News – Page 52 – Salem Main Streets

Largest Junior Sailing Regatta in US to Come to Salem

Contests, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Volunteer Opportunities No Responses »

Jul 252015

Let’s repeat three words. LARGEST. SAILING. SALEM. Our seaport community was a key player in the early days of this country’s maritime exploration and trading. And it’s nice to see that our connection to the water continues as more than 400 junior sailors from around the country are expected to participate in the 2015 United States Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) Optimist Dinghy New England Championship in Salem, Aug. 4-6 from Winter Island.

This is the largest junior sailing regatta in the United States, with sailors between the ages of 9 – 14. You noticed we didn’t say “sailors” to qualify the reference. These young people are every part of the word.

As an example just look at Sail Salem, which is the local host. It offers an educational program for children that promotes positive life skills and values through the sport of sailing. Founded in 2008, Sail Salem has introduced sailing to over 1,000 children from Salem and surrounding towns.

And it’s not just a one-time summer thing. Children have grown up through the program, from beginner, to intermediate sailor, to counselor in training, to sailing coach. The majority of a junior instructors are former students of Sail Salem.

According to Sail Salem, “Lessons are conducted in Salem Harbor off Winter Island to bring the love of sailing to many children who would not have had the opportunity to be on a boat.”

Adults are also encouraged to sail and evening lessons for all levels are available throughout the summer.

No wonder the 2015 Regatta is being held here. Previous competitions have been held in Newport, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine

What does this have to do with the Downtown District, which is what we usually talk about? We expect a sizable percentage of those 400 sailors and families to explore Salem either before or after the regatta. We would like them to feel welcome. Spectators interested in watching the races from the water will find regatta tours at Sea Shuttle and Mahi Mahi Harbor Cruises. Charter boats are available through McLaughlin Boat Works and Zim Sailing. Regatta accommodations options can be found at Salem.org.

One other thing. Sail Salem is still looking for volunteers to help with some of the on-land activities. Contact Pat Connolly-Atkins at pat@sailsalem.org if you would be interested in helping.

Sail Salem and the 2015 USODA New England Championship Regatta are sponsored by Cabot Wealth Management.

Complete regatta information can be found at SailSalem.org.

By Day or Night, Hawthorne Hotel Shines; Celebrates 90th Year with Big Bash

History, Salem Event No Responses »

Jul 212015

“Salem would be a very different community without an asset like the Hawthorne,” responds Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director, Salem Main Streets when asked to describe the Hawthorne Hotel in 25 words or less. No doubt those words & feelings will be echoed a lot this Thursday evening when the Hotel celebrates 90 years of service with a party overflowing with live ragtime music (it was after all built in 1925) in the Grand Ballroom, professional dancers in period dress, free hors d’oeurves, raffle items, and more.

The public had been invited; reservations went quickly. It is sold out. But there is still a way to attend, which we will get to later.

In a Creative Salem post, Alyssa Grace AlKhowaiter for the Salem Historical Society recounted the history of the Hawthorne quite succinctly:

In 1923, Hygrade/Sylvania Lighting Company founder Frank Poor decided that Salem needed a high-end hotel to accommodate visiting businessmen. With support from the Salem Rotary Club and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Poor helped create the Salem Hotel Company to sell stock in the creation of a new hotel. 230 volunteers recruited by the Company sold $750,000 in stock to over a thousand area residents and businessmen, while daily sales were posted on a billboard in Town House Square. A celebratory parade was held in Salem on July 21, 1925, and on July 23rd, the Hawthorne Hotel opened for business.

And the Hotel has never forgotten where it came from: the neighborhoods and people of Salem.

Kylie Sullivan points out, “The really phenomenal thing about the Hawthorne is that it’s more than just a hotel; it’s not just offering a service for our visitors. It’s an integral part of our community for local businesses and residents. It’s where we host fundraisers, celebrations, and board meetings. We hang around outside hoping to catch a glimpse of a new bride and groom, or check out the incredible costumes for the Halloween ball, or wait for Santa to descend from the roof. It’s always the first to offer a donation for an event, or a space for a festival, or a discount for locals during a snow emergency.”

In fact, a portion of the proceeds of the evening will go to benefit the Salem Education Foundation (limited edition commemorative items will be available for purchase, a cash bar will be on hand, and of course donations would be appreciated).

As for how you can see the festivities, no matter whether you are in the USA, Europe or anywhere else in the world, we are going to do another Periscope live streaming broadcast. Simply sign up for the free Periscope app for Android or iOS devices and follow @SalemAMB on Twitter for the automatic notification of the camera going live.

Otherwise, after the streaming ends, we will upload the URL to both the @SalemAMB and @SalemMainStreet Twitter accounts so you can watch it on any device connected to the Internet. (It will be available for 24 hours.)

Send your personal congratulations to the Hawthorne’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Happy Birthday Hawthorne Hotel. And, many, many more!

(Pictures courtesy of John Andrews of Social Palates Photography)

Creative Window Boxes To Be Honored For Helping Beautify Salem

Contests, History, New Businesses, Salem Event, Volunteer Opportunities No Responses »

Jul 202015

Windows have an artistic value beyond the utilitarian of keeping cold out and letting fresh air in. Walk down any street in Salem and you’ll see windows as the backdrop and support for creative & colorful flowered window boxes. To honor the businesses and homes that go the extra mile to help beautify Salem, the City has been holding an annual Window Box Competition since 1993.

