Mayor Gary Fuller has conferred with Public Works Director Mike Hilyer and has issued an order to “suspend” the rules at City of Opelika cemeteries starting on Sunday, December 21st and going through Friday, January 2nd, governing the placement of floral arrangements, wreaths, and trinkets on graves, allowing loved ones to place extra holiday wreaths, flower arrangements (in a separate container), and trinkets on the graves.
The City rules require that there can only be one flower arrangement per grave lot, unless the monument provides its own flower receptacle. Flower receptacles of any kind (glass, wood, plastic, tin, cement) are prohibited and no flowerpots are (normally) allowed to remain on the lawn area beside gravesites. The only exception to this rule is the flowers placed on gravesites from funerals which have occurred within the past week of burial. Also, two trinkets or whatnots per lot are permitted if placed on the base of the monument.
The Mayor issues this directive each year out of deference to families who, having lost loved ones, find comfort during this very special time of year in remembering those they’ve lost with special Holiday remembrances. The Mayor has also decided to include Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as holidays the city will “suspend” the normal rules regarding floral arrangements on grave sites for a few days.
The rules will go back into effect – and be enforced once again – on Friday, January 2, 2015. Any wreaths or separate floral arrangements or extra trinkets left out at that time will be removed from the gravesite, so please make sure the items you do NOT wish to lose have been picked up by January 2nd.
The city maintains the regular cemetery rules due to the safety of those taking care of the cemetery lawns and those who maintain the grounds in general.
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on December 17, 2014. View the original page.
