Progress Is Slow For Alexandria Cemetery
May 08, 2009 - Officials in Alexandria, Va., are planning a new memorial to honor a long-neglected African-American cemetery. But some say the city is moving too slowly. Glen Eugster stands behind his house and points toward a pile of dead leaves and moldy soil. It's a city-owned maintenance yard on the eastern edge of Fort Ward Park, but it's also a cemetery where African Americans were buried following the Civil War.
For years, Eugster and his neighbors have been pressing the city to create a memorial and clean up what, for many, is sacred ground. In April, the city set aside $50,000 to start researching the excavation, but Eugster is frustrated by the pace. Lance Mallamo is the director of the Office of Historic Alexandria. He says it's critical to learn as much as possible before the digging starts. Mallamo will conduct a public tour of the cemetery next Wednesday and provide an update on the memorial's progress.
Michael Pope reports...
http://www.wamu.org/news/09/05/08.php#26478
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May 08, 2009 - Officials in Alexandria, Va., are planning a new memorial to honor a long-neglected African-American cemetery. But some say the city is moving too slowly. Glen Eugster stands behind his house and points toward a pile of dead leaves and moldy soil. It's a city-owned maintenance yard on the eastern edge of Fort Ward Park, but it's also a cemetery where African Americans were buried following the Civil War.
For years, Eugster and his neighbors have been pressing the city to create a memorial and clean up what, for many, is sacred ground. In April, the city set aside $50,000 to start researching the excavation, but Eugster is frustrated by the pace. Lance Mallamo is the director of the Office of Historic Alexandria. He says it's critical to learn as much as possible before the digging starts. Mallamo will conduct a public tour of the cemetery next Wednesday and provide an update on the memorial's progress.
Michael Pope reports...
http://www.wamu.org/news/09/05/08.php#26478
Listen to this feature
Real Audio
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