Billerica Cemetery Commission Secures $15,000 for Headstone Restoration After Grant Falls Through

BILLERICA — June 22, 2026 — Billerica Cemetery Commission confirms $15,000 for headstone restoration after grant bid fails. The commission, meeting June 22, learned that a $10,000 grant application linked to American Revolution commemoration funding was unsuccessful, but that a $15,000 warrant article approved at spring Town Meeting from cemetery lot-sale proceeds will fully fund restoration work across eligible headstones. Cemetery Supervisor Tim Chase said he will re-engage the monument company that previously assessed the project. Two residents, Robert Smutek and Christina Micciche, told the commission that maintenance crews — including sheriff's department inmate work teams — had repeatedly removed live perennial plants and wired artificial flowers from within the established 12-inch monument protection zone, with Smutek describing three consecutive years of losses. The commission declined informally to allow a supplemental flat marker in the new cemetery section for a family whose headstone has run out of engraving space, and reiterated that solar lights, shepherd hooks, and similar decorative items remain prohibited. Members began early-stage discussion of a potential new cemetery chapel, agreeing to continue the conversation at their next meeting, set for September 28, 2026.