NYS Association of Cemeteries

Broadcaster Fall 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Fall Conference was Truly Something to Write Home About click here
President's Message click here
Are Any of These Missing Soldiers Buried in YOUR Cemetery? click here
Webster Union Dedicates Maintenance Building click here
All Souls Remembrance Program/ St. Agnes Cemetery Crypt of All Souls click here
Government & Legal Affairs Report click here
Should a Small Cemetery have Director's & Officers Liability Insurance? click here
New Procedure from the Division of Cemeteries click here
Kensico Launches Cell Phone Tour click here
Honoring the Fallen click here
The Cutting Garden at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands click here
The Woodlawn Cemetery Designated National Historic Landmark click here
Can the OGS Help Your Cemetery Operations? click here
Hurricane Irene Hits Catholic Cemeteries in the Diocese of Rockville Centre click here
Keeping in Touch from a Distance click here
Welcome New NYSAC Members click here

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The Fall Conference was Truly Something to Write Home About
By Theresa M. Joyce

Attendees enjoyed a beautiful new venue for the 83rd Annual NYSAC Fall Conference, the Equinox Golf Resort & Spa at the foot of Mount Equinox in Manchester Village, Vermont. Thank you to our supplier and cemetery members who sponsored breaks and entertainment, including: Axiom Business Systems, Bollinger Insurance, Inc., Cold Spring Memorial Group, Ensure-a-Seal, Grever & Ward, Inc., Kryprotek, Matthews International – Bronze Division,
McCleskey Mausoleum Construction Company, PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP and Regan Agency, Inc.

The conference began with a private tour and dinner at Hildene, the Lincoln family home, complete with beautiful gardens and a fascinating exhibit on Lincoln’s second inaugural address, produced in conjunction with Brown University. Harold Holzer, a Lincoln expert with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spoke on Lincoln’s many experiences with cemeteries, including of course, Gettysburg.

Back at the beautiful Equinox, the meetings featured: Jeff Gaines, an expert on Emotionally Intelligent Leadership; Dominique Boulais, Deputy Secretary-General, Canadian Agency of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who is charged with maintaining 23,000 graves of war dead interred in over 150 countries around the world, including many in our member Cemeteries. Check out their website www.cwgc.org, their work is truly inspirational. Martin Levine, ChFC, CPA and author, provided personal document locators and PS&G Models to enable review of efficiency and effectiveness of one’s assets. Finally, Orland Campbell, a trustee from the local and beautiful Cemetery, “Dellwood”, reminded us all why we do what we do.

Resources such as our own committees, regulators, suppliers and lobbyists were on hand for advice and conversation. The “Beatles” even made an appearance for a trip down memory lane. Golfing, shopping, biking, hiking and swimming rounded out the plentiful activities in the beautiful Green Mountains of Southern Vermont.
Thanks to Jay Ivler, Beth Seme and her staff for their work putting together an educational and enjoyable conference.

See you next year in beautiful Saratoga Springs!

President's Message

Dear Members;

The leaves of brown come tumbling down. Another winter is on the doorstep and we will take steps to protect our resources from winter’s wrath. We will tune the furnace, drain the water line, check the roof drains, clear the catch basins, tune up the snow plow...............Hmmmmmm..............forget anything? How about your most important resource, YOUR EMPLOYEES. When was the last time you did a little maintenance toward them?

Now, I hear the Henry Potters (George Bailey’s nemesis) out there saying, “ my people get maintained on payday”.
A writer for the “Harvard Business Review” writes that salary is not the number one thing an employee wants from a job. The keynote speaker at this year’s annual meeting told the attendees that money is a short term motivator. The employee surveys that workplace experts have conducted show the number one thing employees want is to be appreciated and respected for the work they accomplish. A word of praise doesn’t cost a penny, but it goes a long way toward a better maintained employee.

So, dust off the Thank You notes and tune up your most important resource, your people.
And to you, THANK YOU for the work you do i.e. burying our dead with dignity and giving their loved ones a pleasant place to remember.

