Members of the Bethpage Cemetery Restoration Committee have been hard at work cleaning up the cemetery's grounds in recent months with the assistance of Butch Starkie and his garden/landscaping company, Starkie Brothers, as well as the Town of Oyster Bay, who have told committee members that they will have workers come in and maintain the grounds on a timely basis.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto visited the cemetery last Saturday, Sept. 29, to see the ongoing progress on the grounds. Venditto said that he couldn't believe how much work has already been done and was happy to be a part of the effort.

Much of the hard labor done at the cemetery was completed by employees of Starkie Brothers, who have been coming to the grounds for the past several weeks to remove overgrown foliage, large trees and tree stumps.

Members of the Restoration Committee and the Town of Oyster bay hope, once the grounds are completely restored and all the overgrown plants and bushes are taken out, to maintain the cemetery on a regular basis and keep it preserved as the lovely cemetery it should be and was in the past.

- M. Kane