Whistling Past the Graveyard

New doc features Jewish cemetery in Germany

2012-01-13T16:04:00.001-08:00

The Los Angeles Times has reviewed a new documentary about the Weissensee Jewish cemetery in East Berlin.
Among other things, the review notes how many of the honored WWI dead were members of the German elite.

Welcome The Cemetery Record to this blog

2012-01-13T15:46:00.001-08:00

Came across a web publication The Cemetery Record today, and just added it to this blog. You will find it in the righthand column

Update: Man arrested in New Jersey cemetery heist

2012-01-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

Police have arrested a man in the case of metal cemetery urns stolen in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

N.J. cops probe theft of metal from cemetery

2012-01-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

Police in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, are investigating the theft of precious metals from cemetery displays.
I've written before about the fact that such thievery is a negative externality; specifically, already strapped law-enforcement and judicial resources are forced to be stretched even further to investigate and adjudicate these crimes.
Resolved for 2012: to explore how such increased negative externalities might, in fact, help boost the cause for green cemeteries. Given how squeamish some folks seem to be regarding natural burial - despite that fact it was perfectly fine up until the last 150 years or so - perhaps part of the sales pitch should be that green cemeteries reduce crime.
Photo credit: Jose F. Moreno/Courier-Post

Arlington uses smartphones

2011-08-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Given the posts I've made in the past about the mismanagement at Arlington, it's worth mentioning that they are using new technology in smartphones to catalog graves.

Cemetery Preservation Workshop

2011-08-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a news release from the National Preservation Institute:

The National Preservation Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980, educates those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of our cultural heritage. The 2011-2012 National Preservation Institute seminar schedule is available online at www.npi.org. The 2011-2012 NPI News Release includes the calendar and seminar descriptions www.npi.org/NewsRelease2011-12.pdf.

Advance registration is available through September 14, 2011
Scholarships applications accepted (see details below)
in cooperation with the Chicora Foundation, Inc.,
the Public History Program, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, Arizona State University, and the State Historic Preservation Office, Arizona State Parks

Cemetery Preservation
Phoenix, AZ – October 25-26, 2011

Learn how to begin a cemetery preservation or restoration project and how to help ensure that sound choices are made to avoid harming what you seek to protect. Discussions focus on current issues in cemetery preservation, such as recording and documenting cemeteries and graveyards, undertaking preservation efforts, and exploring conservation techniques and issues. An agenda is available online at www.npi.org.

Instructors. Debi Hacker, conservation administrator of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit heritage preservation organization specializing in research, public education, conservation, and preservation for museums, archives, and historic organizations and Michael Trinkley, Ph.D., director of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit heritage preservation organization specializing in research, public education, conservation, and

Cemetery Landscapes: A Practical Guide to Care and Maintenance
Phoenix, AZ – October 27, 2011

Learn how to protect historic cemetery landscapes, preserve integrity of design, and safeguard tombstones and monuments while pursuing a practical outlook on maintenance and budget concerns. Explore approaches to caring for softscapes, or plantings, and hardscapes, including roads, pathways, and benches. Discuss effective pruning and cutting techniques, and when chemicals and heavy equipment can be safely and productively used. Review the basics of short- and long-term preservation plans. An agenda is available online at www.npi.org.

Instructor. Debi Hacker

LA/CES. These seminars meet the criteria for programs in the American Society of Landscape Architects Continuing Education System and ASLA members will receive 6 learning units each day.

Registration. A registration form is available online at www.npi.org/register.html. The advance registration rate is available through September 14 — $450 (2 days – Cem Pres) / $275 (1 day – Cem Landscape) / $600 (3 days – both seminars).

The regular registration rate after that date is $500 (2 days – Cem Pres) / $325 (1 day – Cem Landscape) / $650 (3 days – both seminars).

Scholarships. A National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant for scholarships covers the cost of tuition for qualified applicants to attend NPI seminars in targeted cultural resource management areas. For more information and the application form, go to www.npi.org/scholarships.

Wyoming cemetery nears capacity

2011-06-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

The municipal cemetery in Melrose, Wyoming, is close to capacity, so officials are set to begin an expansion project, which will include, among other things, double-depth gravesites, for family members.

