small stain? Do we hang up the sweater that needs new buttons - the one we keep re-hanging with the belief that this year will be the year we fix it? The items we have in our closets that we feel are not worthy of giving to charity, the old handbag, the belt with the broken buckle, what do we do with these?
This year, as you sort through your “not so wonderful” items, keep in mind that the City of Salem has come up with a solution to help ease your mind and keep those items from heading for the trash. Every week we recycle our papers, glass and metal, but we tend to overlook the textiles we have in our homes.
While most of us are familiar with Goodwill, a charitable industry that provides job training to benefit hundreds of thousands of people each year, many of us are unfamiliar with SMART. Since 1932 SMART has been working with organizations such as Goodwill to recycle, re-use and repurpose all clothing and household textiles that might otherwise end up in the trash.
SMART members, in concert with the charitable industry, divert 2.5 billion lbs. of waste that would otherwise fill our landfills each year. These charitable industries rely on the revenue produced when SMART members buy the unusable textiles to help fund their ongoing community based programs such as the Goodwill job training center right here in Salem. Items such as clothing, dish cloths, curtains, and even shoes can be repurposed into other items such as rags, insulation and carpet underlayment. As long as these are clean and dry (a must) they can find a second purpose.

To find a complete list of all acceptable pieces that you can donate please visit www.salem.com/recycling.  And to learn more about other environmentally friendly programs and resources in Salem, please visit our website at www.greensalem.com.
Please call 978-619-5679 for any specific questions, or e-mail jrose@salem.com
Read more: http://www.salem.com/node/97253

Thursday, November 10, 2016

A Parking Petition




A petition to eliminate the tour bus parking on the east side of Holyoke Street that was recently instituted is in the works and will be available to sign at Steve's Market very soon. Apparently the residents of 24 Norman Street are not the only ones in the neighborhood who are upset about the lack of due process, representation and transparency in the city council decision to take away an entire street of local and resident daytime parking in favor of tour buses. The decision, instigated by Kate Fox of Destination Salem, and supported by our ward councilor, Heather Famico, adversely affects not only us, but customers of the businesses on Gedny Street, and even the residents of 10 Norman Street and Barton Square. If we get enough signatures on the  petition, we have a good chance of overturning this decision, as the city councilor vote to do this was very close (6 councilors voted for it, 5 voted against it) I will keep you posted as things develop.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

IMPORTANT MEETING TONIGHT!

The recent petition to change the City Ordinance pertaining to Tour Bus Parking and make all of Holyoke Square (east side) Tour Bus parking passed for first passage 2 weeks ago.
Councillors, Sargent, Milo, Lovely and Dibble were opposed.
It only takes (2) votes to make a City Ordinance Change. It will not become law until a 2nd vote is taken this Thursday night at the Oct 13th City Council meeting. The meeting will be on the 2nd floor of City Hall in The City Council Chambers.
Anyone interested can attend the meeting (at 7:00) and they will be able to speak on the issue, if they sign up on the Public Comment Sign Up Sheet located in The City Clerks office (room #1 on the first floor of City Hall) before 6:30.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Latest Update on Holyoke Street
























New signs have been installed on Holyoke Street. The entire eastern (Verizon building) side of the street has been turned into tour bus parking. This effectively restricts our parking there to evenings after 6:00 PM until 8:59 AM the following morning. Markwood has been in touch with Ward 7 Councilor Steve Dibble , and Ward 2 Councilor Heather Famico (our ward councilor). For now this is 7 days a week, and there is no indication that it will be only seasonal, (May-November). Be aware that this will mean ticketing and towing if you park there anytime between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If you have issues with this decision, please write and express your displeasure to Heather at hfamico@Salem.com 
 If there is any interest in starting a petition, please contact the author of this blog or Markwood Management.

Take This Sound Test

 






























 


Are you watching a movie or TV show on your television, playing a game on your computer, or listening to music on your stereo? Go out into the hallway and close the door. Can you still hear your device plating? Then it is probably too loud.
If you can hear it outside your unit, then your neighbors can hear it too, either down the hallway, through the wall, or the floor. (Headphones might be a great idea).

