Missing Woman Found

0901 Eastern
I just received a report that Crystal Lynn Ham has been located by searchers and is alive and being prepared to be airlifted to a hospital.

Job well done by the interagency searchers.

Photo from the scene this morning

Search Underway For Missing 25 Year Old Woman On The Blue Ridge Parkway

Park Rangers and other agencies have been searching for three days for 25 year old Crystal Lynn Ham whose vehicle was last seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile post 234.  It was reported that her car was parked in the Bullhead Mountain Overlook this past Wednesday around 8 pm.

This search is in the area of Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  For more information on the search go to:

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2010/nov/01/search-underway-missing-25-year-old-woman-ar-622045/

"A Park Ranger's Life" In Staunton, Virginia

I will be at the Wilderness Adventure Store at 50 Middlebrook Avenue in Staunton, Virginia this Saturday November 6 from 1pm to 4.  This well stocked outdoor store will be in the midst of their fall sale and I will have copies of my book A Park Ranger's Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks available for signing.

I look forward to seeing those who might be in the area.

"A Park Ranger's Life" In Charlottesville, Virginia November 19

I will be at this event with my book A Park Ranger's Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks.

Save the Date !

Come Support Virginia Authors...

 

You are cordially invited to attend the

 

 

Meet the Authors "Book Signing" Event

Friday, November 19, 2010

11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Holiday Inn University Hotel Ballroom

(corner of Hydraulic Road and Rt. 29 S. Charlottesville)

 

Free Admission.  Cash/Checks only.

 

Looking for the perfect gift for the hard-to-shop-for family member or friend?  A signed book by the author is a unique and thoughtful gift idea!  Come... meet over 35 Virginia authors who are anxious to meet the public and sign their books before the upcoming holiday season!

 

Advertising on NewsPlex TV Channels 16,19, and 27, NBC Channel 29, WINA, Victory FM, Daily Progress, and The Hookand C-Ville Weekly Community Calendars (starting Sunday, Nov. 14).

 

A special thank you to all our local sponsors:

The WalMart Store Zion Crossroads, Davenport & Company, Robertson Electric, Virginia National Bank, Sun Trust Bank, Albemarle Heating and Cooling, Cox Chiropractic Clinic, Bankers Insurance, Schmidt Kaminski & Vik Group/Merrill Lynch, Snows Garden Center, Reines Jewelers, Stedman House Interior Design,  Kendall Law Firm, KMS Photography, Floors Are Us, Dr. Frank Barberio Family Dentistry, Drs. Record Record & Adams Optometrists, Foster Well & Pump, Merry Maids, Richard A. Oliva & Sons, Bob's Wheel Alignment, Charlottesville Sanitary Supply, Realtor Arleen Yobs at Keller Williams Realty, Mosaic Innovations in Marketing, Chandler's Bakery, Sylvan Learning Center, Gibson Tent & Party Rentals, and Tate Publishing & Enterprises.

 

Hope to see you there ! 

Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox, Author and Event Organizer

www.miraclewriter.com

Ghost Stories of Fort McHenry

Here is a the information I published on this site several months ago about ghosts of Fort McHenry in Balitmore, Maryland.  Happy Halloween.

This past week I viewed an episode of the television show “Haunted History” that retold some of the ghost stories of Baltimore, Maryland.  One story was of the ghost of a soldier that has been seen walking along the outer battery at Fort McHenry located at the mouth of Baltimore Harbor.  This has been the site of a military fort since 1776 and today is a National Monument and Historic Shrine managed by the National Park Service.

Fort McHenry is also where I started my career as a National Park Ranger.  I was stationed there from June of 1975 until September 1977.  During that time there were at least two reported sightings of the ghostly specter as described in the “Haunted History” show.  One was by a fellow park ranger and the other was by several members of another employee’s family who lived in the park.  In both instances the ghost was described as if marching on guard duty along an area of the Fort known as the outer battery that provides emplacements for the very large Rodman Guns that were installed during the Civil War.  The figure was dressed in older period military uniform and shouldering a rifle.

