By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Groveland Twp.-The Ortonville Cemetery will be holding their annual spring clean-up day on April 1, though the full process will take about a month. Those with items on the grave sites of their loved ones are asked to come collect the items that don’t meet cemetery standards.
“It’s a safety issue,” said Steven Hoffman, sexton of the Ortonville Cemetery. “Last year we had something get caught in the lawnmower and go flying out and break a window.”
Last year, some people who have loved ones in the cemetery were upset when they found their belongings and plants taken out and thrown away.
“People think when they buy the plot, they have six feet of land, but they don’t,” said Hoffman. “It’s 24 inches including the headstone.”
The rules for where personal belongings can be is in the current bylaws of the cemetery, and is so the maintenance staff is able to safely cut the grass and weed whack without damaging the belongings or the mower blades.

Fences or stone boarders also impede their ability to maintain the grounds.
“If a big gust of wind comes along, some of this stuff goes flying,” said Hoffman. “And there’s no way to know what grave it came from.”
There will be a dumpster on the premise for the grave blankets, but personal belongings will not be thrown away. There will be a collection area for items removed that were not collected by family members.