Two ongoing woes at cemeteries: vandalism and neglect

2011-06-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

I could post for hours on end about the problem of vandalism at cemeteries. We know that, at the very least, it causes extra work to right the wrong, and, beyond that are the police and judicial man-hours to bring the perpetrators to justice (negative externalities, as these things are called in geographic terms). Still, it's worthwhile to post an occasional reminder that this is an ongoing problem. Here are two cases in my neck of the woods: one at a Jewish cemetery in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and the other in Camden.

Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tennessee, visitors are shocked and dismayed at the poor condition of the Hollywood Cemetery

A growing trend? VA cemeteries confronted by increased demand

2011-05-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

With more veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam dying, plus those killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans cemeteries are facing increased demand, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Chris Erbe, of the National Cemetery Administration, tells the paper that, with many cemeteries starting to run out of room, 19 expansion projects are in the works nationwide to deal with the increased demand.

Memorial Day

2011-05-25T10:23:00.001-07:00

I haven't been very good at keeping up with this blog lately, and, for that, I do apologize. But it has not gone unnoticed here that Memorial Day is coming up this weekend and I just wanted to send you a brief reminder to pay proper tribute to those who died for this country, but also to pay proper tribute to those who work tirelessly - and, largely, anonymously - to get those gravesites ready, and will continue to do so, long after the last flag is waved and red-white-and-blue bike passes by on the parade route.
I intend to spend part of the holiday where I do every year, visiting the graves in Voorhees, New Jersey, of "Colored" soldiers who served under Union command during the Civil War. While Memorial Day generally is devoted to commemorating those who gave "the last full measure of devotion," I like to remember all who served.

Massachusetts mudslide carries away part of a cemetery

2011-03-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Torrential rains proved disastrous in one Massachusetts community, as mudslides damaged a local cemetery.

College welding students create cemetery gate

2011-03-09T09:06:00.001-08:00

Students at a community college in Mississippi create a sign at the entrance of a cemetery. What a great way to get young people involved in cemetery care.

Adopt a cemetery?

2011-03-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Officials in Attleboro, Massachusetts, are considering a plan to allow citizens to adopt abandoned/orphaned cemeteries as part of it's Adopt-a-Spot program.

Mississippi town changes course; no cell tower in cemetery

2011-01-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Officials in Ellisville, Mississippi, and Cellular South have agreed to find another location for a cell-phone tower, and won't locate it in a local cemetery.

Ill. Supreme Court allows O'Hare expansion to proceed

2011-01-27T11:45:00.001-08:00

In a notable eminent domain case, the court declined to review a decision from the appellate court, thus allowing seizure of cemetery land and expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

Trouble brewing in Mississippi town over cell tower

2011-01-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

Residents in Ellisville, Mississippi, are upset over plans to erect a cell-phone tower in a cemetery. This also happened in New Jersey, where zoners in October rejected the proposal.

Toledo mulls cremation for indigent, instead of burials

2011-01-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Cremation would cost less than burial, authorities say; additionally, the cemetery is running out of burial plots.

Land needed in Scotland for a cemetery

2011-01-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a story from across the Pond, in which a local community is seeking a site for a new cemetery. Some prospective sites so far have had shallow rock beds that make it difficult to dig graves, and others are tagged with other development labels.

City snowplows said to damage Brooklyn cemetery

2011-01-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a friend on Facebook, Jonathan Appell, here's a story about some city snow plowers who allegedly knocked a huge pile of snow into a cemetery, with damaging results.

Equipment stolen from Texas cemetery

2011-01-04T08:43:00.001-08:00

This blog has noted cases in the past in which thieves have stolen brass fixtures, wrought-iron gates and similar things from cemeteries.
As also noted in my research, these thefts harm a community's larger quality of life, because they divert countless crimefighting and judicial resources that otherwise could go toward fighting more serious crimes and prosecuting other perpetrators.
Well, here's another incident; this time, thieves stole lawn maintenance equipment from a cemetery in Orange, Texas. Again, while it seems like a petty crime compared with others, it's not for the cemetery operator who now needs to replace that equipment, and it again diverts precious police and court resources...in geography parlance, it is another example of a negative externality.

