WhistlingPastTheGraveyard

New location for my blog on cemeteries and land use

2008-11-16T10:33:00.002-05:00

For the latest in news and commentary on cemeteries and land use, please visit my new blog -- same name, new address:
Whistling Past The Graveyard

More on Chesapeake Bay

2008-09-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

Among the links on this site is an article by the Washington Post on cemeteries threatened by rising water of the Chesapeake Bay. Here's another article on the same subject.

Thievery story reaches USA Today

2008-08-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

Here's USA Today's take on the problem of cemetery looters.

Going 'green' in Atlanta?

2008-08-19T20:49:00.001-04:00

A landowner wants to put a "green cemetery" on 17 acres he owns in the Atlanta area.

Private cemetery gets OK on Cape Cod, Mass.

2008-08-19T20:45:00.001-04:00

Interesting little story here about a private cemetery to be created on someone's land. It got some opposition from a local official, but got the OK anyway. Pay close attention to the soil boring info ... they did their homework, it seems.

More on Arlington Cemetery

2008-08-19T20:25:00.000-04:00

In May 2007, I mentioned a long feature story about Arlington National Cemetery - America's cemetery - that appeared in National Geographic. Here is a new story, from Arlington Connection, that details some of the same overcrowding problems of this national treasure. It's not getting any easier for the folks who run Arlington.

Dead and re-buried

2008-08-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

As if cemeteries aren't filling up fast enough, in the Detroit area, people are digging up their relatives and moving them to the greener (can you say, "whiter"?) cemeteries.

Green burial in New Jersey

2008-08-11T11:29:00.000-04:00

A funeral home in NJ offers green burial options.

Ga. residents angered by crematorium construction

2008-07-16T23:55:00.000-04:00

Zoning laws don't forbid construction of a crematorium, so one is on its way in a Georgia town

Sculpture gardens and more ... the Art of Dying

2008-07-16T23:45:00.000-04:00

Some artists in the Seattle area are turning dying, or, more correctly, cemeteries, into an art form - building sculpture gardens and other art works in cemeteries.
This is a terrific article.

Native plants in cemeteries

2008-07-16T12:17:00.000-04:00

Among the overlooked factors in the care and maintenance of today's contemporary cemetery is the problem of keeping those lawns green and those plants healthy.

As any self-educated lawn doctor will tell you, it can take a lot of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and water to make these final resting places look like "Amen Corner." All that added stuff adds stress to your plants, and all it does in the end is make the cycle more vicious.

One way to combat these problems is to become "au naturel." It's a small, but important step toward returning our cemeteries to the places of natural beauty that they once were, back during the establishment of the rural cemetery movement of the 19th century. Back then, cemeteries were established outside the crowded city limits and designed to draw the public for parks and other recreational activities and to give them the chance to experience nature up close.

How times have changed.

Some folks in California have the right idea. At the Old City Cemetery in Sacramento (picture of poppies, above), the native plant society has established a native plant garden to demonstrate the effectiveness of such greenery in attracting pollinators and other beneficial creatures. The primary goal of the project is to demonstrate how home gardeners can utilize native plants, but another consequence - intended or unintended, we don't care - is to beautify a long-neglected cemetery.

Natives "know the language," so to speak; they are less prone to the cyclical climate changes that can hurt exotics and other non-natives introduced into cemeteries. And, in this day of concerns over water supplies, natives need less water to survive, because they are in their normal habitat.

Similar things are going on all over the country - as we'll attempt to point out here. Another quick find was the Mulkey Cemetery in Eugene, Oregon, which is among a growing number of cemeteries offering "green-burial" option, right down to the native plants that surround your loved one's final resting place.

Early Philadelphia cemetery

2008-07-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

NPR has a nice, little feature story about a cemetery in Philadelphia's Fishtown section. It's most famous resident is an American Revolution hero.
While surfing the Web on this cemetery, I came across this article from the Philadelphia Weekly.

Another subject: Thieves target metal at cemeteries

2008-07-16T00:07:00.000-04:00

And another story different from what we usually post, but another alarming trend: Thieves are stealing metal from cemeteries, anything from bronze mausoleum doors to metal joint-replacement parts. For real.

Where Cub fans go to die

2008-07-15T23:49:00.000-04:00

Not usually the type of thing we put here at WPTG, but this is too good to resist. A cemetery in Chicago is building a replica of Wrigley Field's centerfield wall as Cub fans' final resting place.
Among the clever nicknames for it: "eternal season ticket."

More news from Conn., this time from preservationists

2008-07-10T12:10:00.001-04:00

A nice story about a group in East Hartford that works to restore and preserve a historic cemetery.

