Tourism Committee - Regular Meeting

We're we're live. Welcome everybody to the Middleborough Tourism's 03/31/2026 meeting at 6PM held at 10 Nickerson Avenue in the Town hall in Middleborough in the small conference room. We are being recorded by Ann Cam for later broadcast on both Verizon and Comcast. So I have officially called the meeting to order. Oh, I'm gonna kill you.

For your birthday?

Yes. Oh. Come on, baby. That's hilarious. Happy birthday. Thank you. It's my birthday, everybody. Know. And isn't this what? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm gonna put it over here, though, so I can see the camera or the camera can see me. I don't know.

You could hide behind the Wow.

Very nice. Three dozen roses. Thank you very much.

And it's mellow from here.

Yes. Very nice. Thank yellow. It did well.

Thank you.

That's Thank you.

That's why she's late.

That's a good reason for being two minutes late.

Well, I had a wait for you to start.

So that was under unanticipated, everyone. It's the chairman's birthday and her husband brought her roses. Very nice. Okay. So unanticipated. I met with the veterans yesterday because he had finally secured a date for the National Guard, Army National Guard band to come to Middleborough. And they are coming May 2. It's gonna be on the Town Hall Lawn from ten to two he's gonna have it there. He's going to be I got a grant for him to do this so he's gonna pay for pizzas which I've arranged with Central Cafe. They're gonna bring pizzas for 200 people

and it may be more. What time did you

say this? It's from ten to two and he asked me to order little flags which they will pay for as well to hand out to everybody with $2.50 on it. I already found them they're 28¢ each so I will get them And he's gonna give out water and soda too. So it it the whole point of the event is to have it as a free event for the community. So we don't need to have vendors, don't need to have setup, he's got people setting up, he's got people he just asked us if we could send a few people to help serve the pizza as the people come up.

So if we could get a few people between I think they won't start serving till like 11:30, 11:30 to one and then the concert's right at one. So if we could just get a few people to come in for that hour or so just to help him serve the pizza. And he's putting us you know, we got him the grant, and he's using us. So he's putting us as a cosponsor of the event. So that's May 2.

I don't mind not helping.

Yeah. And I'll remind everybody again, you know, I mean, an hour. If people can stop by and help him, that's nothing.

Where was it again?

I'm sorry.

Oh, here.

Okay. On the town hall

front lawn.

And he's gonna have all the chairs brought down from downstairs from upstairs. He'll have his people do it. Awesome. But he only has I guess he has helped to do that. But as far as serving the pizza, he's only has himself and his assistant. So if 200 people mob him, he's gonna need a couple of us. So and most of us are served safe or professionals. Yeah. We've all done it. So yes. So we can do that. So that's that's an easy one. I thought we'd have to, like, do a lot of arranging of all kinds of things for him, but we don't. And we are a sponsor. So that was a great meeting with him yesterday. I also

They have the chairs, and they were arranging the chairs that you brought down I raised that.

You? Before you

got here. Mhmm.

Yep. You were up.

You just said it now. Already. Or I just said it just now. Did I not? Yeah. We don't have to do chairs. They're doing everything. I did talk to him also because we wanted to keep stuff going at the Oliver Estate and he has a giant veterans collecting collection of memorabilia in the annex building if you've been in there. I mean uniforms and all kinds of things, gorgeous plaques with like maybe knots in it. I mean all kinds of things.

And he's going to lend us the stuff and we can put it in for Memorial Day and keep it there all through June. And he has people that can come and and be there as well. So it would be an event that would be going on there. We wouldn't really have to do anything except maybe help him set the stuff up. And he said we can box the stuff up and keep it there for next year too. So it would be a nice kind of for memorial through June event that the house can be used. We don't have a heavy lift on it because we have heavy enough lifts on everything else. Okay? So I talked to him about that. We'll we'll iron out the details of that after the Herring Run Festival.

Okay. So that's all I had under unanticipated. Do we have any other things that anybody wants that's not on my agenda? What is the Yes. Welcome, Scott. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Welcome, Scott. Scott Gould, our newest member, is here tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We're very happy to have you.

For those watching, you got this morning already? I did. There you go.

Yep. I did get this email from the facilities manager asking if we He says the Master Gardeners want to start working on the Oliver State on April 9 and could we come and have a burn day and help him on April 8? I'm like, we all work, number one. So no, that's not gonna work. And number two, that's the week before the Herring Festival.

We really can't commit to something like that. I mean, Glenn and I have been going over, Anne went over, we've cleaned up most of everything outside and inside. There's just a few things, and I am going to plan a cleanup day. I'm gonna reach out to the Boy Scouts, the Dimalay, all the kids groups, and try to get them before May 1 to just get those branches off there. We can throw them in the ravine. We can just and I've told them that. I've responded to this. We cannot be there on a burn day and a work day, and especially the week before the herring. So I said, After the Herring Run Festival, between that and May 1, I will get a bunch of kids there as a cleanup day and do it. So that's what I offer them.

I understand the gardeners want to get in there and they have a schedule, but they're retired and that's all they do. We have lives. So I'm hoping that's all right with the committee, unless everybody wants to run over there and fix everything for them. Okay? I'm gonna

be busy doing things like lining spaces and all.

Before a festival, we just we're really out straight. So that was in correspondence, but that came to us. Is that was that it, Glenn, unanticipated? Anybody else have anything under unanticipated or public comment? I'll just throw in there. I started to have a conversation with Scott about getting a dishwasher for the Oliver's Day. So we will keep coordinating with him. Favor. Yes, Oliver's Day. Yes. Yes. And and a real one that takes you to we are talking the cycles are like Correct.

