OCO Joins DPSCS to Participate in River View Cemetery Restoration Project
In early August 2021, The Office of Cemetery Oversight (OCO) was contacted by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) to assist them with a cemetery restoration project located at River View Cemetery in Williamsport, Maryland. The scope of the project was to have returning citizens (inmates who are one to five years away from release) restore over a dozen headstones that were vandalized the previous month in a case that is still under investigation.
With the help of several death care industry experts from Frederick and Baltimore counties, a restoration plan was put together. The plan laid out the stages of headstone restoration, provided for restoration supplies and included training by a national expert for a selected group of returning citizens.
On August 27th, The Office of Cemetery Oversight joined the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services led by Secretary Robert Green, Williamsport Mayor Bill Green, Boy Scout Troop 17 of Williamsport and local citizens to kick off the River View Cemetery Restoration Project. The master of ceremonies was Mark Vernarelli from DPSCS. The cemetery project was not only about a cemetery’s headstones being restored but also for the group of returning citizens to learn a skill that can be utilized to gain employment upon their release.
To see a brief overview of the DPSCS River View Cemetery Project, please watch: https://youtu.be/usRiJmc0JKs
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 Top photo: OCO Executive Director Deborah Rappazzo and Memorial Specialist John Acree, W.W. Tegeler Monument Co.; Photos above: August 27, 2021 Restoration Project Volunteers
On October 1, 2021, a new law went into effect concerning the method of distribution from a cemetery’s perpetual care trust fund. House Bill 5 (HB5) and Senate Bill 192 (SB192) titled “Cemeteries-Perpetual Care-Distribution From Perpetual Care Trust Fund,” were passed into law during the 2021 legislative session.
To read more about the new law, please see one of the following links on the Maryland General Assembly’s website:
2021 Maryland Laws Ch. 241 (HB5) or 2021 Maryland Laws Ch. 242 (SB192)
For instructions on how to submit your perpetual care trust fund report, please visit the Office of Cemetery Oversight’s website.
We Need Your Help!
If you or a friend is looking for a way to provide input on topics about cemeteries, crematories and burial goods business located in Maryland, the Office of Cemetery Oversight’s Advisory Council has two vacancies for consumer members. If you are interested, please contact our office for further information.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many families struggling with the grief of losing loved ones along with the financial stress of having to bear the cost of unexpected funeral arrangements. Consequently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is now offering financial assistance of up to $9,000.00 to families for COVID-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.
To read more about FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program, please see the FEMA website and/or contact them by phone.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line: 844-684-6333 | TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time
*Please note that all inquiries should be directed to FEMA and not the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight.
Contact Us
The Office of Cemetery Oversight’s offices are open and serving our customers through our online licensing resources, via e-mail and telephone, and by limited in-person appointments. Before making an appointment, please contact us for more information. We can be reached using our contacts page for e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of individual staff members.
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