Once these reports were shared amongst the staff theories began to develop as to whose ghost this could be.  The first impulse was that it must be the spirit of Lt. Levi Claggett who was killed by a bomb bust during the famous Battle of Fort McHenry and inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner.

A second theory as presented on television was that the ghost was that of William Williams an escaped slave who was able to enlist in the US Army by a recruiter that did not ask too many questions.  Williams was also killed during the Battle of Fort McHenry in 1814 while in a trench with his unit just outside the Fort walls.

I was not so sure about either theory since both men had died in battle a somewhat glorious death for a soldier.  From what little knowledge I had, most ghosts were thought to be the result of more unjustified violence.  Not being an expert on haunting, I felt my counter theory was as good as any.

Sometime after this debate I was conducting research in the park library known as the HARP.  Much of the library consisted of microfilm copies of any documents that were found in the Library of Congress during a research project conducted in the 1950’s.  Much of this documentation had simply been copied without being read or analyzed.  Even in the 1970’s much of it had not been reviewed.  Several rolls of film I found contained the Monthly Medical Reports that were obviously required of the military post Doctor.  These monthly narrative reports were for the most part pretty dry and spoke of facts and figures.  The reports covered a period for almost the entire history of the military garrison.  The reports described how many men were sick and what injuries were treated the previous month.  The biggest medical problem on all the reports appeared to be sexually transmitted diseases from the brothels of Baltimore.

One monthly report stood out from the rest in its detailed account of an incident that occurred sometime in the 1850’s (unfortunately after all this time I no longer have a copy of the report or the subsequent paper I wrote about it).  A soldier had been found asleep on guard duty on the newly constructed outer battery of the Fort.  He was immediately placed under arrest and thrown into one of the cells of the guard house adjacent to the main gate to await trial for dereliction of duty.  Shortly thereafter while replacing the straw in his cell the prisoner was able to steel and the then hide a loaded rifle.  The prisoner then used the rifle to commit suicide.

The medical officer’s report is quite detailed in the description of the body and splatter of blood and brain matter on the wall of the cell.  Obviously this incident had quite an impact on this hardened Army Doctor.

Since the outer battery did not exist during the battle in 1814, this soldier was found asleep on duty in that same area, and that he met such a gruesome demise at his own hand I always felt that this was who was still performing  guard duty.

But then, this is a just another theory

.

Although I never witnessed this ghostly apparition myself, I did have my own experience with the afterlife while working at Hampton House National Historic Site.  You can find a vivid description of that experience in my book A Park Ranger’s Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks.

Climate Disruption Affecting Our National Parks

A new report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization outlines the affects of human altered climate disruption's affect on the National Parks in California.  For information, go to the link below.

http://www.rockymountainclimate.org/programs_11.htm

Ghost Story - "A Park Ranger's Life"

As Halloween approaches interest in ghost stories are heard all around us.  You can read about the ghostly experience I had while protecting Hampton House in Towson, Maryland in my book "A Park Ranger's Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks."

Hampton House in Towson, Maryland

Questionable Future of Blue Ridge Parkway Concessions Operations

Private concession companies work as partners with the National Park Service providing services to visitors across the country.  These services include restaurants, lodges, hotels, horseback riding, and other accommodation related facilities.  These operations are conducted within the parks under contract to and supervision of the National Park Service.  These contracts at one time were issued to companies for as long as thirty years.  The length of these contracts in many cases has been reduced to ten years.

A combination of factors including the slow economy, the termination date of many concession contracts, the future cost of infrastructure improvements, and construction projects limiting access to some concession facilities for extended periods are all resulting in an questionable future for many facilities.

As an example the contract that Forever Resorts has had for Mabry Mill and Doughton Park areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway are expiring.  Decreases in their profits and closing of sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway for rebuilding of roadway guide walls are prompting the company’s decision not to renew their contract.

