This local news piece explains some of the history behind the Civil War cemetery near Lake View and Volunteer Park. According to the clip, there were plans to make the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery an off-leash dog park until a volunteer group stepped in. It’s an interesting three minutes about an area of the neighborhood we haven’t explored yet. It’s also food for thought about war, the passage of time and neglect. I’m not much for martial monuments and military hero worship — maybe they should have gone ahead with the dog park plan. But there is also something to be said for remembering the costs of war and doing what we can to make things better. It looks like a lot of work to get ahead of it all and keep the moss off the headstones. I’m glad people haven’t given up.

–j