Conn. town seeks cemetery site, committee members

2008-07-10T11:59:00.000-04:00

The town government in Weston, Conn., is looking for a place to create a new cemetery. The prior board of selectmen paid $10,000 to conduct a study, and came up with potential locations, but no action has been taken, and now the government wants to start over with a new cemetery committee to look into the matter.
This story is quite comprehensive, detailing some of the land-use and geological problems with locating a cemetery.

New green cemetery in Pennsylvania

2008-06-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

The United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania has taken its forested grounds and turned them into an eco-cemetery, where people can have their cremated remains buried in biodegradable urns, reports the Allentown Morning Call. According to church leaders, this is a perfect way to preserve the forests. The new place also gets a pretty good thumbs up from Mark Harris, author of "Grave Matters," which touts all-natural burials as the best way to depart this earth.

Another emerging trend: new cemeteries

2008-06-20T09:43:00.001-04:00

And here is the story of an Arizona town that has decided to create a cemetery itself, instead of relying on big, old Tucson for its needs.

Pa. group tends to neglected cemetery

2008-06-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

This old cemetery has not had a caretaker in 10 years, so a local group set out to fix things up in a Pennsylvania community. I know I'm missing tons of stories like this, but sadly, that's the case - there *are* tons of stories like this.

U.S. Sen Menendez backs cemetery measure

2008-06-20T09:34:00.001-04:00

New Jersey U.S. Senator Robert Menendez has helped to address the costs of maintaining and creating cemeteries for U.S. Veterans. To quote from his constituency e-mail:

Grants for Veteran Cemeteries:
With the aging of the WWII generation, we
have moved into the beginning of the period of greatest need for funding of the
Grants for State Veteran Cemeteries, but funding levels have not kept up with
need. I have helped ensure adequate funding to address the costs of constructing
new cemeteries as well as the needs of existing State Veteran Cemeteries.
Veterans of WWII are the Greatest Generation, and we must honor them as such.
The care we put into Veterans' cemeteries should appropriately reflect our
gratitude for the tremendous service and sacrifice they have made for our
nation.

You can read his full e-newsletter here.

Book review from Washington Post

2008-06-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

Here's a piece from the Washington Post on "The American Resting Place." The Post also has audio links to an interview with author Marilyn Yalom.

Atlanta cemetery, damaged by storm, reopens

2008-06-12T22:24:00.000-04:00

We noted earlier that a historic Atlanta cemetery was damaged by the tornado in March. Here's an update. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that it is reopening. All the cleanup is not complete, but they've opened anyway.

Cemetery enters foreclosure controversy

2008-06-11T12:57:00.000-04:00

Here's a home-finance advice article, talking about someone interested in buying a foreclosed home -- that happens to have a cemetery in its back yard. For some of us, it would be OK, but this potential buyer has concerns, and the author of this article seems to have a problem with it, too. Why else would they keep referring to such circumstances as a "defect"? Grrrr.

New book, touted by Newsweek

2008-05-31T00:13:00.001-04:00

Here's a new book about cemeteries and graves in America, courtesy of Newsweek.

2005 article on land squeeze, but timely nonetheless

2008-05-22T21:40:00.000-04:00

Here is a piece from the Mississippi Business Journal in October 2005, published after Hurricane Katrina, and it addresses some of the problems of getting re-established after such a devastating storm. But even though it's a couple of years old, the dilemma remains the same. Thanks to the folks at findarticles for keeping this around.

Plan for NJ town would impact cemetery

2008-05-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

A plan to reroute Route 322 through a Gloucester County town purportedly would disturb the edge of a longtime cemetery, but despite that circumstance, the local governing body gave its thumbs up to the project.

O'Hare plan ... more planes means moving graves

2008-05-13T19:11:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a Chicago-area cemetery that would be removed -- lock, stock and barrel -- to make way for more runways at O'Hare International.

Cell tower plan

2008-05-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

T-Mobile's plan to eradicate "dead zones" along the Mass. Turnpike has caused a stir, because they want to place the 40-foot tower in an old cemetery in Framingham. Here is a Boston Globe version of the story.

Endangered species threatens cemetery project

2008-05-06T21:40:00.000-04:00

Everything was going well for the folks in one Massachusetts town. They had recognized the dilemma of their rapidly filling local cemetery. They voted to create a new one. And then, along came the Eastern box turtle. Or, actually, because not many of these turtles do come along anymore, the project could be faced with delay. Perhaps there is a way to turn this into a green, or natural, cemetery?

Sprawl threatens Missouri cemetery

2008-04-29T00:08:00.000-04:00

Supporters of an old cemetery in Missouri that includes many slave remains is being threatened by expansion of the Kansas City airport.

