EDITIORIAL by Stella B. House, Attorney at Law, PSC
Should the School Board Spend Millions to Monstrously relocate a Historic Cemetery holding 70+ Graves of Veterans, Infants, Indians, and others buried there during the past 125 Years while School Children must beg Local, Small Business Owners for Money?
Ret. Milton S. Herring saluting U.S. flag, Los Angeles National Cemetery Annual Memorial Event, May 26, 2014, California, USA - Editorial stock photo
MANCHESTER, KY - The Clay County Board of Education (the “School Board”) in Clay County, Kentucky is attempting to hideously relocate the historic 125-year-old Hoskins Cemetery (the “Cemetery”) located on Island Creek Hill off U.S. 421 in Manchester, Kentucky. The idea of leveling this Cemetery is revolting to the moral sense of not only Clay Countians but the majority of every U.S. citizen nationwide that's learned of this issue.
Clay County Fiscal Court (Not all members are in this photo)
This action was approved unanimously by the Clay County Fiscal Court (“Fiscal Court”) last year.
After a federal district court judge ruled against the friends of the historic Hoskins Cemetery (the “Friends”) and dismissed a federal civil action regarding this matter but refused to rule on the state law issues, the Friends filed suit in state court, both the Fiscal Court and the School Board have filed Motions to be dismissed from the state court action against them by the Friends, who are requesting that the Clay Circuit Court DECLARE that the School Board cannot block access to the Cemetery or relocate the 70+ known graves of Veterans, infants, Native Americans, and others buried there in marked and unmarked graves.
Among those buried at this location are seven United States Military Veterans, two of whom are veterans from the Civil War
The Historical Hoskins Cemetery on Island Creek Hill off U.S. 421 in Clay County, Kentucky
If Judge House grants the Friend’s Motion for an Injunction, often referred to as a Restraining Order, to prevent the School Board from proceeding with the disinterment of the decedents buried in the Cemetery prior to his final decision in the state court action, then the School Board’s attorney is requesting a 1.5-MILLION-dollar bond.
If it will cost the School Board 1.5 MILLION dollars to delay the disinterment of the graves and relocation of the Cemetery while the state court makes a final decision in this civil action, how much will it cost the School Board to actually relocate the Cemetery?
Since the School Board apparently has MILLIONS of dollars in taxpayers’ money to spend at this time, it should spend that money on something beneficial to the students and teachers in Clay County - something other than the grotesque action required in the monstrous relocation of the Cemetery.
DON’T YOU AGREE?
What expenditures would you request by the School Board? Raises for teachers, teacher's aides, bus drivers, and other employees of the School Board? Computers for students? Improvements to school buildings?
Maybe, you would like for your school children not to be forced to beg for donations and sell candy, donuts, and other items to raise money for school-related activities, like cheerleading and educational field trips.
Today, a local CCHS cheerleader stopped by my law office, requesting a donation to the CCHS cheerleaders. I donated to the CCHS cheerleaders, as usual, but it infuriates me that school children must beg local, small business owners for money when the School Board has millions of dollars and is willing to waste money to monstrously relocate a cemetery instead of spending it on the school children.
Blaine Price agrees with me. He said, “School kids also hit their families up for donations or to buy products to raise those funds. There is a lot of pressure on the families to make the kids not look like underacheivers in terms of raising money. Can the families of Clay County really afford to subsidize the school system and its various programs? I’m speaking from experience here. My granddaughter hits me up constantly.”
Holly Lovings said it best, “It's just sad that humans have become more interested in displacing the dead in the name of progress than ensuring the sanctity of that cemetery.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO:
THE FOLLOWING ARE VERY INFORMATIVE LINKS TO ARTICLES WITH VIDEOS RELATED TO THIS ONGOING HOT TOPIC ISSUE:
- Memorial Ceremony could be the last Opportunity to Ever Visit the Historic 125 Years-Old Hoskins Cemetery on U.S. 421 in Manchester, Kentucky - ClayCoNews
- Insulting Request by Board of Education in Clay County, Kentucky after granting Family Members limited Access over Memorial Day weekend to Historic 125 years old Hoskins Cemetery
- OP-ED: THE VETERANS IN THE HOSKINS CEMETERY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REST IN PEACE
- Op-Ed: Veterans of the Hoskins Cemetery at Island Creek Hill in Clay County, Kentucky
- "David & Goliath" style Dispute between Friends of the Hoskins Cemetery in Manchester, Kentucky and a School Board (CCBOE) that's Attempting to Relocate the Historical Burial Ground Has Landed in Federal Court
- Blaine Price Releases Statement Regarding Desecration of the Historical Hoskins Cemetery in Manchester, Kentucky
- David & Goliath Feud Continues in Clay County, Kentucky Between Citizens and School Board with Controversial Presentations to Fiscal Court Regarding the Boards Attempt to Relocate a Historical Cemetery Dating Back to 1893
- Fiscal Court in Clay County, Kentucky Goes Against Citizens and Approves Controversial Petition by Board of Education to Relocate Historical Cemetery
