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Home My WebLink About2023-08-30-LEX250-min Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) August 30, 2023 Meeting Minutes Pursuant to notice duly filed with the Town Clerk, the Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) convened in a hybrid meeting in the Parker Room at the Town Office Building and via Zoom video conference on Wednesday, August 30 at 4:32 pm by Ms. Barry as allowed by legislation (S.2475) extending the suspension of certain provisions of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Present in person: Suzie Barry, Select Board Member, Chair Julie O’Leary, Civic Representative Jillian Tung, Music & Arts Representative, Clerk Mona Roy, Community Representative, Vice Chair Bebe Fallick, Tourism Committee Representative Jane Hundley, LPS 6-8 Social Science Department Head Tom Colatosti, Community Representative Bridger McGraw, Community Representative Steve Conners, Reenactment Community Representative Ashley Rooney, Community Representative Cleeve Coats, Community Representative Paul O’Shaughnessy, Historical Organization Representative Present remotely: John Rossi, Commission on Disability Liaison Cerise Jalelian, Town Celebrations Committee Representative Barry Cunha, Business Representative ( joined at 5:30 pm) Absent: Noah Michelson, Community Representative ● The meeting was called to order by Ms. Barry at 4:32 pm ● 4 new members were appointed by Select Board last Monday and welcomed by the committee: ○ Cleeve Coats ○ Tom Colatosti ○ Bridger McGaw ○ Ashley Rooney ● Dr. Tung provided event updates: ○ The 1 year countdown will be celebrated at the lexington Bicentennial Band (LBBB) concert on Friday, April 19, 2024 ○ Kick off festival ■ Saturday, July 13, 2024 ■ Joint concert of the LBBB and Concord Band at 11 am ■ Plan to engage a professional event planner for the afternoon festival ● Ms. Barry provided 2025 updates: ○ National DAR to visit during the weekend of April 12, 2025 ■ Visit will include Lexington and Concord ● Minutes: ○ The minutes of the 8.16.2023 meeting were approved unanimously ● Patriots’ Day Weekend 2025 schedule update ○ Ms. Barry is working on the schedule with representatives from the Minutemen, British reenactors, Police, Fire, DPW, Minuteman National Park ○ Reenactment of Paul Revere’s ride will be held at 10 pm on Friday night ○ Saturday morning: ■ Battle reenactment (starting time tbd), Battle Road, Parker’s Revenge ■ Road race ■ DAR rededication on Saturday ○ Saturday afternoon: parade at 2 pm ○ Sunday: Easter, nothing scheduled as of now ○ Monday: State holiday, DAR wreath laying at obelisk, British events, possible naturalization ceremony ○ Tower Park event will possibly be on weekend before or on Monday of PD weekend ○ Concord: Parade at 8:30 am, event at Bridge, dignitaries at 10:00 am on Saturday ○ National Park staff have invited the Secretary of the Interior ○ We are in consultation with White House and Congress on a possible visit by dignitaries ● Working Group mission statements ○ Working Group representatives reviewed their mission statements as submitted to Ms. Barry ○ Summary of additional information discussed: ■ Community Partners: Ms. Roy ● Created a spreadsheet listing community partners and asked committee members to volunteer to be points of contact for different groups ● Ms. Roy will reach out to various community groups and maintain open lines of communication ○ Education: Ms. Hundley ■ Goals include providing an understanding of historic events ■ Discussed importance of funding for visual art and music in the schools ○ Fundraising: Mr. Colatisti ■ Will connect with Town’s director of Finance to determine the best financial structure ○ Ms. Barry indicated that at the state level: $1M earmarked for 250th celebrations, but the allocations are as yet to be determined. As of now, nothing has been directly allocated directly to Lexington or other individual municipalities ○ Government relations: Ms. Barry ■ Working with Tony and Kitty Galaitsis to invite our sister city Antony France ○ History and Literature: Mr. O’Shaughnessy ■ Will collaborate with the Lexington Historical Society to bring in speakers ■ Will talk to staff at Cary Library ■ To consider coordinating a historic book club ■ Ms. Barry suggested reaching out to Cary Lecture Series ○ Hospitality: Ms. Jalelian ■ Role will be to generally ensure ethat veryone feels welcome ○ Logistics: Dr. Cunha ■ Reviewed logistical issues ■ Mr. McGraw emphasized the need for a calendar to keep our efforts organized ○ Permanent Monument: Ms. Fallick ■ Coordinated by MAPC ■ Proposed location: Belfry Park ○ Publicity: Ms. Rooney ■ Reviewed publicity strategies ○ Security: Mr. Coats ■ Discussed a Unified Command System: Arlington, Hanscom, Minuteman, Lexington, Concord ○ Pop up tent: Mr. Michelson is reaching out to Farmers Market ● The draft memo of the proposal to expand reenactment to include women and children was discussed. A motion to approve the draft memo was made by Ms. Barry, seconded by Mr. Coats, and approved by roll call vote. ● Ms. Barry indicated that we need a committee photo for the annual report due in September ● Next Lex 250 meeting: 9/13; joint meeting with Concord on 9/14/2023 ● A motion made to adjourn the meeting at 6:13 pm was made by Ms. Barry, seconded by Mr. Coats, and approved by roll call vote ● Future meetings will be hybrid: ○ Wednesday, August 30, 2023, 4:30 pm ○ Beginning in September the second & fourth Wednesday at 4:30 pm ○ Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 4:30 pm Hybrid ○ Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 4:30 pm Hybrid ● A motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:15 pm was approved by roll call vote. Respectfully submitted, Jillian Tung