HOULTON, Maine — Houlton Town Manager Marian Anderson offered apologies on behalf of the town to veterans and families for the condition of the Evergreen Cemetery over Memorial Day weekend during the regular meeting of the Houlton Town Council on Monday night, June 13.
“We had veterans who went in and mowed so that we could have our ceremony,” she said, explaining that she and other town councilors saw the conditions firsthand on Memorial Day. “It was less than our best … it will not happen again.”
Anderson explained that the incident helped the town improve processes, including better oversight of the contracted mowing services.
Earlier in the meeting, Councilor Edward Lake also brought up the unkempt grass at the cemetery while discussing how American flags are displayed in town.
“A few years back we became a military-friendly town,” he said. “On Memorial Day, there was not a thing going on and the lawn wasn’t even mowed.That’s uncalled for as far as I’m concerned. It’s just uncalled for that you take a sacred thing and you’re going to do a service around that thing and the grass not being mowed.”
On Memorial Day veterans placed wreaths on Soldier Hill in the cemetery as part of the day’s events.
Councilors were slated to vote on the longstanding tradition of the American Legion putting flags on poles in Houlton. But after a lengthy and sometimes emotional discussion, councilors voted to table the decision until the next regular meeting.
Historically, the American Legion Chester L. Briggs Post No. 47 has displayed American flags in Houlton, but Councilor Lake expressed concerns about the flags not being properly maintained.
“I’m very particular about the American flag. Come down North Street, Military Street, there are flags that are wrapped-up, hooked in trees. That’s not the way the flag is supposed to be flown,” he said, offering the services of the Marine Corps League to take over the task. “In years past, we’ve gone and told them (American Legion), ‘You put them up, you need to take responsibility for maintaining.’”
The local post could not be reached for comment.
Other councilors expressed concerns about making certain the flags were properly illuminated at night.
“The flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness,” according to the American Legion.
Additionally, several councilors said they would like to formally invite the American Legion to the next town council meeting, giving them an opportunity to respond and present information to the council.
Lake stressed that the Marine Corps League had a plan in place to maintain and replace the flags when necessary.
Nonetheless, the councilors agreed additional information and discussion was necessary prior to voting.
“This is clearly an issue that needs meticulous communication. There has already been a lot of misinformation out there and this is a very emotional issue for a lot of people,” Councilor Sue Tortello said. “I think it behooves us to try to avoid any hard feelings and try to work together on this. I think we’re all wanting to work toward the same outcome, and we would like to see flags displayed in this town properly.”
In other business, Houlton attorney Dick Rhoda updated the council on the proposed labyrinth project originally set for completion this year. Due to several factors, Rhoda said he was aiming for completion in 2023, if the council approves the installation.
As Rhoda explained, the labyrinth is a replica of the famed Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in Chartres, France, built in the early 13th century.
Rhoda walked the meditative paths of the Chartres Labyrinth as a university student studying in Vienna. And while he didn’t understand the significance at the time, he said he always remembered it.
The labyrinth Rhoda has planned is about 39 feet in diameter, about 91 percent of the Chartres’ 42 feet. It will be installed in a quiet location along the river as a place for the community to walk, meditate or just to relax. For centuries, labyrinths have been symbols of finding inner peace.
It is said, if you cast your problems away before walking the labyrinth’s serpentine paths, new solutions can be found.
“This is my gift back to the community in memory of my father,” he said in an interview Monday night.
