Fort Ward Observer: 7/6/14

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Water Continues to Damage the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery

March 30, 2014

Over four years ago leaders from Marlboro Estates and the Oakland Baptist Church met with the then Vice Mayor of the City of Alexandria to share their concerns about water running off of Fort Ward Park lands onto the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and residential properties. Vice Mayor Donley, with assistance from Rich Baier the Director of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services and former Councilwoman Hughes, arranged for city funds to address the problem. Funds were provided for short-term solutions as well as a master plan for storm water management.

Although some short-term actions were taken by Mr. Baier’s staff recent rainfall continues to flow from parklands onto the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. This continuing problem was brought to the attention of the Mayor, CIty Manager and the four department heads, who share management of Fort Ward Park, in May 2013. At that time church leaders expressed continuing concern about water runoff from the park maintenance yard and nursery area. They also expressed concern that there did not seem to be a sense of urgency to solve the water problems which were, and are, eroding gravestones and causing burial areas to flood and subside.

As the city’s consultant prepares a long-term plan for managing storm water within the park, recent rainfall continues to cause parkland to send water running into the cemetery. Observations taken today indicate that there is increasing damage from park water runoff. Some burial areas, flooded with runoff, are collapsing and some gravestones have toppled-over due to erosion from water flows.

The water runoff problems in the park are widespread. However, the problems that are damaging graves and gravestones in the cemetery are a direct result of the changes that the city made to the land above the church’s burial area. City decisions made without permits or public notice filled and compacted the upland area for use as a maintenance yard, nursery and solid waste disposal area. Despite not following City of Alexandria laws, ordinances and regulations city staff has been resistant to taking further short-term actions to stop park water from flowing into the cemetery.

When the discussions first began in 2009 city staff was resistant to make this a priority project. Eventually with the support of the Vice Mayor Donley and Councilwoman Hughes, as well as the rest of City Council, the Mayor and the City Manager, Mr. Baier’s team took the project on. Unfortunately Mr. Donley and Ms. Hughes are no longer on CIty Council and there does not appear to be an elected advocate for solving this problem.

As was the case nearly a year ago, there does not appear to be any urgency for solving water running into the cemetery. The target date for completing the draft storm water plan for Fort Ward Park has been delayed and is uncertain. The assurances that the City Manager made to church leaders last May lack follow-through. Timer and time again problems like this one at Fort Ward Park demonstrate the need for City of Alexandria leaders to be good neighbors. Additional short-term solutions are needed now while the long-term plans are completed, funded, designed and constructed.

Fort Ward’s Lost Graves: Who Speaks for the Dead? Roger Blakeley

Fort Ward’s Lost Graves: Who Speaks for the Dead?

Roger Blakeley

“This is no longer about the [maintenance] crews. It is about the public’s desire to have us move off of the potential graves. I need your help to keep things from getting out of hand”.

Correspondence from Roger Blakeley, Deputy Director, City of Alexandria, Recreation Department to Lance Mallamo, Director, Office of Historic Alexandria. March 22, 2009

How Much is the Office of Historic Alexandria Listening to the Community at Fort Ward Park?

April 3, 2014

Community interests and government officials have been working hard at Fort Ward Park for nearly seven years now. The hours, money, meetings and paper generated over time are one indicator of what has been done to date. Another indicator of what has, or hasn’t, been accomplished is the March 18, 2009 list of “Fort Ward Park Priorities and Issues Identified by Community”. You may recall that the City of Alexandria sponsored a series of public meetings to seek community input, ideas and interest for what could and should be done with the park to solve problems, protect values, and enjoy recreation pursuits.

The top Historic/ Cultural priorities which were identified during that initial public outreach process included:

African American History

Signage of historic African American community, historic markers.
Restoration of community graves and artifiacts.
Exhibit for [Fort Ward] museum.
African American History-Input and Research.

