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Pet cemetery gets good cleaning

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BY ZACH PLUHACEK / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Jun 06, 2007 - 01:43:58 pm CDT

The grass is cut at Doc White’s Pet Cemetery, and the trash is cleaned up.

“You’re still putting lipstick on a pig,” said Larry Burklund, who took time and equipment from his World of Green lawn care business Tuesday to clean the field.

Grave markers still are sunken below ground level and the weeds will grow back quickly, he said, but the pet cemetery near Oak Lake is on its way to being the modest, pleasant place it was 10 years ago.

Story Photo
Munthir Al-Mosawi (left) and Hector Eslaua from World of Green Lawn Care Service finish clearing tall grass, weeds and trash from the pet cemetery Tuesday afternoon. (Heidi Hoffman)
Help clean the cemetery

Anyone interested in keeping an eye on or helping maintain Doc White’s Pet Cemetery, near 300 W. Charleston St., can e-mail Richard Sullivan at sullivanrichardd@yahoo.com.

The cemetery fell into a state of neglect after veterinarian Robert White sold the part of the cemetery he owned about six years ago. White had been burying animals there for decades, and made sure to keep the place maintained.

Burklund was one of a number of people who volunteered to help clean the cemetery after a story about it appeared in Saturday’s Journal Star.

He said his affection for his own animals led him to take a personal interest in the issue.

“I don’t have kids, so those are my babies,” he said.

Burklund said he filled two 55-gallon bags with trash. He and some of his employees mowed and trimmed Tuesday, and he plans to spray for weeds next week.

Paul Zillig, assistant manager of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources district, had to approve the cleanup, because the NRD owns the land.

“I guess we’re very appreciative that World of Green volunteered to go out and mow it,” Zillig said. “That gives us kind of a short-term fix to what needs to be done out there.

“There’s a lot of people that have an interest in it.”

Richard Sullivan, who brought the complaint to the Journal Star’s attention, has volunteered to organize a group of people who will make sure the land stays clean.

“I’m astounded that it happened so rapidly,” he said. “What a great guy.”

Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7395 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.


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Wow What A Nice Company and MAN! wrote on June 6, 2007 2:24 am:
" Wow, it's people like the owner of World Of Green that makes Lincoln a better place to live. I am glad someone was able to get up and get the cemetery clean! I'm all for helping keep it that way from now on. I had a strong feeling some lawn care company out there would jump in and help out! Thanks a million and I know who I will call in the future to do business with because they have a BIG HEART and that company would be WORLD OF GREEN! WAY TO GO GENTLEMEN! "
Laura wrote on June 6, 2007 7:30 am:
" Thank you World of Green for doing this!!!! "
mike wrote on June 6, 2007 7:39 am:
" Kudo's to Larry Burklund and his crew for stepping up and helping out! Larry, you are a true gentleman and a wonderful person (even when you are putting lipstick on a pig!)!!! "
M wrote on June 6, 2007 8:31 am:
" “I guess we’re very appreciative that World of Green volunteered to go out and mow it,” Zillig said. Gee... don't go out of your way to be thankful or anything. Thank you Larry Burklund, your crew and anyone else who helped out. "
Nina wrote on June 6, 2007 8:47 am:
" Nice gesture! But I can't believe this - NRD owns it, and NRD's mission is to take care of our land and other natural resources. They require us (as farmers planting NRD trees for filter strips and wildlife habitat) to keep the weeds down and maintain properly. We would do this anyway, but it is their requirement just the same. NRD just received an award, I read, so it seems they should walk the walk at this cemetery. "
Julie wrote on June 6, 2007 8:49 am:
" This story shows that there are truely good people out there! Thank you Larry Burklund and workers..that is great!! "
GMP wrote on June 6, 2007 8:57 am:
" Thank you Larry and all who helped. Lincoln has a lot of wonderful people, and you just proved it again. "
d wrote on June 6, 2007 9:25 am:
" That's awesome. Thanks to Larry and World of Green and also to the LJS for getting this issue out there. "
Heather wrote on June 6, 2007 9:26 am:
" This is great! Thanks World of Green! "
ar wrote on June 6, 2007 9:59 am:
" thank you world of green!!!!! "
JC wrote on June 6, 2007 10:01 am:
" I wouldn't fault the NRD. If you read the previous article, you'd find that Doc White's former land was sold several times before going to the NRD. The land was never a legitimate cemetary and had no written agreement with it to be maintained as a cemetary - which explains why it unfortunately went to ruin. It's not genearally the NRD's business to maintain cemetaries. The "weeds" that were cut down aren't desirable in cemetaries, but are what the NRD desires for vegetation in the Salt Creek floodplain. The only way to reduce the trash in the Salt Creek floodplain is to get Lincoln to stop its bad littering habit. "
VERY COOL wrote on June 6, 2007 11:48 am:
" Now there is a guy who gets things done and quick! Any interest in running for city council Larry Burklund? I think you can show some folks there how it's done. Thanks for keeping Lincoln a great place to live! "
Jeff wrote on June 6, 2007 12:30 pm:
" Sounds like the NRD was thankful., eben though it's not there responsibility. "
j wrote on June 6, 2007 1:43 pm:
" Thank you World of Green! How would others go about finding out how to help? "
Nina wrote on June 6, 2007 2:14 pm:
" JC is right about the littering, but NRD has owned the land long to correct the weed problem. Last I heard, NRD favors trees, shurbs, native grass, wildflowers, etc. but NOT weeds, per USDA. NRD mission statement says it exists to "conserve, sustain, and improve our natural resources." The land is a natural resource, and it should be sustained and improved, not necessarily groomed as a cemetery, but not allowed to grow up into weeds, either. I'd like to see the World of Green owner run for NRD office - that would be a terrific thing. "
JC wrote on June 6, 2007 4:39 pm:
" Plants that most Nebraskans call "weeds" are actually native grasses and wildflowers. When you let grasses grow tall and go to seed - the native ones eventually win out and take over. Never been there so I don't know if this was the case there or not - the photo just showed tall grasses. Either way, I'm happy for the pet owners. "
Help Clean The Cemetery wrote on June 6, 2007 8:29 pm:
" I seen this above so I am posting it where people might be able to see it. Anyone interested in keeping an eye on or helping maintain Doc White’s Pet Cemetery, near 300 W. Charleston St., can e-mail Richard Sullivan at sullivanrichardd@yahoo.com. "
GP wrote on June 6, 2007 10:23 pm:
" The World of Green guys are really nice good people. Thanks guys, that makes me have a better outlook on at least some guys in Lincoln. They mow my lawn and would recommend them to anyone. "

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