Problems continue with the ongoing operation of Maple Grove Cemetery in Portage County, Ohio

Sharing from the Record-Courier in Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio this latest story from reporter Diane Smith:

Maple Grove Cemetery in Portage County, Ohio will suffer from budget cuts due to nearby Grandview Memorial Park that the township has assumed responsibility for in recent months.  

First, for better understanding, it helps to learn more about what constitutes a Union Cemetery:

"759.27 Union of municipal corporations and townships for cemetery purposes."

"The legislative authorities of two or more municipal corporations, or of one or more municipal corporations and the boards of township trustees of one or more townships, when conveniently located for that purpose, may unite in the establishment and management of a cemetery, by the purchase or appropriation of land therefor not exceeding one hundred acres, to be paid for as provided by section 759.30 of the Revised Code."
Effective Date: 10-01-1953 .

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"759.341 Union cemetery district."

"The legislative authority of each municipal corporation and the board of township trustees of each township that has united in the establishment and management of a cemetery under section 759.27 of the Revised Code, by an affirmative vote of a majority of each legislative authority and board, may form a union cemetery district comprised of all of the territory within the united municipal corporation and township for the purpose of levying taxes within the territory of the district for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the cemetery. The legislative authority and board, acting jointly, shall constitute the taxing authority of the union cemetery district. Notwithstanding sections 759.37, 5705.19, and 5705.191 of the Revised Code, in order to adopt a resolution to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation within the district, a majority of the members of each legislative authority and board of township trustees constituting the taxing authority must vote in favor of the resolution. In all other matters, when the legislative authority and board are acting jointly as the taxing authority of the union cemetery district, each member of the legislative authority and board shall have one vote as described in section 759.37 of the Revised Code."

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Excerpt from the story.:

"This summer, the township asked the city to dissolve the union cemetery agreement, something that can't happen unless both sides agree.

The township cited financial constraints, noting that it also now operates Grandview Cemetery. 

Since then, city and township officials have met but haven't come to an agreement, except to explore cost-saving measures."

Also, it is worth noting that with this situation again we see an example of how there can be a negative "trickle down" effect when a township assumes responsibility for a for-profit cemetery, which Grandview Cemetery was, after the departure of the previous owners who were prosecuted because they committed crimes that directly caused adverse consequences for the cemetery and those who own lots in them.  

The cemetery then becomes one without a legal new owner. In other words it becomes abandoned.  

So, thus in Ohio, we can have an active yet abandoned cemetery.  Most of us might think of abandoned cemeteries as being those that have not had a burial in over 25 years, and are in the inactive status because of it.  We can see that may not always be the case.  

The Ohio Revised Code does not have in place a provision that would ease hardships that arise when these situations occur and the cemetery essentially becomes abandoned and orphaned if the township, or other type of municipality where it is located, does not agree in a timely manner to assume ownership and responsibility for it and its routine care. When they do ultimately agree to accept responsibility, the problems and expenses have greatly increased. 

As we can see, often with these types of disputes between two entities such as a town and a township regarding the responsibility and care of two close proximity cemeteries, in the end, at least one of those cemeteries will suffer.  

We see in this case, it is a scramble to resolve a financial situation by placing budget cuts on one cemetery resulting in a reduction of its staff in order to operate both cemeteries.  This move will in turn affect the ongoing maintenance of that cemetery in a negative manner.

A tense situation continues between the City of Ravenna and the Township over the continued care of the Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna

Sharing this most recent update regarding the continuing joint care of Ravenna's Maple Grove Cemetery by both the city and Ravenna Township stressing how it remains a costly unresolved issue, particularly for the township.  

Over 15,000 memorials are listed for Maple Grove on Find A Grave. 

The township cited that it took over Grandview Memorial Park which has over 3,400 memorials listed for it on Find A Grave.

The article explains that Ravenna and Ravenna Township have a Union Cemetery Agreement.  

The function of a Union Cemetery District in the Ohio Revised Code states.:

"759.341 Union cemetery district."