Identification of Historic Areas

Grave sites, Pre-post Civil War, African American History. Regional significance, others.
Idenitify w/ signage-visible and clear.

Market Promote “Park Story”/ History

Recognize historic significance of site. Valuable levels within park.

Interpretive Trail

Interpretive trail of natural, cultural and African American resources.

As you review the voluminous reports, prepared by city staff and their consultants, and listen to comments on the draft management plan for Fort Ward Park and Museum you may want to look and listen for these and other ideas that you have suggested. Throughout the management planning process there has been a bit of a debate between city government leaders and community interests about “who knows best” and what role citizens should play in helping to make decisions about Fort Ward Park. The draft management plan is not likely to be revised or redone for another 50-years so it is in everyones best interest to get it right before it goes to the Mayor, City Manager and City Council.

Descendant Graves in Ft. Ward Park

March 11, 2014

To: Chuck Zeigler, chairman of the SAG

From: Frances Terrell, Lena Rainey, and Adrienne Washington, members of SAG

RE: Descendant graves in Ft. Ward Park

In response to your inquiry about the descendants’ and church members’ concerns about the status of the city’s incomplete investigations of the lost graves in Ft. Ward Park, we have listed a number of items which we feel haven’t been and should be addressed in the draft management plan. As we have stated numerous times publicly and in writing, we have asked for three main issues to be corrected: the stormwater runoff, the lost graves and incorporation of “The Fort” African American presence in this historical park.

Continued archeological research in the maintenance –now “utility” – area where numerous oral histories were given with certainty that graves existed. Using better technology and digging below surface fill that city placed over the years.
Continued archeological research before any digging to implement the city’s proposed stormwater drainage plan.
Continued archeology in other areas of the park which oral histories and documents indicate graves existed, including the Craven site, the Javins site, inside and around the fort on the former McKnight property, the ravine area north of the Oakland Baptist Cemetery, the Shorts-McKnight knoll, the Peters site, Ashby site, and the Good Samaritan cemetery.
Reincorporating the graves in the so-called “Old Cemetery” back into the Oakland Baptist Cemetery, where oral history from former OBC trustees indicates they belong.
A definitive declaration from city leaders and staff that no structures will be built or placed on redesigned “sensitive areas,” to include the above named sites, without prior notification to descendants as well as members of the Oakland Baptist Church leadership.
A final definitive statement about the status of archeological investigations in all of Ft. Ward Park. The management plan states that the archeological investigation is completed and there is a permanent map which designates “sensitive areas” therefore giving city department heads permission to proceed with “ground disturbing action” or plans to dig in the park to plant trees, relocate picnic areas and playgrounds and build other structures such as new parking lots and bus lanes. But at public meetings, as recently as this week, the city’s acting archeologist assured an audience that the archeological work at Ft. Ward is ongoing.” The draft management plan also states that “the city cannot assume there aere no undocumented graves north and west of Oakland Baptist Cemetery.” More contradiction? Which is it? As far as we can tell, there never was a completion of Phase 3 of the city originally investigative agreement. How can the management plan suggest that it is all right for the city to proceed when it acknowledges that there is more research to be done?
In all the archeological investigations thus far, we have been told that inadequate testing methods were used to locate unmarked graves. We would like the investigations to be conducted with modern, acceptable methods and technology.
The original SAG chapter recommendations, which do not appear to be incorporated into the draft management plan, called for specific historical interpretation projects and programs to commemorate the African American presence in Ft. Ward. The draft management plan only mentions suggested options for these items. There should be concrete assurance, as promised, that memorial stones will be placed on the discovered graves, a memorial structure should be placed to commemorate those undiscovered gravesites and a permanent exhibit within the museum about the African American presence at Ft. Ward.
We are still interested in the city investigation what happened to the countless number of headstones that oral histories indicate were removed from the park.

Request to Meet City of Alexandria Officials for Fort Ward's Lost Graves

October 8, 2009

Dear Mr. Mallamo and Mr. Spengler,

I hope this note finds you well.

