Prostitution, drug trafficking, illegal dumping, speeding ATVs, fires and toppled gravestones: these are not the concerns of the average 17-year-old.
But they are the things that concern Andrew Whittier, who is trying to eliminate them from Hilldale Cemetery.
"We've had a few fires due to kids throwing cigarettes on the ground, and I've seen drug deals and prostitution take place out back. I do what I can and kick them out, but there's only so much I can do without help," Whittier said.
Whittier, a criminal justice student at Northern Essex Community College, said he does what he can to maintain the grounds on his own time and with his own money.
Whittier said he became interested in cleaning the grounds the first time he stepped foot inside the cemetery gates. He was doing yard work around his home and had asked acquaintance Richard Becker where he could put his brush. Becker, treasurer of the Hilldale Foundation, told Whittier he could use the cemetery's brush pile.
"I came in here to check it out and saw how much work it needed and how nice the place could be," Whittier said.
Whittier, who began working the grounds in January, said Hilldale has since become a home away from home.
"No one is taking me out of this cemetery. I really just wish that people would respect it more," he said.
Whittier said he has faced problems with all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and four-wheelers being driven through the cemetery and knocking down stones.
"I've been out here mowing the grass before and they've flown by me within an inch. They just don't care what damage they cause. It's one of the things I really want to stop. I would like to be able to have an officer down (in) back of the hill to stop a lot of the things that go on here," he said.
The dumping of materials such as pressure treated wood, tires, refrigerators, car parts and mattresses is common, Whittier said. "Anything they can't dispose of properly ends up here. We've had to remove around 100 tires already."
Whittier said he is always watching, and reports trespassers to police.
"Usually I'll sit out back and do my homework. When I see something suspicious I write down the plate numbers and give them to the police. I know every inch of this place and can spot someone or something out of place easily," he said.
In the spring, Whittier bought a lock for the front gate to help stop trespassers. He has also purchased three gas-powered lawn mowers, a leaf blower and two weed trimmers to maintain the grounds, all of which came out of his pocket, including the gas for his vehicle and the equipment.
Whittier said he has been offered money to help take care of family plots by visitors to the cemetery.
"I've told families that I'll keep the area clean but I'm not taking anyone's money to do it. I do it because I think it's important," he said.
However, Whittier is hoping to get funding from the city to help with maintenance, including fence repairs, lawn upkeep, gas for equipment and having gravestones restored to an upright position.
In one area, 3-foot tall grass surrounds Civil War veterans' gravestones.
"Veterans who died for our country should not be honored like this," Whittier said.
Mayor James Fiorentini said he was surprised to learn that Whittier donated his time and money to help maintain the grounds.
"Unbeknownst to me, Andrew has been taking care of this cemetery with his own time and his own money," Fiorentini said.
Whittier had been advised to speak with the mayor about receiving help from the city for maintenance of the grounds. He walked into the mayor's office and set up an appointment, Fiorentini said.
"He really seemed like he wanted to help any way he could, but with the financial situation the city and everyone is in right now, I don't know what can be done to help," Whittier said of the mayor.
Fiorentini visited Hilldale Cemetery on Monday and presented Whittier with a citation on behalf of the city for all his hard work and drive to clean up Hilldale, as well as the work he's done in Potter's Cemetery, which resides along the side of Hilldale Cemetery and is the city's paupers' burial ground.
Fiorentini also presented Alex Gardikiotis, 18, a friend of Whittier's who helps in the cemetery on the weekends, with a citation.
"Never in a million years could we maintain this without them," Fiorentini said.
Whittier hopes to be able to get a jump on cleaning out trees and other brush this winter if the weather isn't too bad.
