Historic Hill Crest neglect

With two major tree wrecking storms back to back in Holly Springs, many areas in the city are not being kept up, including Historic Hill Crest Cemetery.

One lone employee is trying to make the first trip over the grass. But rains and storms have hindered the effort.

Now snapped cedars and tops of many of the trees are blocking the cemetery road and scattered over the lawns.

One resident has complained and may undertake cutting the grass on his plot.

Some aldermen have been in the dark about the extent of neglect on upkeep of grounds throughout the city.

Sam McClatchy, CEO of Unity Bank, is one citizen who expressed concern about the failure to begin grass cutting.

His family plots include his parents plots, his daughter’s plot and a brother’s plot.

“I’ve never seen grass look this bad,” he said. “It’s always been well taken care of. The cemetery is something the entire community can be proud of and now it’s being neglected. I’m very concerned about it.

“I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. U.S. Lawns took care of it the last several years and it looked great.”

Monday this week an extra lawn mower and a weed eater operator had joined Terry Byars at the cemetery. Flossie Skelton drove by to check on her relatives plots.

“I’ve been here for 50 years and I’ve never seen the cemetery in this bad a shape,” she said. “It’s so sad. People should come down here with their lawn mowers and trimmers and do their own plots.”

She said she has trimmed around her relatives stones recently. Several aldermen were unaware of the condition of the cemetery and expressed concern about upkeep of grounds throughout the city.

Alderman-at-large Dexter Shipp is one who has harped on finishing up a driveway that was begun under the former Kelvin Buck administration.

He did not wish to comment on the current state of disarray at the cemetery until the next board of aldermen meeting, he said, saying he will followup on the topic.

“This one I’ve been fighting for for a long time,” he said.

He said he wants the drive on the Maury Street entrance completed.

“It’s one of the top priorities for Hill Crest,” he said.

Other aldermen expressed concern that removal of downed trees is taking so long throughout the city and the upkeep of grounds in general.

Ward 3 alderman Colter Teel is concerned about the upkeep of grounds throughout the city.

“I know it’s (the cemetery) is in terrible shape,” he said. “I am aware of the issues when it comes to trees being down and grass not being cut and the cemetery being neglected. That is something I am taking seriously.

“I am not happy or pleased by how each department is being run or who is it is being run by,” he said.