By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

WARSAW — Sexton Hal Heagy updated the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents Thursday, May 2, on some of the projects he and his staff are working on.

They are in the process of drilling holes in veterans’ foundations for placement of military flags. People can still put a pot in, Heagy said.

“You would not believe the response I’ve been getting. Even in tears with some of them, which is very nice. They were very excited that we did that,” Heagy said.

There is still work to do getting all the holes drilled and it will probably be a summer project, he said. Weed whacking will be much easier, people seem to like the idea and the flags will last longer.

Heagy also said work on the front entrance of the cemetery will start in June.

“What that will entail is we will be pulling out all the bushes in front” and the rocks will be taken out. There’s going to be some pavers and flower pots in that area.

“It’s time to clean up that area and make it look nice,” Heagy said.

Also, the chapel is cleared out and work is expected to be done soon on the chapel flooring. Cost is just under $14,000 for labor and materials.

Heagy said he’s looking into possibly opening up a new section of the cemetery to put lots in. He doesn’t know when it will be until he can look at the budget.

He said he’d like to get the section developed if he can. The roads need to be figured out and Heagy will let the board know the costs of doing that once he has numbers.

In other business, the board heard:

• The Memorial Day service at the cemetery is May 27. Music will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the actual service will start at 11 a.m.

• Four loads of wood were given away in April through the cemetery’s wood give-away program, with 31 loads of wood given out this season.

The give-away has ended until the fall.

• A new water heater was put into the cemetery shop.