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Home My WebLink About2026-02-19-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE MINUTES (virtual) February 19, 2026 Full Committee Members Present: 10 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 Lorain Marquis Susan Stering Sandy Podgorski Linda Dixon Sondra Lucente Mary Hutton Geetha Padaki E. Ashley Rooney Vacancy: Ix ABSENT ABSENT Subcommittee Members Present: 7 We have 10 members and 5 vacancies=total 15 sub -committee members Elizabeth Elsie Xu Simon Rubenstein ABSENT Sharon Spaulding Pam Winters ABSENT Jamie Lee ABSENT 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 ABSENT GUESTS: LexMedia Guest, Terry Samaras 7:08 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 February 4th meeting. Dave mentioned the need for a new secretary to take over in March. Town Celebrations Committee Meeting The committee accepted the minutes from the previous meeting, which covered topics such as Martin Luther King service, parade planning, and Veterans Day survey results. The most pressing issue identified was the need for a volunteer to take minutes for meetings from March through June, as this would ensure proper documentation of the committee's work. Patriot's Day Parade Fee Adjustments The team discussed the Patriot's Day parade, with Cerise reporting 110 applications received, including 61 no -fee requests. They agreed to increase the target from 90 to 105 units to accommodate more participants, with a goal of cutting $30,000 in fees to make it manageable. The group approved 61 no -fee units through a consent vote. Linda offered to take minutes for the first March meeting encouraging someone to volunteer to take on the position of secretary Parade Participant Fee Negotiations The group discussed parade participants and fees, with Sondra agreeing to negotiate with the Shriners and Philadelphia Mummers to reduce their $10,000 and $8,000 fee requests respectively. They also considered the Lexington Minutemen's $5,000 request, with Linda noting their previous fee was either $3,500 or $4,000. The group expressed interest in having the Clydesdales, who requested a fee, and discussed the possibility of including the West Point band, though they hadn't applied. Town Celebration Budget Approvals The group discussed budgeting for various town celebrations, including the Minutemen, who were approved for $5,000 for the current year and the next two years. They also reviewed proposals from high-profile groups like the Londonderry High School Marching Band ($4,500) and Middlesex County Volunteers ($3,200), with Cerise planning to negotiate these larger fees with Steve Cole. Mary expressed concerns about the Middlesex County Volunteers, but the group agreed they were worth the investment. Parade Unit Budget Negotiations Cerise announced new numbering signs for the parade, replacing the previous staking method with laminated numbers on yard sign stakes. The group agreed to defer discussion of the Greater Boston Firefighters Pipes and Drums unit to a later meeting and planned to report back to the parade working group the following week with updates on unit selections and budget status. Grand Marshal and Ambassador Selection The committee discussed two main topics: the Grand Marshal selection and the Ambassador program. For the Grand Marshal, they debated between selecting a single person or a group, with 5 members favoring a group and 4 preferring a single person. Sharon proposed a group including the Michelson brothers, Jim Shaw, and others, but the committee agreed to vote on all nominees at the March 4th meeting after receiving written bios. Regarding the Ambassador program, Linda reported that the registration form would be available soon, and they planned to promote it through various channels including Lexington Youth Civics and local scouting groups. The committee also discussed the need for 25 adult volunteers to manage parade units, with Cerise emphasizing the need to get more active committee involvement rather than just passive participation. Respectfully submitted on March 4, 2026 Lorain Marquis, Secretary for this meeting and Ad Hoc in December 2025, and January & February 2026