I noticed that the City Council is scheduled to consider approval of the use of the funds that were included in the City’s 2010 budget for archaeological research at Fort Ward Park at their October 13, 2009 meeting. I also understand that the Fort Ward Park History Group will have it’s first meeting on October 17, 2009. Both of these and other recent developments, including the process to appoint a Fort Ward Park Ad-hoc Advisory Committee, are viewed positively by many community leaders and residents. All of us appreciate your leadership and willingness to listen to views outside of city government.

Given your efforts I thought you should be aware that a group of us have continued to do research on Fort Ward Park and we have found important information about the creation of the park and the family graves that are located within the area.

On repeated occasions we have been told by the City Recreation Department leadership that there is no plan for Fort Ward Park and we should not expect one in the next ten years. After considerable research we have found the initial plan which was funded by City Council and prepared by the Recreation Department for the park in early 1960's. The plan set the city’s vision for the park and identified overall use areas. It also indicates the location of grave sites, outside of the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery, and plans for their protection and public access.

We have also found correspondence between the attorney for two property owners and City leaders that acknowledges family graves on property that was being acquired by condemnation for the park.

This, and other information, is contradicts statements that City officials have made about planning for the park and knowledge of African American graves within this area.

Please let me know if you would like to meet. Depending on our schedules I would like to have 2 or 3 of our research team join us for the discussion.

Thanks again for your willingness to work with us.

Sincerely,

J. Glenn Eugster

Search & Rescue Needed for Fort Ward’s Lost Graves

Search & Rescue Needed for Fort Ward’s Lost Graves

In September noted historian and author C.R. Gibbs made a presentation to the members of the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc. at the Oakland Baptist Church.  His presentation, titled “The Call of Freedom” opened with a horrific 1861 painting by Richard Ansdell called 'The Hunted Slaves’.  The painting depicts the use of dogs to find people trying to escape from slavery.  Mr. Gibbs presentation led the audience on an emotional journey through the Underground Railroad including stops in Alexandria, VA.

The people in the audience have been on another journey to research, locate and properly recognize and protect their ancestors and others who lived and are buried within the land that is now Fort Ward Historic Park.  Although City of Alexandria elected officials and government agency managers and staff have been working diligently to locate the lost graves of Fort Ward some of their work with ground-penetrating-radar and test-pits has not been able to find many of the remaining graves in the park.  

In August, in a decision that suprised descendant family members as well as those serving the city on the Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group and the Fort Ward History Work Group, Lance Mallamo, Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria announced a decision to end the search for additional graves.  Although the City of Alexandria’s press release, which was shared with the media rather than community partners, offered a variety of reasons for the about face, the fact remains that there are more lost graves in Fort Ward Historic Park and community leaders want the city to continue the search.

One alternative that may be a way to compliment the city’s archaeologists, and the family members assisting them, is the use of “search and resue dogs”. Attached is a link with more information on the use of dogs to help archaeologists locate graves.  Also included is the link with information on Ansdell’s painting.

[PDF]

What Archaeologists Can Learn From SAR Dogs - Bay Area ...

www.bayarearecoverycanines.com/BARC/Articles_files/VAArch.pdf

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View

Archaeologists Can Learn From SAR Dogs. Canine SAR Background: .... •Find unmarked graves or cemeteries, including locating 'outliners' near cemeteries & ...

'The Hunted Slaves' 1861 - National Museums Liverpool

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/collections/.../hunted_slaves.aspx

The Hunted Slaves' 1861 by Richard Ansdell. On display in the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool.

