Grant approval hinges on whether the cemetery board makes repairs to tombstones in the oldest parts of the cemetery. The repairs are a stipulation of the $9,307.93 grant the foundation awarded the city in May, Picard said.
The 184-year-old cemetery, 12.5 acres located near First Avenue and Richmond Street, has more than 7,000 grave sites. The cemetery has been a frequent target of vandalism in recent years, mostly resulting in defaced and damaged gravestones, said Middletown police Lt. Jim Cunningham.
The most recent report, in May, was of an unidentified man rolling around on top of the graves, according to Middletown police reports.
Cunningham said he worked with area residents two years ago in an effort to reduce suspicious activity and vandalism in and around the cemetery.
“My experience is most of the vandalism has been caused by kids jumping the fence in the back corner on Richmond Street,” he said.
The cemetery already has a gate that can be padlocked. But the city — which is responsible for the cemetery’s upkeep — does not have a caretaker on staff to lock and unlock that gate, Picard said.
Hiring a caretaker would cost the city approximately $21,000, Picard said, a salary the city cannot afford.
An automatic gate would help alleviate that situation, he said.
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