Salem chamber to spruce up area

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Keeping up with projects has proved to be difficult.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

SALEM — The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce is launching a new effort to beautify the downtown.

Audrey Null, the chamber's executive director, said the effort is about people who "care about the community and what it looks like and want it to shine."

The first step of the project will start at 9 a.m. March 31 at the chamber and will go into the early afternoon. Interested people should go to the chamber.

Snow has been melting as spring approaches, but that means the first session will focus on picking up all the litter it covered during the winter, Null said.

After that, the beautification committee will look at how to enhance the downtown and what steps will be taken this year. Null said she hopes the initiative will eventually spread throughout the city.

The beautification committee members had been working on their own last year but finally approached the city. The committee asked the city to empty overflowing trash cans located on the streets and in landscaped areas in parking lots.

City workers did. But Service Director Joseph Julian has said that manpower reductions in his department mean it can't take care of the landscaped areas.

The areas were put in during a revitalization program years ago. But during warm months, many sprout more weeds than greenery. Groups that tried to take care of the greenery either gave up or no longer exist.

Null said several people have been going out on their own to pull and kill the weeds.

Trip to Michigan

While on vacation several years ago, Null traveled to Frankenmuth, Mich., a tourist and shopping destination that bills itself as "Michigan's Little Bavaria."

Null said she saw people pulling weeds and working on the lush landscaping. They told her that they work for the city and that the greenery is watered automatically twice a day.

Null said it will take an organized effort to keep the downtown areas looking nice. The effort would tie into the reorganization of the city's tourism board last year during the bicentennial and efforts by merchants to attract more business.

A new problem that needs to be addressed as part of the effort is that since the voter-approved ban on smoking in restaurants, more cigarette butts are piling up outside.

Null said the effort could turn into a cleanup day at the parks or a yard of the month program in the city.

Another issue is that clay planters installed downtown during the revitalization are now about 15 years old and are becoming brittle. Null said it may cost $300 to $400 to replace one.

There are welcome signs at the city limits. Null said the overall beautification effort may include new signs and planting greenery compatible with downtown plantings.

wilkinson@vindy.com

Monday, March 12, 2007