"The legislative authority of each municipal corporation and the board of township trustees of each township that has united in the establishment and management of a cemetery under section 759.27 of the Revised Code, by an affirmative vote of a majority of each legislative authority and board, may form a union cemetery district comprised of all of the territory within the united municipal corporation and township for the purpose of levying taxes within the territory of the district for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the cemetery. The legislative authority and board, acting jointly, shall constitute the taxing authority of the union cemetery district. Notwithstanding sections 759.37, 5705.19, and 5705.191 of the Revised Code, in order to adopt a resolution to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation within the district, a majority of the members of each legislative authority and board of township trustees constituting the taxing authority must vote in favor of the resolution. In all other matters, when the legislative authority and board are acting jointly as the taxing authority of the union cemetery district, each member of the legislative authority and board shall have one vote as described in section 759.37 of the Revised Code."

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"There's not another jurisdiction in the state of Ohio that is responsible for two cemeteries, except for us," said Township Trustee Hank Gibson, the township's representative on the cemetery board. "I think anyone with a sound mind would say that's not fair."

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Below is a link to the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District and the cemeteries they are responsible for. 

The Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District is even larger; comprised of five cemeteries.

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From "The Mirror" in Maumee, Ohio - "Waterville, Whitehouse, Waterville Township Move Forward on Union Cemetery Plan"by Karen Gerhardinger, Mirror Reporter

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Waterville Council Meeting Minutes, April 22, 2019 

"NEW BUSINESS"

"A. DISCUSSION – JOINT MEETING FOR THE APPROVAL OF TAX MILLAGE FOR THE FALLEN TIMBERS UNION CEMETERY DISTRICT ON MAY 13, 2019 AT 6:00 P.M.

At a January 7, 2019 Special Joint Meeting, the Waterville City Council, along with the elected officials of the Village of Whitehouse and Waterville Township created the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District. At this joint meeting, a Cemetery Board of Trustees was selected from representatives of the three participating jurisdictions and a general consensus was reached on how the district would be funded and the necessary steps needed to begin operations as a union cemetery. Legislation is on tonight’s Council agenda which will finalize the City’s financial contribution, provide assistance with equipment services and transfer the City owned Wakeman Cemetery to the District. The Ohio Revised Code requires an annual joint meeting of the participating members of the Union Cemetery District to be held at the Council Chamber of the largest participating municipality at its first regular meeting in May each year for the purpose of determining the annual rate of taxation for the District. Since Waterville is the largest member, the meeting is scheduled for May 13, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building prior to our regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. The meeting agenda and the District’s proposed 2020 Operating Budget was included with Council’s packet for their review and discussion. The rate of taxation approved at the joint meeting would be uniform throughout the District and is levied outside of the ten-mill limitation. The requested 0.46 mills includes the purchase of equipment thought to be part of the necessary “start-up” costs required to begin the operation and maintenance activities for the District’s five publicly owned cemeteries totaling 28.644 acres.

Mr. Frey, Chair of the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District Board of Trustees, stated that the 2020 Operating Budget was put together by the Cemetery Board and

was included in Council’s packet. This budget will need to be approved at the Joint District meeting on May 13 and at that meeting we will also need to set the levy that will be needed to fund the district in the future. 2019 will be funded through the seed money of $50,000 from each from the City of Waterville and the Village of Whitehouse.

Council held a brief discussion on the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District’s proposed 2020 budget. All three entities of the district will meet for the annual joint meeting on Monday, May 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the City of Waterville Council Chamber.

B. RESOLUTION 13-19 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR THE FALLEN TIMBERS UNION CEMETERY DISTRICT

At the January 7, 2019 Special Joint Meeting creating the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District, an understanding was reached among the elected officials present that the Cemetery District would need an interim source of funding to operate in 2019 until property taxes were received in 2020. This Resolution authorizes a “Cooperative Funding Agreement” between the City, the Village of Whitehouse and the Cemetery District to provide a total of $100,000 to fund the operational expenses of the District in 2019. The $50,000, contributed each by the City of Waterville and the Village of Whitehouse respectively, would be paid back to each jurisdiction over a period of five (5) years at a rate of $10,000 per year. The $50,000 payment to the District was included in the 2019 Appropriations Ordinance.

