The meeting was a celebration of Hydrangea Day in Fall River, Massachusetts, initiated by the Creative Arts Network more than five years ago as a beautification project. Dave Dennis, President of the Creative Arts Network, opened the event, highlighting the project's expansion from Government Center to Sullivan Drive, the Waterfront, Battleship Cove, Heritage State Park, Maritime Museum, and other areas. Mayor Paul Coogan read a proclamation, officially declaring June 25th as Hydrangea Day in Fall River, emphasizing the city's Azorean cultural ties and the project's contribution to economic development and quality of life. State Representative Alan Sylvia and City Councilors Andrew Raposa and Linda Pereira also spoke, commending the beautification efforts and the project's positive impact on the city. Sandra Dennis, Executive Director of the Creative Arts Network, thanked Mayor Coogan for his continued support and recognized key contributors like Dave Lalima (project originator), David Lavoy (for watering the plants), and Pete Daly from People Incorporated, who sponsored plants around City Hall and Old Second Street. Certificates of appreciation were presented to Mayor Coogan, Pete Daly, and Dave Lavoy. A significant announcement was made regarding the signing of a contract for ARPA funds, which will expand the project to include experimental education gardens, urban garden design, lecture series, training classes, and a possible rain barrel program. Speakers also discussed the challenges of growing hydrangeas in Fall River's climate and the success of engaging community members, including those on the street, in the beautification efforts.
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hi good afternoon my name is Dave Dennis I'm president of Creative Arts Network we're pleased to be here today to celebrate hydrangea day again in the city of Fall River a project that the Creative Arts Network initiated more than five years ago part of a beautification project and a project that the city has been very very supportive of and along with our other elected officials so we're very pleased
0:23today to celebrate hydrangea day once again here in the city of Fall River and the the project has expanded we started out here at Government Center we're now on Sullivan Drive we've planted up Sullivan drive along the Waterfront Battleship Cove Heritage State Park Maritime Museum and several other places throughout the city so the project is expanding it's improving the city and we
0:47began the project in pot because the hydrangea is the official flower I believe of Portugal so it was very appropriate for us to choose that plant here in the city of Fall River so I think we have some elected officials here if we want to introduce I'll introduce mayor Paul Coogan then we'll just have everybody you guys pick that up Andrew Alan Sylvia and City councilor Andrew Raposa all right Mia
1:27thank you David I think this is my third hydrangea day I believe we've done the proclamation and I just want to read it briefly whereas while hydrangeas aren't native to the Azores historians believe the plant arrived in the U.S courtesy of immigrants from the azoys in the mid-1900s whereas one of the distinct attributes of Fall River is its long Rich history of azorian culture and our
1:54ties to Portugal and whereas a group of volunteers met to start the conversation of a hygiene your beautification program in the city of Fall River and much work has been done with State stakeholders business organizations neighborhood groups in addition to identifying locations around the city for plantings the goal to start is to plant in various areas throughout the Waterfront and
2:18downtown Fall River eventually making it through many of our neighborhoods these areas are particularly important now that the Massachusetts cultural Council voted to approve the Commonwealth's 50th designated Cultural District along the Waterfront in Fall River and a clean attractive city is an asset to Economic Development improves the quality of life and enhances the experience for our visitors therefore I
2:43Paul Coogan mayor of the city of Fall River through hereby Proclaim June 25th hydrangea day in the city of Fall River man thank you very much thank you very much I do want to especially thank the Kruger Administration as the mayor said for the last three years they've been extremely supportive of the hydrangea project and not only the original project but certainly it's expansion and without
3:08demand support in the city support this certainly wouldn't be possible so mayor thank you very much for your support next I'd like to invite the state representative Allen Sylvia so I first want to thank David and Sandy Dennis uh this has been a five-year project really and um it's it's what can you say that about hydrangeas that hasn't been said except it beautifies our city and if
3:35people drive around and they look at our parks and they look at our city as a whole they will see that it was it's never been as beautiful as it is right now our streets are cleaner uh our parks are pristine and hydrangeas will really change um the way our city looks uh we're going to see this as it evolves especially on the waterfront but around our government building and in so many areas uh in our
4:07neighborhoods which is uh vitally important where we have less greenage in some areas especially when I I look at the South End than in other parts of our city so hydrangeas is very important it's also important to mention that it's good to see people from the community here especially from our Park Board and Helen Rigo um um it's all very positive for our city and again thank you thank you
4:36and also I'd also like to recognize a city councilor uh Mr Andrew opposa I keep wanting to call him Alan I know it's a light up Andrew thank you um just wanna on behalf of the four of the city council thank Mr Mrs Dennis for inviting us here today uh to celebrate hydrangea day as a as a descendant of Portuguese and I was fortunate enough to visit the Azores last year and see these
4:59beautiful plants firsthand so it's nice to see that beautification here in the city of Fall River it's a beautiful day here the weather is beautiful it's a great day to celebrate we keep moving our city forward so thank you Mr Dennis thank you thank you very much next I'd like to introduce uh really the uh sort of the the person behind the project uh our executive director Creative Arts