If you live at 24 Norman Street and don't know it already, you will quickly find out that it is a small building, and there is minimal soundproofing. The building was converted to condos in the 1980's, before newer building codes stipulated more robust soundproofing. For example, in newer construction, there is a minimum of one foot of space between your ceiling and the floor of the unit above you. We don't have that here. Basically your floor is also someone's ceiling.

That means that sound is easily transmitted. Walking heavily, flushing toilets, running your dishwasher, dropping things on the floor all sound like a heard of elephants stampeding, a tropical rainstorm, and a gunshot respectively. Add that to the outside ambient noise of downtown Salem, and you have a recipe for stressful living. Now we all chose to live here, so there is some expectation of noise, but it is a razor-thin line between acceptable and actively annoying.

Be aware of the time of day as well. There are restrictions in the condo bylaws that prohibit any noise between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. But I'm sure that if you're playing loud music or hammering something into a wall at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning, you're not going to be engendering much good will from your neighbors.

Here is a link to a blog article titled: "How to Complain About Your Noisy Neighbors Without Being That Guy" , which has some good tips for dealing with sound the almost universal issue of noise. 

This is all a way of saying, please be aware of the level of noise you are making, and try to be considerate of your neighbors. It goes a long way to improving the quality of life here.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

UPDATE: PARKING MEETING TONIGHT!




































There will be a meeting of the Salem City Council tonight, Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 93 Washington Street to discuss a new parking arrangement for Holyoke Street.
This meeting is about turning parking spaces on Holyoke Street into tour bus parking spaces.
This means we could potentially lose all of the parking spaces on Holyoke.

The council will also be deciding weather to change this:
"ORDINANCE to amend traffic, chapter 42 Sec, 11: Bus Stops, by deleting Holyoke Square, Bus Stops on the easterly side in a northerly direction, beginning twenty feet from Gedney Street and extending eighty feet. Tour bus parking two hour limit."

and replace it with this:

Holyoke Street, Bus Stops, on the easterly side in a northerly direction, beginning 20 feet from Gedney St. and extending 160 feet. Tour Bus parking Two Hour limit.

Ward Councillor Famico has moved to adopt the first passage. Which means we would keep at least some of the spaces.

If you care about parking on Holyoke Street at all, please consider attending this meeting, or if you cannot make the meeting please call your city councillors. Their phone numbers are on the Salem.com website. Or e-mail them at citycouncilors@salem.com.


Monday, September 26, 2016

Street Parking Changes

In preparation for the annual onslaught of Halloween tourism, Saturday morning the Salem DPW painted several new designated areas on both Holyoke and Norman streets that may greatly impact parking availability both during the month of October, and going forward into winter.
Although the only officially-designated place residents of 24 Norman Street are allowed to park is Riley Plaza, (with our hang tags) many tenants frequently park in the unmetered spaces along Norman Street, directly in front of our building or the shopping plaza next door, or on nearby Holyoke Street.  We recently lost a potential space to a badly-placed handicapped parking space in front of the building. Saturday we lost another one, the space directly in front of that space by the ramp, or "driveway" on the market side of the building. (see photo below)





































We are also potentially losing all of our parking on the Verizon building side of Holyoke Street. The Salem DPW painted in two large spaces for tour buses to park on Holyoke.



Although tour buses and Verizon trucks have parked there in the past, this may indicate that a new, officially-posted "Tour Buses Only" area may be enforced with ticketing, or towing. Weather this will be only during the month of October, or permanently, remains to be seen.
There was no notification from the city to Markwood Management that any of these changes were taking place.
With the new Merchant hotel leasing parking space in Riley Plaza, two new hotels scheduled to open within the year (one on Essex Street, one on Washington Street) and the city seemingly favoring merchants and tourists over residents, parking scarcity is once again becoming critical issue. 

For now, just be aware of these changes and be careful to look for any new signs or posted regulations. We will post any new information we receive here on the blog.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Garbage In- Garbage Out



















We know how it is. You work a long day, you're tired. The garbage needs to be taken out, the barrel is full, maybe even a little stinky, but the idea of walking up and down several flights of stairs and out to the dumpster is just not appealing to you. So you take your garbage bag, and you put in the hallway outside your door. You intend to take it down just as soon as you can, just not right now, but somehow that gets put off, again and again and again.

