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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside this Issue 1 President’s Message 2 Merrimack River Beach Alliance Report 3 Red Cross Blood Drive 4 5 Cover Photo Triton & SBBA 6 New Book Available 7 Advertise In SBBA News 8 Membership Committee 9 Scholarships & Fundraiser Salisbury Beach Betterment Association P.O. Box 5508 Salisbury, MA 01952-5508 USA Dear SBBA Members, We hope that you enjoyed some quality beach time with your neighbors, friends and family over the summer. The lack of rain was tough on the plants but great for outdoor activities! The summer of 2024 was a whirlwind of activities for the Salisbury Beach Betterment Association. The SBBA Beautification Committee outdid themselves again this year, working tirelessly all summer caring for plantings throughout the beach. We held our annual meeting in July, during which the SBBA awarded 12 scholarships to high school seniors. Also at the annual meeting, the members heard important updates from our Salisbury and state public officials. Throughout the summer, the SBBA board, as well as the SBBA Resiliency subcommittee, attended numerous meetings to plan for the restoration of the dune on a portion of the north end of the beach. The plans are finalized, and we are hopeful that work will begin any day now. The SBBA will continue to work with public officials on current and future resiliency efforts. This is a high priority for SBBA members, and the Board takes their responsibility for this matter very seriously. Please read John’s update on these efforts later in this newsletter. This summer, the SBBA began working proactively with the Town Manager and Board of Selectmen to ensure that the public’s use of the beach accessways, currently owned by the Salisbury Beach Associates, is protected forever. To this end, the recent Town Warrant article, asking the Board of Selectmen to SBBA NEWS http://www.sbba.us Fall 2024 Greetings From Our President

Fall 2024 SBBA News 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pursue this matter, was unanimously approved. Thank you to all our members who turned out to support this article and speak in favor of its passing. The ever-popular Sea Festival of Trees returns from November 23rd through December 8th. Your SBBA Board of Directors are the volunteer hosts on Sunday December 8, so stop by and say hi! Please enjoy this newsletter. Inside, you will find additional details about this work as well as other articles of interest to the membership. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season. Sincerely, Don Egan Interim President Salisbury Beach Resiliency Committee of the SBBA (SBRC) The SBRC of the SBBA has been active in attending meetings of the Merrimack River Beach Alliance (MRBA), the Salisbury subcommittee of the MRBA, and other local meetings on the issue of beach erosion and coastal resiliency efforts. Last May, the state committed $1.75 million for a beach nourishment project which would work to reverse erosion issues at the beach. Bids for the project were due November 7, with the work expected to begin in early December. The project will deliver sand to the beach from beach access 5 to access 11 which were the most heavily impacted areas from recent storms. Easements had to be secured from homeowners before the project could start. All required easements have been obtained. Senator Bruce Tarr thanked DCR, and their representative, Daryl Forgione, for their commitment to Salisbury and their outstanding efforts to make the nourishment project happen. Senator Tarr also recognized Salisbury Conservation Agent Adriane Marchand for her excellent work on this project and her tireless effort to secure the easements. At the October town meeting, voters approved a warrant article moving $50,000 from free cash to be able to keep the town's environmental consultant Tom Hughes on board on this project and in pursuit of other grants. Another issue being discussed to address erosion is working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Babson College. MIT is hoping to fortify beach coastlines with "architected" reefs which are sustainable, offshore structures engineered specifically to mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while at the same time providing pockets for fish and other marine life. The idea of using Salisbury as a pilot location was first mentioned at a MRBA meeting in August. At an October presentation by MIT Sea Grant Director Michael Triantafyllou, he stated that 2 years is needed to go to a "realistic point where we say there can be an entity." While still working on what materials would make this reef viable, he said the very rough estimated cost is $2.5 million per mile along the coastline. He said while not cheap, the solution would be a long-term one with reefs designed to last 20 years with repairs done which could extend their use even further. He said the Army Corps of Engineers would need to be involved as well. Senator Bruce Tarr, who chairs the MRBA meetings, said recently that the best way to cement the relationship between the MRBA and MIT would be a memorandum of understanding. While not legally binding, MOUs serve to put into writing each partner's intentions and expectations. Work with Babson College has also been ongoing with an eye towards a business accelerator which provides early-stage companies with funding, access to experts, peer mentorship and practical support, such as workspaces, marketing and technology. The SBBA Salisbury Beach Resiliency Committee will continue to keep our members informed as work progresses on beach nourishment. Sincerely, John Housianitis AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE SPONSORED BY SBBA SBBA’s next blood drive will be on Tuesday, December 17 from 2-7 PM at the Blue Ocean Music Hall. This blood drive is in memory of BILL GREILICH who died in January 2024. At the time of Bill’s death he was President of the SBBA . Bill was involved with the Merrimack River Beach Alliance (MRBA) Salisbury Beach subcommittee. He was a member of the Salisbury Beach Partnership and was very active in getting the Carousel to Salisbury. If you are able to give blood, please join us on December 17. When it gets closer, you will see reminders for the blood drive on social media and a link to set up an appointment. Please give blood, the gift of life. Sincerely, Betsy Yarvitz

