April 22 – April 25, 2014 - ENTRANCE CORRIDOR SWEEPING

This year's street sweeping schedule is below. The proposed dates are from April 22 through April 25, 2014. The sweeping will take place between 5:00 A.M. and 7:00 A.M.

Please remember to REMOVE YOUR VEHICLES FROM THE ODD SIDE OF THE STREET so they will not be ticketed and/or towed.

For more information regarding street sweeping, please contact the Department of Public Services at  978-744-3302.

PLEASE NOTE: Certain weather conditions preclude the use of street sweepers: During moderate to heavy rainfall or extreme cold temperatures, sweepers will not be able to operate. Please check  WWW.SALEM.COM for weather-related cancellations.

Loading the Dumpster

 We had a bit of a problem with the dumpster this last week. It looked like this:

As it often is, the dumpster was loaded to overflowing with trash, some of which fell or was left on the ground, and with the high winds we had this weekend, blew trash all over the parking area and down the street. Not good for community relations.
The funny thing is, the back of the dumpster was pretty much empty. This tells me that people would rather stuff the front of the dumpster to the point of overflowing or worse yet, leave their trash bags on the ground in front of the dumpster, than walk an extra 10 feet to place their trash in the back of the dumpster.
Maybe you are too short to reach the back of the dumpster, maybe you are scared of what might be back there, maybe you like the look of garbage strewn all over the property, maybe you just don't give a crap, who knows? However, if you are tall enough, and have enough upper-body strength to lift a (maybe) 5-pound plastic dumpster lid, would you please consider placing your trash in the back of the dumpster? I think everyone might appreciate it. Thank you.

LAUNDRY ISSUES: Dryer ist kaputt

The Maytag dryer that is closest to the back of the laundry has broken and is beyond repair. A new dryer has been ordered but it is going to take about 3 weeks to get delivery and installation done. This means that we are down to only (2) working dryers for 39 units. It doesn't take a genius to see that this might lead to some potential problems.

I bring this up because yesterday I was doing laundry when a young couple came in and expressed dismay that their load of laundry had been removed from one of the dryers and placed on the sorting table. Apparently it had also been mixed in with someone else's load of laundry. Although I could relate (I don't like it when people remove my clothes from either a washing machine or dryer in my absence) there is little point in getting upset if other tenants remove your clothes, especially if you do a load and then leave it sitting for several hours.
Since I had been down there earlier in the day to empty the machines of quarters, I knew that this particular couple had left their laundry sitting in the dryer for several hours. However, I would also be upset if I found my laundry mixed in with someone else's.
As much as possible you need to be "present" when you do your laundry. Do not leave the building to run errands, or take a trip. You need to be around. If for some unavoidable reason you have to leave and are delayed in getting back to the laundry, do not be surprised if your clothes have been moved. No one likes it when this happens to them, but with so many people in the building and only 3 washers and 2 working dryers, you're going to need to have some patience and consideration for other people. Everyone has to use these machines, and the longer you tie one up, the less chance there is for someone else to use it.

That being said, here is some basic laundry etiquette.
Here is a scale of acceptable to less-acceptable practices.

ACCEPTABLE
If a dryer has completed it's cycle and the clothes are completely dry, and have been sitting for more than half an hour, go ahead and remove them. Please place them as neatly as you can on the sorting table at the back of the laundry. Make sure not to drop them behind the dryers or on the floor. Do not fold them, (that is just creepy). If there are multiple dryers being used, do not assume that the clothes all belong to the same person, and do not mix or pile two loads on top of each other. Make sure you clean the lint filter before you put your clothes in.

LESS ACCEPTABLE
If the dryer has finished it's cycle and the laundry is still damp, allow some extra time for the person to
come and restart the cycle. If you wait an hour or more and they still haven't come, then remove them and place on the sorting table.

REALLY DISCOURAGED
Removing wet clothes from the washing machines is really not OK unless they have been sitting in a machine for more than 2-3 hours. It just makes a mess. If you are feeling particularly generous and are in a hurry to do a load of wash, you could place them in a dryer (if empty) and start the cycle for them.

Try to balance your need to get laundry done with imagining how you would feel if they were your clothes. Hopefully things can go back to normal once the new dryer is in place. Thanks!

Salem Residents Survey Online Through April 18

City seeks residents’ input and feedback on quality of life and city services

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll today announced the fifth annual Salem Residents Survey is now online. The survey will be available at www.salem.com/mayor until Friday April 18. A Spanish language version of the survey will also be posted at that website in the next several days.

All Salem residents are encouraged to visit the online survey and share their opinions on a range of issues facing the City of Salem and their view of City services.

“The 2014 survey marks the fifth year this data has been collected,” said Mayor Driscoll. “Hearing directly from residents allows us to improve service delivery and focus our public resources on those issues that are of most concern to the people of Salem. Having a number of years’ worth of data now also enables us to take a closer look at trends and changes that are taking place.”

The final data is compiled and included in the Mayor’s annual budget, issued in May. The information provides important performance and outcome measures, which have, in the past, contributed to the City of Salem being one of just a handful of Massachusetts communities to be awarded both a Certificate of Excellence and a Distinguished Budget Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Another Great Documentary Line-up on Tap for Salem Film Fest

If you are looking for something to do during the first week of March, check out the 7th annual all-documentary Salem Film Fest . Salem Film Fest will be held March 6 – March 13, 2014, in Salem, MA, with a strong line-up of 37 films from 14 different countries. Twenty-three of these films will be making their World, North American, US, East Coast, New England or Massachusetts premiere – the most “first looks” ever in the festival’s seven year history – including the World premiere of KASHEER, directed by Salem filmmaker Elayne McCabe who will be at the festival to present.