Yeah. Ninety Ninety seconds. Yep.

That's what you were hoping for. Right? Yes. Yes. And it is. Yep. In and out. So we now have two professionals here. I've got

my I've got my fillers out. So Good. Perfect. Think I can come up with something.

And I I have some fillers out for some plumbers that can hook it up for us, and I already talked to Historic New England about it, and we're not really changing anything in the building. It can be taken out and everything will remain the same, so it should be fine. K. When we put the septic system in there ten years ago, twelve years ago, we put in an exercised one to a com and re straps to accommodate if we did any catering or restaurant work. So we should still be fine with that. Yes.

Madam chair, public comment.

Oh, okay.

Glenn Montepard, Mayflower Lodge liaison right across the street from

the town hall. We just get used to it. Yes. Mister Montepirt, what?

I I have fans watching. Yes. So and they have advised

Yes.

That if we had you didn't believe me.

You can't swear on tape. You're okay.

If we had those large bins, we can have the dishes in the large bins and spray them down and soak them and sort of get the majority of the stuff off and then move them out to the next bins. That would help us Mhmm. Before we get the dishwasher to sort of get things cleaned up. That was their suggestion. I didn't want to ignore my fans that are watching me.

Yes, dear.

That's it.

Got it. I'm only being nice to you because you brought me flat. Okay. Good. Thank you. I

I'm on on later. Sorry.

Okay. I did have one other thing too. I know we've assigned the people for the ghost tours, Ashley, but our our cast of characters has changed a little bit since that. Alicia, who is now a member, is gonna be there on the fourth. Yep. This fourth. So we don't have to be here. She will have the capacity to open and close. Anyone else wants to join her? It's a private investigation at Oliver Estate this Saturday. I guess they start around six and they finish around midnight. So I know you like to do that stuff if you wanna do it.

I'll be happy to.

Okay. I'll tell Christy, Alicia, Scott will go, and then we don't have to go. The other one we have scheduled for April is on this building on the eighteenth, and that's the same hours. It's the same kind of thing. It's a private investigation, so anyone who wants to do it is welcome to. We don't have to decide that right now. We had had assigned people, but I wanted to let everyone know that those people don't have to go this weekend because we have two other people that have done this and know how to do it and who just fake it. Okay? I don't know. Are you interested on the eighteenth too for the year?

I'd be more than happy to help you anyway.

I will I will tell, and I think Alicia is too. So, yeah, you guys are our official ghost people. Okay. You and Alicia will go with Christy and, on the eighteenth. So everybody else is off the hook for that. I will get you You can get out of my calendar

as we speak.

I'll get you key before well, you're at the restaurant all all this week.

Right? Yeah.

I'm so Friday, you're there. Right? Yep. Okay. Then I will come by and give you key for Oliver and show you what to

do. Okay.

And before the eighteenth, I'll get you the key for here.

Okay. We have

to sign it out for here. We have one for Oliver. Okay. Also, I we did talk to the town manager, and it will be April where we'll get our papers. We should have the mic.

Assistant to?

Assistant to the town manager. Yeah. Sorry. Town manager's got a little on his plate right

now. Really?

Yeah. Just a tad. So so yeah. So we should have it. They're gonna push, you know, they're gonna they know it's gotta be done because we're kind of in limbo here. We're still doing stuff, but we need that agreement so we have the ability to do more. Okay. That's all I got. I know it's a lot under unanticipated and I said it was gonna be a fast meeting, but that's all I've got under unanticipated, I swear. Okay. So did everybody get to look at the February 18 meeting minutes? And did you

I, yeah, I emailed the Yeah. Typos. Maybe. Okay.

So we'll we'll we'll take a motion to accept them with the typo corrections, please. Minor changes. Yeah. Could I get a motion to that effect for February 18? Okay. Second. Second. All in favor? Aye. You can say you weren't here. But from now on, when you're here, you can start.

Judy, do you want my copy with my scratch on it?

Yeah. Might as well.

And poor Judy was sick, but March 18, Glenn was here, and he took the minutes, and they went out to everybody. Everybody. Could I get a motion to approve those? The minutes from March 18? So moved. Okay. And can I a second? All in favor? Aye. And one abstention? Good. Okay. Moving on. Auxiliary members. I have been busy.

I have about 10, and Ashley's husband, so sweet, has volunteered to be one too. So what I would like to do is take these names tonight and just vote as as bringing them on with us as auxiliary members. And then when they're coming to our events and everything, they can function. If we need to have them run as a tourism person somewhere, they can. Or for instance be at the COA for that hour or whatever they can. So who I have is Winston Stone, Steve DelSignore and Nancy DelSignore who are reenactors and will be very happy to run with our reenactment programming which is yay. Okay? Then I also have Jace Berry from the Masons and Paul Gould from the Masons.

Myself.

And Glenn from the Masons. I have those three.

I don't

know about that. And they have I think they've proven themselves because they worked the Christmas event with us. They've worked every event with us, and they're they're ready to be on board. Then I have Liz and Jay Ginsberg, who used to be former members and who are coming to the Herring Run Festival on the Saturday. So they'll be here this Saturday to help as well. So if we accept them now as auxiliary members, they can do babysitting at the COA as well. Then we have Katie Stacy, our bread girl. She called me. I was talking to her tonight. And she has some things going on, but she wants to be a member so that when she does show up, she can help us to the fullest extent she can.

