Ed Gagnon hosted his annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast this year in a wig and knickers and carrying a large bell. As one of Needham’s two new town criers, Gagnon was dressed to march in the Independence Day parade alongside a large birthday cake float with the number “299’’ on top.The town criers — Gagnon and Chris Gerstel — were recently selected to act as mascots for the town’s upcoming tercentennial events. They hope to take residents back to Colonial times and show them how much has changed since those days.
Gagnon, who has lived in Needham for 60 years, is considering buying prescription Colonial-style glasses so as not to break character with his modern specs. He said he got this tip from battle re-enactors, whom he will “fight’’ alongside during springtime celebrations.
Gerstel, who graduated from Needham High School in 1994, plans to start conversations with people by asking them about technological contraptions like cars and cellphones. With the 96-degree weather last Monday, however, Gerstel joked about forsaking his wig for the parade.
He said that since his selection, the question people ask him most often is what he’ll be wearing for the part.
“I’m a little bit nervous about the first impression — getting out what, exactly, you are,’’ Gerstel said. “When I heard about it, I really did want to do this, and I wanted to make sure I did it right.’’
Gagnon said townspeople have already played along with his new role. On his way home from the first photo shoot two weeks ago, Gagnon stopped to buy some milk, still wearing his costume. The cashier told him she couldn’t accept his debit card as payment because such things weren’t invented in his time.
“It’s a blast,’’ he said. “The more I look into this little gig, the more I find this out, the more interesting it becomes.’’
Gerstel and Gagnon, both nominated for the role of town crier by their friends, have been prominent figures in Needham. They first met when Gerstel was in high school, performing in a school play that Gagnon helped organize.
Gerstel, now a territory account manager for Coca-Cola, appointed himself “Rocket Man’’ in his senior year at Needham High. He ran around the pep rally for the Needham-Wellesley Thanksgiving football game clad in blue with a cone on his head, cheering on the team.
This year, he’ll attend Needham football games as a town crier and interact with fans.
“Needham has been good to me and my family,’’ said Gerstel. “I wanted to give back and be part of its history and its tradition.’’
Gagnon said he helped his father with preparations for Needham’s 250th birthday celebration when he was 11 years old. He has been a Town Meeting member, a Santa Claus, and a Scout Master. He is perhaps best known, however, for the annual pre-parade breakfast he and his wife, Susan, host for Needham residents on the Fourth of July at their home on Warren Street. This year was number 34.
“He’s also 6 foot 7 with a beard, has a great voice and a great stature,’’ said Susan Gagnon. “This is right up his alley.’’
Gagnon, an assistant facilities manager at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, and his wife also have a home in New Bern, N.C., a town that is coincidentally also celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. Gagnon plans to take his town crier costume when he goes down there for vacation.
The Needham 300 Club selected two town criers to ensure that at least one of them would be at each of the four dozen events planned for the year leading up to Needham’s 300th birthday on Nov. 6, 2011, said Bill Tillburg, a club cochairman.
The criers will be responsible for communicating certain messages at each event, emulating the role they played in the 1700s of getting out the news, Tillburg said. They will study with the Needham Historical Society and help educate the community about the town’s history.
Gerstel and Gagnon made their official debut as town criers in the Fourth of July parade on Monday. They said they will use the summer to continue researching their roles before the start of the anniversary celebrations on Nov. 5.
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