Cemetery Advisory Committee Spring 2022 Update

Spring is here. Cemetery plans and ideas are springing up with the flowers. The committee did not meet during the winter due to holidays, low membership, and not much to meet about. Elaine Diaz and Linda Williams continued work on organizing cemetery records and information. As the snow has receded, Sam Tome, Cassie Hensley and Linda Williams have been collecting GPS coordinates for the cemeteries and we plan to use them to accurately map locations of all known burial grounds in Bowdoinham and some that border with Bowdoin and Richmond. We have three new members on the BCAC; P.J. O’Hanlan, Nina Jewell Mendall and Peter Mendall. We look forward to the skills and interests they will bring to this committee. We sadly accept the resignation of Sam Tome, after nearly 3 years on the committee. He will continue on as keeper of the Pratt Cemetery, the Sedgley Plot, and the Reed Tomb; all on the Wildes Road. We continue to pursue concerns about cemetery destruction and neglect. Tobey Frizzle, Public Works Foreman has been tasked by the town manager, Nicole Briand, to follow up with the problems of erosion and possible dumping at the Village Burying Ground. He has been in contact the state archaeologist and others concerning the bank going down to Sampson’s Brook. An exploration of the area is planned as weather permits. There are some fence sections from the Lunt Family lot in the V.B.G., that have been tossed over the bank. We don’t know if this dumping was authorized by the family or not and would like to restore the fencing, if appropriate. If you are a member of this family, please contact the committee. AND speaking of fencing, many of the small plots in town could use a little protection around them. If anyone has leftover or replaced fencing from projects and would like to donate the fencing to us for these plots, we will gratefully accept. Donated fencing may be left at the Public Works on Pond Road, on recycling days. We hope to do a “town-wide” cleanup at the Old Meetinghouse Burying Ground and the Adams-Cromwell Cemetery on the Abagadassett Road, as well as the McFadden Yard and Browne Cemetery with smaller groups. The dates, when determined, will be posted on the town website and social media. We will also be doing weekend cleanups at the Village Burying Ground and the Ridge Cemetery. We will post roadside signs for these events as well. We continue to provide supply kits for keepers and volunteers. These will include brushes, cleaning tools, D-2 cleaner and information packets on how to clean the headstones. They may be found on Elaine’s porch at 18 Sedgley Field Lane (please call ahead at 666-8255) at Public Works on recycling days or when open (call ahead at 666-3503). There will also be a couple of kits at the town office, please check the website for current office hours. All of those little plots in your backyards are ready for a little spring attention; raking out leaves and maybe a plant or two. If you need or want some helpers in your small plots, please call Elaine (666-8255) or Linda Temple (666-3343), as coordinating volunteers is what we do. See you out there. Elaine Diaz