ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210108
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
NOTE: Above
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ordered the lodge, and other concessions along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to close Wednesday.
The Peaks of Otter Lodge, readying for its busiest week of the winter season, was forced to shut down and lay off most of its workers Wednesday because the president and Congress still are squabbling over a budget.
The deputy director of the National Park Service ordered the lodge, and other private concessions along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to close by noon Wednesday.
Food was being packed up to send back to suppliers or be thrown away. Guests with reservations were being called and told not to come. Diners were being turned away at the door.
Lee and Duane Watson of Lexington showed up right at noon to meet friends from Smith Mountain Lake. They were to eat lunch together in the lodge, which is halfway between their homes.
"It never occurred to me this would happen," Lee Watson said, as owner Carolyn Wagoner told her the dining room was closed.
Because nonessential employees were furloughed when Congress and President Clinton couldn't agree on spending to keep the federal government running past Dec. 15, the Blue Ridge Parkway was operating with a smaller crew of rangers. Private concessions aren't staffed by government employees, but the park service can shut them down if the safety of travelers could be imperiled.
The Wagoner family, which has owned the lodge since it opened in 1963, questioned why it needed to close, considering the lodge has a protection agreement with the Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
"I thought about going to Roanoke and getting a court order," owner Ron Wagoner, Carolyn's brother, said. "But I think we'd be winning the battle and losing the war."
The lodge's 63 rooms have been booked through the holiday season for months. The staff plans to call guests two days before they are set to arrive to let them know the lodge is closed - in case Washington passes a spending bill and the lodge is allowed to reopen soon.
If not, many guests may be stuck with no place to stay at Christmastime.
The lodge had to close one weekend last month, before Congress and Clinton agreed on a temporary spending bill. Ron Wagoner said the lodge lost $40,000 that weekend.
He said his family was giving its employees cash bonuses, hoping that would help them until the lodge reopens. They also will let them use vacation time to continue drawing a paycheck.
And if the budget impasse in Washington comes to an end soon and the lodge can reopen, Ron Wagoner said it would be up and running the next day by lunch.
"We'll try to salvage as many reservations as we can."
Erick Spinner, who along with several members of his family works at the lodge, was cooking lunch Wednesday for the only diners in the place - fellow workers who hadn't left yet.
"What are you going to do now that we've shut down?" Wagoner asked him.
"I'm going to Disneyland, sir," Spinner joked.
At least, he said, he'd already finished his Christmas shopping.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff. 1. O.V. Rawlins (left) and Danny Matinby CNBplace a "closed" sign on the Peaks of Otter lodge driveway
Wednesday. 2. Erick Spinner said that closing the lodge will put him
and three other family members out of work. color. 3. Co-owner Ron
Wagoner says the lodge will be up and running by lunch the next day
if the budget impasse comes to an end soon and the lodge is allowed
to reopen.