A troubled cemetery in Scranton is back in the news again. A worker describes the conditions at Washburn Street Cemetery as the worst he has ever seen.
"I think it's deplorable the way they've let this cemetery go," said Linda Howarth of Peckville. She tries her best to spruce up her parents' and grandparents' gravesite at the cemetery in Scranton."My grandmother bought this grave back in the 20s or 30s and she paid for perpetual care. What's perpetual care? They don't even come back and cut the grass."
Some sections of the cemetery are maintained, but it didn't long Friday morning to find uncut grass, weeds and toppled tombstones.
"How long would it take to run one of those big lawnmowers, riding things over? I don't have these things. I live in an apartment," Howarth added.
A man who said he works for the cemetery said this is the worst the cemetery has ever looked. He said 15 people use to care for it. Now it's down to two people because of layoffs.
This is not the first time people have raised concerns about the condition of the cemetery. In May, 2008 Newswatch 16 found similiar problems.
Chick Rader owns the cemetery but no one was at his office on Lackawanna Avenue to comment about the state of the cemetery.
Howarth feels helpless. "It breaks my heart to come back, anyway to visit my parents and grandmother but let alone to stop and see the conditions of this honor the dead," Howarth said.
She hopes the owner will try harder to maintain the cemetery. In the meantime, she will do what she can to honor the memory of her loved ones.
Newswatch 16 also tried several times to contact the cemetery's owner by phone but the calls were not returned.
"I think it's deplorable the way they've let this cemetery go," said Linda Howarth of Peckville. She tries her best to spruce up her parents' and grandparents' gravesite at the cemetery in Scranton."My grandmother bought this grave back in the 20s or 30s and she paid for perpetual care. What's perpetual care? They don't even come back and cut the grass."
Some sections of the cemetery are maintained, but it didn't long Friday morning to find uncut grass, weeds and toppled tombstones.
"How long would it take to run one of those big lawnmowers, riding things over? I don't have these things. I live in an apartment," Howarth added.
A man who said he works for the cemetery said this is the worst the cemetery has ever looked. He said 15 people use to care for it. Now it's down to two people because of layoffs.
This is not the first time people have raised concerns about the condition of the cemetery. In May, 2008 Newswatch 16 found similiar problems.
Chick Rader owns the cemetery but no one was at his office on Lackawanna Avenue to comment about the state of the cemetery.
Howarth feels helpless. "It breaks my heart to come back, anyway to visit my parents and grandmother but let alone to stop and see the conditions of this honor the dead," Howarth said.
She hopes the owner will try harder to maintain the cemetery. In the meantime, she will do what she can to honor the memory of her loved ones.
Newswatch 16 also tried several times to contact the cemetery's owner by phone but the calls were not returned.
