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In a message dated 6/2/02 5:36:46 AM, webmaster@AlbuquerqueNM.com writes:
Good Morning John,
Thank you for helping me get the word out about our / my sites.. I am slow, but still on the job.. new one is my being able to work from the house instead of the hospital bed.. btw.. sorry I never called but I think we have all figured out I really did retire.. {;>)
Thanks to everyone who is giving me some work in referecne to my therapy. I take my shot every 4 days now and it seems to help with my mental capacities.. doesnt hep the motor skills though.. InternetCremation and iCremation sites are being added to daily.. remember, I do, it is free, to list your website.. dont have one? we have a list of providers that will help you get on the net.. thats where the new clients are coming from. its phenominal when everything gets right.. just ask my California and New York clients..
its taken me a long time to learn it all, but now that I have the knowledge.. somebody better take advantage...
Thank you for your considerations and time.
Robin G. Wall
AlbuquerqueNM.com
The Cyber Mortician ™
Ret AOL Keyword: Funeral Director
iCremation.Net
InternetCremation.Net
In a message dated 5/28/02 11:28:58 PM, Peter in Illinois writes: John, Thought this was particularly interesting for the newsletter. Take Care - Peter
Too many dead, too few plots in Mexico City
May 28, 2002BY WILL WEISSERT MEXICO CITY
--Overcrowding is a fact of life in Mexico City. It's a fact of death, too. Space in the city's 103 public cemeteries is so tight that since 1975, the law has required family members to dig up bodies after as little as seven years to make room for the more recently departed. An estimated 1.4 million people occupy such temporary graves in Mexico City.''Family members want their loved ones to rest in peace, to have their own grave where they can sleep without being disturbed,'' said Pablo Rocha, director of the Dolores public cemetery. ''But in Mexico City that's almost impossible. Too many people lived here and died before the rest of us came along.' 'Things are so cramped that a market has sprung up in which families willing to evict their loved ones can get thousands of dollars for the space, and city officials have taken to touting the advantages of cremation in radio ads. Under city regulations, after seven years cemetery officials dig up and cremate the remains. Family members can buy postponements totaling an extra 14 years, but after that all post-1975 public tombs have to be excavated.'' We have to be practical. There is no longer room for emotion,'' said Raul Escobar, head of the city's funeral services department. Families who control older plots have begun to add bodies to graves built for one person, rather than put them in a new tomb with a time limit. When families want to add a body to an older, permanent plot, gravediggers exhume remains and let relatives choose either to cremate them or put what's left of the corpse in a small box that is attached to the top of the new coffin. The Dolores cemetery is among Latin America's largest. Opened in 1876, its 600 acres are crammed with 375,000 individual and family grave sites holding more than 1 million people. It hasn't had a vacancy for new graves since 1970, but employs a small army of gravediggers to handle an average of 10 excavations a day. The cemetery crunch gives Gloria Rica an additional reason to hope that her ailing mother doesn't die before the seventh anniversary of her father's death, in 2005. If she goes before that, the family won't be able to exhume the father make room for the mother, because health regulations require that a corpse stay buried for at least seven years.
In a message dated 5/30/02 1:15:57 PM, kshay@nfda.org writes:
Dear Mr. McDonough,
Following is the latest press release from NFDA. Please contact me at
262/814-1550 or kshay@nfda.org with any questions.
Thank you,
Katie Shay
Public Relations Coordinator
National Funeral Directors Association
For Immediate Release
May 29, 2002
Contact: Fay Spano
800-228-6332
NFDA Member in Washington to Fight Estate Tax
Small businesses attend summit to seek permanent repeal
Washington D.C. &endash; Amy Lowery, a member of the National Funeral
Directors Association (NFDA), and her brother are the third-generation
of funeral directors from their family to run Bollman Funeral Home in
Dallas, Oregon. But they are at risk of losing their family business.
That's because under the current Federal Estate Tax law, the
government could charge them more than half the value of their business
in taxes if their mother were to pass away. And Lowery is not alone, 90
perReceived: from GRPWISE-MTA bycent of NFDA member funeral homes are independently owned and
operated, and therefore threatened by the tax.
This looming threat brought Lowery, and scores of other small business
owners, to Washington, D.C., on May 22 to present their case for
permanent repeal of the tax during a congressional summit. More than
100 businesses joined Lowery for the day-long event.
"What we realized quickly after our father's death is that if something
were to happen to our mother, my brother and I would face an estate tax
so significant that we simply would not have the resources to pay it,"
explains Lowery.
Also known as the Death Tax, the policy will be voted on by Congress in
June. The vote is expected to be very close despite President Bush's
recent endorsement of the repeal.
"NFDA has been working for some time to eliminate the Estate Tax," said
NFDA Chief Executive Officer, Christine Pepper. "As the leading voice
of the funeral service profession, NFDA supports any and all legislation
that would reform the federal, state and local regulatory process, and
reduce the costly, burdensome, unnecessary and redundant regulatory
burden on funeral homes."
NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in
Washington, D.C. It is the world's oldest and largest funeral service
association, serving about 13,500 members. To learn more about NFDA,
visit our Website at nfda.org.
FSPA pictures of NFDA's Future's Forum
In a message dated 5/30/02 4:51:44 PM, fspano@nfda.org writes:
Contact: Fay Spano For
Immediate Release
800-228-6332 May 29, 2002
Top Funeral Service Professionals Gather for
NFDA Future's Forum
Industry leaders explore scenarios for the future
Brookfield, Wis. - Funeral service leaders from across the
country visited the headquarters of the National Funeral Directors
Association (NFDA) from May 19-21 to participate in the groundbreaking
"Future's Forum."
NFDA brought together approximately 80 top professionals, including
funeral directors, state association executive directors, allied
association members, suppliers, consumer advocates and educators, to
develop scenarios that could impact the funeral service profession over
the next 5 years.
Paul Schoemaker, Ph.D., facilitated the scenario-planning sessions.
"The Future's Forum took a very comprehensive look at the bits and
pieces of the profession and projected it out for the next five years,"
said Schoemaker. "Change is inevitable, but at a rate that will give us
time to adapt."
Schoemaker is the founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Decisions Strategies International, Inc., (DSI) a consulting and
training company specializing in strategic planning. He is also an
adjunct professor of marketing at the prestigious Wharton School at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Numerous trends that will impact funeral service were identified,
including the diminishing use of traditional funeral home facilities,
possibility of the hospitality industry providing funeral services,
funerals as an employee benefit, growing cremation rates, and greater
acceptance of non-traditional religious services.
The NFDA Executive Board met immediately following the forum to discuss
the results and determine future strategies.
"We appreciate the critical thinking and contributions of all who
participated," said NFDA Chief Executive Officer Christine Pepper. "Our
combined work will help all in funeral service succeed, no matter what
changes come about in the profession. The information will help NFDA
lead the way in developing tools and information to help our members
succeed in the future."
