La Junta cemetery crews under fire for damaging gravesites
LA JUNTA, Colo. (KRDO) -- Families in La Junta are calling for compensation and respect after their loved one's grave plots have been continually damaged by city employees.
At Fairview Cemetery, city employees are accused of damaging flowers --planted by loved ones -- and a few gravestones at the southern end of the public cemetery. More than a dozen plots have flowers scattered across the lawn or knocked over.
Sue and Jim Moreno believe the city employees working at Fairview are cutting the plants on purpose. The brother and sister planted rose bushes at their parent's gravesite, and the roses have already been damaged by weed whackers three times in the past year.
They say the city hasn't done anything to remedy the situation.
"I told [Fairview Management] this is a total mess," said Sue Moreno. "That's when he said well '[employees] get bored and they kind of start doing whatever'. To come out here and see that mess. [My parents] didn't live like that when they were living. So why should it be like that now?"
La Junta's City Manager Rick Klein tells KRDO he is sorry for any family who feels mistreated. However, he says the damages are accidental, not malicious.
Klein says they will look into the matter, and retrain employees with weed whackers if need be. The city manager says the employees take great pride in their work and believe the Fairview Cemetery is well kept.
Fairview Cemetery says it is working to replace the rose bushes for the Moreno's gravesite. However, Jim and Sue say they will believe it when they see it.