The above photo was sent to Markwood Management this week by a concerned neighbor. The bag in question had been put out on Monday. it was still there Thursday...festering and smelling and breeding it's own little colony of flies. Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. In recent months  bags of trash, cardboard boxes, and bags of cat turds have been spotted sitting outside people's doors.

Warning: DO NOT DO THIS. 

This practice is totally unacceptable, and will get you a call from Markwood and a hefty fine.
The hallways are not a personal dumping space. Do not place trash in the hallway for any length of time. Either take the item down to the dumpster, or leave it in your unit.

You know, because seeing garbage in the hallway really improves the quality of life around here.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Towing Reminder and a Warning



A car was towed from the side driveway this morning that had been parked in there overnight.
This is unfortunate and a real hassle for the person who parked it there, but this situation could have been avoided if:
  • The vehicle license plate number and vehicle description had been on the list of 24 Norman Street resident's vehicles.
  • The person who left it there had contacted Markwood Management and informed them of the reason it was left there overnight.
The side lot is for short-term parking only. That means picking up and dropping off passengers, groceries, luggage, etc. The outward time limit is usually about a half an hour. However there is some grace, you probably won't even have a problem parking there a bit longer if you are not:
  • Blocking the dumpster
  • Blocking the entrance to the driveway
  • One of multiple cars in the space. 
  • Making a lot of noise
Things that are noticed, frowned upon and will likely get you towed are:
  • Habitual abuse of the parking space
    (parking there repeatedly for more than a couple of hours over consecutive days).
  • Overnight parking (never a good idea).
  • Parking in the side lot and not being on the tenant's vehicle list*
  • Using the driveway as a personal space for working on your vehicle.
*Markwood maintains a list of tenant vehicle tag numbers and vehicle descriptions so that we can tell if someone other than a tenant is parking in the side lot. This information is provided voluntarily by the tenants. If you are not on it, you automatically go to the short list for being towed.

Occasionally people have had mechanical issues with their cars. No oil, ran out of gas, flat tire, dead battery, etc. If this happens to you, and your vehicle is stuck, contact Markwood Management immediately. This is especially important if you are not on the list of tenant vehicles. If we don't know who you are we can't even call you and see what the problem is.

Vendors who are performing work in the building for Markwood Management, are generally exempt from these parking time restrictions. However if a tenant or owner is hiring a plumber, electrician, carpenter, cleaner, mover, etc. to do work in their unit, inform Markwood Management so that they can contact them if there is an issue. (for example, blocking the driveway or access to the dumpster).

This is all important because Halloween is coming, which means increased traffic and less parking availability. Our proximity to downtown, also means we are frequently prone to having unwanted visitors and "guests" parking in our driveway. It is important to keep the driveway open so that every tenant has equal access and trash removal can be completed. If you don't wish to be towed and fined, please respect the space.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Fall Neighborhood Street Sweeping



Fall neighborhood street sweeping will take place September 12th through October 7th from 7:00AM to 3:00PM. During that time period a No Parking Tow Zone area will be in effect daily in each designated sweeping area. Temporary orange tow zones will be posted throughout the affected neighborhood and all cars must be removed from both sides of the street so that sweeping can take place on that day. For more street sweeping information and alternative parking areas go to the Public Works homepage on http://www.salem.com or call the Department of Public Services office at 978-744-3302. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in this beautification effort!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Free Book Swap!



Salem Recycles is sponsoring another Free Book Swap! This is a great opportunity to unload all your unwanted Books, CDs & DVDs, VCR Tapes, and even Greeting Cards. (This is so much better than dumping them in the laundry room).
There is no "Swap" necessary!
You can DROP OFF, TAKE AWAY or BOTH!
The date is:
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17
10 AM- 1PM 
SALEM SENIOR CENTER
5 Broad Street
If you've got lots of items? No problem!
Drop-off times for large loads of stuff are

Friday, September 16, 
5:00pm - 7:00pm

Saturday, September 17
9:45am-12:00 noon

All left-over materials will be donated or recycled.
For additional information visit
salem.com/recycling or call
978-619-5679


Friday, July 1, 2016

Don't Try This At Home



It was brought to Markwood's attention recently that a tenant of 24 Norman Street was working on their car in the side driveway for several hours. Although we generally applaud the do-it-yourself approach, we are compelled to point out that this type of activity is completely prohibited in the side driveway. There are several good reasons for this:

1. The driveway is primarily for short-term usage only. Things like dropping off and loading of groceries, luggage, etc. Also, the driveway is for everyone to use, so if you are using as your own personal repair shop, that keeps others from using it. Also, the driveway is our only access point for the trash removal. If you have your car up on a jack and the trash truck comes, that's going to be a problem. A good rule of thumb is, if it's an activity that is going to take you longer than 20 minutes, then don't plan on doing it in the driveway.

