Welcome to the First Edition of FHRC News. At present we have 99 Friends on our e-mail contact list and 30 Friends on our snail mail list. We plan to provide monthly updates to keep all informed and involved in the restoration and preservation of Riverview Cemetery. As you might remember in April 2007 many people signed a petition to save the chapel and much has happened in the past year. We anticipate a transfer of the cemetery from the current owner to the FHRC later this month. Please help our network of Friends expand by sharing this information with your contacts.

The following individuals have volunteered to provide leadership:

• Abdullah Muhammad - (President)
• James Hanby - (Vice President)
• Christina Braddock - (Secretary)
• Lee Anderson - (Steering committee)
• Cheryl Markiewicz - (Steering committee)

     We are in the process of creating a Board of Directors and we are also seeking a Treasurer. If you are interested, please send a letter and resume to the address listed above or to friendsofficers@gmail.com

     Every person has a part to play as we join together to restore and preserve Riverview Cemetery. If you would like to serve on a committee, please contact us with your area of interest.

Business News:

     FHRC is now incorporated with the state of Delaware as a non-profit organization, and has a bank account at Wilmington Trust. We also have a 501c(3) account with the Delaware Community Foundation www.delcf.org.

     We are in need of donations to pay the incorporation fees and to pay for the banners used for the Arbor Day Event. The banner reads "Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery Thank You" and will be used for all of our affairs.

     You have two options for donations: First, if your donation is less than $250.00 you may send it directly to FHRC P.O. Box 2173 Wilmington, DE 19899. If you desire a tax-deductible receipt for a greater amount, please send your gift directly to Delaware Community Foundation P.O. Box 1636 Wilmington, DE 19899.

Activities:

Community Clean-Up Day: Easter decorations have been removed. At present the grass needs cutting and there continues to be trash along the fences. We invite you to join with family, friends, and neighbors on Saturday May 10th beginning at 10:00 am. Help beautify this much-loved cemetery in preparation for Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

Memorial Day: Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold a Memorial Day Service at Riverview Cemetery on Sunday, May 25th beginning at 3:00pm. Sergeant Shilling, a Delaware Medal of Honor Recipient, and Civil War veteran will be honored. Each year a veteran from a different war will be honored. Boy Scouts will place over 300 American Flags on veteran graves to prepare for the day.

Thank You:

• Mike Bonkowski, Esquire. Your continued efforts to represent the deceased and families of the deceased give us hope. You have spoken for those without a voice and are helping to reclaim the sacred land for future generations.

• Delaware Community Foundation: You welcomed us into your family of non-profits in Delaware and will help us grow a perpetual care for the preservation of Riverview Cemetery.

• Russ Pickett. You volunteered to be our webmaster. We are looking forward to building the site with you.

• Scott Mackenzie. You volunteered to design, layout, and print our brochure which we hope will be available next month.

• Margaret Rose Henry. Your advocacy on behalf of Delaware Cemeteries is admired. We embrace your charge to make the restoration and preservation of Riverview Cemetery a model for the state.

• Terri Sanginiti. Your excellent News Journal coverage over the past ten years, documented a sad chapter in the history of Riverview Cemetery. Thanks for the great Arbor Day article (www.delawareonline.com ) It illustrates the positive changes resulting from community collaboration and goodwill.

• Jim Gish. You live far away, yet care deeply for Riverview. In 2007 you created a blog to help us share information. Visit http://save-riverview.blogspot.com .

• Delaware Center for Horticulture staff (Gary, Patrice, Wendy, and Annie) who along with Kerns Tree Service organized 15 tree and landscaping companies to remove dead and dangerous trees from Riverview as an Arbor Day project. You also helped us inventory the trees throughout the cemetery and offered guidance for planting new trees next spring.

• A-1 Sanitation for arriving at sunrise on Arbor Day and provided port-a-johns for the tree workers at the request of Mary King, Senior Project Manager at EDIS.

• VFW Hall at 313 Brandywine Blvd. for opening your facility for our FHRC community meetings and providing tables and chairs at the Arbor Day event.

• Friends of Riverview for provided, snacks, coffee, donuts, water, soda, tea, for the tree workers on Arbor Day. Your hospitality was greatly appreciated!

• Walt Mateja for pre-event and event day filming of the tree project at Riverview. This is the beginning a documentary on the FHRC restoration efforts in 2008.

  
  

  
  
  The Riverview Cemetery website was created and is maintained by:
  Russ Pickett
  Page Last Updated: 5/6/2008