(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - When hardworking and good people of Ketchikan learned that their popular Ward Lake recreational area had been closed due to the government shutdown created by our leaders in Washington, D.C., a peaceful protest was organized to reopen the area to the public.

One of the organizers, Jim Lewis of Ketchikan, said this idea started when he heard about a barricade that was put up Tuesday blocking access to Ward Lake area. Lewis said a conversation started on Facebook about the closure and it was mentioned that some people should get together. A time to meet at Ward Lake for a peaceful protest was posted by Lewis on his Facebook page on Tuesday asking people to share the information about the closure and to share the information about the peaceful protest.

Land of the Free, Because of the Brave:
Holding the sign is Judy Hendricks, standing next to her is Ray Hendricks.
Photograph by Jim Lewis ©2013

Lewis said co-organizer Kelly Spencer created an event page on Facebook encouraging folks to participate in a peaceful gathering Wednesday afternoon at Ward Lake. Lewis said he stressed no destruction, altering or moving of Federal property would be happening and that the gathering was only going to be peaceful. The local U.S. Government employees were only doing their jobs, said Lewis.

Lewis said the barricade that was put up on Tuesday, October 1, was removed before the peaceful protest was scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon. Lewis said he observed a Forest Service Officer and a plain clothes person loading up the the barricade into the officer's truck Wednesday at around 1:00 pm thus reopening the area.

Some of the folks participating in the Ward Lake peaceful protest...
Photograph by Jim Lewis ©2013

With the area opened before the peaceful gathering, Lewis said there were still numerous people who did attend the peaceful gathering. Some stayed, while others drove through the area making brief turn-arounds and leaving. Lewis said there were as many as a group numbering in the twenties gathered at any one time and he counted a total of sixty participating before the gathering ended.

"I counted 60 people although not all at one time," said Lewis. "It was a beautiful day and a lot of the people went for a walk." He said, "It was a great event."

Judy Hendricks holds a sign reading: "When injustice becomes
Law, Resistance becomes Duty...
Photograph by Jim Lewis ©2013

Lewis thanked the Ketchikan community for their support in getting Ward Lake re-opened. He encouraged users to be sure to take any trash back out and to please help keep the Ward Lake area clean and "show that we can be good stewards". Lewis said, "A lot of people are involved by this shut-down and don't need extra work when they get back, which will hopefully be soon."

Lewis said the effort was worth the endeavor because people came together to accomplish reopening this important recreational area. He said the Ward Lake recreational area, located close to Ketchikan, is an important resource for a lot of local people in so many ways.

The goal of the peaceful gathering was to ensure Ward Lake was reopened and that goal was accomplished. Public access to the lake is now open; however, the public restrooms are still closed as there is no one to clean and service them.

Ward Lake is located about six miles north of Ketchikan in the Tongass National Forest. Ownership and management is by the USDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan-Misty Ranger District.

No Forest Service officials were available for comment.

Related Information:

Ward Lake At a Glance
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/specialplaces/?cid=fsbdev2_038706

SitNews ©2013
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.