Space crunch in Sydney, Australia

2008-04-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

Government officials in Sydney think the city could run out of space to bury people by 2050 unless changes are made. The culprits? Rising land values and the squeeze of urban sprawl.

Georgia community planners OK natural cemetery

2008-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a case where some folks got it right -- their focus is on land use, and their job was to OK a land use for a particular site, a natural cemetery.
Commissioner Jimmy Patton notes:

"Our job is to regulate land use - to decide if that particular piece of
property is appropriate for a cemetery. We are not a health department."

Atlanta probes cemetery in aftermath of tornado

2008-04-25T00:47:00.000-04:00

In the wake of the March 14 tornado that plowed through Atlanta, archeologists and others are looking through the damaged ruins to see what secrets Oakland Cemetery might hold. Among the notables buried there are author Margaret Mitchell ("Gone With the Wind") and golfing legend Bobby Jones.
Notes Sara Sanders, a FEMA archeologist:

"There are 70,000 burials here. Not all of them are in coffins."

Philly landmark cemetery needs help

2008-04-11T18:02:00.001-04:00

One of the local TV stations has a report on its Web site (and, presumably on air) about a famous cemetery from the early days of the "rural cemetery movement." Laurel Hill, in short, needs some TLC.

California town's grave situation

2008-04-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

This is an old story, but worth posting here, just because of the sheer remarkability of it. This suburban San Francisco town is mostly a cemetery.

A "minor" intrusion on a cemetery

2008-04-03T22:01:00.000-04:00

At first blush, it might be viewed as offensive that a minor league ballclub would erect a sign on a cemetery site, but given the growing cost to maintain them, maybe it's not such an affront.

Old news, but good news in Georgia

2008-04-02T11:30:00.000-04:00

Officials in a Georgia town have now, via a zoning change, protected cemeteries from encroaching development.

Around the world: Germany, Australia

2008-03-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

Some innovative ideas from our fellow Earth citizens in Germany (a cemetery "pyramid" and Australia (a natural cemetery).

Meanwhile, also in Minnesota, plans for a new vets cemetery

2008-03-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

While older, private cemeteries fall into government hands, when no one else can do the job (see my previous post), Minnesota officials are working to put in a new, 60-acre veterans cemetery near a state park south of Duluth.

Cemetery care falls increasingly to cities

2008-03-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a story, originally in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and reprinted by the Grand Fords Herald in North Dakoka. The reasons are the same as countless other cases: Cemetery boards can't or won't hold to their obligations; money gets tight ... whatever the reasons, the results are the same -- either the cemeteries fall into disrepair or the public (either private citizens or goverment entities) must take over their care.

Running out of room in Utah

2008-03-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

A small town in Utah wants to establish a cemetery; currently, folks can be buried in the cemetery in the town next door, but it costs much more than if they could be buried in their own town. Not just any site will do, the mayor notes, because they need a low water table in order to bury their own.
Says Mayor Laurel Brady:

"I don't know why something wasn't acquired sooner. Lately people were
wishing we had. Cemeteries are something that don't come up (in city planning)."

Georgia thinks 'green' burial

2008-03-10T13:22:00.000-04:00

Officials in Bibb County, Ga. are considering a plan to create a natural cemetery on a 25-acre site. There is only one other such cemetery in all of Georgia and only a handful total around the country.

From Web Urbanist

2008-02-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

This came "across the transom," so to speak. A blurb from Web Urbanist notes that the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, N.Y., is one of the seven great abandoned sites in the country. Just scroll down a bit from the top and you will find it. You also will find another link to the Forsaken Places Web site.

Maine cemetery struggles to stay open

2008-02-13T10:50:00.001-05:00

Here's an interesting situation that has arisen out of the change in public sentiment from burial to cremation. A community in Maine is considering whether to take over the operation of two cemeteries, because their operators get so few burial options (as people choose cremation) that they cannot make ends meet. The townsfolk will decide in March whether to take control of the cemeteries.

New cemetery planned for Shreveport, LA

2008-02-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

A developer says it is planning what would be the first new cemetery in that area in two decades!
The organization's rep noted: "We also kind of checked around with baby boomers in the Ellerbe Road area. We found out that not only did most of them not have burial plots, they haven't even thought of it."

Cemetery threatened by highway plan

2007-11-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

No one argues that Route 322 through Mullica Hill, NJ, is a problem in need of a remedy, but the plans to create a bypass are opposed by a church whose cemetery could be disturbed by the highway.

