Thursday, May 10, 2007
Tens of thousands will gather for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown over this coming weekend, when hundreds of dignitaries and performers will converge at Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement, and Anniversary Park, the main Jamestown 2007 event site and media center. The three-day event will cap a decade of planning and feature new cultural exhibits and presentations, educational forums, costumed historical interpreters, festivals, and special performances by a variety of nationally and internationally recognized artists.
As part of the commemoration events, Historic Jamestowne, jointly managed by NPS and APVA Preservation Virginia, will present a number of public programs and special events daily, besides Jamestown Settlement and Anniversary Park, both located adjacent to the park. A variety of programs will underscore the role that Jamestown played in our nation’s history and the discoveries of fresh archeological finds that present a new story on the founding of Jamestown.
The NPS is one of the many agencies working with Jamestown 2007, the umbrella organization responsible for planning and coordinating anniversary commemoration activities. The NPS Eastern Incident Management Team is part of the coordinating effort to provide support for the public events and private activities that are planned at Historic Jamestowne and to serve as liaison with the numerous agencies and organizations.
Director Bomar is expected to participate in all three days of festivities, including a dedication ceremony of the new Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center on Friday. President George Bush and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne are scheduled to visit on Sunday, the final day coinciding with the actual anniversary of the colonists’ arrival. A main component of the team’s responsibility is the special handling and security for NPS and DOI officials and a number of VIPs including Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and other state and national congressional representatives visiting the site.
Implementing and managing the closure of the Colonial Parkway, one of the Park’s main roads, to private vehicles for all three days, will require coordination and approved access for dignitary, special guests, and performers’ entry to the island, as well as food and catering businesses providing support services for public events and private gatherings. Among them will be an APVA reception of the First Families of Virginia, ancestors to the original Virginian colonists, and the Jamestown Society. In addition, the team is managing a shuttle service to transport NPS and APVA employees to and from the island. A transportation system managed by Jamestown 2007 is transporting the public to Anniversary Park by way of the restricted Colonial Parkway. NPS uniformed personnel will perform security and patrol duties along the Colonial Parkway and at the Historic Jamestowne site.
The U.S. Park Police has been significant in planning the security for the Presidential visit and will be vital in providing protection duties throughout the event and during a First Amendment demonstration activity schedule by the Black Lawyers for Justice.
A Unified Command Center is being established that will aid effective communication among two dozen or more local, state, and federal agencies, and event coordinators to ensure successful emergency response on multi-jurisdictional lands. A team member will also be part of this function.
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