Public Involvement in the Review and Approval of the Management Plan for Fort Ward Park & Museum

From: "glenn eugster"
To: "Linda Ries" , "Charles Ziegler"
Cc: "Laura Durham"
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:20:50 PM
Subject: Public Involvement in the Review and Approval of the Management Plan for Fort Ward Park & Museum

Dear Linda and Chuck,

I hope this note finds you well.

This letter follows the comments I made at your Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting about opportunities for public involvement in the review and approval of the management plan for Fort Ward Park and Museum.  I was disappointed that your meeting tonight to discuss this subject was cancelled.  However, I understand the importance of taking a break from your volunteer work and enjoying the holidays.  All of you have worked long and hard and you deserve a break.

As I mentioned on December 13, 2013 the published schedule for the completion of the Fort Ward Park  & Museum Management Plan indicates that there will be one public meeting held before the draft plan winds its way through the formal City of Alexandria review and approval process.  Ms. Durham indicated that this proposed meeting would be some type of “informal public meeting”.   In the past Ms. Durham and you, Ms. Ries, have indicated that there would be opportunities for public involvement. Given these assurances I found the statements which were made on the 13th to be surprising given the history of decision-making for the Fort and the city’s recent Civic Engagement initiative. 

When the City Council resolution was crafted to direct and fund the development of the Fort Ward and Museum Management Plan there were three “charges” for the Advisory Group.  Items 2. and 3. relate to public involvement in the process of developing a Fort Ward Park & Museum Management Plan.  This provision was inserted to help insure that the plan for the park and museum would be developed with the community rather than developed for it.  As you are well aware Fort Ward has suffered from closed and inaccessible decision-making in the past.  As much as I’d like to believe that the soon-to-be-shared new plan will be a good one, the process so far has bee one that hasn’t embraced these two charges.  Attached is a copy of that resolution.

For example, Mr. Mallamo recent effort to prepare a hefty report on the families of the Fort Ward community was done with no input from those who lived in the community or their descendant family members.  The notion that an outside consultant can come up with a  accurate work product without input from citizens is paternal, unprofessional and a bad reflection on the city.  That effort was an opportunity to “bring community values, knowledge, ideas and advice into the process to develop the management plan”.  Although the African American community is now being given an opportunity to review the document to make sure the research is accurate, Mr. Mallamo’s actions--which are part of the management plan process, are a departure from the intent of City Council and the spirit of the 2011 charge.

It is unclear how the various pieces of the park and museum management plan will come together to avoid single-purpose perspectives of different departments.  I understand from what I learned at your meeting that the city’s consultant is scheduled to provide the advisory group a draft management plan on January 8, 2014.   Given that the  above-noted history report is still under community review and comment, and  promised city/ consultant outreach to adjacent homeowners regarding the Storm Water Plan has not been completed,  it seems as if a consultant presentation of the draft plan  is premature.  As you well know the topics of storm water and African American history and culture were two of the major issues that sparked public concern after the development of the 2008 Fort Ward Facilities Plan by the City’s Recreation Department.

Hopefully all these different elements of the park and museum management plan will come together in an integrated and timely way so that decisions will be based on facts.

My hope is that as the advisory group discusses public involvement you will depart from the approach you have been using during this phase of the effort.  Offering public comments at your meetings is important but it does not respond to City Council charge to your group.  By providing the public with a number of well-designed, opportunities to review and comment on the draft plan you help insure that the document will be accurate and well-received by the communities of the city that you serve, before it is put on review by others.    Meeting your charge now with appropriate public involvement will make the process go smoother.  A failure to embrace your charge will become an issue especially if there is community dis-satisfaction with the proposed plan.  

My involvement with Fort Ward started unexpectedly in 2006.  My request then, as it is now, was to have appointed and elected city officials make decisions with us, not for us, or to us.  It takes a good process to come up with a good plan.  Hopefully you will help give us both so we can get behind the proposal and complete this effort.

Thanks again for your time and effort on the advisory group.  You are providing and important service to the city and your neighbors.

May your holidays be joyous and safe.