Mayor Brodie moved to adopt Resolution 13-19. Mr. Bruno seconded the motion. Roll call: Mrs. Bruno – yes, Mr. Pedro – yes, Mrs. Duncan – yes, Mayor Brodie – yes, Mr. Frey – abstain, Mr. Bruno – yes. The motion passed.

C. RESOLUTION 14-19 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL EQUIPMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE FALLEN TIMBERS UNION CEMETERY DISTRICT

This Resolution authorizes an “Intergovernmental Equipment Services Agreement” between the City of Waterville and the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District for equipment services involving the opening and closing of graves in the District’s cemeteries on a temporary basis until the District has the equipment and personnel to undertake this work on its own behalf. The city would charge the District $50.00 per hour per City Employee and $100.00 per hour for equipment.

Mr. Pedro moved to adopt Resolution 14-19. Mr. Bruno seconded the motion. Roll call: Mrs. Bruno – yes, Mr. Pedro – yes, Mrs. Duncan – yes, Mayor Brodie – yes, Mr. Frey – abstain, Mr. Bruno – yes. The motion passed.

D. ORDINANCE 06-19 AN ORDINANCE TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP OF THE WAKEMAN CEMETERY TO THE FALLEN TIMBERS UNION CEMETERY DISTRICT AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

This Ordinance authorizes the transfer of ownership of the Wakeman Cemetery located inside the City of Waterville to the Fallen Timbers Union Cemetery District. The emergency measure is requested in order to transfer the property to the District as soon as possible in order to avoid any disruption of the operation of the cemetery.

Mayor Brodie made a motion to suspend the rules to allow for the passage of Ordinance 06-19 as an emergency measure. Mrs. Duncan seconded the motion.

Roll call: Mr. Bruno – yes, Mr. Frey – abstain, Mayor Brodie – yes, Mrs. Duncan – yes, Mr. Pedro – yes, Mrs. Bruno - yes. The motion passed.

Mayor Brodie made a motion to move for the passage of Ordinance 06-19 as an emergency measure. Mr. Pedro seconded the motion.

Roll call: Mrs. Bruno – yes, Mr. Pedro – yes, Mrs. Duncan – yes, Mayor Brodie – yes, Mr. Frey – abstain, Mr. Bruno – yes. The motion passed."

Another Ohio township trying to walk away from it's responsibilities to care for a cemetery - Ravenna Township, Portage County, Ohio

Sharing this July 26, 2020 story by Diane Smith from the "Record-Courier" -- 
"Ravenna Township wants out of Maple Grove Agreement" 

"City and township officials plan to meet in the near future to consider the future of Maple Grove Cemetery on North Chestnut Street, which Ravenna city and township have jointly operated for more than 20 years.

Ravenna Township Trustee Patsy Artz said the burden of rising costs at Maple Grove are too much to bear for the township, which took over Grandview after its previous owners, Ted and Myndi Martin, were sent to prison for defrauding customers. The burden of rising cemetery costs, she said, comes at a time when all local governments are short on funds because of COVID-19.

“By law, we only have to have one cemetery,” she said. “We cannot afford to maintain two cemeteries, nor do we need to.”

 Assistant Portage County Prosecutor Chad Murdock wrote a letter to the city in June, hoping to dissolve the partnership that operates Maple Grove.

 “With your consent, the board (of township trustees) would like, actually needs, to withdraw from the Maple Grove Union Cemetery,” he wrote. “To be fiscally responsible, the board must make some changes.”

 Maple Grove, though now located entirely within the city limits, was once the township cemetery. In 1995, the township sued the city, arguing that because the cemetery was in the city, both governments should jointly maintain it, and the Portage County Common Pleas Court ruled in the township’s favor.

 Ravenna Law Director Frank Cimino said that an opinion from the Ohio Attorney General has determined that both parties in a union cemetery must agree to dissolve the partnership.

 “If the city does not consent to it, they (township trustees) have no ability to withdraw,” Cimino told council’s planning committee recently.

 However, he said, the city and township could form a joint district to seek a tax levy to fund the cemetery.

 Councilwoman Amy Michael said she was concerned about justifying a tax increase to residents, and pointed out that the city is losing money as well.

