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Leverett
Massachusetts
Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
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Tax Collector: (413) 548-9666
Assessor: (413) 548-4945
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Historical Commission meeting

Monday, November 13, 2017, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Town Hall
A meeting of the Historical Commission

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

  • Absent: Sara Robinson
  • Absent: Carole Desanti
  • Absent: Anne Schuyler
  • Present: Ann Tweedy, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Betsy Douglas, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Susan Mareneck, Chair, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Edie Field, Honorary, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Susan Lynton, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

  • Eva Gibavic

See original Agenda Final Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:10 PM

Meeting closed: 9:20 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. 1. Update - Digital Archives Project & Cemeteries (SM, SL & EF)

    • Cemeteries - Cemetery Preservation Campaign/ Research/ Conservation (brief update) - Update: Heard from Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) regarding National Register designation for seven historic cemeteries submitted by UMASS grad students August 2017? - MHC – Mass. Preservation Project funding (MPPF) re cemetery preservation planning for Chestnut Hill/Mt. Hope? . - Update: Gravestone conservationist Tamara Conde’s assessment of Mt. Hope?

      General Discussion...
      SL- There are typos in the Form E Cemetery inventories that should be corrected.
      EF - TaMara Conde is in the process of inventorying what needs to be done at Mt. Hope/Chestnut Hill Cemetery. MA Preservation Project Fund grants not posted yet. We will hope to coordinate the application to MPPF and CPA request if possible.

    • Digital Archives Project - - Baptist Church archives (brief update).

      General Discussion...
      EF - Is on the agenda for December meeting of the NL Baptist Church Council to discuss sending their archives to Boston Public Library for scanning.

  3. 2. History related/ Cultural Event possibilities – (SR, EF, SM)

    • Schooling in Leverett - "Education in Leverett- Village Schools to Consolidation" Oral History Project.

      General Discussion...
      EF, SM - Oral histories are being gathered either in audio or video format. Releases signed, photos taken. Now we need help transcribing and planning for the exhibit. A box is designated at the Leverett Family Museum to collect artifacts to be displayed in May/June at the Leverett Library Community Gallery. We will put a call for volunteers to transcribe, help with exhibit planning and frames either donated or on loan.

      AT - "Dragon Speech" is a voice transcription software.
      EG - Google has "voice-typing" in the account package. Might have to read it to the computer to make it work? Or could we play the audio tape to the computer?

    • SHRAB grant - SHRAB grant for activities related to veterans

      General Discussion...
      SM - We will submit a Letter of Interest for signage at the 12 historic cemeteries, giving name, dates of earliest/latest burials and list of veterans w/ war they fought in.

  4. 3. Strategic Planning for Historical Assets Survey (AS, SL, SM)

    • ConComm OSP - Additions or corrections to the updated version of "Community, Section B - History".

      General Discussion...
      SM, EG - Eva is completing a map of historical assets to share with the OSP process. Susan has edited the list that accompanied the map in earlier Open Space Plans as it was incomplete. (Did not have cemeteries, for instance.)

    • Historical Assets Survey Questionnaire - HAS Questionnaire - Discuss soft launch at Harvest Festival - Online version timing? - Strategies for engaging citizens in taking the survey: day @ Library? NL Coop? Door-to-door? Online? at Town Hall? Other?

      General Discussion...
      SL - Create an informational flyer with logos of donors to incentivize participation. We are targeting 50% of town. If all Commission members could take the survey in "preview" mode, it would be helpful to work out bugs. We will ask to be on the 11/28 Select Board agenda to discuss: the Historical Assets Survey, CPC application for the Leverett Family Museum/ Field Library building status, a Robo-call for the HAS. It will also be posted in the Leverett Elementary School's online Friday Post. There will be "Open Hours" at the Library, Town Hall (Senior Lunch), maybe Village Coop? other locations? faith communities? Launch c. December 1, 2017. End, early February 2018.

  5. LHC

    • Commission communication - Open meeting law

    • CPA Monitoring - Monitoring CPA-funded sites - scheduling fall visits.

      General Discussion...
      BD - Clarify that 10% is allocated tall 4 categories: Historic Preservation/ Land Acquisition/ Affordable Housing/ Recreation). The general fund can support a project that is greater than 10%.

      We have several areas that we would like to apply for funding to match:
      Mt. Hope Cemetery master plan
      HAS planning process
      Finishing Moore's Corner Cemetery conservation

    • Policies - Membership responsibilities? attendance?

  6. 5. LHS

    • Brief update of activities - Brief update of activities - Family Museum: Fall schedule? - M. C. School House Museum: Addition of town-owned locally made (SS Graves) scythes and sharpening wheels to display. Possible LES 6th grade field trip in spring 2018? - Meetings planned?

      General Discussion...
      EF, SM, AT, SR - Alyson Bull, LES 6th grade teacher visited Moore's Corner School House Museum and thinks it will be possible to plan an outing to the school in the spring of 2018 as part of the "Education in Leverett/ One-room School House" oral history project. Julie Shively met us at the school house museum. Dave Finn and Paul Boucher delivered the two sharpening wheels from Leverett Town Garage, that were used to sharpen scythes for cutting grass along roads pre-mechanization. The Two scythes/snathes from Town of Leverett will also be on display there. They are "On Loan" from the Town of Leverett.

  7. New Business

    • MHC - MHC - Survey & Planning grants; archaeological sites registered with state archaeologist How to make sure LHC notified of proposed development, building permits, demolitions, etc.?

      General Discussion...
      SM - How to follow up on the Glazier inquiry about prospects for future maintenance and donations to LHS collections? Part of a larger engagement strategy now being formulated with the launch of HAS planning process.
      EG - Confidentiality of archaeological sites an issue. Inquiry to State Archaeologist at MHC regarding Leverett's prehistoric sites.
      Still waiting for posting of MHC Survey& Planning and Preservation Planning Fund grants.

  8. Meeting Wrap-up

The listing of matters is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

Minutes prepared by SM

Minutes approved on Tuesday, Jan 2, 2018