Spring Street Sweeping Schedule

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll today announced that Spring street sweeping will begin on Thursday, April 16 and run through May 15.

Residents should plan to move cars from streets on designated days from May 4 through May 15

Entrance corridor sweeping will take place between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on the following dates. New this year, City workers will be utilizing blowers to clear corridor sidewalks of debris prior to the street sweeping.

Thursday, April 16: Odd side of Boston Street, Essex Street (Boston to North), and Bridge Street (Washington to Boston).
Friday, April 17: Even side of Boston Street, Essex Street (Boston to North), and Bridge Street (Washington to Boston).
Tuesday, April 21: Odd side of North Street and Lafayette Street (Ocean Ave to Marblehead line).
Wednesday, April 22: Even side of North Street and Lafayette Street (Ocean Ave to Marblehead line).
Thursday, April 23: Odd side of Loring Avenue and Lafayette Street (Derby to Ocean Ave).
Friday, April 24: Even side of Loring Avenue and Lafayette Street (Derby to Ocean Ave).
Tuesday, April 27: Bridge Street (Washington to the Salem/Beverly bridge).
Wednesday, April 28: Bridge Street (Washington to the Salem/Beverly bridge).

Residential neighborhood street sweeping will take place on both sides of the street on the same day. Each neighborhood route will be posted with temporary ‘No Parking/Tow Zone’ signs and parking will be prohibited between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Resident cooperation is vital to the success of this program. In order for the sweepers to do the best job possible, residents are asked not to park their cars on the street during their designated sweeping day.

Neighborhood streets are broken down into two zones. Streets in Zone One will be swept during the week of Monday May 4 through Friday May 8. Zone Two streets will be swept the week of Monday May 11 through Friday May 15. Sweep days are usually the next day after the regularly scheduled trash day. To find a specific street sweeping date, locate what zone your street is in on the 2015 Residential Street Sweeping Schedule, and match it with the calendar. Monday sweep schedules are for the preceding Friday's trash day.

Residents will be able to use entrance corridor streets (Boston St., Bridge St., Essex St. [from Boston St. to North/Summer Street], Lafayette St. [from Dow St. to Marblehead line], Loring Ave., and North St.) as alternative parking areas on the day of their neighborhood sweep. Once a neighborhood street is swept, residents will be able to move their vehicles back onto their street.  Please remember that you must adhere to all current parking restrictions on these entrance corridors. All existing parking regulations on entrance corridors must be adhered to or your vehicle will be ticketed and/or towed. This includes resident only restrictions.

Certain weather conditions prohibit the use of the street sweepers: during moderate to heavy rainfall and extreme cold temperatures sweepers will not be able to operate. Weather cancellations will be posted on www.salem.com

CLICK HERE FOR 2015 STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE

Help the City Address Park, Recreation, and Open Space Needs

Residents are invited to complete a survey about Salem’s park, recreation, and open space needs. The City has hired Gale Associates to conduct a Recreational Facilities Needs Assessment & Master Plan and to update the City’s Open Space & Recreation Plan. These plans, based on input from the community, will help guide investment in Salem’s parks and open spaces.

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/salemmpeng
Español: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/salemmpesp

This survey will be online until noon on Friday, April 10.

Please contact Tom Devine at the Department of Planning and Community Development at 978-619-5685 or tdevine@salem.com with any questions.

New Salem Police Chief

SALEM, MA – Acting Chief Mary Butler will be sworn in as Salem’s new Chief of Police in a formal ceremony at Salem’s historic Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square, on April 9th at 10:00 a.m. The event will be free and open to the public.

 Following brief remarks from City officials, including former Chief of Police Robert St. Pierre, former Chief of Police and current State Representative Paul Tucker, and Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, Chief Butler will take the oath of office and offer remarks.

Chief Butler was promoted from Lieutenant to Acting Captain in the Salem Police Department in 2014. In that capacity she was commanding officer of the department's special operations division, with oversight of the community impact unit, special response unit, traffic division, and records office. She has served with the Salem Police Department since 1987, where she has overseen patrol division and the community impact unit as a Lieutenant, served as public information officer and detective, and worked as administrative aide to former Chief St. Pierre. She has served as Acting Chief of the department since her appointment by Mayor Driscoll was announced in early March.

Two great recycling opportunities!

Two great recycling opportunities on 
Saturday, March 28, 2015

Free Book Swap
10am-1pm
at Council on Aging
5 Broad Street!

