From the MJ:

Public works Director Dave Duritsch said the vault, which serves as storage at the cemetery, needs about $65,000 in repairs. The city received a $15,000 grant from the Middletown Community Foundation to make repairs, but has not been able to obtain more funding for the restoration.

I am a friend of Mr. Wills. I read the letter before he mailed it to Cleveland. The letter referred the hearing personel to this site to view the before and after pictures taken at the cemetery by Ms. Moon and her volunteers. The letter made reference to the entrance where there was once mulch and landscaping and that it had all been removed by the city and planted in grass because the city didn't have time to maintain it. The letter asked why the city couldn't let the people who put the landscaping in- aka Ms. Moon's group maintain it. That wasn't addressed in Ms. Heffner's article either.

Good point Bobbie, this problem has been around for a while. I thought the council would successful in correcting this issue, but Dan p. thinks it takes an expert to get it done, I sit on cemetery board and its not that hard if you take the responsibility that the city has to keep it up the way other municipalities do.

Mtown, as usual you have made a contribution to the forum that shows how how ignorant and uninformed you are. It has been said that "you can tell a lot about a society, by how they honor their dead."  Middletown has a rich history, in industry, entertainment, innovation, and many other things. Only in the past few decades has the leadership if this once great and thriving community steered us into the present mess we are in. If you do not know why we should preserve the memory and honor of the founding families, veterans, or other citizens interred at the Pioneer Historic Cemetary, I would suggest your going to the local library and educating yourself about the community in which you live (if infact you live here, and aren't just a troll stirring controversy). There is also the matter of law that requires the city to do maintenance and upkeep on the cemetary. Unlike, private cemetaries, that are also required to do record keeping, and upkeep of cemetaries under the Ohio Revised and Administratve Codes, we as tax payers are responsible. Had the city been doing it's part and the recent decades' leadership not been worried about personal political and financial gains, many things the city is responsible for (streets, sewers, storm drains, services, municipal property upkeep... etc) would have been properly maintained over the years and this would not be an issue now. Do some research. Learn Middletown's history. You might just learn something you didn't know about this community and what it once was, and why so many are frustrated with what it has become. Ms. Moon and all concerned, keep up the fight on every front.

Hello everyone. Have been reading this site for some time and thought I would add some comments for clarification on Ms. Heffner's story.

First, I want to state that I have family buried in the cemetery. My grandfather's parents and brother reside there.

I DID NOT state in my letter, as Heffner has written and as Landen has commented, anything about not having gravel on the roads. I said that the gravel was covering some of the gravemarkers in the cemetery. I have no clue how they mis-interpreted this part of the letter.

I would be curious to see the photos of the work Mr. Landen claims was done. All they have done to my knowledge is cut the grass so far. The fence line was cleared, bushes trimmed, and stones turned upright by Ms. Moon's group according to the pictures on this site. I don't know what other work Landen and the city could take credit for other than just the bare minimum of upkeep. Nothing to be proud of, city management.

The blue tarp has become a permanent roof replacement for the vault. That's not acceptable. Has the city even attempted to have a money drive asking for donations for the vault? I haven't seen one. I doubt they have made any attempt to remedy the situation at all.

I did recommend that the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Committee go to this forum, pull up all of the pictures that have been submitted by Ms. Moon, review them and make the before and after pictures a large part of their decision. The pictures have more of an impact than anything I could have told them, in my opinion. In order for them to get the most impact, I suggested they pay close attention to the entryway where, at one time, it was mulched with nice landscaping. (pictures by Ms. Moon) Now, just grass. I also stated that no one knows what happened to the plants that were purchased by private citizens. I mentioned that there was an E-Mail with a stop work order from the city manager to Ms. Moon. I asked the committee, why would a city manager stop a volunteer group from helping th city maintain this property? The city is always encouraging volunteer efforts. Now, we have a group that wants to help and they are kept from doing so. Sounds vindictive to me on the city manager's part.   

It doesn't matter what Mr. Landen has to say about the city not having the money to take proper care of this property. It is the law and they are violating the law. Plain and simple. It is MANDATORY, so says the state, that the city take care of this cemetery. Why hasn't there been money in the budget to take care of city affairs, as is required by law, Ms. Gilleland and Mr. Landen? You are in violation and no amount of smoke-screen double talk changes that. To me, it SHOULD be a no-brainer as to the decision. The city has failed to meet their legal obligation here.

I'd rethink this effort, although commendable. The Dispute Resolution guidelines and maintenance reuirements are extremely low. Mow grass once a month, remove artificial flowers once a year. The city has the discretion to do what they wish on the building. They could tear it down. It is not covered under ORC 4767. Don't think this will have the positive impact you are predicting. City will state fully in compliance with requirements under statute, which they are.Then, it becomes a historic significance battle which does not rest with the Dispute Resolution body. For the past efforts, while the argument will be Vivian Moon did maintain the fence, now that is a non issue, the city will state they will maintain gravel, the fence, and the minimum requirement going forward.

Guests
I will not discuss this matter further.
The families will take their case to Columbus.

We have already donated thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in labor to this project.

Perhaps the point is, should the thousands of dollars be provided to you by the city for doing their job.

I am dying to get into the old burial grounds. Just bury me underneath he old oak tree!

Funny- the city can find money to buy two buildings from the Thatcher estate and mothball them until Cincy State or someone else can find a use for them. They can purchase the Manchester Hotel in the hopes that the culinary school will be a success. They can spend money on HUD homes, renovate them and find out that they will not sell and therefore sit idle with money lost in the rehab costs. They can decide not to spend money on street/infrastructure repair for over 30+ years, they can buy the Studio Theatre ladened with asbestos hoping to sell it but never succeeding, only to be on the schedule to demolish, they can hold on to the Swallen's building before they tore it down and spend 90 thou a year in parking garage upkeep before they tore it down. but the same city can't find 65 thou to spend on maintaining the cemetery in a decent manner, including correcting the many years of negligence pertaining to the vault by current and past city administrations. The argument can be made that the city purchased the two mothballed buildings IN THE HOPE that they will eventually be used and create some activity/money-flow downtown (no guarantee of that ever happening by the way)and the cemetery has no value in creating growth/activity or money-flow. Therefore, the purchase of the two dormant buildings is the money better spent. However, as it stands now, neither choice may be the wiser one as to substantiate money being spent on them. It is poor money budgeting by the city the last 30 years that has led to this and many other money problems in this city. No one would run their home or business budgets in this manner. The same city leaders who blow the city's money would never be so stupid as to do the same for their home budget. Or would they?   

Guests

I will say that Mr Landen can not find the records of the perpetual care fund that was set up.

 

BTW, the answer is YES. The city could await 2-3 months to mow, at their discretion, based upon "should" but not "must." In a dry season, they could avoid mowing for a season. The Commission is a mediator, not a trier of fact. They want you and the city to work out your differences. You could probably pull up cases on the website for the group and see how they have acted in the past, when dealing with buildings and a fault.