The company that operates the Peaks of Otter Lodge and other facilities on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia has also had their contract expire.  The original contracted company was bought out by a larger one and they have stated that they are not interested in renewing a contract for only ten years.  Such a short period would not enable the company to make back their investment for needed facility improvements.

The consequence of this situation is that there may not be the accommodations, food, and other services available to visitors on the Blue Ridge Parkway and other parks throughout the country that most have learned to expect.

For more information on the situation at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway go to:

http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/1981-bluffs-lodge-and-coffee-shop-could-remain-closed-indefinitely/

National Parks Face Budget Cuts - Again

Although National Park visits increased by over 11 million in 2009, the budget proposed for operating and maintaining our parks next year is $22 million less than this year.

During this period of economic downturn the visitation to many National Park Areas is on the increase.  Our parks not only provide a place for an inexpensive family outing or vacation; they provide a source of escape from the burdens and stresses of everyday life.  Many parks located near centers of population are seeing the most significant increases in visitation.

To some the specific cuts to parks may seem insignificant, but most parks are already running on or below necessary operational levels on skeleton crews and with deteriorating facilities.  At present funding levels the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia is already leaving 58 full time positions vacant.  There is no money to pay for these employees.  Even the slightest decreases to funding in parks results in positions being left vacant, services being cut, the continued degradation of resources, and ultimate visitor dissatisfaction with their expected experiences.  

You can read more at this link:

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21251

Here is a report on how the proposed budget would affect National Parks in Minnesota:

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=877279&catid=396

For a detailed report with specific impacts on individual parks, you can read this document put together by Environment America:
http://www.environmentamerica.org/uploads/11/13/111318ff9bd65f9963e2f9f23a6d9c29/Environment-Missouri-National-Parks-Report.pdf

National Park Ranger Training

I have been asked by several people lately about what type of training National Park Rangers receive.  This varies based on the specific position a person is hired for.  Most park ranger positions fall into the categories of interpretation or protection.  Here is an overly simplistic explanation of where most park rangers start their trail of training.

An interpretive park ranger’s focus is the telling of the story of the park they are assigned to.  This is done through formal presentations, working visitor centers, writing, leading walks, designing school programs, and many other skills used to communicate a story and foster an interest in park resources.  Solid base resource knowledge is an essential starting place.  This is supplemented by Park Service training in interpretive skills.  For a first year seasonal most parks provide one to two weeks of basic interpretive training followed by a busy summer of on the job training and audits by more experienced rangers to help improve their performance.  Once in a permanent position interpretive park rangers can improve their abilities through mentoring, formal training, and movement through a certification system where their programs are evaluated by experienced managers.

Those wanting to start as a seasonal protection National Park Ranger are required to complete a law enforcement academy that offers a curriculum approved by the National Park Service.  This must be accomplished on the individual’s own time and expense.  For information on these schools you can go to:

http://www.anpr.org/academies.htm

Once one of these schools is completed, most parks will provide onsite training and then a first year seasonal protection park ranger will work with more experienced rangers obtaining vast and fast amounts of on the job experience.

Once a person obtains a permanent protection park ranger position they will attend a basic academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Center (FLETC) near Brunswick, Georgia.  This is then followed by a Field Training assignment at a park other than the one they are working for.  This three month experience places the individual in a high work load environment working with experienced and specially trained park rangers giving them a chance to use all the skills they learned at FLETC.  Once a park ranger completes this challenging program, they return to work in their home park.

Additional training is offered at different levels in search and rescue, emergency medical services, the incident command system, Wildland fire, structural fire, and a wide variety of other public service and safety topics.

In truth a National Park Ranger spends their entire career in training.  Developing new skills, updating old ones, keeping up with changing technology, laws, policies, and the world around us are essential to a park ranger maintaining proficiency in the job.  During my 32 year career I attended and helped instruct thousands of hours of training.  These only served to supplement the experience and knowledge gained by years of working in National Parks.

A Park Ranger's Life is an education in itself.