Financial woes at Fresno's oldest cemetery?

A report at a California TV station site details the circumstances at Mountain View Cemetery in Fresno, Calif., the city's oldest graveyard. The cemetery is nearly full, but operators say they need more funding to keep the cemetery running. They are proposing to close down a road in a section of the cemetery and use that for more graves. The decision is now in the hands of a judge.

Land dispute in New Jersey

Middlesex County, N.J., had plans in the 1970s to widen a road near a church cemetery. As compensation for taking the land, the city of Perth Amboy supposedly gave land to the church. The road project never advance, and now that the church wants to subdivide its property, the sides are locked in a dispute about who owns what.

East Hampton, N.Y., community wants to improve care for cemeteries

Government officials are eager to better maintain the existing cemeteries and expand cemetery space in this 360-year-old town. The planning department last year looked into which parcels of land could be used to establish new cemeteries.

Dozens turn out for Bibb County, Ga., hearing

About 40 people attended a county commissioners meeting to voice their opinions on an ordinance that forbids a natural cemetery.

Maryland cemetery custodian retiring

The Baltimore Sun has a feature story about the retiring custodian of the Green Mount Cemetery. This link includes video.

More on Bibb County, Georgia's opposition to a natural cemetery

The Wall Street Journal has a lengthy story about the misguided opposition to plans for a natural cemetery. Well, the paper doesn't come right out and label the opposition misguided, but, folks, it is. Among the irrational fears is that of water contamination. They don't realize that their waters are probably more polluted from people who flush their pharmaceuticals down the toilet than from the way folks have been buried all over the world for all but the last 150 years.
It's understandable that conventional funeral providers might be skittish about losing business to green burial, but ignorance of the laws of nature -- ashes to ashes and dust to dust -- has no place in the 21st century. And the forward-thinking funeral providers are considering green burial among their services.

Georgia thieves steal 200 vases

Police are urged to step up night patrols after 200 vases were stolen from a Stone Mountain Cemetery. They are used to hold flower trips and are worth about $250 each.