So this Katie Stacy. France, and is it Eulet? Eulet. Yep. Who is Ashley's husband and has already been drafted in to help us with things, but now he's gonna be official. And also Linda De Aruda, who has volunteered with us in the past, and she's great at the booth. She shows up, and she's very knowledgeable. So I have all those people. Winston Stone, Steve Delsignore, Nancy Delsignore, Jay Sperry, Glenn Monteport, Paul Gould, Liz and Jay Ginsberg, Katie Stacy, Franz Ulett, and Linda De Aruda. Could I please get a a motion to accept them as auxiliary members?

Motion.

And could I get a second? Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Yay. We're growing.

This is great. I don't know how to spell all their names. Is it right now?

I will send you everything. Okay. For the And I will just so everybody knows, I'll send them all a nice email saying, thank you. You're in. Is our next event. Blah blah blah blah. Then we can get them on the volunteer list too, which is great. Okay. So Okay. So now we're gonna bring the Herring Run Festival updates. So Glenn's got the tables and chairs covered. Correct?

I most certainly have the chairs covered. I have tentatively the tables covered. I'm waiting to get an official date, but I did meet up with the with Paul.

Okay.

And we're ready to go as soon as he gives me a date to pick him up.

Okay. For those of you who haven't been through this before with us, we have chairs that that we kind of share back and forth with the parks department, and they'll deliver them for us. The tables that we use for the Herring Run Festival, the beer garden and all that, they veterans loan us, so we use those. And any of the tables for our booths at the Herring Run Festival, we'll just bring over from Oliver because we have them there.

Having friends is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Having friends. Yes. It is. It is. So we have the tables and chairs. We're good. You wanna give us a quick in that

vendor update, Shan? As of, like, a half an hour ago when I got another email from someone who said that they have their thing in the mail, we have paid spaces, 21 food spaces. Those will be in the parking lot area, and 25 and a half spaces because one person wanted a space and a half. And I said, fine. She just pays for another half. And so those would be the paid merchandise. We also have. Are they for both days? Those are all but one this year so far are for both days. We've got just the oh, crap.

Nobel Conservation Commission is going to do Saturday only unless Saturday is really crappy, and then they're gonna do Sunday. Mhmm.

Says we're gonna have a good weekend, and by golly, I believe them.

I hope they're right. We also have 21 nonprofits or not and environmental. There's quite a bunch of the non Oh, that's great. Of the environmental people. We've got a lot of cool people coming. I just heard from Robins Museum, Mass Archaeology today that they got

their Excellent.

Stuff, and they're coming.

And we don't charge those, just so everybody knows. Nonprofits we let come. And we did hire this year the Herring Pond Wampanoag dancers and singers, so they come and do a really great show. We got a grant to pay for most of it.

So Saturday, 12:15.

Yeah. Saturday, 12:15.

And one of our other vendors is going to kick in their the same amount as for their booth rental towards that. And I have another vendor that gave me she had to give me a $150. She gave me a 160 and said, put the rest towards that.

Yeah. So And the yeah. Every donation window people gave us?

Yeah.

Yeah. That $1.50. Okay. Good. Good. Okay. So vendors are that's that's a good I like that number. Keep them coming. If anybody else asks and you have room, please keep them coming, especially the paying customers. I think

three or four that are still in process that

I have not gotten in hand. This event, just for anyone who doesn't know or hasn't been through it before, costs us around $24,000. We do not bring that in in vendor fees. No. We'll bring in about 7,000 in vendor.

Yep.

We've got 13,000 in grants at this point. Yeah. So we're still we make up for this one from things from the rest of the year.

Yeah. At the moment, our total booth fee is a 6,975.

Right. That's what I got. Exactly. That's good. That's good.

Because we have a half.

That'll take that'll put a dent in it. Okay. Great. Thanks. That's the vendors. Merchandise. We have our merchandise to sell at our booth, are the new t shirts, the mugs, herring mugs, herring t shirts, all of our state two fifty t shirts. Those are the new ones. And the new Cranberry Country mugs. That's pretty much all we have left at this point. Yeah. So if we I mean, we have plenty of all of it. Mhmm. So who's moving the merchandise over, Glenn? You pulled it from the Oliver Estate with me yesterday.

Take care of it on a Friday while the vendors come in. I'm gonna put all our stuff down Okay. For the booths, and they'll be ready to go. So I won't have to panic on Saturday morning.

Okay. And

Don't lose my hair.

And you're gonna get paid cash

for the I already have it.

Okay. Good. Excellent. Got that. Okay. Moving on. Parking. As you know, did Anne was there as well and so was Glenn. They're the three stooges. We walk in everywhere, the three of us. We went to the COA. You know, we were having to pay $800 or something to have monitors and all this crap. We went to their meeting, the trustees, and we said, listen. We will have a tourism person there, and obviously you'll remember, he's counting as tourism people, the entire four hours each day, and we'll make sure that the grass doesn't get Yeah. Doesn't get all whatever. I got the contract back from them. They're all set. We do not have to pay them. Yay. $800 savings right there.

Yes. I promised them that I would rope off Yes. The grass area, and I promised to do that on Friday. Right.

And they already have the stakes up. So he's just gonna tie it on, and then

we'll take the, caution tape for you.

Yeah. Exactly. Purchased caution tape before we told him.

We didn't. I've got

some given to me. Well, we had

to we bought it. But we'll use it more.

And if the last person volunteering at the COA could just take that off? I won't have to come back during the week to take it off. If they tell them. If they fail, I'll come

back in week. It would be on the Sunday.

We'll have

to do a Saturday. Right. Okay. Did

I say Saturday? They'll leave it on No.

No. No. You're just the last person.

Last person on Sunday. If they fail, I'll do during the week.

