Ridgefield Receives $8K Grant For Cemetery Maintenance

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The State of Connecticut is awarding Ridgefield an $8,000 grant for the purpose of providing maintenance to neglected cemeteries.

The Town joins 36 other municipalities in reaping the benefit under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management.

“Cemeteries are solemn places, and taking care of them is essential to respecting those who have passed and preserving the heritage of our communities,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “Our local cemeteries are the final resting places of veterans, local leaders, and ancestors of current town residents. Maintaining them helps to ensure that the deceased are remembered in a respectful manner.”

Established in 2014, this program is funded from revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health through the issuance of death certificates. To be eligible for a grant, towns and cities must have submitted an application to OPM.

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.