ROXBURY — The Board of Selectmen voted 2-0 Tuesday to approve $1,360 from the town’s cemetery account to repair 19 monuments.

Nina Hodgkins, Cemetery Committee member, told selectmen Tim Derouche and Rodney “Bing” Cross that she walked through Frye Cemetery with Laperle-Durland Memorials of Mexico and discovered 19 headstones had fallen off their bases and sunk into the ground.

“After we did a walk-through, they gave me an estimate of $1,360 to repair the 19 headstones that were damaged,” Hodgkins said. If there are headstones beyond repair, Laperle-Durland would refund the town for that headstone.

Derouche said the town had $2,950 in its cemetery account, which would cover the cost of the repairs.

Treasurer Renee Hodsdon suggested to the board that the Cemetery Committee get an estimate for what it would cost to repair the headstones in the rest of the town’s cemeteries.

“That way, we can have an idea of what kind of money we need to raise before the next budget season in March,” she said. “We’ll want to know what money we need to raise so we don’t fall behind in that account.”

Later, Hodgkins asked Derouche if he and the rest of the board reviewed the sample cemetery ordinance she and the committee gave them earlier in the year. The ordinance would address different areas related to cemeteries, including cleaning, repairs and rates.

Derouche said they had not reviewed the ordinance, and asked Hodgkins to provide them with new copies.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link