Fort Ward News April 11, 2014

Fort Ward News

April 11, 2014

City Staff Visit Cemetery & Maintenance Yard Searching for Answers

Early this afternoon members of the City of Alexandria's Department of Transportation & Environmental Services once again visited the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and the Fort Ward Park Maintenance yard looking at recent drainage problems identified during the last two rainfalls. Additional damage from water runoff from city parkland was documented and reported recently and shared with city and elected officials. Unfortunately city staff, and their consultants, seem to visit the cemetery and the park when the skies are clear and the ground is dry. Hopefully the City of Alexandria will take action to restore the damage that was done by the City's Recreation Department which has caused increasing amounts of water to runoff from the maintenance yard into the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. A meeting is being considered for May 7, 20104 to present the Draft Fort Ward Park and Museum Drainage Plan to the public. Water from the park continues to erode gravestones and cause burial areas to subside.

City Likely to Hold Fort Ward Stormwater Meeting on May 7, 2014

From: "Brian Rahal" <Brian.Rahal@alexandriava.gov>

Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 12:07:16 PM

Subject: RE: Fort Ward stormwater meeting

All,

I have received a majority of responses in favor of May 7, 2014. I have a tentative availability for the Library @ Minnie Howard on that day. As soon as I have a confirmation of reservation of the Library, I’ll send out the announcement and get the event on the City’s calendar ASAP. Thank you all for your prompt replies.

As a reminder, if you have any comments on the DRAFT Fort Ward Drainage Master Plan, you can send them to me directly, or you may offer them at the meeting on May 7, 2014.

Thank you,

Brian Rahal, P.E., CFM

Civil Engineer III

Transportation & Environmental Services

City of Alexandria, Virginia

301 King Street, Suite 3200

Alexandria, VA 22314

703.746.4057 phone

703.408.6919 cell

brian.rahal@alexandriava.gov

Boost Post

Jaycee Minstrel Show--Alexandria Journal 1964

New Research at Fort Ward and Seminary

New Research at Fort Ward and Seminary

Francine Bromberg, Acting City Archaeologist

City of Alexandria, Office of Historic Alexandria/Alexandria Archaeology

“Cemeteries and Graves in Fort Ward Park: A Summary of the Archaeological Investigations in 2010 and 2012 [DRAFT] (Alexandria, VA. Archaeology, 2013).

Dr. Krystyn R. Moon, Director of American Studies and Associate Professor, Department of History and American Studies, University of Mary Washington, Spring 2010-Present.

“To “Produce a Happy and Prosperous People:” Work, Land, and Everyday Life for African American Residents at Fairfax Seminary, Virginia, 1870s-1910s,” Southern Regional American Studies Association Conference, February 2013.

“There’s No Place Like Home:” The African American Housing Crisis in Alexandria, Virginia, 1940s-1960s,” Virginia Forum, James Madison University, March 2012.

A Rock and Hard Gravel in the Fort Ward Park Maintenance Yard

A Rock and Hard Gravel in the Fort Ward Park Maintenance Yard

As part of the long talk that has been going on at Fort Ward about the use and protection of the park, many have spoken to fill, drainage, compaction and water runoff in this portion of the park.  In response to public concerns City Council, working with the City Manager and the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, provided funds to look at short and long-term solutions to water runoff problems.  Funds were also provided by Council, working with the Office of Historic Alexandria, to research and identify graves in the park overall, especially within the maintenance yard and nursery area.

During the meetings of the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group, as well as other related group gatherings, many city and citizen leaders have spoken to removal of the gravel in order to manage water runoff from parklands and find the graves of those who lived and are buried within the park.  For example:

Deputy-Director Roger Blakeley agreed to “re-grade the maintenance yard to change the flow of water from the site away from residential properties”.

February 26, 2008.  Meeting with Roger Blakeley, Steve Tompkins, John Walsh, Dennis Carroll, Tom Fulton, Jeanne O’Leary, Elizabeth Sullivan and Glenn Eugster.

Local historian Dave Cavanaugh proposed to, “Relocate the maintenance yard and restore the land to its natural grade”.

March 16, 2009. Draft resolution to the City of Alexandria, VA. 

