As chairman of the Buckfield Beautification Committee, I have had it.

Our committee, and other people in the community, have worked to raise money for the gazebo, so there would be no cost to the taxpayers. We then landscaped around the gazebo. It is called the “memory garden.” Many people have purchased a plaque in memory of a loved one.

The gazebo project took quite a lot of money and much labor to become reality, and I thank those who made it possible.

Sounds nice, so far. Right?

Wrong.

Large groups of mostly middle-school-age children have started to gather there. The flowers have been stepped on; the children leave trash behind; repairs to the gazebo have had to be made.

They have no respect for the beautiful place provided for everyone.

I wonder if the parents know what their children are doing when they drop them off in the village.

The village area businesses are not there to watch over those children. That is the parents’ responsibility. It is not someone else’s responsibility to entertain those children.

The parents need to get involved in the community and help solve the problem. Don’t let the children be the problem.

Parents must teach their children to respect other people’s property, and keep track of the children. That is their responsibility and no one else’s.

For those children who do enjoy the gazebo and respect it, I give thanks. Their help with peers would be most beneficial.

Mary Jones, Buckfield