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Home My WebLink About2025-12-17-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE MINUTES (virtual) December 17, 2025 Full Committee Members Present: 9 We have 12 full members and 1 vacancies -total 13 full members QUORUM: 7 full members David Grabel, Co-chair Sudha Balasuryan, Co-chair Cerise Jalelian ABSENT Lorain Marquis Susan Stering ABSENT Sandy Podgorski Linda Dixon Sondra Lucente Mary Hutton Geetha Padaki ABSENT E. Ashley Rooney Vacancy: lx Subcommittee Members Present: 2 We have 10 members and 5 vacancies=total 15 sub -committee members Elizabeth Elsie Xu ABSENT Simon Rubenstein Sharon Spaulding ABSENT Pam Winters ABSENT Jamie Lee Hong Xie ABSENT Seema Badaya ABSENT Bill Kelm ABSENT Bonnie Karshbaum (sub) ABSENT Brianna Bennett-Karshbaum ABSENT Vacancy: 5x LIASONS: Karen Tyler, Veterans Liaison ABSENT Douglas Lucente, liaison to the Select Board GUESTS: Yifang Gong, past member Christine Lin, representative of MLK Day 7:04 PM: Per the Meeting Agenda. Dave called the meeting to order and Sudha recited the zoom introduction. Dave welcomed everyone, established a quorum and pulled up the Minutes of December 3, 2025. The motion to approve was seconded. Votes were unanimously approved. Dave instructed Cerise to send the minutes to Sudha to send to the town. Summary Meeting on Holiday Plans and Issues The meeting began with a casual discussion about holiday plans, The conversation then shifted to sending emails to those with email addresses to reduce mailing costs. Ashley mentioned the upcoming White Hat or Cane Award nominations,. The meeting was officially called to order by Sudha, who provided meeting details and instructions for participants. Welcome and Volunteer Acknowledgments The meeting began with introductions and welcome of guests, including Doug Lucente from the Select Board, Yifang, and Christine Lin, who shared her interest in MLK Day of Service planning. David thanked Sondra for hosting a successful Chrismukah party and acknowledged Lorain's volunteer work to take minutes for the next three months, with Al companion notes available for reference. Event Planning The group discussed updates on various events including Veterans Day breakfast, antique car rally, Memorial Day planning, and Patriot's Day, while also addressing a suggestion for improvement from Sharon regarding a stand request. The conversation ended with plans to discuss Martin Luther King planning, though Ceris was absent and her update was deferred to the end of the meeting. Lexington MILK Week Expansion Plans Christina, chair of the Lexington Human Rights Committee, presented a history of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and explained their initiative to expand celebrations to a week-long event in January. She highlighted the importance of preserving Dr. King's legacy and civil rights movement achievements, especially in light of current resistance to these historical gains. The planned events include a film screening, storytelling, a panel discussion on voting rights, and a youth program, all aimed at educating the community and engaging new generations in the celebration. MLK Day Activity Planning Discussion Christina presented plans for MLK Day activities, including community service programs at Grace Chapel and a youth initiative to help seniors with technology. She highlighted the success of last year's HBCU trip for Lexington High School students and proposed fundraising efforts to support future trips. David discussed the town's current involvement in MLK Day activities, which primarily involves funding up to $1,000 for expenses. He suggested two options for TCC's involvement: continuing to support events as they have been, or taking a more active role by collaborating with the MLK Day steering committee and potentially setting up a working group. MLK Day Planning and Support The group discussed increasing involvement in MLK Day activities, with Ashley offering to help with PR and social media promotion by promoting the event and sharing materials once received from Christina. Linda emphasized the importance of the event this year given national circumstances and encouraged the committee to provide resources and support. Sudha confirmed her availability to help on the day of the event, and Christina agreed to follow up with those who can assist and provide Ashley with the necessary information. The discussion concluded with a brief mention of Memorial Day event leadership, noting Linda's long-standing role in organizing the event. Town Events Planning Coordination The meeting focused on planning for upcoming town events, particularly Memorial Day and Patriots' Day. Linda announced her intention to step down from leading the Memorial Day event, and the group discussed the need for a new coordinator who enjoys scheduling and timing. They also reviewed plans for the Patriots' Day awards ceremony, with Simon volunteering to coordinate, and discussed a proposal to hire an event planner for future events. The committee agreed to draft a list of potential sponsors for town events and to create a survey for veterans to gather input on Veterans Day celebrations. Finally, Ashley reminded the group about the opportunity to nominate committee members for town awards. Respectfully submitted on January 7, 2026 Lorain Marquis, Secretary for this meeting and Ad Hoc in December 2025, and January & February 2026