Citizens attending the Special Town Meeting held in Memorial Hall Monday unanimously approved 12 of the 13 articles on the special warrant and ratified a substitute .motion submitted by George F. Willett which called for the appointment by the moderator of a committee of seven citizens to make a further study of the cemetery situation and have them report back to the citizens not later than the adjourned town meeting in 1951.
Willett’s motion was submitted under article 3 oi the special town meeting warrant after the original motion to use part of the Memorial Park area adjacent to St. Gabriel’s Chapel at Highland Cemetery was defeated by a vote of 3G to 8.
The original motion on Highland Cemetery being extended by the use of the land noted above was presented to the voters by the selectmen and board of health.
Mr Willett outlined his plan for having the citizens through a committee of seven, consider the matter and told of the park development laid out in the original plans made early in the century. John Abdallah rose to pay tribute to Mr. Willett but stated that he thought
that it was high time we stopped burying people in a dump but that it was a matter of concern for all citizens to see that ample burial lots were available. He went on record as being in favor of the passage of the original motion. Herbert Wiggin spoke in favor of Willett’s substitute motion.
Town Manager Monahan stated that the life ot the present cemetery facilities was believed to be about 12 years more and stated that he was in favor of a further study being made of the problem. “People are lacking in their interest to buy lots in that section of the cemetery,” Monahan said, “due to the dump and something must be done.”
Mr. Willett’s motion was carried unanimously after the debate and Willett left the hall with tears in his eyes after thanking the voters for their action in voting to have Moderator Francis Foley name a committee of seven to make a study of the cemetery needs with a view to having the situation taken care of for at least 25 years.
After Mr. Willett left the hall, former selectman Clement A Riley rose and offered a motion to have a committee of five appointed by the moderator to draw up a resolution to be presented to Mr. Willett for the many acts he has done to make Norwood one of the finest towns in the state. The motion was unanimously carried.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)