Spread out over eight days with film screenings at three different venues in downtown Salem, the festival will kick off at CinemaSalem with the New England premiere of A FRAGILE TRUST, which tells the shocking story of Jayson Blair, the most infamous serial plagiarist of our time, and how he unleashed the massive scandal that rocked The New York Times and the entire world of journalism. A Q&A with filmmaker Samantha Grant will follow. Other festival premieres include ELEKTRO MOSKVA, an “electromagnetic fairytale” showcasing Russia’s electronic music history; WEB, a thought-provoking film that explores the human and societal impact of global connectivity; POWERLESS, which examines the class battle over electricity in India; EVERYBODY STREET, about the lives and work of New York’s iconic street photographers; and RICH HILL, which recently won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Filmmakers will be present for over half of this year’s screenings, providing audiences with a unique opportunity to learn more about the documentary filmmaking process.

All film screenings will be preceded by our homegrown and wildly popular shorts Salem Sketches. Shot, edited and produced by festival organizers Joe Cultrera and Perry Hallinan and a mix of Salem Film Fest alumni filmmakers and filmmakers-in-residence, these short vignettes capture the heart and soul of Salem and bring to light some of the city’s hidden gems. “It seems we have discovered a way to add a touch of Salem to our lineup while also creating original content for the festival that was about the city. It’s something I don’t think any other film festival is doing,” says Cultrera. “I think it’s something that will organically grow each year as other filmmakers come here to show their work, enjoy the city and see these Salem Sketches. It’s becoming Salem Film Fest’s unofficial filmmaker-in-residence program.”

An exciting addition to the festival awards this year will be the presentation of The Michael Sullivan FRONTLINE Award for Journalism in a Documentary Film, a $1,000 cash prize that will be awarded to the filmmaker judged to have presented a tough, controversial story through engaging and fair minded investigative reportage. The award is in honor of the late Michael Sullivan, a guiding figure behind PBS’ FRONTLINE as well as a Salem Film Fest participant and supporter. FRONTLINE Executive Producer David Fanning will be on hand to present.

“We have a diverse group of films from all over the world screening at this year’s festival, yet there is something in each and every one of these films that anyone can relate to,” says program director Jeff Schmidt. “As one of America’s oldest port cities, there is something special about that notion of the stories from far off lands that were shared in the old trading days that we’ve been able to recapture with this festival that’s a lot of fun in today’s instant gratification via the Internet world.”

For more information about Salem Film Fest visit www.salemfilmfest.com, follow Salem Film Fest on Facebook (www.facebook.com/salemfilmfest) and Twitter (@_SalemFilmFest).

Reporting Potholes in Salem

As the warmer weather approaches and snow is melting, potholes become more apparent and prevalent on Salem’s roadways. The City’s Department of Public Services (DPS) is tasked with repairing these holes and maintains a regular protocol for doing so.

If you know of a pothole on a public roadway, please help the City keep our roads in good repair by reporting it directly to DPS by emailing: potholes@salem.com or calling 978-744-3302. When you email or call, be sure to include the exact address or a location description, along with a contact name and telephone number if possible. Feel free to send any photos, as well.

While reporting a pothole does not guarantee it will be immediately repaired that day, it will be added to the list for DPS crews to fix. DPS prioritizes potholes based on their severity and attempts to work in geographic clusters to maximize efficiency of resources.

Free Book Swap Saturday, March 15th

Those of you who have been dumping your books and other unwanted items in the laundry room, you may want to consider participating in this event!

On Saturday March 15th, SalemRecycles – the City of Salem’s Recycling Committee – will hold their eleventh free Book Swap. The event will take place at the Senior Center at 5 Broad Street from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The book swap is a great way to recycle unwanted books, greeting cards, and commercial CDs, DVDs and videos. Those attending can take home a whole new selection of commercial media items, cards, and even some bestselling books. All books are accepted—even text books and no swap is needed. Residents can donate materials, take materials, or both. Those wishing to donate materials may drop them off on Friday, March 14th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or bring them between 9:45 a.m. and noon on Saturday, March 15th.

When: Saturday March 15, 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

**Please no book dealers or more than two bags per swapper before noon**

Where: City of Salem Senior Center, 5 Broad Street

Why: To promote re-use and recycling of books, greeting cards, and other commercial media items (CD’s, DVD’s and videos).

Drop-Off: Friday, March 14, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the Senior Center at 5 Broad Street, or Saturday March 15, from 9:45 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be available to help.

Items will be loosely categorized and all ‘unswapped’ items will be reused or recycled.

SalemRecycles is the City’s volunteer Recycling Committee, which works to increase recycling and encourage positive recycling practices through educational outreach and special events. Through the last ten Book Swaps, SalemRecycles has hosted over 3,000 participants, recycled around 30,000 books, and avoided almost 16 tons of landfill disposal. For more information about SalemRecycles or the Book Swap, please call (978)-619-5679 or visit www.salem.com/recycling or GreenSalem.com. 
Like SalemRecycles on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalemRecycles.