Santa Ana winds ripped through Southern California on Wednesday night, gusting upwards of 60 mph or more in some parts of the San Fernando Valley and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage throughout Glendale.
While officials report that about 110 trees were uprooted around the city, I can thankfully report that none of those trees were at Grand View Memorial Park.
However, Grand View trees, which were all trimmed earlier this year during the restoration process, did suffer hundreds of broken branches and large limbs. Overall, the cemetery weathered the storm quite well compared to other parts of the city and neighboring communities.
Volunteers were on scene Thursday and Friday to start the clean up process which also included picking up signs, potted plants and other debris scattered around the property by the fierce winds. Miraculously, no markers were negatively affected by the wind or debris! :)
Limb and branch clean up is about half done but that will not affect this week's Sunday visitation, Dec. 4 from 12 noon - 4 p.m. Gates WILL be open!
A crew of four volunteers (myself included) worked several hours on Friday, picking up branches by hand, loading them on a volunteer truck and moving them next to the garage. The pile measures about 4 feet high and a couple dozen feet wide.
Volunteers are urgently needed on Sunday to collect the remaining branches so that mowing can continue. Last week volunteers mowed three and half sections, and the rest needs to be cut next week to keep the lawn managable.
Volunteers will gather at 10 a.m. on Sunday, two hours prior to opening, to continue the clean up and will work throughout the afternoon as needed.
I recommend bringing work gloves and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts to avoid scratching your arms and legs. Trucks to haul branches would be appreciated and very helpful. Wood-chippers are welcome, too. Please and thank you!
For more information, contact cemetery representative David Baum at (310) 990-3660 or via email at david.baum@dbaumlaw.com.