The COA for Shuttles will be running from there. We have the town hall for free. Shuttles will be running from there. I have four shuttles from the COA. They're all booked. I signed for them, so we're all set. We have paid parking at 99 North Street, $5, and the people can walk down the street, and that pretty much pays the insurance and the people to run that place. We have that. Police details are set. They have seven all around and then one for each overnight which is nuts but the police are insisting on it, so we had to do it.

I did talk to the fire department to do it, then I remembered that we used to get booster ambulance who would come as a community service and do the EMT presence for free. So I reached out to the town's new ambulance supplier, Coastal, to see if they will do that. They have not gotten back to me. So worst case scenario is we have to pay for the fire details to come, which is about $800 a day. And best case scenario is Coastal says, no, no, no, we'll do it as a community service and we don't have to. That would be nice. I'm trying to squeeze every penny out where we can. So that's we're covered one way or another with that. VZ Flash, the traffic people are all set. I signed the contract with them. I've signed all the money for the grants so we have the 13,000 coming in

in that. That's all I have. The quarter potties are all set.

Quarter potties. Thank you. I knew I was forgetting something.

They're gonna be delivered on Friday, and then they'll clean them first thing early morning on Sunday.

Okay. Good. Did I forget anything anybody?

Yes. What? Volunteers.

Ah, he who's doing the volunteer schedule?

You look, I thought you were gonna do it.

You're just I am. I'm

I'm just like, I am. I have so much going on right now.

She's trying to see When you start cooking the four course dinner I'm looking

at her asking for permission to speak.

Yes. And then I have something to add.

You're in charge. Speak. I don't know who's coming on which days. Does do people know what their schedule is for Saturday and Sunday?

I I'm supposed to be there Saturday?

Correct. You were

or 11:30. I can't forget.

Yes. Between eleven ish.

Okay. So you

can get there. Thirty. Right? Thirty. Yes. You told me that. You got back to me. Thank you very much. How how's your schedule looking?

You took me off Friday. Right? Because I'm not

I'm at work.

You off Friday. Okay. Because you you educated me.

Yes. Yes. Saturday and Sunday? So that we all know.

So the schedule is they start the vendors start coming in Friday. We block off the parking lot only for vendors. And as usually they are loading them in Friday. Then we get up and they can leave their stuff there. We have a police detail we pay from 6PM Friday to 6AM Saturday morning. 10PM. 10PM. Sorry. 10PM. Yes. So we have to hang out there in one way or another. I think it's gonna be I'm gonna get a fire permit and have a barbecue. We have to hang out there.

Night if you wanna come. Yes. Come because Billy's my cohort for the music, and I just jam.

Stop by and see

how we're doing. Have a concert.

Maybe I'll feed everybody. We'll see. But so they come from 10PM till 6AM, the police detail. And then Saturday morning, the rest of the vendors get loaded in that didn't do Friday.

And some of the ones that came Friday just bring their tables, their chairs, their tents, the big prep. Yeah. And then they bring their merchandise

On Friday. On Saturday morning. So they get it in. We run the festival from noon till four, and then we we do do the four hours because we have to pay the details, and we pay them in four hour increments because if you go over one hour, have to pay eight. So that's why we run it for four hours. We are pinching the pennies. And then we hang out as much as we can, and then the police come 10:00 Saturday night until 06:00 the next morning. Vendors are back. Vendors pack up at four and gone on Sunday. That's the schedule. So now you may go ahead.

Just everybody knows. That was clear. I appreciate that.

Eight to five Saturday and Sunday. Right? That's what you have me down for.

That'd be perfect. K. Perfect. Cool. Okay.

I'm able to help out Friday or Saturday's out for me, but Sunday, I am available. So Friday and Sunday? Yep. And Saturday, it might be possible. I just have to clear my see if I

can We have a lot of people Saturday. Okay. Yes. We're fewer people Sunday.

Yes. Why don't

you fit me in where you have Sunday. Need the availability. Yeah. And

Sunday closing would be good.

You tell me what. Yeah. Silly that the booth around 11:30 is perfect. On Friday. Yeah. On Saturday. On Saturday. Okay. And, taking everything down and packing it up Saturday at 04:00 from four to five, helping vendors leave. You

mean Sunday? Sunday. Sunday. Yes.

I'm sorry. Thank you. Keep doing that. Sunday. Yes. And having them helping them leave.

The sooner everybody's packed up and out of there, the sooner we

can Do you need help Saturday or Friday night to have him with you, or you're set?

Billy and I are gonna be hanging out.

Okay.

But, I mean, bringing vendors in. Do you

need help? Friday is so much calmer. Okay. Because they they start at two, and they can come till, you know, nine. Perfect. Alright. As long

as you're okay. Yeah. I'm fine with that.

Okay. Who is overnight on Saturday? I forgotten if someone said something.

Overnight on Saturday? Yes. The police.

The They're at 10:00?

Yeah. Yes.

Who's gonna be there from five until ten?

Whoever wants to

be. You're waving your hand?

I thought I

was. Oh, god bless you. Wave your hand. Is he an alternate? We didn't vote. Dave no. I don't think can we give you our appointee? He doesn't have authority.

For one thing because he's on the fish he's a fish warden.

He's a fish warden, and he's already a a town employee as a town moderator, so we have no issues with him. I don't Well, we can tell him to do stuff. We can ask him to do stuff, and he can do it legally. So

Gotcha. Yeah. I will try to tag up with the other members on their hours for Saturday and Sunday. Did you wanna schedule times now for the COA for the members, their hourly appointments?

If you have, everybody. I'm just letting you know for Saturday, we have Linda De Aruda who really needs to be at the booth.

Okay. So then I will mention that.