Many of those who attended labeled the event invaluable, and applauded
NFDA for bringing together representatives from all areas of the
industry.
"It was a very rewarding experience," said Jack Springer, executive
director of the Cremation Association of North America. "If it wasn't
for NFDA, we wouldn't be here today."
Bruce Buchanan of the Buchanan Group, Indianapolis, Ind., called the
event a valuable experience.
"The Future's Forum broadened my perspective," said Buchanan. "It was
great to listen to people from all over the country. It renewed my
faith that the industry is committed to serving families."
DSI is preparing a report of the information developed during the
scenario- planning process. The report will be provided to the forum
participants. NFDA will also share the information at its upcoming
Leadership Conference, July 28-30 in
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in
Washington, D.C. It is the world's oldest and largest funeral service
association, serving about 13,500 members. For more information, visit
our Website at www.nfda.org.
###
Fay Spano
Public Relations Manager
National Funeral Directors Assoc.
13625 Bishop's Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-814-1549
fspano@nfda.org
ICFA WIRELESS is a biweekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the
International Cemetery and Funeral Association the latest government and
legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICFA members
current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome.
Write to: mailto:wireless@icfa.org .
IN THIS EDITION:
INDUSTRY NEWS
ICFA Invited to Participate in FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule Public Forum
FTC Publishes Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Information Safeguards Rule
HBO Special Highlights Hollywood Forever Cemetery
ICFA NEWS
Call for Speakers: ICFA's Naked Sales V
ICFA Prepares to Update Membership Directory & Buyer's Guide
2002 KIP Awards Applications Now Available Online
June Preneed Product of the Month: Wirthlin Report III
---------------------------
INDUSTRY NEWS
---------------------------
ICFA INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN FTC TELEMARKETING SALES RULE PUBLIC FORUM
Following up on comments filed by the ICFA in April with the Federal Trade
Commission regarding proposed amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule
(TSR), the ICFA has been invited to participate in the FTC public forum held
June 5-7 in Washington, D.C. The association's comments were limited to
urging retention of the exemption for calls where nothing is sold and the
call is followed by a face-to-face meeting between the seller and the
potential buyer.
The FTC proposes to retain this exemption, but with several conditions
attached. The most controversial of the conditions involves the creation of a
national Do-Not-Call registry that all callers would be required to use, even
those qualifying under the TSR exemption. However, both the National Funeral
Directors Association and the Funeral Consumer Alliance, a group headed by
Lisa Carlson, have urged the FTC to exclude funeral homes and cemeteries from
any exemption in the TSR. Comments submitted by the various parties and
additional information on the public forum can be viewed on the FTC Web page
at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rulemaking/tsr/tsr-review.htm .
---------------------------------------------------
FTC PUBLISHES GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY FINANCIAL INFORMATION SAFEGUARDS RULE
On May 24, the FTC published a final rule concerning the safeguarding of
customer records and information for the financial institutions under its
jurisdiction. The "Financial Information Safeguards Rule" is the latest in a
series of regulations issued by the FTC to implement provisions of the
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GBLA) to protect the confidentiality of consumer
financial data.
The operative term in the GLBA is "financial institution," which the FTC
regulations have interpreted broadly to include retail businesses that offer
credit arrangements to their customers. Based on this definition, there is a
potential for some funeral homes and cemeteries to be considered "financial
institutions" under the GLBA.
An overview of this law and its implications for ICFA members can be found on
the ICFA Web page at http://www.icfa.org/washrpt5.01.htm . Additional
information also may be found on the FTC Web page at
http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/glbact/index.html .
---------------------------------------------------
HBO SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
"The Young and the Dead," a documentary broadcast this month on HBO, offers a
positive portrayal of the work of Tyler Cassity in developing ICFA-member
cemetery Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles, California, into a modern,
progressive business and a popular tourist destination. A description of the
show and remaining dates and times can be found at http://www.hbo.com .
---------------------------------------------------
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-------------------
ICFA NEWS
-------------------
CALL FOR SPEAKERS: ICFA'S NAKED SALES V
Attention, sales managers: Want to share your knowledge and experience at the
industry's premier preneed sales management and marketing conference?
The ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee has begun developing the program for
Naked Sales V, January 16-17, 2003, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year's
Naked Sales Conference will take attendees back to the "nuts and bolts" of
cemetery and funeral preneed sales and management, offering two solid days of
information on how to increase sales volume.
Industry members interested in participating in Naked Sales as speakers are
encouraged to contact the committee between now and July 15. The committee is
particularly interested in finding presenters who can address hands-on sales
techniques that work. Contact Committee Chairman Gregg Williamson at (562)
692-1212, ext. 334; mailto:gregg.williamson@rosehills.com; or staff liaison
Linda Budzinski at 1-800-645-7700, ext. 220; mailto:lacorn@icfa.org.
---------------------------------------------------
ICFA PREPARES TO UPDATE MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY & BUYER'S GUIDE
By now, all ICFA members should have received an update form for the
2002-2003 ICFA Membership Directory & Buyer's Guide. Please review your
listing, make corrections as needed and return the form as soon as possible
using the postage paid envelope or by fax to (703) 391-8416. Updates to the
ICFA database will be made during the month of June, and the new directory
will be mailed to members in late September/early October.
Copies of the 2001-2002 Buyer's Guide and Membership Directory can now be
purchased for a discounted member price of just $15. This valuable resource
belongs on every manager's desk. For information or to order, call the ICFA
at 1-800-645-7700.
---------------------------------------------------
2002 KIP AWARDS APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Applications for the 2002 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards contest are
available now at http://www.icfa.org/pdf/kip02.pdf or by calling
1-800-645-7700. The ICFA KIP Awards recognize the best in personalization in
the cemetery and funeral industry. Descriptions of the 2001 contest winners
and additional information on the program can be found at
http://www.icfa.org/kip.htm .
---------------------------------------------------
JUNE PRENEED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: WIRTHLIN REPORT III
For the month of June, the ICFA is offering a substantial discount on The
Wirthlin Report III. The Wirthlin Report is an ongoing study of consumer
attitudes toward death and death care services. Working on behalf of industry
members, the Wirthlin Group has produced a significant analysis of the
consumer market and evolving attitudes toward cemeteries, funeral service and
memorialization.
Released in 2000, The Wirthlin Report III will help you develop effective
communications programs to promote ritualization and memorialization within
your community.
This is the ICFA's lowest price ever on this item, so don't miss out. Regular
price: $25; June price: $15! For additional information, visit
http://www.icfa.org/june.htm. To order, call the ICFA at 1-800-645-7700.
---------------------------------------------------
AND MORE É
ICFA University, July 19-24 at the University of Memphis, offers a five-day
program of challenging coursework presented by top industry educators and
college business department faculty. The small classroom sizes and the
productive extra-curricular networking opportunities make this annual school
the preeminent educational experience in the industry. The deadline for
applications is June 14. For complete schedules, course descriptions, prices
and registration information, visit http://www.icfa.org/ICFAU02.htm or call
1-800-645-7700.
