HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-04-MMC-min
Monuments & Memorials Committee
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 4, 2023
7:00 p.m.
Parker Room, Town Office Building, and by Zoom
Members Present in Person:
Linda Dixon, Chair; Avram Baskin, Chuck French, George Gamota, Leslie Masson
Present Via Zoom: Glen Bassett, Bebe Fallick
Members Absent: Charlie Price, Danjun Pu
Business:
Linda convened the meeting at 7:10 after enough members had arrived to constitute a
quorum. She read the Town notice regarding the conduct of public virtual meetings, and
declared that a quorum was present.
The committee approved the minutes of its meeting of April 13, 2023 by roll call vote.
Proposed Archaeological Survey – Jeff Howry
Jeff Howry is advocating for Lexington to join 10 other New England communities in
commissioning an archaeological survey to search for ancient habitat and farming sites. He
presented slides showing open fields, small ponds, and stone walls that are prime indicators of
ancient sites. His proposal for such a survey at the recent Town Meeting was unsuccessful. Jeff
described the benefits of such a survey as a search tool. The M&M Committee could use it to
identify potential new sites for markers, for example. Survey work is undertaken quietly with
little publicity to protect the sites from looters. Time is of the essence because precious sites are
continually being destroyed and developed. Massachusetts does have laws to protect historic
resources, but these laws are not always enforced.
In discussion, Bebe asked if the construction taking place downtown posed a risk. Jeff
confirmed that some fragile sites will be put at great risk by this activity. Avram felt that the
M&M Committee should take the lead in trying to get this survey approved. Jeff suggested that
calling it a “cultural resource survey” would have made it easier to understand.
Update on Building the Database
Chuck reported that the database now contains 281 entries in various stages of completion.
About 75% of these are memorials inside public buildings. Chuck plans to visit the Lexington
Historical Society and the Masonic Lodge this coming month. Fortunately, all the entries so far
are in good condition. For the coming year, he suggests that the committee website be a project
for the Heroes team, recommending improvements and specifications.
Discussion of Committee Charge
The committee discussed our work over the past year and agreed that building the best possible
database is our focus. Once our database is in finished form, there are many groups who could
benefit from our data. M&M does not have the staff or budget to turn this data into a usable
product for other groups, but could collaborate, share, and assist. Groups that come immediately
to mind are Economic Development, Tourism, Visitors Center, Historical Society, Lex250, and
Chamber of Commerce.
Linda will talk with Suzie Barry, our committee liaison, about convening an ad hoc group of the
above potential users to discuss ways in which they would utilize our data.
Miscellaneous
The Committee decided not to participate in Discovery Day.
Linda expects the Lexington DAR will submit a proposal for a plaque in June.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Next meeting: June 1, 2023
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Dixon, Chair