From left, Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents Secretary Ellen Hoffer, Oakwood Sexton Hal Heagy and council representative Jerry Frush. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels.

WARSAW — With spring cleanup underway, the city of Warsaw-Oakwood Cemetery is requesting that all winter decorations that have been placed in or on the ground at gravesites be removed as soon as possible.

Grave blankets should have been removed by March 1, according to the Board of Regents rules and regulations. At the Oakwood Board of Regents meeting Thursday, March 5, Oakwood Sexton Hal Heagy said cemetery employees have removed grave blankets, and those blankets have been placed near the shop area and may be picked up over the next two weeks. Any remaining ground decorations will be removed and discarded.

Discussion continued regarding the future site of a third cremation area. Heagy showed board members a new draft he created, with the cremation area near a wooded section of the cemetery. People would be buried behind their headstones, Heagy said. “It’s very open and natural.”

With this plan, Heagy said, he can branch off into more areas and will be using less concrete. He intends to go with a more natural look which will include landscaping bushes and trees. 

Heagy asked for input from board members, emphasizing, “This is just my rendition — it doesn’t mean we have to go with it.”

Board of Regents Vice-President Max Mock expressed concern that the roots of trees planted in that area may eventually start pushing the concrete up.

Heagy responded that if trees were put in, he would use flowering crab trees or something similar. 

“The (flowering crab) root system is determined by the canopy,” Heagy said. “The root system in the crab does not extend past the canopy, so I can control the root systems in this situation.”

Heagy told board members that 11 loads of concrete pots were removed from the cemetery. Heagy said many people don’t cover the pots.

“What happens is they fill up with water in the winter and then they freeze and it blows them and they’ll blow the sides,” Heagy said. 

People place rocks and items such as small glass beads in the pots, which act as projectiles if the pots freeze and blow open. This is a potential danger when cemetery employees are weed-whacking. 

This year, Heagy made the decision to go around with the gator utility vehicles and remove broken pots. Pots that weren’t broken and are in decent condition were not removed, Heagy said.

In other news:

• Split loads of firewood are still available at the cemetery. If interested, contact Combined Community Services at 1195 Mariners Drive to see if you qualify for a voucher or contact Heagy at the cemetery. 
• To obtain a copy of the rules and regulations, please visit the cemetery office.
• The next regular meeting will be held at 5 p.m. April 2.