Fort Ward Park and 2010 City Budget

From: "fulton-oleary" <fulton-oleary@verizon.net>

To: Rob@Krupicka.gov, "glenn eugster" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net>

Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 10:28:10 AM

Subject: Fort Ward Park and 2010 City Budget

Rob;

                First of all thank you for listening to the concerns of the neighbors of Fort Ward Park and for taking the time to walk the Park with a few of the city’s residents.  I think you are one of the city officials who is paying close attention to what happens to Fort Ward Park.  As you know, a recent Washington Post article as well as one in the Alexandria Gazette Packet, indicate that a vibrant African American community settled at Fort Ward after the Civil War, these people built homes, a school, founded a church and were buried at Fort Ward.  Descendants of many of these families now live in the City of Alexandria.  Fort Ward Park is now a crown jewel owned by the city that is being loved to death.  The city’s recreation Department is proposing to intensify the use of Fort Ward by building larger commercial style pavilions.  I would urge that as a member of the City Council you redirect approximately $100,000 to $150,000 of Recreation Department 2010 funds to the City’s Office of Historic Alexandria for an interdisciplinary assessment of the cultural and historic resources now at risk at Fort Ward Park with the goal of finding, preserving, interpreting, and honoring the resources, particularly the unmarked graves of Alexandria families that exist within the Park.  In the future it might make sense to treat Fort Ward as an “historic park” and move large scale events to parks such as Waterfront or Ben Brenman where commercial establishments such as restaurants already exist nearby to serve attendees.  Such a situation does not exist at Fort Ward which has had problems in the past with the public’s abuse of alcohol and amplified music.  I believe that visitors would understand the implications of an “historic park” and would act with the accorded respect due.  With the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War moving closer, the city has a real opportunity to refocus the mission of Fort Ward Park from one of its current use by the city as an open space to one that commemorates, honors, and interprets the lives of its citizens at a transformational point in American history.  Will you help tell the story of the families buried at Fort Ward?

Thank you for your time.

Tom Fulton

4020 Ellicott Street

Alexandria, Virginia 22304

Tele: (703) 845-0541