Burial place rules subject

Friday, February 5, 2010

BEDFORD – Concerns regarding what some referred to as the “strict” cemetery rules and regulations could be ironed out Monday when the town’s three cemetery trustees plan to present a new draft of the controversial document to community members.

The document was created from feedback received during a November public meeting. People voiced concerns about restrictions for leaving items of sentimental importance on grave sites and regulations about dates for displaying American flags, among other things.

“It’s a touchy subject, but there have to be rules,” Bedford cemetery trustee John Wood said in October. Other Bedford cemetery trustees include Chairman Ralph Dieter and Howard Frizzell.

Town Councilor Paul Roy will lead the public meeting, which takes place from 7-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, in the MacAllaster Room at the Bedford Library.

With 3,350 people buried in the four Bedford cemeteries, according to the town Web site, trustees and Town Council members received several complaints in early October, when people began learning about the new rules. Most problems could be found in the “prohibited items,” or Article 12, section of the rules and regulations.

Some controversial issues include only two contained plants permitted on a single lot and the need for American flags to be removed after Veterans Day and not replaced until 10 days before Memorial Day. But the most heated topic floating across town, and discussed at the November meeting, had to do with new restrictions on items of sentimental importance being left at grave sites.

“There are different perspectives as far as how you grieve somebody, be it a young person or an old person, and there are some restrictions that I don’t feel should be there,” resident Edith Schmidtchen said at the time.

The November public meeting ended with an understanding that a new version of the rules and regulations would be drafted based on the public discussion, and that the rules and regulations adopted Nov. 30, 1994, would stay in effect until whatever comes from the Monday night meeting.

Information about the cemeteries and contact information for the trustees can be found at www.bedfordcemeteries.org.