She's yeah. Just put

her at the booth.

And then we have Jay and Liz who can do COA or whatever we need them to do, load in, whatever. Yeah. Those are extras. Jay and Liz. Got it. Yeah. I haven't talked to I'm we're probably gonna have Jay Sperry. Right? Maybe Paul Gould? You can talk to them.

They will be volunteering the setup and things like that sort, but they have to be at their

Right. So that's fine. If they can set up and and help break down, that's

fine. And if we get into a trouble, I can pull one or two over.

Down to

the COA. Correct. The Ag

And I'll be there all day Saturday and Sunday.

So I have you and Alicia and Leilani and Katerina and Judy possibility to go over with Jay and Liz for hourly at the COA.

Katerina's only there one day. Which day is it?

She is there. I know this. Saturday.

Oh, boy. Sunday is gonna be tough. Sunday's gonna be

Well, we

have Sunday, I'm freer because Okay. We've already got everything set up.

We are holding this now.

Okay. Good. Alright. Good.

You can use me Sunday for whatever. Just let me let me know.

I don't know what

time to be here, and I'll

be there. Yeah.

So Scott Gould. Right?

Oh, 6AM

sound. We have two books That's alright. Good.

I'm an early riser anyway. So

We would be with a breakfast business. Yes. Yep. Yeah.

Spreadsheets are going out, the charts with everybody. I will add everyone's name to it so they can correct me where I'm wrong.

Yeah. He'll send that out

within the next

probably few days knowing him.

This this will help us understand what's expected. If you don't like what's expected, I can fix it.

Yeah. I know that.

Oh, I know. France is

France can go either day. It doesn't matter. He can sit in the parking lot. He's gonna have Jason who's almost eight. So

That's okay. Can be entertained

for probably about an hour and a half on this. Love that kid. Switch.

He has the greatest smile. He's got his twinkle in his eye and his smile. I love that kid.

Does he wanna stay at the festival with us while Fran is at the seal?

I mean, he can. That's fine. It doesn't matter.

No. As a

parent. Oh. I mean, he'd probably well,

he likes dad better anyways, and he's just gonna sit on his his game. Okay. So He's playing at music with us. Yeah. So he can do at, like, at probably an hour and a half in the sitting in the parking lot when it doesn't matter the time. Okay. Parking for us or, like, okay, for him. I mean Right.

He shouldn't have to we do we did we give if you're a volunteer, you're working at the the guy doesn't charge you parking at 99 North Street. You can just go in. Just tell him to volunteer. Well I I have We will send I

usually send out little passes

to send an volunteer. Yeah. He knows us, and he he doesn't charge us.

Is this

the guy with all the trees at Christmas time? Is that 99 North Street?

It's right at the corner.

It's the one you can see.

So if go up go up in the Masket Yeah. And you go to make a left,

he's the first one on the left.

Okay. Yeah.

Yeah. I think Frank throws him anyways.

Yeah. And you can park. His parking is way down the hill in the back of his house, there's a path from there that goes right to the Herring Run.

Okay.

So yeah.

So when we're at the, when we're at the festival Mhmm. To get to the COA, I is it I know where it is, but in terms of okay. The shuttle. Alright.

Yeah. Come to the festival and jump on the shuttle. Okay. Yeah. And it'll take you right there.

I mean, if it's nice, I'll probably just tell them to walk down from the house.

It's a

mile and a quarter.

To the shuttle before No.

To walk down from my house down to

the Oh, right. You're right on the yeah. You're right up the hill too. Yeah. Okay.

So Yeah. I just wasn't sure from

Yeah.

What the actual distance from the, Harry Run to the COA was.

It's one and a quarter miles.

Okay. Yeah. Not too many.

Yeah. Not walking that day.

Not not on that day.

As a paranoid New Yorker, instead of someone watching and everybody telling the guy that we're all volunteers, can we send him a

She just said that. She sent me a I know.

Was

That's not where I'm going, but thank you very much. Can we send him a list Sure. Of who our people are? Don't have to worry about parking passes or anything like that.

Gonna check the list. It's easier for him if you just go like this, and he goes, go.

We've done it in

the past. Just

We'll give you

we'll give you next. One more question about parking. So right now, I have one student coming from eight to ten on Saturday morning to help set up. But because we'll they'll be out before we start, they can just drive down. Right?

Okay. And I'll throw Just wanted

to set up, they

can Yeah. I just wanted to pass along.

Be near to the bathroom, so stuff there.

Okay. Yeah.

The police don't shut the police don't and the traffic people don't close down Damascus Street and Plymouth and that whole area, which they do. They don't do that until 11:30. Okay. Perfect.

So I'll let her

know. Yeah. Okay.

Thank you all. And these divests are for you guys, so you can be seen, not run over, and they know who our volunteers are. If you work in the booth and you wanna rip it off, fine. If you're helping the vendors come in, you really need this so people

can see you. You here.

The cops who have previously not recognized volunteers and said no one's there when there's someone standing right next to them. Holding This will fix this will fix that. K. So you're this is yours to take tonight.

Okay. All of us.

Yeah. All of you. Okay.

Yeah. One each. Mhmm. Yeah. Unless you need one for you,

not not one for

each other. You could because you're special.

Yes. I am.

She's my favorite Judy.

She is. She's my Hey.

She she's a dog person too. So yeah. She's always my lover.

She's my comedy relief.

Yes. Okay.

I madam chair,

I believe I'm done. You're done. Okay. Did I forget anything else for the herring run? I think we're good. We're gonna send out parking passes. Glenn's gonna send out where you have to be, when you have to be, so you'll have the schedule. We have everything covered from setup to tables to chairs to we're good.

Yeah. I'll leave the how many vendors you have so I know how many. I mean, not vendors. Volunteers. I'm vendors. You're volunteers. How many volunteers.

Talk to us. Many passes. Yes. Yeah.

Yes. Absolutely.

And then

you will get that

to me. And I'll I'll email them to everybody. Yep.

Ashley, Francis, and Minnie, for

your volunteer. Franz.

Franz? Isn't it Franz? Franz. The country.

Franz. Franz. Yep.

He'll go by whatever. He doesn't care.

Hey, you.

Call him France, though, because we'll mix it them up with Fran Yeah. If you do that. Fran from the parks. I'll get all confused.

Yes. Like Ashley and Alicia. No problem. Okay.

So we have nothing else for Herring Festival. Festival.

Right? Right? No.

Alright. We're good. This is our big one. This is probably the biggest event we do. 8,000 people are gonna show up to this thing. So we got our we're organized. We're ready to go. We have the veterans thing on May 2. Next meeting which will be after the Herring Run Festival I'm gonna button down the Oliver Estate Memorial, Veterans Memorial exhibit thing. Another good thing about this is the ghost hunters are gonna go nuts for that stuff. We are gonna be able to sell out every single weekend in June because they wanna get the energy off of all those artifacts. So

I say I

know. Here I am. Ching. Ching.

Hey. It's what keeps the lights

on. Yes.

I mean, at night, we move them to the door so when they come in, they think they move by themselves.

Around. Don't have to encourage them. Trust me. You don't have to encourage them. No. It's gonna be good. So right now, it's all about the herring. The weekend at the week after our next meeting, we will button down everything through Oliver through June, and hopefully the reenactors are driving me nuts. But, we'll we'll figure out something for the summer for them. Oh. Okay? Mhmm.

So we're not gonna do a April 8 meeting? I we had it, like, as a number Yeah.

I don't think we need to do April 8 meeting. Alright. Did this one because we wanted to bring on the auxiliary members right away so we could get them doing stuff. But yeah. So we won't need that. K. But we'll talk about and other programming. Well, we have not set any programming for Oliver yet for this summer, so we'll start to talk about that stuff. A lot of people are coming out today. It was it really went over well at the at the thing this morning in Plymouth. Everybody is really excited, and the whole county built the property being open again. So I think, we had some musical groups that wanna come and do stuff there. We had a lot of people asking to come and do things. So I'm I'm happy about that. I think it it's gonna really help. It's it's our base now. We have a home, which is wonderful.

Can we leave our stuff in one place and actually leave

it there? Well, my plan, I know it interferes by ghost tours a little, but is to those two small rooms upstairs, I really wanna keep them for our storage because all the extra chairs and tables we had for, the tavernight, which we will use again, I need some place to store them.

Are you talking about the

all of them?

Yeah. At all.

The service. The two little rooms upstairs.

And they won't pee at, like, the ghost tours?

Oh, the the Well, they'll still have a

lot I'm gonna get pushed back. Oh, okay. Christy's not watching this. She I'm gonna get pushed back. I know I am. But, you know, everybody knew when we took it over, it had to be a venue. And yes, ghost tours are a big thing, a big part of that. But if we're gonna do tavernights or we're gonna do anything else that we need furniture for, we have to have a place to store it. So our Christmas decorations are in one of those now. And and I wanna keep them in the house and not put them outside because we've had critters get in and chew them all up on us. So, you know

You're keeping the lights on, though, the Christmas lights up?

Well, that's another thing we have to decide. We'll decide that when we have our meeting after the Herring Run Festival. What lights are we gonna keep up? Glenn and I took down all the ones on the shrubs in the back. Oh, can't complain about that. They can work on the shrubs. We did not take down we did take two two flyovers the driveway because the plows couldn't get in because with the storm, the branches fell on them, and they were too low. So Anne went over and took those over took those down so that the plows could get in. I would like to put them back because I think the flyovers across the driveway people are and the lights down on now the trees down the driveway is nice for any event to do. Mhmm.

The ones on the rest of the front of the yard, I don't know. We can we can discuss that. I mean, some of them are Christmassy like stars and things. We might not wanna keep them there.

Or not just plug or just not plug them in.

Or maybe we can do that. Just pick up the rest of the cords and not have them plugged in, and then all we have to do is plug stuff in next year.

We do need to fix the ones that are hanging in the front of the

house. Yeah. And the gardeners may complain, I don't know, about the ones we have on the trellises because maybe they're gonna wanna plant something on those trellises. I don't know. So, I mean, we'll decide that that that we get. I told the gardeners it's not gonna be cleaned up and the way it is until May 1. Until May 1. It's just not gonna happen. I emailed them today.

So Scott, when we were walking the dogs today, I I think he's

I thought he was gonna

say that. That's very good. I was gonna

say it. Okay.

Scott was looking at the trellises, and he and they the cords, you know, where you stick the plug in?

Yeah.

That was standing up like this. And, again, he's turning the. He's like, they shouldn't be like that because when it rains, it's gonna I'm like so he did he Turned me.

He did

as many as he could. Yeah. You know, but there was some up, and I kinda walked

He's absolutely correct.

Okay. So you ran the house today to put Yeah. We took Yeah. You saw we put most of the stuff away. Yeah. Yeah. We cleaned them. One thing we do need to do. In the back, we had an electrician run an extra line for us outside for Christmas lights, and it was a trench. And we have Sorry. Who dug that trench? Glenn did. Glenn did. The electrician He did. It took him forever, and he did do it. But when Glenn filled it back in, we had a pile of dirt, and and this is what happened. Somebody took the dirt. They took a bunch of the dirt.

