Hine-Hobbs clean-up
Apr. 19—Local veterans groups were assisted by other volunteers Saturday as they completed clean-up efforts at Hine-Hobbs Cemetery. A clean-up was held at the Hine-Hobbs Cemetery last fall, and due to an outstanding turnout, the headstones in the entire front half of the cemetery were scrubbed and cleaned as well as all headstones belonging to veterans. This clean-up was focused on the back half of the cemetery.
Athens Cemetery, Parks and Recreation partnered with all veterans groups in Limestone County to clean veteran headstones at the Hine-Hobbs Cemetery in Athens. The veterans organizations that joined forces for the clean-up efforts included the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, Marine Corps of Limestone County, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Army National Guard's 203rd Military Police Battalion out of Athens provided a truck of water to help with the cleaning.
The Captain Thomas H. Hobbs Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans were among the groups that gave their time to help scrub and refresh the headstones in the cemetery. Besides cleaning the headstones, a new small American flag was placed on the graves of the veterans.
Bentley Swearingin with Cub Scout Troop 282 was excited to be working alongside his grandfather. They quickly got to work scrubbing the headstones of several veterans. He carefully placed a new flag on the graves of those he cleaned.
"We are going to be here for an hour and then we are going to the park and then to McDonald's," Bentley said.
Several members of the Athens High School Beta Club were among the volunteers that came out early Saturday as well as Lindsay Lane freshman Nicholas Castillo.
