Graveyards in Disrepair and a Showcase for the Lions Club

A brief synopsis of what happened at last night’s meeting at :

• The Board of Selectmen voted to allow the Bethany Lions Club to install a memorial showcase at Lakeview Lodge. Also, the BOS detailed to the club how they would like to adjust the positioning of the Lions Club tag sale and Bethany’s Farmers Market to make it safer for drivers and pedestrians at the airport grounds.
• The board discussed waiving the bid process for the grand list revaluation, which takes place every five years, the next time being in 2013. They decided to table the topic until the next meeting so the town assessor could present the proposal.
• Town Historian Will Brinton presented a slide show of Bethany’s historic cemeteries, which showed the poor condition of many of the headstones. Brinton said before the on the graveyards in October, he had been aware of the damage, but not the extent of it. Any repairs done to the stones were completed decades ago. Brinton asked that the town add a line item in the upcoming budget season to begin the process of fixing and maintaining the cemeteries. Pat Stewart, who lives next to the cemetery, commended Brinton on his presentation and said, “I think we should honor the history of our town and pick up the fallen stones.” The BOS agreed the first step would be to authorize a professional evaluation of all six graveyards to access the situation and devise a plan. Brinton said he would get a quote from a company that specializes in restoring old tombstones.
• The town audit is ready and will be presented to the Bethany Board of Finance tonight, Dec. 13.