Planning Board,

follow the rules

It was disappointing to hear the Windham Planning Board meeting Monday night, May 13, discuss the new development going in on the west side of Chute Road. There is an early cemetery there that was the first town-owned cemetery and yes there has to be 25 feet of undeveloped space around it but there also has to be an easement for the town workers to get to the cemetery and maintain it, for people to go visit and for veterans organizations to put flags on soldiers graves. This is a state law and the Windham Planning Board needs to make the developer follow the law and our town ordinances. Neighbors and Windham Historical Society members will be happy to see the large piles of gravel left by a previous developer disappear.

It was also disappointing to see many of the Planning Board members decide to allow the developers to have 13 curb cuts in this new development instead of considering a cluster development like the one across the street that has two entrances. Many on the Planning Board are development friendly. They are looking for the cheapest way for the developers instead of adhering to our town ordinances that are in place with the help of professional planners for careful growth, and the creation of neighborhoods with sidewalks and trees. Even members of our police force said that it will be a safety issue with 13 driveways and 13 families’ cars coming out onto the road.

The Chute Road was a quiet country road that will soon have three developments on it. Planning Board members, it is your job to read the ordinances and follow them. If you continue doing what you want, the Town Council needs to consider new replacements.

Linda Griffin, president

Windham Historical Society

Act cautiously

with cemetery

Here we go, again. Yes, I hear the town is going to let a new developer do something with the ugly mess on the west side of the Chute Road again. I do hope the town has their act together this time. You have a town-owned cemetery there, I believe the first of approximately 26 that the town now has. I hope everybody involved is not going to let happen what happened before with the first developer. The cemetery has set there for so long and in such state of disrepair that you would not even know it exists. Is this the way we treat our founding fathers of this great town? Not to mention is this the way we respect our veterans? Let’s keep this simple. You would think that we would want to preserve our great town history and those that were so involved, especially the veterans. Yes the ones that fought for us to give us this great nation and way of life that we call a democracy.

I do realize the budget cuts in the past and I’m sure there will be more in the future.

I can’t believe the condition we have left this cemetery in for so many years. I know this first hand as the town has not done a thing to preserve and respect the true meaning of honoring the ordinances and their responsibility. I have mowed and cleaned up this cemetery for the past few years myself. Why you may ask, I have the utmost respect for my fellow veterans and Founding Fathers of this great town. It is one thing to listen to anyone that has great plans and give them permission to do things around such a sacred place where our founding fathers and veterans are buried; however, to let it get to and remain in such a state as this cemetery has for so long, everyone involved with making any decisions for the future of this land should think long and hard and make sure ordinances and proper planning are followed to ensure the graves of our veterans and founding fathers of our town. Everyone that has any decision-making with the parcel of land should look back at what was done. If they can’t see the effect that this has had on what we call our great town then I would say that it is most definitely time to replace those people that are making these decisions in our town.

Barry Lombard, commander

American Legion Filed-Allen Post 148

Thank you

The Casco Cares Board of Directors would like to thank all who have donated to the Casco Cares 2013 Fund Drive. Donations received from area residents and local businesses have enabled our group to assist 36 needy families in the town of Casco during the 2012-2013 heating season,

It is gratifying to see how supportive our neighbors are. It is also gratifying to see how many who receive assistance then later donate to the Casco Cares fund.

We always have a hand out, a hand to help and a hand to receive. Donations may be mailed to Casco Cares, PO Box 22, Casco ME 04015, or placed in the donation jars in several Casco business locations.

Thank you all so much,

Casco Cares Board of Directors