Today is the 35th day since contractors unearthed and damaged gravemarkers and walls at Vick and Odd Fellows Cemeteries. The stones remain bare to the elements, shielded in part by a ring of bedraggled orange safety netting.
Wilson City Council meets tomorrow. There is nothing on the published agenda concerning Vick Cemetery or Bishop L.N. Forbes Street. As always, however, the last agenda item is “Call on the Audience,” and I hope you are planning to sign up.
Here are the rules:
If I were going to be there, here are some questions I might ask:
- What was the plan to correct drainage and erosion at Vick Cemetery?
- When was the plan finalized?
- Was the plan vetted by the North Carolina State Office of Archaeology?
- Did the City consult New South Associates about the plan? If so, did the City mention that it was going to excavate the ditch?
- Why has the public — in particular, the descendant community — not informed about the plan? The City elected to use its City Projects webpage for communication about Vick Cemetery, but has not updated the page since October 15.
- What investigation has been made into the grave markers uncovered and damaged by contractors on or about December 10?
- Why has there been no official statement, explanation, or apology for damage done to Vick Cemetery?
- What’s the plan going forward?
- Contractors scraped several feet into Odd Fellows Cemetery, damaging the boundary walls of the Tate family plot. Why is the City digging in Odd Fellows? How will the City repair this damage and prevent erosion in this cemetery?
- Why is the City clearcutting in Rountree Cemetery? (The part on the northwest side of the street.)
- When will the City authorize ground-penetrating radar of the public right of way at Vick Cemetery? The need for a survey of this portion of the cemetery was made horrifyingly clear on December 10.