Illinois cemetery a financial drain

2011-01-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Government officials in Knoxville, Ill., are looking for ways to close a nearly $42,000 hole in their cemetery budget. Over the last five years or so, according to the treasurer, expenses totaled $221,671, while income was $180,047.

Kansas county takes over cemetery operation

2011-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Shawnee County in Kansas is now operating a cemetery after a couple that had been in charged turned over the reins.

New Year, new commitment to blogging

2011-01-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings to everyone. It was a busy fall, as I took the penultimate class for my GIS certification at Rowan University. I'm most hopeful of doing this work at my place of employment, the Philadelphia Daily News (or Philly.com), but it's good to know I'm getting a new skill set in the event I need to go elsewhere.
Here are a couple of examples of maps I created for class. One is a map of the Mid-Atlantic Region's honey production for 2009; the other is a solution to a problem in which we had to determine, using a series of constraints, the best locations in southwestern New Jersey to locate a nursery.

Massachusetts town, school in tussle over plot of land

2010-09-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Riverside Cemetery could run out of space within a few years, and school officials say they need a new building, so the sides are at odds over the largest piece of land available in the town of Saugus, Massachusetts.

Minnesotans tout green burials

2010-09-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Green, or natural, burials are becoming more common in Minnesota, as people give consideration to environmental issues.

Authorities find more mismarked graves at Arlington

2010-09-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Army reported this week that more graves were exhumed and that more graves were discovered to be marked improperly. Here's an editorial from Mass Live on the problems at Arlington.

Florida county may take over cemetery

2010-08-24T09:12:00.001-07:00

Regardless of whether Highland County takes on the task, officials are planning to seek bids on maintenance at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Veterans, lawmakers want VA to run Arlington

2010-08-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

A growning number of officials and others are suggesting that the Veterans Administration would be better suited to run Arlington National Cemetery, in the wake of the mismanagement scandal involving the Army.

More concerns raised over Pennsylvania cemetery

2010-08-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I had an earlier report about plans to create an access driveway to a school next to Fernwood Cemetery in Limerick, Pa. There are still concerns about the project, as well as concerns about the condition of the cemetery itself.

Feud brews over allowing dog owners to use California cemetery

2010-08-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Some cemeteries use dog-walkers' use to raise money, but here's a place in California where there are some concerns over such use.

Pennsylvania school access road could impact cemetery

2010-08-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

A school district is negotiating to get a right-of-way alongside a cemetery.

NYC cemeteries face gridlock of their own

2010-08-16T07:42:00.001-07:00

Sunday's New York Times detailed the overcrowding of many prominent cemeteries within the city. Interesting that it was on the Real Estate front.

Army orders sweeping changes at Arlington

2010-08-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

The secretary of the Army has ordered broad changes to the operations at Arlington in the wake of the scandal involving mismanaged graves.

Vandals strike Massachusetts cemetery

2010-07-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

I could probably most a story about this kind of crime most days, but I restrain myself. But every so often, I need to put out a reminder of the destruction: More than 100 headstones were toppled by vandals over Fourth of July weekend in a cemetery in Lynn, Mass.

The latest on Arlington from Salon: Army had warning of problems

2010-07-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

The latest report from Salon shows that Army officials had a warning that graves were mismanaged at Arlington National Cemetery.

NYC parkland sale to cemetery hits a snag

2010-07-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Officials want to make sure that they don't lose too much green space, so they've stalled the sale of some property to a cemetery.

Juneteenth marked by cemetery cleanup

2010-06-22T07:16:00.001-07:00

A famed black cemetery in Dallas was cleaned up as part of the community's Juneteenth celebrations.

A look at how so much went wrong at Arlington

2010-06-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Week has an overview on the burial problems at Arlington National Cemetery, with many links to other reports on the situation.

Mismanaged graves at Arlington Cemetery

2010-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've been away and haven't been following this case closely, but it looks like a sad time at Arlington National Cemetery.

From Google Books: "The Last Landscape"

2010-06-02T07:07:00.001-07:00

This book is about cemetery/landscape architecture.

