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Cemetery aims for another temporary opening
Stakeholders in Grand View park hope to schedule a second limited visitation in May.
By Ryan Vaillancourt
GLENDALE — Less than two weeks after hundreds of mourners were granted access to Grand View Memorial Park for the first time in 10 months, stakeholders in the troubled cemetery are planning another opening in late May.
The March 30 opening drew hundreds of people from Glendale and beyond to visit the graves of loved ones; some brought flowers, while others brought gardening tools and cleaning equipment to remove accumulated debris from headstones.
And while the four-hour visitation was met with much jubilation and relief, visitors are still itching for attorneys tangled in a series of lawsuits targeting the cemetery to agree on a regular visitation schedule.
For now, attorney David Baum, who represents cemetery operator and co-owner Moshe Goldsman, is looking to open Grand View again on May 25, but not without more volunteers.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable going forward unless we had a sufficient number of volunteers to make sure parking rules are adhered to and other fire-safety-related rules that were put in place by the fire marshal,” Baum said.
The March 30 opening was staffed entirely by about 10 volunteers, including Baum, a group of Hoover High School students and attorneys representing the families in lawsuits against the cemetery, attorneys said.
Attorneys from both sides agreed that the event was handled smoothly, which has some wondering why the park can’t reopen sooner.
That four-hour opening was intended to be a trial run that, if successful, would clear the way for a regular visitation schedule, said attorney Mary Der-Parseghian, who represents families suing the cemetery.
“We set out to show that it can be done and done well, and I believe it went quite well, so what are we waiting for?” Der-Parseghian asked.
Der-Parseghian, who spearheaded the effort to round up volunteers to hand out literature and direct traffic at the last opening, said more volunteers are unnecessary.
Attorney Paul Ayers, who represents a separate group of families suing the cemetery, said while he too hoped the park would open earlier, he didn’t plan to force the issue.
“At this point I haven’t taken steps necessary to force anything,” Ayers said. “I really don’t want to do so at this point. It’s up to [Baum].”
Attorneys are still in negotiations to settle a pending class-action lawsuit against the cemetery, Ayers said. While both parties have agreed to negotiate a settlement, they have bumped heads over how to select a mediator, he said.
The park has been embroiled in controversy ever since a state inspector in October 2005 discovered about 4,000 bodies that were not properly buried.
In November 2005, the state prohibited the cemetery from conducting any new business, and Goldsman closed the park in June 2006, citing financial woes. In response to public outcry, the city of Glendale stepped in within months and opened the site for limited visitations before closing it again a year later.
People interested in volunteering at an upcoming visitation can call the law office of David Baum at (310) 312-9598.
The tentative plan to open the park on May 25 could be confirmed at a status conference hearing on May 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court.
RYAN VAILLANCOURT covers business, politics and the foothills. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at ryan.vaillancourt@latimes.com.
The March 30 opening drew hundreds of people from Glendale and beyond to visit the graves of loved ones; some brought flowers, while others brought gardening tools and cleaning equipment to remove accumulated debris from headstones.
And while the four-hour visitation was met with much jubilation and relief, visitors are still itching for attorneys tangled in a series of lawsuits targeting the cemetery to agree on a regular visitation schedule.
For now, attorney David Baum, who represents cemetery operator and co-owner Moshe Goldsman, is looking to open Grand View again on May 25, but not without more volunteers.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable going forward unless we had a sufficient number of volunteers to make sure parking rules are adhered to and other fire-safety-related rules that were put in place by the fire marshal,” Baum said.
The March 30 opening was staffed entirely by about 10 volunteers, including Baum, a group of Hoover High School students and attorneys representing the families in lawsuits against the cemetery, attorneys said.
Attorneys from both sides agreed that the event was handled smoothly, which has some wondering why the park can’t reopen sooner.
That four-hour opening was intended to be a trial run that, if successful, would clear the way for a regular visitation schedule, said attorney Mary Der-Parseghian, who represents families suing the cemetery.
“We set out to show that it can be done and done well, and I believe it went quite well, so what are we waiting for?” Der-Parseghian asked.
Der-Parseghian, who spearheaded the effort to round up volunteers to hand out literature and direct traffic at the last opening, said more volunteers are unnecessary.
Attorney Paul Ayers, who represents a separate group of families suing the cemetery, said while he too hoped the park would open earlier, he didn’t plan to force the issue.
“At this point I haven’t taken steps necessary to force anything,” Ayers said. “I really don’t want to do so at this point. It’s up to [Baum].”
Attorneys are still in negotiations to settle a pending class-action lawsuit against the cemetery, Ayers said. While both parties have agreed to negotiate a settlement, they have bumped heads over how to select a mediator, he said.
The park has been embroiled in controversy ever since a state inspector in October 2005 discovered about 4,000 bodies that were not properly buried.
In November 2005, the state prohibited the cemetery from conducting any new business, and Goldsman closed the park in June 2006, citing financial woes. In response to public outcry, the city of Glendale stepped in within months and opened the site for limited visitations before closing it again a year later.
People interested in volunteering at an upcoming visitation can call the law office of David Baum at (310) 312-9598.
The tentative plan to open the park on May 25 could be confirmed at a status conference hearing on May 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court.
RYAN VAILLANCOURT covers business, politics and the foothills. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at ryan.vaillancourt@latimes.com.
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