Sincerely,

Andrew E. Nagle
NYSAC President

Are Any of These Missing Soldiers Buried in YOUR Cemetery?
By Dominique Boulais

At the NYSAC Fall Conference, attendees learned of the efforts of The Canandian Agency of The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commission (CWGC) was established by Royal Charter on May 21, 1917. Its duties are to mark and maintain the graves of the forces of the Commonwealth who died in the two world wars, to build and maintain memorials to the dead whose graves are unknown, and to keep records and registers. The cost is shared by the partner governments - those of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom - in proportions based on the numbers of their graves.

The Canadian Agency of the Commission is responsible for fulfilling the Charter tasks in the Americas (North, Central and South America including the Caribbean). This includes the care of 20,400 war dead commemorated in 3,350 cemeteries and on ten memorials.

The “Wigney List” was a list of some 450 war dead named in Canada’s first World Book of Remembrance who were not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. First identified in the late 1990’s, the Canadian Agency of the Commission has spent 12 years researching through various sources possible burial sites, and over time have found the burial locations of approximately 380. Thus, the CWGC seeks the help of NYSAC members to locate the three war dead listed to the right whose burial location is still unknown, but expected to be within the state of New York.

Please check your records to see if any of these three soldiers are buried on your grounds. If so, please contact:
Dominique Boulais (Mr / Monsieur)

Deputy Secretary-General / Sous-secrtaire gnral Canadian Agency I Agence canadienne Commonwealth War Graves Commission I Commission des spultures de guerre du Commonwealth 66, rue Slater Street Suite 1707 Ottawa, Ontario KIA OP4 CANADA
613-992-7391 | 613-995-0431 (fax)
dominique. boulais@vac-acc.gc.ca
www.cwgc-canadianagency.ca www.cwgc.org

War Dead from the Wigney List
Sergeant
George Erskine Kayne
DOD: January 7, 1921 - Kingston, Jamaica
Widow: Corinne A. Kayne - 301 -109th St Apt 2A; NYC, NY
Religion: Presbyterian

Private
Larry Frederick Martell
DOD: March 20, 1916
Last known address upon enlistment: Buffalo, NY

Private
Stephen Bratton Morris
DOD: April 19, 1920
NOK: Mary Moms (mother) - 110 Clark Street, Auburn, NY or 198 Troop Street or 120 Kelly Street, Rochester, NY
Religion: Methodist

Webster Union Dedicates Maintenance Building
By Jason Schultz, Webster Herald Reporter (reprinted with permission)

In honor of over a half century of labor keeping Webster Union Cemetery looking immaculate, Superintendent Tom Anderson had a new cemetery building dedicated to him during a July 30 ceremony.

People gathered that Saturday morning for dedication of the new building at the 18-acre cemetery, which was founded in 1824.

Family, friends and employees were there to honor Anderson, 77, who has worked at Webster Union Cemetery for 55 years.

“It’s been a family thing for a long time now,” said Anderson, who worked for his father Clarence, who was superintendent of the cemetery before him.

“I knew they were going to dedicate the building, but I had no idea about throwing this party for me,” Anderson said. “I really appreciate it, and they’ve treated me well here over the years.”

Anderson said he has seen a lot of changes over the years working at Webster Union, whose plots have roughly tripled in size since he started working there. He said the cemetery didn’t have running water, so concrete had to be mixed by hand, along with graves which had to be dug by hand until the 1970s. He added that caskets of those who died in winter used to be held until spring when the ground would thaw.

“It used to take three to four hours to dig a plot by hand, if you were going fast,” Anderson said. “It was hard work, for sure.”

The new building is used to house maintenance equipment and also expanded offices for the three workers there. The structure also contains a conference room for use by the cemetery’s staff.

Webster Union Cemetery Board member Charlie Styles said Anderson’s work could not go unnoticed, and the dedication was the least they could “do to show appreciation for him.”

“No one has cared more about this cemetery over the years,” Styles said. “The cemetery is a beautiful sanctuary and memorial to the deceased, and we have Tom to thank for that.”

Although he no longer works fulltime, Anderson still comes by several times each week to help keep the grounds immaculate and the greenery in bloom.

