In a message dated 7/4/2000 3:34:22 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SUSANLB@aol.com writes: << So who do we get to champion the cause so that anyone will even listen Susan Bingler Fairfax, VA >> Just a thought, but how hard is it to get a place in the National Registry? It would take the efforts of many people across the country to get the old cemeteries considered Historical Landmarks, but maybe---- Rodney L. McKinney Rmckin2383@aol.com NEHGS

At 07:13 PM 7/4/2000 EDT, you wrote: >In a message dated 7/4/2000 3:34:22 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SUSANLB@aol.com >writes: > ><< So who do we get to champion the cause so that anyone will even listen > > Susan Bingler > Fairfax, VA >> > >Just a thought, but how hard is it to get a place in the National Registry? >It would take the efforts of many people across the country to get the old >cemeteries considered Historical Landmarks, but maybe---- > >Rodney L. McKinney >Rmckin2383@aol.com > NEHGS > We're not just concerned with old cemeteries, though. Many thousands of small cemeteries on private lands need some form of protection. The 20th century was devastating to small farm cemeteries where urban sprawl has swallowed up the farms along with the cemeteries. There is no respect for the dead when the developers are trying to make money. We have an old, historic civil war cemetery in Redwood City that we've been fighting to save for over 50 years. Every few years the city council comes up with a new plan to bulldoze it under and put up a soccer field or tennis courts or something nice that the public can use, because nobody has the time or the money to keep it looking decent (pulling the weeds, raking up the leaves, etc.) At times in the past it's just been an eyesore, but if you are a descendant of one of the many people buried there, it's the most beautiful cemetery on earth! Luckily we have a very powerful preservation committee in Redwood City who now has volunteers to rake leaves and pull weeds to keep the cemetery presentable, but how long will they be able to keep the developers at bay? We need the cemeteries protected forever in my opinion, and that includes protection from rail and rapid transit easements. In Colma, CA, where all the San Francisco Cemeteries were relocated to, the BART Rapid Transit is going under the cemeteries so as not to disturb the stones, since there is no place for them to go around it. That's a good compromise. I urge you to sign the petition before the cemetery your ancestors were buried in is turned into a parking lot or tennis courts. Then pay attention to who you are voting for. John A. Maltby Redwood City, CA jamaltby@creative.net