Lance Mallamo, Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria

said, “We will remove gravel and replant vegetation in the maintenance yard. The area needs to be restored ecologically”.  

James Spengler, Director of the City’s Recreation Department at the same meeting said, “We have to have the gravel taken up. We are taking land that has been disturbed and returning it to a natural state”. 

May 13, 2010 Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting.

Rich Baier, Director of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services said, “There is no [water] collection system in the park.  The maintenance area is impervious and that [material] needs to be removed. It needs to be restored to a vegative state”.

“The collection system has been filled in many places.  The collection system needs to be restored.  The maintenance yard is impervious--so are the residential properties”.

May 25, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting

J. Lance Mallamo said, “There will be gravel removal in the maintenance yard”.

July 27, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting

Contradicting his earlier statement, Lance Mallamo said, “We won’t do gravel removal in the maintenance yard.  It was determined from Ground Penetrating Radar that there wasn’t anything under the gravel.  There is no money for monitoring the gravel removal”.

Laura Durham, Open Space Planner for the Recreation Department, contradicted her supervisor James Spengler and said, “We are not funded to do gravel removal.  We are looking at putting soil on top of the gravel”.

Lance Mallamo went further to say, “We won’t be removing gravel in the maintenance yard during this first phase.  There is a large gravel area, nearly 8,000 square feet, which is likely to be a couple of feet deep”.  

August 24, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting.

City Archaeologist Dr. Pamela Cressey said, “We aren’t saying there is nothing here, anywhere.  We don’t know how deep the aggregate is.  This is the first test in this area.  This is not a completion of knowing everything about the maintenance yard”. 

September 28,2010.  Fort Ward Park Archaeology Meeting with Dr. Pam Cressey and Fran Bromberg.

Pam Cressey said, “The horizon A layer across most of the maintenance yard cut out and new fill put in”. 

January 8, 2011. Fort Ward History Work Group

Tom Bodor, a consulting archaeologist to the City of Alexandria from the Ottery Group, said, “The maintenance yard was an issue(for archaeological research) because of disturbance”.

Tom Fulton, then Chair of the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group said, “The conditions in the maintenance yard made use of the Ground Pentrating Radar difficult to pick them (the graves) up”.

February 5, 2011. Fort Ward History Work Group 

Geoffrey Lyon, a Marlboro Estates resident wrote, “I would focus first on funding to raze the remaining sheds and fences and buildings at the Maintenance Lot.

Thereafter, I would focus on funding to grade the Maintenance Lot Site and re-grade the filled-in drainage swale adjacent to the Maintenance Lot and adjacent to the Park Boundaries.

Such steps would merely restore the Park to its Original State - hence no need for Expensive Studies.  Additionally, the budget expenses for these projects are modest - they can even be done by current Alexandria Park Staff rather than being contracted out.  You might even get the Sheriff to spring some Prisoner's to assist......and then get credit toward clemency/parole.  You could also enlist Citizen Volunteers to assist in the Project...”.

February 25, 2011. Letter to Fort Ward Observer. 

Rich Baier said, “We want to look around the maintenance yard in the spring.  We don’t want a compacted area”. 

December 14, 2011. Fort Ward Advisory Group Meeting.

As the City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group, and the consultants serving them complete the draft Fort Ward Park and Museum Management Plan, which is to include a Drainage Plan, city and citizen leaders will decide what actions should be taken in the park maintenance yard and nursery area.  Removing the gravel will help solve water runoff problems as well as allow the search for remaining graves to be completed.

Comments on the Fort Ward Park Draft Drainage Master Plan

To:  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Members

Subject:  Comments on the Fort Ward Park Draft Drainage Master Plan

Date: May 7, 2014

Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the Fort Ward Park Draft Drainage Plan.  Your report is a welcome sight.  As you know water runoff from Fort Ward Park has been a long-standing problem for adjacent residents and leaders of the Oakland Baptist Church. For many years residents have contacted city staff raising their concerns with little or no response.  The fact that Fort Ward Park is managed by four separate city offices, and does not have an approved management plan, has led to many single-purpose initiatives which have been in conflict with the overall purpose of the park. 

