Dorchester County preservation board plans master cemetery list, outreach events and grant drives

The Dorchester County Burial Site Preservation Board moved forward on several outreach and inventory efforts Thursday, including work to compile a countywide master list of burial sites, plans for a fall field trip and a vendor table at the Vienna festival on Sept. 13, and early steps to pursue outside grant funding.

The board's work is intended to document burial locations — including known gaps for African American and Native American sites — and to increase public engagement and volunteer support for cemetery documentation and minor stewardship projects.

At the meeting Chair Dorothy Bradford Saminski called the session to order and confirmed roll call; board members present included Joe Era, Karen Talley and Chief Donna Abbott, with Frederick Windsor, David (last name not specified) and Eric (last name not specified) absent. A motion to approve the minutes from the May 19 meeting was made and seconded and carried. Late in the meeting members also moved and seconded to adjourn; no objections were recorded.

The board discussed a planned fall field trip that would start at Church Creek Cemetery, include Old Trinity and a Woodford graveyard, and offer shuttle service for participants who cannot walk the sites. Members proposed…