 “There have been so many taxes and increases to our residents,” she said. “Some of our residents choose cremation and don’t even use that cemetery, or another cemetery. I’m not sure how we’d justify that.”

 Councilman Tim Calfee said he believes the cemetery needs to be fixed up, but now isn’t the right time to ask for a tax.

 “We don’t say when we’re having trouble paying our bills, ‘Oh, I don’t want to pay my bill anymore,’ ” he said.

 Mayor Frank Seman said he thinks both sides need to sit down and “politely discuss the situation.”

 But it’s not clear when, or how, the meeting would take place because of regulations on mass gatherings due to COVID-19.

“That cemetery, people watch it like a hawk,” Michael said. “A lot of our loved ones are there, and our history is there.”"

Maple Grove Cemetery has 15,384 interments on "Find A Grave"

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Grandview Memorial Park has 3,420 interments on "Find A Grave"

"However, he said, the city and township could form a joint district to seek a tax levy to fund the cemetery."

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/759.341v1

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759.341 Union cemetery district.

The legislative authority of each municipal corporation and the board of township trustees of each township that has united in the establishment and management of a cemetery under section 759.27 of the Revised Code, by an affirmative vote of a majority of each legislative authority and board, may form a union cemetery district comprised of all of the territory within the united municipal corporation and township for the purpose of levying taxes within the territory of the district for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the cemetery. The legislative authority and board, acting jointly, shall constitute the taxing authority of the union cemetery district. Notwithstanding sections 759.37, 5705.19, and 5705.191 of the Revised Code, in order to adopt a resolution to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation within the district, a majority of the members of each legislative authority and board of township trustees constituting the taxing authority must vote in favor of the resolution. In all other matters, when the legislative authority and board are acting jointly as the taxing authority of the union cemetery district, each member of the legislative authority and board shall have one vote as described in section 759.37 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 10-20-1987.

 

There are so many elements at play in a situation such as this one.  More than one side to the argument has merit in this story.  Definitely, more discussions are needed to happen between all parties involved.  
Reaching out to obtain pertinent input from residents is crucial.  Some options include holding Facebook live 'town hall' type meetings, etc.  
Seeking different approaches to solve the problems at hand to better enable the living to do the right thing by those who are no longer with us and no longer who can speak for themselves. 

The fate of final resting places of those who came before us - whether they be long ago ancestors or our parents - and when you come right down to it, ourselves if we have invested in plots at a cemetery, all are at risk.  
At the heart of the matter is:  Respect, Dignity, Honoring final wishes.   All are at risk of  being lost if we as the living,  do not keep our commitments to those who came before us, to each other, and to ourselves.  
All cemeteries are part of their surrounding communities.  Cemeteries are comprised of sacred spaces and are living breathing landscapes full of cherished history. 
Yes, financial resources are considerations, but there are options, even workarounds, to achieve goals.  
We have seen how volunteers have cared for active cemeteries that were orphaned by their owners right here in Ohio -- Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Ross County and the Pickaway County location both have managed to sustained themselves through volunteerism and donations.  And, they have now done it for over 7 years.  Can they go on forever - of course not, but they are keeping these cemeteries going as best that they can until a new owner is put in place.  

Like everything else in life that determines whether there will be success or failure, it all comes down to the people involved.  How committed they are to solving a problem.  How devoted they are to seeking out solutions and gathering local community support.  

What we don't want to happen is for active cemeteries being 'fast-tracked' into a downward spiral of becoming like their long abandoned counterparts -- covered with overgrown weeds, landscapes dotted with sinking markers, and leaning monuments.  
As a nation and a society, we are at a crossroads because of changes in burial practices that are jeopardizing the future of long-established cemeteries.  
Additional options for long-term cemetery care need to be explored.  I feel adopting measures modeled after those cemeteries with owners that have been successful at handling these changes would be worthwhile to explore and carefully examine. 

Grandview Memorial Park - Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio received an HB 168 Cemetery Grant

Sharing this news story from the "Record-Courier" of Kent, Ohio.:

"Grandview Cemetery gets grant from state"

By Diane Smith, Reporter

Excerpt:

"The once beleaguered Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna Township got a boost from state officials Thursday, when township trustees got a grant to continue improvements at the cemetery.

