Help needed for local cemetery

From Gordy and Bonnie Stock and Karen and John Kirckof

Just south of Glenwood on Memorial Drive are three beautiful cemeteries – Calvary Cemetery on the south side of the road,  Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery on the north side of the road, and Glenwood “City” Cemetery on both sides of the road.

Calvary Cemetery and Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery are the cemeteries of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Glenwood Lutheran Church.  The care and upkeep of these cemeteries are handled by each respective church.

Did You Know:

*The Glenwood “City” Cemetery is a stand-alone cemetery – it is not associated with any specific church or religion.  It is open for anyone’s burial.  

*A portion of the cemetery is located within Glenwood City limits and a portion is in Glenwood Township.  The largest section of the main cemetery is on the north side of Memorial Drive and a new area is located on the south side of Memorial Drive. 

*The entire cemetery property is owned by the Glenwood Cemetery Association.  

*The cemetery receives no funds from the Glenwood Township or the City of Glenwood to pay for mowing, weed whipping, hedge trimming, tree trimming, leaf clean up in spring and fall, or any other general maintenance.  In addition, a walk through the older parts of the cemetery will reveal that many old gravestones need care such as cleaning the lichen off of them and other general repairs.

*Private donations and fees from the sale of burial plots are the only direct source of income for the cemetery. 

*Many plots for future burials are already purchased.  This is a large cemetery and includes 1450+ burial plots already purchased.  There is not an adequate income stream from the sale of burial plots to keep up with all the needed maintenance of the cemetery, to include those things mentioned above.

Ways you can contribute and make a difference:

*Donate by sending your tax-deductible donation to Glenwood Cemetery Association, Attn Shannon Bodeker, 509 E. Minnesota Avenue, Glenwood, MN  56334.

*Include the Glenwood Cemetery Association in your estate planning.

*Volunteer to clean up leaves, trim the hedge, pick up branches, and weed whip around gravestones.  Contact Gary Swanson at 320-424-1968 to volunteer.  Volunteer once or often!

 

Thanks supporters of Kiddie Parade

From Mark and Jennifer Ring, 2022 Kiddie Parade Chairs

Wow, another successful Waterama Kiddie Parade.  We would like to thank all the parents, grandparents, friends and other adults who helped the children with their amazing costumes and great floats for the Waterama Kiddie Parade. Community support is what allows this Waterama tradition to continue.  

We would like to extend a special thank you to the Glenwood Fire Department, Glenwood Police Department, the Klick Companies, the Boy Scouts, MnDOT, and the Waterama Brass.  We hope to see you all next year!

 

Disappointed in state’s inaction

From Katelyn Strand, Glenwood

As the administrator at Glenwood Retirement Village, I can speak firsthand about the shock and disappointment felt by long-term care providers around the state when negotiations stalled and the legislative session ended with no funding approved to address the severe staff shortage. I can also speak to the fear we feel about the future as we strive to provide care to seniors who need it.

The Glenwood Retirement Village is by no means in danger of closing, but the shortage of staff is very real and is affecting people everywhere. Many care settings are facing truly hard times.

The funding reimbursement system that allows care settings to sustain caregiver wage increases is deeply flawed, forcing operators to wait up to two years to recover costs. A third of care settings have raised wages by 10% or more, but without state funding to support these increases, it’s only a short-term band-aid. More than 400 care settings may close in the next year without state action, which could displace more than 14,000 seniors.

There are over 23,000 open positions for professional caregivers throughout Minnesota. Already, 78% of care settings are limiting admissions and turning seniors away due to staffing shortages – even if beds are available. For our caregivers, who love our residents and feel called to serve them, low wages make it very hard to stay. At this time, admissions may be limited due to the current staffing situation. We are currently seeking to fill multiple positions to fill our open shifts without the use of contract staff, as contract staff can be less consistent for our residents.

To fulfill our mission to serve others with excellence, enhancing their quality of life through innovative health, housing, spiritual, and social services at Glenwood Retirement Village, the state must provide more funding for long-term care settings so that we can sustain competitive wages to recruit and retain our staff and continue to care for our seniors. Minnesotans are counting on our leaders to fulfill their obligation to ensure access to care.  

We are asking for you to reach out to our local representatives to voice your concerns. Our local representatives are Paul Anderson 651-296-4317 and Torrey Westrom 651-296-3826.