To the editor,

I understand the Maintenance Department priority at this time is the town cemeteries. While I agree all town space should be neat and clean I have two safety concerns in Onset Village that should receive immediate attention.

Crosswalk striping and lack of crosswalks: Crosswalks were restriped last year and the previous year and have worn off to the point of being invisible. Trying to cross Onset Avenue to go to church, the post office or just to get from one side to the other without getting run over is dangerous.

A crosswalk at the corner of South Water, North Water Streets and Onset Avenue needs to be installed. If the Maintenance Department is using an outside vendor for the relining then the lines should be relined at no cost to Wareham because of the poor quality of their product. If the process was done in-house then a more reliable product should be selected.

Street Sand: Streets need to be swept. In several neighborhoods the blacktop cannot be seen there is so much sand. Cars trying to stop are skidding, bicyclists are falling and it is difficult to walk with the piles of sand on our roads. The dust created by the traffic is a danger to anyone with breathing issues.

It seems Wareham is the only local town who has not had a Spring sprucing up. As we go into tourist season, Wareham and its villages are filthy. We may attract visitors but their return is questionable. May I suggest the town look into outsourcing the cleanup to a local landscaping business? It may take less time and expense than our limited maintenance employees doing it.

I would also suggest that areas to be cleaned be notified so residents and business would be able to clean sidewalks and remove vehicles before the sweepers come.

Lastly I would like to thank all the folks who pick up litter everyday in Onset along the beaches and roads. Thank you to Len Gay who built new flower boxes for the Stone Bridge. Rita and Paul Labouliere and Hough Landscaping for planting and maintaining the traffic islands coming into Onset on Onset Avenue and East Boulevard. They also spent Saturday raking and sweeping at Onset Pier.

Finally the Onset Bay Association Beautification Team who clean, maintain and plant flowers at the Stone Bridge, Onset Pier, Dudley Brown Square and Onset Bandshell.

Kathy Judd
Member of the Onset Bay Association Beautification Team