Almost five years to the day I presented concerns on behalf of Marlboro Estates, the Seminary Hill Association, Inc. and the Oakland Baptist Church to the City’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) at one of their “Stormwater Outreach Meeting” on May 13, 2009.  On January 28, 2010 a group of community leaders met with the then-Vice Mayor Kerry Donley about concerns we had related to storm water runoff from Fort Ward Park.  

Based on our discussion with Vice Mayor Donley, who worked with Rich Baier, Director of T&ES as well as former Councilwoman Alicia Hughes, we helped the city staff and Council craft a proposal, with funding support, for short-term stormwater solutions and the long-term study.  

We also worked with Council and the Office of Historic Alexandria staff to craft a proposal, with funding support, to do archaeological and cultural research to help make decisions in the short and long-term stormwater runoff master plan and proposed management plan.  With the strong support of the Mayor, City Manager and the City Council these efforts were given high priority and funded at the requested levels.

Although it is good to finally see this report, after reviewing it and discussing it with community leaders, I believe that your analysis is incomplete and the recommendations are premature and inconsistent with other facts in the public record.  The document indicates, “The challenge is to manage the stormwater runoff and to minimize flooding and erosion while preserving the historic and archaeological resources of the Park”.  Unfortunately what has been proposed will not meet the challenge. 

The report does not integrate information from written and verbal community input, the historical, cultural and archaeological research that has been done, or is now being completed.  For example, the research that City Council funded to identify graves and family burial areas within the park has not yet been completed.  The Office of Historic Alexandria recently made a belated written commitment to interview current and past city employees and descendant Fort Ward community family members to help identify where additional graves are located.  It is unclear at this time when that information will be available for review by the public and use in your decision-making. Decisions about stormwater and the overall management plan must be based on this information.

The report indicates that this effort has been designed to “Work with Local Government and Citizens to Create Viable Solutions”.  Although the consultants made presentations to the city and the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group, the efforts to engage the public to help create solutions have fallen short.  For example, there was no early communication or outreach to help create viable solutions with the homeowners from Marlboro Estates or the Oakland Baptist Church leaders despite several assurances from the Mayor, City Manager and city staff that there would be.   

The report that has been prepared is also technically flawed.  The development projects for “Site 6- The Berm” and “Site 7--Stream Stabilization” are not based on good site analysis.  For example, within the Maintenance Yard where The Berm is proposed, the document failed to recognize that the site and the soils in this area were substantially modified as a result of illegal activities by the City of Alexandria.  As you may, or may not, know this area was filled and drainage areas were modified without any permit or public notice.  The fill, which included soil, gravel and organic debris, modified the areas drainage increasing and redirecting sheet flow into the cemetery and adjacent residential properties causing flooding, erosion and subsidence.  In addition, the fill degraded and covered identified graves and family burial areas within this space.

The report also does not recognize statements made by Mr. Spengler, Director of the City of Alexandria Recreation Department, Mr. Baier and Mr. Mallamo, as well as many others, indicating that the Maintenance Yard needs to be restored to find graves as well as repair damage to drainage and vegetation.

The proposal to cover this area with more fill will not correct the damage that has been done to site drainage and will permanently cover-up graves. It ignores the need to complete archaeological and oral history research before any decisions are made.

Within the ravine, where “Site 7--Stream Stabilization” is proposed, the report failed to recognize that this ravine has been identified as an area where there are graves.  The ravine was filled with park debris as part of a Fort Ward Park Master Plan and implementation project in 1979.  At that time, Recreation Department staff, some of who still work for the city, were directed to remove gravestones and markers from parklands.  City leaders have been unwilling to discuss where those markers and stones were taken and community leaders believe that they may have been discarded in the ravine.   These points were raised with Transportation & Environmental Services and Office of Historic Alexandria leaders when Daniel Imig from T & ES brought this same stream stabilization proposal to the Advisory Group on November 11, 2010.