Cemetery deal reached in Bucks Co., Pa

2007-11-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago, when we used to blog regularly -- and we will get back to that -- we had information about a planned veterans cemetery in Bucks County, Pa., that was running into roadblocks with a local developer. The developer wanted a deal to build more homes on another of its properties in exchange for letting this land go at a lower price. That developer has accepted a higher price, in exchange for dropping its roadblocks. The feds are now going to buy the land.

Plants needed for Arlington

2007-06-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

The annual drive to add plantings to Arlington Cemetery is coming up next month. Landscapers and growers who wish to add their plants to our national shrine are encouraged to do so. You can get the details at Lawn and Landscape Magazine

Here's the link for the Professional Landscape Network, as well. The event is part of the organization's annual trip to lobby lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Mass. town views changes to cemetery regulations

2007-06-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

The folks in Sudbury haven't amended cemetery regulations in two decades, so they want to show the proper respect for the dead.

Town sees cemetery as key to downtown revival

2007-06-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

No, no pun intended with that headline. A town council in the Cincinnati area is taking over a cemetery from a local church. Some folks, including the mayor, are opposed, because the church is not giving any money for maintenance, but Councilman Ryan Zech, chairman of the parks and playground committee, said: "From our perspective, I think we see this as a way to kick-start any revitalization of our downtown, our business district and our residential areas also."

Student's overseas project

2007-06-06T22:01:00.000-04:00

A college student spruces up a Jewish cemetery in Belarus destroyed during World War II.

"It didn't look like a cemetery," Antil said. "We had to cut down trees, burn brush and put a fence around it. Everyone worked together and we did get a lot of help from the village."

Update on noted Baltimore black cemetery

2007-06-06T21:58:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest on Mount Auburn, a noted African-American cemetery. The original story is here.

Space-saving measures in Britain

2007-06-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

A London cemetery is burying two bodies per grave because of dwindling cemetery space.

Canadian expansion to cost taxpayers

2007-06-06T21:54:00.001-04:00

Improvements of this cemetery will cost local taxpayers 1 percent more.

Flag bandits

2007-06-06T21:52:00.001-04:00

Just when you thought it was safe to put out flags for Memorial Day ...

Transition from cemetery to memorial park

2007-06-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

A no-longer used cemetery in the Syracuse, N.Y., is being turned into a memorial park.

New landscapers in Virginia

2007-06-05T20:57:00.001-04:00

Some new cuties are tending to a Lynchburg, Va., cemetery

Cincy area cemetery in dire straits

2007-06-04T20:27:00.001-04:00

A local council wants to take over a dilapidated cemetery, but others raise concerns about finances.

Key vote coming in Bucks Co. Pa.

2007-06-04T20:24:00.000-04:00

A local school board that wants to sell land to a developer who intends to sell land for a veterans cemetery is scheduled to act on the proposal this week.

Johnstown cemetery work

2007-06-04T20:22:00.001-04:00

Volunteers are working on a bike train and other greenery at a historic cemetery.

Planning should do more

2007-06-04T19:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a column that notes the planning community could do more about cemeteries.

Wilmington, Del.'s $13,000 grass bill

2007-06-01T21:19:00.000-04:00

The city government is coming to the rescue for an unkept, and unkempt, cemetery.

"Not many" graves left in Massachusetts cemetery

2007-06-01T21:18:00.001-04:00

A local government tries to find a place to expand.

Pa. cemetery sinking, Army Corps blamed

2007-06-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

An old cemetery is sinking, and some advocates say it's caused by erosion after Army Corps of Engineers used soil from the riverbed to build roads alongside the river.

Neglected site in Illinois

2007-06-01T21:11:00.000-04:00

A report about a place that is overgrown in an Illinois town.

Texas cemetery feels the squeeze

2007-06-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

Tucked between a car dealership and an apartment complex is a neglected, overgrown cemetery in Texas.

More space needed in Australia

2007-05-31T12:06:00.001-04:00

One cemetery in Australia is running out of room, for graves and ashes.

"Killer" invasive species spotted in UK

2007-05-31T12:04:00.000-04:00

They call them "ladybirds" and they threaten native species in England.

Eagle Scout cleans up in Washington

2007-05-31T12:01:00.001-04:00

A local cemetery needed work, and this Eagle scout was just the man for the job.

Green spaces can help cool cities

2007-05-30T23:51:00.000-04:00

Interesting piece out of LiveScience.com that reports that increasing open space in cities can help cool them by as much as 7 degrees F. How about including cemeteries in the mix?

One man's mission

2007-05-30T21:09:00.000-04:00

One man is on a mission to save a cemetery in Tennessee

Noted Baltimore cemetery in shambles.

