Caithness Grant for Historic Cemetery Restoration

March 29, 2011

Re: Caithness Grant for Historic Cemetery Restoration
Brookhaven Town Resolution 7609

Dear Councilwoman Kepert,

I have recently been informed that the Caithness Committee will be meeting, perhaps for the last time, in June. However, we still need a little more time to complete the restoration of one more of the six cemeteries that we had hoped to repair with the grant money.

This last cemetery is the Barteau Cemetery. The restoration work is being held up waiting for the Brookhaven Town Parks Department to open the access road leading from Montauk Highway to the Cemetery. Until this is done we cannot clear the cemetery of brush and inventory the headstones that need repair, nor can our stonemason, Hollis Warner, get his equipment into the cemetery.

I am writing to request that the Fire Place History Club’s remaining grant money, $1,685, be held until the Parks Department opens the access road to this cemetery so that the repairs can be made.

I would also like to urge you to please contact Commissioner Ed Morris asking him to make opening the access road to the Barteau cemetery his number one priority.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Martin Van Lith, chair