Tragic Nellie Geraghty will be laid to rest on Wednesday – without the ashes of her beloved husband.Hundreds of people are expected to line the streets as the funeral of the 79-year-old widow takes place.Nellie died after being mugged in a Shaw alleyway on November 24. She was clutching the handle of her missing handbag which contained the ashes of her husband Frank.Her death sent shock waves through the community who joined police in painstaking fingertip searches to find the stolen ashes.Despite combing the area for hours, they remain missing, and Nellie will now be cremated without them by her side.A police escort will lead the funeral procession which will travel along Market Street, Shaw, from 12.15pm, followed by a service at Oldham Crematorium at 1pm.It will be attended by hundreds of residents who have been touched by the pensioner's death.There will be family flowers only but donations in Nellie's memory can be made to the Royal Oldham Hospital's intensive care unit, care of Robert Nuttall funeral services, 11A Milnrow Road, Shaw, Oldham.A book of condolence has also been opened at Bits and Bytes computer shop, on Shaw market, for anyone who would like to pay their respects.A 37-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has been bailed until February 14.Inquiries are continuing and police are urging anyone with information in relation to Nellie's death or the whereabouts of her missing belongings, to contact police on 0161 856 5448.Alternatively you can pass information to the police anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A GRIEVING family was banned from commemorating their dead mother on her late husband’s tombstone at Canley Crematorium – because of a grave records mix-up by council officials.Labour leaders at Coventry City Council launched an investigation after council staff warned other families could suffer from the same mistakes due to staffing problems.A brother and sister in their 50s were told they could not engrave their mother’s name or loving words on their father’s headstone after she passed away earlier this year.They were shocked and distressed to be told by council officials their family’s grave plot at Canley Crematorium was recorded as belonging to another person of the same surname.Only after months of investigation following their mother’s cremation did the council’s bereavement services department admit an error in its search of graveyard records.Disturbingly, a council official, in apologising for the error, said the same mistake could not be ruled out in future because of staffing problems.Labour council leaders triggered an investigation yesterday after being contacted by the Telegraph.Councillor Lindsley Harvard, city services cabinet member, sought to reassure other Coventry families everything possible would be done to prevent it happening again.The mix-up was resolved after an investigation by Coun Bally Singh (Lab, Whoberley) on behalf of the bereaved family who live in his ward.He said: “It caused grief and heartbreak for both families, including the other family who had been wrongly identified as owning the grave plot.“I tracked them down to an address in Rugby using Land Registry records, as the council was not able to help me because of data protection issues.“When I informed the council of my investigations, they quickly searched their records and acknowledged an error had been made.“It was blamed on an inexperienced member of staff who was covering for illness. Worryingly, I’ve been told that this type of error could happen again because of the continued absence levels.“I have requested that all members of staff receive adequate training to prevent this happening again.“The family do not want other families to suffer what they had to go through.”An email sent on December 12 from the bereavement department to Coun Singh, seen by the Telegraph, states the covering staff temp had not asked for more information from the family’s stonemason who had applied for a permit, which would have helped to correctly identify the plot’s owner.It continues: “My worry is that due to the continued extended absence we are currently experiencing this type of error may occur again.”Coun Singh said it had turned out two grave plots at Canley Crematorium belonged to families with the same surname.Coun Harvard said the member of staff had not checked the pre-1994 paper records, which in this case had not been stored on the computer system.He said: “I’ve asked staff to automatically cross-check paper and computer records when there are discrepancies. Measures have been put in place to ensure similar problems cannot occur again.”He denied low staffing or inadquate staff training was the cause, saying it was an “administrative” error.
Tschechien will am Freitag im Veitsdom auf der Prager Burg von dem verstorbenen Ex-Präsidenten Vaclav Havel Abschied nehmen. Die Trauerfeier, zu der zahlreiche Politiker aus dem Ausland erwartet werden, sei für 12.00 Uhr angesetzt, erklärte Präsidentensprecher Radim Ochvat. Bereits am Montag erwiesen hunderte Menschen Havel die letzte Ehre.An der Trauerfeier wird nach Angaben von Havels Sprecherin wahrscheinlich auch US-Außenministerin Hillary Clinton teilnehmen. Tschechischen Medienberichten zufolge werden auch Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) und der israelische Staatschef Schimon Peres erwartet. Der österreichische Präsident Heinz Fischer sagte laut tschechischem Fernsehen bereits zu. Im Anschluss an die Zeremonie ist nach Angaben des Prager Erzbischofs Dominik Duka eine private Zeremonie in einem Krematorium der Hauptstadt geplant.Die Regierung von Ministerpräsident Petr Necas setzte für Mittwoch bis Freitag eine dreitägige Staatstrauer an. Für Dienstag ist eine Sondersitzung des Parlaments, für Mittwoch um 12.00 Uhr eine Schweigeminute geplant. Auch das Nachbarland Slowakei erklärte den Freitag zum nationalen Trauertag.Der Leichnam Havels ist in der Prager St. Anna-Kirche aufgebahrt, am Mittwoch soll er auf die Prager Burg überführt werden. Bereits mehrere Stunden vor der Öffnung bildete sich trotz winterlicher Kälte eine lange Schlange vor der St. Anna-Kirche in der Zlata-Straße. Die frühere Kirche in der Prager Altstadt war von Havels Stiftung Vision 97 zu einem Begegnungszentrum umgebaut worden. Die Trauernden legten Blumen am dem Holzsarg nieder, den ein Strauß roter Rosen von Havels zweiter Ehefrau Dagmar schmückte.Havel war am Sonntag im Alter von 75 Jahren nach langer Krankheit gestorben. Der einstige Oppositionsführer zählte zu den Anführern der Samtenen Revolution von 1989, in deren Verlauf die kommunistische Führung der damaligen Tschechoslowakei gestürzt wurde. Havel wurde im selben Jahr zum Präsidenten gewählt. Nach der Teilung des Landes wurde er 1993 Staatschef von Tschechien und blieb bis 2003 im Amt. Er hatte seit langem mit gesundheitlichen Problemen zu kämpfen. Medienberichten zufolge soll Havel voraussichtlich im Familiengrab auf dem Friedhof Prag-Vinohrady neben seiner ersten Frau Olga bestattet werden.US-Präsident Barack Obama würdigte die Verdienste Havels für den Umbruch im Ostblock. Mit seinem "friedlichen Widerstand" habe der Oppositionsführer die Grundfesten eines repressiven Herrschaftssystems erschüttert, erklärte Obama in Washington. "Er hat bewiesen, dass moralische Führung stärker ist als irgendeine andere Waffe."
It appears several Paphos mayor candidates considered that the Church is opposed to a crematorium for Cyprus, but both the Archbishop and the Bishop of Paphos have told me they believe it is a matter of individual choice - and neither would stand in its way.The stumbling bock is unquestionably Central Government where, for several years, various Ministries have assured me the legal framework is “imminent” but almost a decade has passed with nothing emerging. However, a few months ago Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba wrote to me saying legislation would be drafted in respect of funeral parlours, embalming, and crematoria before the end of this year. There is little time left to reach this deadline.Apart from over 7,000 names registered islandwide in support, our small working group has private finance available; architectural drawings and attractive illustrations of what a crematorium would look like; units ready for import; technical expertise to hand; the English language media backing us; the British High Commission favouring a crematorium and only the matter of finding for sale or lease about 5,000 sq. metres of tranquil land, but near a motorway, proving truly problematical. Unhappily, despite desperately overcrowded and badly maintained cemeteries, there is a complete absence of of will on the part of the Government to move forward. The view seems to prevail that all we need is an industrial zone pit where one might burn garbage. Meanwhile, there is an unwillingness to accept that there is no emission issue (there hasn’t been such for 40 years). So please add your name to my register (newventure@cytanet.com.cy), lobby your Muhktar, and write to newspapers, magazines and the Government if you wish to change the situation.
