Fort Ward Observer

22/09/2026

DEAS: Here are three poster from area parks that recognize Civl War protection and interpretation. Why couldn't something similar be done for Fort Ward Historic Park? If so, what image(s) would you like to see? The poster could be created by a local artist selected by the Friends of Fort Ward and the Seminary Hill Association. Funding could be made available by various partner and city organizations to print the poster. Copies of the poster could be given away initially and then sold to raise friends and funds to protect and interpret Fort Ward's Civil War history.

22/09/2026

DEAS: Here is a poster from a park that recognizes African Americans. Why couldn't something similar be done for Fort Ward Historic Park? If so, what image(s) would you like to see? The poster could be created by a local artist selected by the Ft. Ward & Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc. Funding could be made available by various partner and city organizations to print the poster. Copies of the poster could be given away initially and then sold to raise friends and funds to protect and interpret "The Fort" community.

22/09/2026

22/09/2026

19/09/2026

Looking Back at Alexandria Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities:

An email chain obtained by the AJP through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals alleged falsification by city staff of documents that were given to OSHA as part of the investigation.

19/09/2026

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Rod Simmons
To: Rod Simmons
Date: 07/23/2025 10:23 PM EDT
Subject: New details emerge about OSHA investigation into city Parks & Rec

FYI. No one in senior management and council can say that they weren't apprised of all of this for years - for all the good any of those good faith disclosures of gross fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement did...

New details emerge about OSHA investigation into city Parks & Rec

"An email chain obtained by the Alexandria Journalism Project through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals alleged falsification by city staff of documents that were given to OSHA as part of the ongoing investigation into the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities..."

https://zlan7jbbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wZGuZfLHBTGnEgjFNW8S5bZl1xObRZsPLZMI7CoPrtF2VeiEp6stvtsgm5b5ZmSJ3BTOKWCqVK-ZBOm9mhtXUc7ThC9gDFV1c6YQu-eHvOFkcw8eDQE7DsbviAGpNKndkDF44QhznEEFyTV7ZPIZpsmTqHB3TCb0OnOMR_G0YWlbUl2XW0QH9aiIyDeGX4UQXHgacENm41WWvU7RoEln7q3OPsF8cmXJSir8JByhwaQ=&c=u7PYq2XyamesEPp5Oja10199ac_CfdZd3fBd9sAr8H4W9n-QMo-jww==&ch=Rb8_FgqRRVVPoIKf5ShEe4T3ujQ3xUlaH4I1obrUbWZIFmbj0qMMhA==

City Tree Board Blasts Park Work

"Members of the Lexington City Tree Board addressed the Lexington City Council at its meeting last Thursday in response to the removal of trees at Jordans Point Park, and how Celia Raney, the city’s arborist, was either not consulted or “largely ignored” throughout the process..."

https://www.thenews-gazette.com/article/1276,city-tree-board-blasts-park-work

Suit By Former Arborist Answered

"A lawsuit filed by former Lexington city arborist Celia Raney against city Public Works Director Patrick Madigan and Deputy Director Scott Dameron continues to work its way through the court system..."

https://www.thenews-gazette.com/article/9404,suit-by-former-arborist-answered

City’s lead arborist resigns amid planning for George Mason renovation

https://alextimes.com/local-news/alexandria-leading-arborist-resigns-george-mason-elementary-renovation/

"Jubert's resignation is a loss... Needless to say, I was very surprised to see that he was excluded from ACPS’ planning process for the trees involved in the George Mason Elementary School [and Park] reconstruction process. How could that happen?"

https://alextimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/6.26.25-Layout-C.pdf - page 24

Also from the "New details emerge about OSHA investigation into city Parks & Rec" article:

- City claims that it "has always been committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our employees, and we are focused on supporting that commitment while maintaining the highest standards in our operations..." have been shown to be not true.

Take the following statement by RPCA senior management from January 2, 2024 on "Psychological Safety", for example, that cites the "STOP Authority for Safety [program] allowing any employee the right, authority, and obligation to stop unsafe behavior" as support for psychological, as well as physical and workplace, safety. However, that program was dead in the water and hadn't been practiced for years before this disingenuous statement was sent. And on occasions when staff did voice good faith concerns for safety violations, they were marginalized, sidelined, harassed, and retaliated against. (It would be interesting to discover if this defunct STOP safety program found its way into the 2024 CAPRA recertification.)

Also, the "City Ethics Hotline [reportedly started in RPCA - according to now-retired Director Spengler] to report any ethical concerns 24/7" is also another box-checking impediment for staff and residents alike because whatever investigations might occur and all such reportings seemingly end with the City Manager (and City Attorney's Office), with the all too familiar, prejudiced, and dismissive refrain of, "We have completed our inquiry of the allegations in your report and recommended that they be closed as unsubstantiated."

