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Volunteer group reports safety fixes, mapping and 501(c)(3) approval; schedules cemetery tours
Summary
A volunteer group updating Crystal Springs and Wharton Hill cemeteries reported safety work at a culvert, new mapping for Morton Hill Cemetery, a donation and IRS approval of nonprofit status; the group plans public tours and artifact archiving.
A representative for Friends of Crystal Springs and Wharton Hill Cemetery told the Benton Harbor Cemetery Board the volunteer group completed safety and mapping work, received IRS approval as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and plans public tours and archival donations.
The group said it installed two T-posts at a four-foot culvert on Ox Creek to reduce the risk of someone being pulled into the drain and that the gap between posts is roughly 18 inches to allow fish passage if appropriate. The speaker offered to provide photographs of the safety posts on request.
Volunteers also produced a smaller, illustrative map of Morton Hill Cemetery that more closely reflects curved sections and paths than older rectangular maps produced by county sources. The group reported staging a Morton Hill cemetery tour that drew more than 65 people, with proceeds going toward upkeep. The group said a participant, identified in the meeting as Ben Franklin, is the great-grandson of Herman Voigt, a former Crystal Springs manager, and has shared more than 100 historical photographs the group intends to archive.
The group announced it received IRS approval as a 501(c)(3) public charity and said it will update business cards and provide a mailing address for donations. The speaker said the group plans a public walking tour of the Crystal Springs/Ox Creek area on Oct. 28 to highlight cemetery history and creek restoration efforts, and discussed coordinating archival copies with Martin House and the local library.
Board members and nearby volunteers praised the upkeep; the board asked the group to post clean-up dates publicly so families can remove decorations before maintenance. The group reported spending about $300 on state and federal filing fees related to nonprofit registration.
No formal board action was recorded on the volunteer report; the board accepted the update and discussed how to publicize upcoming events and archive donations.