Florida town begins cemetery takeover process

2010-05-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

Despite misgivings over finances from one town official, the Davenport commission introduced an ordinance to take over the Evergreen Cemetery. The city was asked to assume control of the cemetery because members of the cemetery association are aging and no longer up to the task of maintenance and operations.

Virginia town buying adjacent land to expand cemetery

2010-05-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Officials posed a hypothetical dilemma to neighbors: Would you rather have a cemetery next door or a housing development? Already, Riverside Cemetery is limted to Courtland residents, but buying another 8 acres would alleviate space concerns for now.

No word on cell-phone tower in New Jersey cemetery

2010-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

There have been a couple of hearings on this matter, but I've yet to find out whether a final decision has been reached on erecting a cell-phone tower in a cemetery in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

Emergency tower OK'd in Laramie, Wyoming, cemetery

2010-05-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Officials in Laramie, Wyoming, approved erection of a tower for emergency communications in a local cemetery

StoneMor earnings up

2010-05-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Levittown, Pa., company reports a strong first quarter.

Kentucky gas co. drills into cemetery

2010-05-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

Workers were trying to drill at a new site, and didn't realize that they were in an old, hidden cemetery.

Utah cemetery running out of space

2010-05-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Officials bought local soccer fields in 1995, knowing that someday they'd need to be turned into some 11,000 cemetery plots, but that day is coming soon.

Seattle, Washington, cemetery is mapped

2010-05-08T08:43:00.001-07:00

An old miners' cemetery is mapped by a local genealogical society. Good use of GIS.

Montgomery, Alabama, seeks to prosecute owners of neglected cemetery

2010-05-06T08:21:00.001-07:00

Officials in Montgomery, Alabama, say they will pursue criminal charges against the owners of a neglected African-American cemetery - once they find out who owns it. This is an update on an item we reported here earlier.

Camden, New Jersey, park cleanup uncovers graves

2010-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Some students cleaning up a park in Camden, New Jersey, were stunned to find a long-neglected African-American cemetery.

New landscaping at Washington cemetery

2010-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Though I have no doubts that this goes on, it's a first for me to find it. A cemetery in Washington State did a redesign of some of its grounds, and added a new "water feature."

Washington town to consider expansion at cemetery

2010-04-28T09:06:00.001-07:00

The Issaquah, Washington, City Council will consider a plan to add space for cremated remains at a local cemetery.

California diocese puts solar panels in cemetery

2010-04-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Saw this done somewhere in Europe (Spain, maybe?). Now, it's in the United States.

Cemetery wins out over preserving farmland

2010-04-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Stanislaus County, Calif., supervisors voted to allow a cemetery, overturning a planning board decision that would have protected farmland.

South Jersey cemetery offers green burial

2010-04-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a story about a cemetery near the Jersey Shore that has begun offering green burials.

Green cemetery backers sue Ga. County

2010-04-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

The operators of a proposed green cemetery have sued Bibb County, Ga., in federal court over regulations the county passed that effectively kill the project before it ever began.

Green burials OK in Virginia county

2010-03-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Despite opposition from farmers and others, a county board of supervisors approved green burial after research showed no harmful impacts.

Zoners deny variance request for church cemetery

2010-03-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

The zoning board in a Pennsylvania town denied the request for a variance at a church.

Residents voice objections to cell tower proposed for cemetery

2010-03-21T06:32:00.001-07:00

Here's more on the controversy in Scotch Plains, NJ, including comments from residents impacted by the proposal.

Texas man learns cemetery makes for a good neighbor

2010-03-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

A cemetery in Texas met with some resistance by the neighbor, but now, he and others enjoy it for its nature trails and other amenities.

W.Va. to make room for highway by ...

2010-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

relocating a cemetery. West Virginia Highway Department officials are going to move the cemetery to make room for the next phase of the Coalfields Expressway.

Ontario officials consider GIS for cemetery mapping

2010-03-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Officials in one Ontario community say that because cemetery maps are outdated and unreliable, they may turn to Geographic Information Science as a way to find out what's there.

Maple trees tapped for syrup in cemetery

2010-03-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Tapping cemetery's maple trees draws flak, even with permission from the cemetery.

Spring renews concerns about Illinois cemetery

2010-03-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Supporters of a cemetery in Illinois wonder who will take care of the grounds?

