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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-04-TCC-min TOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE MINUTES (virtual) February 4, 2026 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 ABSENT Cerise Jalelian Lorain Marquis Susan Stering Sandy Podgorski Linda Dixon Sondra Lucente Mary Hutton Geetha Padaki ABSENT E. Ashley Rooney Vacancy: 1x Subcommittee Members Present: 7 We have 10 members and 5 vacancies=total 15 sub-committee members Elizabeth Elsie Xu Simon Rubenstein Sharon Spaulding Pam Winters Jamie Lee Hong Xie ABSENT Seema Badaya ABSENT Bill Keim ABSENT Bonnie Karshbaum (sub) Brianna Bennett-Karshbaum Vacancy: 5x LIASONS: Karen Tyler, Veterans Liaison ABSENT Douglas Lucente, liaison to the Select Board GUESTS: Jon Asgeirsson LexMedia Guest 7:06 PM: Per the Meeting Agenda. Dave called the meeting to order and recited the Zoom introduction. Dave welcomed everyone and established a quorum. The group then reviewed and approved the minutes from the January 7th meeting. Lorain mentioned the need for a new secretary to take over in March. Summary Town Celebrations Committee Meeting The Town Celebrations Committee meeting began with a discussion about file access issues, where Linda and others helped troubleshoot a problem with opening the Grand Marshal history document. The group welcomed Sondra back to meetings. The committee noted that their media guest from Lex Media was attempting to connect but was experiencing audio issues, and they agreed to introduce the guest once they could establish proper connection. MLK Service and Planning Updates The meeting began with a discussion about the MLK Day of Service event, where Linda, Lorain and Sandy attended and found it well- organized with notable speakers. Finally, the meeting touched on Patriots Day planning, with Cerise set to lead the discussion on suggested topics. Parade Planning and Grand Marshal Selection The parade planning working group has been actively meeting for three weeks, with 67 out of 90 parade applications received, including significant groups like the Shriners and mummers. Four candidates have been nominated for Grand Marshal, including Jimmy Shaw, Susie Berry, Leslie and Colin Masson, and Bill Daly, with Sharon requesting additional nominations by the next meeting. The group discussed parade logistics, including the need for an event planner to oversee town departments and transportation, and agreed to make the Grand Marshal selection at the next TCC meeting rather than the working group level. Parade Timing and Planning Discussion The group discussed parade planning, including the timing for the Youth Commission and dance groups. They decided the Youth Commission would start at 1:15 PM, followed by the lead dance group at 1:25 PM, to avoid interference. Bonnie confirmed she was waiting for the list of awardees from Deb Hankin, which is typically decided in early April. The town will acquire flags for the parade through private donations. Parade and Awards Ceremony Planning The meeting focused on the planning and coordination of an upcoming parade and award ceremony. Simon reported on his conversation with Thelma, who endorsed a 1.25 step-off time but declined to participate in the dance show due to logistical concerns. The group discussed the status of the Cary Hall award ceremony, with Simon confirming that the paperwork has been submitted and the program is nearly finalized. Cerise and Simon agreed to discuss the program details offline, and Simon committed to finalizing the print program soon. The group also touched on the need to determine honored guests and the MC for the awards ceremony. VO250 Commission Planning Meeting The group discussed plans for the VO250 commission and parade working group, with Linda providing historical programs and lists of Grand Marshals. Simon agreed to connect with Liz and email updates, while Linda offered to meet with Simon after 1pm the next day to discuss questions offline. The team explored potential celebrity Master of Ceremonies options, including John Krasinski and Matt LeBlanc, both of whom have Massachusetts connections. Linda reported that the Ambassador Working Group had made progress, with seven people now involved instead of three, and discussed improvements to their banner distribution process, including a new text notification system and returning to the East Lexington Fire Station as the staging area. Parade Planning and Seating Arrangements The meeting focused on planning for an upcoming parade and seating arrangements. Cerise discussed bleacher seating capacity, clarifying that 390 guests could be accommodated, with specific numbers for different bleacher sections. Sharon raised concerns about the reviewing stand's size, noting it could only fit 10 people and suggesting alternatives. Linda agreed to communicate with Captain Mazzeral about parade logistics. Veterans Day Event Planning Update The group discussed plans for the Veterans Day event, with Linda presenting results from a survey of 30 veterans who attended the breakfast. The survey showed strong support for holding the event on November 11th instead of the usual first Saturday, with many veterans expressing interest in transportation assistance and family involvement. The group agreed to consider moving the breakfast to November 11th, with Dave noting that while they weren't making a final decision, they had replied to the Knights of Columbus indicating interest in this date. The conversation ended with Lorain reporting on sponsorship progress, noting they had secured 9 sponsors totaling $6,440, including 5 new sponsors. Respectfully submitted on February18, 2026 Lorain Marquis, Secretary for this meeting and Ad Hoc in December 2025, and January & February 2026