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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-09-21-TCC-min Minutes Town Celebrations Committee September 21, 2016 Cotton Room, Cary Hall Members present Linda Dixon, acting chair, Bob Tracey, Henry Murphy, Wayne Miller, Rich McDonough, Sandy Podgorski, Dick Crogan, Julie Miller, Karen Gaughan, Suzanne Caton, Geetha Padaki, Paul Jenkins, Carol Flynn, June Baer Members not present Sondra Lucente, Bill Mix, Dave Taylor, Sam Zales, Cerise Jalelian, Lorain Marquis (chair), Linda Levitt, Gina Rada (Veterans liaison), Glen Bassett, Kim Coburn Guests Mingjin Fan, Alex Yin Business The Chair declared that a quorum was present. Approval of the minutes of September 14, 2016 was deferred to the next meeting. Linda introduced June Baer again to committee members who were not present the first time June attended a TCC meeting. Linda introduced Alex Yin, a seventh grader attending the meeting as a school assignment, and his mother, Mingjin Fan. Veterans Day Parade and Program, November 11 Linda Dixon reviewed the reasons for proposed changes to the parade and program, for the benefit of committee members who were not present at the last meeting. A meeting was held on Tuesday, September 20, to discuss the proposed changes with Lexington Veterans Day stakeholders. Linda D. reported that all of the stakeholders present approved of the proposed changes. The Lexington Police Honor Guard still need to be contacted about participating in the parade. Linda reported that a keynote speaker for the program has not yet been identified and asked for suggestions from the committee. Sandy Podgorski suggested Ken Donnelly, Massachusetts senator for th the 4 Middlesex district. If he is unavailable we could ask him to recommend someone else. Linda reported that Gina Rada will be responsible to organizing the Vietnam War segment of the indoor program. Ideas for that segment were solicited from the committee. Several Vietnam War veterans have been identified. Dick Crogan volunteered to be a speaker for the Vietnam War segment, if no other speakers are identified. Rich McDonough noted that since Dick is also a Purple Heart recipient, he could also be a speaker for the Purple Heart segment of the program. Dick noted that some towns nearby have a designated free parking space for Purple Heart recipients, identified by their special license plates. Dick suggested that if Lexington decides to do the same, it could be announced at the Veterans Day program. A subcommittee consisting of Linda Dixon, Lorain Marquis, Sandy Podgorski, and Geetha Padaki was established to develop a program and present it to the full committee at its next meeting of October 12. Veterans’ Breakfast, November 5 __________________________________________________________________________________________ The Lexington Minutemen will attend the breakfast, provide their own fife and drum to play the national anthem, and post the colors. Dick Crogan reported that the music for the breakfast has been arranged. Sandy Podgorski reported that veterans from the VA hospital in Bedford will be invited; Gina Rada will arrange that. The breakfast will be free for them, but they need to notify Gina ahead of time. Dick Crogan and Sandy have completed their solicitations for door prizes and they read out to the committee the businesses that have donated prizes. Sandy has finished distributing flyers advertising the breakfast at various locations around town. She has also started sending out invitations to the breakfast to veterans whose addresses are known to TCC. She hopes to obtain more names and addresses for invitations. The committee discussed ways to get more veterans’ contact information at the breakfast. Geetha suggested providing pre-printed cards to attendees. Only veterans who fill out the cards would be eligible to win door prizes. A sub-committee consisting of: Sandy Podgorski, Dick Crogan, Karen Gaughan, Carol Flynn, Geetha Padaki, was appointed to determine the procedure for awarding door prizes and will make a report to the whole committee at the October 12 meeting. The committee hopes to provide a video/slide show of Lexington veterans during the breakfast. Hank Manz has offered to provide all the video equipment needed for the slide show at the breakfast. Sandy and Geetha are putting together the slide show. Julie Miller volunteered to mention the idea of interviewing Purple Heart recipients to the “Remembering Lexington” group: The Committee would like to use sandwich boards to advertise the breakfast. Suzanne has obtained one sandwich board from the Friends of the Council on Aging. o Karen Gaughan will contact St Brigid’s to see if they have a sandwich board that we can use. o Suzanne volunteered to get the sandwich board posters made at Wales. o Karen will ask the priests at St. Brigid’s to offer the invocation at the breakfast. It was discussed whether there should be a benediction at the end of the breakfast but the committee decided that one is not usually offered. The head of the Massachusetts State VFW will be the breakfast speaker.. Rich McDonough has invited Susan Carabbio, president of the Rotary Club, to attend one of the TCC meetings before the breakfast, preferably the meeting of November 2. Linda Dixon suggested that a TCC member be appointed as a “host” at each table to encourage vets to fill out the information cards. New Action Items Julie Miller : mention the idea of interviewing Purple Heart recipients to the “Remembering Lexington” group: Karen Gaughan : contact St Brigid’s to see if they have a sandwich board that we can use. Karen Gaughan : ask the priests at St. Brigid’s to offer the invocation at the breakfast Door Prize sub-committee : (Sandy Podgorski, Dick Crogan, Karen Gaughan, Carol Flynn, Geetha Padaki) determine the procedure for awarding door prizes and report to the whole committee at the October 12 meeting. Veterans’ Day Program sub-committee : (Linda Dixon, Lorain Marquis, Sandy Podgorski, Geetha Padaki) present a draft of the program at the October 12 meeting. Suzanne Caton: apply to the Town for permission to place one or two sandwich board signs advertising the breakfast during the week prior to the breakfast (place signs on October 29). Suzanne Caton: get sandwich board posters made, before October 28. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Suzanne Caton, Co-Secretary Future Meetings in 2016 October 12, October 19, November 2, November 16, November 30, December 14