JAY – Hyla Friedman wants selectmen to clean the Chisholm war monument and to put in a flag pole that could lower a flag to half-mast when appropriate.

Friedman wants it done now rather than later.

Selectmen and Town Manager Ruth Marden have discussed cleaning the monument and the plaque, which will be expensive.

Officials have already had town crews cut the trees down around the monument to make the veterans memorial on Main Street more visible.

Selectmen and Marden also discussed removing the banking behind the monument so people can walk around it.

But after discussion about a state Route 4 construction project anticipated to start in a few years, selectmen opted to table the issue until they can find out what the state had planned for that section of the street where the monument is located.

Marden wrote to Friedman informing her of the selectmen’s decision to wait.

Friedman said she contacted two divisions of the state Department of Transportation and found out the monument wouldn’t need to be moved.

“Why wait?” Friedman asked.

The Maine statute requires towns to care for monuments, flags and flowers.

Years have gone by, Friedman said, and requests have been ignored.

“I urge the town selectmen and town manager to act on this now – not later,” Friedman said.

Fall is a good time for landscaping, she said. Veterans Day, Nov. 11 gives selectmen enough time to act, she said.

“Our veterans who died for their country deserve to be honored,” Friedman said.

Marden explained Wednesday that selectmen have been discussing putting an amount of money into next year’s budget to start a reserve fund to come up with a plan to figure out what to do about the monument.

There has been some discussion about maybe expanding the monument area, Marden said.

“We’ve certainly not forgotten about it,” Marden said. “Were’ just taking a cautious approach.”

It’s very expensive to clean, she said.

Officials are also tossing around that other war veterans need a memorial to be honored, Marden said.

“It’s not a forgotten issue,” she said. “We’re just trying to be fiscally responsible.”

Friedman said that if townspeople knew what was needed, they could donate items such as plants, or time to help move the project along.

“It could be a memorial,” Friedman said.

Marden said maybe a committee could be formed to develop a plan on the monument.

dperry@sunjournal.com