The ICFA Small Cemetery and Funeral Management Conference, August 22-24 in
Greeley, Colorado, will feature a keynote address by well-known grief
educator Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., as well as educational sessions on topics such
as preneed sales, obtaining revenue from outside sources, the September 11
disaster recovery effort and more. Additional highlights include a tour of
Linn Grove Cemetery, equipment demonstrations and a table-top trade show. For
a complete program and registration forms, visit
http://www.icfa.org/small02.htm or call 1-800-645-7700.
If you are not using the ICFA News Page to stay current on news items related
to the cemetery and funeral industry, you're not getting the whole picture.
The ICFA News Page at http://www.icfa.org/newspage.htm now takes you to
sources throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the
most comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available
anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to
national and world events. The News Page is now the fourth most visited page
on the ICFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why.
The ICFA has spearheaded the Music License Coalition to obtain discounted
music licensing for industry members. The goal of the Coalition is to offer a
discount price of $185 annually for licensing from BMI, ASCAP and SESAC
beginning January 1, 2003. Membership in the Coalition is free and is not
tied to membership in any other industry organization. For more information
or to join the Coalition, visit http://www.icfa.org/music/ or call
1-800-645-7700.
Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICFA's benefit
program offering free telephone legal consultations at
http://www.icfa.org/pepperman.htm .
The ICFA uses a national media placement agency to distribute an ongoing
series of newspaper articles and radio announcements with positive preneed
and memorialization messages. Placements to date have been highly successful,
reaching hundreds of markets throughout the country. For more information and
to view copies of the actual releases, visit http://www.icfa.org/media.htm.
ICFA members can establish their own Web sites for just $14.95 per month,
with no up-front fees. FuneralAssistant.com provides complete Web site
design, up to six pages; monthly site hosting; assignment of a Keyword that
directs Internet customers to the site; and Web site updates. For more
information, visit http://www.icfa.org/WebBenefit.htm .
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
NOTE TO AOL USERS
There have been problems reported accessing the links in the document for
people using AOL e-mail addresses. Until we find a workaround for this, you
may need to type in or cut and paste the e-mail and Web addresses to access
these links.
---------------------------------------------------
CHANGE E-MAIL
If you want to change the e-mail address for receiving ICFA WIRELESS, please
send an e-mail to mailto:wireless@icfa.org . Type "e-mail address change" in
the subject line. In the body, type in your name, company name, city, state,
current e-mail address and preferred new e-mail address.
---------------------------------------------------
UNSUBSCRIBE
If you want to unsubscribe from ICFA WIRELESS, please send an e-mail to
mailto:wireless@icfa.org . Type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. In the
body, type in your name, company name, city, state, and e-mail address.
---------------------------------------------------
International Cemetery and Funeral Association
1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191
1-800-645-7700
(703) 391-8400
fax (703) 391-8416
http://www.icfa.org
Copyright 2002 International Cemetery and Funeral Association
In a message dated 5/28/02 5:20:16 PM, kshay@nfda.org writes: Dear Mr. McDonough, Following is a copy of NFDA's latest news release. I can be reached at kshay@nfda.org or 262/814-1550 if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Katie Shay
Public Relations Coordinator
National Funeral Directors Association
13625 Bishop's Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005-6607
262/814-1550
kshay@nfda.org
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2002
Contact: Fay Spano, 800-228-6332
Brookfield, Wis.&emdash;The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is
pleased to announce two new educational products essential to the
success of funeral homes.
"NFDA is committed to helping members enhance quality service to
families, as well as providing education and products to help funeral
service professionals succeed in business," said NFDA Chief Executive
Officer Christine Pepper.
The NFDA Guide to Selected OSHA Standards for Funeral Received: from GRPWISE-MTA byHomes is now
available as a book and CD set that is intended to provide basic
information on selected Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) compliance standards and assist funeral homes in establishing
policies and programs necessary for compliance. NFDA members may
purchase the set for $149. CD benefits include a detailed index of the
entire guide, search capabilities, and the option of printing out
specific sections of the guide.
The NFDA Online Learning Center also has a new offering, "Time for Your
Annual Check-Up: Financial Statements and Preneed Analysis." Created by
Curtis D. Rostad, CFSP, executive director of the Wyoming Funeral
Directors Association, this online offering is designed to evaluate
business health. A unique interactive feature is a spreadsheet
customized to a specific funeral home that will help owners and managers
analyze the financial and preneed vigor of the firm. NFDA's Online
Learning Center is the source for exceptional online continuing
education. NFDA members may purchase the course for $81.
Contact an NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332 for
ordering information or visit www.nfda.org and click on "InfoCentral
Online" or "Online Learning Center" to order online.
NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in
Washington, D.C. It is the world's oldest and largest funeral service
association, serving about 13,500 members.
In a message dated 5/28/02 2:58:18 PM, staff@ncfda.org writes:
NORTH CAROLINA FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
919-876-7886 * 800-616-2332 * FAX: 919-876-5382
http://www.ncfda.org
E-LINE DATE: May 28, 2002
C. J. WHITE
Mr. C. J. White, 81, part owner of Brooks & White Funeral Home of Roxboro, died on May 28, 2002 at his home.
The funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, May 30, at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Roxboro followed by burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 29, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at the Brooks & White Funeral Home of Roxboro.
Mr. White is survived by two sons and their wives, James H. 3Jimmy2 and Dee White, and Cecil C. and Shelia White, all of Hurdle Mills, three daughters and their husbands, Rose W. and Randy Wrenn of Raleigh, Ellen W. and Tim Rogers, and Jennifer White, all of Hurdle Mills.
Flowers are acceptable or memorials may be made to Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Building Fund, c/o Betty Jean Whitt Horton, 1270 John D. Winstead Road, Roxboro, NC 27573; Home Health & Hospice of Person Co., 325 S. Morgan Street, Roxboro, NC 27573; or Hurdle Mills Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 160, Hurdle Mills, NC 27541.
In a message dated 6/1/02 12:58:01 PM, AOL member writes:
Roland S. West, 81
Saturday, June 01, 2002
AUBURN- Roland S. West, 81, of Auburn, died Thursday, May 30, at home.
He leaves his wife, Sophie C. (Kabasinsky) West; a son, Ronald K. West of Westwood; four daughters, Patricia T. Cummings of Deerfield Beach, Fla., Mary Jane Weldon of Northbridge, Linda D. Yeulenski of West Boylston, and Pamela A. Lauria of Worcester; 14 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren. Three brothers, Howard D., Mahlon H., Kenworth R., and Bernard C. West, predeceased him. He was born in Harrisville, R.I., son of Horatio and Harriet (Wilson) West. He attended Worcester schools.
He was a supervisor in the environmental building services department at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He was a union steward many years for Teamsters Union Local 170.
The funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 3, in St. Joseph's Church, 189 Oxford St. Calling hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, in Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln St., Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sisters of Charity, Mount St. Vincent Community, 125 Oakland St., Wellesley, MA 02481 or Campion Center for Retired Jesuits, 319 Concord Road, Weston, MA 02493.
In a message dated 5/27/02 7:08:12 PM, Mike in Massachusetts writes:
DUNEDIN, Fla. - Ten families are suing a Florida funeral home, alleging its former director mishandled corpses, took items from the dead bodies, and left cremated remains of at least 100 people in his garage. The allegations against Abbey Parklawn Home & Memory Gardens and its director, Scott M. Daley, have been forwarded to the state attorney's office. The Pinellas County Sheriff's office also is investigating. No charges have been filed, and Daley has denied the allegations. The state took over operation of Abbey Parklawn in January and appointed a new director until the business is sold. ''When I looked at these depositions, every page was something outrageous. It was sick,'' Mark McGarry of the state attorney's office for Pinellas and Pasco counties told the St. Petersburg Times. ''My belief is that ultimately the allegations made against Scott will be shown to be false,'' said Bjorn Brunvand, Daley's lawyer. Abbey Parklawn was hired by Pinellas County to cremate and bury the county's poor and bodies that were unclaimed. Last year, the county canceled its $175,000-a-year contract after several bodies were buried in a single grave. The newspaper reported that according to sworn statements from a former employee and past girlfriend of Daley's, the funeral director allegedly took jewelry, clothes, and other belongings from bodies, and even wore business suits he had allegedly taken. He also allegedly left the remains of at least 100 people in his garage, the sworn statements claim. In a similar case in Noble, Ga., Tri-State Crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh, 29, faces 266 counts of theft by deception after 339 corpses were discovered on the crematory grounds earlier this year.
In a message dated 5/26/02 12:07:50 PM, Anonymous writes: Friday, May 24, 2002 (AP) Cremated remains dropped over Safeco Field prompt scare ANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer (05-24) 19:44 PDT SEATTLE (AP) -- A low-flying plane dropped a container of a man's cremated ashes over the Seattle Mariners' ballpark Friday, prompting a hazardous materials scare. The container was dropped from a Cessna operated by a company at Boeing Field, about four miles south of the Safeco Field. The object was seen hitting the stadium roof shortly after 10 a.m., said Seattle Fire Lt. Harold Webb. Hazardous materials crews responded to a 911 call, closing off the streets around the stadium. No one on the ground was hurt, and the streets were reopened in about an hour. The identity of man whose remains were in the container was not immediately known. "There was a spouse on board and her husband was a pilot and a giant Mariners fan, and wanted some of his ashes scattered over Safeco Field," Dave Menzimer, a Wings Aloft flight instructor, told KIRO TV. "We've spoken to the FAA. There were no rules violations. The pilot was talking to the tower while all this was going on." FAA regional spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the agency would investigate and could enforce civil penalties, including fines against the company or suspension of the pilot's license. Regulations prohibit the dropping of objects unless precautions are taken to ensure they won't hurt anyone, he said. "We're certainly not pleased," Mariners spokesman Tim Hevly said before Seattle played Baltimore on Friday night. Hevly said the remains bounced off the roof and landed on a street north of the stadium.
MORE
In a message dated 5/27/02 8:41:40 PM, Mike in Massachusetts writes:
Remains of cremated M's fan crash onto Safeco Field
Friday, May 24, 2002
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF
A die-hard Mariners fan tried to make it to the big leagues Friday morning.
He fell shy, but had quite an impact.
The packaged ashes of the man, who in life listed flying and the M's among his great passions, plummeted 1,500 feet to Safeco Field from a small plane. His identity was not released.
The plan was to scatter the ashes to the winds. But a device aboard the Cessna 182, chartered from Wings Aloft flying club at Boeing Field, malfunctioned about 10 a.m., authorities said.
A container that had been strung out the plane's window to release the ashes instead hurtled toward the stadium, partially hitting the roof and exploding the powdered contents.
What had begun as a final, sentimental journey wound up, in today's post.-Sept. 11 world, triggering a full-fledged hazardous-materials emergency response, tour evacuations from the stadium and jangled nerves.
"It was a surprise to everybody," said Randy Adamack, a spokesman with the Mariners. He was evacuated from his office just like everyone else on the grounds until the all-clear was sounded.
Stadium officials had not been notified about the plan to scatter ashes at the ballpark.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the dustup and could take two to three weeks to make a final call. At most, the pilot or the company could face civil penalties, said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer.
On the surface, however, FAA regulations don't appear to have been violated, he said.
FAA Regulation 91.5 prohibits dropping objects that might be hazardous to people or property, but also says it does not prohibit dropping if "reasonable precautions" are taken to avoid injury to people or property
In a message dated 5/25/02 6:36:33 PM, Beacham in North Carolina writes: A farmer, growing barley, wheat, cotton, corn, and tobacco. The attached picture is of his casket spray including all of the above.
In a message dated 5/16/02 3:34:49 PM, XXXXXXXXXX In California writes:
ICFA's numbers:
I am writing to "note" that the ICFA's report seems self serving, offering an editorial claim of significant convention attendance by independent FDs without showing the number. With ICFA's new president, one might wonder about things like independent representation. Corporations operators have abundant resources. Independents should consider what focus their association take towards problems or lose the contest. NFDA may be a bit stogy and has it's own issues, but splitting up national funeral industry representation is simply counterproductive in many ways. Joining ICFA could be considered an endorsement of the new marketing plans of our larger competitors before those plans have been through the acid test for fairness. It's time for independents to get involved in NFDA.
California Independent
(Please withhold my name! Thanks, XXXXXXXX)
MORE
In a message dated 5/29/02 12:58:55 PM, lacorn@icfa.org writes:
John, Regarding the comments from "California Independent," I would just like to clear up a few things for your readers.
First, one of our reports on your site did in fact list the breakdown of the ICFA Convention attendance figures. For those who missed them, they were as follows:
o Cemetery, funeral home and allied business representatives: 392
- One-day registrations: 110
- Three-day registrations: 241
- Exhibit hall only attendees: 41
o Spouse/guest registrations: 79
o Exhibitor and supplier registrations: 303
o Press passes and other complimentary attendance: 14
o 91 percent (357) of those cemetery, funeral home and allied business representatives were from independent companies.
Beyond this breakdown, the figures cannot be stated with absolute precision because a growing number of our independent participants are affiliated with multi-faceted companies -- combination operations, funeral homes that also own cemeteries, memorial designers affiliated with one of these, and preneed sales operations that serve all segments. That being said, we do know that our "independent" company representation in Orlando consisted of:
o About 70 standalone funeral homes
o 100 combination operations
o 150 cemeteries
o and the reminder divided among memorial designers and preneed sales and insurance companies.
These are very strong and encouraging figures for our association and are surpassed only by our attendance at last year's Convention in Las Vegas (which is historically our most popular Convention location).
