HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-23-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF MEETING
September 23, 2026, via Zoom Teleconference
Full Committee Members Present (8) (quorum -7)
David Grabel and Sudha Balasuryan, Co -Chairs; Cerise Jalelian,
Linda Dixon, Bonnie Karshbaum, Lorain Marquis, Sue Stering,
& Sandy Podgorski
Full Committee Members Absent: (4) Mary Hutton, Sondra
Lucente, Ashley Rooney & Pam Winters
Subcommittee Members Present: (6) Barry Cunha, Hong Xie.
Elizabeth Hsu, Brianna Karshbaum, Raja Daggumalli & Sharon
Spaulding
Subcommittee Members Absent: (6) Sub Datta, Brianna
Karshbaum, Sam Ang, Simon Rubenstein, Guy Jarvis & Bill
Kiem
MEETING OPENED
Co -Chair Sudha Balasuryan officially opened the meeting at
7:05 PM and recited the Zoom introduction and instructions.
The committee reviewed the minutes from the previous meeting
taken by Lorain Marquis. Lorain agreed to amend the minutes to
correctly reflect that Sharon Spaulding was present at the last
meeting. The amended minutes were moved for acceptance by
Linda Dixon and seconded by Cerise Jalelian.
Member Introductions: To help members get to know one
another, future meetings will dedicate up to 10 minutes for
optional 2 -minute personal introductions.
Event Planning:
A Veterans working group will meet on Tuesday, October 13th.
Our 2nd Patriots Day meeting will meet on Tuesday, October 6th.
The Town Celebrations Committee met to discuss
planning updates for upcoming town events including
Patriots Day, Veterans Day, and Dance Around the
World.
Event Planning
Patriots Day
• The date is set for Monday, April 19, 2027.
. Cerise, Linda, and Sudha are investigating a move
from traditional banners to a mobile sponsor vehicle
with light -up panels to simplify logistics.
. A proposed 1:00 p.m. parade start time was discussed
to accommodate British reenactors, but Linda and
Bonnie raised concerns regarding setup time for the
125 parade ambassadors if the schedule is changed.
. The committee discussed whether the award ceremony
should return to a Friday night setting rather than a
Monday morning on the green.
. There is an ongoing discussion regarding reviving the
Youth Sunrise Parade; Bonnie expressed interest in
leading inquiries through local agencies and PTAs
despite potentially low participation due to the Monday
schedule.
Veterans Day
. Invitations have been sent to approximately 300 people,
with 18 sign-ups recorded so far.
. Sue suggested limiting invitations from Hanscom Air
Force Base participants to Lexington and Bedford
residents only to avoid being overwhelmed by too many
attendees.
. Sandy noted that town policy prevents posting
donation solicitations (such as the personal care drive)
directly on the website, requiring alternative publicity
methods like physical posters in local shops or social
media posts via Facebook.
• Regarding meeting frequency, Linda cautioned against
canceling necessary working group meetings solely
based on feedback from individual members who feel
there are too many meetings.
Dance Around the World
. No updates were provided by Sharon, as Simon has
been traveling out of the country and missed recent
communications.
Motion to adjourn, 7:45 PM
Next full TCC Meeting
October 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
Submitted by Lorain
TCC Full Committee Member