George Baker, who has been President of the cemetery association since 2007, said he first met Anderson in 1995 and has always been impressed by Anderson’s work ethic, attention to detail and dedication. “Tom always worked to make sure everything was just right,” Baker said. “It was never about the pay with him; sometimes he would stay late into the night to make sure things were perfect, and he didn’t care about being paid for those hours.”

Baker said the Webster Union Cemetery takes a lot of work to maintain, but Anderson has always been up to the task. “This cemetery looks the way it does because of Tom,” he said.

Anderson’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, as the Landmark Society of Western New York honored the cemetery in 2008 as a historic place.

Anderson’s three children were also present to talk about the lessons they all learned from working alongside their father from a young age.

Scott Anderson, who now lives in Gorham, talked about how much has changed over the years at the cemetery. “The back lot used to just be a carrot field,” Scott said, surveying the land where he dug many graves by hand as a high-schooler years ago. “It certainly taught me the lesson of having a work ethic.”

Sibling Debby Macikowski, who currently lives in Atlanta, agreed the experience of working at Webster Union shaped her view of life, as well as death. “Working here at the cemetery, I gained a respect for life and saw how precious it is,” she said. “I viewed this place as a sanctuary for people’s loved ones and always worked hard to keep the place looking good for those who visit.”

Wife Eleanor Anderson, who has been married to Tom for 55 years, said it was amazing to see the dedication and also that it was kept a secret until the last moment, when the stone honoring Anderson was placed in a gap in the wall of the new building by his son Scott, who works as a mason. She said the ceremony was a fitting honor for Tom’s five decades of ceaseless labor. She said she remembers sitting in the car at night with the headlights on Tom as he dug a grave. “He keeps this place like a park,” Eleanor said. “I hope those who follow him will keep this place as nice as he does.”

All Souls Remembrance Program/ St. Agnes Cemetery Crypt of All Souls
By Meg Mihalko, Family Services Manager

Editor’s note: The Albany Diocesan Cemeteries are trying this approach to give proper burial to all cremated remains. This special Committal Service occured on November 2, 2011.

Do you have the cremated remains of a loved one sitting in your house for months, or even years? Or have you given thought to scattering the cremated remains in the ocean, lake or mountains? We as Catholics are committed to reverence of the body and therefore are offering a committal service at St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands where we will entomb the cremated remains of your Catholic loved one.

Such concern for the proper care and handling of cremated remains has led to a new Albany Diocesan Cemeteries initiative. Under its All Souls Remembrance Program, St. Agnes Cemetery will conduct a solemn committal service and entombment of cremated remains at no charge in the Crypt of All Souls located in the American Saints Mausoleum. The offer is open to any Catholic who has kept cremated remains in their home or find themselves not sure of a final resting place.

Please call 518-463-0134 for more information on the All Souls Remembrance Program.

Government & Legal Affairs Report
October 2011

The NYSAC Government & Legal Affairs Committee has been diligently working on this year’s legislative agenda. David Fleming, as always, has been working hard on our legislative initiatives for this session. We have listed below some of these issues:

LEGISLATIVE NYSAC INITIATIVES FOR 2011

(a) Local laws not applying to regulated cemeteries
(A7417A –Brennan/S5429 Ranzenhofer)

(b) Body Melting/Resomation/Definition of Cremation
(A7417A –Brennan/S5429 Ranzenhofer)

(d) Dedicated fund for vandalism/repair contributions
(A7416A – Brennan)

(e) Article 15 rewrite – currently tabled

UPCOMING/CONTINUING
LEGISLATIVE FIGHTS IN 2011

(a) Body Melting (A.1223 – Bing – temporarily inactive)

(b) Burial Societies (A.3027 – Cybrowitz/S.3313 - Klein)

(d) Right of Publicity of Deceased Person (S.2999 – Golden/S.3217A - Golden)

(e) Sale of monuments (Prohibits: A.6401 - Morelle/S.3380A - Klein) (Allows: S.5539 - DeFrancisco)

(f) Pet Cemeteries

If you haven’t yet contributed to the Legal Fund this year, please consider making a generous contribution. We need all the support we can get.

