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Historical group cancels spooky cemetery tour

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MONONGAHELA – A historical society in the Mon Valley canceled a second round of historical tours tinged with spooky tales at a cemetery following complaints it would have been disrespectful of the dead.

Monongahela Area Historical Society announced Thursday night on Facebook the Oct. 20 and 27 tours of Mt. Zion Cemetery in Nottingham Township were canceled, the same day news broke relatives of people who were buried there complained about the tours.

“I commend the historical society for their compassion and cooperation in canceling this ill-conceived event,” said Melissa Haywood Young of Finleyville, who has family members buried at Mt. Zion. “I hope that we may all learn from this experience and move forward as a community.”

Monongahela Cemetery earlier rejected the society’s proposed tours there for the Halloween season after determining they would have been inappropriate, even though some tickets already were sold. The Monongahela Ministerial Association also complained about those tours before they were relocated to Mt. Zion on Cracker Jack Road.

Historical society President Susan Bowers declined to comment beyond the Facebook post.

She said on the social media site the decision to nix the Mt. Zion tours was made after she received a certified letter from Young’s attorney threatening a lawsuit if the tours there were not canceled.

Young declined to comment on her decision to seek legal advice in the matter.

The society, on its Facebook page, said all of the supporters of the Mt. Zion events will be contacted and receive full refunds.

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