The sadness of having a loved one buried in Allentown's Fairview Cemetery never ends. After the initial grief, every visit to the unkempt cemetery adds salt to the wound. Over a decade ago I tried to focus community attention to the poor conditions at the cemetery, including a Morning Call article. A few years ago, Tyler Fatzinger's efforts cleaning up the cemetery resulted in another article.
A recent widower wrote, "Went to the cemetery today. It was so bad you could not see her grave with all the weeds and grass. Fairview cemetary is a joke. When are the politicians going to do something?"
Fatzinger managed to get conditions at the cemetery on the radar with Sweep, the city code department which enforces lawn violations. While the neglect has been occurring for decades, the magistrate allowed the cemetery operator to request a continuation.
Buried at Fairview is the history of Allentown. Numerous mayors, Max Hess Senior, Jack Mack, John Leh and General Harry Trexler are among the notables buried there.
It is past time for the mayor and city council to exert themselves about this continuing problem.
Allentown desecrates it's living too Mike.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Magistrate wanted the person who controls the cemetery present so he could be thoroughly questioned, as opposed to simply issuing a standard fine that would be paid from the cemetery association's dollars.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Matt T. If
ReplyDeleteellected will get it done
In Philly we have similar problems at older cemeteries. With fewer people being buried in them, funds run out and owners are absentee. We needed a Congressman to get after the owner of one of the cemeteries. Also, if you pay for perpetual care, it is supposed to be better but not always. The owner blamed it on Covid, no employees to take care of the place (for a year).
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