Halloween ghost walk at Historic Batavia Cemetery cancelled due to coronavirus and damaged trees
Top photo taken in January.
Submitted photos and press release from the Batavia Cemetery Association:
With heavy hearts and out of an abundance of caution, the Batavia Cemetery Association Board of Directors decided to cancel the annual Halloween Candlelight Ghostwalk for Oct. 24.
After much discussion, the board felt the safety of the reenactors and the public could not be guaranteed during the coronavirus pandemic when people must stand so closely together to hear the presentations.
This is a financial blow, as the ghost walk is a major yearly fundraiser for the upkeep of the cemetery. 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, and the cemetery has suffered great losses as well.
One of the oldest maple trees in the cemetery, and probably in Batavia, was felled by winds in January. It is reckoned the tree was approximately 200 years old. During the same storm, a large branch came down from another maple in front of the Ellicott Monument and that tree needs to be removed.
Several headstones were damaged and need repairing.
Earlier this month, a large maple along the driveway was split in half by high winds and took down two new maple trees on the other side of the driveway that were planted several years ago. It has cost several thousand dollars so far to remove three large trees.
Three other maples that have reached the end of their lives and three ash trees that have been killed by the Emerald ash borer must be removed to prevent further headstone damage.
The board hopes to remove the dead trees this fall and begin a project next summer to grind out the stumps and replace the stately maples along the driveway. To accomplish this will require community help.
Any donations would be gratefully accepted, and may be made to Batavia Cemetery Association, 22 Fisher Park, Batavia, NY 14020.
Please come and have some spooky fun in October, 2021 at the next Halloween Candlelight Ghostwalk!
Below, another photo from January.
Below, photo taken this month.
Below, another photo from taken this month.
