Southwick Historical Commission

 

Minutes   May 21, 2007

 

Business

  1. Reviewed and approved the minutes of May 7.
  2. Bills: Reimbursement for mileage to Archives Alive workshop in Deerfield, MA--$33.38
  3. Received a call from John ?,(said last name difficult to pronounce) who would like to see the Santini collection. He is especially interested in the notes Mr. Santini kept about conditions at the Congamond Ponds. He will make an appointment to conduct his research in the near future.  The chair gave him the dates of the Commission meetings and informed him that the materials do not travel, but must be utilized under a Commission member’s supervision.
  4. Archives Alive Workshop Report: Barbara attended the meeting with Michelle Hill, Town Clerk. The workshop sponsored by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners covered how historical records should be stored and managed. In addition to these topics, also covered was security. The Commission in coordination with the Town Clerk would like to see Southwick’s records cataloged and preserved properly. CPC monies could be utilized on such a project.
  5. Survey and Planning Grant- The acceptance letter was sent on May 17 the day after the second day of Town Meeting. MHC needed documentation that the matching amount ($10,000) was voted by town meeting members. This money will come from the CPC Historical Reserve Fund. Barbara and Karen will attend the workshop to be held Wednesday May 23 at the MA Historical Commission offices at Columbia Point in Boston. Further information will be presented at this workshop regarding the administration of the Grant. Southwick received $15,000 from the Survey and Planning Grant Program. This was matched by the $10,000 from CPC and $744 in volunteer services.
  6. Feasibility Assessment Manual for Reusing Historic Buildings: The Commission decided to send for the manual, which will cost $30 plus S&H.
  7. New Haven/Northampton Canal National Register Nomination Committee Report. The committee met on May 14 at 7pm in the Southwick Town Hall. The Russell Historical Commission responded to the invitation to join the group. Now, every community through which either the canal or feeder canals passed is represented on the committee. Also joining the group is Carl Walter, canal historian. Carl has spent the past twenty years researching the canal and has compiled a wealth of information. The committee reviewed the report(Pilot Study, Part 1) submitted by PAL the professional historians contracted by the MA Historical Commission to do a pilot study in connection with the National Register procedure in relation to the canal project (assessor map problems-the canal does not appear on them in any of the five communities). PAL designated two areas (one in Southwick and the other in Westfield) to work out a solution to the map problem. This will be Part 2 of the Pilot Study. The committee expressed its displeasure with the duplication of work and the length of time it is taking MHC to give the go ahead to the committee to complete the project.

 

 

Mail

1.        From Past Perfect the May 2007 Newsletter

2.        Open Space Planning Committee     Agenda 5/9

3.        Lake Management Committee    Min 4/26

4.        From the American Association for State and Local history the newsletter “Dispatch” for May 2007

5.        Conservation Commission     Min 3/19, 4/2        Agenda 5/21

6.        Board of Health     Min 3/15, 4/5

7.        From the American Association for State and Local History the publication “History News” for Autumn 2006 (?)

8.        From the National Trust for Historic Preservation an announcement of a “Feasibility Assessment Manual for Reusing Historic Buildings” which is available.

9.        From the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission an invitation to their annual meeting to be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on June 7

10.     Planning Board      Agenda 5/22

11.     From the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission the newsletter for June 2007

12.     From Historic Deerfield the Calendar of Events for Spring-Summer 2007

13.     From the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions “The Alliance Review for March-April 2007

 

 

 

Barbara Mac Ewan

Chair, Historical Commission

 

 

 

 

Karen Brzezinski

 

 

 

Todd Shiveley