2. We are not equipped to deal with the spillage of fluids such as oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, detergents, etc., in the driveway. Clean up of these kinds of hazardous fluids is not something we want to be paying someone to do.

3. Liability. If your car rolls, catches fire, or falls on or in any way damages condo property or a person (including you) it could mean a lawsuit against you, the condo association, or both.

So in short, don't plan on doing things like oil changes, brake jobs, tire rotations, tune-up, washing and waxing etc. In the side driveway. There are plenty of service stations, car washes and other facilities for doing that kind of thing.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Fence Installation Completed

  The new fence between the Heritage Plaza Condominiums, 10 Norman Street from 24 Norman Street has been installed. The work was completed last Thursday by the Olsen Curtis Fence Company of Salem, MA. http://www.olsencurtisfence.com/. New trees to replace the three that were removed, should be planted soon.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

URGENT Building Security Issue
























The back door of the building is not latching properly and we had an intruder. Locksmiths have been called and should be here later today, however this has been a recurring problem, especially after heavy rain. The door is wood, and will sometimes swell after rain, making it harder for the latch to work properly.
We cannot over-stress the importance of checking to make sure the door is securely latched each and every time you go in or out of the building, and not propping the door open.
Why? "What's the big deal?" you say. Well this is the big deal. We end up with this:















This photo was taken today. If you can't tell what it is, it's basically a hobo-encampment under the back staircase.
The door was not latched securely, and one of the many homeless people we have living in the area took the opportunity to slip into the building and homestead in our basement, complete with bedroll, liquor bottles and bags of junk.
The homeless person was noticed and removed yesterday, and maintenance is coming to clean up the mess, but this is a huge security and liability issue. This has happened before, and will probably happen again unless you remain vigilant. All the locks and cameras in the world aren't going to do any good if you leave the damn door open.
Most homeless people are harmless, but we don't know that is true in every case. Do you want a homeless person in the building? Lurking in the basement where you do your laundry? Urinating in some corner? Probably not. This is why you need to CHECK and make SURE the DOOR is latched behind you. It will take five seconds, and may save yourself and the building a lot of trouble.
By the way, if you notice a homeless person hanging out in this space, do not confront them, call the police immediately, then call Markwood. Calling Markwood first just ads an extra, delaying step to the process. thank you for your cooperation.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Fence and Tree Work Scheduled















The property next door, 10 Norman Street, is in the process of replacing the fence that runs between our two buildings. As part of this work, three of the six maple trees, that are unhealthy and losing branches were taken down this week. The stumps have be ground down, the soil will be re-graded and leveled, and once the fence has been re-built, new trees will be planted to replace the ones that were taken down. Those units that are located on the driveway side, may notice a lack of shade, and an increase in visibility, and sunlight-generated heat. The fence replacement is currently scheduled for the end of June.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Clothing and Household Swap and Drop


It's spring (believe it or not) and time to clean out all that unwanted stuff!
Instead of leaving it in the laundry room or throwing it in the dumpster, why not bring your clothing and household discards to the Salem Recycles Clothing and Household Swap 'N' Drop being held on Salem Common, Saturday, May 7th? The event is from 10:00 AM til 1:00 PM with swapping going on between 10 and 12. Swap or simply drop off: women's men's and children's clothing, accessories, and small household items (please all in working order) Textiles can be in any condition but must be Clean and Dry.
Items not swapped will be picked up by RECYCLE THAT.
In addition , you may bring your plastic bags for recycling.
The event is sponsored by SalemRecycles, the city's volunteer recycling committee.
For more information visit salem.com/recycling, or greensalem.com, or call 978-619-5679

