Eastern Greene cemetery damage upsetting

By Michael Shirley VANDALISM: When Michael Shirley visited his grandfather's grave at Carmichael Cemetery in Center Township on Wednesday he found tombstones had been disturbed and buildings and other items spray painted.

He's visited the cemetery in eastern Center Township near the Monroe County line many times to pay his respects.

What he witnessed Wednesday forced him to make a detour to the Greene County Sheriff's Department and then to the Greene County Daily World's office.

What he saw left him speechless and upset.

"I was on the way to a friend's house in Lyons. My grandmother (Beatrice Jones) lives on Snow Road, a few miles from the cemetery. I'm always visiting her and picking up some mail, and I usually try to drive by that way (the cemetery on Carmichael Road, just east of County Road 35 North) ... I swing by to make sure the cemetery is being taken care of and nothing is disturbed in the area," Shirley explained.

On this visit, things weren't in order.

He saw spray paint on buildings, signs, an outhouse, and items on tombstones had been knocked off -- including a vase on his grandfather's gravesite.

They spray painted the word or initials ACE on several things, "and one I couldn't distinguish because it was in cursive," Shirley said.

He said the vandalism was done in a "reddish color, some black and some yellow (paint). I also noticed some paint on some other places on my way on Carmichael Road ... on a bridge and guardrails."

Greene County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Major Mike Hasler said Deputy Shane Smith investigated Shirley's complaint Wednesday and a report was filed.

"The deputy went out and photographs were taken," Hasler said. "(Shirley) asked that we place the cemetery on the extra patrol list, and there was a report filed."

Hasler added that such a crime can be a Class D felony if the damage is over $2,500.

The cemetery has several old graves, Shirley noted, but is still used today by many families.

"I walked over the hill to some of the older graves that were falling over ... a few of them had been supported and they had been knocked over. My grandfather's (David Shirley) grave, we maintain it pretty well, and there's a flower pot, a vase, on the side and it was laying on the ground," Shirley said.

Shirley said his aunt told him that Carmichael Cemetery caretaker Fred Rainey told her the vandalism occurred earlier this summer.

"This is very disheartening," Shirley said. "When I was younger (he's a 1998 graduate of Eastern Greene High School) I did some silly stuff, but we didn't do things like this. This shows no morale values.

"I talked to grandma about this, and she was pretty unhappy and upset. ... It shows a lack of respect. I don't understand what would drive somebody to do this type of thing."

Shirley understands there may not be much law enforcement officials can do unless they catch the vandals in the act or they make a mistake and brag about their actions.

He hopes people will read about the vandalism and keep a close eye on Carmichael Cemetery and other cemeteries.

"My concern is there are a lot of people in Greene County and southern Monroe County that have family members there," Shirley stressed. "There are several new graves there, and lots of old graves.

"If something like this is in the news, people will be concerned about what their (neighborhood) kids are up to and look into it themselves and watch the area a little better."

Hasler said it's important for people to report such vandalism or any other illegal activity at a cemetery.

"The big thing is, we want people to contact us, just like what this individual did," Hasler said. "Some of these cemeteries are secluded, which makes it a little harder to keep an eye on.

"The best way anyone can help is, if they see something, a suspect hanging around in the wrong place day or night ... we'd rather take a report on it than take a report on something bad like this.

Chris is the general manager/editor of the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or 1-800-947-4487 or by e-mail at cpruett79@hotmail.com .