Second, our new president, Bill Wright, is a (staunchly) independent funeral director and cemeterian. It is a misconception that ICFA is somehow dominated by the big corporations. We do benefit from the participation of some extremely dedicated and talented volunteers who work for the public companies, just as we have many who work for independent organizations. (And isn't this the case with all of the national associations?) But especially over the past two years, our meeting attendance is comprised overwhelmingly of people from independent companies.
Regarding "political" power within the association, the ICFA Board of Directors is set up in a way that strictly limits representation by corporations and significantly favors the independent operator. For those who are interested, a breakdown and explanation of our board structure is outlined in an article on our Web site at
http://www.icfa.org/votecounts.htm
Finally, though we have made the point many times before, it bears repeating: The ICFA has been uniting like-minded individuals from all segments of the industry. We began representing funeral homes in 1996 because a large (and rapidly growing) number of our cemetery members owned funeral homes and needed educational and legislative support that no other industry association was offering. At the same time, a growing number of funeral home owners who had become familiar with this association expressed solidarity with our stance on a variety of issues, especially those related to preneed.
We are very clear about where we stand within the industry: "Promoting Consumer Choices, Prearrangement and Open Competition." This strong stance obviously does not appeal to every cemetery or funeral home owner in the industry, but it does appeal to many and we are able to very effectively serve those who choose to become members.
ICFA is known -- and we think, is unique within the industry -- for our members' openness and willingness to share ideas and engage in open debate on controversial issues. We would welcome further questions and discussion from California Independent and all of your readers.
Linda Budzinski
Communications Director
International Cemetery and Funeral Association
Reston, Virginia
May 22, 2002
NEWS RELEASE
Dennis C. McGee, Jr., CFSP, licensed funeral director at the Sweeney Funeral Home in Riverside, NJ, has recently been awarded the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP).
A number of professions grant special recognition to members upon completion of specific academic and professional programs and "CFSP" is funeral service's national individual recognition. The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, since its 1976 founding, has had as its goals: (1) to recognize those practitioners who have voluntarily entered into a program of personal and professional growth, (2) to raise and improve the standards of funeral service and (3) to encourage practitioners to make continuing education a life-long process in their own self-interest, the interest of the families they serve and the community in which they serve.
To initially receive this award, the practitioner must complete a 180 hour program of continuing education activities and events. In addition, the practitioner is required to accumulate 20 hours per year to re-certify. Credits are awarded by the academy for work leading to personal and/or professional growth in four areas:
Academic Activities
Professional Activities
Career Review (for retroactive credit)
Community and Civic Activities.
Certified Practitioners may use the CFSP designation with their names for business letterheads, professional cards, and other appropriate uses. Certification is for individuals only and is not used to imply certification of a firm.
Information about Academy Membership and certification may be obtained by contacting either:
Kimberly Andrews Gehlert, Executive Director
Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice
PO Box 2275, Westerville, OH 43086
(614) 899-6200
www.apfsp.com
or
Dennis C. McGee, Jr., CFSP
Sweeney Funeral Home
337 Bridgeboro St.
PO Box 234, Riverside, NJ 08075
(856) 461-1116
DennisCMcGeeJr@aol.com
In a message dated 5/21/02 4:09:19 PM, kshay@nfda.org writes:
Dear Mr. McDonough,
Following is the latest news release from NFDA. Please contact me at
this e-mail address or 262/814-1550 if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Katie Shay
Public Relations Coordinator
National Funeral Directors Association
13625 Bishop's Dr.
Brookfield, WI 53005-6607
262/814-1550
Kshay@nfda.org
For Immediate Release:
May 21, 2002
Contact: Fay Spano
800-228-6332
NFDA #14-02
Consumers Give High Marks to Funeral Service Providers
Brookfield, Wis. &endash; The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
Family Contact Survey program has found that families are very satisfied
with services they received from NFDA members. According to the latest
results 88.6 percent of families believed the NFDA member they used did
an excellent job, and 98.5 percent said they would recommend the funeral
home they selected to others.
"Such positive results reflect the truReceived: from GRPWISE-MTA bye nature of the funeral service
profession," said NFDA President Bob Vandenbergh. "NFDA members are
caring professionals, and the survey results indicate our member funeral
directors are doing their best to fulfill the needs of the families we
serve."
In addition, the survey results showed the top three reasons for
funeral home selection are location, reputation, and previous service to
the family. The top ranked service deliverables are courtesy of staff,
personal attention received, and quality of the facility. NFDA also
found that more than three-quarters of participants felt costs were as
expected.
Surveys also revealed that families would like to see more detailed
information on how pre-planned funeral arrangements were carried out,
and more attention paid to placing obituaries.
Results were tabulated from 13,103 surveys received during 2001 and the
first quarter of 2002. NFDA members who chose to participate in the
survey program mail the surveys to the families they served. The survey
is then sent directly to NFDA to ensure an honest and confidential
assessment of the funeral home's services.
NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in
Washington, D.C. It is the world's oldest and largest funeral service
association, serving about 13,500 members. To learn more about NFDA,
visit www.nfda.org.
In a message dated 5/21/02 10:45:13 AM, lacorn@icfa.org writes:
Please consider the following release for the next edition of your magazine or newsletter. Thank you.
Linda Budzinski
Communications Director
International Cemetery and Funeral Association
Reston, Virginia
1-800-645-7700
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For information contact:
David Shipper
609-771-8590
E-mail: dshipper@futuragroup.com
Irwin Shipper Resigns From Menorah Gardens Examiner Position For Health Reasons
May 21, 2002 -- With deep regret, Irwin Shipper has announced his resignation from the position of Court Appointed Examiner of Menorah Gardens of West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His resignation is due to a cancer diagnosis requiring immediate treatment that would inhibit his ability to perform the job properly. The diagnosis, received on Friday evening, May 17, 2002, was a surprise to Mr. Shipper, who had been in excellent health.
"I sincerely regret that I will not be able to fulfill the mission of investigating and solving the issues at Menorah," Mr. Shipper said. "I did not know how long I will be unable to perform the job fully and didn't think it fair to put off the resolution of this matter until I am able to fulfill the job." He continued, "I was looking forward to having the opportunity to serve the community in this important matter and am sorry that I will not be able to help resolve the problems and bring peace and closure to the families involved in this problem."
"I want to thank the State Attorney General's office for its confidence in me, and I will be available to render any advice or assistance I can give them in appointing my successor to resolve the issues brought forth in this matter," he added.
Mr. Shipper asked the ICFA for help in distributing this release.
