CUMBERLAND — The names of more than 700 military veterans have been engraved on a memorial at Moss Side Cemetery, just in time for Memorial Day.

The 4-by-8-foot centerpiece of the three-stone monument was laid in 2010, with an inscription that recognizes “all Cumberland residents who have served our country in times of war and peace.”

That stone was followed last year by additional India black granite stones on both sides. Each side of the two new stones and the back of the center stone have space to be inscribed with names of veterans dating back to the Civil War.

Collette Monuments engraved 702 names on Friday and Saturday, and room remains for 300 more, Town Manager Bill Shane said Monday. New names would be added every three to five years, depending on the number of applications.

No taxpayer money has been spent on the monument. Donations have provided $48,000 so far, funding the stones and engraving. Another $15,000 is needed for landscaping around the monument, scheduled to occur next year, and to reimburse work already completed on concrete pavers at the site.

A 10 a.m. Memorial Day parade will start at the Mabel I. Wilson School on Tuttle Road and culminate with a dedication at the Main Street monument at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28. The ceremony will follow two events, starting with a non-competitive “fun run” for youths aged 12 and younger, which starts at 8 a.m. at the Greely High School track. 

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A five-kilometer road race will start at 8:30 a.m. in front of Greely High School on Main Street, and finish on the school’s track. Every participant will receive a commemorative Memorial Day 5K race bib, while first- and second-place awards will be presented in both men’s and women’s age groups. A road race T-shirt will go to the first 50 people who pre-register.

Race day registration fees are $5 for the fun run and $22 for the 5K race. Part of the proceeds will go toward the Cumberland Veterans Memorial Fund.

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

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Collette Monuments engraved 702 names on a veterans memorial in Cumberland last Friday and Saturday.

The names on the memorial date back to the Civil War.

Memorial Day around the area

A Memorial Day service will be held at the United Methodist Church on Chebeague Island at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 28.

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In Falmouth, a parade will start at 10 a.m. at the American Legion Post, 65 Depot Road. It will head to Pine Grove Park on Foreside Road (Route 88), featuring ceremonies that include guest speaker state Sen. Richard Woodbury, U-Yarmouth, and performances by Falmouth’s middle and high school bands. Refreshments will be available on the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church lawn.

In Freeport, a “Main Street Mile” run will start at 8:15 a.m. and go from Freeport Middle School to L.L. Bean. A parade will begin at the high school at 9:30 a.m. and proceed to School Street. A ceremony will be held at Bow Street Park at 10 a.m. In the case of rain, the service will be at the Freeport High School auditorium.

Yarmouth’s events include the raising of flags at Memorial Green at 7 a.m., a muster at the rear of the Log Cabin at 8:15 a.m., a wreath-placing there at 8:30 a.m., and wreath-placings at the Royal River and Ledge, Riverside and Hillside cemeteries. There will also be a parade at Yarmouth High School at 10 a.m., a ceremony at Village Green at 10:45 a.m., and raising of Memorial Green flags to full staff at noon.

— Alex Lear


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