Middletown Portland America 250th Committee Meeting - March 17, 2026

The Middletown Portland America 250th Committee met on March 17, 2026 to coordinate activities for the American Revolution semi-quincentennial. Discussions focused on the upcoming flag raising ceremony, July 4th parade and picnic, downtown beautification, community engagement, and merchandise. Subcommittee reports were presented, and several action items were assigned.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda approved unanimously.
• Minutes from January 12th and February 5th approved; the chair noted that February 27th minutes would be taken up separately, and a correction regarding the wording "memorial applications" was noted for that record.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No formal public comments were made. Two public attendees were welcomed: Haley (Middle Exchange) and Scarlet (via chat).

Discussion Items

Flag Raising Ceremony (March 27)

• The flag raising is scheduled for Friday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the South Green. A jazz band from Middletown High School will perform. The chair stated her preference to hold the event rain or shine; no concerns were raised.
• Mayor Nosara described the current flagpole arrangement (American flag on top, POW/MIA flag, and Connecticut flag below). Chief Dave Albert (Fire Department) will inspect the flagpole with his honor guard commander to confirm the correct placement of the America 250 flag.
• Gary Wallace noted he would be out of town and suggested a bagpipe band as a possible addition; the chair agreed to discuss this offline.

Bridge Flags and Main Street Banners

• Mayor Nosara is arranging a meeting with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to seek approval for hanging two large American flags from the bridge. The flags have been used at Pride events; details on installation and duration are still to be determined.
• The mayor also reported on a meeting with Eversource regarding a proposal to help subsidize America 250 banners on Main Street. The first banner sponsor is Shapiro Law Offices. The committee itself will not receive any revenue from the banners.

Subcommittee Reports

• Vice Chair Deb Shapiro: A photo scanning project is scheduled in partnership with Russell Library and the Historical Society. Registration goes live online on April 13, and the scanning event is set for Saturday, June 13. She also announced a Historical Society concert on May 9 featuring American music.
• Amistad planning: Deb is working with the Discovering Amistad organization and the anti-racism task force to plan activities around the ship's visit in early October, including a screening of the Spielberg film. A planning meeting is being set for April; additional committee members were invited to participate, and school representatives will be included.
• Sandra (Beautification):
  • Main Street banners: CGI is collecting sponsorships; installation expected in April if goals are met.
  • Billboards: Sandra offered to contact Dominic DiMartino (DiMartino Outdoor Media) to discuss terms for advertising, noting the brief viewing time drivers have.
  • Planters: 62 planters will feature red, white, and blue floral themes; work is underway to add small American flags to each.
  • Signage: The Downtown Business District (DBD) is investing $5,000 to refresh 22 three-sided signs on Main Street with historical photos. The new design is called "Celebrating America's 250th on Main Street" and is hoped to be installed by the end of April.
  • Bunting: Keisha and Sandra are exploring uniform bunting for Main Street businesses.
• Ken (Parade): Planning for the July 4th parade will begin after Memorial Day. The parade applications will be sent out after a press release on upcoming events is issued.

Proclamation and State Membership

• A draft proclamation for the 250th anniversary was reviewed; Deb Shapiro has edited it for inclusiveness. The chair asked for any further comments by email before finalizing.
• The state's America250 commission has asked each municipality to send a representative to a recommitment ceremony on July 4, 2026 in Hartford. The committee will need to decide who will attend, given the busy schedule.

Merchandise Update

• Keisha reported spending $4,845.59 on merchandise, including 750 commemorative coins (at $4.95 per unit), patriotic lapel pins, Juneteenth pins, writing pens, bunting, flags, posters, and postcards. She has 300 coins remaining, which will be distributed at the flag raising. Future purchases will be limited to low-cost items like shirts, pens, and hats.
• A suggestion to sell coins to the public was raised; no decision was made.

July 4th Parade and Picnic

• The parade will be followed by a community picnic on the South Green. Chief Albert expressed strong support, calling it a "phenomenal idea" and noted that the fire union is already on board. Chief Costa said he would approach the police union about volunteers.
• Sandra reported she is meeting with the owner of Taino Smoke House and Steakhouse on Wednesday to discuss menu, pricing, and logistics; the owner has experience with events up to 3,000 people.
• Mayor Nosara mentioned a potential $2,500 Eversource grant to offset costs. The committee discussed whether the picnic would be free or paid, but no decision was made.

Portland Committee Updates

• Portland's America250 activities include school essay/poetry/music contests, a Hometown Festival on May 16, a July 4 brownstone plaque dedication (costing $5,325), historical reenactments, and a time capsule. Portland is using a PVC pipe instead of a stainless steel capsule to save money.
• Portland is also creating a commemorative booklet; Keisha suggested Middletown could produce a similar publication with advertisements.

Other Business

• Deb Shapiro noted the Historical Society's 38th annual third-grade essay contest, which this year encourages students to incorporate the 250th anniversary.
• A suggestion from Phil Piscina to hold a bridge rededication ceremony with the mayor and first selectman was shared.

Key Outcomes

• The flag raising will proceed rain or shine; Chief Albert will confirm flag protocol.
• Keisha will finalize the proclamation after receiving member feedback.
• Sandra will follow up with DiMartino Outdoor Media and the Taino Smoke House owner, reporting back after her Wednesday meeting.
• The committee will identify a representative for the July 4th Hartford recommitment ceremony.
• Parade registration materials will be released after the press announcement.
• Amistad planning meeting date to be shared with the committee; school representation to be added.
• Picnic planning will continue, with cost and funding decisions pending.