Board of Selectmen: The Town came under fire last week for looking the other way while M2 Partners dug trenches all over the Maple Street Burial Ground in a futile effort to obtain evidence to further their case against the Town in Superior Court; 'no bodies, no cemetery, build on it' ! Why should the Town allow this desecration to continue? More leeway and better profits for a builder who is essentially unwilling to compromise -- who has refused to draw back his development plans by roughly 35 feet from an historic cemetery he can not own or use according to State Statutes? In an effort to demonstrate 'Burial Parcel P' is not part of the cemetery, destructive digging by backhoe last week by M2 Parners left piles of mixed soils and scared landscapes which, in fact, have been counter productive to their claim. The State Medical Examiner reported more burials discovered last week. Photos suggest graves found in all areas of Parcel P. M2 is denying this, an outrageous position to take in the face of confirmation by State and local officials. The Town, which controls all old abandoned burial grounds by default under the State Statutes, needs to step in immediately to stop the desecration, demand transparency, and oversight of this project. There is no reason M2 Partners can not move forward with their plans for 17 Maple Street without claiming the cemetery as a building site. There is room for both. The cemetery has existed for over 200 years without being used as a construction site by neighboring properties. Some black top has been laid over edges of the cemetery but this can easily be corrected. For the moment, a fence for the burial ground, and willingness of the developer to compromise, are what is needed. Terry C. Spring Member Historic District Commission