De gemeenteraad van Lingewaard heeft ingestemd met de startnotitie crematorium. Daardoor is een kleinschalig crematorium – tot 800 crematies per jaar– mogelijk. Met dat besluit is de weg vrij gemaakt voor uitvaartondernemers om met een plan te komen.In principe mag overal in Lingewaard gebouwd worden, al zijn er wel voorwaarden. Er moet een eigen parkeerterrein bij het crematorium zijn en de afwikkeling van de verkeersstromen moet goed kunnen worden geregeld.Ook is bouw in woongebieden of dichtbij scholen niet zondermeer wenselijk.De gemeenteraad heeft besloten dat voor de realisatie van een crematorium altijd een bestemmingsplanwijziging nodig is. Daardoor beslist de raad uiteindelijk over de locatie.
Het was gistermiddag druk in het compleet vernieuwde crematorium Zoomstede.Tijdens de open middag kon iedereen zien wat er na de grote verbouwing allemaal veranderd was. Vooral de grote, compleet nieuwe aula, maakte veel indruk. Met zevenhonderd zitplaatsen en met ondersteuning van een video- en tv-systeem kunnen daar volgens een voorlichter ruim duizend mensen een rouwdienst bijwonen. "Dit lijkt wel een theater, misschien kan deze ruimte ook voor andere doeleinden gebruikt worden", merkte een bezoeker op.De oude gerenoveerde aula kan door middel van schuifwanden zowel toegevoegd worden aan de ontvangstruimte als aan de nieuwe aula. De familiekamers bleken aangepast te zijn aan deze tijd en de condoleanceruimte was uitgebreid met een nieuwe aanbouw.Veel belangstelling was er voor de verbrandingsinstallatie. De werking van de nieuwe over werd uitgelegd en ook waren metaalresten te zien, die na het crematieproces achterblijven en die voor een deel bestonden uit allerlei chirurgische implantaten zoals kunstheupen en kunstknieën.
Sinsheim - Eigentlich wollte Investor Claus Wiesenauer diese Woche die Arbeiten am Krematorium im Reihener Gewerbegebiet "Oberer Renngrund" wieder aufnehmen. Doch daraus wird nichts: Das Verwaltungsgericht Karlsruhe hat bis zu seiner endgültigen Entscheidung in einem Eilverfahren einen vorläufigen Baustopp verhängt.RechtsschutzAm 29. September hatte die Stadt Sinsheim nach der Änderung des Bebauungsplans und der Ausweisung eines Sondergebiets dem Investor zum zweiten Mal die Baugenehmigung erteilt. Dagegen wehrt sich Michael Rau, der auf der anderen Straßenseite eine Kelterei und Brennerei betreibt. Er könne zu Recht beanspruchen, dass Wiesenauer auf seinem Grundstück "nicht weiter vollendete Tatsachen schafft", entschied das Gericht. Der einstweilige Baustopp sei zur Gewährleistung effektiven Rechtsschutzes erforderlich. Ohne ihn drohe sich Raus mögliche Eigentumsbeeinträchtigung zu vertiefen.Der Bau des Krematoriums ruht seit mittlerweile zweieinhalb Jahren. Regierungspräsidium und Verwaltungsgericht Karlsruhe hatten die erste Baugenehmigung kassiert. Um eine sichere Rechtsgrundlage zu schaffen, änderte die Stadt daraufhin den Bebauungsplan und verschärfte die Auflagen für die Einäscherungsanlage. Ob dies im vorliegenden Interessens- und Nutzungskonflikt ausreicht, "kann derzeit durch das Gericht nicht hinreichend beurteilt werden", heißt es in dem Beschluss aus Karlsruhe.Für Michael Raus Mutter Brigitte, die mit ihrem Mann Roland neben der Krematoriumsbaustelle wohnt, steht fest: "Wenn man statt eines roten ein grünes Tuch drauftut, ist der Tisch dennoch derselbe." Die Stadt Sinsheim habe mit dem Krematorium einen Bock geschossen und mache einen Quatsch nach dem anderen. Der Baustopp sei für die Gegner des Anlage zwar noch kein Durchbruch, aber immerhin ein Aufschub: "Einen Etappensieg haben wir."Zurückhaltender