Sincerely,

Glenn

J. Glenn Eugster

A Trip to Coontown by Krystyn Moon: Correspondence to Alexandria, VA. Officials About Fort Ward Researchers Background

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From: "Silberberg, Allison"
To: "eugster, glenn"
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2014 10:45:31 AM
Subject: Re: A Trip to Coontown by Krystyn Moon

Many thanks, Glenn. I don't think you shared this, but it has been very hectic. Happy to read and check into it. 

All my best, Allison

_____________________________

Allison Silberberg

Vice Mayor of Alexandria

Author of "Visionaries In Our Midst"

allison.silberberg@alexandriava.gov

cell: 571-319-9948

On Jul 2, 2014, at 10:17 AM, "glenn_eugster@comcast.net" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net> wrote:

Hi Allison!  I couldn't recall whether I shared this with you or not.  I never heard back from the Mayor's office.

All my best,

Glenn

J. Glenn Eugster

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From: "eugster, glenn" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net>
To: "Eullie, Mayor William" <William.Euille@alexandriava.gov>
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2014 1:07:04 PM
Subject: Fwd: A Trip to Coontown by Krystyn Moon

Dear Mayor Euille,

I hope this note finds you well.  I thought you should be aware of the message below.  Ms. Moon was hired by the City of Alexandria to do research on the Fort Ward community.  You probably recall that her hire and work drew attention because it was done under the cover of darkness.  Recently some of Ms. Moon's research experience has surfaced.   I gave the chair of the Fort Ward Advisory Group a heads-up because the descendants of the Fort Ward families are aware of this project and troubled by it's insensitivity.  Wrong-headed actions by city department heads continue to make the resolution of issues at Fort Ward more difficult than they should be.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Glenn

J. Glenn Eugster

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From: "glenn eugster" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net>
To: "Charles Ziegler" <candjziegler@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 4:40:13 PM
Subject: A Trip to Coontown by Krystyn Moon

Chuck,

Attached is a copy of some of Dr. Krystyn Moon's earlier work on African American history.  Content aside, this title comes across as insensitive given the context for her OHA work.   I thought you should be aware of it in case it comes up.

Glenn

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/african_american_review/v044/44.1-2.moon.pdf

Fort Ward Park Water Runoff: Quicksand Corner (#2 Carroll Correspondence)

From: "Rashad Friday" <Rashad.Friday@alexandriava.gov>
To: "glenn eugster" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net>, "Brian Rahal" <Brian.Rahal@alexandriava.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 3:38:07 PM
Subject: RE: Quicksand Corner (#2 Carroll Correspondence)

Hello Glenn,

Thanks for all of the email history related to the existing drainage problems. Based on the proposed design, I think the situation will improve considerably once the improvements are constructed. I have noted the concerns of the Carroll family and based on their email they were concerned about the “ mini dam” that was constructed on the Fulton property. The design the City has proposed will provide conveyance through the “dam” by connecting the drainage from the downspouts of the property to the main line that will discharge into the existing storm structure in the rear of the McCormick’s property. However, as we mentioned during the meeting, the effectiveness of the proposed design will continuously be monitored for optimal efficiency. Once when the design is constructed, then we will have someone inspect the system and if the Carroll’s need to connect, then they would be allowed since the goal is to mitigate the existing problems.

Sincerely,
====================================================
Rashad K Friday, MBA, MS
Civil Engineer III
Engineering Division, Transportation & Environmental Services
City of Alexandria, Virginia
www.alexandriava.gov
Tel.: (703) 746-4045
Tel.: (703) 746-4049
Cel: (571) 221-7122
Fax: (703) 838-4299

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Dennis Carroll" <dsc1114@hotmail.com>
To: "Glenn Eugster" <glenn_eugster@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:14:42 PM
Subject: Quicksand Corner

Glenn,

I was just out surveying what I call Quicksand Corner, the mess in the corner of my yard created by Tom Fulton's little Hoover Dam a foot on the other side of my fence.  Some of the rocks from his dam have actually started settling underneath my fence and are clearly on my property.  I don't plan to say anything to him, but it is tempting to tell him to remove his rocks from contact with my fence.  His thousand-plus-pounds of rock and very large pressure treated logs have all but blocked the flow of water in my yard and contributed to the total plugging up of a drainage pipe as well as the muck in the corner.  The fact that my table in the corner sinks a foot into the mud doesn't appear relevant to him--his dam has nothing to do with the problem in his opinion.  In general, he has conveyed the same attitude as the Parks and Recs Dept.--what he does on his property is his business and to heck with any problems that it creates two feet away--just deny them.  The upshot is that I will now have to spend about $2,000 to solve the worsened water flow problem in my backyard in a way that doesn't create a muddy mess in the Klings' backyard--or a muddier mess, because Elizabeth has said the water pools in her yard in a way that it never did previous.  This will be done by digging down instead of damming up and getting the water to flow hopefully at an angle under the fence.

