Fort Ward Observer: October 3, 2017

Fort Ward Observer: October 3, 2017
J. Glenn Eugster

A walk through the park this morning reminded me of how beautiful Fort Ward Park is. The challenges of managing the area are many and signs of city service are evident, welcome and appreciated.

TREES--Many trees are marked with red-X's as the city marks dead and dying trees for removal. Tree loss continues to outpace tree-planting. Unfortunately one of the historic Apple trees associated with the Fort Ward community has been targeted for removal. Historic trees seem to fall in between OHA and the Recreation Department. Earlier efforts to get OHA to look at certain trees as "witness trees" only got me a referral to the Recreation Department who "doesn't do history".

TENNIS--The tennis courts adjacent to St. Stephens-St. Agnes School are being redone once again. I heard about the plans for the tennis courts and soccer fields through the grapevine and found a public notice lying on the wall where the courts are being redone. It seems as if this is the third time the tennis courts are being redone in the last ten years.

DUMPING IN THE PARK: The ravine between the west-end of the tennis courts and the water tank seems to be used more and more for illegal dumping. Garbage bags have been thrown into the drainage swale where soil and landscape debris have been piled. The area is used by homeless people as well as students for drinking, shelter and other activities and liquor bottles and cans are littered throughout the area. Given all the attention that there has been on storm water and drainage in the park and the city it is baffling to see another drainage swale filled with illegally with debris.

MAINTENANCE SHED: City workers and locksmiths visited the unoccupied and non-permitted shed in the park maintenance yard. The building has been empty since the first battle of Fort Ward and is occasionally used by homeless people and others for shelter and bodily functions. Evidently the building is now locked securely.

UNPROTECTED GRAVE AREAS: The locksmith drove his truck over one of the marked graves in the park. The grave markers for the graves that were re-discovered on city parkland are hard to see and frankly a token gesture at best. A city employee has placed a stake on the grave that is being driven over and spray painted a circle around the burial area. Many descendants recall Lance Mallamo's, the OHA director, pledge to stake-off the graves so that city workers, the public and contractors would respect these sacred areas. There still needs to be someone in Fort Ward effort who will speak for the dead.

FORT WARD INTERPRETIVE PLAN: The good news is that an interpretive plan for the park is underway. A consultant is leading the effort which seems to be guided by mostly city-employees. It is unclear whether the lack of public interest in helping the city tell the stories at Fort Ward is because of a lack of interest or the way that the consultant's work is being managed. For my window on Fort Ward it seems as if OHA is working with a small circle of friends with formal expertise. After all that has gone on at Fort Ward over the last decade it seems as if the city leaders would want to engage the descendant families and adjacent homeowners who know the park's history very well. We always do our best work when we work together.