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Chester Cemetery Association orders fence materials, asks town to relocate Halloweentown event
Summary
At its March 3 special meeting the Chester Cemetery Association approved prior minutes, reported a $2,750 first installment for fence materials at OBG with possible completion by Memorial Day, notified the First Selectman it prefers Halloweentown not be held at Laurel Hill Cemetery, and discussed fundraising, America 250 programming, marker rules and bylaws changes.
The Chester Cemetery Association met in special session at Town Hall on March 3, 2025. President Christine Nelson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.; trustees and officers present included Secretary Lee Foster and Vice President Jeanne‑Marie Bellows.
The association approved the minutes of the Feb. 3, 2025 business meeting “as presented,” according to the minutes (no mover/second or vote tally was recorded in the document). The group reported that materials for a fence at OBG have been ordered; a first installment of $2,750 will be due when materials are received, and the fence could be completed by Memorial Day. The minutes record this as an operational update rather than a formal contract award.
The Association notified the First Selectman that it prefers the Halloweentown event be held somewhere other than Laurel Hill Cemetery — including the cemetery parking area — citing the event’s scope, scale and what the minutes call its impropriety for that site. The minutes do not name the First Selectman or record a formal vote on the notification.
During a workshop portion of the meeting members discussed community outreach and governance items. Programming ideas tied to the America 250 commemoration include partnering with the Historical Society to write short biographies of Revolutionary War–era burials and to produce an October cemetery tour and posters highlighting notable stones. On fundraising, the Association proposed preparing a mass-mailing appeal letter by May, enabling online donations, and selling postcards of interesting gravestones to raise funds.
On policy matters, the Association proposed rewriting Rules & Regulations #13 to clarify the permitted dimensions and the number of markers per plot. The group also discussed possible bylaws changes: reducing the size of the board to ensure quorums; increasing trustees’ terms to four or six years; staggering terms for continuity; and limiting reappointment to widen the pool of trustees. The minutes record these as considerations under discussion; no changes were adopted at the meeting.
The special meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m. The Association set its next meeting for April 6, 2025, at noon at the Old Cemetery, 5 & 6 Goose Hill Road.