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cover Photo – Page 1 Triton Students & SBBA Join Forces The Salisbury Beach Betterment Association (SBBA) is thrilled to partner with students in the Triton Regional High School Advanced Placement-Environmental Science program for the 2024/25 school year. In October, as part of their community volunteer requirement, the students worked with The SBBA Beautification Committee to clean out the planting beds at the beach parking lot and plant over 800 spring flowering tulip bulbs! Thank you everyone. Pictured are Triton students Sam Imlach, Jonah Remignanti, Liam Friis, Noah Markos, Jason Holscher, and Kai Wilson, joined by John Housianitis (SBBA Director), Monique Greilich (SBBA Director), Don Egan (SBBA Interim President), Maribeth Timony (SBBA Director and Beautification Chair), and Donna Keefe (Salisbury Cultural Council). Advertising in the SBBA Newsletter Anyone interested in advertising in the SBBA Newsletter should contact Don Egan @ 617-875-8650 or don.egan@sbba.us Thank you to our advertisers who are helping defray the cost of the newsletter! The SBBA’s own Lt. Colonel (Retired) Ron Guilmette, has published another book! Massachusetts State Police- Salisbury Beach chronicles the history of the State Police details and substation A-5 in Salisbury from 1933-1995. Thank you, Ron, for documenting this storied slice of history at the beach and sharing it with us. Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit the Massachusetts State Police Museum and Learning Center, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. The book is available online at square.link/u/iKjVJSNx. It is Also available at the Salisbury Discount House or contact Ron directly. Sincerely, Don Egan Membership Committee With over 950 members representing more than 650 households, the SBBA is a strong advocate for our shared interest in protecting and improving the quality of life in the Salisbury Beach Community. As you can see in this newsletter, we have been actively engaged with the Town, DCR and the Merrimack River Beach Alliance to help ensure positive outcomes to address beach resiliency issues. We need as much help as we can get to continue speaking with the strongest voice possible. Please consider helping build and strengthen the SBBA’s membership by inviting your friends and family members to join. image from pngtree.com Anyone can join online at www.sbba.us/join or by scanning this QR code. Sincerely, Dianne Masiello, Chair, Membership Committee