The proposal to further fill this area with soil and rock at this time ignores the need to complete archaeological and oral history research before any decisions are made.

The report notes, “In 2012, the City implemented interim drainage improvements on the east side of the Park to divert runoff from Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and neighboring Marlboro Estates subdivision. The measures included installation of small catch basins, drainage pipes, and infiltration trench drains (Figure 2). The improvements provide a temporary solution to prevent runoff from flowing into the cemetery”.  This conclusion reflects poorly on your analysis in that the short-term solutions have helped reduce some stormwater runoff but did not “prevent runoff from flowing into the cemetery”.  

Perhaps this conclusion was reached after the one site reconnaissance visit that was made to the park and the cemetery.  A visit to the park and cemetery during or shortly after a rainfall illustrates time and time again that stormwater runoff continues to enter the cemetery from parklands.   This fact was repeatedly made to the advisory group members, city staff and elected officials.  The report’s analysis does not make use of photos taken during wet-weather periods by community members and provided to the city and the advisory group.

The report indicates, “Approximately 50 percent of the Park drains northeast to the Stormwater Management (SWM) Pond before entering the City’s storm drainage system at Outfall C. The SWM Pond also captures the off-site runoff from the area west of Braddock Road and the Marlboro Estate subdivision (Dedicated pond)”.  The statement is confusing and seems as if the consultants believe that there are two stormwater management ponds within the park.  The only designated stormwater management pond in Fort Ward Park is the one adjacent to Van Dorn Street.  

In summary, this report is an important element of the proposed management plan and needs to be completed.  However, the Draft Fort Ward Park Drainage Master Plan is missing crucial information on the location of graves, family burial areas and cultural artifacts.  It also fails to recognize the City of Alexandria has a moral and a legal responsibility to restore the Maintenance Yard so that damage to park drainage can be repaired and graves can be located.  Without this basic restoration and information the Site 6 and 7 alternatives presented in the draft plan are premature.  

It is essential that proposals in the drainage master plan find a way to solve stormwater runoff problems without degrading and covering-up graves, family burial areas and community history.  The city’s decision to conduct three separate studies simultaneously without integrating their sequencing, timing, information, public outreach, analysis, and recommendations has muddled the objectives of each effort and continues to delay reaching agreement on solutions to long-standing problems.  The recommendations provided in this draft will not benefit the City or the community it serves.  I urge you to place this long-term work on hold until the Maintenance Yard restoration and research on archaeology, history and culture has been completed.  

Thank you for your commitment to Fort Ward Park and the citizens it serves.

Sincerely,

Glenn

Glenn Eugster, Co-Chair, Fort Ward History Work Group;

Steering Committee, Fort Ward African American Descendants Society, Inc.

cc. Rich Baier, James Spengler, J. Lance Mallamo, Mayor and City Council Members

Deadline for Comments on Water Runoff Impacting the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery

On May 7, 2014 the City of Alexandria and their consultant held a public meeting to discuss the proposal to solve the long-standing problem of the water that runs off of Fort Ward Parkland into the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. The report is on public review now. However, the deadline for public comments is close-of-business May 21, 2014.

The City’s stormwater proposal outlines actions divert water from the park maintenance yard by adding soil and rock, to create a “berm” next to the cemetery fence. The Office of Historic Alexandria staff suggested that if graves are found in the berm area they would be covered to protect and honor them.

The berm adjacent to the cemetery will add soil rather than remove the soil and rock that was added to the maintenance yard when it was used for solid waste, vehicle storage and debris. According to one of the City’s consultants, the gravel layer allows for the flow of water to move downhill and enter the cemetery. Despite the public statements by City officials, there seems to be a reluctance to remove the fill which was placed in the maintenance yard illegally.