Under water: This time in Texas

2010-03-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here is another story of a cemetery under water from flooding/weather. This one is in Texas. This link doesn't include the whole story, so if you are in the neighborhood, please buy the newspaper. They'll appreciate it.

Difficulties arise in transferring Wisconsin cemetery to town authorities

2010-03-12T18:18:00.001-08:00

Officials from the Plainville Cemetery Association want to resign and turn over operations of the cemetery to the local town, but that might not be so easy. The association has not had elections in years, and duly elected officials are required for any negotiations with the town, be it for a purchase or through condemnation/eminent domain.

Green burial option in Washington state

2010-03-11T12:34:00.001-08:00

A cemetery in Washington state now offers green burial options, another in the growing trend.

Va. cemetery flooded, filled with debris

2010-03-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Trash is only part of what's flooded a cemetery in Virginia, parts of which are under standing water.

W.Va. cemetery has a community garden

2010-03-08T11:38:00.001-08:00

A cemetery in Huntington has plots for use in a community garden.

Atlanta panel to mull plan to move African-American cemetery

2010-03-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

A council committee will examine the matter. The applicant wants to move the graves, but the city's Urban Design Commission is against the plan.

New Jersey towns consider erecting cell tower in cemetery

2010-03-05T19:14:00.001-08:00

The zoning board in Scotch Plains, N.J., will continue a hearing in April to hear an application by T-Mobile to erect a cell-phone tower in historic Hillside Cemetery. The tower would be used by both T-Mobile and Verizon customers.

Report: Uptick in cremations means downturn in monument, casket businesses

2010-03-01T08:07:00.001-08:00

Here's an article in the Toledo Blade that details the struggles in the monument business and the casket business, as cremations rise.

SCI's 4th quarter earnings teleconference

2010-03-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

SCI, one of the largest cemetery operators in the world, has its 4Q earnings teleconference transcript out.

Columnist writes about O'Hare/cemetery clash

2010-03-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a good column that spells out some of the sensitive issues involving the planned takeover of St. Johannes Cemetery outside of Chicago for the planned expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

Appellate court halts grave removals near O'Hare

2010-02-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

Several news accounts on the latest in the case:
WBBM-TV
Daily Herald
Chicago Tribune

Chicago begins moving graves at St. Johannes

2010-02-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

Chicago has begun moving graves in the expansion project for O'Hare International Airport.
Here's the report from a local TV station.

Update on Montgomery, Ala., cemetery

2010-02-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

The city council wants to issue an order to stop burials at this cemetery until it's determined who owns and/or runs it.

Airlines balk at O'Hare expansion plan

2010-02-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

The proposed expansion of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, which has sparked an eminent domain case involving a cemetery whose land Chicago wants, has run into another wall of opposition: Two major airlines -- United and American -- oppose fee hikes linked to the plan.

Marksmen help thin deer herd damaging Pa. cemetery

2010-02-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

Marksmen have been recruited to help thin the deer herds that cause damage in one Pennsylvania cemetery.

Coalition works to save Ga. cemetery

2010-02-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

Efforts are under way to preserve a historic African-American cemetery in Savannah, Ga.
Here's an interesting tidbit from the story, not directly cemetery-related, but more to do with geocaching:

Arch a big cache for gamers

Though few of the people who speed past the LePageville Memorial Cemetery on President Street pay much attention to the area, it's become a popular spot for participants in the GPS-driven game of geocaching.

Once they locate the exact coordinates, the players sign a list that's securely set inside a small canister.

Geocaching "is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure," according to its official Web site. It requires GPS technology to participate, and there are some 985,877 active geocaches around the world.

The LePageville Memorial Cemetery is one of many sites in the Savannah area. Other local geocache destinations include Fort Pulaski, Columbia Square and Bonaventure Cemetery.

Cemetery owners vow to continue fight against O'Hare project

2010-02-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

Owners of a suburban Chicago cemetery under threat of a takeover for expansion of O'Hare International Airport say they expect to file an appeal soon of a judge's order allowing the "taking."
Among their issues are religious freedom -- it is a Catholic cemetery -- and the fear that another Burr Oak could happen. (Burr Oak is the Illinois cemetery where bodies were improperly buried. Here is a link to other items posted at this blog about that case.)
A concern here at WPTG is that one town (Chicago) is trying to take land from another (Addison Township) using eminent domain.