Modesty aside, did you work hard on your window box design and placement? Then you deserve recognition and an award. The Salem Beautification Committee, along with The Salem Garden Club and Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, have issued an open invitation for submissions.

Or if you are very creative, you’ve got time to make one very quickly for the Window Box Competition.

Wood of course is the traditional material with which to build a window box. But what kind of wood should be used? For example you might want to remove pine, which rots relatively quickly (and we do get a lot of rain & snow) from your options. And add cedar or redwood because of their rot-resistant qualities.

Of course people have gone away from wood totally with fiberglass, brick, metal, vinyl, and cellular PVC!

But time is running out! Registration for the Window Box Competition concludes Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Judging will take place July 25-31. Then the Awards Ceremony & Reception will be held during Heritage Days on Thursday, August 6th at 5:30 pm. in the garden of the Brookhouse, which is located at 180 Derby St.

For more information, rules and to register, call 978-619-5676. Or email: etalkowsky@salem.com with the subject: Window Box Competition registration. Please include your name, street address and telephone number.

The mission of the Salem Beautification Committee is to assist the City in developing and pursuing initiatives that promote the beautification of the City. The goal of the Committee is to create civic pride and to motivate the City’s diverse population to participate in the beautification process.

(Photo courtesy of the Salem Beautification Committee Facebook page)

Weekend Culture Fest Draws Upon Diversity of Salem Area Talent

Contests, History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping, Volunteer Opportunities, Workshops No Responses »

Jul 172015

CULTURE: The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group — The Oxford Dictionaries

If you want to not only see but experience those words being put into action, come to the Salem Common on July 18th and/or 19th for the 9th Annual Salem CultureFest!

This free admission festival invites, encourages and gives opportunity to the many cultures of the area (the Salem community alone has over 15 different cultures) to come together in celebration of their diversity and unity through drumming, dancing, crafts, art, food, and entertainment. Click here for the full schedule

Each year the Salem CultureFest, produced by A3D, Inc., a non-profit organization of musicians, volunteers, and activists, draws around 2,000 people from all over New England.

This year they will have one central location for stage performers by the Salem Common Gazebo, plus a family-friendly parade each day of the weekend. And, especially for the kids: moon bounce, face painting, pony rides, and more.

Festival organizers indicate that they will also have “over 50 vendors participating with wares ranging from framed art and photos, several types of jewelry, pottery, balloons, toys, carvings, candles, hand-loomed scarves, food, shirts, hats, and more. Most of what you will find at this festival is handmade, available directly from the artists who crafted them.”

Salem CultureFest proceeds support education & medical supplies in Senegal, West Africa; A3D has thus far raised over $30,000 to provide new sewing machines, desks, and computers to Senegalese women and school children. This year a special goal has been set to raise $3,000 to specifically address medical supply needs for early 2016.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Salem Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Come to the Salem Common and let your five senses each experience the diversity that the Salem CultureFest has to offer, 10am – 8pm on July 18th and 10am – 6 pm on July 18th.

See the World, See Salem, Live on Periscope

History, New Businesses, Salem Event, Salem Farmers Market, SMS News No Responses »

Jul 152015

What did you do on the way to work yesterday? I took a live, guided, interactive tour of the Taj Mahal, followed by a walk through the streets of Dublin. All courtesy of an amazing new piece of social media technology called Periscope. And (weather permitting) you have the opportunity to see it in action as Salem Main Streets will be joining @SalemAMB in live streaming from the Farmers’ Market at approx. 5pm on Thursday.

Periscope, simply put, is a video of something going on, but it is live. And you the viewer can ask the film-maker questions in real time. It’s just like being there.

In the words of the developers, it was an idea of “discovering the world through someone else’s eyes. What if you could see through the eyes of a protester in Ukraine? Or watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon in Cappadocia? It may sound crazy, but we wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation.”

Periscope is available on iOS and Android devices. As it is owned by Twitter, announcements of live ‘scopes’ are issued on Twitter to all followers of that accompanying Periscope account. (You can also watch on your computer but there is no interactivity interface. Just copy/paste the link that appears in the Twitter promo).

By optimizing the Farmers’ Market for the initial broadcast, we are giving viewers in Salem, the North Shore — and anywhere in the world — the opportunity to ask vendors questions as we pass their tables.

Yes, indeed it is promotion for how great we feel the Salem Farmers’ Market is. But it will be enhanced by the interaction. Consider as we pass tomato baskets and someone from Ireland asks a question about which kinds of tomatoes are best with salad. Or someone in Los Angeles later remarks about the unusual aspect of lobsters at a Farmers’ Market.

If time permits, plans call for a second broadcast later in the evening of the PEM/PM party. We are strong supporters of the creative ways people express themselves in Salem through food, literature, art, music, etc. Periscope will be a way of not only “telling” people about it, but showing & interacting with them. What better way to display the community focus of the Peabody Essex Museum?

If you wish to see selected Periscopes (and we advise you while many are interesting, some are like a personal / vanity / diary / blog, and there are a few which are downright strange) go to http://onperiscope.com/ Only live ‘scopes’ can be played.

There is no charge to download the Periscope app (here is an excellent tutorial) if you wish to follow us on our journey of promoting all things Salem to the world. To participate in Thursday’s pilot efforts, either follow @SalemAMB on Twitter for a direct link notification, or open the Periscope app and click on the “Map” or “List” options and scroll down looking for titles that refer to the Salem Farmers’ Market or PEM/PM.

(Source of image is from medium.com/@periscope)

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