Concerns over gravestones at a Norton cemetery

By Ana Bottary

E: abottary@abc6.com

T: @anabottary

Anita and Ann take a moment to reflect at their mothers grave site. The daughters have decorated the front of the head stone by adding flowers, and trinkets that are meaningful to them. It stands among many other colorful ones at the Timothy Plain cemetery in Norton.

"Because of how much people have to invest in a plot, they deserve to decorate the way they want," says Ann Lent.

"Everyone has a right to remember their loved one, and the way they lived," adds Anita Landice.

The town is taking a closer look at many of the cemetery plots, after receiving complaints that some may be getting out of hand. The Highway Department superintendent Keith Silver, says decorations falling off of plots, has led to issues for them, as they are the ones who take care of the cemetery.

"It’s hard for us to mow the grass, when all of these rocks and shells are in play. When the grass gets too high you don’t even see them so if your weed whacking you may take one and it might hit someone," says Silver.

Silver says the town doesn’t mind the decorations. It’s the maintenance they have an issue with.

"You can decorate, but you’ve got to maintain. You can’t just think you can just leave it there and the highway department has to take care of it,"Silver says.

Anita and Ann do not want decorations to be banned altogether, but agree limits could be set.

"The only thing is anything that blows away like the shells or the rocks or letters. Anything that can blow around and enable people to mow and take care,"says Ann.

According to town officials the cemetery commission will meet June 20 to review regulations.

(c)WLNE-TV 2016