BOOK SWAP - MARCH 1

It’s Back! – SalemRecycles Free Book Swap
March 10, 2012 at the Senior Center

For those of you who have books to get rid of and don't want to leave them in the laundry room. SalemRecycles is hosting their semi-annual book swap on Saturday, March 10th from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.  It will be held at the Salem Senior Center at 5 Broad Street.  If you have items to drop off, you may do so on Saturday during the stated times or the night before between 6:00 - 7:00 pm.  You are not required to bring books in order to take books.  There will be all sorts of books available including fiction, non-fiction, business, self-help, sports, history, biographies, gardening, cooking, crafts, art, poetry, and classic literature.  In addition, there will commercial CDs and VCR tapes, greeting cards, and calendars.

Remember - there is no swap necessary.  Drop off, take away, or both.  This is a great opportunity to recycle old books and to walk away with gently used but free reading material. All leftover materials will be donated or recycled.  For additional information, please go to: salem.com/recycling, greensalem.com or 978-619-5679.

More Fun with Puke

Came home Friday night to find a giant puddle of puke right in front of the main door at 24 Norman Street.  At first I thought it might be some random person on the street, but a "trail" of chunks led inside the building and just inside the door was a puddle of unidentified liquid and a mostly empty Gatorade bottle. So whoever did this lives in, or was visiting inside the building.
I just wanted to ask whoever or whatever was responsible;

• Is this is "funny" or acceptable for you? (Perhaps you should live somewhere better suited to this kind of behavior...like a college dormroom or a pig farm).

• If you or your "friends"throw up in, on, or near the building, why don't you clean it up, or at least call Markwood Management and tell them about it, so maintenance can clean it up? ( I suppose if you were that puking drunk you wouldn't be able to call anyone, also, if you were that responsible, you wouldn't drink to the point of throwing-up in the first place).

• What planet are you from that this is OK behavior?

• When are you moving out?

Just wondering. Because I just love coming home to find a big puddle of sick.

MBTA Community Meeting

There will be an MBTA Community Meeting, Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 6:30 pm –8:30 pm at the Carlton School, 10 Skerry Street in Salem. The meeting will be to address the status of  improvements to Salem Station including the new parking garage.
The Meeting agenda is as follows:
• Project Update
• Project Impact
• Design Process
• Schedule
If you use the MBTA to commute to work in Boston or the North Shore you may want to attend this meeting.

Vandalism

It was noticed recently that someone had carved the word "FAG" into the inside of the front door. A recent hand-written note pinned to the bulletin board had "F*ck Y*u" spelled out on it. Both were near new signs from Markwood Management, one the new parking sign, the other, a request to pull the doors shut when entering and leaving the building. Both reasonable and polite requests.
It's not clear weather this is a tenant or just someone visiting inside the building. We're not sure if it's just a random act of vandalism or some kind of passive-aggressive commentary on Markwood Management. We hope its not the latter.

It would be infuriating to think that someone who can't be bothered to participate in the management of the condo or even attend an annual meeting, feels it is somehow OK to anonymously vent their feelings on the property of others.

If you have an issue, address it to the trustees or to Markwood Management. Come to the meetings, comment on the blog, speak up, but don't engage in this kind of cheap, punk behavior. If you don't like the rules, work to change them, or move someplace where this kind of behavior is tolerated. It won't be tolerated here.

Just a reminder, defacement of the building common areas, inside or out, is vandalism and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

ANNUAL MEETING

Look for your Annual Meeting package. It was sent out on Tuesday December 27.  It contains the agenda, and other information for the meeting. The Annual Condo meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17th, 6:00 PM in the Heritage Room at 10 Norman Street.
Please attend this meeting if you are able.

Disposing of your Christmas tree

Crowds gathered at the 7th Annual Christmas Tree Bonfire watch as the trees are 
engulfed in flames January 6, 2010 on Dead Horse Beach at Salem Willows Park in Salem, Massachusetts. An estimated 2,500 trees were collected by the Salem Department of Public Services for the fire. (Erik Jacobs/Boston Globe) #

It is that post-holiday time of year again, when Christmas trees need to be disposed of. If you live at 24 Norman Street please DO NOT PUT CHRISTMAS TREES THE DUMPSTER. (They take up too much space in the dumpster and as trees/brush, are not supposed to be mixed in with regular trash). Instead, why don't you consider bringing your tree to the 9th Annual Christmas Tree Bonfire?

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll and the Salem Park and Recreation Commission invite you to join in the fun at the City of Salem's 9th Annual Christmas Tree Bonfire Friday, January 6, 2012 6:30 PM
at Dead Horse Beach at Salem Willows. There will be free hot chocolate & music by The Gathering
In case of rain/snow/wind the event reschedule date will be Saturday, January 7th.
(check www.salem.com for rescheduling information)

Trees may be brought to Dead Horse Beach that evening, dropped off at the beach starting January 3rd, or left out for curbside pickup which will begin January 3, 2012.
Citywide Christmas Tree Curbside Collection will also take place as scheduled January 9–13, 2012.
You can leave your trees next to the dumpster for city pickup
Please remove all lights and decorations from your tree.

The event is sponsored by:
The City of Salem, Salem Park, Recreation & Community Services Department
and The Gathering

For more information regarding this event contact: 978-745-9595, ext. 5676

SNOW EMERGENCY PARKING BANS

The City of Salem implements a snow emergency parking ban when it is felt that we are to receive two inches of snow accumulation. If there is a parking ban in effect, it will appear on www.salem.com and SATV, and an automated telephone message will be sent out through the City's CodeRED system. In addition, flashing blue lights will be activated throughout the city at the following locations: Loring Avenue @ Vinnin Square, Loring Avenue @ Canal Street, Lafayette Street @ Loring Avenue, Lafayette Street @ Washington Street, Bridge Street @ Webb Street, Bridge Street @ Washington Street, Boston Street @ Bridge Street, North Street @ School Street, Congress Street @ Palmer Street, Tremont Street @ School Street, Highland Avenue @ Salem Hospital, Jefferson Avenue @ Dove Avenue, North Street @ Essex Street and Canal Street @ Washington Street (Mill Hill).

As always, you may contact The Department of Public Services (978-744-3302) or the City of Salem Police Station (978-744-0171, ext. 166) to find out the status of the parking ban. Parking regulations are strictly enforced to ensure that streets remain accessible for snowplows, fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles. Any vehicle that impedes the snow removal process will be towed.

To sign up for CodeRED automated messages log onto www.salem.com and click on the 'CodeRED' icon on the left side of the home page, email DataProcessing@salem.com or call Data Processing Department at 978-619-5646. You may also obtain snow emergency information by becoming an E-Mail Subscriber to Salem.com News and Announcements, just log onto www.salem.com and click on the green 'E-Mail Subscriber' box.