Families in Newark are demanding answers after personal decorations were cleared from gravesites at Newark Cemetery. Items, described as sentimental and expensive, were found in disorganized piles or reported missing, leaving loved ones devastated.
Families, including McKinley Wright and her grandmother Gail O’Brien, expressed their pain to 13WHAM-TV, calling the removal disrespectful and traumatizing. Many items, including statues and religious symbols, were damaged or discarded. The village board stated that cemetery rules on decorations haven’t changed in 20 years but promised an investigation.
A board meeting scheduled for Dec. 17 will address the controversy, as affected residents plan to demand accountability and changes to prevent further distress.
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