HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-10-TCC-min
Town Celebrations Committee
Meeting Minutes
February 10, 2021
Virtual Meeting
Members Present
June Baer, Chair; Glen Bassett, Suzanne Caton, Steve Cole, Wei Ding, Linda Dixon, Mary
Hutton, Cerise Jalelian, Gresh Lattimore, Sondra Lucente, Lorain Marquis, Bill Mix, Geetha
Padaki, Rita Pandey, Sandy Podgorski, Sue Stering,
Members Not Present
Karen Gaughan, Julie Miller, Wayne Miller, Ashley Rooney, Sam Zales
Guests
Florence DelSanto – Lex Media, Jerry Michelson, Samita Mandelia
Business:
June convened the meeting at 7:06 pm and read the Town notice regarding the conduct of
public virtual meetings.
The committee approved the minutes of January 27, 2021.
Patriots Day Working Groups
Library Programs: * Mary Hutton, Sue Stering, Linda Dixon, Suzanne Caton
Mary Hutton reported that three programs are being planned:
• 4/12: John Rees, with Lex Vets organization and Cary Library. Topic: African
Americans in the Revolutionary War
• 4/13: Dr. Carol Berkin, with Cary Library and the Lexington Historical Society.
Topic: Women in the Revolutionary War period
• 4/14: Jim Hollister of the National Parks Service. Topic: Quotes from witnesses to
April 19, 1776, read by local re-enactors, followed by a Q&A session.
Florence asked if the programs were going to be hosted by the Library and if so, whether
Lex Media should coordinate directly with the Library. Response from committee was
yes.
Florence also asked the committee to let her know if Jim Hollister needs any assistance
from Lex Media.
Front Door Decorating: Door to Patriotic Spirit
* Sondra Lucente, Steve Cole, Sue Stering, Geetha Padaki, Julie Miller
Sondra reported that the working group had decided on several dates for the program:
• Registration from 3/15 to 3/19
• Decorating from 3/22 to 3/25
• Voting on winners from 4/7 to 4/15
Group has decided that prizes for winners will be gift cards to local businesses but
several issues still need to be worked out, including how to create a map of locations of
participants, creating guidelines for participation, how to encourage competition, how to
include local businesses in competition.
Mary asked the working group to consider how this program could be included in the
virtual parade.
Wei Ding suggested that TCC should ask the Town to decorate as part of this program.
June offered to talk to the Arts Council to see if the Town Arts community would do it.
Linda Dixon suggested that TCC ask CVS Pharmacy to display pictures of decorated
doors in their front windows. She also suggested that a “float” of pictures of decorated
doors could be created for the virtual parade. Linda also suggested that the working group
could create a collage of decorated doors to submit to the local media.
Jerry Michelson agreed that buying gift certificates from local businesses would be an
incentive. He suggested that the group should give a theme for decorating.
Jerry asked if bunting should be installed this year. The committee was in favor of
installing bunting on businesses. Lorain Marquis volunteered to investigate the status of
the previous provider of bunting to the Town since she thinks that the provider has
retired.
Patriots Point Walk: Miles & Smiles:
* Wei Ding, Geetha Padaki, Mary Hutton, Sandy Podgorski
Wei reported that the working group has identified 2 parts to the program:
• The ways to gain miles are walking, running, and biking. Participants will be
encouraged to take pictures of themselves and their families at the locations.
• The group is working on a recommended list of historical locations and the routes to
get there.
Prizes will be gift cards to local businesses.
Issues still to be decided include how to record miles.
Geetha Padaki suggested that participants should be able to identify local organizations,
such as IAL, that they are participating on behalf of so the organizations can be
acknowledged as part of this program.
Jerry Michelson mentioned that participants should be informed that tricorn hats can be
purchased at the Visitors Center and from the Lions Club. Steve Cole noted that the sale
of the hats will support the Lions Club.
Virtual Parade:
* Lorain Marquis, Wei Ding, Mary Hutton, Rita Pandey, Sue Stering
Lorain reported that the group is aiming for a 60-minute program.
She asked if clips from previous parades can be obtained from Lex Media.
The group is looking to get quotes from Lexington residents about their memories of past
parades. Mary asked TCC members who are long time Lexington residents to submit
quotes to the group. Wei suggested that the group try to get quotes from children.
People submitting quotes should record them and submit them to the TCC group and Lex
Media (Rick). Video clips should be horizontal and high definition.
Publicity:
* Linda Dixon, Sandy Podgorski, June Baer
Geetha asked if a promotional video for all the virtual programs should be produced this
year, as was done for the last couple of years. Committee agreed that was a good idea
and Geetha volunteered to look into it.
June noted that the publicity group is working on how to promote all the Patriots Day
programs. The group will be working with the Town to update the Town web site with
information.
Jerry Michelson asked if we could get coverage from local TV media and the Boston
Globe as we did for the Veterans Day car parade.
It was noted that the Library will include the Patriots Day flyer with curbside book
pickups as they did for Veterans day.
Scouts:
Cerise Jalelian
Cerise noted that Troop 160 is working on their pancake breakfast plans with a vendor
but they are not ready to present the details yet.
General Comments:
Steve Cole reported on the Lexington Minute Men and DAR activities. The DAR will
present a virtual lecture and Q&A on genealogy on 4/17/21. The Minute Men will
present a lecture on the 4/19/1776 evacuation.
Steve Cole asked that the Lexington Minute Men contact responsible for organizing the
Minute Men videos be invited to the next TCC meeting so the TCC can be updated on
LMM plans.
Florence Del Santo requested that the Door Decorating and Miles & Smiles groups keep
Lex Media in the loop if they plan to give pictures of their participants to Lex Media. If
pictures are submitted ahead of time, then award winners can be added quickly to the
video presentations.
June reported on the following Patriots Day activities planned by other organizations:
• The 10th Regiment of Foot is planning a video on the life of a Red Coat at the time of
the Revolution.
• Hancock Church will offer a 30-minutes video of their hand bell concert.
• The Lions Club White Tricorn Hat award will happen virtually as will the
Minuteman Cane award.
• The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum will offer an online display about the Lexington
Alarm Letter.
Jerry Michelson noted that four White Tricorn Hat winners died this year and asked the
committee if they should be memorialized somehow. The issue was raised of
memorializing the other Lexington residents who died this year due to the pandemic.
June reported that the TCC has a seat on the Town committee planning for the 250th
anniversary of Patriots Day and she asked for a volunteer from the committee to attend
those meetings. Cerise Jalelian and Mary Hutton volunteered.
June also reported that the Town Monuments and Memorials committee has requested a
TCC member to attend the meetings. Linda Dixon reported that the Monuments and
Memorials committee is creating a database of all the historical monuments and
memorials in Town. The committee also advises the Select Board on requests for new
monuments and memorials and works with the Public Works Department on major
renovations of them. Glen Bassett volunteered to represent TCC on that committee.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Next meeting: 2/24/21
Respectfully submitted,
Suzanne Caton, Secretary