A steering committee to propel Brookhaven into itssesquicentennial celebration met for the first time Tuesday toexchange ideas and plan for the 2008 festivities.

Members of the committee agreed that the largest obstacle andkey element of success facing them in celebrating the city’s150-year anniversary would be to spur the community to activelyparticipate in the many events that will occur throughout theyear.

“Since I’ve known that I was going to do this, I’ve had amillion ideas. But it’s going to take people to see those ideasthrough,” said Rita Rich, committee chairwoman.

That’s not to say, she added, that the committee wasn’t seekingevent ideas from the public. Anyone with an idea can contact acommittee member of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber ofCommerce to submit them for consideration.

It is hoped, Rich said, that civic groups and churches willsponsor their own events to coincide with “official” chamberactivities.

“It can be anything from contests to a Hat and Bonnet Sunday,with everyone wearing hats or bonnets to church,” she said.

Committee members also began to organize subcommittees to focuson specific areas, such as event planning and fundraising tocoordinating activities among interested civic groups.

Those interested in serving on a subcommittee can contact anysteering committee member to express their willingness to serve,Rich said. The subcommittees will be formed by the end of May andbegin meeting as soon as possible.

Sesquicentennial activities are slated to begin in January 2008.The annual Brookhaven Christmas Parade Nov. 29, 2008, will bethemed after the celebration and officially end the celebrations,Rich said.

One idea – suggested by Quinn Jordan – that drew wide supportamong committee members was to advance Brookhaven through itshistory as the year progressed.

Each month would spotlight a certain period of the city’s pastfrom its founding to the present day. January’s event, forinstance, would be themed around the founding of the city whileNovember’s event would be themed upon the present day.

Committee members also expressed a desire to coordinateactivities with county schools. They proposed English projects andessays could be tied to Brookhaven’s history, clubs could sponsorsesquicentennial events as fundraisers, and a variety of otherthemed activities.

“I don’t want to put a lot of extra work on the schools, but ifthey know what we’re trying to do they could maybe incorporate itinto their normal work,” Rich said.

Kay Burton, chamber program director, said the school projectscould be beneficial to students and enjoyed by the community.

“I loved it when all the art was in the windows of businessesdowntown,” said Burton, referring to past school projects held inconjunction with certain events. “If we could do that again thetheme could be whatever that month’s time period is or even aproject to bring Brookhaven through the years.”

Some groups have already pledged to support thesesquicentennial, Rich said.

Henry Ledet, a member of the steering committee and director ofthe Lincoln County Public Library, is planning for the library’sevents through 2008 to focus on genealogy to tie into thesesquicentennial, she said.

The steering committee also had to address the lack of a budget.Rich said the city and Brookhaven Trust have pledged to providesome funding, but additional sources would need to be found.