THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406240225
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Stephanie Stoughton and Eric Feber
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: Medium
``I bought my tickets in the morning,'' said Downer, 29, a federal employee in Portsmouth. ``Then, on the return home, I see all these television cameras. That's when I found out.''
{REST} The following day, she went to the bridge office and asked for a refund. She was told she'd get nothing until the City Council decided what to do with the old bridge.
Not ready to give up, she called City Manager James W. Rein. He wasn't available, she said, so she finally wrote him a letter.
``Of course, they don't let you talk to him,'' Downer said. ``He's like the president.''
Rein wasn't available to respond Thursday, but his deputy, Clarence V. Cuffee, said the city is asking ticket-holders to be patient.
``People like to have cash,'' Cuffee said. ``I can understand that.''
But he said officials won't know for several weeks whether there will be a refund or more waiting. Everything depends on whether there is construction at the bridge, and a make-over depends on whether the city can find extra funding.
The city would have warned motorists about the closing if it had known in advance, said Thomas H. Westbrook, assistant director of the city Public Works Department. The Coast Guard told the city to shut down the span after it got stuck.
A public hearing is scheduled for July 18, but the city hasn't yet announced details on the meeting.
Gone but not forgotten
If you've noticed that longtime popular park ranger Gary Williamson hasn't been seen at Northwest River Park lately, there's a reason for that.
He now works at Seashore State Park in Virginia Beach.
The man who could summon night owls with a vocal hoot, who befriended snakes, who took many Chesapeake neighbors on canoe trips and night hikes and helped discover several state and national champion trees resigned his position last March.
Although he misses his colleagues and Northwest River Park's Dismal Swamp charm, the Deep Creek resident felt the time was right for some different scenery.
``I thought it was time for a change, time to move on,'' said Williamson, who has been a ranger at the park on Indian Creek Road for the past 18 years.
As soon as Williamson resigned his position he headed for the wilds of South America for a relaxing jungle trip.
``I took an eco-tour of Ecuador,'' Williamson said. ``It was a wonderful 11-day trip. We had the privilege to hear over 330 different bird species.''
Williamson also didn't expect to hear the word employment anytime soon, either.
``I wasn't actively looking for a job,'' he said. ``I thought I'd seriously start looking in the fall.''
But the park on Shore Drive had other ideas.
``They called me,'' Williamson said. ``I felt honored.''
So now he's the official park interpreter who busies himself coordinating park volunteers and helps plan and implement nature hikes, snake talks, wildlife activities, interpretive hikes and the park's children's and young people's programs.
Working at the Virginia Beach park's 2,700 acres has been somewhat of a homecoming for Williamson.
``I went to the old Virginia Beach High School,'' he said. ``I used to ride my bike down to the park. I loved it there. And in those days there weren't many people at the park. In fact, some days you couldn't find a soul.
``Now the park is the largest in the state. There are people everywhere, at all hours of the day. Even on hot days.''
by CNB