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PIONEER ANCESTORS Despite dry appearance, Eastwood Cemetery's not overlooked Despite dry appearance, Eastwood Cemetery's not overlooked, although volunteers are welcome By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> For more than a century, Eastwood Cemetery has been a place where locals remember their dearly departed, but when Merrill Schwimmer of Medford walked past brown grass and overgrown weeds surrounding century-old headstones, she felt a different kind of loss. “I was offended when I went there,” Schwimmer said, commenting on a growing squirrel population and particularly dry conditions, “because it was beautiful there less than eight months ago.” “You feel a little foolish complaining about a dry graveyard during a drought, but there must be an obligation to our ancestors,” Schwimmer said.  Bev Power with the Medford Parks and Recreation Department and a member of Medford's Cemetery Commission has heard comments similar to Schwimmer's, but she said priorities are different in a pioneer cemetery. As an area listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Eastwood Cemetery is a different kind of burial ground, she said. “It’s Medford’s first, oldest and still-operating cemetery,” Power said.  “We want to leave it in the most natural state.” Power admitted that balancing the cemetery's "natural state" with keeping the cemetery inviting and appealing is an issue the Medford Cemetery Commission has grappled with since the commission began operating in 1983.  "They advise us as far as ongoing maintenance and management," Power said. The cemetery was established in 1890 by the International Order of Oddfellows, but by the late 1960s, the organization had asked the city and county to care for the cemetery, and in 1972, the city took ownership. By the mid-1970s, the county had dropped out, leaving all cemetery maintenance to the city. Volunteers stepped in to assist the city after declining revenues in the early 1980s.  In 1989, the cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Power acknowledges that the squirrel population fluctuates yearly, but it can be a challenge to handle the issue while limiting chemical usage. "We're not allowed to just throw poison on the ground," Power said. "We know so many people walk through these places with their dogs." Although the commission is in the process of re-evaluating some of its long-term management procedures, particularly with irrigation, Power explained that a pioneer cemetery will remain less uniform than other burial grounds. The cemetery still sells plots, though Power understands that the rustic spaces can be a contrast to the manicured grounds of places such as the nearby Siskiyou Memorial Park. "The trade-off is our plots are at $400," Power said. "We allow people to still make their own headstones — at a lot of newer cemeteries, you can't put headstones on." Although Power admits the cemetery doesn't make a strong first impression this time of year, the commission, city and volunteers are making continuous improvements, including a star thistle abatement project, new legibly numbered wooden-block markers, maintenance on gravel roadways and a recently repaired and painted mausoleum. For people who want to help, the Parks Department encourages groups to take on one-day volunteer projects, Power said. And for anyone looking for a longer-term role, the Cemetery Commission needs a new member. The term would run through Jan. 31, 2017, and applicants must live within the city of Medford. For information, call 541-774-2400. Reach newsroom assistant Nick Morgan at 541-776-4477 or [email protected]. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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