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Lexington CONCORD, LEXINGTON
History could be in drivers’ sight
By Erica Noonan
Globe Staff / November 28, 2010
The Boston Red Sox have their own Massachusetts vehicle-registration plate, so do the Cape and Islands. Advocates for right whales and breast-cancer research also have plates designed to draw attention to their causes and donations to their coffers.
Now, a local Revolutionary War historian wants to see Lexington and Concord featured on a specialty plate offered by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
“Our history is one of the main attractions that draws visitors here,’’ said Joseph L. Andrews, a retired physician from Concord and the author of “Revolutionary Boston, Lexington and Concord.’’
“We should be highlighting this. There are license plates for our sports teams, but none honoring our extraordinary local history,’’ said Andrews, who also conducts walking tours of historic sites.
He has proposed a “Lexington and Concord 1775’’ plate that could feature a drawing of the Minuteman statues in Lexington or Concord, or the Old North Bridge in Concord.
It could be an excellent outreach effort taking place on the nation’s highways, Andrews said, noting that North Carolina trumpets its history with the slogan “First in Flight’’ on its car registration plates; Illinois proclaims itself “Land of Lincoln,’’ and Connecticut is “The Constitution State.’’
Some plate-generated publicity might even encourage Massachusetts residents to rediscover the history in their own backyards, he said.
The Colonial and Revolutionary War sites in Lexington and Concord, including Minute Man National Historical Park, attract about 1 million visitors annually, according to Lou Sedaris, with the National Park Service.
“I think people would be very happy to have this option,’’ said Andrews. He recently replaced the old green-and-white Massachusetts plates on his 2005 Toyota Solara with a Cape and Island plate, for lack of a more appealing option, he said.
State Representative Cory Atkins has encouraged his efforts, Andrews said, and last week he sent letters to US Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown, as well as Governor Deval Patrick, asking for their support.
Atkins, a Concord Democrat, said it was the first time someone in her district had suggested an American Revolution plate.
“I think it is a great idea,’’ Atkins said last week. “There is a lot of local pride here.’’
Registry spokeswoman Ann Dufresne said the idea of promoting state tourism has been tossed about since the last major redesign of the basic Massachusetts plate in 1987 to include a white background, red numbers, and “Spirit of America’’ tag line.
The biggest factors in limiting plate designs are public safety concerns, she said. The Registry is careful about allowing new plates because it takes decades to phase out a design, which can remain valid as long as a plate’s numbers or letters are legible from 60 feet, day or night.
The Registry offers 118 designs, including specialty, vanity, disabled and veteran plates for passenger cars and all the other vehicles registered by the state, Dufresne said.
But it’s no easy feat to get a new design approved.
A group must have support from an official charitable organization, and post a $100,000 bond. It must design the plate to Registry standards, and collect applications from 1,500 residents willing to pay the $40 fee for a special plate, in addition to the typical $50 registration cost.
The sponsor must create a logo or design that uses only four colors, and meets reflection and visibility standards.
Groups keep $28 of the $40 extra fee for each initial registration, with the state keeping the balance for manufacturing costs, and then the entire fee in subsequent renewals.
The sponsor is responsible for marketing the new specialty plate and obtaining the 1,500 sign-ups with within two years. Then the Registry will release the group’s bond, less any costs incurred if the minimum numbers are not sold, said Dufresne.
The process of getting a new plate approved typically takes many years.
The Registry has more than 20 nonprofit groups working toward developing signature Massachusetts plates, including WGBH, the National Kidney Foundation, the Elks, the state library system, the Grand Lodge of Masons, a muscular dystrophy advocacy group, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said Dufresne.
Three charity groups in the mix of interested applicants represent Massachusetts locations or tourist spots — Nantucket Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Plymouth Rock.
Despite the considerable obstacles, Andrews said he hopes to rally support for “Lexington and Concord 1775.’’
History-minded acquaintances seem enthusiastic, he said.
“I think it would be fabulous,’’ said Masha Traber, a Lexington resident who coordinates the Liberty Ride, a seasonal trolley service offered by the town to help visitors make the rounds.
“I think it would give us something else for Massachusetts to be proud of,’’ she said.
Andrews said he realizes that even a registration plate about events happening more than 200 years ago is not without politics.
With a nod to the ongoing tension between the neighboring communities vying for bragging rights to the Cradle of Liberty moniker, Andrews said he’s prepared to be flexible about which town gets top billing, noting, “We could change it to Concord and Lexington 1775.’’
Erica Noonan can be reached at enoonan@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
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