The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing awarded trustees a $1,450 grant. The money will be used to put up directional signs at the cemetery, which trustees reluctantly took over almost two years ago.

Anne Moorhead Petit, superintendent of the division, said the grant program is new. This year, $75,357 worth of grants are being awarded to 65 cemeteries in 34 Ohio counties. The cemeteries are either publicly owned or are not for profit."

This is definitely a happy ending story for Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna.  

Grandview Memorial Park has 3,385 memorials listed for it on "Find A Grave."

Now, Grandview Memorial Park has a bright future to be properly maintained for many years to come.  

Personally, I can't think of a more deserving cemetery to receive this 2020 Ohio Cemetery Grant.  

Updated report - the sentencing of Theodore "Ted" Martin who, along with his wife Arminda Martin, commited fraudulent crimes against many who have purchased merchandise and lots at two Ohio cemeteries and one Pennsylvania Cemetery

 Sharing this latest update from the "York Dispatch" in York, Pennsylvania.:

"2nd owner of Dover-area cemetery guilty of bilking customers of nearly $500K" 

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Grandview Memorial Park (AKA Grandview Cemetery) in Ravenna, Portage County and Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware County are the two Ohio cemeteries impacted by the criminal activity committed by this couple who gambled away most of the money they received from customers.

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Excerpt:

"The pair bilked at least 223 customers of Suburban Memorial Gardens cemetery out of at least $493,000 since about 2010."

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The Cemetery Advocacy Facebook Group has been set up to share and discuss all of the unresolved issues these three cemeteries have had to deal with; and for the most part linger, caused by this couple's crime spree that thankfully has ended. 

Sharing the Latest News Report about Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna, Ohio

"Ravenna Township Settles into New Role As Cemetery Owner/Operator"

By Paula Schleis

Beacon Journal/Ohio.com

Excerpt below:

"RAVENNA TWP.: Ravenna Township trustees are asking for patience as staff sorts through scribbled index cards and shoddy paperwork in the office at Grandview Memorial Park."

“We’re not even really sure how many people are buried here,” said trustee Vince Coia. And frankly, given testimony in a Portage County courtroom this month, they’re not even sure if everyone is buried where the records say they are.

On Jan. 1, Ohio law handed the private cemetery to the township after its owners were convicted of various charges, including stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from folks who thought they were prepaying for their burials."

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Grandview Memorial Park on "Find A Grave"

Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna Township, Ohio will be Owned by Township Trustees

"Ravenna Township takes over troubled cemetery"POSTED 4:29 PM, FEBRUARY 19, 2018, BY MAIA BELAY

Sharing from Fox 8 News in Cleveland.

"RAVENNA TOWNSHIP - A Portage County township is now in the cemetery business after the former owners of Grand View Memorial Park cemetery were sentenced to years in prison on a slew of charges for cheating customers."

aLSO,

FROM THE "rECORD-cOURIEr".

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Grandview Memorial Park

on "Find A Grave."

Ravenna Township to take charge of Grandview on Monday

Ravenna Township to take charge of Grandview on Monday

"Grandview Memorial Park may become Ravenna Twp.'s responsibility"

Grandview Memorial Park may become Ravenna Twp.'s responsibility

Grandview Memorial Park on "Find A Grave."

Sharing Information about a Great Cemetery Advocacy Facebook Group for two Ohio Cemeteries and One Pennsylvania Cemetery

I recently learned about the "Cemetery Advocacy Group", a Facebook Group, that is dedicated to the preservation of three cemeteries; two in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania.

Please read the introduction about this great group and click on the links for further details.:

"This Facebook Group is for people who have loved ones buried in Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware, Ohio, Suburban Memorial Park in Dover, Pennsylvania and Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna, Ohio to discuss issues with the cemeteries.":

"Cemetery Advocacy Group"

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Delaware County, Ohio:

Fairview Memorial Park on "Find A Grave"

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Portage County, Ohio:

Grandview Memorial Park on "Find A Grave"

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York County, Pennsylvania:

Suburban Memorial Park on "Find A Grave"

Ohio House Bill 168 Has Passed and is Headed for the Ohio Senate -- Progress Made for some of Ohio's Cemeteries!