2007-05-30T21:05:00.000-04:00

A report in the Baltimore City Paper on an African-American cemetery in disrepair. This is a heartbreaking story!

Fayetteville, Ark., eyes expansion

2007-05-30T21:03:00.000-04:00

A local organization seeks to raise $1.7 million to expand a cemetery.

Expansion in California

2007-05-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

One town expects the local cemetery to run out of space in 10 yrs or less, so they are eyeing expansion.

Pesticides nixed in Canadian cemetery

2007-05-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

A town council in Ontario rejects the use of pesticides/insecticides to combat grubs at a cemetery. Natural alternatives are being sought.

Yellowstone Plans

2007-05-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

Officials in Montana are moving ahead on a master plan for a veterans cemetery

Colorado county says cemeteries equal open space

2007-05-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

One county panel is ready to OK a veterans cemetery, saying it is an acceptable open space use.

Police in Ohio make arrests

2007-05-30T20:50:00.000-04:00

Police say they have solved the case of vandalism in an Ohio cemetery.

Montana cemetery to expand

2007-05-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

Another 4 acres is being added to a vets cemetery.

Confession in Vermont

2007-05-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

Juveniles have apologized for damaging a Jewish cemetery in Vermont and will clean up their mess.

New Mexico needs more space for veterans

2007-05-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

Officials say the military cemetery in Santa Fe is nearing capacity, but NM is low on the totem pole for a new site, they say.

An update for Ohio cemeteries

2007-05-29T11:36:00.000-04:00

These are the ones owned by Ohio University and in need of TLC.

Brooklyn cemetery honors Civil War dead

2007-05-29T11:35:00.000-04:00

New gravestones for veterans.

Vandalism in Washington State

2007-05-29T11:22:00.002-04:00

Vandals burned flags in Washington State and replaced them with something else. "This is not an act of free speech. This is a crime," Sheriff Bill Cumming said in a statement released Monday afternoon.

First "rural cemetery" in US

2007-05-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

I used this article in my college research this spring. It's about Mount Auburn, in Massachusetts, and its role in cemetery history.

Minnesota cemetery keeps up with the times

2007-05-25T21:51:00.000-04:00

A good piece about how this cemetery is adapting to the changes in people's choice of cremation; and it includes some interesting stuff about financing perpetual care.

Cincy's Spring Grove honored

2007-05-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Post reports on the cemetery being named a National Historic Landmark. Here is another link:
WCPO TV

Interesting reader comments

2007-05-25T19:29:00.000-04:00

If you read the NY Times piece, make sure you peruse the reader comments, too. Some interesting ones....And here is the link to an article at First Things, which someone at the NY Times site referenced.

Cemeteries need help from the living, the NY Times has learned

2007-05-25T11:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the sarcasm; this really is an interesting piece.

Have a safe, happy Memorial Day!

2007-05-25T11:27:00.000-04:00

We'll be around sporadically in case there is big news to report, but otherwise, we're going to enjoy the three-day holiday weekend as much as we hope you do.
WPTG!

How much ground can a groundhog grind when a groundhog...

2007-05-25T11:25:00.000-04:00

Groundhogs are only one of the problems facing a Michigan cemetery.

Costs going up in New Hampshire

2007-05-25T11:22:00.000-04:00

A town in New Hampshire is raising the cost of a cemetery lot, and the funds are expected to be used for maintaining and improving the cemetery.

Budget ax in Wisconsin falls on cemetery study

2007-05-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

Belt-tightening in Wisconsin leads to the loss of funds for a study to put in a new veterans cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetery on PBS

2007-05-24T21:51:00.000-04:00

"America's Cemetery" will be featured at the national Memorial Day celebration, to air on PBS.

Cem. needs flags for Memorial Day

2007-05-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

The previous operators let things go, and now the public is being asked to help in Kansas by providing flags for Memorial Day.

Cemetery preservationist visits NY State

2007-05-24T21:46:00.000-04:00

As people get set to restore a cemetery in New York State, a noted preservationist comes to town.

W.Va. town rededicates old abandoned cemetery

2007-05-24T10:55:00.000-04:00

Town gives credit to the volunteers who helped make it happen.

College budget cuts affect cemetery

2007-05-24T10:53:00.000-04:00

Budget cuts at Ohio University mean that they cannot cut the grass at their historic, university-owned cemeteries.

Local biz community steps in after vandalism

2007-05-23T20:10:00.001-04:00

The local business community in one Indiana town comes to the rescue of a cemetery on the eve of Memorial Day.

Wisconsin town considers running cemetery

2007-05-23T20:07:00.000-04:00

Cemetery is losing money on its own, so a town might Wisconsin town government might take it over.