Monday, May 2, 2016

Do Not Park Your Scooters Here


















The warmer weather is coming (believe it or not!) and as a result, we are having a recurring issue with tenants and guests parking their scooters and motorcycles in the side lot. This area is not intended for long-term parking of any kind, including bikes, motorcycles and scooters. It makes it difficult for vehicles to maneuver in the space and also may present a liability issue.
There is space on the E-market side of the building, behind a gate with a lock, that is available for this kid of warm-weather parking. You can also park in front of the building (if you can find a space). If you leave your bike or scooter in the dumpster-side lot, it will be removed at your expense. Thank you for your cooperation in this.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Norman Street in 1890


For you history buffs, this is a picture of Norman Street taken in 1890. As far as we can tell it is looking east from the corner at Summer Street towards Washington Street. The man in the picture is standing about where the Holyoke Insurance Building is today. 24 Norman Street would be on the left side of the picture beyond the tree. The old train station can just barely be seen in the distance.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Check Your Pockets!























Last week we found a Uni-ball Vision Elite pen scraping around in one of the dryers. Unfortunately it was found in a load of clothing had been drying. The clothes and the inside of the dryer were covered with ink from this pen. This is not the first time this has happened.
When you are doing your laundry, please make sure that you check the pockets of your clothing, jeans and shirts for pens, pencils, lipstick, candies, change and any foreign objects that could melt, explode in, jam or abrade the inside of the washing machine, or dryer drum.
Besides ruining your clothes, and the clothes of anyone who uses the machines after you, these foreign objects could damage the machines and lead to costly repairs.
A little extra care goes a long way. Thank you.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Warning About New "Handicapped" Parking Space



Residents at 24 Norman Street may have noticed a new handicapped parking space sign in front of the building. Markwood management is not sure why the city, in all of it's infinite wisdom, has decided to place this sign here. In the two months, not one single vehicle with either a handicapped license plate, or tag, has been observed parking there, however please be advised, the city has been issuing tickets to non-handicapped vehicles parked in and near this space. The enforcement seems random, and arbitrary, and also, the space is not clearly designated on the pavement, so there is some question weather the space is supposed to be the one in front of the sign (closest to the market), or directly adjacent to it. We're not sure that the parking enforcement officer knows either, but several people have received tickets while parked in both spaces, including at least one resident of 24 Norman Street. It seems to be at the whim of the officer, but since the tickets are in the $90 range, we advise caution parking there until Markwood gets a definitive answer from the city.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Free Book Swap





Saturday, March 19, 2016

Free Book Swap
10am-1pm
at Salem Senior Center
5 Broad Street!

Just in time for Spring Cleaning - SalemRecycles is holding another free book and media swap on Saturday, March 19, 2015 from 10 AM - 1 PM at the Senior Center, 5 Broad Street, Salem. All~books will be accepted. No "Swap" necessary, drop-off, take-away, or both. Everything that doesn’t find a new home will be donated or recycled.

Materials can be dropped off in advance on Friday, March 18 from 5:00-7:00 PM or bring them with you on Saturday, March 19  from 9:45 to noon. Volunteers will be available to help unload.

Everyone is invited to take books, etc.—no “swap” needed.

Monday, February 8, 2016

DO NOT PARK IN THE SIDE LOT DURING SNOW EMERGENCIES



With the winter weather finally upon us please keep in mind that the enforcement of the parking restrictions for the side lot are more stringent during snow emergencies. If you park in the side lot during a snow emergency, you will be towed. Since we cannot know exactly when the plows are coming to plow the side lot, we must keep the lot clear. If they come and there is a vehicle in the lot, they often are unable to plow, and we end up with a bigger problem.
If you are not sure when there is a snow emergency please check http://www.salem.com/snow-central a comprehensive online directory for all the information you'll need during Snow Emergencies and winter storms in Salem. You can also go to Snow Emergency CodeRED Alert System Sign-Up  to have snow emergency alerts messaged or texted to your phone, that way you are never caught by surprise.

Interested in Window Replacement?






















 


The windows at 24 Norman Street are about 30 years old. There have been repairs here and there, but they are nearing the end of their efficiency. Many windows have cracked or missing seals, cracked glass, missing screens, and are no longer as tight or insulating as they should be. There has also been widespread loss of the counterweights that assist with the opening of the large and heavy windows.
For that reason, Trustee Courage and owner Claudia Haydon are interested in doing so in Year 2016. and are currently canvasing to see if other owners are interested in having their windows replaced.