I'm sorry to sound exasperated.  It caught up with me today when I went to try to move the table in the corner of my yard and couldn't because it was stuck in the mud again the way it has been since Tom Fulton put in his dam.  I'll have to dig it out again for the fourth or fifth time at some point.  When it comes to the Parks and Recs Dept and Tom Fulton, my eyes aren't good enough to see the difference.  Nor can I see the difference with my neighbor of 20 years at my previous house.  The previous neighbor planted huge juniper shrubs (that ended up 40 feet high complete with occasional wasp nests) that crowded over the fence into my property, so I had to cut their branches back for two decades.  The same held true for his English ivy--when I first moved in, I had to cut and bag about 75 very large lawn bags of his ivy on my property and then continue to cut the ivy back for twenty years.  I asked him if he could cut the ivy on his side of the fence--he couldn't be bothered.  -- After 20 years of my previous neighbor, several years with Parks and Recs, and Tom Fulton's dam worsening my water problems, I'm out of patience.  I'll do what little I can to help you with Parks and Recs, but I plan to bow out of any future meetings at which Tom Fulton is present.

Dennis [Carroll]

Remarks to the City of Alexandria, VA. Mayor and City Council on the FY 2012 Budget

Remarks to the City of Alexandria, VA. Mayor and City Council on the FY 2012 Budget

J. Glenn Eugster, 4022 Ellicott Street, Alexandria, Virginia

I have followed the discussions about Fort Ward Park closely the last four years. I have read the Fort Ward Advisory Group Report and noted that the members unanimously approved the recommendations and they set priorities for action in the Executive Summary. I support the report and the priority recommendations that were made. I urge you to adopt and implement the Fort Ward Park Report by taking the following actions:

1. Provide FY 2012 funds to continue, if not complete, the historical and archaeological research, for the park.

2. Provide FY 2012 funds to take short-term, low-cost and low-impact stormwater management measures to stop the runoff from parkland that is desecrating the graves and gravestones of the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and other African Americans buried in the park.

3. Provide FY 2012 funds to do pre-planning work for the Fort Ward Park Master Plan and Stormwater Plan so that when the historical and archaeological research has been completed these important efforts can be undertaken without further delays.

4. Appoint an interim commission or advisory group to observe the progress being made by the Departments of Recreation, Transportation & Environmental Services, and the Office of Historic Alexandria to implement the plan recommendations and provide public input, access and information to discussions about these actions.

Why should this effort be funded in the FY 2012 budget? The park has suffered from bad management decisions due to a lack of basic park planning, competing interests within City government, and a disrespectful attitude on the part of Recreation Department managers and staff toward people in the community. In some cases these decisions have ignored City and Commonwealth regulations. In other cases these decisions have desecrated people’s graves and adversely impacted adjacent homeowners.

The Fort Ward Report, as well as the February 5, 2011 report on Archeological Investigations at Fort Ward Historical Park by the contractor for the City, gives you facts to move forward to solve these long-standing problems. I urge you to act, now that you know. Please don’t turn your head away from what needs to be done.

(The estimated cost for these four actions is $300,000. These monies can be included in FY 2012 budget by postponing other less important initiatives.)

　

　

Search and Rescue Needed for Fort Ward’s Lost Graves Fort Ward Observer

Search and Rescue Needed for Fort Ward’s Lost Graves

Fort Ward Observer

October,21, 2012

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.

