Politics & Government

Selectmen Receive Update on Holiday Celebration

A community holiday celebration is planned for Dec. 7 at the Tewksbury Public Library.


Tewksbury Selectmen heard from members of the Public Events and Celebrations Committee at their Tuesday meeting, receiving an update on community holiday festivities planned for Dec. 7 at Tewksbury Public Library. 

The community holiday celebration will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the library on Dec. 7.

Public Events and Celebrations Committee members Cheryl Gay, Elaine Krauss and Mary Little delivered the update, explaining their decision to move the celebration to the library.

"When we decided to move this event, we thought the library would be a great space for it because it's visible from Main Street, available for families and there's a lot of space to use inside and outside the library," Gay said.

The event will include vendors set up in the library parking lot, music events throughout the afternoon, marshmallow toasting and a tree lighting ceremony.

"Our goal is to make this a really family oriented fun event that will hopefully become and annual event at the library," Gay said. 

Selectman Jim Wentworth, representative to the Public Events and Celebrations Committee,  said the committee is also hoping to have sleigh rides (or wagon rides depending on how much snow is on the ground) provided by Krochmal Farm.

"We're trying to confirm another team of horses so we can have wagon rides if there's no snow or sleigh rides if there is snow," Wentworth said. "I would like to thank the people at Krochmal Farms to find another team of horses for us."

Krochmal Farms will also be providing a petting zoo and pony rides during the celebration, according to Wentworth. 

Santa and Mrs. Claus will also make an appearance to pass out candy canes to children in attendance, according to Gay.

For the tree lighting ceremony, State Rep. Jim Lyons is donating a 20-foot tree to the town, which will be decorated with colored lights, according to Gay.

"The tree will be just behind wall so it will be clear and visible to Main St.," Gay said. "Surrounding trees will be lit in white lights, with the 20-foot tree in colored lights so it's very clear to everyone driving up Main Street and they can enjoy it."

Selectmen voted unanimously to accept the tree from Rep. Lyons as a gift to the town.

The tree lighting will take place at approximately 6:15 p.m., with plans for carolers to serenade the crowd beforehand. 

Gay said the committee is still looking for high school volunteers to lend a hand at the event.

"We'd like to get a lot of the teens involved to volunteer and get community service hours for those students going off to college who need the community service hours to put on their resumes," Gay said. 

There will also be vendors set up in the parking lot of the library, and the committee is still looking for any interested businesses or organizations to participate in the event. 

"We're looking for any and all vendors to contact the committee directly," Wentworth said. "Anything they would like to sell or serve at the event would be wonderful."

Selectman Todd Johnson urged the committee to be mindful of other community events happening the weekend of Dec. 7, suggesting presenting them along with the community holiday celebration as a weekend-long festivity. 

Public Events and Celebrations Committee also provided Selectmen with an update on the upcoming pilot Tewksbury Farmers Market, to be held on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. between the tennis courts and Livingston Street.

Wentworth said these two dates will help the town gauge interest and support for a farmers market in Tewksbury before deciding whether to move forward with a complete program for the 2014 season.

"We're going to try this out, see if the town supports it and if the town wants a farmers market. We'll spend the winter months reaching out to vendors for the early June through early October timeframe," Wentworth said. 

Selectmen voted 5-0 to grant a one day liquor license to Mahoney's Garden Center for Nov. 14 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a wine tasting at their annual Ladies Night Holiday Open House.

"For a business entity on Main Street in a busy time of year I don't believe I've ever had any resident communicate with me any concerns as a result of this event," Johnson said. "I think it's a welcome addition to the community for that one day."

Selectmen also voted 5-0 to grant a one-day extension of entertainment license hours for T.J. Callahan's for Nov. 16 to host a benefit for individual with autism. 

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The entertainment license hours for T.J. Callahan's are normally from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with the extension changing the hours from 2 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Town Manager Richard Montuori reported the town has sent out approximately 800 postcards to business owners in town, asking them to take an online anonymous survey pertaining to the relationship between the town and their business.

Find out what's happening in Tewksburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Return of the surveys has been slow in the approximately 10 days since the postcards were sent out, and Montuori said he is hoping to see an increase in response to the surveys.


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