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North Adams Cemetery Panel Revises Monument Regulations
By Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
01:37PM / Tuesday, July 05, 2016
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Older and improperly installed monument can be tipped or moved by frost heaves.


Commissioners Roger Eurbin, Paul Arabia and Donna Morgan revise some of their rules and regulations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — With the help of monument setters and dealers, the Cemetery Commission has cleaned up some rules and regulations in regards to monument installation.

Representatives from the Department of Public Works, Bellevue Memorials and Berkshire Monumental Works attended a Cemetery Commission meeting Wednesday to help the commission revise rules and regulations.  

Commissioner Roger Eurbin suggested changes to the regulations that would mandate that all monuments have a full cement-poured foundation that goes at least 4 feet underground to prevent frost-heave damage.

Although the monument merchants and setters had no issue with this, they questioned Eurbin's suggestion of having a six-inch monument border on every stone.

John Juby, owner of Bellevue Memorials in Adams, said often a monument with a large border will not fit in older sections of the cemetery because it was spaced out for caskets, not vaults.

"As we go to look at the client's site as monument dealers we look around us and if all of the others don't have borders, it is an old section and we follow," Juby said. "That that is how we judge."

The commission agreed that the size of the border is up to the customer and cemetery foreman.

As for bronze veteran plaques, Eurbin suggested that they must have a 2-foot foundation so they can be more easily moved.

"The idea there is sometimes they have to move these markers, and if it's more than 2 feet it is a real bear to move," Eurbin said.

Monument setter with Glenview Services Rich Haley said the veteran markers often have to be moved because they sometimes come in after someone is already buried and are placed incorrectly. These plaques can interfere with surrounding graves that need to be changed and new burials.

"I stay on the vault. They should not have to be moved, but if the vault is kicked out there into the path then you have a problem," Haley said. "I won't put in a stone if there is not enough room. I measure and I will tell the monument dealer I can't do it because it is going to have to come out and they have to wait ...

"I have been doing it for 25 years, and I treat it like it's my own family. I don't want to have to go back and fix stuff."

Chairman Paul Arabia said the commission has to ask the city solicitor about who is responsible for monuments that have to be moved.

David Ciepiela, owner of Berkshire Monumental Works, said 2 feet will still be affected by frost heaves and it would be better to go 3 feet.

"The frost is going to pick it up then the lawn mowers are going to hit and you are going to get damages," Ciepiela said. "That is why it needs to be the proper depth."

He said he has seen some setters just go down half a foot.

The commission changed the wording to at least 2 feet because most setters go 3 feet anyways.

Eurbin also suggested that the rules mandate borders around the plagues to prevent grass from growing over them.

Haley said there often isn't room and Juby said families sometimes want the veteran markers to match other veterans on the family plot, which may not have a border because they are older.

The commission decided to leave it to the discretion of the families but only after they know the consequences.

The commission decided that all holes for monuments must be inspected by the DPW before the monument can be set.

"If they put it in and we don't inspect it, it is coming out at their expense," Public Services Commissioner Timothy Lescarbeau said. "We will police it."

Eurbin also reinforced that weekend and holiday burials that go past noon will see an additional $200 fee.

Lescarbeau said DPW workers often have to stay at the cemetery after the service because they have to bury the casket.

"I think right now it is an issue and by instituting this it will eliminate it or slow it down," Lescarbeau said. "I think we are being taken advantage of right now."

Cemetery Foreman Donald Dubreuil said often the funeral director leaves with the priest and people stay after the service to talk.

Arabia said it is challenging to delicately tell family members the DPW has to finish the job.

"You have to draw a fine line, and you can't kick the family out," he said. "I have had occasions where I had to approach the family and ask if it was possible to let us finish our job. You can't just start throwing dirt on it."

Eurbin said it should not be the city's job to explain this to people. Lescarbeau said he will have a meeting with all of the funeral directors and remind them of their responsibilities.

The commission also motioned to delete language from the rules and regulations that say the Cemetery Commission is involved in burials. Erubin said this should only involve city employees.

The commission also banned stone rubbings and tampering with veteran flags at Hillside Cemetery.  

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