Frank F. Giglio, Committee Chairman

Should a Small Cemetery have Director's & Officer's Liability Insurance?
By Brennan P. Regan, Regan Agency, Inc.

A few times a year, I am presented with the following question:
We’re a small cemetery with a small budget. We have one part-time treasurer, our Board of Trustees consists of all volunteers, and we contract our maintenance and burial services to a local company. Should we have Director’s & Officers Liability insurance?

As I am sure most of you know, a Director’s & Officers Liability (D&O) insurance policy will provide financial protection for the Directors, Officers and Trustees serving on the board of the cemetery in the event they are sued in conjunction with the performance of their duties as they relate to the cemetery.

I find that this coverage is often misunderstood, especially by small cemeteries. Many people think that D&O coverage is just for large cemeteries who have significant assets to protect and that the coverage is very expensive. This is not always the case. A small cemetery and its board have just as much at stake as a large cemetery, and $1,000,000 in D&O coverage can be purchased for as little as $500 per year.

More often than not the insurance purchasing decision is based primarily on cost. Understandably, many small cemeteries simply do not have it in their budget to carry D&O. However, the following points are a few things to consider as you decide whether or not to purchase a D&O policy for your cemetery – and could also serve as an “eye-opener” for those of you that already have a D&O policy and are thinking about increasing your limit:
• The personal assets of the individual board members are at risk. D&O insurance can help protect a board member’s home, investments or other personal assets.

• The bylaws of the cemetery may indemnify the board members, but it does not guarantee that the cemetery has the resources to fund the cost of a claim. The financial backing of a D&O policy will ensure the financial solvency of the cemetery.

• The cost of a D&O policy for a small cemetery may be as little as $500, yet the average cost of a D&O claim is over $100,000.

• D&O claims are not covered under General Liability or any other policy form.

• The State of New York and the IRS have increased their scrutiny of Not-For-Profit (NFP) organizations. Over 400 NFP’s have been audited in the past year.

Whether you serve on a volunteer basis or receive remuneration or a stipend for your service, members of a cemetery’s board have the same fiduciary duties as corporate board members. Many lawsuits against NFP’s relate to these duties, which include:

• Duty of Care – requires board members to act prudently and reasonably in regard to the management of the cemetery’s affairs.

• Duty of Loyalty – prohibits board members from using their position in the organization to further their own personal interest.

• Duty of Obedience – requires board members to ensure that the cemetery is run in accordance with its charters and bylaws, and that the cemetery complies with applicable laws.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this topic further, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached by email at bregan@reganagency.com or by phone at (631) 669-3434 ext. 224.

New Procedure from the Division of Cemeteries
Announced by Richard Fishman, Director, N.Y.S. Division of Cemeteries

Editor’s Note: This procedure was announced at the NYSAC Fall Conference and should help speed up the process of securing supreme court approval when buying or selling land.

When a cemetery must seek supreme court approval, the draft court papers and other elements of the application must be sent to the Division’s Albany office. When the Cemetery Board approves the application, the court papers with an index number must be submitted to the Attorney General, to the attention of the Charities Bureau in NYC with a copy sent to the Albany office.

Kensico Launches Cell Phone Tour
By Judith C. Mitchell

Kensico Cemetery launched its new 60-stop cell phone tour at the annual meeting of Lot Owners on Thursday, October 27.

The tour incorporates historic, architectural and horticultural locations of interest throughout the 460-acre cemetery property and provides biographical and background information for all locations.

Based on the popular Kensico Cemetery Historic and Famous Tour available in print and on the Kensico website www.kensico.org, the new cell phone tour expanded the number of locations to 60 stops that can be enjoyed by driving through or walking the grounds and expanded the scope of the tour to include commentary on landscape and architectural features.

A fold-out four-color souvenir map accompanying the tour was designed by award-winning artist Albert Lorenz. One side of the map identifies each stop by number and a drawing; the reverse side of the map offers descriptions and illustrations of the mausoleums of particular architectural interest and areas of the property that display unique horticultural design.

Although some stops are not visible from the Kensico roads, all stops are marked with green and white metal tour signs.

