Business & Tech

Chamber Welcomes Clifton Improvement Association

The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce welcomed new member Clifton Improvement Association with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Preston Beach.

The following press release was issued by Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ann Marie Casey:

On Friday, June 24, the held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for new Chamber member Clifton Improvement Association at  in Swampscott (on the Marblehead border), the site of the Sun Circle.

On site to welcome and acknowledge this newly landscaped, tranquil setting was CIA President Lynn Nadeau, Sun Circle sculptor Bruce Greenwald, KH Krena, CIA Board members Roberta Levy, Pete Bowen, Sheryl Levenson; CIA Agents Casey Ehrlich and Cole Guyre and many of Bruce’s relatives from all over the world.  Brief remarks were also made by State Representative Lori Ehrlich, landscaper Robert Dempster, Gongmaster Don Orne, Marblehead Selectman Judy Jacobi and Swampscott officials Martha Dansdill and Sylvia Belkin. 

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About Beach Bluff Park

Beach Bluff Park, a small oceanfront park owned and cared for by the Clifton Improvement Association (CIA), is open to the public and enjoyed in every season, year round.  The landscaped area between the sidewalk and beach invites visitors to stroll its winding paths and sit on its welcoming benches which are scattered among indigenous plants. Since December 1993, when the family of John and Ruth Blodgett donated the park land for public use, it has become a source of great pleasure for neighbors, local fishermen and passers-by. People come alone or gather in groups to enjoy the beauty of this site where land meets water and to take advantage of the spot for relaxation, family events, solitude, ceremonies and gatherings. At high tide, when the beach disappears and the ocean splashes or crashes against the steps and base of the newly built stone revetment wall, Beach Bluff Park provides a safe, dry place to enjoy the view of Preston Beach. 

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About the Sun Circle

Four times a year, scientists, students, spiritual seekers and nature-lovers rise early to witness the spectacular effect of the Sun’s journey as it touches the sculpture’s basalt columns, one by one.  Led by Don Orne and joined by Sculptor Bruce Greenwald and Astronomer Jim Keating three aspects of life are represented: mystery, art, and science - revealed and made manifest by the Sun Circle.  Neighbors and strangers gather together to observe, learn, and celebrate the planetary paths and our place in the universe; participants gather to bid farewell to the past season and to welcome the new. 
The Sun Circle Sculpture has been designed as a sculpture attuned to the solar cycles that guide our planet and our lives. Based on solar geometries, the installation consists of a ring or “henge” of seven-foot columnar basalt columns from the Columbia River Basin. Most people do not realize that the sun appears in a different location each day of the year.  This sculpture helps people to understand this concept in a clear and meaningful way. With the creation of this astronomical construct, a thought-provoking tool broadens the viewer’s experience to include the sky and the solar system beyond.

About the Clifton Improvement Association

The CIA was founded in 1934 by a group of summer residents with a vision that included making Preston Beach available to all who lived in the immediate neighborhood. In 1945, five families donated five buildable lots to this neighborhood association. That land has been used for parking for Preston Beach ever since.  Through private donations, the CIA raises monies for all park operations including the new floodwall, landscaping and the Sun Circle. The CIA receives no governmental funding. The community has contributed generously to further the visions of those who have donated the land and those who donated their energies and resources to create an area for everyone to use and enjoy.

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For information about Beach Bluff Park, the Sun Circle Sculpture, and the Clifton Improvement Association, please visit www.ciabeachbluff.org.


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