Bridgeport Cemetery is once again sprucing up grounds for spring and summer and has targeted the second full week of March for a community clean-up effort.

 

Friends and family of individuals buried at the city cemetery are asked to remove all items – shepherd’s hooks, flag poles, saddles, memorial solar lights, flowers, etc. - by March 9. Anything left behind will be discarded.

 

The items must be removed so the cemetery will be clear of all items through March 13, during which time cemetery staff will perform clean-up and maintenance, said Cemetery Superintendent Tricia Bombardiere. 

 

"On March 14, families can start placing flowers back on gravesites," she said. 

 

When replacing items, keep in mind, Bombardiere said, that all flowers and/or memorial lights must be placed in cemetery-approved vases or attached to the monuments. Shepherd’s hooks or flag holders should be placed directly against the monument and should not be used in flat marker only sections.

“No flowers are permitted to be placed directly into the ground anywhere on the grave and nothing should be hung in any trees within the cemetery,” she said. “This allows the cemetery staff to keep the cemetery grounds uniform and easily accessible to mowers.”

 

Bombardiere said the cemetery clean-up is an annual event, but in the past, it has been held at various times in the early-spring. In 2018, the clean-up effort was moved to the second week in March. 

 

The consistency of the cleanup event has proven to be successful as most - up to 85 percent of - personal items were removed prior to the 2019 cleanup, Bombardiere said.

 

The city and family of those buried at the cemetery take pride in the appearance and upkeep of the facility. Bombardiere appreciates participation in the clean-up process and said the community is annually faithful in cleaning up gravesites.

 

Please contact Bombardiere with any questions. She can be reached at 304-842-2641.