COURT HOUSE — The Cape May County Board of Commissioners and invited dignitaries broke ground on the first phase of a beautification project at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery on Friday, March 15.
Joining former Commissioner Director Thornton for the groundbreaking were Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio; Commissioner Bobby Barr, the liaison to the Veterans Affairs; Commissioner Melanie Collette and Commissioner Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski. Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen were also present for remarks.
Veterans and community members gathered at the cemetery to witness the symbolic turning of the soil and to learn more about the planned upgrades to the cemetery.
“This beautification project has been in the planning process for a while and we are honored to be standing here today to break ground and show our veterans and their families our commitment to provide them with a beautiful and peaceful final resting place,” Desiderio said at the event, according to a press release issued by the county.
According to the county release, Barr also spoke and said, “this is a proud moment for the Board of Commissioners and all veterans and their families. Today, and every day, we pay our respects to our men and women who served our country. This cemetery is tribute to all who served and will allow families, members of the community and visitors alike to come and pay their respect to our military heroes.”
Enhancements will include entryway improvements and new pathways for accessibility and easy navigation throughout the cemetery, according to the county.
“As we celebrate the start of this project, our focus shifts to completing phase one. We anticipate a majority of the improvements will be completed before the County’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 27,” Desiderio added, according to the release.
With $1.68 million in contract costs, the enhanced beautification project includes 13,030 square yards of interior roadway asphalt, 3100 square yards of topsoil seeding, 22,000 brick pavers, new curbs and sidewalk, lighting upgrades, 24 new shade ornamental and evergreen trees, over 1000 new plants, and a Ceremony/reflection plaza w/ 6 benches for seating, according to the information provided by the county.
The Cape May County Veterans Cemetery was established in 1980 and is operated by the Board of County Commissioners, according to the county’s release.
