Barteau Cemetery, Brookhaven, NY, June 30, 2011

From: Martin VanLith
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 11:49 AM
Subject: Barteau Cemetery, Brookhaven, NY, June 30, 2011

Ron called yesterday from his cell phone (collect, of course) to tell me that there were three Town trucks with lawnmowers on them near the Barteau Cemetery. HOLY COW! They actually cleaned up the cemetery.

There is still a lot to be desired, mainly having a right of way access, which they did not attempt to clear. So, we're still dependent on the friendliness of the adjacent neighbors, currently a group home with the legal right of way bordering it. This may work for the Town mowing the lawn twice a year and maybe us going in, but it doesn't work well for Hollis Warner who needs to get his truck as close as possible with the cement mixer and other equipment. Also, Hollis may not feel comfortable using the group home driveway for entrance and maybe the group may not let him. Not sure what to do about this. Suggestions?

Then there's the condition of the cemetery, which is not good. Anyone available later next week? Here are some pictures I took this morning.

Coming in from Montauk Highway via the driveway of # 2619. This part of the path leading to the cemetery is the legal right of way.

Look what crawled out from under a stone:

It's been several years since the Barteau cemetery has been cleared. It was a big job and the the Town did a very good job with it. Looking north:

Looking East:

There are 8 - 10 visible broken stones partially buried. I suspect there are some not visible, we'll probably have to probe:

Looking from the northwest corner toward #2619 and the entrance:

view from the northeast corner:

Some of the downed stones look to be in such bad shape as not to be repairable:

David Hawkins Cemetery, July 1, 2011

From: Martin VanLith
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 6:00 PM
Subject: David Hawkins Cemetery, July 1, 2011

Once again, Brookhaven Town came through. I just returned from the David Hawkins Cemetery, which is located west of Old Barto Road and north of the RR in the Wertheim Refuge. They did an incredible cleanup job in this cemetery, see attached pictures. They even removed the small trees within the cemetery proper as well as the briers and brush around the perimeter. And they put up the interpretive sign I had left on the ground.

The Town has now done all the cemeteries we have asked them to do. I'll write a thank you letter to Councilperson Kepert's office and ask it be forwarded to the Parks Dept personnel who did the work. It's fitting that the Town did both the Barteau and Hawkins cemeteries in the same week. The Barteaus and Hawkins were neighbors and friends for almost two centuries.

Here are some pictures taken about an hour ago.

I went with Sally and Ricard Pezza, who live in the last house on Old Barto Road bordering the refuge. They are "watchdogs" for the refuge and report to refuge security when people break, or go around, the gate, like they did last week.

If we still have money left in the BVA cemetery account after the Barteau Cemetery is repaired I'll order split rail fence for this cemetery, probably ~ Oct - Nov.

Have a great 4th of July !!