By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has scheduled a beautification day April 30 at Columbiana City Cemetery.

The service project, which will focus on headstone and marker repair and refurbishment, will include at least 125 church members from four locations – Columbiana, Oak Mountain, Hoover and Lorna Road.

The community is invited to help with the effort, which starts at 8 a.m. and will last until mid-afternoon. A light lunch, bottled water and restroom facilities will be provided. Various hand tools are needed.

“Anybody who wants to work who is capable of being involved needs to be with us,” said Clem Muck, a public relations specialist and church member. “We intend to make that cemetery look better. Much of it has seen better days.”

Columbiana will provide city equipment for the project at the cemetery, located on about six acres of land on County Road 47.

“It’s good when we get these groups to come through to do something to help out,” Columbiana Public Works Director Hilry King said.

St. Thomas Catholic Church in Montevallo is assisting in the project with a notice to members in a Sunday bulletin, Muck said.

The LDS church in Columbiana has always been active in the community, even holding disaster preparedness seminars, Columbiana Mayor Allan Lowe said.

“We’re proud that they’ve chosen our city cemetery as a project to improve the appearance and functionality of the cemetery,” Lowe said. “We’re grateful for them.”

For more information, call 668-7603 or 668-4757.