By Terry Karkos,Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – For now, the 10 pine trees lining the road at Riverside Cemetery can stay, but parking on both sides of Nash Street is banned.

Those were decisions that four of Dixfield’s five selectmen OK’d at Monday night’s meeting. The fifth selectmen, Stephen Donahue, has resigned.

Town Manager Nanci Allard first broached the pine tree topic at a previous meeting after a resident complained about nearly being struck by a falling limb while attending a funeral.

Public Works Director Tim Hanson said the town could contract to have the trees removed for $200 per tree. Selectman Montell Kennedy said the trees are a safety hazard for people attending funerals due to parking issues on the street.

But his motion to chop them down failed to garner a second and died.

Selectmen asked Hanson to return to the board’s next meeting with an estimate for ridding the trees of dead limbs.

There was more discussion on the trees than parking, most of which is done during athletic events at SAD 21’s Dirigo High School.

Hanson said that all but one of Nash Street’s residents asked him to have the town’s road ordinance amended to allow no parking on either side of the road.

Currently, parking is only allowed on one side.

Chairman Eugene Skibitsky asked Police Chief Richard A. Pickett his opinion.

Pickett suggested that the board approve the ban, adding that SAD 21 constructed a new parking facility last year, which people are not using.

Instead, they’ve been parking along Nash Street.