HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-09-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE
Virtual Meeting MINUTES
April 9, 2025
Members Present (12 members; no vacancy): Glen Bassett, co-chair; Linda Dixon; Yifang
Gong; Dave Grabel; Mary Hutton; Cerise Jalelian; Lorain Marquis; Geetha Padaki, co-chair;
Sandy Podgorski; Sue Stering. Absent: Sondra Lucente; Karen Tyler, Veterans Liaison.
Honorary: Robert Tracey. Quorum: 7 Full Members.
Subcommittee Members Present (15 members, 4 vacancies): Sudha Balasuryan, Gresh
Lattimore, Jamie Lee, Ashley Rooney, Pam Winters, Hong Xie. Absent: Steve Cole, Bonnie
Karshbaum, Mirela Vaso, Perla Walling-Sotolong, Huma Wasim.
Guests: The meeting was Zoom -bombed, which was quickly deleted.
7:01 PM: Geetha called the meeting to order; then passed meeting to Glen.
7:02 PM: Minutes of April 2, 2025 were approved with modifications..
Patriots' Day (April 19) / Glen:
Publicity: Sandy (flyers & sandwich boards), Ashley (social media), and Linda (wording) are
all involved. They encourage the public to use Patriots ay.com for information. Iex250.org
keeps changning its contents. Ashley encouraged members to use her Facebook sites for
information too and will send members a list of her sites. TCC members need to signup
soonest for the 11 am Picnic at Hastings Park on Monday/April 21. Only 500 attendees can be
accommodated under the tent.
- April 19 Reenactment: 9 TCC members are needed to help the Minute Men to check tickets
and with crowd control. Cerise will send out a list. Specific guidelines will be given by Glen &
Linda. All Members must wear Credentials for all events, which can be picked up at the
Police Dept Community Room, 1575 Mass Ave, on Mon/April 14 (3-6pm), Tues/April 15 (8-
10am) and Wed/April 12 (3-5pm).
Patriots' Day Parade: Dave became co -host of Meeting:
- Dave's "Parade Updates" are included. Disregard the April 2 date; all these items and tasks
continue to be followed on a daily basis. These MINUTES summarize only the most important
issues discussed.
- Dave will consolidate his lists of what TCC members have volunteered to be responsible for
and share it with us.
The Parade will include really 10 major Divisions (an 11th is very small). Unit Coordinators,
mostly TCC members, are to act kindly toward Parade Units and spectators alike. If a
problem arises, there will be plenty of Police and Undercover Police available to help out. Let
them handle the situation. The main Division Coordinator responsibility is to keep the Parade
moving in close formation and ensure that Units joining the Parade from a side street are
allowed in smartly. There will be no handouts of candy, etc. permitted by any Unit.
- Of the 3 golf carts given initially to the Float Judges, one will be made available to Glen &
Gresh, one to Linda, and one to Dave after the judging is completed, about 1:30pm.
- Shuttle Bus coordinators will be provided by the bus company themselves. They will finish
bringing participants to the Parade about 1:45pm and then be available to return participants
to their transportation from 2 - 6pm.
- Staking for Unit sites will take place on Wednesday/16th (spray paint locations by TCC) and
Thursday/17th (actual driving stakes into the ground by DPW).
- Volunteers: 54 have signed up with more coming forward each day. A training session was
held on April 5 (in-person) and April 10 (zoom).
- Late Divisions: (1) The Bhakti Center of Lexington, an Indian spiritual group, has a prize-
winning float in the past and will be permitted to march in the Parade, but will not be in the
judging. 2) Lexington Goes Purple, an Alzheimer group, will also join the Parade. Neither of
these Units may include over 20 marchers. Ashley reminded us that spectators will not be
permitted to join the Parade as they wish.
- Classic Cars: A lengthy discussion ensued about Grand Marshal Charlie Price's joining the
Parade. As Jamie, a Minute Man, will be in the Rededication
Ceremony, he will invite Charlie to join the group when it is taken to
the beginning of the Parade upon the ceremony's completion. Jamie
will also get Charlie's ID for him next week.
- Flyover: A firm commitment has not yet been received from the Air Guard for its helicopters to
be present. If they do participate, TCC will not be charged their $6,000 fee.
- Ambassadors / Yifang & Linda: 80 have signed up, but at least 122 are needed. Linda reports
that volunteers continue to join this group and is reasonably comfortable that she will have the
required number in good time. Yifang intends to call each Ambassador this Saturday/April12
and has asked for more TCC members to help him. Bonnie continues to work on banner
production and poll collection. Poles will be picked up on Monday/14th. All old banners will
be trashed.
- Sponsors/Lorain: With $52,042 and a donation of $10,000 in hand, we have $62,042 to help
defray the costs involved with the 250th anniversary celebrations. 58 banners will be required
and are on order.
- Parade Announcers: Sharon Spaulding and Jim Shaw are looking for brief descriptions of
each marching Unit from Linda, as soon as she has them available. They also need detailed
confirmation of marching Units present on April 19th for their narration of the Parade at the
Viewing Stand..
- Cerise reminded Unit Coordinators to ensure that Lexington Historical Society's Pump Truck
immediately turn off to the right after passing the Reviewing Stand and be returnded to the
Society.
Lex250/Cerise:
- Dignitaries will hopefully nleave the Rededication Ceremony on the Green by 1 pm and return
to their Parade positions by buses.
- NBC, Channel 10, will live stream the Parade from their position in front of Cary Hall.
- A Navy contingent from the USS CONSTITUTION will join the Parade in front of the Navy
Band. The commanding officer, Commander Crystal Schaefer, is expected to lead the group.
Other Business: None.
8:47 PM: Meeting Adjourned.
NEXT MEETING: April 16, 2025.
Respecfully submitted,
Gresh Lattimore, Secretary