Downtown Salem Fountain Flowing Again

City residents out enjoying Thursday's weather were delighted to see water flowing once again from the fountain near the Essex Street entrance to the Museum Place Mall.

The effort to get the fountain flowing was spearheaded by Arthur Ingemi, owner of the nearby Village Tavern, who noticed the fountain wasn't pumping water for the third straight summer season. 

Ingemi said he spoke to Salem Public Works foreman George Sands, who was working in the area, and inquired about the possibility of getting the fountain going.

Sands' response, he said, was that he could "get that baby going in about four hours" if he just had the right parts.

So, earlier this month, Ingemi reached out to the mayor's office and soon learned that the city had all the pumps and parts needed to get the water flowing again.

On Thursday, a representative of the city's electrical department applied the finishing touches and flipped the switch. It didn't take very long for a crowd to gather.

"It's now flowing like it was designed to back in 1970's," Ingemi said. "It was an amazingly fast job by all the city departments involved and a great call by the mayor."

Are you pleased to hear this fountain is flowing again?

Can you think of another downtown project that might have a positive impact on the center of the city?

Let us know in the comments section below.