The 60 stops include historic notables such as Tommy Dorsey, Lou Gehrig, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Danny Kaye, Florenz Zeigfeld and Billie Burke, Beverly Sills, and David Sarnoff. Stops also include the Actors Fund where stage, screen and television performers are buried, a 9/11 monument, a Veterans Memorial, the Community Mausoleum, the Tower entrance, and the Administration Building which once served as a railroad station.

The cell phone system/tour technology was provided through Guide by Cell of San Francisco, California whose 1000-plus clients include art institutions, museums and historic places such as the Museum of Modern Art, National Portrait Gallery in London, the Smithsonian Institution, the New York Botanical Garden, and Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.

The Kensico Cemetery cell phone voice is actress and voice-over talent Marian Massaro. She has a background in comedy and dance, appeared on the television series “Law and Order” and the “George Lopez Show,” and counts among her clients Marriott and Motorola.

The tour map illustrator, Albert Lorenz, received his Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute, continued his architectural studies at Columbia University, and received a Master of Science in Architecture. After working for several years in the architectural field, he formed his own illustration studio where he creates a wide spectrum of art including illustrations for advertising, newspapers, magazines, children’s books and book covers.

The Kensico Cell Phone Tour can be accessed by dialing 914-513-3899 from any cell phone or land line and selecting a tour location number followed by the pound (#) sign. For a souvenir map, email your request with full name and address to kensico@kensico.org.

Honoring the Fallen
By Bob Doda, The Queens Courier Newspapers (reprinted with permission)

On Saturday, September 24th St. Michael’s Cemetery unveiled a new monument honoring all 343 firefighters who gave their lives to save others at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Equally as striking as the monument listing the names of the 343 firefighters are the bricks at its base with the names of the first responders from all emergency services that died as a result of working on ‘the pile.’ As of now, the number of first responder deaths remains at 95, but there are plenty of empty bricks that may be engraved in the future.

The memorial service and dedication at St. Michael’s Cemetery honoring fallen firefighters, police, and Port Authority officers brought together Queens elected leaders, FDNY and NYPD officials, and families of those lost for an afternoon of grieving and a celebration of their lives. The afternoon began with an invocation by Father Christopher Keenan who read the Gettysburg Address followed by a statement by Congressman Joe Crowley who commented on the two dozen young firefighters dressed in bunker gear who stood during the ceremony.

“They’re taking upon a job that has a legacy,” said Crowley. “Many believed that the fire department could never recover after the attack, but nothing could be more false . . . They have never forgotten those that have fallen.”
Crowley also included an anecdote about his cousin John Moran, a Battalion Chief in Randall’s Island who died at the World Trade Center.

“I’m sure each and every one of you can take out a memory of a son or daughter that you lost that day and look back and smile,” said Crowley.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, one of the sponsors of the Zadroga Act – named for police officer James Zadroga who died of a respiratory disease attributed to toxins at Ground Zero – spoke about the long road the act took until it was enacted in January 2011. The act expands death benefits and monitored care for those who worked at the destroyed World Trade Center site.

“Who would have thought it would have taken us seven years to pass the Zadroga Act?” asked Maloney. “This bill will save lives. We will not stop until we make sure that it continues to take care of the men and women who took care of us.”

She continued to mention the beauty of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site and urged those in attendance to take a trip downtown to see it.

Also in attendance was Controller John Lui who helped fund the St. Michael’s 9/11 memorial, Former Council Speaker Peter Vallone, FDNY Chief Kevin Butler, PAPD Inspector Brian Sullivan, NYPD Chief Dianna Pizzutti as well as the PAPD Pipes and Drums among other special guests.

Former FDNY Chief Alexander Santora and his wife, Maureen who – along with Ed Horn of St. Michaels – were instrumental in erecting the “343 Memorial” spoke about the importance of remembering those, like their son, Christopher, who died on 9/11. After encouraging those in attendance to come back to see the additions to the bricks at the base of the memorial, the former chief summed up the feeling of many on hand:
“They have one hell of a fire department up in heaven.”

The Cutting Garden at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands

This unique garden provides an opportunity for visitors to cut fresh flowers for the graves of their loved ones. Suggested donation is $1 per stem.

