Clinton Township to Clean Vinton County Cemeteries Starting April 1

Clinton Township is giving families a narrow window: remove personal decorations from township cemetery plots before crews arrive April 1 to begin spring cleaning.

The township, which covers the southern Vinton County community of Hamden and surrounding rural areas, issued the notice this week instructing residents to clear any decor from gravesites ahead of the cleanup. Clinton Township is one of Vinton County's twelve townships, with a population of 1,847 people as of the 2020 census, 727 of whom live in the village of Hamden.

The announcement identified the specific cemeteries included in the cleanup, placing the responsibility on families to retrieve flowers, wreaths, flags, and other grave decorations before work begins. Any items left in place risk being removed or damaged once crews start.

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. That board oversees township operations, including the maintenance of public cemeteries.

With the April 1 start date now less than a week away, anyone with a family plot in a Clinton Township cemetery should act promptly. The township did not indicate a grace period beyond the announced start date, making the window for removal short.