-30-
In a message dated 5/20/02 5:10:27 PM, lacorn@icfa.org writes:
For Immediate Release
For More Information, Please Contact:
Linda Budzinski
1-800-645-7700
lacorn@icfa.org
ICFA 'SMALL' CONFERENCE TO FEATURE ALAN WOLFELT
RESTON, VA (May 20, 2002) - The International Cemetery and Funeral Association (ICFA) Small Cemetery and Funeral Management Conference, August 22-24 in Greeley, Colorado, will feature a keynote address by well known grief author and educator Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Wolfelt is director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is on the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School's Department of Family Medicine. Known for his model of "companioning" vs. "treating" the bereaved, he has appeared on national television programs including "Oprah Winfrey," "The Larry King Show," and NBC's "Today."
The "Small" conference offers small and mid-sized cemetery and funeral home operators a unique opportunity to network and discuss common challenges. In addition to Wolfelt's address, the conference will include a tour of Linn Grove Cemetery; equipment demonstrations; a table-top trade show; and educational sessions on topics such as preneed sales, obtaining revenue from outside sources, a firsthand account of the September 11 disaster recovery effort and more.
Because this year's conference is receiving support from the City of Greeley, the Colorado Association of Cemeteries (CAC) and numerous industry suppliers, its registration fees are the lowest in years.
Members of the ICFA, the CAC and the Colorado Funeral Directors Association can register for just $200 before July 21 and $245 after that date. Non-members pay just $270.
A complete program and registration forms are available at http://www.icfa.org/small02.htm or by calling 1-800-645-7700.
Founded in 1887, the ICFA is the only international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, funeral and memorialization industry. Its membership is comprised of more than 5,800 cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers, crematories and related businesses worldwide.
In a message dated 5/20/02 1:58:04 PM, Mike in Massachusetts writes:
The cash-strapped state Medical Examiner's Office has a secret contract with a company that harvests body parts from donors without telling their next-of-kin the remains are often used for lucrative cosmetic surgery, documents reviewed by the Herald show.
The contract, with New England Eye & Tissue Transplant Bank, has since 1996 guaranteed equipment, staff and cash to the notoriously undermanned M.E.'s office - despite two outside audits since 2000 calling the arrangement a ``conflict of interest.''In exchange, NEETTB has immediate access to the names of deceased who are prime candidates for tissue donations. The father of a 20-year-old East Falmouth man who died in a car crash in April 2001 said yesterday he was disturbed he had not been informed of the commercial aspects of donations when phoned by the New England Tissue Bank.``If I'd known that, I would have insisted he not be used for someone's profit,'' said Norman Sizelove, a computer programmer who lost his eldest son, Robert, to an automobile accident on Route 151.``I remember the call,'' he said. ``It wasn't a good time. I just listened. There was some kind of legal spiel about using the tissue for transplantation, or for medical research, but nothing about for-profit use. We told them `yes.' It seems that they left a few facts out.''Under the six-year-old secret arrangement, paid employees of the tissue bank, stationed at the M.E.'s office, fill out the highly sensitive ``case report'' intake forms used when sudden or suspicious deaths must be reported to the state. They immediately fax the forms to the tissue bank's Boston headquarters, using equipment given to the M.E.'s office by the tissue bank as part of the contract. The forms, which are subject to state privacy regulations, are considered evidence under state law. They are replete with Social Security and family telephone numbers, and intimate details about the deceased. Tissue bank staffers promptly call grieving next-of-kin to request organ or tissue donation. The calls must be made within 12 hours because of decomposition, and in some cases have come before the next-of-kin knew of the death. The staffers read from consent forms which make no mention of the for-profit uses for a donor's body parts - including breast, lip and penis enlargements, as well as non-cosmetic elective procedures. The tissue-recovery industry has become a billion-dollar business in the past decade. Companies can earn $200,000 from one cadaver, industry analysts say. In fact, the standard one-page form used by New England Eye & Tissue Transplant Bank says nothing of for-profit uses for donated tissue, bone and teeth. The closest it comes is this clause: ``If the organs or tissues I/We have donated for transplantation and therapy cannot be used for those purposes, I/We agree that those tissues may be used for: Medical research (yes/no); Education (yes/no).' 'Minutes of an Oct. 10, 2001, staff meeting at NEETTB show that the nonprofit's relationship with a variety of for-profit processors of human parts is a strategic focal point for the Boston-based business. The minutes say Tissue Banks International (TBI), the multinational Baltimore-based parent of NEETTB, ``has made providing skin to Collagenesis a priority.''Collagenesis is a Beverly-based medical company that turns cadaver skin into collagen and other plastic-surgery-related products.``Each Donor will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the goal of sending Collagenesis a minimum of 2 to 3 Donors a week,'' the NEETTB minutes read.Perry L. Lange, vice president of LifeNet of Virginia, a pioneering nonprofit tissue bank, said his company makes informed consent of donors and families a business priority, and strains to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. He said many donors imagine their skin and body parts will go solely to help burn victims and others in dire need, and should be fully informed that there are multiple uses beyond the philanthropic. While not commenting specifically on NEETTB, Lange said it was vital that the industry as a whole avoid any implication that it would set quotas on delivery of donor tissue to the for-profits.``We very strongly believe the actual process of obtaining consent, and of tissue recovery, must be handled by a not-for-profit with no ties to a for-profit,'' he said. ``Donors must be given the opportunity to say `no' to for-profit uses of body parts free of any pressure or possible ulterior motive.'' The presence of NEETTB employees inside the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office dates to an August 1996 contract between Chief Medical Examiner Richard J. Evans and Gerald J. Cole, executive vice president of TBI. Under the deal, TBI agreed to pay the M.E.'s office a lump sum of $100,000, as well as $4,000 per month, to allow NEETTB to place an on-site donation coordinator, as well as four or five ``case-taking specialists,'' inside the office. An executive summary memorializing the deal, also reviewed by the Herald, reads: ``The case-taking specialists are responsible for collecting case data (from police, medical and fire personnel) and generating official case reports. . . .``The transplant agencies benefit from more timely referrals of potential donors . . . and, most importantly, increased numbers of organ and tissue donors from medical examiner's cases,'' it reads. A letter sent to the M.E. staff by Evans, dating from the same time, says he or his designated subordinate must be consulted before any coroner or assistant medical examiner seeks to deny an organ or tissue donation in a specific case.``This agency will make all agency resources available to maximize organ/tissue donation whenever possible,'' Evans writes. The M.E.'s office is under the jurisdiction of the Executive Office of Public Safety. Officials there referred calls Friday to a state police lieutenant who is assigned to the M.E.'s office. That official did not return a message left on Friday. Similar arrangements between medical examiner's offices and tissue banks in other states, notably California, have led to lawsuits and mandated state or federal reforms so donor families are fully apprised of where cadaver parts go before donations are approved.Lange said the presence of tissue bank workers inside M.E.'s offices is ``not common but not rare.'' He added there is ``potential conflict of interest'' in the arrangement. The National Association of Medical Examiners was more emphatic. In an October 2000 audit of the state M.E.'s office, it wrote: ``This results in a clear conflict of interest.'' A separate audit of the office by Dallas Associates, a management consulting group, issued the same verdict in March 2001.In 2000, after articles in the Orange County Register exposed the connection between nonprofit and for-profit tissue recovery companies there, and the lax regulation of non-organ donations, the federal government stepped up efforts to regulate the industry. Some nonprofit tissue recovery companies have halted sending cadaver skin to companies that manufacture collagen for cosmetic purposes. In 2001, the American Association of Tissue Banks, an industry trade and accreditation group, vowed that the for-profit uses of body parts would be made known to donors or their kin when tissue solicitations were made.``Most agencies are now up-front with families,'' said Lange. ``If you can find a case where they are not that is a violation of standards.
