News & Features
June 2006

Cemetery Preservation Fund surpasses goal
By Peter Masuzzo, Cemetery Commissioner

Arthur Jay scrubs clean a cemetery stone.

With less than one week to go on the $25,000 matching goal campaign, the fund was over $7,000 away. Then a $2,000 donation came from a Brookfield family who wishes to remain anonymous. On the same day, Howard Whitcomb and Sarah Eastman donated $1,000 in memory of Alan and Barbara Whitcomb.

Donations from repeat donors came in, too, during the closing days. Barbara Clancy, Louise Willett, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. John Nolan, and Edith Malynowski all sent notes that said, “Hope that we can make it…”

It was common throughout the campaign for people to ask me, “How is it going?” and “How much is left to go?” During the final week, I posted an “amount left to go” indicator on the sign at the cemetery. The last-minute donations came in strong! By Thursday afternoon, the sign said, “$600 to go.” Harold Chesson saw it and made the donation that closed out the balance.

So it was, on Friday, April 28, after more than a year of raising funds, and with just two days before the deadline, we made it at $25,004! I called the matching $25,000 donors to let them know, and they were ecstatic. It felt so good to be able to make that call, and I was proud to represent the townspeople.

We had made it. What a relief! The following day, donations continued to come in, including a very generous contribution from Cmdr. and Mrs. Robert Hunter in memory of his family. His note said that they only get back to town a few times a year and how appreciative they are of the way the cemetery always looks and of this important preservation effort.

Our total raised came to $30,129. With the matching funds, this puts the Preservation Fund at over $102,500 as a balance. This money will be used specifically for projects outlined in the Preservation and Management Plan, with the highest priority being restoration of the main gate and tree maintenance. The fund will remain open and active. Donations can be made at any time in memory of loved ones.

Special thanks to all of the donors and to Ron Couture of the Historical Commission. Ron was instrumental in helping us develop the Preservation Plan and in this fundraising effort. We never would have gotten it off the ground without him.

In other cemetery news, you will soon begin to see expansion of the undeveloped sections. We have the opportunity to acquire some fill from the Highway Department and want to take advantage of it. No money from the Preservation Fund will be used for this project. This is funded through the cemetery expense account and the perpetual care account.

Another stone cleaning session was completed in late April. It was a bit too cold, but Kermit and Jean Eaton, Pauline Merrick, Ron Couture, Alissa Caron, and John Loveland spent several hours scrubbing. Thanks also to Bryan Witham and John Bastian for planting the flowers in the entrance planter and around the soldier’s monument. John and Bryan purchased the Phillips’ home and are avid gardeners. Nice job all around!

If you need additional information or have any questions regarding the Preservation Fund or the cemetery, please feel free to contact me or the other Commissioners.

Thank you!