Chester Cemetery Board overcoming Dixie challenges
By Gregg Scott
Staff Writer
David Price has been the Interim Manager of the Chester Cemetery District for the past several months and has been helping the new general manager transition into the role. At the Jan. 13 board meeting he was voted in as the fifth and newest member of the Chester Cemetery District Board. Photo by Gregg ScottThe Jan. 13 meeting of the Chester Cemetery District Board reported some ups and downs as they continue take on the many challenges left by the Dixie Fire. New General Manager Wes Scott officially began his position on Jan. 1 and hit the ground running. He and interim manager David Price have the temporary office space in the Sheriff’s substation building, up and running with internet, phone and website all working well.
All of the fire debris from Dixie, including the former office, has been cleaned up and removed, and a new storage container is in place. Electric power has been restored to the site so the well can be rebuilt as soon as the snow level allows. These are just the highlights of the ‘up’ side.
The temporary ‘down’ side is also due to the snow level. The board voted to close the cemetery to full burials until the snow levels allow for safe and non-destructive access to the burial plots. As of the meeting date, all pending internments had been completed.
Upcoming tasks will include purchasing lawn mowers, hand tools, a dump truck and much more to replace items lost in the fire and be ready when the site can be reopened. Another major step will be the planning, design and building of a new office structure. There are a lot of items for the board to discuss and that will include the newest board member voted in at the meeting. David Price offered his letter of interest to join the board and use his experience as interim manager for the benefit of the district. His application was accepted and he was duly voted in by the board.