MORE
In a message dated 5/20/02 10:21:28 PM, Mike in Massachusetts sends this follow up:
Medical Examiner ordered to tell family members how body parts to be used By Associated Press, 5/20/2002 20:05 BOSTON (AP) Massachusetts' public safety director has ordered the state Medical Examiner's Office to do a better job informing family members how tissues and organs donated by loved ones are used. The decision follows a report in the Boston Herald detailing a deal between the Medical Examiner's Office and a company that uses some harvested body parts for lucrative cosmetic surgery and non-cosmetic elective surgery. The contract with New England Eye & Tissue Transplant Bank guaranteed equipment, staff and money to the Medical Examiner's office despite two outside audits that criticized the arrangement as a ''conflict of interest.'' In exchange, the company has immediate access to the names of deceased individuals who are prime candidates for tissue donations. Critics said family members often were unaware of the commercial aspects of the contract when they give permission allowing the tissues and organs to be harvested. That will change, according to David Goggin, spokesman for Public Safety Secretary James Jajuga. ''(Jajuga) has directed the Medical Examiner's office to fully disclose any possible use of tissues and organs to family members of the deceased and do so in a way that is very clear to understand,'' Goggin said. ''The vast majority of donations go to life improving and life saving procedures.''
In a message dated 5/18/02 9:30:41 AM, Judy in Massachusetts writes:
Subject: Fw: God's Divine Plan (NICE GESTURES)
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question.
"Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child."
Then, he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning." In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base.
Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much ess connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first. Run to first." Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the had become his team's intentions, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!"
Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for his team.
"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."
In a message dated 5/17/02 2:46:51 PM, staff@ncfda.org writes:
NORTH CAROLINA FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
919-876-7886 * 800-616-2332 * FAX: 919-876-5382
http://www.ncfda.org
E-LINE DATE: May 17, 2002
TIME IS GROWING SHORT
It is only a little more than three weeks (June 10 - 12, 2002) before the
NCFDA Convention at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. We think you will be
impressed with the educational programming, funeral service exhibits and
social events. A complete list of exhibitors and a pre-registration form
can now be found on the NCFDA website under the page entitled 3FORMS.2 Our
convention could not be held in a more impressive setting, so make your plan
join us.
MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE
You will be interested in some pending matter of real importance to funeral
service. Check out the following: Following the congressional hearing,
Senator Dodd of Conn. takes a position all providers of funeral goods and
services should come under the FTC Funeral Rule. All means casket stores
and cemeteries, etc.
NC BOARD OF MORTUARY SCIENCE MEETING ON MAY 15 IN WILMINGTON
Crown Memorial Case: The final court decision has not been received at this
time, but it was reported the judge may find the preneed statutes are
unconstitutional as it restricts those eligible to receive a preneed license
to funeral establishments. The judge may further rule that cemeteries
should be able to sell caskets and be regulated by the Cemetery Commission.
The State Board stated that if the final decision is as adverse to funeral
service as anticipated, the State Board will likely file an appeal.
Legislative Proposal: Amendments to the proposed legislative package was
voted upon piece by piece and is expected to be on the state board web site
(www.ncbms.org) in coming days. This package will likely be introduced
during the 2003 session. Items discussed were:
Retention of 10% on preneed trust accounts received a lot of attention
and the State Board voted unanimously to keep the up to 10% retention on the
front end of the contract but to eliminate the retention on the back end.
The State Board voted unanimously to change the proposal to read that
3up to three hours may be required2 by the State BoardÐthis allows them the
freedom to either require three hours, or less or none on an annual basis.
The State Board voted unanimously to change the proposal so that a
practicing licensee must be attached to a funeral establishment unless such
licensee is employed by a mortuary college, maintains all records at a
location made known to the State Board under the same conditions as those
maintained by an establishment, complies with all rules and regulations and
pays a fee equivalent to the establishment as set by State Board.
Legislative Study Committee: The State Board voted unanimously to ask for a
Legislative Study Committee to review and compare consumer protection in
funeral service and cemetery laws. It is anticipated this study will raise
the level and standards of protection for consumer/cemetery transactions.
Remember the NCFDA Convention Ð June 10 - 12, 2002 Ð Grove Park Inn,
Asheville
In a message dated 5/15/02 5:33:12 PM, Mike in Massachusetts writes:
Wife 'leaves bag of husband's limbs outside girlfriend's home' Police in Panama say a wife chopped up her husband and left a bag of his limbs outside his girlfriend's house.
They say the woman from Gualaca killed her husband with a machete while he slept after he threatened to leave her.
The 35-year-old allegedly chopped her 40-year-old husband's body into 10 pieces.
She then allegedly dumped a bag of his limbs outside his girlfriend's home and left the rest of the body in their home.
She's been arrested and is undergoing psychiatric tests.
Members of her family told local newspaper Crítica a psychiatrist has treated her for violent mood swings at Mae Lewis Hospital. The couple had two children.
Contact: Fay
Spano For
Immediate Release
800-228-6332 May 15, 2002
NFDA
#13/02
NFDA Leadership Conference to Focus on the New Direction of Funeral
Service
Brookfield, Wis. - Picturesque Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is the site of
the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Leadership Conference,
to be held July 29-31, 2002. This year's event will provide funeral
service professionals with the insight and tools necessary to help them
succeed in today's erratic marketplace. Attendees will participate in
educational seminars and roundtable discussions centering on key issues
affecting funeral service organizations and professionals. The
conference also will focus on the future of funeral service.
"Leaders must adapt to change, manage others through it, and be
champions of change themselves if they are to survive. The NFDA
Leadership Conference is for any funeral service professional who feels
challenged by today's new marketplace, technologies and consumers'
changing expectations," said NFDA President Bob Vandenbergh.
A special pre-conference seminar, "CEO/President Symposium," conducted
by Paul D. Meyer, Tecker Consultants, will be presented on July 28,
2002. This highly interactive program is a must for all association
executive directors and incoming presidents. Additional education
opportunities will feature exceptional speakers teaching marketing,
public relations and image-building ideas for funeral home businesses.
With NFDA's marketing research now complete, attendees also will see
the new direction funeral service must take in order to succeed.
