[05/01/01] With the long-delayed cleaning of Beulah Cemetery nearing completion, the restoration committee is now looking to make additional improvements at the historic graveyard.

The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed Monday to seek bids for additional work at the cemetery at the east end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Members of the Beulah restoration committee asked that the remainder of a state grant be used to fill in sunken graves and restore an arch at the entrance.

Committee head Yolande Robbins said that about 400 graves, many of which have been there for nearly 100 years, have sunk feet below the level of the surrounding area.

“Once that’s done, it will be a lot easier to have it cut with volunteer effort,” Robbins said.

Hill City Grass Services LLC of Vicksburg began cutting and cleaning the 15.8-acre cemetery just a few weeks ago after a previous contractor said he was unable to finish without more time and money. Lawrence Gibson, a partner in Hill City, said the work should be finished next week.

“The men have really done a tremendous job out there,” Robbins said.

The fraternal cemetery was the resting place of many of Vicksburg’s black residents until the 1940s. A restoration committee was formed in 1986 to attempt to clean and restore Beulah after it became covered in weeds and vines.

In 1999, the Legislature allocated $50,000 through the Department of Archives and History for the cemetery’s restoration but, three deadlines passed with no action before the first contractor was awarded the bid in December. Hill City Grass Services was awarded the work on a bid of $20,000 last month after the previous contractor, who had bid $19,980 was declared in default.

In other matters the board:

Heard an appeal from the contractor and resident at 807 Grove St., after the board of architectural review denied a permit to install vinyl siding on the home located in the city’s downtown historic district. No action was taken on the appeal.

Approved payment of city membership dues in the amount of $10,311 to Central Mississippi Planning and Development District.

Authorized the preparation and submittal of an application to the Selected Traffic Enforcement Periods mini-grant program for funds to sponsor programs for seat belt awareness.

Went into executive session to discuss matters concerning litigation, hiring in the public works department and Vicksburg Fire Department and denied a leave of absence request for a Vicksburg police officer.

The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet again at 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall.