IN SHAMBLES CEMETERY ISSUES VEX VISITORS.

Byline: BRAD A. GREENBERG Staff Writer

GLENDALE -- Ryan Robinson and his sister hadn't missed Father's Day at Grand View Memorial Park since their father died in 1992.

So when the cemetery closed five days before that special day this year, the Robinsons drove from Burbank to 1341 Glenwood Road and stood on the street, 200 feet from dad.

On Sunday, the first time in 10 weeks the memorial park was open, Ryan and Jennifer Robinson arrived to find their father's grave covered by weeds so thick Ryan had to go home and retrieve working gloves and head trimmers.

``It won't cut through this. You need a weed whacker or a mower,'' a frustrated son said as he struggled to continue clearing the brush from the grave markers of family members.

Hundreds of families were experiencing the same ``heartbreaking'' exercises as they cleared weeds, leaves and trash from loved ones' graves.

``It's just unbelievable what has happened to this once-grand cemetery,'' said Sara Grassel, 67, of La Crescenta, who was removing debris from the graves of her grandparents, parents and son.

The 121-year-old cemetery was closed June 13 after the state began investigating owner Marsha Howard for mishandling finances and bodily remains. Though charges were dropped, her license has been suspended pending a hearing. Howard and cemetery operator Moshe Goldsman also are defendants in a civil lawsuit.

Neither were on the cemetery grounds Sunday to speak to the Daily News.

For the unforeseen future, no burials will be permitted at the cemetery, which means Ryan and Jennifer Robinson and their mother -- who already has her name on her late husband's grave marker -- don't know where they'll be buried when the day comes. Interments, disinterments, inurnments and the removal of ashes also are prohibited pending the outcome of the state investigation.

But through an agreement with the cemetery owners, which holds the city liable for any mishaps that occur during visitation hours, Glendale officials have agreed to unlock the wrought-iron gate on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

``These people are obviously upset because they feel as though their hands are tied. Opening the cemetery one day a week was the least the city could do to help,'' said Glendale city spokesman Ritch Wells.

Nora Daniyelyan was grateful. Since June, the 48-year-old mother said she stopped by the cemetery every day to peer from behind the gate in the direction of her son's grave.

``It's heartbreaking, but we appreciate what our city did to just open the gates once a week.

``We hope they can do more,'' Daniyelyan said.

Others shared her desire. By 11 a.m. a line was already forming along Glenwood Road, so the city decided to open early. More than 350 cars and walk-ups arrived by 2:30 p.m. Two police officers stood under a canopy, handing out park rules printed on city letterhead -- one side was in English and the other in Armenian.

They found the 25-acre cemetery in shambles. Overgrown lawns had turned brown and weeds sprouted up everywhere. Dirt, brush and refuse covered some grave markers.

The park had not been maintained since it was closed and the water was shut off in June.

Many people brought their own buckets of water. Law enforcement officials, on hand to ensure nothing left the cemetery because of the state investigation, also offered Glendale Water & Power water bottles.

``Why does nobody clean this place? Why? Why?'' asked Nina Yagubyan, a 60-year-old Glendale woman who was raking leaves and emptying water bottles over her son's grave. ``This cemetery -- I can't leave. I loved my son very much, and now it is very dirty.''

brad.greenberg(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) The Hartounian family of Glendale cleans weeds from the grave site of a family member. They, like many visitors to Grand View Memorial Park, have been unhappy with the state of disrepair the cemetery has fallen into.

(2 -- 3) Above, a family cleans and weeds the graves of loved ones at Grand View. Below, Arthur Torosian, 12, waits for almost 10 minutes to fill a bucket with water for a vase of flowers.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News