Moravian Cemetery: A Who's Who in Staten Island History.

At the intersection of Battle and Hemlock Avenues, this wisteria certainly had its moment this season! It’s never too early for a #throwback to these dramatic blooms. @art.presson (Instagram) #historicgreenwood #greenwoodcemetery #wisteria #flora

Hopefully more cemeteries will follow....

Hollywood Forever installed a new unique tombstone of a life-sized sofa that features eight bronze Dachshunds and invites visitors to come sit down and enjoy th...em. The idea for the tombstone came from journalist Mike Szymanski, who modeled the sofa from the exact one that was in his living room, and the dogs are modeled after his actual animals even one who has only one ear after a coyote attack. This is Szymanski's passion project after a year of quarantine restrictions scuttled his lavish '60s party planned for his 60th birthday last September. He lost his job, lost his 24-year relationship, lost the place he has lived in, went through two surgeries, and lost all the projects and plans he had over the past year, but he was determined to keep this project going. "I thought maybe I would even sell the plot and abandon the whole thing, but Hollywood Forever is really one of my most favorite places to visit," Szymanski says. "It's a place I have gone to for movies, and festivals, and yoga, and to see the peacocks, geese, turtles, cats, ducks and swans. I also love visiting the graves of famous people who are a big part of Hollywood history, and I am fascinated about getting to know others who are buried here and how they choose to be remembered." Szymanski's six-foot granite monument stones came from Armenia, and the eight Dachshunds are bronze sculptures that were designed and created in China. Four of the dogs depicted are alive today, three represent his past dogs, and one represents his future dogs. "Hollywood Forever allows you to truly express yourself, which makes it a beautiful, creative and safe resting space," says Szymanski, who used to give tours of the grounds in the late 1980s as a fundraiser for the Art Deco Society. Szymanski worked in the past for the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Entertainment Weekly, E! Online, Patch.com, Zap2it.com, LA School Report, The Advocate magazine and many other publications. He has covered crime, entertainment, AIDS and homeless issues. He wrote and contributed to more than a dozen books, and has focused on Dachshunds, Bisexuality and Multiple Sclerosis, which he has lived with since 2000. He has also been an activist, helping with arts programs, dog rescues, LGBT rights, and AIDs for which he helped raise more than half a million dollars. Mike's tombstone says across the top: "STILL BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER . . ." It also says: "Journalist - Activist - Uncle - Friend." He says, "I have always been known for great parties, bringing people together, making life-changing introductions, and I want to continue doing that after I'm gone. I hope that people who sit here together will remain life-long friends." Hollywood Forever is proud to have such a heartfelt and beautiful addition to our memorial sculptures - on permanent exhibition! We invite you to visit Mike's masterpiece and take a seat for yourselves.

Among 54 projects selected, the Friends of Laurel Hill & West Laurel Hill Cemeteries received a $25,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commis...sion through the Keystone Historic Preservation grant program. The grant will be used to help fund a structural condition assessment and preservation study for our 19th century receiving vault complex. An important first step in the preservation and restoration of this site, we hope the receiving vault complex will become a revitalized area of the cemetery, hosting dramatic performances and serving as a tool for interpretation and education. See more

July 4, 2020....

This new grass seed tastes pretty good. Moravian uses only the best (06/28/2020)....

Honoring ALL Who Served....

Don't forget these tips next time you're visiting a cemetery.

Photo by Richard Xeureb 03/31/2020

What a BEAUTY!!!