In short, scores of City staff and "complainants have met with staff from Internal Audit and Human Resources", as well as others in City senior management and council, over the years to absolutely no avail.

From: James Spengler
Date: January 2, 2024 at 12:32:20 PM EST
To:
Subject: Psychological Safety

Your work at Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is covered by our Statement of Workplace Excellence.

“Every RPCA staff member has the right to a safe, healthy, efficient and pleasant working environment where all organization members adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, personal integrity and truthfulness.”

This statement was one of the first initiatives we took in 2009, through the Organizational Change Council. This statement is aspirational and is always something we strive to obtain. Further, we’ve pledged to immediately follow up any instances where you feel this statement is not fulfilled.

To report contradictions you are urged to speak to your supervisor, RPCA Human Resources, and to me directly either through email or my cell phone.

Why is this important? Google spent years studying what made the most productive teams in their organization through Project Aristotle. What they found out was surprising since the answer did not conform to initially held beliefs about team performance. The answer to high team performance was the term psychological safety.

McKinsey and Company defines psychological safety as feeling safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up, to disagree openly, to surface concerns without fear of negative repercussions or pressure to sugarcoat bad news. Not much happens in an organization where psychological safety is not present. It is a foundation for diversity and inclusion as well as employee engagement.

We encourage everyone to speak up, question the status quo, and make recommendations for improvement. Just as this works for staff members it also works for our participants. To some extent both recreation and arts are done in the space of psychological safety. You can expect more communication from me on this topic and the methods we use to support the concept.
Some thoughts on ongoing initiatives to support psychological safety.

Staff Councils (Engagement, Safety, DEI, Customer Care, ICC) that let staff lead on important cross cutting topics to the organization. Staff lead the Council’s and the agenda.
Shared Leadership to allow staff participation in collaborative decision making and organizational performance.
City Ethics Hotline (started in RPCA) to report any ethical concerns 24/7.
STOP Authority for Safety allowing any employee the right, authority, and obligation to stop unsafe behavior.
SpeakUP! available for RPCA staff to report or comment on anything in the organization 24/7 with the communication going straight to senior leaders.
Safe Place for all RPCA facilities where youth can find help for any issue 24/7 and be connected to the right resources.
Town Halls for communication on important topics and allowing any and all questions from staff.

It is important to remember that psychological safety is a team sport!

Thanks,
JIm

James B. Spengler
Director
Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities

19/09/2026

Mayor Gaskins indicated that she would look into this.

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Alyia Gaskins
To: J. GLENN EUGSTER
Date: 07/26/2026 6:35 PM EDT
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]City Leaders Charing Admission For Some at Fort Ward Museum.


Thank you for your email. I agree with you and I have shared with city staff to better understand what it would take to change the policy.

Mayor Gaskins
Sent from my iPhone

==============================

City Leaders Charging Admission For Some at Fort Ward Museum.
July 26, 2026

This morning's cooler weather was an opportunity for me to ramble around Fort Ward Park and the former "Fort" community. I checked the bulletin board outside the Fort Ward Museum and found a notice that the Office of Historic Alexandria is now charging admission to the Museum. The charge is very modest but the decision was a surprise. Former Mayor Justin Wilson made sincere efforts to improve community engagement in Alexandria. This decision seems rooted in past practices despite some of the narrative at the bottom of the notice.

The notice lists groups of people that do not have to pay admission. Good idea! Interestingly the Office of Historic Alexandria is not offering "Free" admission to the African American residents and descendants of "The Fort" community that existed before the park and Museum were created. Those who lived at "The Fort" are interested in being able to talk with city staff to find information about the areas where they, or their families, lived and the location of various specific graves/ burials in the park.

African American leaders and members of the Ft. Ward & Seminary African American Descendants Society, the Oakland Baptist Church, and others, helped the City of Alexandria for almost 20-years. These individuals volunteered their time, at first against strong resistance from city managers and staff, to accurately tell the story of the relationship between African American history and the Civil War at Fort Ward Park. Frankly, you can't tell the story of the Civil War without telling the story of African Americans at Fort Ward.

More importantly, families living at "The Fort" were forced to give-up their homes and their ability to accumulate wealth from their property, as the City of Alexandria leaders used Urban Renewal funding, and the "Slum Clearance" slogans, to take this land.

The Office of Historic Alexandria and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities will often announce decisions that impact the public after they are made by city leaders. City leaders like to think that these areas are theirs and "they know best". The "Battle of Fort Ward" proved that community-based decisions stand the best chance of being successful and supported by the public to be served.

This decision to exclude former African American residents and their families from receiving "Free Admission" wreaks of past city actions at "The Fort" and "Seminary/ Mudtown". Hopefully city leaders at a high level will reconsider this decision.

J. Glenn Eugster
Fort Ward Observer
[email protected]

19/09/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJLvPtXkkiY

A road rage driver is caught on camera. The Alexandria Sheriff's O...