Steve Tompkins in 1979 Working for the City of Alexandria at Fort Ward Park

From: "eugster, glenn"
To: "Ziegler, Charles"
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 9:36:59 AM
Subject: Steve Tompkins in 1979 Working for the City of Alexandria at Fort Ward Park

Hi Chuck!  In case you haven't seen this article attached is a 1979 news clip about Fort Ward.  This was around the time when Mr. Tompkins mentioned at a meeting with other city leaders that he was directed to move grave stones and markers at Fort Ward.  The activity is a result of the 1978-79 Master Plan prepared for Fort Ward Park by the City's Dept. of Transportation & Environmental Services.  

The people that we identified for Mr. Mallamo for oral history interviews, including Mr. Tompkins and others who moved grave stones or filled graves, could give new insights about where additional graves were and are.  Combining the city worker information as well as that of the descendant family information will give the advisory group a much clearer idea of where the remaining graves are.  To ignore this situation and information available to us again would be a dis-service and an injustice.

We really need to follow-up on leads like this so that at some point we might let the people buried in the park, and their descendants, rest in peace.

Glenn

J. Glenn Eugster

Descendant Families and Community Leaders Wait for City Information on Gravestone Removals

Descendant Families and Community Leaders Wait for City Information on Gravestone Removals
J. Glenn Eugster
Fort Ward Observer.  September 9, 2014

Members of the Oakland Baptist Church, Seminary Civic Association and the Ft. Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc. continue to wait for City of Alexandria leaders to provide additional information on the location of the graves of African American families within Fort Ward Park.  Despite numerous requests and providing city leaders with information city officials have been steadfast in their resistance to search for and locate graves using information available from current and former employees.

In 2009 while doing research on Fort Ward Park I learned that past and current city employees were directed by city leaders to move gravestones and other markers from African American burial sites within the park.  The park was once home to a community of African American families who purchased land and built homes after the Civil War and before the City of Alexandria’s urban renewal efforts.  

Land for Fort Ward was assembled by the City of Alexandria in the 1950’s and 1960’s at a time when integration was being resisted by public and private interests.  Once the land was acquired by the city the homes were demolished and lands cleared for recreation use.  In many ways urban renewal programs of that time period were intended to stimulate new economic development while eradicating any evidence of the people who lived in the area before the project.  The urban renewal project that led to Fort Ward Park seems to have had that dual objective.

Written documents and discussions with past and current city employees indicate that staff from Alexandria’s Recreation Department were directed to remove gravestones and markers and fill-in grave sites that had begun to subside.  Some of this work was done on the backside of the Fort while other work was done within and around the park’s maintenance yard.   Both areas are known to be places where residents lived and had family burial grounds.

I made a request to discuss this information with the Director’s of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and the Office of HIstoric Alexandria but these leaders were unwilling to meet.  Written requests for information were politely and professionally resisted.  Copies of certain documents, including informal interviews, were provided to the Office of Historic Alexandria in the hopes that the staff would research the leads and use the information to provide a more factual basis for archaeological work to identify graves within the park.

After nearly five-years neither the Office of Historic Alexandria or the Recreation Department have been willing to secure information from their past and current employees despite the statements made by some of these workers, some of who have ben identified by city leaders and researchers, that they did cover graves and remove grave markers.   Making the information available for input into the draft management plan for Fort Ward Park would help to identify and protect those buried in the park.  It would also help bring closure to the descendant family members who have waited for more than 50 years for the leaders of the City of Alexandria to correct the mistakes of the past.

View from Fort Ward: City Continues to Neglect Family Grave Areas at Fort Ward

City Continues to Neglect Family Grave Areas at Fort Ward

View from Fort Ward: City Continues to Neglect Family Grave Areas at Fort Ward
J. Glenn Eugster
July 19, 2013

After countless hours of meetings, hundreds of public written comments, dozens of newspaper, magazine, radio and television stories, years of study by City of Alexandria agencies and an advisory group, the city’s approach to protecting and maintaining family grave areas within Fort Ward Park has not changed. Identified and documented family grave areas continue to be unmarked and poorly maintained despite the pleas and urgings of the descendant family members of those buried in the park, as well as leaders of the Fort Ward History Work Group and the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group.

Alexandria has 128 parks. According to Jim Spengler, Director of the City’s Recreation Department, this is the only one which is “historic”. “We aren’t historic, not trained in historic maintenance and never will be. Maintenance workers don’t differentiate between different [types of] parks. Park crews mostly work on athletic fields and get [positive] feedback on their work”.

