Cemetery head vows to fight for Curley land

SAUGUS – Dennis Gould is holding strong in his resolve to make the Curley property cemetery land – if it?s his last act as Cemetery Commission director.Gould said Tuesday he had a spot on the Nov. 26 Board of Selectmen meeting agenda to move forward on the results of Question 3 on the Nov. 6 ballot, when Saugus voters supported by a slim majority with 51.11 percent of the vote that the town-owned 63.3 acre property that lies behind Kohl?s off Walnut Street be used as a cemetery for the town.But due to the question?s nonbinding nature, Gould still has work to do. His intent, he said, is to put it to a Town Meeting vote to see if Town Meeting members will “respect the wishes of the vote” and transfer the property to the Cemetery Commission.Gould said going before Town Meeting poses a risk. “There?s still a lot of people on Town Meeting who voted against it before,” he said, mentioning the March 2011 meeting.With pressure from the town on the School Department to build a new high school building, Gould has a contingency plan if it fails Town Meeting to petition to get a question on the ballot and make it binding. This will be his “last attempt,” he said.?This was my last goal as commissioner, to take care of the resident?s last burial place,” said Gould on the promise he made in August to resign if the town doesn?t approve the expansion. When he made that initial promise, the town?s cemetery had only 180 graves left, he said.?The only town property with a large enough parcel to handle a cemetery is the Curley property,” said Gould. “If the town decides not to go with that total process, then the task is done.”