Politics & Government
Ridgefield Scores State Grant For Cemetery Maintenance
The grant is being released under the state's Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program.
RIDGEFIELD, CT — The state is awarding Ridgefield a $5,000 grant for the purpose of providing maintenance to neglected burial grounds and cemeteries.
Ridgefield is one of 41 municipalities to score the graveyard funding, which is contingent upon the successful submission and approval of required contractual documents.
The grants are being released under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Established in 2014, this program is funded by revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates. Grants can be used by the municipalities to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.
"Cemeteries are sacred places, and maintaining them is essential out of respect for the dead and preserving our local heritage," Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement released Thursday. "Particularly here in Connecticut, we have some of the oldest and most historic cemeteries in the nation. These state grants will provide municipalities with financial support to ensure that the deceased are remembered in a respectful manner."