During discussions with the Advisory Group members Mr. Spengler has suggested that Fort Ward Park’s historic areas would be better managed by the City’s Office of Historic Alexandria(OHA) or a private contractor. Lance Malamo, Director of OHA, isn’t sure that he has the money or the expertise within his group to manage the park’s historic areas. When descendants and community leaders first expressed concern about the damage to and maintenance of the grave areas he referred them to the Recreation Department.

While Alexandria’s department heads work out their responsibilities, and the Advisory Group and the city’s consultant continue to prepare a management plan for the park, the family grave areas need to be respected, protected and maintained. The park’s history includes the Civil War and the families that lived in the area before the park was created. Continued neglect and disrespect of these sacred places, especially during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, reflects badly on the City of Alexandria and its residents. Citizens have repeatedly asked for improved management at Fort Ward Park. It’s time the city made this park a priority.

J. Glenn Eugster is the Co-Chair of the Fort Ward HIstory Work Group and a member of the Steering Committee of the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc.

Fort Ward Park Graves Status Report, February 2014

Fort Ward Park Graves Status Report, February 2014

February 3, 2014

J. Glenn Eugster

Fort Ward Observer

What is the situation now?

1. The draft management plan and the most recent statements by City of Alexandria officials seem to indicate a return to status quo management of Fort Ward Park and Museum.  The graves and artifacts of the Fort Ward African American Community, that have not been found by the City’s Office of Historic Alexandria are to be researched on a case-by-case basis in the future in response to development proposals.  This approach is the same approach that was relied on when development was placed in the maintenance yard and nursery.  How will anything be different than it was before?
2. Based on comments made by consultants, city employees and other outside historic preservation experts it is clear that the technology that was used to search for graves was limited, flawed and not the most effective way to locate existing graves.  In fact,  consultants working for the city, as well as National Park Service staff with experience using this technique, indicated that Ground Penetrating Radar was not a very good way to find graves.  OHA staff has indicated that the “test-hole” technique used to search for graves was not an effective way to find burial areas.  Other OHA staff have indicated, late in the research process, that archaeological research was not done to find graves but rather collect historic and cultural information.
3. The Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria has reneged on statements and promises that he made to search for graves where there is evidence that they exist; remove the gravel in the maintenance yard to aid the search for graves;  use oral history interviews conducted by OHA which indicate that there are graves in certain areas of the park; conduct new oral history interviews of those who lived in what is now the park to help identify graves; conduct new oral history interviews of those current and past city employees who worked in, and with, the park and have knowledge of graves.   Copies of all of this information has been provided to OHA staff, their consultants, and Park & Museum Advisory Group members.  It appears that OHA staff have not made a good faith effort to follow-up on written leads or to talk with those who have first-hand knowledge of the land that is now a park.  Despite promises the leader of OHA has regularly use a lack of funds, a concern for trees, and the feelings of the Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, as excuses for not being able to do what was promised.
4. The OHA Director has purposely excluded the participation of the descendants of the Fort Ward community in the preparation of a report on the Fort Ward African American Community.  The report, which was funded by the City of Alexandria without public notice, was performed by a historian with minimal experience in African American history and culture.

What remains to be done?

1. Respond to public input from the Fort Ward Park public meeting the City of Alexandria held at T.C. Williams H.S. in 2008.   Locating graves in the park was the top priority identified at the public meetings.
2. Remove the gravel fill that was illegally placed in the park maintenance yard and nursery area so that further research to identify graves may continue.  Removal of the gravel was promised by Mr. Mallamo, Mr. Spengler and Mr. Baier.  It’s removal will also assist the effort to solve water runoff in that portion of the park.
3. Follow-up on leads provided to OHA by researching city correspondence to identify family and individuals graves.
4. Use the existing oral history interviews to spatially plot graves identified by Pat Knox and OHA staff.
5. Conduct oral history interviews of past and current city staff, and those who lived on the land that is know the park, to identify family and individual graves.
6. Conduct the previously mentioned tasks in a timely manner so that the results can be included in the decisions being made for the final Fort Ward Park & Museum Management Plan.