Attendees also may enjoy the activities and attractions
surrounding the conference facility. The Coeur d'Alene Resort is
surrounded by beauty and attendees will have their choice of seeing it
by land, while horseback riding or hiking; by water, on a cruise ship or
while white-water rafting; or by air, in a seaplane charter. The resort
also features a PGA golf course, and nearby theme parks and waterparks
for the family to enjoy.
Funeral service professionals interested in attending the conference
may contact an NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332.
NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in
Washington, D.C. It is the world's oldest and largest funeral service
association, serving about 13,500 members. To learn more about NFDA, and
to register for the Leadership Conference, visit our Website at
nfda.org.
###
Fay Spano
Public Relations Manager
National Funeral Directors Assoc.
13625 Bishop's Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-814-1549
fspano@nfda.org
Fay Spano
Public Relations Manager
National Funeral Directors Assoc.
13625 Bishop's Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-814-1549
fspano@nfda.org
In a message dated 5/12/02 7:01:48 PM, John from America on Line writes:
Can someone tell me what the penalties are for disposing of medical waste, possibly visera from another body alone with your regular rubbish, by placing it in with a casketed body. >>
Quick Response: John we will put the question out to our readers and see what comes of it, my guess is to inform your state board of embalmers, or call NFDA, NFDA is thinking of ousting members who don't practice within the regulations.
BOTTOM LINE: Complain to the state board.
if you care to suggest a remedy please write Lowellma@aol.com
Stewart Enterprises Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell Its Canadian Operations
METAIRIE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2002--Stewart Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq NMS: STEI) announced today that it has executed a purchase agreement with Celebris Memorial Services, Inc., a Canadian company based in Quebec, for the sale of its operations in Canada. The sale is subject to regulatory approval, which the Company expects to receive within sixty days. All proceeds received at the time of closing will be used to reduce the Company's debt balance.
William E. Rowe, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Closing on the sale of our Canadian operations will bring us another step closer to achieving our goal of reducing debt to $500 million, or about 2.5 times domestic EBITDA during 2003. Management continues to deliver on the initiatives previously outlined, and the execution of this purchase agreement confirms our commitment to those initiatives. The proceeds to be received from the sale of our Canadian operations represent the Company's second largest foreign asset sale. We have now executed agreements to sell our operations in eight of the ten foreign countries where we had businesses held for sale, with only France and Argentina remaining, at prices consistent with our initial assessment. We expect to complete the sales of our operations in France and Argentina during 2002."
Founded in 1910, Stewart Enterprises is the third largest provider of products and services in the death care industry in the United States, currently owning and operating 312 funeral homes and 150 cemeteries domestically.
CONTACT:
Stewart Enterprises Inc., Metairie
William E. Rowe, 504/837-5880
SOURCE: Stewart Enterprises Inc.
Carriage Services stock drops on lowered guidance
NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - Shares of Carriage Services Inc. <CSV.N> fell nearly 10 percent on Monday after the funeral and cemetery company reported an increase in first-quarter earnings before taxes, but also lowered its full-year 2002 earnings estimate.
The stock was trading at $4.42, down 43 cents, or 8.87 percent, in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Houston-based Carriage Services said revenues fell to $40.9 million from $43.9 million in the first quarter and that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, were down to $13.4 million, from $14.3 million.
But income before taxes grew 28 percent to $6.1 million and net income available to common stockholders totaled $16.6 million in the first quarter, or 95 cents per diluted share. Excluding a $12.8 million or 73-cent per share special tax benefit, net income was $3.8 million or 22 cents per diluted share -- exactly the same as in the first quarter of last year.
Carriage Services said that for the full year it lowered its earnings estimate to 42 cents to 45 cents a share from the previous estimate of 55 cents to 58 cents a share. It did not change its estimates for revenue or EBITDA, and said the new guidance was the result of a change in tax rates.
William Burns, of Johnson Rice, the only analyst to follow "death-care" industry companies, said investor reaction was a result of confusion.
"People have not taken time to look at the true cash-flow," he said, adding that Carriage Services had maintained its estimates for revenue and EBITDA in the quarter.
"They lowered their earnings per share guidance because they are able to use tax carry-forwards, business is so good."
As a result, he said, the company "won't pay a dime in taxes this year.
"Wall Street just sees the lowered guidance and says 'Let's get out,'" said Burns.
Cremation Consumer Protection Bill Endorsed By Funeral Directors
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania consumers who choose cremation as funeral option will get new protection that their directions are correctly carried out under proposed legislation endorsed here today by the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
At a Capitol news conference prior to testifying before the House Professional Licensure Committee, funeral director Jack Carr of Wallingford, PA, who also operates a crematory, gave support for House Bill 2407 that would bring new oversight to crematories where none now exists under state law.
"It makes sense to put the jurisdiction for oversight of crematories into one entity, not two or three, and have uniform regulations. Without this, there is increased likelihood of inconsistency between regulators, which could result in more emotional distress brought to families because of a violation of the public trust," Carr said.
House Bill 2407 would require proper identification and handling of human remains at Pennsylvania crematories, and provide regular inspections of the facilities which are now examined only for compliance with air pollution laws.
David Stern, President-elect of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association, told the committee that the situation in Noble, Georgia, where many bodies were dumped instead of being cremated, happened because of flawed regulatory oversight.
"It is my strongest feeling that to license and regulate crematories under the State Board of Funeral Directors would be the wisest and safest route to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania so the horrors of the Tri-State Crematory are not repeated here," Stern said.
Lisa Branch-Tucker of Philadelphia, president of the Quaker State Funeral Directors Association, which represents African-American funeral homes in Pennsylvania, said her association supported the bill that could increase public trust in both crematories and the cremation process and eliminate the potential for tragic circumstances like the Tri-State Crematory incident in Noble, Georgia.
"For these families there will be no closure, no solace, only the lasting memories of bulldozers, television crews, and the haunting knowledge that their loved one will never rest in peace," Branch-Tucker said.
Shelby D. Ferguson II, of Belle Vernon, PA, President of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association (PFDA) said, "The business of caring for the remains of the deceased should be governed by one, unified regulatory agency to protect the sacred trust placed on all connected with my profession."
The Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, established in 1881, is the largest state association of its kind in the nation and represents more than 1,000 funeral homes in the state.
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - The director of Lynn University's mortuary program has resigned amid complaints that the school was negligent in obtaining corpses without the consent of family members so students could practice embalming on them.
Marcella Piasecki has taken another position at the university, said George P. Connick, executive director of the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Connick said he learned of the move in a letter.
Neither Piasecki nor university officials immediately returned phone messages early Thursday seeking comment.
Piasecki stepped down on May 15, the same day the Department of Business and Professional Regulation issued complaints alleging the school embalmed at least three bodies without authorization.
University officials have denied any wrongdoing, saying they were deceived by Joseph Damiano, accused by state officials of supplying bodies from his Miami cremation service to be embalmed at the university without the knowledge of the deceased's families.
Damiano has been stripped of two licenses to transport and cremate bodies. He also was charged with 19 counts of running an unlicensed business, and the state filed complaints o