From the Daily News:
Jackson Heights leaders are trying to turn an abandoned 17th-century cemetery, dotted with garbage instead of grave stones, into a small park.
City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said he plans to organize a community cleanup of the Leverich Cemetery this spring. It is unclear if anyone is responsible for the overgrown cemetery as city records don’t list an owner of the small plot.
“We have to take matters into our own hands and just clean this area up,” Dromm said, noting that a washing machine, half a motorcycle and feral cats now inhabit the land. “It’s become a dumping ground and nobody wants to take responsibility for it.”
About a decade ago, a locked fence was installed around the cemetery, which sits behind some buildings near Leverich St. and 35th Ave. But the fence has long since fallen into disarray and the lock is broken, said local activist Martin Maier.
Considering that some dweeb built a chicken coop on part of the cemetery and it's surrounded on all sides by buildings, how would a park work?
3 comments:
Sounds like it should get a cleaning up, but as is noted, how would it be accessed? And what about those cats? It's important to remember they are not feral by choice but because seemingly decent people were careless and/or callous. So--the onus to do the right thing falls on those who want to clean it up. The cats have nowhere else to go. Most will be too wild to be adoptable, hence a trip to a "shelter" means certain death. A TNR program needs to be begun, and the parties concerned should contact Alley Cat Allies for guidance. www.alleycat.org
When you turn a burial ground into a park, shouldn't there be some indication that it is/was a burial ground and some limits on park use? Like not putting a dog run, bocce court or children's playground in it. I can see benches and trees and a beautiful space, but we should have some respect for it's history.
Just wondering whats going on with the Cemetary? I am a Leverich living in Missouri, I was just messing around the other day and discovered that this place exists. Any info would be great.
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