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Commissioners occurred following the resignation of benches and informative signs about these veterans and Frank Lord in December 2016. Brian Hyde became about the historic center of the community, its the Historical Commission representative to the significant sites, activities, land use, and way of life Community Preservation Committee, filling Frank's during the past centuries are being proposed. role. In May, retired Mashpee High School history teacher and Athletic Director, Michael Horne, was In May, an important request for historical appointed to the Historical Commission to fill the information was received from Richard York, Acting vacancy. In August, he resigned due to new time Natural Resources Director, formerly Shellfish constraints. In July, Nancy Soderberg resigned as Constable, requesting history of the home and chairman and Ava Costello was voted as the new outbuildings at 701 Great Neck Road South. The home chairman. In August, Richard DeSorgher, recently was built in 1889 by Horatio Amos,a very successful relocated from Medfield, visited the Archives and oysterman,for his wife,and it remained in the family expressed interest in joining the Commission and until 1939.Upon learning the property was for sale in Archives. He was encouraged by the board to submit 2016, the Town considered buying it for use by the his resume describing his extensive experience as Natural Resources/Shellfish department utilizing the Medfield official historian, author of 3 town outbuildings and proximity to Ockway Bay. histories, long-time historical commissioner and Commissioner Burns Love provided complete history curator of Medfield Historical Society, and Medfield of the property including possible inclusion on the school teacher for 35 years teaching social studies, National Register of Historic Buildings but the Town political science and history. He was appointed decided renovations costs necessary to meet current Mashpee Historical Commissioner on October 30, municipal building code were too great and did not 2017. complete the purchase,however it was very satisfying for the commission to be consulted in a potential During the winter and spring 2017 Ava Costello historic preservation endeavor. Interest in the future of continued work on the Historic Sites Signage Project one of Mashpee's 19th century buildings continues. meeting weekly with other commissioners and Earl Mills, chair of the Historic District Commission, to New Chairman Ava Costello has devoted part of research history and significance of approximately 80 each monthly meeting to reviewing with members the sites mostly in the Historic District, and to prepare Commission's goals,how to achieve them,and how to language and photographs for signs to be fabricated and share the many responsibilities amongst the seven placed on Town land at these locations. Factual commissioners. A new Roles and Responsibilities accuracy is paramount so progress is slow with text for document was unanimously approved to go into effect several signs being completed each week. in May 2018. Another project developed through these regular In June with remaining funds from a 2013 CPC meetings to create a Mashpee Revolutionary War grant a used Savin color photocopier was purchased to Veterans monument with information about these print, photocopy, and scan oversize (11"x14") earliest soldiers and sailors. Chairman Costello materials. Image files can be stored on the Town data submitted an application to Community server and when requested shared with Town Preservation Committee (CPC) for $15,000 to honor departments and boards having access to the Town these earliest veterans by engraving their names on the secure computer system. Selected scans can be added existing Veterans monument. Also, Richard De to the Historical Commission website for public access. Sorgher prepared a grant application for $15,000 to Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory During the fall,Secretary Ann Graham purchased Board (SHRAB) for funding to preserve veterans a professional hanging display system and with new collections, monuments and memorials and to fully commissioner Richard DeSorgher,assembled and hung fund the overall project.These funds will augment CPC the commission's collection of historic maps and funding for the Revolutionary War veterans memorial selected photos.They will continue to add materials as garden and monument. Discussions continue to Mashpee approaches its 150th anniversary in 2020,and honor veterans of other conflicts utilizing Town land Plymouth prepares for its 400th anniversary. Ann in the Historic District,extending from the Community continues to update the commission database that Park through the Community Gardens. Trails with documents donations, books, artifacts, maps, 112