Letter to the Editor: Regarding the Chester Cemetery District
I attended the March 9th public meeting in order to voice my opposition to the closing of our cemetery for burials from “Nov 1st til when weather permits.” I calmly and rationally voiced my opinion that: 1) there should be full access (except in extreme weather/snow conditions), 2) the first burial was in February 1960, so it was doable then, 3) other mountain cemeteries bury through the winter, such as Westwood and South Lake Tahoe, 4) a cemetery basically has ONE job: TO BURY THE DEAD.
During what I thought was a debate among mature, intelligent adults, one Board Member said: “Well, if you don’t like it here, GO GET BURIED SOMEWHERE ELSE!” (REALLY?!) Sadly, not one of the other two Board Members or the employee that was present said a single word to refute that statement, nor has there been an apology. What a slap in the face to the residents of the Lake Almanor basin!! The Chester Cemetery (including Prattville Cemetery) belong to the taxpayers & they’ve been told to ‘go somewhere else’?! I asked if that’s their new motto, but got no reply.
My friends & I have been trying since mid-December to effect a stop to the practice of winter/holiday/weekend closures. We’ve found that this cemetery has been and IS being run by a dangerous lack of competence, efficiency, transparency, honesty, integrity, professionalism and COMPASSION for grieving families and friends of the deceased.
If this is of interest to you, please attend the next scheduled Board Meeting Tuesday April 13, 2021 @ 1 pm, 1400 Hwy 36, Chester. Any comments – PRO or CON – to this letter are welcome.
Carol Morgenroth
Chester, CA
