March 27, 2005: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Wildlife: Parks: Richmond Times Dispatch: "I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions," admits Thailand RPCV Ralph White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library: Wildlife: January 23, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive: Wildlife : April 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Wildlife: Parks: Richmond Times Dispatch: RPCV Ralph White, accused of insubordination for unlocking park gates to allow paddlers and dog walkers in after hours, will be suspended for two weeks without pay : April 2, 2005: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Wildlife: Parks: WAVY: RPCV Ralph White suspended for opening locked gates : March 27, 2005: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Wildlife: Parks: Richmond Times Dispatch: "I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions," admits Thailand RPCV Ralph White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-181-108.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.181.108) on Saturday, April 02, 2005 - 9:46 pm: Edit Post

"I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions," admits Thailand RPCV Ralph White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it

I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions, admits Thailand RPCV Ralph White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it

"I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions," admits Thailand RPCV Ralph White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it

Park leader was born to be wild

MARK HOLMBERG
POINT OF VIEW

Mar 27, 2005

Mark Holmberg
Mark's column appears Sun. and Wed. Contact him at (804)649-6822 or mholmberg @timesdispatch.com

TOMORROW
IN METRO
CONTROVERSY:
Nighttime-closing policy has created confusion for frequent park users.

Ralph White, 60, looks like a naturalist from a Mark Trail comic with his snowy beard, his kindly and somewhat weather-beaten face and those owlish professor's spectacles.

He acts like it, too.

"I've pushed the envelope on a number of occasions," admits White, who has become the heart and soul, defender, liberator and -- perhaps -- emperor of Richmond's legendary James River Park System during his quarter-century relationship with it.

White's untamed streak came up during his insubordination hearing Thursday with a Richmond Recreation and Parks deputy director and a city human-resources manager.

"I'm clearly not someone who takes orders," White recalls being told. "There's a history of this, of my not following direct orders."

His latest and perhaps most serious act of disobedience was unlocking two west-side gates so nighttime birdwatchers and dog walkers could gain access to the park, which is supposed to be closed at night.

White's open rebellion came after a recent move to lock all park gates in a crackdown on nighttime park usage, be it fishing and kayaking or boozing and cruising for sex.

Tier 1 Data Center.

Come Tuesday, White will likely face some sort of discipline, ranging from reprimand to termination.

Even the former seems excessive. The latter would be seen as outrageous and unacceptable by legions of park lovers. A firestorm would certainly ensue.

When White started in 1980, the James River Park System was largely ignored except by fishermen and bottle-smashing kids and drunks.

It was against city ordinances to swim, wade, launch a boat there. There was no life-jacket law or bike trail.

"All of those got changed," White says. "Yes, they did involve pushing."

Now the park system is a nationally recognized wild-river gem, a favorite for kayakers, birders, fisherfolk, river loungers and others mighty fond of flora and fauna.

And along the way, White's reputation for having a renegade streak deepened.

It's not surprising, given that this New York City native grew up half-wild in Thailand and the Philippines. As a child, he said, "I thought I was Oriental."

He fondly remembers hunting wildflowers in the jungles with his parents and, later, starting his own wildlife preserve while in Asia with the Peace Corps.

He established a nature center in Thailand -- it still exists today -- with the help of a disparate group of international volunteers.

Humans, regardless of origin, do best while enjoying a harmonious relationship with nature, he believes. "If it's good for them [plants and animals], as it turns out, it's good for you."

That has been White's guide in life.

"I believe in getting things done," he said.

So when park-loving people were being unfairly locked out, he acted.

Two years ago, at the end of a two-decade push for the bicycle trail on Riverside Drive, he grew tired of not having signs for bike crossings and reduced speed limits on the winding road. So he posted his own, even though the road is not park property.

"At times, he can be a little overzealous, but his heart is in the right place," says White's former boss, Sheila Hill-Christian, who now heads the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

White is "wonderfully committed" to the park system, Hill-Christian added, and has been a huge positive for Richmond.

Indeed. Even while embroiled in the worst tempest of his career, White has been using his microphone time to talk about the size, the scope and the wonders of the 11-park system and the river that runs through it.

"It's the feature that defines being a Richmonder," he said after his Thursday hearing. "It's what defines us as being different and better than the surrounding counties and other cities."

Over the years, he earned a reputation for promoting the park, not himself. He would call The Times-Dispatch whenever there was a special event in one of the parks, or when a story about a riverside location failed to mention that it was part of the city's park system.

Now, with his reputation on the line, all White asks is that his wild streak be judged by "what the end result was. . . .

"If I'm only a muckraker, only causing trouble, you should get rid of me."

But if his actions have prompted pro-park, people-positive responses by a city that can be a little slow on the uptake, "then maybe that's good," he said.

"Somebody needs to be on the cutting edge," White said. "Somebody needs to be pushing for change."

In the case of the locked gates, we see a one-size-fits-all policy for complex crime and behavior problems that afflict different park locations to varying degrees.

Surely there's a solution out there somewhere, one that will balance park use against park abuse, one that will harmonize human safety with the freedom and the need -- to enjoy nature, day and night.

Ralph White, the park's manager and Richmond's own Mark Trail, should be at the center of that solution -- not the focus of the controversy.

Contact Mark Holmberg at (804) 649-6822 or mholmberg@timesdispatch.com





When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

The Peace Corps Library Date: March 27 2005 No: 536 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand Date: March 20 2005 No: 530 Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand
After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

This Month's Feature Stories - only on PCOL Date: March 27 2005 No: 537 This Month's Feature Stories - only on PCOL
Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years
The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay
Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil
RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years
RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo
Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets


March 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: March 26 2005 No: 532 March 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
PCVs in Kyrgyz Republic Are Safe 25 Mar
The Coyne Column: A Good Friday Message 25 Mar
Frederic Zenhausern developing "biometric bodysuits" 24 Mar
Robert Blackwill calls for US co-operation with India 23 Mar
Margaret Krome promotes alternate crops 23 Mar
Al Kamen says allies disappointed in World Bank 23 Mar
Ambassador Randall L. Tobias speaks at PC 22 Mar
Becky Binns helps organize 30-hour fast 22 Mar
Fred Poses meets with Vice-Premier in China 22 Mar
John Hoff unionizes substitute teachers in Hawaii 21 Mar
Bill Moyers takes time to "sit and vegetate" 21 Mar
Tony Hall says Ethiopia may need more food aid 21 Mar
Taylor Hackford's 'Ray' wins four NAACP Image Awards 21 Mar
PCV seeks tap shoes for students in Moldova 20 Mar
Adam Donaldson learns to believe in Baltimore 20 Mar
Allen Andersson builds libraries in Central America 19 Mar
Senator Sarbanes' quiet leadership will be missed 15 Mar

March 26, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News Date: March 26 2005 No: 534 March 26, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News
Houston RPCVs sponsor "Around the World in a Day"on April 6 25 Mar
Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar
Vasquez to visit DePaul University on April 6 22 Mar
New Jersey RPCVs host exhibit in Maplewood on April 2 20 Mar
Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar
Connecticut RPCVs held fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar
RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC Date: March 5 2005 No: 482 RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC
RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Date: March 13 2005 No: 489 Add your info now to the RPCV Directory
Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

March 1: National Day of Action Date: February 28 2005 No: 471 March 1: National Day of Action
Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.
Make a call for the Peace Corps Date: February 19 2005 No: 453 Make a call for the Peace Corps
PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Richmond Times Dispatch

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Thailand; Wildlife; Parks

PCOL18049
80

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: