4 months ago
10
KERMAN, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A stunning revelation successful Kerman aft officials announced the city's lone cemetery, Golden Sunset Memorial Park, volition unopen down operations starting June 1st.
The cemetery is simply a last resting spot for much than a 1000 people. For galore families, Golden Sunset Memorial Park is not conscionable a cemetery; it is ineffable ground, holding generations of memories and grief.
“For me, done my toughest times, I travel to the cemetery to sojourn my dad, and helium grounds me, helium says everything volition beryllium fine, I person that connection," said Juanita Ramirez. "They cannot conscionable instrumentality that distant from maine and from each of our assemblage members.”
Every morning, Juanita Ramirez visits her father’s sedate astatine Golden Sunset Memorial Park; she says she was stunned to larn the cemetery volition soon extremity operations.
A missive was posted connected the doorway of the cemetery and sent retired to residents, speechmaking successful part:
“As of June 1st, 2025, Golden Sunset Memorial Park volition nary longer beryllium capable to run owed to circumstances beyond our control.”
The missive sparked outrage and near residents demanding an explanation.
"I request an answer, I request assistance and I don't cognize however acold we are going to beryllium capable to spell but arsenic a assemblage subordinate and a societal worker, the entity is the limit, truthful I'm not going to halt till we get an reply and we prevention our cemetery present successful Kerman," said Ramirez.
The City of Kerman released a connection successful response, saying quote:
“Golden Sunset Memorial Park is adjacent to the metropolis of Kerman, but is located extracurricular of the metropolis limits, truthful the City of Kerman has nary jurisdiction implicit the cognition of the cemetery... immoderate funny parties should interaction the owners.”
Fresno County District 1 Supervisor Brian Pacheco, who represents the metropolis of Kerman, says this concern is unfortunate and unacceptable.
“You can't beryllium a backstage entity, instrumentality the wealth for each these years, and erstwhile they tally retired of country and didn't program for growth, locomotion distant and accidental 'here it is, you bash it,'" said Pacheco.
Pacheco says adjacent though the cemetery is wrong Fresno County, the region does not person jurisdiction implicit a privately owned cemetery - but adds that helium is already taking action.
“I got consent from the Board of Supervisors that I volition beryllium moving with the region assembly of Fresno, and we volition petition, we judge the Superior Court of the State of California has jurisdiction implicit these matters," said Pacheco. “I, arsenic an individual, l volition beryllium petitioning connected behalf of the residents for the tribunal to intervene and person a moving program going forward.”
Moving forward, options see selling it to a caller proprietor oregon forming a cemetery district, which collects taxes from the surrounding country to money it.
In a statement, Golden Sunset Memorial Park told YourCentralValley.com that they attempted to scope retired to the City of Kerman, section churches, cemeteries and Fresno County - asking for idiosyncratic to judge the cemetery arsenic a donation, revealing "I was met with either nary instrumentality calls oregon was told that they were not funny successful the donation."
They adhd that the announcement was fixed due to the fact that the licence holder was placed successful hospice attraction past week pursuing a crab diagnosis and "once helium passes, we tin not legally run the cemetery."
For now, Supervisor Pacheco wants assemblage members to cognize they are not alone
“I privation to archer the residents of Kerman I recognize this is simply a truly disturbing concern for you, nary 1 should person to woody with this, it is not your fault, but I volition beryllium present to assistance you, and we volition get done it," said Pacheco.
Operators adhd that the cemetery volition stay unfastened and the tract is not being sold.
