The Cape May County Board of Commissioners will break ground on the first phase of a beautification project at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery.
The ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at the cemetery at 127 Crest Haven Road, Crest Haven Complex, Cape May Court House.
The cemetery opened in 1980 and has served as a final resting place for Cape May County veterans and their spouses.
Upgrades planned in the first phase will include improvements to the entryway of the cemetery as well as landscaping and hardscaping to enhance the aesthetic appeal and safe navigation and accessibility throughout all sections of the cemetery.
“We honor our veterans every day and are proud to show our commitment in honoring our veterans by providing a dignified final resting place for those who served our county and country,” said Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio, who also serves as mayor of Sea Isle City.
Weather permitting, the project is anticipated to be mostly completed in advance of the county’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Cemetery on Monday, May 27.
“We are very excited about phase one of this beautification project and we are meeting internally to discuss further improvements for phase two. It is something the board members and I all support, and we are anxious to see this mission accomplished in honor of our fallen comrades,” Commissioner Bob Barr said.