Fall 2024 SBBA News 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beautification Committee Thanks to this small but mighty group of members: Jacqui and Sis Blezinski, Virginia Broadhurst, Kim Dickenson, Janice Else, Angela Harty, Donna Keefe, Edna Marggraf, Christine Maxim and Jesse Maniero, we’ve planted Lots of flowers – along North End Blvd, the South End triangle, the 1 A entrance, the entrance on 286, Old Town Way, the Railroad Street Park and at the corner of Central Ave and North End Blvd. We’ve also planted flowers at Access 2, Vermont Street Access, Access 6, 8, 9, 10,11, and 12. Thanks to the neighbors who have agreed to water for us – especially this summer - it was a huge help. This year we did something new with Clam Shells. You may have seen this at the entrance to the beach just below the welcome center. Over the winter we collected clam shells from the beach and painted them red/white and blue with stars and made this beautiful American Flag. The DPW helped us place the Clam Shell Flag at the Welcome Center as a Thank-you to all our Veterans and as a Welcome to beach visitors. Lots of extra pots at Beach Access points this year are thanks to the Adopt a Pot program. For $100, you can adopt a pot in Honor of or in Memory of someone special. We do the planting and depending on the location – we do the watering or may ask for your help with the watering. Thanks to all that have participated. Message me if you are interested in participating. The Beach Cleanup was once again a huge success. With Jesse Maniero leading our efforts, we have partnered with Groundswell and the local businesses who give out coupons to anyone who comes to help. At each clean up, we average about 40 volunteers and collect about 15 bags of trash. We also work closely with the DPW who pick up the trash collected. Look to our website and the spring newsletter for 2025 Beach Clean-up dates. The Sunflower Garden (in front of the Skateboard Park) was in full bloom. Thanks to Beautification member Donna Keefe. Donna worked with the Salisbury Beach Partnership, the Cultural Council Arts, the Town of Salisbury, and the Essex County Community Foundation. As we head into fall, we partnered with students in the Triton Regional High School Advanced Placement – Environmental Science program. These students cleaned out the cement containers at the Hunt’s parking lot and planted over 850 tulip bulbs in the cement containers. Keep an eye out for lots of tulips come spring. With the help of Ray Champagne, we also organize the Holiday Lights at the 1A entrance, always in time to welcome all the visitors to the Sea Festival of Trees. This year you may see a couple of four legged visitors. Last, but certainly not least, a special thanks to Peter Benoit who has once again hung all the American Flags at the Center and along North End Boulevard. As always, we thank you for your generosity and support. Maribeth Timony Chair, Beautification Committee

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Scholarships The Salisbury Beach Betterment Association awarded scholarships to 12 high school graduates who are either children or grandchildren of SBBA members at its annual meeting at the Blue Ocean Event Center in July. Also at the meeting, longtime scholarship committee chair and 31-year committee memberDonna Champagne was awarded the organization’s third Distinguished Service Award. Thank you, Donna, for your dedication and hard work helping to make the scholarship program a great success for the SBBA and our community! This year’s scholarship recipients are Hannah Bernard Granddaughter of Sharon & John Joyce, Matthew Greco Grandson of Shirley and Al Torrisi, Hannah Kieval Granddaughter of Janice Epps, Louis A. Masiello Grandson of Dianne & the late Lou Masiello, Gregory Sander Grandson of Jeff & Brenda Joaquin, Mia St. Hilaire Granddaughter of Evelyn St Hilaire, Emma Swiniarski Granddaughter of Marie Gallant, Luke Williams Grandson of Anne Marie & Allan Cuscia, Kendall Wolfe Granddaughter of Betsy Yarvitz, Emma Zappala Granddaughter of Sheila and Tom Zappala, Triton High School Scholarship Recipient, Kendall Liebert, Lower Merrimack Valley Boys and Girls Club Scholarship Recipient, Kayla Whitty. Thank you everyone for donating to the scholarship fund. We so appreciate your generosity and continued support of our students' educations. We wouldn't be able to do this without all of you! This year's scholarship fundraiser was a hit with the BackTrack Band. We loved seeing all your faces, as you danced the night away! As we move into the new year, please keep us in mind, and as always, your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Thanks again everyone! Scholarship applications will be available on our website at www.sbba.us/scholarships shortly after the new year. We look forward to receiving applications from your children and grandchildren. Sincerely, Liz Benoit Chair Scholarship Committee SeaFestival of Trees The SBBA is looking forward to once again participating in this fantastic community event. Our team, led by Maribeth Timony and Donna Champagne, are hard at work in Santa’s workshop putting together this year’s tree donation. Be on the lookout! The Salisbury Beach Partnership’s annual holiday fundraiser presents an impressive collection of Christmas trees donated and decorated by local businesses and organizations. The beautiful Blue Ocean Event Center is transformed into a winter wonderland. Appearances by Santa, beloved characters and themed events make this a unique and special event for everyone. Funds raised are donated towards the newly restored, historic, Salisbury Beach Carousel and Pavilion. The SBBA applauds the Salisbury Beach Partnership for their vision and tireless efforts to make the newly installed 1909 Louff-Mangels carousel a reality. The festival runs from 11/23-12/8. Details are available at https://seafestivaloftrees.com/. 2024 Scholarship recipients SBBA Scholarship Committee Update Last year’s SBBA tree donation

Fall 2024 SBBA News 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Salisbury Beach Betterment Association P.O. Box 5508 Salisbury, MA 01952-5508 NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 34