5:22Network cans executive director Sandra Dennis Sandra thank you thank you again I want to thank everyone for taking the time to come out to our annual Proclamation hydrangea day in Fall River but I want to especially thank the mayor for his continued support collaboration and cooperation with this project thank you mayor Coogan we look forward to working with you on this project as it continues to grow
5:46throughout the city I'd also like to say thank Dave lalima who came to us originally with this project um never thought we would grow to this point but we have and and we'll have Dave say a few words but I'd like to also thank David Laboy right he's our water man he what is all of our hydrangeas and we appreciate it because without the water we won't have hydrangeas and I'd also like to thank
6:15Pete Daly from People Incorporated who have generously sponsored the plants around city hall and on Old Second Street where we are today as a token of our appreciation for all of your continued support collaboration and cooperation we would like to present some certificates to Pete Daly mayor Coogan and Dave Lavoy we really really do appreciate what you've done to help support this project mayor krugin whoops
6:47thank you very much Sandy thank you thank you
6:58thank you you're welcome thank you uh we're also very excited to announce that we have just signed our contract for Opera funds to expand our experimental education Gardens again we want to thank the mayor for this opportunity and again we look forward to working with the city in collaboration and cooperation um the project is more than just a plant to all of us in the city it's a beautification project it's a
7:29connectivity project it's an art and cultural project and it's an urban experimental education project and these funds are going to allow us to expand and we'll be able to design and plant small Urban Gardens throughout the city offer a lecture service series and training classes a possible rain barrel program to address our irrigation issues issues during the drought periods and in
7:57closing I'd like to invite Dave lalima and Pete Daly to say a few words on behalf of the project would you like to go first okay hi everyone um thank you again to uh Sandy Dennis uh and the two Dave's Dave Dennis and David lalima So People Incorporated has a number of programs and and really it's a multi-faceted agency but one thing we're really proud of is being a community partner and the Hortensia project has
8:32allowed us to be an increased Community partner not only in the downtown area but throughout the city um and I also this year especially want to thank the Hortensia project and namely Dave lalima for his volunteer service to beautify one of our homes as as people know people Incorporated operate some 24-hour homes that support people with disabilities and staff is there 24 hours a day but one thing
9:00that's made that experience better for both the staff and the people living there has been David's efforts to beautify the area around it with hydrangeas so it's it's been a transformative project we're happy to support it and again I just want to thank Sandy Dennis Dave Dennis and David lalima for all their efforts thank you um this is a quite an experiment that we're trying here a collaborative experiment to bring
9:32hope and Community Connection through a plant and it's unusual and difficult to take an idea and make it reality and it takes a lot of chances and tough decision making failures and positives and pluses we've had many starts and stops with this project because we've selected a plant as people have said that is um it would be connected connected to the Azores the plant that's there is the
10:03macrophylla and it has a very unique status and because there's no winter in the Azores it new buds grow on old old plants here we have winter and Winters on with new buds during December and January always Bode for disaster so we have had four or five years of Hit and Miss with our plants all over the city trying to make this project similar to what's going on in the Azores we've experimented and we're getting
10:38better at it but we haven't perfected it and it's taken a lot of people as others have said but I want to just think besides the Dennis's for getting behind all this this project wouldn't work without David lavoy's watering of these plants this is a plant that needs water and without the water they wouldn't be doing as well as they are so whatever we see here I want to just thank the maintenance people at City Hall
11:03and lastly I would say that we've tried to expand it outside of City Hall we walked up Old Second Street here and in in time we've engaged some of the people who are spending a lot of time on the street I've given them Clippers and they've got involved and they're invested in how nice this place looks which I think is encouraging that we can get other people in the city to take ownership of the beautification of
11:30the city and we're going to continue to do that thank you and I just I'd also like to recognize uh City councilor Linda Pereira and ask if she'd like a couple of comments I think it's wonderful what they are doing I have a hydrangea plant and I need help because I don't know what you do when you have the sticks that grow up what time of year you're supposed to clip them because there's nothing like
12:01going to the Azores and seeing all the hydrangeas in full bloom it's gorgeous and I guess the Portuguese brought it to Hawaii too because if you go to the island of Maui it is loaded with hydrangeas and it just it beautifies the city um very much so and it gives life to an area like this so I thank the Dennis's very much for getting behind this project and bringing it to our attention
12:29I know covet kind of slowed us down a bit but a little bit a little bit but I love their their persistence in making Fall River it's quality of life better so I thank you both very much and of course today David knows all the hydrangea trades and tips I think it's okay that concludes our program before we say goodbye I do want to recognize members of our board and Laura kuznos Fran
12:58Cullen and also Helen Rigo once again I want to thank the mayor of the city of Fall River uh Dave a water guy and all the other elected officials city council is uh state representative and so uh without their support and uh the project just wouldn't be possible and we certainly wouldn't be able to expand the project so again thank you very much and we'll see you next year