Just in time for Spring Cleaning - SalemRecycles is holding another free book and media swap on Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 10 AM - 1 PM at the Senior Center, 5 Broad Street, Salem. All~books will be accepted. Everything that doesn’t find a new home will be donated or recycled.

Materials can be dropped off in advance on Friday, March 27 from 5:00-7:00 PM or bring them with you on Saturday (before noon). Volunteers will be available to help unload.

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

E-Waste Recycling
8am-noon
at Salem High School
77 Willson Street!

The City has contracted with RMG Enterprises to recycle residential e-waste.  RMG will accept anything with a plug-most items are free.  There will be a $10/unit fee for TVs, Computers, Monitors, Laptops, and Large Appliances (Refrigerators, A/C and Freezers).

This event is for Salem residents only, ID required.

For more information on either event contact Julie Rose at jrose@salem.com or 978-619-5679.
.

Dryer Jam

The jammed coin mechanism on the middle dryer in the laundry room was fixed today. The culprit, a damaged quarter.

We have had issues with jams caused by Canadian (or other non-U.S. coins), but this one was the result of someone not only using a damaged quarter, but jamming it into the mechanism in an effort to get it to work.
It is unlikely that you will be visually checking all of your quarters every time you do laundry, but if in handling them you happen to notice that a quarter is warped, or knicked on the edge, do not put it into the slot, and more importantly, if the coin slider mechanism is proving difficult to push it, don't force it, check your quarters and try another quarter.
This particular jam was caused by someone really forcing it. Luckily this didn't damage the mechanism permanently, but it did render the dryer inoperable for almost two weeks. With only 3 washers and 3 dryers for 39 units, that makes for a lot of inconvenience. Please be more mindful in the future. Thank you.

Alternative Parking Options During Snow Clean-Up

With the huge amount of snowfall we have received during the last two weeks and are likely to continue receiving, and with Riley Plaza looking more like Ice Station Zebra than a parking lot,  you may have had trouble finding off-street parking during the snow emergencies. Here is a list of possible alternative locations. It never hurts to have a plan "B".

The City of Salem offers the following locations as alternative off-street parking options for residents as snow clean-up gets underway. Please note that parking in school lots is only permitted during snow emergencies. Once the snow emergency is lifted, cars must be removed from school lots. Park and playground parking lots and the Salem Wharf lot may continue to be used for alternative parking. In addition, Salem has added some additional options (see below) and reminds folks about the existing lots that can be used for off street parking, as follows:

Church Street parking lot

Residents may park for free here overnight (6pm to 7am). After 7am, regular lot rates will apply.

Universal Steel parking lot (297 Bridge Street)

Residents may park here for free. There will be no charge to park in this lot, pending further snow clean-up efforts. There are approximately 120 spaces here.

Salem Willows parking lot

DPW is performing additional plowing in this lot. There are approximately 125 spaces here. Meters will not be in effect.

Forest River Park

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 30 spaces here.

Gallows Hill Playground lower lot

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 70 spaces here.

Mack Park upper and lower lots

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 35 spaces here.

Castle Hill Playground

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 40 spaces here.

Blaney Street/Salem Wharf parking lot

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 45 spaces here.


Good luck!

13th Annual Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival

February 6 - 15, 2015
Is living in a polar vortex getting you down? Is cabin fever making you cranky and unpleasant? Not sure what to do with your significant other on Valentine's Day?
Well help is on the way with the 13th Annual Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival! A week-long festival of food, wine, chocolate and winter-time fun!

Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival officially kicks off with a Chocolate and Wine Tasting, on Friday, February 6 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, at Colonial Hall, 227 Essex Street. This luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores and sweet shops. To reserve your tickets please click here.

In celebration of the chocolate weekend, many of Salem's finest restaurants will feature special chocolate offerings on their menus, including deserts, cocktails, and inventive sauces. Participating Salem retailers will also take part with in-store events and promotions, displays and items geared toward chocolate and Valentine's Day. For more information about Salem's So Sweet please visit www.salemmainstreets.org/festivals/salem-so-sweet/. 

There will be more than 15 large ice sculptures around downtown Salem, with themes including a a mermaid, ruby slippers, a film projector, and many more! A map of sculptures and locations will be available below and on brochures distributed around town closer to the festival. The Salem Trolley will be offering trolley rides around the festival route weather permitting on Feb. 7 and 8 from 12 pm to 4 pm for $2 a person.  Pick-up locations will be at the Visitors Center, Pickering Wharf, and near Rockafellas on Washington Street.


HAVE FUN!