Gladewater leaders may elevate plans for cemetery spaces

When land’s limited, don’t build out – build up.
That may be the solution for Gladewater Memorial Park. On Thursday, city council members will discuss the possibility of constructing a columbarium.
Yes, we had to look it up.
According to Oxford Languages, a columbarium is “a room or building with niches for funeral urns to be stored.” Not too complicated, but it would be a new development for burials here, an alternative to a previous strategy to re-plat a portion of the cemetery with smaller spaces for cremated remains.
“They’ll hold up to 40 cremation urns,” Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith said.
City Hall personnel will present their relevant research to the council during their 6 p.m. meeting Thursday, the regularly third-Thursday session for the local elected officials.
In addition to standard agenda items, the October itinerary includes the presentation of a proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as a presentation from the Longview Ladies Auxiliary to the Gladewater Fire Department Bucket Brigade.
GFD Chief Mike Simmons will make separate presentation on an emergency action plan, and the council is set for discussion and consideration to make Veterans Day a city holiday – not for the first time, but possibly for the last if the elected officials make the change permanent. They’ll also weigh a street and infrastructure master plan, following up on summertime talks.