Highland Cemetery Assn. Asks for LH Donation
By Scott Johnson
LOCK HAVEN – Highland Cemetery on top of a hill overlooking the city and Lock Haven University is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the city, if not Clinton County. Due to its size and hilly terrain, it is an arduous one to maintain, especially with mowing and landscaping through the mowing season – May through September. It is also very expensive to maintain, even through various fundraisers and volunteer days at the area.
It is now asking for the city for financial help.
“It is one of the hidden treasures in the community,” Cindy Love, treasurer of the Highland Cemetery Board of Directors, told City Council at its meeting Monday night. She said the association has been trying to keep the cemetery home to some 7,000 burials in shape for the last several years.
Love said the cemetery had one private service to maintain the grounds, but it pulled out in April of this year. The association then bid the project in Clinton, Centre and Lycoming counties and received one bid for $6,000 per cut. That number was negotiated down to $3,500. Part of the ground was mowed before Memorial Day, but the contractor was “in over their heads and stopped in the middle of the stream,” Love said, noting there is now grass and weeds three to four feet high in the cemetery. ”If we don’t do it (maintain it), then the municipality has to do it,” she said, adding another contractor has offered to do it for $2,800 a month or just shy of $7,000 for the remainder of the year.
“Maybe we can be on a list for donations for the cemetery from the city,” Love said. She added the organization is a 501C(13) nonprofit organization, meaning it cannot write for grant requests, but it costs about $20,000 to fully maintain annually, along with $1,600 a year for insurance. In addition, she said, the cemetery has roads in need of repair that would cost about $30,000 to fix.
“We have some money invested, but it isn’t doing a lot of things we want to reinvest it in,” Love said, adding there are “lots and lots of space for sale” and future plans include a cremation area and possibly a pet cemetery. Council had no decision on the request Monday night.
Also, Monday night, council heard from Carey Chisolm, new owner of the Fallon Hotel on Water Street. He was accompanied by his wife and 2-year-old son. He and his group are hoping to repair and re-furbish the hotel’s first floor to start, and then possibly its second and third floors. However, two vandalism incidents in the past two months have delayed the plans.
“Lock Haven is a beautiful place,” Chisolm said. “Recently, I’m not sure if you saw or not, our building was vandalized twice, … but I want to build a legacy… I come in peace.”
Vice-Chairman Joel Long, who presided over the meeting in Mayor Bill Baney’s absence, responded, “That (vandalism) does not reflect on our city, just a very, very few.”
“This project is big.” Chisolm responded.
Baney was in Pittsburgh for a check-up on his cancer. He provided an update on his visit Monday night on social media:
“Great visit at UPMC in Pittsburgh. The BEST news..NO SIGN OF CANCER!!! Thanks to wife Carla Eggler-Baney and sister Cathy for their support….and to everyone who has supported me since late March.”
