MEXICO — A six-man crew from the Mexico Highway Department continued work on Wednesday morning to get the Mexico Green cleaned up and ready for Memorial Day services.
Foreman John Blais of Rumford said they began work on the annual ritual on Monday.
“We’re getting it all shined up and pretty for everybody, but the weather hasn’t been very cooperative,” Blais said, taking a break from cleaning veterans’ memorial stones.
Excessive rain had created a potential ankle-twisting boggy area on the hillside between the large “Town of Mexico” sign on the hill and the memorial green itself.
Crewmen Erik Mickeriz and Luke Hyde, both of Mexico, and Tyler White of Rumford filled buckets with excess mulch from the in-ground sign being raked by supervisor Toby Duguay of Mexico.
Blais said they spray new mulch from a truck parked on the road above onto the sign, and then rake it into place. Excess mulch is hauled off in buckets.
White stones will be added to the large wood-framed letters and repainted white for increased visibility.
Down below on the green, Blais and crewman Jeremy Lauzier of Mexico prepped an area between memorial stones for red, white and blue rocks.
Since Monday, Blais said the crew had removed three dump truck loads full of leaves and four or five dump truck loads of brush.
“They’ve been busy,” he said. “They’re doing a good job. There was a lot of brush. We had to rake the whole hillside down.”
Complementing the preparation work are yellow ribbons that Blais said someone would be bringing to place in memory of River Valley residents serving their country who are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Additionally, something special will be placed under the large black memorial stone depicting Mexico veterans from World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam.
But that’s a secret Blais wouldn’t reveal, saying people would have to attend the service to learn what it is.
The Mexico Green service on Monday, May 30, will be held sometime between or after 11 to 11:30 a.m. when the American Legion parade procession arrives from Rumford. That parade begins at 10 a.m. at the legion hall on Congress Street.
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- Jeremy Lauzier of Mexico clears an area between veterans’ memorial stones on Wednesday morning for some landscaping work to beautify the Mexico Green for Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 30. Lauzier was one of six area men working for the Mexico Highway Department on the project.
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- On Wednesday morning, a Mexico Highway Department crew raked and removed excess mulch from the town sign at the Mexico Green during work to get the site ready for Memorial Day services. From left are Erik Mickeriz and Luke Hyde, both of Mexico, Tyler White of Rumford, and supervisor Toby Duguay of Mexico.
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- While Mexico Highway Department supervisor Toby Duguay, top center of Mexico, rakes mulch into place in the town sign above the Mexico Green on Wednesday morning, crewman Tyler White, left, of Rumford lugs extra mulch back to the truck. Crewmen Luke Hyde, bottom right, and Erik Mickeriz prepare to fill their buckets with mulch.
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