Govans residents worry about health hazards of a proposed crematorium

When Pastor Stevie Thompson saw the yellow and black “No Human Crematorium” signs in his Wilson Park neighborhood, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to mind. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly,” the civil rights leader once said. It was a guiding message for Thompson, who recently joined residents in the 4900 block of York Road to demonstrate in front of Vaughn Greene Funeral Services, which wants to add a crematorium to the property. Thompson, like other residents, doesn’t think it’s necessary in their neighborhood, with some worrying the crematorium could be an environmental and health hazard.