I know the Greenfield Hill Cemetery. You might say that I have been up close and personal with it.
On a beautiful day in September 2008, I joined an army of residents and out-of-towners at the 300-year-old cemetery on Bronson Road. For several hours, we scrubbed – and I mean scrubbed – the headstones of this town’s ancestors. Members of some of Fairfield’s well-known families – and many of them founders of this great community – are buried there as well as 103 Revolutionary War soldiers. And then there are the other soldiers, those who fought in the French and Indian War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
But the cemetery, which is town-owned, became neglected and the grave markers were left to deteriorate. Some crumbled, others toppled over.
That first cleanup day was organized by Fairfielder Melanie Marks, who had a special interest in the cemetery. Turns out that while she was renovating her home on Redding Road, she discovered the headstone of Abigail Banks buried in the basement. A genealogist, Melanie researched and found that Abigail’s headstone belonged in the Greenfield Hill Cemetery. On that day in September, the stone was reinstalled.
How did I get involved in the first cleanup? I always have had a fascination for old cemeteries. And Melanie is hard to refuse. She gives so freely and unselfishly to her community lending her talents that helping her is the least anyone can do.
Another cleanup is planned for Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is sponsored by the Greenfield Hill Village Improvement Society. This cleanup will focus on removing brush and doing general landscaping duty. After the latest round of storms, many large trees fell, damaging the stone wall and some grave markers. Another effort at a later time will repair and replace the headstones.
Those who help out should bring their own rakes, gloves and pruners. Refreshments will be served. The cleanup takes place rain or shine, and is a good event for middle and high schools students who need to fulfill some community involvement hours.
For information, call Melanie Marks at 203-856-6270 or Letty Patino at 203-292-5286.
Archive for September, 2010
Help preserve the past
The dreaded 5-4 vote
The good thing about what transpired Tuesday night was that the Board of Education made a decision.
The bad thing was that it made the wrong one.
Just before 11 p.m. and after several hours of discussion – and some confusion, I might add – the board voted 5-4 in favor of redistricting option E, which moves students around from eight elementary schools into the town’s three middle schools beginning in the 2011-12 academic year.
The board’s action angered the majority of the people in the room, who were mainly parents and who rose practically in unison once the vote was made. As members of the public filed out of the Roger Ludlowe Middle School auditorium, some shouted at the board: “It’s all about ego!”, “What a joke!”, “Did you listen to anyone tonight?” and “You wasted our time!”
The evening had all the makings for a classic Fairfield town meeting. There was tension among board members and frustration among audience members. There was an 11th-hour alternate redistricting proposal and confusion about procedure. There was little talk about costs and a last-minute attempt to discuss criteria. And then there was the inexcusable audio system that made it nearly impossible to hear anyone.
I am sorting it all out and will have a complete overview and commentary in “Hines Sight” in Friday’s Fairfield Citizen. Stay tuned.
Branching out
My cousin Terri-Lynn was born and raised in Fairfield, but moved away 35 years ago. After living in numerous parts of the country, she moved to Watertown, South Dakota, where her parents already had settled in; she resided there for 15 years. Six weeks ago, she came home to Fairfield to live.
One of the first comments she made about her former, and new, hometown was how it is plush and green and full of trees. “It’s like living in a forest,” she says. (From everything she has told me, Watertown, South Dakota, sounds a little barren.)
I never gave much thought to our town being so tree-laden, even after living here for more than 20 years. But come to think of it, the scenery is just another reason why Fairfield is so special. Fairfield has been designated a Tree City, U.S.A., by the National Arbor Day Foundation every year since 1983.
So it was with great interest that I was reading Kirk Lang’s article in the Fairfield Citizen
about the resurrection of the town’s commemorative tree planting program. With the program, residents and businesses can purchase a tree from a participating nursery and donate it to the town. The trees are planted on public property and the town will maintain them. The donor is given a certificate for the contribution and all commemorative trees will be recognized on a plaque displayed in Independence Hall and on the town’s website.
Misty Beyer, the chairwoman of the Fairfield Forestry Committee, which is working in conjunction with Tree Warden Ken Placko on the initiative, told the Fairfield Citizen, “Take a look as you’re driving down the Post Road. Imagine how it would look without those trees. The color green is a relaxing color. There’s something very therapeutic about it.”
She added, “So we’re looking at an opportunity here to replant some beautiful trees on our public spaces, public right-of-ways and parks. I just think it’s a great way to give back to the town.”
I wholeheartedly agree. And when I get a little bit ahead financially, I will donate a tree in honor of my family, who has deep roots in Fairfield and Southport.
Information about the program can be obtained via http://www.fairfieldct.org/forestry.htm or http://www.fairfieldct.org/Forestry/TreeDonation2010.pdf
Kiwanis crafts fair helps kids
One of the great things about Fairfield is how much there is to do on any given weekend. Year-round, Fairfielders and their friends and family and out-of-town visitors can find a multitude of activities to keep everyone happy.
Among those events is the Fairfield Kiwanis Club’s 19th Annual Fall Juried Arts & Crafts Fair, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, on the green in front of Old Town Hall on the Old Post Road. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – rain or shine.
The work of artisans and crafters from the New England area will be featured. Also planned are a bake sale and a hardy mum sale.
The Kiwanis Club’s “famous” grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and soft drinks will be available for purchase.
All proceeds from the fair are distributed by the Kiwanis Club of Fairfield directly into the community to better the lives of children.
For more information about the fair or how to become a Kiwanis Club member, call the president, Dave Padua, at 203-336-2158.
Have fun while helping a good cause – and the weather will be terrific too.
