Our collective attention careens so quickly from one new thing to the next that we scarcely have time to look back and take stock.
But word from Randolph reminded us the good people of that town and village are still dealing with the devastating tornado of July 24, 2010. You may remember the day when tornadoes ripped their way across our area. One of them plowed right through Randolph.
Last week we had news that a local resident there has offered a matching $3,000 gift for the Randolph Cemetery Association, which is struggling to pay for the restoration of some of the monuments that were damaged.
Since that awful day, trustees of the association have worked with New York state to try to recoup money needed to restore or repair all of the headstones that were damaged when the tornado toppled trees throughout the cemetery. The state pays for some and in other cases, families are responsible for the cost - if the families can be found. The cemetery has stones and monuments dating from the mid-1800s, however, and so that is not always possible.
Today there are about 50 headstones that still need to be repaired or set upright, as well as trees needing to be replaced in what was once a shady, tree-laden cemetery but is now wide open.
The Cemetery Association received donations totaling about $1,000 right after the storm, which can be counted toward the $3,000 matching grant. But more is needed and the association is asking for your help. The money will be used to repair the rest of the stones and monuments, to open a new section and to create cremation niches.
What a wonderful gift it would be to our neighbors in this delightful village to help raise the matching funds.
If you would like to make a donation, send it to the Randolph Cemetery Association, 14 Church Street, Randolph, New York 14772. Any questions can be made to president John Congdon at 358-3855 or treasurer Howie VanRensselaer at 485-3660.