The New Year is just around the corner. Hopefully 2020 will be a better year for the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery. Obviously the restoration season is long over and fortunately the mowing season will not get into full swing until May.
Until now there has not been an update on the cemetery since September. The grounds were last mowed in mid-October. Just three weeks after the September mowing. And although the growing season was winding down at that point, the grass desperately needed mowing. The grass grows phenomenally fast.
As many readers know from earlier posts, the grass at the cemetery reached heights of over three feet in length. Most of the gravestones were completely obscured. It was dangerous to trek inside the tall grass. Low gravestones were unseen and a major tripping hazard. Low spots and ground hog holes also contributed to unseen dangers on the cemetery grounds.
The City of Albany was notified of the condition of the grounds in the cemetery. The City stated they would contact the property owner and demand that the grounds be cared for. Whatever attempt was made, failed. The City next stated that it would mow the grounds. The City reneged on its own statement. Most likely because it would not recoup its costs from the property owner. Typical.
Local news channels 10 and 13 broadcast stories about the conditions at the cemetery and after viewers saw the stories many volunteers came out and helped to return the cemetery back to the condition that it should always be in. The City stated that it will not let the cemetery become overgrown again. Time will tell if the City backpedals on its words, again.
During the warmer months of 2019 upwards of eighty plus gravestones were up-righted, leveled, cleaned, and repaired in various manners. When the grass grew to outrageous lengths it took almost one month to get the lawn back in shape. During this time, gravestone restoration practically ceased. So, the project was set back almost one month.
At the beginning of 2019 the plan was to finish the gravestone project. Unfortunately that did not happen. However 2020 should see the project finished. An estimation of forty grave markers are left in need of attention. Most of the tombstones are on the smaller side. It should be very feasible to complete the remaining gravestones this coming year.
For those who donated time, labor, and monetary funds to this effort, Thank You very much! This work would not be able to be completed without your help. We will need certain supplies to see this job to fruition in 2020. We are very close to the end. Supplies that will be needed in the Spring include top soil, crusher-run, stone dust, 80# bags of cement for fabricating new bases, and D2 Biological Solution. See you in the Spring!
