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Home My WebLink About2026-04-15-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE Minutes of Meeting April 15, 2026, via Zoom Teleconference Full Committee Members Present (quorum = 7): David Grabel and Sudha Balasuryan, Co -Chairs; Cerise Jalelian, Sandy Podgorski, Linda Dixon, Sondra Lucente, Lorain Marquis, Ashley Rooney, Pam Winters, Mary Hutton, Geetha Padaki Absent: Sue Stering Subcommittee Members Present: Elsie Xu, Sharon Spaulding, Brianna Karshbaum Bonnie Karshbaum, Bill Keim, Simon Rubenstein, Hong Xie, Sam Ang, Barry Cunha Absent: Jamie Lee, Seema Badaya Meeting Opened Co -Chair Sudha Balasuryan officially opened the meeting at 7:00 PM and recited the Zoom introduction and instructions. The meeting began with the approval of minutes of April 8, which were to be forwarded to the town office for posting. Summary Town Celebrations Committee Meeting The meeting began with administrative updates, including a reminder about submitting expense vouchers, particularly for items from Lexington Graphics and Amazon. Parade Sign Delivery Logistics Brianna discussed delivery logistics for signs with Dave, deciding to wait until Friday to deliver them to Peter Kelly's address rather than leaving them on the porch. They also discussed handling John Carroll's signs, which Brianna will give to Bill during the golf cart training on Friday. The meeting noted that several parade units had withdrawn, including North Shore Swim Club and the Lincoln Minuteman, though the exact number was still being confirmed. Parade Logistics and Registration Updates The meeting focused on parade logistics and registration updates. Sharon clarified that organizations withdrawing from the parade (North Shore Swim Club and Lincoln Minutemen) would simply be removed from the lineup numbers, with no changes to subsequent positions. Sudha agreed to provide Sharon with a final paper copy of registrations by 1 PM, though they need to resolve the delivery method since Sharon cannot access the Google Drive account on her phone. The parade was scheduled to arrive at the center no later than 2 PM. Event Preparation and Logistics Update The team discussed preparations for an upcoming event, with Lorain reporting they have secured nearly $40,000 in sponsorships, with additional funds bringing the total close to $55,000 including a grant. Sudha confirmed that banner installations are complete with 46 banners in place at the carriage house and the banner stand has been set up by DPW. Brianna reported having 23 volunteers for the event and mentioned she would bring signs for cars and tables to the golf cart training on Friday, while Mary provided guidance about 18th century music groups having slower cadences that should be accommodated rather than rushed. Volunteer Coordination and Equipment Updates The team discussed volunteer assignments and golf cart coordination, with Bonnie confirming she would add volunteer names to the existing list of numbers 1-23 and distribute it to TCC members. Sudha reported that iPads had been distributed to parade ambassadors, registration, and vehicle registration teams, with a shared Gmail address established for parade day use. Bill mentioned that rental plates were still pending but expected to arrive soon, possibly by Saturday morning. Registration and Equipment Planning Meeting Sudha confirmed she would review the registration list with Pam and upload the final sheet. Town suggested that during registration, attendees should be helped to identify their units on the map by circling their division letters. Sandy reported that DPW was ready for their Friday assignment at the Carriage house at 11 AM to collect goods and transport them to the fire station. The group agreed to check various locations after the golf cart training to ensure proper placement of equipment. Sandy was thanked for quickly replacing the Minuteman picture on the sidewalk signs after receiving a request from the Minutemen. Event Planning and Coordination Updates Ashley suggested sending thank you notes to event participants and sponsors, and Town agreed to help draft formal letters for key contributors while Ashley would handle broader outreach via email. Simon reported that the award ceremony programs were ready with 60 reserved seats, including some for TCC members, and confirmed the flash mob would finish by 6:15 PM, allowing access to handicapped parking spots at that time. Town committed to requesting traffic control from Captain Mazzeral for the 5:30-6:15 PM period to accommodate the flash mob. Parade Marcher Recruitment Shortage Linda reported that they are short one team of two marchers for the upcoming parade, with 39 banner - carrying teams needed and only 38 fully staffed. She requested Cerise's help in recruiting 8-10 backup Boy Scouts from the fire station as potential marchers. The team has completed various preparations including t -shirt delivery, sponsor assignments, and finalizing parade logistics, with DPW scheduled to deliver banners to the fire station on Saturday morning and marchers asked to arrive at 12 noon. Parade Logistics and Reassignments The team discussed parade logistics and reassignments, with Cerise confirming that Hong needed to be moved from parade coverage to banner arrival duties at the end of the parade route. They clarified that the parade would start at 1:30 PM and reach Lexington Center by approximately 2 PM, with the first units expected to arrive at the reviewing stand within 30 minutes. Cerise announced plans to install parade unit numbers on Thursday afternoon around 3:30 PM and requested volunteers for the Saturday morning reenactment starting at 4:15-4:30 AM, as well as for monitoring the high school parking lot from 11 AM to 1 PM to help with parade bus operations. Golf Cart Training and Event Logistics Cerise announced a mandatory golf cart training session scheduled for Friday at 3 PM to ensure everyone knows how to safely operate the carts. The team discussed logistics for upcoming events, including Sandy and Hong setting up banners at the arrival area by 2 PM. Cerise expressed gratitude for the team's hard work and coordination, noting that with only 3 days remaining before the event, everyone knew their roles well. Mary suggested honoring Paul O'Shaughnessy and Reggie at future parade events, which Cerise supported as a nomination for next year's categories. Parade Logistics and Preparations The meeting focused on parade logistics and event preparations. Cerise confirmed that no specific individuals have been invited to the afternoon parade reviewing stand yet, though Ashley will be present for PR purposes. The group discussed media permissions, with Town clarifying that Conventures are handling media credentialing and that Cal's documentary team should contact them directly. Sondra confirmed that float judging arrangements are finalized, with increased prize amounts set at $200 for first place and $100 for second place, and she agreed to take photos of the winning floats for Ashley's publicity purposes. Reenactment Event Logistics Planning The team discussed logistics for an upcoming reenactment event, including reserved seating arrangements and plans for post -event activities. Cerise confirmed she had printed 60 maps and would deliver them on Friday afternoon. Next full TCC Meeting, 05/06/2026 starting at 7:00 PM via Zoom. These minutes were faithfully recorded and submitted by Lorain Marquis, TCC Full Committee Member