Dear Editor:

The City has taken on a new project that may be of interest to the citizens of Ellsworth and the general public. I’d like to share information about the project and how their help can help it come to fruition.

After attending a recent funeral service, it became evident that our cemeteries have no visible means to locate loved ones. A cemetery directory and mapping service would be beneficial to the community and the descendants of Ellsworth citizens.

After researching options Rusty Varnado, city administrator, presented a proposal at the May 24 council meeting to purchase the software that would provide this service to both cemeteries. This software would be connected to the city website. It would allow patrons of the cemeteries the ability to look up the interned, provide GPS capability to find a particular grave, show available plots and secure their purchase, provide site inventory for the city, and free the time of city employees who currently answer these requests. Additionally, the service allows relatives the option to add pictures, obituaries, and veteran information, and provide genealogy information as well. After reviewing the proposal, the Council voted to

After reviewing the proposal, the Council voted to provide up to $9,000 in support of the project. The balance of the cost, $17,000, will be raised by grants and donations. The city will set up a special account for any donations received. Contributions made to this project are tax deductible.

This project is long overdue. I hope the citizens of Ellsworth and anyone with connections to the cemeteries will see the benefit to our community and support this project to make it happen. If you would like to make a donation toward the project, please contact City Hall at (785) 472-5566.

Sincerely,

Terry W. Kepka

Ellsworth