So we don't have enough stuff.

We don't have enough dirt to fill this rest I know. People go on there and they oh, here's some dirt. I'm gonna take it. Yeah. You gotta be careful. So it's $15 to get a truckload of dirt. Just so you know, I'm gonna get a truckload of dirt and bring it home. It's gonna be easier than trying to scrape dirt up somewhere off the property. It's just You

know what? I forgot. I didn't even think of it. When you were doing the ditch, Scott's got a kiboda.

Oh my Oh my god. Judy.

Oh my god.

All those things I said about you, that was you getting even with me.

I can't believe I forgot.

Well, if we ever have a deep pitch again Okay. Keep it

in mind.

Was Glenn. Oh my god.

I'm I

could've kept it to myself.

Yeah. Well, now you brought it up, you won't do that again.

Right. But I don't know.

I'm But if we get I mean, it's $15 for to fill this truck with dirt at the place and bring it, and then we'll just dump it in there and and even it out. It'll be so much easier than trying to scrape up stones and stuff from the property. I'm gonna

do which is already there, we will fill in.

Try, but it's not enough.

It won't be enough.

It's not enough because somebody needed our dirt. And I might just get a a few buckets of Bluestone dust too because at the handicap ramp Yes.

Yes. Bottom of that.

The if the deck ground has settled so that it's it's larger a larger lip than three quarters of an inch, and that's you can't have that for handicap accessibility. So I might get a couple buckets of that too. Just so you know, there'll be a purchase coming in the future for that. It's cheap, very short money, but we need to do it. Necessary. We need to do it.

Now I'm curious too. When we pulled in today, there was a whole thing of big branches in a pile, though, in a nice pile.

One of the guys from the town Oh. Gil, who loves the property, and the gardeners got to him and said, you have to clean up our property, Gil. And he's going over every day on his lunch hour to do that because the ladies from the garden called

Oh, he But how are they gonna get rid

of it?

He actually gonna get rid of it.

He's working on

I think they're gonna burn it on the eighth.

Okay.

And whatever is left. I told them, you knock yourself out and do that if you want on the eighth, but we cannot do it. Right. We will have it cleared by May 1.

I think the gardeners put in a request and him loving the property was willing to do it on his lunch break.

It could be.

So I that's that's what I think it is. And I'm gonna

Your sister-in-law

And I'm gonna swear to that.

Get the story.

I'm gonna swear to that.

Gave it to me too.

She started yelling

at me today

in the parking lot. Cut us some slack.

No. I know. She started saying stuff

to me. How come you have

this stuff there? I'm like

Because it was frozen to the ground.

Because there are seven of us,

and we all have jobs. Well, we couldn't move a lot of the stuff because it was covered in snow and frozen to the ground.

Yeah. But it's it's good now. We got everything good now. Yeah.

So The other thing and this is a weird thing to notice. There are little no. Poops like this big. Dear best.

Oh, yeah? Everywhere. Everywhere. Okay. Just because we need to do that. We need do that. I didn't

know if it has to be picked up.

It's biodegradable in my mind.

I don't can we sweep it?

I rake

it? I rake it. It is covered. I mean, there is not a square inch of grass.

They were hungry. They came up, and they ate the bushes.

I've never seen so much. Yeah. It was amazing. Fertilizer to start if you're gonna replant it.

I guess.

You know? So people should come and pick it up and bring it home for

fertilizer. Prefertilizer.

Deer poop.

You know what? We'll cross that bridge when we go into it. Let's let's get through the herring. I

wasn't hearing about that.

And then after the hearing, we'll talk about Oliver. Okay. We'll get everything done for Oliver. Okay. Okay. Great. Alright. So nothing else on hearing. Right? We're moving on. Billing purchases reimbursements. Before we knew that we had caution tape donated, we bought some. So I have an invoice here for $20.98. Could I get a motion to have it reimbursed, please? Motion. And a second? So. All in favor? Aye. Because it's for me, Ashley has to sign it. I can't sign my own. Thank you. Oh, yay. And we received oh, we already got it. This is great.

The porta potty bill came in already for the Herring Run Festival. After we have. Right? Yeah. We you can pay it. You can process it. Yeah. I mean, process it when we the week that it comes, I would say.

I'd say, yeah, the Monday. The day after the festival. Alright.

So let's approve it so she doesn't have to bring it back to us. So this is this is Russ ready for the porta potties. How many are we getting? Six and two heavy caps.

Yes. There's six regular in the middle and then two.

$1,200, which is a bargain. Yes. So could I get a motion to pay that, please? So moved. Okay. And a second?

Second.

Okay. Gotcha. Think I'll

Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Do I know when you just sign this? I don't have a

Sure. You'll sign it and date it. That's all we do on our regulars. Okay. Okay. Just as a point of What's

the date today, Kim?

My my father's birthday.

Gotcha. I know. And what's this? Another Yeah. That's that was in the mailbox. But just so everyone knows, we still have extra toilet paper in the bin that is in the shed. I have located it.

And this was okay. So this was from Tavern Night because we serve booze. We had to add a police detail there. So this is the invoice for that. It was for $344. The guy was great. He said, I don't know what to do. Just tell me what to do. But he was great. So could I get a motion to pay that? So move and a second?

Second.

And all in favor? Aye. Thank you.

How much was the porta potty, please?

1,200.

Okay. That's all we have for invoices. Anybody else? You good, Ashley? Yep. This is how we do everything here, Scott. We go and buy it. We get reimbursed. If you go and you don't wanna eat the tax, if it's something small, I just eat the tax. But if you don't want to, we have a tax number so you

don't get charged. Phone with you?