The Woodlawn Cemetery Designated National Historic Landmark
By Susan Olsen

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced on June 30, 2011 that The Woodlawn Cemetery has been designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest recognition accorded to the nation’s most historically significant properties. Woodlawn, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary beginning next year, is one of the nation’s finest examples of a 19th century garden cemetery. It is home to the largest and most distinguished collection of historic mausoleums in the nation, and is still an active cemetery. The designation recognizes its outstanding landscape design and collection of art and architecture. The designation also recognizes Woodlawn’s significant role in memorializing and celebrating prominent Americans, who shaped American history and culture. Since Woodlawn’s founding in 1863, 310,000 people from Gilded Age magnates to pioneers for women’s rights to Harlem Renaissance writers and musicians, as well as artists, athletes and ordinary citizens, have been interred on the cemetery’s 400 acres.

“The Woodlawn Cemetery is an early example of collaborative landscape architecture and contains some of the finest examples of funerary art in the nation,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

“Woodlawn’s mission is to preserve and celebrate the legacy of those who came before us and we are honored to be designated as a National Historic Landmark,” said John P. Toale, President of The Woodlawn Cemetery. We are committed to the stewardship of our country’s history and the aesthetic and natural treasures on our grounds, and to connecting our country’s past to the present and future. We welcome everyone to Woodlawn to see the lasting record of American lives and achievements from the Civil War era to the present.”

The Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting place of many Americans who have made a significant contribution to our national culture. They include: author Herman Melville, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, composer Duke Ellington, musician Miles Davis, financier Jay Gould, entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker, composer Irving Berlin, publisher Joseph Pulitzer, salsa singer Celia Cruz, artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and political cartoonist Thomas Nast, among many others.

Woodlawn embodies a uniquely American synthesis of formal architecture and naturalistic landscape. The park-like cemetery comprises pastoral and picturesque features. Its vistas and curvilinear roads create a harmonious landscape for more than 1300 private mausolea and formal monuments, many designed by the most prominent architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These include: Carrère and Hastings, McKim, Mead & White, Sir Edwin Lutyens, John Russell Pope, and James Gamble Rogers. The monuments are also notable for the art which graces them including stained glass, mosaics and other works by John La Farge and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Sculptures by Robert Aitken, Alexander Archipenko, Sally James Farnham and Attilio Piccirilli adorn the grounds, which over the course of Woodlawn’s history have been landscaped by many notable designers. Notable landscape designers contributed to individual memorials and memorial gardens, including the Olmsted Brothers, Beatrix Farrand Jones and Ellen Biddle Shipman. Woodlawn’s grounds also feature an extraordinary collection of plants, including six of the “Great Trees of New York” and hundreds of century-old shade and blossoming trees.

The Woodlawn Cemetery hosts a series of architectural and horticultural tours, bird walks, talks about famous figures buried at Woodlawn, and other programs on a regular basis throughout the year. A public celebration to commemorate the National Historic Landmark designation was held on October 16, 2011. In 2012, Woodlawn will launch the celebration of its 150th Anniversary with a series of special events and programs.

Can the OGS Help Your Cemetery Operations?
Submitted by Peter J. Ryan

How can the OGS Help?
The Office of General Services Procurement Services Group (OGS) establishes contracts for commodities, services and technology. Over 2500 contracts with an estimated total value of $5.3 billion are available for use by eligible entities across New York State. OGS’ mission is to provide customer-focused contracts that are responsive to customer needs, cost effective, practical, timely and in accordance with governing laws. By buying equipment and supplies on the “state bid” contracts, you can save a considerable amount of money.

Do cemeteries qualify?
Yes, many do. If your cemetery is listed on the Cemetery Division’s website your application will most likely be approved. State agencies and authorities are automatically eligible to use centralized state contracts. Non-state agencies, such as local governments and school districts may confirm eligibility to participate by registering in the New York State Contract Extension Program.

