Celebration plans are moving forward
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The tentative schedule for Westminster's 250th Anniversary Celebration is coming along and many people attending the meeting on Thursday, May 29, were ready to help and contribute ideas.

The 250th Anniversary Committee held a public meeting to update residents on the plans for the celebration, which will run between January and October 2009. The Committee is also looking for people to help organize events including those events that are on the schedule.

The Rotary Club is working on the plans for a Formal Anniversary Ball that will be the final event of the celebration. The ball will incorporate more than seven styles of bands from classical to salsa and from metal to swing that will play in many of the rooms and areas at the Village Inn.

In the past there were events such as minstrel and talent shows, custom balls, model airplane day, the VFW hosted a clambake and a cake-decorating contest. The clambake is back on the schedule of events for August 2009, but some members of the group gathered for the meeting had questions about the three balls that were scheduled. They said that might be too many.

"The community came together in a way that was just extraordinary," said Betsy Hannula of the 1959 celebration.

She did say the way the town would have to incorporate the activities would be different because of the different way of life in 2009.

Lorraine Emerson, the chairwoman of the Anniversary Committee, said the goal is to keep that hometown feel.

"We have to figure out how to involve the kids of today," she said.

Hannula said in the past different aspects of popular culture have made it into the parade or other town events, such as breakdancing in 1984 and hula-hooping in 1959.

People had a few ideas about potential events such as a Battle of the Bands, a "Westminster Idol" contest or other such events. One member of the crowd warned that this could overlap with events at the high school and another suggested these events not simply be limited to the youth.

Resident Tiffany Davis volunteered to approach the Westminster Elementary School PTO to try to get them involved. In 1959 the PTO hosted a family winter carnival.

Ken Burstall, a member of the Advisory Board, suggested a fishing derby during the warm weather, and not simply an ice fishing derby. Burstall also suggested doing movie nights for family movies on Academy Hill on Fridays.

"We truly need people to take over some of these events," Emerson said. "We need help."

A parade will be set to run on Sept. 27, and organizers are hoping to get everyone to participate, including the neighborhood areas in town with floats.

The other activities that are being planned include competitions with Princeton, which is also celebrating the 250th Anniversary of their incorporation.

The organizers are also looking to have some of the annual or normal town events focus on the anniversary and become part of the celebration.

One of those things will be the annual Lions' Club Auction in June.

Other activities could include the opening of the renovated library.

"We're going to open the library that you folks gave us," said Library Director Margaret Howe-Soper.

She said the trustees would like to host some type of event in the winter when the library reopens after the renovations and that can be tied into the 250th celebrations. She also said that the library can gear some of its programs throughout the year to the celebration and the town's history.

The Westminster Firefighter's Association is planning to hold a Muster Competition in August.

The committee is also working to have a fireworks display on Saturday, Aug. 22.