HARTLAND, Vt., July 18 (UPI) -- A former Wall Street analyst's plans to move a small cemetery from the site of his planned Vermont home has stirred up local opposition.
J. Michel Guite had envisioned building a house near what currently is a burial ground containing the graves of War of 1812 veteran Noah Aldrich and his two granddaughters, and several stones believed to be markers of other family members. His legal petition to move the graves has prompted protests, newspaper editorials and general resentment against outsiders snapping up Vermont real estate, The Boston Globe reported Friday.
"With the lust and greed for development breathing down the necks of some of the most beautiful and special places in Vermont, it is our responsibility to protect and preserve the sanctity, integrity and history of our cemeteries," Joy Fagan, president of the Vermont Cemetery Association, wrote to the court hearing Guite's petition.
But Vermont Judge Joanne Ertel said she had to permit the graveyard move, though adding: "The court finds it difficult to fathom his persistence in the face of such widespread and heartfelt opposition. It's hard to imagine introducing yourself to a community with an action that the community finds abhorrent."
