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Thank you to those of you who have renewed your membership for 2010. If you have not yet done so, please consider supporting us and the projects we continue to work on. You can find a membership application on the City of Fall River’s website:
We have a couple of projects planned for 2010 that we are very excited about and we expect to announce these within the next month or so. Stay tuned! The following is a brief update on what has transpired within the last few months: Memorial Tree Planting – On April 14th, FOG planted 6 trees with the assistance of FOG members, the Fall River Street Tree Planting Program and the Durfee High School Green Team. We were pleased to have 24 students from DHS participate in the event. Our next planting of 7 trees is scheduled for June 5th . Please consider participating this day as your assistance is welcome. Upon the completion of the June 5th planting, we will have reached a total of 42 new trees in Oak Grove! Pathmarkers – Diman has recently reported that the 10 new pathmarkers have been completed and will be off to the auto shop for painting. More news to follow. Facebook – FOG is now on Facebook. If you are already a member, please head on over to our page and consider becoming a “fan”. You will notice some photos have been posted of several FOG events. Facebook is a social networking site and a powerful tool which has helped to promote our group. If you know of someone who is on Facebook, please encourage them to become a fan as well. We currently have 80 fans and counting. Thank you all for your continued support!

This summer, the city of Fall River is running a series of 45 minute trolley tours scheduled to highlight significant points of interest within the city. Among the destinations along the tour is Oak Grove Cemetery. Tour guides will provide visitors with a narrative of the cemetery’s historical importance and will recognize the impact FOG’s work is having on the cemetery. Tours are free and open to the public and we encourage you to attend. Although FOG played a small role in assisting the city in preparing the grant used to fund this project, there was considerable effort spent by the city and other volunteers in applying for this competitive grant. You can find more details at the following link:
- Inscription Survey: A survey form has been completed and we plan to begin recording headstone inscriptions soon.
- Fall River Street Tree Planting Program:
On Tuesday July 28th at 7PM in the 1st floor meeting room of the FR Library (Main Branch), the FRSTPP will be hosting a session on Tree Disease and Insects. FRSTPP has provided considerable support with our tree planting efforts. Hope to see you there!
- People, Inc.: Although we have had considerable rain of late, People, Inc. has provided us with a much needed service. Specifically, watering and caring for the 30 trees which FOG has planted over the past year. Our thanks to Bill Perkins and the fine folks at People, Inc.!
- Fall River Spirit: We’d like to once again extend our appreciation to reporter Bill Moniz for his efforts in getting our work recognized and for covering our May tree planting.
- Healthy City Fall River: David Weed, coordinator of HCFR, has developed another web page spotlighting our recent tree planting. Here is a link to the page: http://www.gfrpartners.com/09OakGroveTreePlanting.html

“Oak Grove and the Rural Cemetery Movement in America” by noted Landscape Architect Martha Lyon.
Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 6PM.
Fall River Country Club
4232 North Main Street
Fall River, MA 02722
Tickets are $10/free for members and may be purchased in advanced at the New Boston Bakery. Contact directly at 508-642-9636 or via email at friendsofoakgrove@yahoo.com. Reservations are recommended.
This Sunday morning, March 2, at 9 a.m., some of the Friends will commence a comprehensive survey and mapping of tree species within cemetery grounds with the city arborist. Diseased and dead trees will be noted as well as thriving species types and location. This will be the first step in a carefully scheduled plan of new plantings for the cemetery.
The concept of a beautifully -landscaped park where families might come to visit departed Loved Ones was first fully-realized in London’s Highgate and Cambridge’s Mount Auburn. The Victorians rivalled the Ancient Egyptians in their ritual observances of death and burial, monuments and memorials. Beautiful Oak Grove Cemetery in the North end of Fall River is one of many New England mid- century Victorian memorial parks where the streets are named for trees, and fanciful wrought iron gates enclose the fine families of the city like fences of stately homes in the earthly life.
For those who love cemeteries, – the peacefulness and quiet of the Past- Oak Grove holds unparalleled verdant vistas and peerless carved monuments of another age. Whether a student of Victorian symbolism , or of Fall River history- a pensive hour spent in silence at Oak Grove is a retreat from the pressures of modern society, and a glimpse into the intriguing past of the city’s notable citizens.
Plagued with the problems all cemeteries are faced with today, vandalism, landscaping and maintenance costs, security, lack of volunteerism, etc. -perhaps now is the time for those who truly appreciate the heritage and history enclosed within the gates and walls of Oak Grove to come together.








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