Cemetery to enforce memorial guidelines

Colusa resident Shirley Chambers was incensed when she was forced to remove objects from her husband’s grave.

Chambers often visits the cemetery to visit the gravesite – a ritual she usually looks forward to. But on Father’s Day, her time of peaceful reflection turned to turmoil.

After years of relaxed rules, the Colusa Cemetery District has cracked down on what it allows on or around headstones.

“I’ve always kept up my own gravesites,” Chambers said. “I take care of five. I’m very disappointed that we can no longer decorate our graves.”

And when the cemetery ended its years of lenient enforcement of the rules by removing everything from its graves only weeks after Memorial Day, the board of trustees was left to deal with an angry public. 

“We felt heartsick,” said chairwoman Linda Womble. “We didn’t mean for everything to be removed.”

Not only were the statues gone, the angels and the ornaments, but all the flowers had been stripped from the graves, something Womble said was an error.

“I know sorry isn’t good enough, but we can’t apologize enough,” she said. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Womble said although the removal of the flowers was a mistake, the district has been too lenient with the public too long about setting up shrines on and around the headstones. The rules, which are not new, have long prohibited things like decorative rocks, birdbaths, Shepard hooks with hanging baskets, wind chimes and statues. Cemetery staff has the right to remove all objects that become a source of litter, a safety hazard or a maintenance problem, she said.

“We didn’t really enforce the rules before but (the decorations) were just getting too excessive,” Womble said. “We’ve had a problem with things getting broken and being run over with the lawnmower.”

People were also using pesticides to clear areas around headstones, which is prohibited.

“We have regulations about pesticide use,” Womble said. “We have an obligation to protect our employees and the public.”

In May, the board of directors unanimously approved the enforcement of the new rules, effective June 15 – Father’s Day.

According to Colusa Cemetery District secretary Polly Billeci, a notice was published in the newspapers and posted at the office and courthouse informing the public that the cemetery would enforce the rules.

Letters were also mailed to individuals by head groundkeeper Paul Cobb.

As for the removal of the flowers, Womble said it was a personnel issue that she could not discuss.

Some people believe Cobb has been targeted to take the fall. The July 7 agenda of the trustees calls for the “discipline, dismissal, or release” of a public employee and Cobb is currently on a leave of absence, according Billeci.

“I hate to see Paul lose his job,” Chambers said. “As long as Paul has been working there, he has done a great job keeping the cemetery looking nice. I have noticed a lot of improvements.”

Chambers blames the board for being too strict on the regulations.

“Even though we own our own plots, we are banned from being able to display our decorations on them,” she said.

Womble said only flowers, real of silk, would be allowed in the cemetery vases that are built into the headstones, as an eloquent testimony of love and respect for the departed. However, the district will remove objects that are considered unsightly, dangerous, or impedes the progress of normal cemetery operations. Cans with cut flowers that hold water are prohibited to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes.

“The cemetery board had been discussing the enforcement of the rules for months,” Womble said. “We just regret that we started on Father’s Day.”

Womble said anyone with questions or concerns can call the cemetery at 458-2650. A copy of the rules can be obtained from the cemetery office, 1974 Wilson Ave. Colusa.