Another berm is proposed to be created along the road to the maintenance yard. That proposed berm seems to suggest that the road to the maintenance yard will continue to be used by vehicles rather than removed. You may recall that the road was placed on top of a grave and the road construction damaged the coffin and removed the human remains.

If you have an interest in this area please provide comments. At a minimum the City needs to:

Remove all the soil and gravel fill that was placed in the maintenance yard;
Complete archaeological, cultural and historical research in the yard and under the maintenance yard road;
If graves are found, discuss their protection and recognition with the descendant family members;
Regrade the yard so that the area can be restored;
Provide some form of stormwater management that will prevent the surface and subsurface flow of water into the cemetery, including the entry area.

The Department of Transportation and Environmental Services prepared plans for Fort Ward Park in 1979. The plans were not sensitive to family graves within the park or the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery, and problems have persisted since then. The Fort Ward Park Draft Drainage Master Plan is a chance to fix the problems. Let City officials know what you think by writing to:

Chuck Ziegler, Chair, Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group.

Who is Krystyn Moon?

By J. Glenn Eugster

Fort Ward Observer

Last year, under the cover of darkness, Lance Mallamo, Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria entered into a contract with Krystyn Moon of the University of Mary Washington to do a study of the Fort Ward African American Community. Mr. Mallamo and Ms. Moon didn't attempt to work with the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc. and as a result this recent City of Alexandria effort further erodes the trust between the African American community and the public agency serving them.

According to reports from Wednesday nights Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group Meeting Ms. Moon attempted to contact family members. She did however contact other "local historians" for information about people who lived on what is now Fort Ward Park. Leaders of the Descendant's Society and the Fort Ward History Work Group were not contacted by Ms. Moon, Mr. Mallamo, or his staff about the report or the information the city is seeking.

Mr. Mallamo's oversight of the African American community is especially disturbing since he has told members of the Descendant's Society, Inc., the Seminary Civic Association, and others that, "This is your story".

The Descendant's Society, Inc. appealed to Mayor Euille asking for an opportunity to review Ms. Moon's report before it is released and incorporated into the draft Fort Ward Park & Museum Management Plan. In response Mr. Mallamo has made copies of the draft report available to the descendant family members for review and comment.

Wednesday's advisory group meeting discussion also revealed that Ms. Moon may continue to play a role in the interpretive planning for Fort Ward Park and the Fort Ward community. For nearly two-years leaders of the Descendant’s Society, Inc. attempted unsuccessfully to enter into an agreement to collaborate with the City of Alexandria to help OHA staff gather accurate information about the Fort Ward community.

Attached is a copy of Ms. Moon's resume which includes Alexandria and African American research projects.

http://krystynmoon.org/?page_id=6

City to Interview Alexandria Staff to Help Find Graves

For years community and church leaders have been requesting the City’s Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) to interview current and former City of Alexandria employees who have first-hand knowledge of graves in Fort Ward Park. Finally, in response to yet another request by the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc., on March 24, 2014 OHA Director J. Lance Mallamo wrote:

“OHA has begun to interview employees on the list [provided by the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc.] that have agreed to be interviewed or that are not already deceased. OHA has begun the process of interviewing former and current city employees on that list who have agreed to be interviewed or are not deceased. The first interview

with Wanda Dowell, former director of Fort Ward, will be posted on the OHA website shortly”.

Former and current city employees, such as Ralph Hall, Wanda Dowell, Steven Tompkins, and many others, have knowledge of work done to cover graves and remove gravestones and markers. City department managers been less than cooperative in providing access to information and staff. Although Mr. Mallamo’s belated action makes the interviews “voluntary” perhaps these and other individuals will step forward and do the right thing to help locate those lost souls in Fort Ward Park.

It remains unclear as to whether this information will be used to help make decisions in the proposed Fort Ward Park and Museum Management Plan.