The HLWA Board of Directors would like to solicit from the membership a solution to the perplexing problem of erecting a sign required by the DEP on the Majewski property. This sign would indicate the property was purchased by donations of the HLWA membership, with a state grant from the Department of Environmental Protection and donated to the Winchester Land Trust.

The DEP requires a sign be erected at the site, indication the land was purchased with the aid of the grant. We have agreed on the wording of the sign with the Winchester Land Trust and have agreed to finance the erection and cost of a plaque. The only location that seems to make sense is to place it near the Harvey Wakefield plaque. We also hoped to offer to clean and repair the Wakefield sign when the new bronze plaque was being erected.

The problem we are faced with is the cost for the plaque and its erection has been quoted at a price that is far higher than we had originally imagined. We received a generous donation from a local contractor to provide the erection of the plaque at his cost, but estimates are it will require two days of labor. In addition, the bronze plaque has been estimated at approximately $3,500.

We have had members of the HLWA, the Winchester Land Trust, the Town Maintenance Department and contractors look at the site and, so far, no one has come up with a less-costly solution. I would like to ask the HLWA membership to somehow provide a more reasonable solution to our dilemma. Please give me a call if you believe you have an answer.