Re: Cemetery flowers

On behalf of the Main Street Project volunteers, I would like to clarify the chain of events that led to cemetery flowers being relocated to Main Avenue. During planning for the pop-up demonstration, we were looking for inexpensive ways to improve Main Avenue temporarily. Our volunteers were informed of flowers that were removed from headstones by cemetery employees for groundskeeping purposes and placed into the garbage pit on the west side of the cemetery. With the cemetery’s approval, our volunteers retrieved some pots of flowers from the garbage pit.

After learning about Rugby Greenhouse’s long-standing tradition regarding the flower pots, we returned each pot taken by our volunteers and apologized profusely.

Our intention was to recycle and repurpose materials made available to improve our community, but we are very sorry to anyone who we may have offended by recycling the cemetery flowers.

Darylanna Durkee

Rugby Chamber of Commerce & CVB

Re: Re: Cemetery flowers

The planters at Persilla Watts Cemetery were dumped in the garbage pile because the Cemetery Board determined they had to come off the graves. A Cemetery Board member was called and asked if the planters could be taken. The “okay” was given.

I have been informed that there weren’t enough funds to do this project on Main Avenue, so they thought this action was okay in their minds. I am sure that the people who purchased these flowers for their loved ones would disagree. In my opinion, this is a disgraceful action!

I’m just in disbelief that this whole situation has taken place in Rugby. I am trying to give the Dearly Departed friends and neighbors a voice in this matter.

After starting our 40th year in Rugby, we know many of them who have gone on before us. Thank you to the families, children and friends who keep their loved ones’ memories alive-and knowing that someday we will meet again.

Gary Lee

Rugby Greenhouse