We have received two ballpark estimates of between $1,500 and $1,800 per opening. So for the average 2-window unit, we are talking between $3,000 and $3,600 per unit. As these windows are custom, therefore expensive to replace, the more windows that can be done at one time, the more it will save all owners money. We may be able to negotiate a better price, if we do 10 units as opposed to 2.

We are also looking for vendors and have had some difficulty in finding an area vendor who is willing and able to replace our large, custom windows. Many companies repair or replace windows, but  mostly for private homes and very few at the scale of our building's. If you have any companies that you can personally recommend, please let us know.

If you are interested in window replacement, please contact Markwood management and/or Trustee Courage via this blog. Thanks!


Friday, January 22, 2016

Pay Attention to Recycling Issues or Pay Fines

As the new single-point recycling program continues to roll out, we are experiencing some ongoing issues. We need to address these as a community or there will be consequences: i.e. fines from the city of Salem, which will be progressively increasing as violations continue. It is important to note that these fines will eventually be passed on to you in the form of increased condo fees. Here are some examples of the RECYCLING ISSUES YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO:

1. CONTAINERS WITH FOOD IN THEM.
The plastic bottle in the picture below is still full of juice. This is not OK.
RECYCLED MATERIALS CANNOT CONTAIN FOOD.
Empty and wash the containers before you put them in the bin.


















2. PIZZA BOXES (CONTAINERS WITH FOOD ON THEM).
The one in the photo had cheese and pizza sauce all over the inside of it . You cannot recycle pizza boxes if they have cheese or sauce on them. Throw them in the dumpster.


















3. NOT BREAKING DOWN CARDBOARD BOXES
This has been a major problem. You need to break down boxes until they are COMPLETELY FLAT. If you don't, we run out of space in the containers very quickly, (they only get picked up every 2 weeks) the containers overflow or don't close, and this allows rain and snow to get in, and the wind to blow stuff around the property and into the street.
























It is not difficult to break down a box. It takes an extra 30 seconds. Go to the hardware store. Buy a utility knife. Remove any and all packing materials (foam, bubble-wrap, etc.) from the box you are breaking down. Use the knife to cut the seams on your box and flatten it completely. Put it in the recycling bin. Make sure that it actually fits into the bin.
Now, isn't that simple?




















4. PLASTIC BAGS 
Do not use them for recycling. Do not put recyclable items into plastic bags and them put them in the bins. Do not put plastic bags of any kind into the recycling bins. This includes shopping bags, green plastic trash bags and white plastic trash bags. Paper bags are OK.
DO NOT PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN RECYCLING.

Please put some effort into this. No one is going to do this for you. It won't take a lot of extra time, and will save us all money. If you have questions please contact the Markwood office. Thank you. 


Saturday, January 2, 2016

Christmas Tree Disposal and Bonfire


For residents of 24 Norman Street who have Christmas trees to dispose of:

Please leave your tree curbside for trash pickup starting
Monday, January 4th.

OR
Leave it at Dead Horse Beach before the Christmas Tree Bonfire on  
Wednesday, January 6th, 6 pm.
OR
Put it curbside for pickup after January 11th
Mayor Kim Driscoll, the Salem Fire Department, and the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services will hold the City’s 13th  annual Christmas tree bonfire at Dead Horse Beach on Memorial Drive on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., weather permitting.

“The Bonfire is one more great Salem tradition,” said Mayor Driscoll. “I look forward to it every year and I know that many other residents do, as well.”

Waste Management trucks will be picking up trees curbside on the same day as your regularly scheduled trash day beginning January 4th.  If you really want to make sure your tree is part of the bonfire, you can drop it off at the entrance to Dead Horse Beach after January 4th or bring it to the bonfire on the 6th.
Please don't forget that all decorations and lights must be removed from your tree.

In case of inclement weather (rain, snow, or wind) the bonfire will be held on Thursday evening January 7th at 6:00 p.m. Check www.salem.com for rescheduling information.

City-wide Christmas tree curbside collection will continue to take place January 11 -15, 2016Please leave your tree curbside on the same day as your regularly scheduled trash day and Waste Management will pick up your tree.

DO NOT put your tree in or next to the dumpster.