Official state ice cream? Here's why Mass. takes its state symbols seriously

BOSTON ― Does Massachusetts really need a signature ice cream flavor? A jazz song? A Jurassic-era armored mud ball?

Enough people seem to think so, apparently, to have a joint committee of state government dedicate a portion of its hearing time to proposals brought forth by local residents and legislators. The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight hears testimony in support or in opposition and eventually votes on the measures.

This year, in addition to hearing other bills of seeming more consequence, including a measure to stop switching clocks twice a year, the committee has heard requests for an official state Rock’n’roll song ("Roadrunner" by the Modern Lovers), an official amphibian, (two proposals, the blue spotted salamander and the spring peeper) and even an official ice cream flavor (cookies and cream).

The committee also hears requests for commemorative days and official days of recognition, commemoration and remembrance, that could stretch for a day, week or month; from Peace Officer History Month (January) to Dwarfism Awareness Day (Oct. 25).

“This season we heard strong support and opposition to Indigenous People’s Day,” said Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford, a co-chairman of the committee. “We have strong advocates making cases for the proposals.”

As a legislator, Cabral said he enjoys the hearings that feature bills proposing to expand the Bay State’s symbols and expand its recognition and awareness of illnesses, conditions and events.

“We take these proposals seriously,” Cabral said. The ones he enjoys the most are those presented by students from around the commonwealth. He expressed a desire to have more schools, teachers and students undertake the process of promoting a state icon.

“Everybody likes seeing the students come out to support their proposals,” Cabral said.

Nov. 13, a trio of students testified before the committee on a bill filed by their representative, John Rogers, D-Norwood, recommending that cookies and cream become the official ice cream flavor of the state. The students, Haido Bratsis, 17, Addie Cataldo, 16, and Delilah Sayers, 17, researched the most popular flavor of ice cream in Massachusetts and also any flavors with roots in the Bay State.

Ice cream innovator Steve Herrell opened his gourmet shop in Somerville in 1973. According to the maker’s website, he was the first person to grind up popular cookies and candies like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Heath Bars and Oreos and incorporate them into his ice cream.

“We surveyed (students in) our school to determine the most popular flavor, researched whether it had any links to Massachusetts and determined that Cookies-n-Cream was preferred by 60% of the people who took the survey,” said the students, taking turns to read their testimony.

The committee thanked the teens. “This is how government works,” Cabral told them.

“Anyone can walk into a hearing room and speak in favor or in opposition to a proposal. There is no special invitation needed,” Cabral said, explaining that Washington works differently and the only people who are allowed to testify before Congress are those that have been invited to do so.

Cabral said he enjoys learning about the different symbols that could represent Massachusetts and finds it compelling when the presenters have done their research into a topic. He remembers, vividly, the project to declare a state dinosaur, accomplished last fall when former Gov. Charlie Baker signed the legislation during STEM week at the Museum of Science.

The Podokesaurus holyokensis, or “swift-footed lizard” (definitely a roadrunner) was declared the official state dinosaur. Its fossilized skeleton was discovered by anthropologist Mignon Talbot, a professor at Mt. Holyoke College, at the turn of the last century. The bill to name it the state’s official dinosaur was introduced by Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, D-Framingham, after he launched a state-wide campaign during the long COVID-19 shutdown period.

The bills heard in committee can either be voted out favorably or can just languish in legislative limbo.

“Once it leave the committee, it’s out of our control,” Cabral said.

A group traveled to the Statehouse from Springfield in October to advocate for an official jazz song for the state. Rep. Orlando Ramos filed a bill earlier in the year proposing the song “Massachusetts,” be designated the official jazz song as sung by local musician Montenia Shider.

A former music teacher at Robert H. Hughes Charter School and a resident of Springfield, Shider said she was honored to have her representative request and support the measure.

“It’s a great song – catchy,” Ramos said.

Written by Luckey Roberts and Andy Razaf in the 1930s, the lyrics were changed in 1995 to honor Western Massachusetts during a state convention. Now it’s played at every convention held in Springfield or Worcester, just so people know that Massachusetts extends beyond Route 128 and the I-495 corridor.

One obscure request comes from Richard Little, a professor at Greenfield Community College. He is proposing the state designate an official "sedimentary structure,” a lithified armored mud ball he discovered in Turner’s Falls, Franklin County.

In his presentation materials, Little said he saw the dark shale of ancient mud that had turned to stone in the quarried stone supports of an old bridge. He explains that these items are formed when dried mud rolls into sticky mud and picks up stones as an outer shell or armor.

“It took millions of years for the mud balls to lithify,” Little said.

The advocates for the various icons and state recognition periods all hope legislators don’t take quite that long to approve their bills.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Why should cookies and cream be official ice cream of Massachusetts?