LAKEPORT >> Four years ago, the Hartley Cemetery District decided to stop watering the grass at the cemetery due to severe drought conditions.
As a result, the 36-acre graveyard has had little to no visible green spaces since that decision. This year, some locals said the cemetery’s condition is “so disrespectful” to mourning families.
Among them is Trish Bertolucci, who now lives in the Bay Area.
“My dad was a veteran and is buried in the Veteran’s Circle (a section of the cemetery designated for veterans),” she said. “It was beautiful when we buried him … but now it’s not. It’s disrespectful.”
Bertolucci shared photographs that her brother took of the Veteran’s Circle at the beginning of September. A large, yellow and brown blanket of dead grass and dirt covered the area and it’s surrounding — something Bertolucci believed to be “awful” and “disheartening.” By Tuesday morning, several water hoses, some still dripping from recent use, were spotted across 21 acres of developed land. The cemetery now had sparse, but visible signs of growing grass.
With five years of consistent warm winters and no sign of recovery, Governor Jerry Brown mandated a statewide 25-percent cut in water. His order was mostly aimed at cities, with a fine of up to $10,000 a day for those that did follow through.
According to district board member Audrie Lindeblad, Hartley did not want to risk such a fine.
Mickey Swaney, one of Hartley’s two workers, said, “We had a meeting when the drought hit hard and decided we would let the grass come and go with the seasons. This year was a trial to test how that would go.”
This past winter California experienced heavy rainfall, aiding in the regrowth of the graveyard’s dry conditions. Much was winter’s hydrating weather that Brown declared the drought emergency over by the beginning of April this year. That’s when Hartley began watering again.
“It has not been easy to bring back the green after so many years of drought. We just had a really hot summer, too. But the water is back on and grass is slowly but surely growing,” Swaney said.
Cemetery management said they have spent about one million gallons of water a month, something they will do until the end of October when rain is expected to return.
Bertolucci believes, however, that the Board of Supervisors should help address the situation.
District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott said, “There is always room for people to volunteer for organizations and the Hartley Cemetery might want to look into starting a non-profit to help support them.” She added that many government organizations such as Friends of the Library and Friends of Museums, who have done just that, have shown much success.
Though the cemetery is outside of the City of Lakeport’s jurisdiction, City Associate Planner Mireya Turner suggested a similar option. She said, “I have heard great things about volunteer Clean Up Day for the Lower Lake Cemetery. Perhaps such a volunteer effort would be effective at Hartley as well.
Some who are aware of the cemetery’s condition have taken matters into their own hands, such as the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club. A group of six women took rakes and several trash bags to clean up parts of the cemetery.
“They’re (the cemetery) very short on staff,” said club member Claire Grieve. “It’s difficult to maintain a large place, especially when water was limited. With winter coming the grass will return. If people are bothered about that they can come out and volunteer.”
Some residents think more can be done, though.
The cemetery district board will meet again on Wednesday, November 15 at 9 a.m. in the cemetery’s chapel.
