GREENWOOD — It has been nearly a year since Monica Mann and Emily Ecker, both of Woodstock, began their search for a green burial site.

In Woodstock, Ecker and Mann faced a cemetery commission with strict restrictions.  “You don’t have to be embalmed [in Woodstock] but you have to be in a steel liner box,” said Ecker.

On Tuesday Nov. 14, Mann asked the Greenwood Select Board, “Would you allow it?”

“If you buy a plot, you can do a green burial. There is no restriction. We’re just concerned about running out of space,” said Select Board Member Bob Oickle

Greenwood Town Manager Kim Sparks confirmed that Greenwood does not have any specific regulations prohibiting green burials, and therefore they are allowed.

Ecker explained, “This used to be the way it was. Once the Civil War happened and they were transporting their dead loved ones [home], they embalmed them. ‘Norm maybe you know?'”

“I age very well,” replied Select Board Member Norm Milliard.

Space 

“We’ve heard this same thing several times, ‘we don’t have any more room, we’re almost full,” said Mann.

Oickle suggested the three select board members begin to look for more cemetery space. Sparks said there under 20 plots still available are in Hicks Cemetery on Greenwood Road. Oickle suggested that the Cummings Plot, across from the Town Beach, may have some room, too.

There are very few known green burial cemeteries. “If the word got out, people could buy up all the plots for green burial and they could come from anyplace. There are people coming from out of state to these other green burial sites … We may want, as a group, to put on some restrictions,” said Oickle.

“So, would you like to buy a plot?” Oickle asked.

“Plots in my day, during the Civil War, were a little less than they are now,” said Milliard.

Reevaluations

“We are going to have to reevaluate,” said Sparks.

Sparks relayed what the town’s assessor, Paul Binette, said, “There are less [home] sales but what is selling is double, triple.” She said the last reevaluation was done in 2017 and they are supposed to be done every 5-10 years. “He’s hoping to give us another year [before they need to reevaluate],” said Sparks.

The town saved money by working with Woodstock on the last reevaluation which cost $75,000. However, said Sparks, the assessor said Woodstock is not selling in triple the amounts, like Greenwood, so may be allowed more time.

Road repairs

The town hired a third party inspector to determine if a two-mile stretch of Greenwood Road was properly paved by All States Construction in August. “It’s cracking and pitting up,” said Sparks, of the two mile stretch that starts at the top of Fall’s Hill and goes to Rowe Hill Road.

All States’ Construction returned in September to repair the 1.3 mile stretch on Greenwood Road that begins before Martin Rd. and ends at the top of Fall’s Hill Rd. The town paid $31,000 for that repair.

Sparks said the inspector, Ben Shaw of Grill Palmer, needed more literature from All States to determine if the core samples are what they said they put down.  “I told Ron [Simbari, of All States], no payment will be made until we hear from that engineer,” said Sparks.

“I’d certainly like to see the report before [All States comes to a select board meeting] said Milliard.

“I’d be inclined to tell him, ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ when we have our report and an understanding of it,” said Select Board Chair Amy Chapman.

In response to All States’ offer to come patch holes, Chapman said, “Ok but they shouldn’t have to be patching holes to a three-month old road.”

Broadband

Chapman said, “[First Light] will now have the AARPA funds committed by all the towns, the grant they received from Maine connectivity, and their own investment … and we are all going to have good internet within five years?” asked Chapman.

Mahoosuc Broadband Committee’s project will start in Bethel in Jan. 2024 then work toward Woodstock, confirmed Sparks, who represents Greenwood.

The committee is made up of representatives from: Bethel, Milton Township, Gilead, Greenwood, Woodstock, Newry and Albany.

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