Major news stories from Windham in June 2005 included the following, from the archives of Current Publishing:
Cemetery expansion
Windham councilors discussed buying a 23-acre lot on Route 202 abutting the Smith Cemetery. The lot, eyed by the council for future development, was for sale for $400,000. Council approved this at a subsequent meeting.
Bad fire
An electrical fire destroyed D&J Excavating on the corner of Route 302 and Vance Drive in Windham. By the time firefighters were on the scene, the blaze was burning through the roof.
Petition re: cemetery land fails
The May 31 deadline came and went, bringing to an end a petition drive to overturn the Windham Town Council vote of May 11 to purchase a 23-acre parcel of land. The group who started the petition collected 400 or 500 signatures, far short of the 1,174 signatures needed to overturn the council’s decision.
Voting site moved
Starting with the June 14, 2005 Municipal Election, all voters will be voting at the Windham High School gym. This will be for all elections. The Town Clerk urges people to not go to town hall or the church to vote.
Start of USA Patriot Act
In June 2005, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, members of Congress passed legislation giving the executive branch sweeping new powers to fight terrorism. This legislation, named the USA Patriot Act, was passed after only six weeks of deliberation, an unusually brief period for such an important piece of legislation. While it passed, many members of Congress have stated that they had insufficient time to read the 342-page document.
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