beurteilt Michael Raus Rechtsanwältin die Situation. "Natürlich ist das für uns günstig", meint Marika Gratzel, die in Heilbronn eine Kanzlei hat. Das Gericht mache sich sehr viel Mühe und wolle die Verfahrensakten detailliert prüfen. Solange es sich keine Klarheit verschafft habe, werde nicht weitergebaut. Wie lange braucht die Kammer bis zu einer endgültigen Entscheidung? "Ich gehe davon aus, dass es noch länger dauern wird", sagt Marika Gratzel.AbhängigSinsheims Bürgermeister Achim Keßler räumt ein, Stadt und Bauherr seien vom Richterspruch aus Karlsruhe abhängig. Zur Bebauungsplanänderung meint er: "Ich gehe davon aus, dass wir dieses Verfahren mit der entsprechenden Sorgfalt durchgeführt haben." Die Gegenseite bestreite dies, was aus ihrer Sicht nachvollziehbar sei.Für Claus Wiesenauer hat der Richterspruch nur vorläufigen Charakter. Das Krematorium bauen will der Investor nach wie vor. Den Karlsruher Beschluss nimmt er mit einer gewissen Gelassenheit zur Kenntnis: "Das ist zwar schade, aber ändern kann man da nichts."
FUNERAL directors from outwith the Borders have expressed an interest in using the region’s first crematorium which opened next to Waird’s Cemetery at Melrose on Tuesday.Adrian Britton, operations director of the Bristol-based Westerleigh Group, confirmed the company had been contacted by firms both within and outwith the Borders.He told us: “We’ve had enquiries from as far as south as Seahouses and many from Edinburgh, as well as across the length and breadth of the Borders, from Peebles and Langholm to the Berwickshire coast.”His firm, the second largest private operator in the UK, is planning an official opening ceremony and dedication service in the spring.Mr Britton explained: “The facility is very much up and running and six cremations took place on our opening day, but we want to improve the landscaping before the crematorium is formally opened.“However, the level of interest is very satisfying and is, I believe, a vindication of our proposals which had their fair share of controversy when the site was first selected and before Scottish Borders Council gave us planning permission.“We have since had very positive feedback that the location in the lee of the Eildon Hills is much more discreet that many people imagined and can hardly been seen from the Melrose bypass.”Mr Britton praised the support the project had received from the council, in particular its leader and Melrose representative David Parker.He told us: “I know Mr Parker shares my view that a crematorium in the Borders has been long overdue and that the situation of grieving families having to travel outwith the region, principally to Edinburgh, has not been ideal.“My company has been looking to find a site here for nearly 20 years, so I am immensely relieved that not only is the facility now operating, it is also one of the most beautiful in the country.”Mr Britton said that main contractors, Earlston-based Border Construction, had done a magnificent job and had ensured that sub-contracting work, also of the highest quality, had gone to local companies. The manager of the Borders Crematorium, which has 98 seats and 76 parking spaces, is George Bell, a former head of bereavement services with Edinburgh City Council.Councillor Parker commented: “It has been a long time coming, but at last people in the Borders can be spared the trauma and inconvenience of having to travel out of the region to say farewell to a loved one. It is a very special place.”Any reader wishing to know more about the facilities, can contact Mr Bell on 01896 823357.