Unmarked graves found in black cemetery

2010-02-10T07:30:00.001-08:00

A survey of a historically black cemetery in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has found about 60 unmarked graves.

Funeral homes and winter (cemeteries, too?)

2010-02-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here's an article about the struggles of funeral homes in dealing with bad winter weather. Are cemeteries struggling, too? In ways more than the obvious, such as snow removal and digging graves?
I'm eager to find out whether there are long-term issues with heavy snow...saturated ground, wind damage, etc. Feel free to comment here and write to my e-mail address with information and leads for a future article here.
Here is a similar article in the Washington Post.
FoxNews also has a report.

Update on O'Hare expansion (aka, eminent domain) project

2010-02-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Hree is the latest on the plans to expand Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. From the Chicago Tribune:

DuPage County Judge Hollis Webster ordered that the title of the 5.3-acre St. Johannes Cemetery in Addison Township be transferred from St. John's United Church of Christ to the city. She also ordered that Chicago pay the church $630,000 for the land, which stands between two segments of a new runway already under construction.

At the heart of this dispute is a controversial ruling by this same judge to approve Chicago's use of eminent domain for the project.
Here's where it could get interesting for observers of eminent domain cases. First, the Supreme Court's Kelo decision of 2005 broadly expanded eminent domain powers (interestingly enough, Pfizer, the main beneficiary of that ruling, has abandoned the project after uprooting so many people's lives). In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that land could be claimed from one private by a government entity and turned over to another private entity.
Now, here we have a judge ruling that one town can take land of another. One can only imagine that this case is far from over.

Become a "Whistling Past the Graveyard" fan at Facebook!

2010-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

"Whistling Past the Graveyard" is on Facebook. Join us there, and become a fan!

Citizens clean up Northern California cemetery

2010-01-18T11:46:00.001-08:00

Here's a short story and slide show about a cleanup project at a Northern Califorinia cemetery that includes some of the early pioneers.

New Illinois regulations

2010-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

A new law regulating the operation of cemeteries is now in place in Illinois, in the wake of the Burr Oak scandal.

Proposed bike trail within cemetery

2010-01-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Improvements in the bike trails in New York state, near Schenectady, will include areas within a local cemetery

Using technology to find Alabama graves of shipwreck victims

2010-01-18T11:36:00.001-08:00

A Virginia archeologist is using modern technology to find the graves of those who died in the shipwreck of the slave ship Clotilde in 1859. The graves are located in what is known as Africatown Cemetery.

North Carolina restoration

2010-01-18T11:34:00.001-08:00

Students in North Carolina are helping to restore a neglected black cemetery

Tennessee restoration

2010-01-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

A long-neglected African-American cemetery in Tennessee will get a long-overdue cleanup and restoration. Among the buried are soldiers from the Civil War era.

Austin, Texas, running out of cemetery space

2010-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Austin, Texas, council voted to spend $24,000 for a study on how to address the issue of dwindling cemetery space.

Cemetery master plan update in Ohio

2010-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Officials in Plain Township, Ohio, expect to see a master plan for a local cemetery soon.

Saving historic Va. cemeteries

2009-12-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Volunteers in Richmond, Va., are working to save two historic cemeteries that have been damaged by nature and neglect.

Green burial grows in popularity in Georgia

2009-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a feature story about the growth in interest of green burials in Fulton County, Georgia.

Wreaths Across America

2009-12-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post reports on Wreaths Across America.
A columnist at the Phila. Inquirer reports on his participation.

Cemetery mapping project in South Dakota

2009-12-21T10:34:00.001-08:00

A cemetery in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, received a $2,000 grant to map a cemetery that dates to the late 1800s.

Judge OKs cemetery seizure for O'Hare expansion

2009-12-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

Just found some reports on the Web about this case. A judge OK'd the seizure of about 6 acres for the expansion of O'Hare airport in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun-Times

New report: "Designing for Place in Urban Cemeteries

2009-12-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here's an academic article from Georgia Tech about cemeteries as important places in urban environments. It focuses on Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery.