by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Cemetery Association is seeking volunteers for the Annual Cemetery Clean-Up Day on Saturday, May 3, starting at 8 a.m., at the Riverside Cemetery (William St.) and East Riverside Cemetery (Grove St.) in Gouverneur. North Country volunteers are urged to come together to help clean the local cemeteries ahead of the Memorial Day Observance.

The Gouverneur Cemetery Association has reported that there are a lot of downed limbs, and other brush that needs to be removed. Volunteers are urged to wear gloves, and bring rakes, chainsaws, etc. “There’s a lot to clean up,” Donna Besaw of the Gouverneur Cemetery Association told the Gouverneur Tribune Press this week as she reflected on the work needed in the local cemeteries since the recent ice storm.

The Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Annual Cemetery Clean-Up Event is now a tradition for many North Country families and youth groups and organizations. In years past participating groups included the following: Gouverneur Masonic Lodge No. 217, Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035, Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, Gouverneur Lions Club, Scouts, 4-H Clubs, Gouverneur High School Chapter of the National Honor Society, Gouverneur CSD athletic teams, among others.

Organizers told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that the event will extend beyond lunchtime and the Gouverneur Cemetery Association will provide hot dogs and beverages for the volunteers.

To learn how you can help with the Gouverneur Cemetery Association’s Annual Clean-Up or for more information, call Donna Besaw at 315-287-2991.