Il dirigente dei servizi funerari Carmelo Passalacqua, che della materia è un supertecnico pur avendo anche un approccio umanistico-filosofico, parla di «esumazioni a tappeto». Ma l'espressione non deve inquietare, perché le conseguenze per i cittadini sono minime. La novità è che i resti dei defunti saranno sottratti alla terra (e in gran parte cremati) dopo i rituali 10-15 anni di sepoltura. Finora - i non addetti ai lavori lo ignorano - le spoglie dei defunti e le bare consunte dal tempo restavano nel camposanto (... "e polvere ritornerai") lasciando in maniera naturale posto ai "nuovi arrivati". Avviene dal 1826, data in cui fu costruito il cimitero monumentale.La legge stabilisce che trascorsi 10 anni di sepoltura l'amministrazione pubblica possa rimuovere la tomba, per garantire la rotazione dei defunti. A Trento, per questioni organizzative, questo periodo raggiunge mediamente i 15 anni. E dopo che succede? «Si scava la nuova fossa a 50 centimetri di distanza - spiega Passalacqua - e passati altri 15 anni si torna a seppellire in quella originale». Una prassi che però, in quasi due secoli, ha portato a "saturare" il terreno. «Il campo comune è diventato una specie di ossario unico, che oggi non riesce più a svolere la sua funzione di mineralizzazione, cioè a favorire la decomposizione delle salme».Solo il 20% di queste, infatti, quando sono esumate risultano mineralizzate (restano solo le ossa, avviate all'ossario comune). Da qui la decisione di correre ai ripari: «D'ora in poi con l'asportazione della tomba provvederemo anche all'esumazione d'ufficio di tutti i defunti. Finora si facevano solo quelle su richiesta, cioè il 20%». I parenti hanno diverse opzioni: «Mandiamo una lettera e loro possono scegliere se avere un loculo o conservare le ceneri a casa. Chi rinuncia è circa la metà e in quel caso siamo noi, in base a una circolare, a farci carico della cremazione». Questione anche di soldi e in tempi di crisi pure il caro estinto per qualcuno può rappresentare un costo superiore alle proprie possibilità.Per l'esumazione e la contestuale tumulazione nel loculo, infatti, si spendono 337 euro. Scegliendo di portare l'urna a casa, si rischia di sborsare di più, perché ai 150 euro della sola esumazione bisogna aggiungerne altri 50 dell'"affidamento familiare" e il costo della cremazione dei resti, che è obbligatoria perché è vietato tenere sopra il caminetto (o vicino al comò, scegliete voi) resti ossei non inceneriti. Il costo è variabile: sui 300 euro se la salma è inconsunta o 163 se si tratta del solo scheletro. Chi sceglie la soluzione casalinga è una minima parte: il 5%, cioè una ventina di defunti l'anno sui 400 totali. C'è anche un 7% che rifiuta la cremazione e paga 200 euro per reinumare i corpi dei propri cari, questa volta non a un metro e mezzo di profondità ma solo a 80 centimetri (con cippo).In prospettiva Palazzo Thun punta ad estendere le esumazioni d'ufficio anche agli altri 20 cimiteri comunali, che a questo scopo stanno venendo attrezzati con ossari e cinerario. Nel monumentale di via Rosmini, intanto, si sta lavorando alacremente all'interno del campo uno. «Abbiamo cremato un centinaio di inconsunti in più», spiega Passalacqua, il che ha costretto il dirigente ad alzare il budget da 170 a 195 mila euro. In primavera invece saranno esumati tutti i defunti dei campi 9 e 10, (lasciati indietro tanto da ospitare defunti sepolti 18 anni fa) dove sorgerà il tempio crematorio. «Quando sarà pronto, nel 2015, stimiamo di salire dall'attuale 40% al 50%, come a Bolzano e in tutta Europa».
FUNERAL directors from as far away as Seahouses and Edinburgh have expressed an interest in using the Borders’ first crematorium, which opened next to Waird’s Cemetery at Melrose on Tuesday.Adrian Britton, operations director of the Bristol-based Westerleigh Group, confirmed the company had been contacted by firms both within and outwith the Borders.He said: “We’ve had enquiries from as far as south as Seahouses and many from Edinburgh, as well as across the length and breadth of the Borders, from Peebles and Langholm to the Berwickshire coast.”His firm, the second largest private operator in the UK, is planning an official opening ceremony and dedication service in the spring.Mr Britton explained: “The facility is very much up and running and six cremations took place on our opening day, but we want to improve the landscaping before the crematorium is formally opened. However, the level of interest is very satisfying and is, I believe, a vindication of our proposals which had their fair share of controversy when the site was first selected and before Scottish Borders Council gave us planning permission.“We have since had very positive feedback that the location in the lee of the Eildon Hills is much more discreet that many people imagined and can hardly been seen from the Melrose bypass.”
