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What's New at Arcadia

Historic Burial Grounds of the New Hampshire Seacoast By Glenn A. Knoblock

Arcadia Publishing has releases a new title in the Images of America series, the historic account of the cemeteries along the New Hampshire Seacoast. This collection is a must for anyone interested in local history, genealogy, or colonial-era art. Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Historic Burial Grounds of the New Hampshire Seacoast and browse other cemetery books!

Green-Wood Cemetery By Alexandra Mosca

Arcadia Publishing announces the release of the historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Announcements

Quoting Death in Early Modern England: The Poetics of Epitaphs Beyond the Tomb By Scott L. Newstok

An innovative study of the Renaissance practice of making epitaphic gestures within other English genres. A poetics of quotation uncovers the ways in which writers including Shakespeare, Marlowe, Holinshed, Sidney, Jonson, Donne, and Elizabeth I have recited these texts within new contexts. Visit Palgrave Macmillan and purchase your copy today!

Living by the Dead By Ellen Ashdown with illustrations by Mary Liz Moody.

A memoir about living beside a cemetery--and about the members of my family who came to rest at Roselawn Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida. Please visit Kitsune Books for more information.

Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski.

Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!

Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers

For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.

Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman

Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture is now available. Please visit Studio Indiana for more information.

West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark

Features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.

Copper Thieves Strike Second Montgomery Cemetery PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 09 September 2006
September 8, 2006
By Chris Holmes
Montgomery, AL

Thieves - who police say are addicted to street drugs - have victimized another 50 or so families in Montgomery tonight. For the second time in just a few days, robbers have struck a Montgomery graveyard looking for copper.

But now, the graveyards operators are striking back.   They're using the power of information and words to stop the thieves cold.  

Administrator Gerri Taylor says her job is far more than just managing Montgomery Memorial Cemetery. To her, this is a sacred trust. The thefts have angered her.

"They're graverobbing. They're stealing these off of graves," she said. "That's the part that just really upsets me. They're just desecrating graves."

In just one night, thieves made off with 47 bronze vases and the count could go higher. In spiritual terms putting flowers on a loved one's grave is worth more than just money. But in this world, it costs between 150 and 200 dollars for the vase. So what do drug addicts get for one?

"At the scrapyard, if they find a scrapyard that will take it, they get about 17 dollars per vase," Taylor said.

Taylor says all cemeteries recycle the bronze vases when they're damaged or need replacing, but now, she and other companies are taking action. Anytime they send one away, they're sending a letter along with it.

"We'll call them in advance," she said. "They will know in advance it is legitimate scrap. But if somebody just shows up off the street with 25 or 30 vases, then it's stolen."

Along with police, they're increasing patrols - both formal and informal.

"We're going to ask our neighbors here in the neighborhood. Memorial Heights is a good neighborhood, and we're going to ask them for some help, too," said Taylor.

Police are concerned about copycat thefts and so are the graveyard managers. But police are planning more patrols and as you just heard, so are the memorial managers.

Gerri Taylor says God may have a plan of his own as well. She says black widow spiders like the storage areas where the vases rest when they aren't holding flowers.

She says it's very easy to find a nest of hungry, angry critters if you aren't careful.

Thief, beware.

We also have an update on the Greenwood Memorial theft from two days ago. Police have questioned one person in connection with that theft and are looking for another. But so far,  officers have not charged anyone.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=5384473&nav=0RdE
 
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