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1999-04-14 City of Beverly Board of Cemetery Managers Meeting Minutes: April 14, 1999 Present: Mr. Ward, Mr. Wood, and Mr. Seamans Approve minutes of Previous meeting: Moved by Mr. Wood, second by Mr. Ward', Voted Unaminous Review of events since lest meeting: Letters to Richard Hemenway and Tognazzi Monuments Applications for lot representation: William King for NB Plan 7, Lot 674: Approval moved by Mr. Wood, second by Mr. Ward; Voted Program of activity for Fiscal Year 2000: Application for "Request for Determination" before Conservation Commission and other Con Corn issues Fence at Beverly Farms Cemetery: Board urged that a 6 foot Vinal clad fence be installed along the cemetery boundry at Plan 6. Other Business: 1 .Second annual cemetery clean-up scheduled for week of March 21 to 26. 2. Veterans Markers 3. Mrs. Walker's letters 4. board urged that the Department of Public Services close the gate at Hart Street into the Beverly Farms Cemetery 5. William Tannebring, 658 Cabot Street, presented his concerns about the condition of fence and wall of North Beverly Cemetery along Cabot Street. Adjournment at: 6:30 PM Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 at 5:30 PM at City Hall City of Beverly Board of Cemetery Managers Eugene Wood Jdm Dunn Peter 8eanlana, April 5, 1999 Richard J. Hemenway 531 Oxford Road Oxford, CT 06478 Dear Mr. Hemenway: Last September 28, I wrote to inform you of the decision of the Board of Cemetery Managers denying your request for an additional upright marker to be placed on the "Appleton" lot in Central Cemetery. Imagine my surprise to find that marker installed! The Board of Cemetery Managers insists that this stone be removed. If this department is forced to remove the stone, there will be a hold on all future interments in this lot until a fee of $200 is paid. Sincerely, Peter Searoans, Cemetery Services Administrator c~. Board of Cemetery Managers 531 Oxford Road Oxford Connecticut 06478 April 8, 1999 Mr. Peter Seamarts, Cemetery Services Administrator Cemetery Depaament, Public Works City Hall, Cabot Street Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Mr. Seamans: I am in receipt of your letter of April 5, 1999. I have contacted Tognazzi Monuments. It is my understanding that Mr. John Tog~a~Ti has been in contact with Mr. Loring Ward who is looking into the matter. As I am actively pursuing a resolution, I would ask that you take no action to remove the stone in question until this misunderstanding can be cleared up. Co: John Tognazzi. TognaT~ Monuments Richard J. He~'enway~~ City of Beverly Board of Cemetery Managers Elyn Cotr~u Eug~xe Wood Jdm Dunn Peter Seaman, ~ledc April 5, 1999 Togna77i Monuments 35 Park Street Beverly, MA 01915 Gentlemen: At its September meeting, the Board of Cemetery Managers voted to deny a request by Richard Hemenway for an additional marker to be erected on the "Appleton" lot in Central Cemetery. This decision is consistent with longstanding cemetery policy limiting lots to one upright stone. The issue was discussed with your finn prior to Mr. Hemenway's petition to the Board. Therefore, it is a disappointing surprise to find that stone installed. It must be removed. We are aware that your firm supplied the stone, and we further infer that you delivered the stone to the lot at the request of your customer. This a~tion is most distressing to us as we have heretofore relied upon the integrity of local monument suppliers to comply with Cemetery rules. Was this confidence poorly plac~l in your finn? Until we are confident that this issue is resolved satisfactorily, we cannot accept new orders plac.~l by your firm for foundations or installations of markers. Sincerely, Peter Seamans, Cemetery ServicesAdministrator cc. Board of Cemetery Managers City of Beverly Board of Cemetery Managers April 14, 1999 Loring Ward, Jr., Chair Board of Cemetery Managers City of Beverly 191 Cabot Street Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Mr. Ward: For many years this City has authorized, accepted and installed bronze veteran' s grave markers for use as grave markers additional to standing memorials. This practice is so common that many consider it a guaranteed benefit, and the City's Veteran's Agem uses these markers to identify graves for the required annual distribution of flags for Memorial Da~/. The practice is illegal. Under Federal law, veteran' s markers are provided only for the unmarked grave of a qualified veteran. This is so even if the privately acquired monument does not reference the decedent as a veteran. In fact, if the marker is installed and a privately purchased monument is installed subsequently, the government supplied marker should be removed from the grave. The Department of Veterans Affairs gates: "By law, Government markers are not to be used as footstones and should not be used to double-mark a veteran's grave." Our cemeteries are peppered with graves marked with private and government supplies memorials. The Department of Veterans Affairs further states: "The VA relies on the integrity of the applicant to request a Government-provided marker only if the grave is not, or will not be, marked with a private headstone or marker." The application requires a Cemetery official signature, and consistent with past practice, the City participates in this 'wink' at the law. I have been assured that there will be no "investigation" of Beverly cemeteries, but these assurances, of course, will not be committed in writing. This letter is iraended to be informational since we do not want any embarrassment this year. I do not believe there is any winning position in this matter. Sincerely, Peter Searoans, Cemetery Services Administrator cc. Frank J. Killilea, P.E., Director of Engineering RITA L. WALKER 18 Bass River Road Beverly, MA 01915 Ph. 922-6429 Cemetery Dept. Beverly City Hall 191 Cabot Street Beverly, MA 01915 Attention: Peter Searoans Dear Peter, I am writing in regard to tie bronze Veterans plaque which was applied for by tie Campbell Funeral Home in memory of my husband RALPH E. WALKER, who died on August 22, 1998 and was buried in the No. Beverly Cemetery on August 26, 1998. The Lot number is 49 of Plan 9, and the Account number is C5707. I have been told by tie funeral home that if tie plaque arrives before tie ground is frozen, it will be put down. However if not, then it will be held until Spring. Would you be kind enough to phone me when it does arrive please? On this cemetery plot right now is a bronze Veterans plaque, honoring my father, Arthur J. LeClair, and I believe it defines the comer of the plot. I wish to define the other comer of the plot with my husband's nlaeue. I make this special distinction to you because Ralph's urn was placed next to my mothers urn (Laura LeC!alr), and not on tie side where I'm requesting that his plaque to be placed. In otier words, the family wishes to mark the two ends of tie plot with bronze markers. (These are the only veterans that will be buried there). If you have any questions please feel free to cootact me. Thank you,