Dwight? Yeah. Yes.

Take a picture of that.

That's the tax number. There you go.

That's easy.

Okay. Billings and purchases are done. Correspondence, we already talked about.

And now

Glenn has one, but we already talked about the Gardner's one.

Did we want a treasurer's amount?

Oh, yeah. What I didn't do treasurer report, but why don't you give us what our balance is?

Alright. As of this moment, after the expenses from the 03/18 meeting, the balance is you ready? Yep. $69,780.50. Okay. Can still put the lights on this. We can turn the

lights on. Okay. Excellent. Is this done?

Wait till you see after that. How many

Glen correspondence.

Did you wanna vote for anything you have to purchase for flags?

The veterans are gonna reimburse that. So Okay. Yeah. Thank you. No. I don't have to. He'll give me that.

Discover Middleborough on Facebook page. After I brilliantly thought of the hashtag signs We

did it for him last week.

Asked for

We we're old. We've never done

this before. Were teaching me left and right. Thank god. It's a new toy. We're up to a 118,000 views this past month, just seeing our stuff. What is

it up from? Because I know it's a crazy amount.

It's a

big increase. Big jump.

The views go come and go. Yeah. So so I don't know what it was up from.

You said we had 11,000 when we started, and we went up to a 118,000.

I don't remember.

That's what you said to us. It

was crazy. I didn't bring the whole chart. Okay. But the followers I have been tracking.

Okay.

The followers on March 17 were 9,380. And now on March 31, we've gained an extra 57 people following us dedicated to discover Middleborough at 9,439. Okay. People interacting with our sites is, a 185, which is a huge climb from what we had last

time. Okay.

So we have a lot of people interacting. I'm gonna give this to you.

No. But I was gonna ask you, should we be interacting for the algorithms?

There's your views and stuff that you gave us. I thought every comment boosted March 18 meeting.

So the views on March 18 were 65,000. Thanks to the hashtags, they're a 118,000.

Yes. We double them. Eight okay.

I keep going to say pound sign, so boomer.

No. It's a sharp sign. I'm sorry.

It's a hashtag. It's a sharps. Yes. And

we have, active views of, 1,900 almost 2,000 views for the Herringbone Festival as of Saturday, March 27, March 28.

Mhmm.

So it's moving. It's it's helping. I'm going crazy with it. Hashtag kids. Hashtag festival.

And the weather's gonna hold. It's gonna be a glorious weekend, I'm telling you right now.

I told you Farmers' Almanac. Do not lie to me.

And the fish are there already. We went down to Herring to Oliver Mill, and they were there.

Yep.

So we're good. Yeah. I've also when I sent out the email to all the vendors with the thou shalt nots and this is what you need to do while you're setting up, I sent an email after that and included our flyer and a picture of the yard signs and said, you know, please share, share, share. More views equals more sales. Mhmm. If you have a great spot for a sign, please let me know and I'll drop it. I've now got vendors from Carver and Lakeville. Bring signs out. Have yard sign well.

If anyone wants to take the yard sign, did you bring them right now?

They're in my car. I don't know. I don't have the car. Oh, no.

We'll guarantee

you. We'll guarantee you. I know where you live.

You can just put it right in my yard. I'll

do that. Okay. I thought about doing it the other day, but you weren't home, and I didn't wanna

I'll let him know just in case. Okay.

And if anybody out there in the, you know, atmosphere wants to have a yard sign in their yard, just send an email to herringrunfestival@yahoo.com with your address, and it will magically appear in your yard. Yeah.

Herringrunfestival.@yahoo.com. Okay.

The elves will bring

it. Can we see your

ears? Okay. No.

Very good.

I'm done, madam chair. Thank you.

Excellent. Alright. Anybody else have anything else?

I have the thing on the video. Oh. I got an email again just before I came here, an email to the discover Middleborough from a lovely man named Rich O'Reilly. He said, Hi, just want to share a video I made of Oliver Mill Park along with the background music of the song I performed. Feel free to add to your page with the Herring Run Festival coming up. I can also send you a link so that you can have the original file if you wanted to use it for promos. I grew up in town and spent a lot of time on the river in that spot. Thanks, Rich O'Reilly. I sent it to you.

I did. Yes. Someone tagged Discover Middleborough when I saw that it was part of the feed. It wasn't something that I placed on ours.

Speaking of press releases But I haven't. Who does Sandy Bowles work for?

One of the newspapers.

Yeah. We we another newspaper is picking us up, so they're gonna run us for free besides the local one. So I'm gonna send him that stuff.

I just thought

about it. To send Yeah. And LSL too. Well, that's the

local one. Yes. She's been very good

to us.

South Coast has put something into that. I got one of those notices that it was on there because I had signed up for that.

Alright. Are we good? Nobody has anything else. I told you it wouldn't be too long. I try to move them along. Okay. So with that in in mind,

what Did you want to take number eight?

Next meeting. Our I have the calendar up and everything. Next meeting is not April. Yes. Yeah. April 15. Yeah. Right after

the air fry.

Oh, April. Yeah. We won't forget that. Okay. April 15.

So will

see you all then, and I will see you at the herring run, and we will be in touch by email with all the information that we need for everything. I'll drop off the key for you and talk to you on Friday. Okay. And and I think we're good. We got nothing else. Okay.

The meeting is gonna be at six. Correct?

Yep. Just so long. Has that. Yeah. Okay. So could I get a motion to adjourn?

Go ahead.

Some of You can do it. Some of them. Yeah. You're have to say. Yay. All in favor. Aye. Great.