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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-06-01-MMC-min Monuments & Memorials Committee Meeting Minutes Thursday, June 1, 2023 7:00 p.m. Parker Room, Town Office Building, and by Zoom Members Present: Linda Dixon, Chair; Avram Baskin, Chuck French, George Gamota, Leslie Masson, Charlie Price. Members Absent: Glen Bassett, Bebe Fallick, Danjun Pu Guests: Cindy Woolworth and Marjunette DeMagistris, Lexington DAR; Joyce Nelson, Temple Isaiah. 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 May 4, 2023 by roll call vote. Proposed DAR Plaque Cindy Woolworth and Marjunette DeMagistris of the Lexington DAR presented an update on their plan to plant a new “Liberty Tree” and relocate a revised plaque near Buckman Tavern as part of the Lex250 celebrations. A new American Elm has been planted in the rear of Buckman Tavern. Funding is in place to create a new bronze plaque with the wording, “This American Elm, planted by Lexington Chapter NSDAR, Commemorating the Semiquincentennial of the Battle of Lexington 1775-2025”. The original plaque was attached to a granite pedestal and all parties expressed concern about a height issue. DAR agreed to seek input from the Commission on Disability and from DPW on this matter. Proposed Memorial to Anonymous Enslaved Persons Joyce Nelson, Chair of the Reparations and Equity Committee of Temple Isaiah, described her committee’s initial efforts to create a memorial in the Old Burying Ground to the enslaved men thth and women who lived and died anonymously in Lexington in the 17 and 18 century. Her committee is obtaining input and support from other religious denominations and town organizations such as the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington. Before proceeding more formally, they are seeking the M&M Committee’s input and guidance. A thorough discussion ensued, during which Leslie Masson noted that wealthy slave owners often buried their slaves on their own property, so it might be more helpful to focus the proposal on the lack of identification of the slaves vs. not receiving a proper burial. The sense of the committee was to encourage the Reparations and Equity Committee to continue with their work and check in with progress reports periodically. Mass DAR Proposal Carolyn Nutt, Regent of the Massachusetts DAR, informed the Committee that the DAR wishes to install a commemorative plaque in Lexington as part of Lex250. They are interested in locations on the Battle Green, Buckman Tavern, and the Hancock-Clarke House and have attended a preliminary meeting with Lex250. They will meet with our committee in the Fall. Chair Dixon will connect with Suzie Barry, Lex250 Chair. Update on Building the Database On a visit to Lexington High School, Leslie gathered data on 288 memorials. On closer analysis, 227 of these were deemed to be awards, annual recognitions given out in 8 categories including athletics, academics, and extra-curricular activity. This led to a decision to create a separate section of our database for “awards” and to define “memorials” as permanent markers, available for public viewing. Discussion of Committee Charge Chair Dixon reported on her conversation with Select Board Liaison Suzie Barry about the Committee’s mission to focus on building our database. Suzie was very enthusiastic and supportive of our progress, and stressed that we will have a unique product to offer when our database is complete. Many town organizations, looking for a new and fresh resource to offer, will be interested in sharing the monument database with their constituencies. A few possible uses might include:  A LexMedia interview series featuring little-known memorials.  Courses on “Lexington’s Hidden Treasures”.  Weekly or monthly hybrid lectures on the “Hidden Treasures” theme.  Walking tours developed by walking/outdoor groups.  High school media class project: film a walking tour.  Adopt a Monument by local neighborhood association. Committee Business The Committee elected Linda Dixon to serve as Chair for 2023-2024. The terms of Avram Baskin, Glen Bassett, Chuck French, George Gamota, Charlie Price, and Danjun Pu will expire in September. Members will receive notice and must indicate their intention to renew their terms. We discussed a change of meeting time from evening to late afternoon and will bring this up again at our September meeting. Linda will prepare a schedule of Recorder assignments for the coming year, dividing up this duty among the committee members. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Next meeting: September 7, 2023 Respectfully submitted, Linda Dixon, Chair