Mourners urged to mind new cemetery regulations

    With Memorial Day rapidly approaching, Dodge City officials are urging those who want to decorate loved ones' graves to keep in mind that the city recently passed new regulations on what is allowed graveside.
    Park supervisor Kurt Nietling said city staff has already observed people placing memorials and temporary decorations on headstones. According to the new regulations, passed last year, decorations are only allowed on grave sites three days before and six days after holidays.
    That means, Nietling said, that decorations — not including flowers placed in provided holders —  can only be placed on the grave on May 23. Maple Grove Cemetery workers will pull any decorations that haven't been picked up by June 2.
    "Fresh-cut flowers in a vase are allowed all year long," Nietling said.
    Any unclaimed decorations will be thrown in the trash.
    Nietling said the parks department still has a large amount of permanent decorations that were confiscated from graves after the regulations took effect in January.
    "Nobody has claimed a lot of decorations," Nietling said. "We'd like to get them to who they belong."
    The new regulations, which caused a small controversy when they were discussed and passed late last year, were an effort of Parks Department director Paul Lewis and the Cemetery Advisory Board.
    At the time, Lewis said the department had received several calls from citizens saying that permanent decorations on the graves had gotten out of hand.
    After several re-worked drafts, the city passed the regulations, which outlined specific times of year when people could place decorations other than flowers on graves.
    Public opinion was largely split, with many deriding the city's decision to "tell them how to mourn." Others celebrated the decision as a way to treat everyone equally and clean up the cemetery.
    Nietling said he hoped by getting word about the enforcement of the regulations out early, people would quickly get into the habit.

Reach Mark Vierthaler at (620) 408-9932 or e-mail him at mark.vierthaler@dodgeglobe.com.