Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- A couple approaches the open gate at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery at 1341 Glenwood Road in Glendale on Memorial Day, May 30, 2011
After a smashing re-opening over the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, the newly restored Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery will be open today from noon until 4 p.m. In fact, visitors can walk, bike, jog, drive or whatever to Grand View every Sunday from now on.
It’s been a long road for Grand view. The 100-year-old-plus cemetery fell on hard times after a state investigator discovered mishandled human remains on the grounds. Legal problems and financial struggles forced the closure of the cemetery in 2006. A class action lawsuit was settled in the winter of 2010. Part of the settlement was the restoration of Grand View to somewhere near it’s past glory. I’ve covered this story on this blog for several years. More details on the Grand View drama here.
Glendale Attorney Paul Ayers is overseeing the restoration. Ayers explained in a recent informational e-mail that after five months of work there is still more to be done:”…completion of an inventory of ~1,000 cremated remains located in the West Mausoleum, organization of cemetery records and roof repair to the two mausoleums. I anticipate these tasks will be finished by the end of July, after which I will complete the process by providing a report to the court on the restoration.”
Meanwhile, the negotiations continue with prospective buyers interested in purchasing the cemetery. No word yet, on when there might be a deal.
