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Cemetery Spring Cleaning to Begin April 20

Anyone who tends a gravesite in Burlington and has non-planted items at the site that you want to keep should recover them before they are removed for a spring cleaning of the cemeteries. 

“Please be advised the spring cleanup at the Chestnut Hill and Pine Haven Cemeteries will begin on April 20 – all decorations and unsightly items will be removed,” the Burlington Department of Public Works said in a statement. “Thank you for your cooperation.” 

Last month the Board of Selectmen voted to change the policies regarding decorations at the cemeteries to give residents more flexibility when sprucing up loved ones gravesites. However, they also emphasized the need for regular maintenance to keep the cemeteries in good condition. 

““It’s a delicate subject, you have grieving family members who visit often and like to add particular personal items to the gravesite and that’s put our employees in a difficult position in the past when we removed them,” said Selectman Mike Runyan at the time. “We take quite a bit of pride maintaining our cemeteries and they look that way because of the policies we’ve had over the years. We’re looking for some middle ground here and to offer a little more flexibility.”

Click Here to read the full article on the policy changes.