Sharing some links regarding Ohio House Bill 168 which just passed and is now headed to the Ohio Senate for review and hopefully will gain passage as well.   

Press Release from the Ohio House - 132nd General Assembly regarding HB 168

And,

From the website: "Legiscan" regarding House Bill 168.  

Sadly, even active (current burial) cemeteries can become victims; victims of their owners who abandon them, which should be unheard of. 

 Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware County and Grandview Memorial Park, Ravenna, in Portage County, Ohio have lacked proper ownership for quite some time due to their owners becoming involved with criminal activity. 

Also, there are two cemeteries in southern Ohio where the owners fled the state: Floral Hills Memory Gardens, Circleville in Pickaway County; and Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Chillicothe, in Ross County. 

Volunteers are often the ones who are left behind to care for these "orphaned cemeteries" while they await new owners, which can be a long time coming. These are cemeteries that have current and future burials; yet no one to maintain their grounds and gravesites or their records.

Hopefully, House Bill 168 will also pass the Ohio Senate as it is the best legislation put forth to address these issues, and deserves to be enacted to save any other cemeteries that one day may be faced with such an unfortunate fate. 

Sharing Recent Cemetery News and Events from Around Ohio

"Area Funeral Homes Deal with Fallout from Cemetery"

"Families cheated by Grandview need to make new arrangements"

"From the "Record Courier"

By DIANE SMITH Staff Writer Published: June 18, 2017 4:00 AM

Excerpted from this News story:

"Cemetery policies"

"Private cemeteries, Colecchi said, also are required to abide by state laws. He said the law defines pre-need items, and requires funds paid for such items to put into a trust or other account until the money is needed to pay for services."

"The same code, he said, requires cemetery owners to file affidavits with the state to account for the money customers pay, and to set up accounts for lawn maintenance."

"To date, Colecchi said, he has been unable to find such accounting by the Martins for Grandview."

"My understanding is that pre-need payment annual reporting has not been filed for a number of years," he said. "I've seen no evidence that it has been filed."

"The Grandview bank account has just $332.58 in it, Colecchi said, and that makes it impossible for him to honor pre-need contracts for families who want to use their plots. The families need to make arrangements with funeral homes and monument companies, he said. There also is a fee schedule in place for opening and closing of graves.

For now, Ravenna Township trustees are handling mowing of Grandview, and Rootstown trustees are aiding the township by lending specialized mowing equipment."

"The Portage County Prosecutor's Office has filed a motion seeking to dissolve the corporation that owns Grandview. The motion, which is pending in Portage County Common Pleas Court Judge Laurie Pittman's court, states that the Martins have "systematically used Grandview as a subterfuge to engage in criminal activity" and have used funds paid for cemetery plots and pre-need merchandise and services for personal use."

"Should Pittman dissolve ownership of the cemetery, Ravenna Township trustees would assume ownership and responsibility for burials -- but not "pre-need" items that often are purchased separately at many cemeteries."

"Colecchi, who will oversee Grandview Cemetery until the ownership issues is resolved, expects to file his first report with the court in July. Since he took receivership of the cemetery, only one person has been buried in Grandview under his watch."

"Two others, clients of Wood-Kortright-Borkoski, also were caught up in the issue when they died shortly after Ted Martin, on his way to prison, ordered Grandview to shut down. Those people eventually were buried at the cemetery."

"Nothing new"

"Spicer said issues with Grandview, which opened in the 1960s, are nothing new. When the Martins took ownership of the place, Spicer said he heard complaints that they hiked the cost of opening and closing plots three times within their first three months of ownership, aiming to make them comparable to private cemeteries in Summit County, which charge hundreds or thousands more than municipal cemeteries."

"We saw this coming for a long time," he said. "There's nothing you can do."

"The families coming to him, he said, are already clients of his funeral home, but want to update their pre-arrangements to cover items they thought they bought from Grandview. The added expense is difficult for some families to cover, he said, but "they just know it has to be done."

"We try to come up with something that wouldn't have them spending too much money, but still allow them to have a decent funeral," he said."

