CHELSEA -- The Chelsea Historical Society has offered to pay for the engraving of stone signs at a few of the town's cemeteries.

Selectman Guy Berthiaume, president of the Chelsea Historical Society, said Masciadri & Sons monuments in Hallowell will do the lettering.

Owner Tony Masciadri will meet with the Chelsea Cemetery Committee later this month to discuss cost, he said.

"The consensus was that (the Cemetery Committee) would like to go with the stones instead of signs," Berthiaume said Tuesday. "I gave (Masciadri) the names of the cemeteries that we would likely get signed, and his game plan is to create some different fonts and bring them to their next meeting in April."

Cemeteries that need signs include the Allen Cemetery on Route 17, also known as Eastern Avenue; Chase Cemetery on Route 226, also known as Togus Road; Douglas Cemetery and Searls Mills Cemetery, both on Windsor Road; and Chelsea Heights Cemetery on Route 9, River Road.

The town also has inherited about a quarter-acre adjacent to Chelsea Heights Cemetery where selectmen want to make room for more grave sites, Berthiaume said.

He said selectmen Monday voted to increase the price of perpetual care -- the fee residents pay for grave sites to be cared for by the town -- from $200 to $300. Berthiaume said a public hearing must be scheduled before that decision is final.

"It has been about four years or so that we've had this price, so the consensus is that we could up it," he said.

The town's cemeteries will be mowed by Brownie's Landscaping of Whitefield, at a cost of $10,600, after selectmen awarded the contract for that work on Monday. That contract also will pay for mowing at the Town Office and Butternut Park, and around gateway signs.

Berthiaume said the town has about a dozen cemeteries, including small ancient plots scattered throughout the community.

After officials know what it will cost for the carved stone cemetery signs, Berthiaume said an article will be placed on the warrant asking residents to vote at June town meeting to accept the Chelsea Historical Society donation.

"We already have one stone that somebody has offered that he has in his back yard, and then there's a lady on the Cemetery Committee who said she has some large stones on her property that are available if we desire them," he said.

The Chelsea Historical Society is expecting to spend about $1,000 on the project, he said.

None of the cemeteries has signs at the present time.

"We just feel like we want to beautify the community if we can, and just get some identification at these sites," Berthiaume said.

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com