Jefferson area residents are reminded to remove any items from loved one’s gravesites before the first week of April in both the Jefferson City Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.

Jefferson Parks and Recreation Director Vicky Lautner talks about the details of why they need the public’s help with removing any non-permanent items from the gravesites.

“So this has to be done by the first week in April.  The crew will start working, weather permitting, that first week in April getting brush picked up, anything that’s been blowing around and get the cemeteries cleaned up because we have Memorial Day coming up and we want to make sure that everything’s tidy and clean.”

She adds that they allow the public during the end of winter and the beginning of spring to remove anything that’s not in a permanent planter or something that’s attached to a headstone and then they will allow more temporary decorations to be placed on the gravesites during Memorial Day.

Lautner notes that the public will then have two weeks after Memorial Day to remove those temporary items once again.  She appreciates everyone’s help to clean up the cemeteries so that they can get them ready for Memorial Day.