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Blog Entry 71 of 78 Grave Concerns: Inside Grand View Memorial Park

News you can use regarding Grand View Memorial Park, Glendale, CA's oldest cemetery, which has been closed for regular business since June 13, 2006, due to legal and financial problems.

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Contributed by: Lisa Burks on 9/8/2007

The state settled its 28-month investigation and complaint against Grand View's surviving owner, Moshe Goldsman late last month.

The deal, which becomes effective on Sept. 27, puts Goldsman's funeral industry licenses on disciplinary probation status for three years and requires him to reimburse the Endowment Care Fund to the tune of $50,000.

It also stipulates that the cemetery must be sold to a person or entity that meets Department of Consumer Affairs' Cemetery and Funeral Bureau's licensing requirements and overall approval.

With all of Grand View's outstanding problems - including but not limited to an on-going class action lawsuit, dangerously arid conditions and dying trees, infrastructure issues and a general uncertainty over valid grave assignments - larger funerary companies like Forest Lawn and SCI have stated through various sources that they are not interested in purchasing the troubled cemetery.

The owners, however, still maintain that there are possible buyers out there and they say they are working to seal the deal with unnamed persons who care enough to look into the possibilities.

I've talked to dozens of people with loved ones buried at Grand View who have told me they'd like to see Grand View become a non-profit organization, run by people who have an interest in preserving the cemetery's heritage and small town appeal.
The idea also puts ownership in the hands of charitable-minded people working in a cooperative group situation which would provide better public accountability than in the past.

Most of these people have told me that they are ready, willing and able to donate money to start such an organization.

But Grand View's rehabilitation will cost millions. Where can regular folks get that kind of cash?

This question has lead me, on more than one occasion, to half-jokingly say I'm going to play the lottery and when I win big I'll donate the money to start a Grand View Memorial Park Foundation.

Today I read that U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner - already a millionaire - has won the lottery three times in recent years. If he can do it, why can't I? As the sales slogan goes, you can't win if you don't play.

Well, I don't have a license to run a cemetery, but I care about Grand View. I whole-heartedly believe in its possibilities and I'm willing to try anything to help.

So I'm putting my money where my mouth is, one dollar at a time.

Starting today I'm playing the lottery for Grand View, and I will continue to do so - and report my results here - until Grand View finds a new buyer. Any big money I win ($25 or more; less will be reinvested into more tickets) will be donated toward the cemetery's restoration.

No, really.

Crazier things have happened in this story, right? Why not the miracle of a winning ticket? Seriously. I believe in miracles, don't you?

My quick pick numbers for tonight's Super Lotto Plus draw are: 11, 26, 32, 46, 47 and Mega # 5.

Stay tuned.

Update: Last night's draw results: I matched the Mega number, winning back the original $1 investment. That dollar was reinvested in a quick pick for the next lottery drawing, Mega Millions, on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Follow all future drawing results at GrandViewMemorialPark.info.

In other news...

The next status conference hearing for the civil case (# BC342549) is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 10, at 1:30 p.m. in department 309 of the Central Civil West Court (600 South Commonwealth Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005) per the court's website.

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