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April 8, 2013 Adjourned Session of the 2013 Annual Town Meeting
<br /> The 6th session of the 2013 Annual Town Meeting was called to order by Moderator Deborah
<br /> Brown, 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 8, 2013, Margery M. Baffin Hall, Cary Memorial Building. A
<br /> quorum of 166 present.
<br /> The Moderator recognized the passing of former Town Meeting Members James Reilly, Iris
<br /> Wheaton, Francis W.K. Smith and Otis Brown, Jr. who had passed away over the past year.
<br /> 7:42 p.m. The Moderator called a recess for recognition of Minuteman Regional Vocational
<br /> Technical School and Lexington High School students, and for the Town Meeting Member
<br /> Association recognitions of Town Meeting Members having achieved 50 years of service.
<br /> 8:12 p.m. The meeting was called back to order.
<br /> 8:13 p.m. Deborah Manger moved the report of the Town Celebrations Committee be
<br /> received and placed on file. Town Celebrations Committee Chairman Suzanne Barry and Susan
<br /> Rockwell, Chair of the Town Celebrations Committee Subcommittee established for the
<br /> Lexington 300th Anniversary Celebration summarized ongoing celebrations during Lexington's
<br /> 300th year of incorporation. [See records of'the 300`"Anniversary Celebration Committee]
<br /> The following text of the Proclamation from the Massachusetts Legislature is recorded:
<br /> WHEREAS,IN OR AROUND 1642 THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT GRANTED THE TOWN OF CAMBRIDGE A LARGE
<br /> AREA TO ITS NORTH CALLED SHAWSHINE;AND
<br /> WHEREAS,A PORTION OF SHAWSHINE WAS ATTRACTIVE TO CAMBRIDGE FARMERS,IN THAT IT HAD AREAS OF OPEN
<br /> MEADOWLAND EASILY CONVERTED TO HAYING AND CATTLE-GRAZING;AND
<br /> WHEREAS,IN 1691 RESIDENTS OF SHAWSHINE,BY THEN KNOWN AS CAMBRIDGE FARMS,SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED
<br /> THE GENERAL COURT FOR FORMAL INCORPORATION AS CAMBRIDGE NORTH PRECINCT,WHICH ACTION KEPT THEM
<br /> PART OF THE LARGER COMMUNITY BUT GAVE THEM STATUS AS A SEPARATE PARISH;AND
<br /> WHEREAS,THIS NEW STATUS TURNED THE THOUGHTS OF PARISHIONERS TO CIVIC MATTERS,AMONG THEM THE NEED
<br /> FOR A SCHOOL AND FOR A LOCAL STORE OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION,SINCE,IN THE ACCOUNT OF 19TH-CENTURY
<br /> HISTORIAN CHARLES HUDSON,THEY FELT THEY WERE"IN DANGER FROM SUDDEN INCURSIONS OF THE INDIANS;'AND
<br /> WHEREAS,IN 1711 PARISHIONERS PURCHASED LAND AROUND THE LOCAL MEETINGHOUSE,WHICH,THOUGH PAID FOR
<br /> BY MEMBERS OF A RELIGIOUS ENTITY,WAS DEDICATED TO GENERAL USE,THUS LAYING THE BASIS FOR THE PUBLIC
<br /> COMMONS KNOWN TODAY AS LEXINGTON GREEN;AND
<br /> WHEREAS,IN 1712,AS THE TOWNSPEOPLE FELT DESIROUS OF COMPLETE AUTONOMY FROM CAMBRIDGE AND WHOLLY
<br /> CAPABLE OF HANDLING THEIR LOCAL AFFAIRS,THEY PETITIONED THE GENERAL COURT FOR RECOGNITION AS AN
<br /> INDEPENDENT TOWN;AND
<br /> WHEREAS,UPON RECEIPT OF THE PETITION AND AFTER RESIDENTS NEGOTIATED WITH THE TOWN OF CAMBRIDGE TO
<br /> CONTINUE A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS ERECTION OF A BRIDGE OVER THE CHARLES RIVER,THE GENERAL
<br /> COURT,AS OF MARCH, 1713,ADOPTED AN ORDER PROVIDING"THAT THE AFORESAID TRACT OF LAND,KNOWN BY THE
<br /> NAME OF THE NORTH PRECINCT,IN CAMBRIDGE,BE HENCEFORTH MADE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT TOWN,BY THE
<br /> NAME OF LEXINGTON....";AND
<br /> WHEREAS,IN 1868 HISTORIAN CHARLES HUDSON,REFLECTING ON THE TOWN'S ORIGINS BUT ALSO REFLECTING THE
<br /> PREJUDICES OF HIS OWN TIMES,REMINDED HIS READERS,"LIVING,AS WE DO,IN THESE DAYS OF PROSPERITY,WE CAN
<br /> HARDLY REALIZE THE TRIALS AND PRIVATIONS OF THE FIRST SETTLERS. ... THIS SECTION WAS ONCE NEW,ONCE THE
<br /> ABODE OF SAVAGES AND WILD BEASTS,AND OUR FATHERS WHO FIRST EXPLORED THESE HILLS AND DALES,CLEARED
<br /> DENSE FORESTS AND SUBDUED A RUGGED SOIL,HAD TO ENCOUNTER THE SAME TOILS AND DANGERS,AND SUBMIT TO
<br /> THE[SAME]TRIALS AND PRIVATIONS,WHICH FALL TO THE LOT OF THOSE WHO NOW PENETRATE THE WILDS OF
<br /> NEBRASKA AND OREGON";NOW THEREFORE BE IT
<br /> RESOLVED,THAT THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT HEREBY EXTENDS ITS HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
<br /> RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON ON THE OCCASION OF THE THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR
<br /> COMMUNITY'S INCORPORATION;AND BE IT FURTHER
<br /> RESOLVED,THAT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION BE TRANSMITTED FORTHWITH BY THE CLERK OF THE SENATE TO DONNA
<br /> HOOPER,CLERK OF THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON.
<br /> SENATE,ADOPTED MARCH 14,2013.
<br /> HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,ADOPTED IN CONCURRENCE MARCH 14,2013.
<br /> OFFERED BY:
<br /> SENATOR MICHAEL J BARRETT
<br /> REPRESENTATIVE JAY R KAUFMAN
<br /> SENATOR KENNETH J DONNELLY
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