Update on our Fire Place Cemeteries

 

From: Martin VanLith 

Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2011 7:42 PM
Subject: Update on our Fire Place Cemeteries
 

Dear All,

 

I toured our historic cemeteries today and had to pinch myself to see if I was imagining things. It seems that the Town has finally started maintaining them. It only took six years and a lawsuit to get to this point. Too bad the Miller cemetery was excluded from Judge Tannebaum's decision. However, today I received permission from the homeowner on Brook Nursery Drive, whose backyard abuts the cemetery, to cut a path to it between his property and a Town Sump fence to the west of him. 

I was especially encouraged with the work done at the Southaven Church cemetery. Not only did they mow the grass but they also replaced broken fence pieces and have started grinding down the many stumps. And with the Carmans cemetery they mowed a 10' border outside the fence.

Councilwoman Kepert's office has been nudging the Parks Department about once a week for the past several months. Below is my reply, with pictures, to an e-mail I received from her office on Friday. 
 

--Marty

 

Begin forwarded message:

 

From: Martin VanLith  

Date: June 5, 2011 6:59:25 PM EDT
 

To: Liz Krolik

Cc: Connie Kepert

Subject: Re: cemeteries
 

On Jun 3, 2011, at 4:02 PM, Liz Krolik-Alexander wrote:

Hi Marty,

 

I'm hearing that work is getting done at the cemeteries.  Share any info you have.

 

thanks, Liz

Hi Liz,
 

Yes, there has been work done on the cemeteries. Two weeks ago I met with Town Parks Department district 4  supervisor Ed Halvison and one of his aides (Chris) and we toured the cemeteries. Ed Halvison was a very pleasant person and said he would do the Brookhaven hamlet cemeteries. However, at least one of them, the Barteau cemetery, might require a survey before he could clear the right of way to get it.  
 

This weekend I toured the cemeteries and found that Halvison had done at least four since we met. An additional two of the easily accessed cemeteries were mowed in mid-May, so six of the eight cemeteries have been done. Halvison may have also mowed the David Hawkins cemetery, I haven't checked this one in over a week. 

 

Here are some pictures of the cemeteries I took today:

 

This is the Rose Cemetery located off Jared's Path. I believe it was mowed in mid-May-

 

This is the Azel Hawkins Cemetery off Stillwood Road adjacent to Brian and Mary Jane Cullen's house. This was the first one that Halvison did a little over a week ago. They did a great job with it-

 

This is the Hulse cemetery along Fire Place Neck Road. The Town has been maintaining this cemetery for over a year now (easy access) and was mowed in mid-May-

 

Next two pictures are of the old Southaven Church Cemetery just off Montauk Highway near the Carmans River. 

 

 

Halvison also ground-down some stumps that were in the Southaven Church cemetery-

 

The next two pictures are of the Carmans Cemetery, after whom the river is named. It is located in the former Robinson farmland-

 

Looking west over the Carmans cemetery. Again, Halvison did a great job here-

 

The next three pictures are of the Richard Corwin Cemetery off Beaver Brook Drive. A hugh tree had fallen across it this winter and Halvison cut it up and gave the firewood to the homeowner living near it-

 

After Halvison removed the fallen tree I put up the interpretive sign for the cemetery (Richard Corwin, a personal body guard for George Washington, was at the battle of Yorktown and the surrender of Cornwallis). 

 

 

This picture of the David Hawkins cemetery was taken two weeks ago, so I don't know if Halvison got to it yet. 

 

This last picture, like the others was taken today, is of the overgrown Barteau cemetery, the one Hollis is waiting to repair-

 

In short, I am delighted to see all the work that Ed Halvison has done in the two weeks since we met. If you have an opportunity please get the word to him that Marty and the Fire Place History Club say thank you.

 

--Marty