A man pauses to reflect near a gravesite during the March 30 public visitation at struggling Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale. This visitor is one of the lucky ones. He managed to find the grave marker or at least the general area he was looking for despite the thick layers of wild grasses, weeds, and debris.
I have been to two recent visitations at this 124-year-old neighborhood cemetery. Each time, I have spotted eager and diligent visitors cleaning the gravesites, markers, and headstones. A job that should be handled by the cemetery owner, Moshe Goldsman. However, the maintenance of the grounds has been haphazard at best for months now.
Grand View has fallen on hard times, brought on by mismanagement and legal problems that date back to 2005. That’s when a state investigator discovered human remains at the cemetery had been improperly handled.
Despite the less than ideal situation, visitors show up whenever Grand View opens its gates to the public. Those gates will be open again this Sunday, July 27 from noon to 4 p.m.
Then, it’s back to court for a status meeting before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr who will determine if or when there will be additional visitation dates.
