48th Chickamauga Chase remembering

July 16, 2015

Editor’s Note: Chickamauga Chase Race Director George Skonberg wrote this article for the Chattanooga Track Club magazine.  The Friends appreciate all George and the Track Club do each year to make the Chase such a great running event.  This year's race is especially meaningful as it is honoring the servicemen and women of Chattanooga's Navy & Marine Corps Reserve Center and the Armed Forces Career Center and remembering those servicemen who lost their lives on July 16, 2015. 

We hope that you will join us on April 16th for the 48th running of The Chickamauga Chase.  I think you will agree that this year's event will be special in deeply meaningful way. We have invited all members of the Navy & Marine Corps Reserve Center and the Armed Forces Career Center in Chattanooga - and their immediate family members, to participate in The Chickamauga Chase as our guests (complimentary entry, no fees).  

Our invitation is simple and without strings.  We simply want to honor and show our respect to our servicemen, women and their families - and offer a simple memorial to those that lost their lives last summer.   The idea began when I read the article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press about the Marines from Mike Battery following the attacks, making a retreat and pilgrimage to the M Battery monument at the Chickamauga Battlefield.  The Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park was established in 1890 as our country's first national military park, commemorating the sacrifices and heroism of Civil War soldiers.  It has often been written that the dedication of the Park brought much needed closure of the tragedy of war to many veterans of the battle. In the words of former Union General William Rosecrans, "It took great men to win that battle, but it takes greater men still to wipe away all the ill feeling which naturally grows out of such conflict." I was moved to see in that photo, the same search for closure from the Marines from Mike Battery.  The 14th Corps, Ohio, Battery M monument serves to anchor this year's artwork, and we memorialize the sacrifice of the five servicemen who were lost on July 16th, 2015. We have no idea how many will avail themselves of our invitation, but deeply hope that you will do your part to be there as a tribute.  The Chase needs your support to make this work.  Please, please, try to help us.

Last year we reintroduced the Trail Race to the event.  Our inaugural year in 2013 was successful, but we had some logistical and planning issues to work out before we were able to continue with this option.  With the great help from Randy Whorton and Wild Trails, we were back in operation in 2015, and hope to continue to offer this option going forward.  The Trail Race is approximately 8 miles, and offers seasoned trail runners and novices alike a great venue.  There are some slight technical stretches and occasional boggy sections – but for the most part the course is easy to moderate with predominantly good footing and no significant elevation gain.  Give it a try!

Wet weather during race week over the past few years has forced us to use off-park parking areas and shuttle buses.  We don't like this any more than you do, but please be assured the process is well planned and orderly (thank you Rick Loggins!).  If wet conditions preclude us from parking at the recreation field in the park, you will be directed to Oakwood Baptist Church just south of the race location and be shuttled to the staging area.   It is hassle free, and our permit from the National Park Service requires this contingency.  Please don’t let this keep you away.

As always, the net proceeds from The Chickamauga Chase go to the Friends of Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military, a not for profit organization that helps to preserve, enhance, and promote the Park in perpetuity. Please visitwww.friendsofchch.org or www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm.

Please visit our www.chickamaugachase.com  for complete details, or refer to a race brochure for general information.  Special thanks for years of generous support from our presenting sponsor, Chattem's Icy Hot, and supporting sponsor UBS. If you have any registration questions contact Rita Fanning at ritafanning@mindspring.com  or 423-309-1278, or race director George Skonberg at george.skonberg@ubs.com or 423-757-7633.

December 2015 newsletter

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Friends of the Park Announce Find Your Park Signage Project

Funding provided through the NPS Centennial Challenge Program

Fort Oglethorpe, GA:  The National Park Service has announced $15 million in support of 69 projects in 63 parks, including $24,500 at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to replace outdated entrance signs at 12 major areas of the national park in Georgia and Tennessee, and to build a new primary entrance sign designed for group photographs.  The funding will be matched with $49,200 from the Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP.

Funding for the project is provided through the National Park Service’s Centennial Challenge Program to leverage partnerships to improve visitor services, support outreach to new audiences, and reinvigorate national parks while foraging connections with communities.  Congress provided $15 million for the Centennial Challenge projects, which will be matched by almost $33 million more from more than 90 park partners.  The 69 projects total almost $48 million and are located at 63 parks in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the U. S. Virgin Islands.

“As the National Park Service enters its centennial year in 2016, Congress and generous partners across the country are making exceptional investments to improve park facilities, enhance their accessibility and help more visitors – especially young people – discover our nation’s inspiring places and stories,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Superintendent Brad Bennett is pleased to be able to implement this project:  “This private-public partnership project will help the park replace several damaged and outdated signs while providing a fresh welcome to the public during the 100^th anniversary celebration of the National Park Service. With the support of the Friends, we invite local residents and visitors to discover and experience the many special places throughout this national park – from Chickamauga Battlefield to Lookout Mountain Battlefield, from Signal Point to Orchard Knob, and from Missionary Ridge to Moccasin Bend.”

Friends of the Park president Anthony Hodges said, "During the Centennial of the National Park Service, the Friends of the Park are pleased to assist with placing new signs at many of the units of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and to create a photo-worthy entrance in front of the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center."  President Hodges noted that this project is being funded through a generous gift from the estate of Shawn Johns who volunteered as a living historian in the national park for many years. Hodges continued, "Mr. Johns enjoyed sharing the stories of the soldiers who fought at Chickamauga and Chattanooga with visitors, and because of his gift, the Friends can assist the park in improving entrances to welcome the next generation of visitors."   

The signs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park have marked the way for visitors for many years.  In this Centennial year visitors will truly be able to find their park and the many units associated throughout the area.  In addition, a marquee sign will be produced and will serve as a great place to take photos as a lasting reminder of your park experience.

(CHCH press release 2-3-2016)

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Superintendent Cathy Cook announces that a general management planning effort focused on Lookout Mountain Battlefield is now underway. The planning effort will amend the 1988 General Management Plan to provide guidance for making informed decisions about the future of park resource conditions and visitor experiences within the Lookout Mountain
Battlefield unit of the park.

The National Park Service has developed two preliminary alternative management concepts for the battlefield for public review, comment, suggestions, and advice. The preliminary alternatives and proposed changes to management zoning for Lookout Mountain can be viewed at: www.parkplanning.nps.gov/chch. Comments can be submitted electronically through the website between February 8 and April 8, 2013.

The park will host an open house on February 28, 2013 between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the St. Elmo Fire Hall: 4501 St. Elmo Avenue, Chattanooga TN. The purpose of the open house is for the National Park Service to describe alternatives and hear your ideas, concerns and thoughts about this special place. 
Formal presentations will be at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Comment forms will be available at the open house.

www.nps.gov

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National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work
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