This past week I attended a seminar by the New York State Division of Cemeteries which was both educational and rewarding. If you’re involved with a local cemetery, I strongly recommend you find the time to go to one.
They’ve announced a new program this year to promote an annual volunteer day to help clean up cemeteries across our state which included those which are sometimes forgotten and have fallen into neglect. They’ve set April 27, as the day for 2024.

You have a month to step up and volunteer, put a group together to support your favorite local cemetery, abandoned family cemetery, and others. So, I’m sharing their news bulletin in support. Get your friends together and make something happen. Remember what Bud Stillwell accomplished in the Old Gardnertown Cemetery. You can make a difference.

Since we’ve only had a few days since this announcement, I haven’t had time to contact other members of the three cemeteries I’m involved with to see what we will do, but will keep everyone posted. I hope we can put together a grave marker cleaning workshop at the Rossville Church, weather permitting, and perhaps more.

- Alan Crawford,

Town of Newburgh Historian