FYI - I was asked about what out-of-state people can do re the cemetery preservation - here's the reply, which sounds good to me! And, the committee that's involved is the City County and Local Affairs for the House of Representatives. There are two links that might be helpful: AccessArkansas.org, at http://www.accessarkansas.org/house/reps.php and the Arkansas Legislature site at http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ You can find your county and send the representative a message, and you can also send someone on the committee a message. Gloria >From: "Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group" <bccpg@quik.com> >To: "Gloria B. Lane" <gblane@aristotle.net> >Subject: Re: Cemetery Preservation >Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 22:41:26 -0800 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 >X-RAVMilter-Version: 8.4.2(snapshot 20021217) (wtc) > >Gloria- >Thanks for the email. It can't hurt for them to email the Arkansas >Senators and Reps. Especially if they have family buried in Arkansas. This >is something that affects genealogists everywhere if their ancestors went >through Arkansas. The committee members for the City County and Local >Affairs for the House of Representatives is a good place to start. > >Thanks a ton! >Cassie >----- Original Message ----- >From: <mailto:gblane@aristotle.net>Gloria B. Lane >To: <mailto:bccpg@quik.com>bccpg@quik.com >Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 7:49 PM >Subject: Fwd: Cemetery Preservation > >Hi Cassie - > >I received your message about the cemetery preservation legislation - we >really really need something like this. > >I forwarded this message to the Woodruff County mailing list, on >Rootsweb. I received this quesetion - how can out-of-state >people THought I'd check with you! > >Gloria Lane >Little Rock >>Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 16:28:00 -0700 >>X-From_: bccpg@quik.com Sun Mar 9 16:27:57 2003 >>From: "Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group" <bccpg@quik.com> >>Dear Historical Preservationists: >>I am writing this letter on behalf of the Benton County Cemetery >>Preservation Group and its members, but hopefully the outcome will not only >>benefit our group and county, but the whole State of Arkansas. Our group was >>establishing in 1996 to save our cemeteries. Our goals are (1) to document >>each burial site through the GPS, photos, cemetery mapping, deed research, >>affidavits, 911 mapping and filing documents at the Circuit Clerk's Office, >>each city's Mayor's office and the County Judge's office in accordance with >>state cemetery laws; (2) to help organize the maintenance and preservation >>of cemeteries between local governments, land and cemetery owners and >>descendants; and (3) to educate the general public and government officials >>about the Arkansas state cemetery laws and preservation guidelines. In >>trying to preserve our cemeteries we have encountered several obstacles, >>many of them because of loopholes in current Arkansas laws. It became our >>mission to not only preserve and document these cemeteries, but to >>eventually ratify our state's laws to be more friendly to genealogists and >>historical preservationists. >>These cemeteries are in immediate danger. It is sometimes hard enough to >>prove a burial site, and then to have current laws working against you is >>yet another obstacle. Our group has spent many years researching and writing >>a bill to change all of this. It is based on some other state's laws and we >>think it will aid in cemetery preservation. You can view the bill at: >>http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB2263.pdf. You may >>also visit the homepage www.arkleg.state.ar.us to find out who your >>representative and senator are. >>Just yesterday, our group met with the sponsor of the bill, Representative >>Daryl Pace and made some changes. These changes will hopefully help to get >>it passed in the legislature, and should be available by the end of this >>week. We are already encountering opposition and need your help. Please read >>through this and call your local representative and senator and support our >>efforts. This bill will be a great tool in the future for cemetery >>preservationists all over the state if it is passed. If you have any >>questions, please send me an email or give me a call. Our group plans on >>being in Little Rock when it goes to committee, over the next few days. If >>you could please email me back and let me know if your organization would >>support us, that would be of great help. If the legislators know that people >>support this throughout the state it has a better chance of getting passed. >>Thank you for your time, and please let your legislators know how you feel! >>Also, please forward this anywhere you think people might be able to help us >>out! >>Respectfully, >>Cassie Elliott >>President >>Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group