Application for Eligibility To Use Centralized State Contracts: New York State Contract Extension Program registration is available as a Word Document at:
http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/purchase/spg/pdfdocs/eligibilityapplicationform.doc
New York State Laws extending use of centralized contracts for purchases by non-state agencies: legal references for eligibility to use OGS contracts can be found at
http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/purchase/snt/othersuse.asp

For further information:
OGS Procurement Services Group, Customer Services
Corning Tower, 37th Floor
Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12242
Phone: (518) 474-6717 | Fax: (518) 474-2437
E-mail: customer.services@ogs.ny.gov
Visit the OGS web site http://www.ogs.state.ny.us or
http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/BU/PC/BuyerInfo.asp

Hurricane Irene Hits Catholic Cemeteries in the Diocese of Rockville Centre
By Peter J. Ryan

Irene battered our Catholic cemeteries with heavy rains and powerful gusts on Sunday August 28th.
As with most other parts of the Long Island community, residents coped with downed utility poles, toppled trees and flooding.

Debris littered the normally quaint roadways of our cemetery grounds. Strong winds spooked weekend visitors away from their normal visitation.

Lot owners and visitors returned to survey the damage done to their family gravesites and decorations after some areas were under mandatory evacuation orders during the storm.

Cleanup is under way at Catholic Cemeteries in the Diocese of Rockville Centre as in our communities across Long Island as we all begin dealing with the damage Irene left behind.

Crews were out in full force, clearing away downed trees, including a massive tree that crashed onto several lots at Cemetery of the Holy Rood, Westbury, NY (see photo).

Many say they haven’t seen such widespread damage from a storm of this magnitude in several years.

In Nassau and Suffolk counties, many residents spent the day pumping out water from their flooded homes. Despite the destruction, most are feeling lucky that at least everyone is now safe.

Peter J. Ryan, Acting Director stated, “Despite the enormous size of this storm our cemeteries drained well and sustained only minor damage to our buildings. Our staff responded well to this challenging event.”

Keeping in Touch from a Distance
By Ed Hughes

Living a great distance from the family plot in the hometown cemetery means that visits are infrequent or nonexistent. For some family members, this separation results in feelings of frustration and even guilt that may increase over time.

The Jonesville Cemetery Association in Clifton Park, NY, has received emails requesting a picture be taken of the parents’ or relatives’ monument and sent or emailed. When done, the recipient is most grateful.

This year, the Association introduced a new DVD of pictures of the cemetery throughout the year, beginning in the freshness and color of spring and ending with snow-covered monuments in the winter. Depending on the family lot, the last section of the DVD shows pictures of the family monument close-up, including a picture of the deceased which may appear on the monument or is available from some other source. There is no charge for this service, although recipients are invited to send a small donation to the cemetery project fund.

One recipient wrote of the DVD: “The views of the cemetery are awesome and we love that there are scenes from every season; you can’t imagine our surprise when our family monument came up. We know our loved one is resting in the best place possible - Jonesville Cemetery.”

With a pleasant music background, the DVD addresses the separation issue and provides an opportunity for the recipient to keep in touch with family members who have left the active life and who now rest in the beauty and peace of Jonesville.

Welcome New NYSAC Members
Here is a listing of our newest cemeterian members:
Vincent Amigone - Sheridan Park Crematory
Tim Baxter - Oakwood Cemetery Association, Inc.
Richard Clark - Elbridge Rural Cemetery Association
Sandra Divack Moss - Westchester Hills Cemetery/Stephens Wise Free Synagogue
Julie Erno - West St. Johnsville Cemetery Association, Inc.
Tony Galeazzo - Hillside Cemetery Association
Joseph Mastracco - West St. Johnsville Cemetery Association, Inc.
Kitty Parker - Dewittville Cemetery
Diane Pesch-Savatteri - Concordia Cemetery, Inc.
Warren Riles - Forestville Cemetery
Michael Spider - Sheridan Park Crematory
Richard Tompson - West St. Johnsville Cemetery Association, Inc.
Robert van Gorder - West St. Johnsville Cemetery Association, Inc.
L. Kay Wharmby - Village of Fairport
Thomas Whiting - Marilla Cemetery Association
Deborah Zimmerman - Marilla Cemetery Association
If you would like information about joining the New York State Association of Cemeteries contact our office at (518) 783-1134 or visit our web site at www.nysac.com.