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"Conneaut Women Digs into Cemetery's History" From the "Star-Beacon" - Ashtabula, Ohio - By MARK TODD mtodd@starbeacon.com -  June 19, 2017

Excerpted from this News story:

"The cemetery contains a large number of military veterans, including three who fought in the Revolutionary War, Lardi said. The graves of 14 veterans of the War of 1812, one Spanish-American War veteran and five who fought in World War I can be found in City Cemetery, she said.

It is also the final resting place for 142 Civil War soldiers. In their honor, the entrance to the cemetery is marked by a statue of a Civil War erected in 1912, Lardi said. Two small cannons were added to the monument in 1924, she said."

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"Efforts Target Historic Frankfort-area Cemetery"   
From the "Chillicothe Gazette"

Chris Balusik , Reporter3:27 p.m. ET June 19, 2017
Excerpted from this News story:

"Basically, we will take (the markers) up all the way in two of these cases and we'll take the other (two) apart completely and clean them and put a new foundation under them," Smith said of the ones already paid for. "A little bit different from what other people do, I count myself as historic and we try to do it historically correct. ... We will be resetting these largely the way they were set originally except we will be using finer crushed stone instead of what they used before."

"I'm really big on having things look historically correct."

"The cemetery's neighbor is the Melvin Stone Quarry, which has donated the gravel for the project. Diane Mallow is hoping other members of the Mallow or Hegler families or those in the community interested in historic preservation will choose to also donate to the work so that as much of the cemetery as possible can be restored."

Those interested in donating the project can do so by visiting www.GravestoneTransformations.com and clicking on the "Donations" link. There, donors can earmark their donation to a specific project if they so choose."

"Smith said the average marker in the cemetery would take around $300 to $450 worth of work, which would put the entire cemetery in roughly the $10,000 to $15,000 range."

Sharing Updates for Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware County and Grandview Memorial Park in Portage County, Ohio

The bad news just keeps getting worse as prospects are again dimmed for finding a satisfactory resolution soon for both the Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware County and Grandview Memorial Park, Ravenna, in Portage County.  

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We have been following this sad saga for months hoping for a final resolution for these two active cemeteries; yet the latest news still leaves them in want of new owners.  

Both cemeteries have been dependant upon dedicated volunteers to pitch in and handle their care as best they can.  But these situations cannot go on indefinitely. 

Ohio laws (Ohio Revised Codes), or the lack of them, have not provided answers either despite the Ohio Attorney General's involvment with this case.  

"Couple are re-indicted on Lewis Center Cemetery Scheme" -- from "NBC4i.com

Published June 16, 2017

Excerpt:"Theodore and Arminda Martin, owners of Fairview Memorial Park, were originally indicted in February on 54 charges against 44 victims. Friday’s indictment replaces the original and includes 80 charges and 67 victims."

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"No cash to operate neglected Delaware Cemetery" -- from the "Delaware Gazette" published June 13, 2017

Excerpt:

"A.C. Strip, esq., a Columbus-based attorney specializing in corporate insolvency, was appointed to care for Fairview Memorial Cemetery by Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley at a hearing on May 23."

"Strip said he is working on an inventory of items at the cemetery, but said he has virtually zero cash on hand to take care of the cemetery. Strip then praised the group of local volunteers who had been taking care of the cemetery and said they were responsible for cleaning up the cemetery for Memorial Day."

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Fairview Memorial Park on "Find A Grave"

& 

Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna, Ohio on "Find A Grave"

"With owners in prison, volunteers take on cemetery upkeep"

From The Columbus Dispatch, Friday, May 19, 2017

By Dean Narciso

"With owners in prison, volunteers take on cemetery upkeep"

Fairview Memorial Park, Delaware County, Ohio as listed on "Find A Grave"

AND

Grandview Memorial Park, Portage County, Ohio as listed on "Find A Grave"

Late Breaking News from the Record-Courier in Kent, Ohio Regarding Grandview Memorial Park

Sharing late breaking news on Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio as reported by the "Record-Courier" -- May 4, 2017.:

"Portage prosecutor working to seize Grandview Memorial Park from its owners"

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The Grandview Memorial Park lists 2,765 interments on "Find A Grave."