Shaded campground new at Fort Getty
By Michaela Kennedy

Fort Getty Road rambles along a narrow stretch of ground, beach to the left, Fox Hill Marsh to the right. Friends chat in cars pulled into the parking area beside the sand. A kite surfer jumps waves just off the shore.

A new camping area at the town-operated Fort Getty Park, about a minute walk from the above scene, is open for guests. Last Friday, tents were set up by 6 p.m. for the first time.

Each site offers a newly-painted picnic table and a campfire ring, with plenty of shade trees to keep the camps cool on a warm, sunny evening.

"People ask if we have trees," John Vasquez, gatekeeper, said about camping visitors. He noted that the new area was the first tent location at the park with shade. Vasquez had little time to chat last Sunday morning, as he attended to lines of visitors streaming through the gate. He mentioned that no complaints were heard about the new site.

Assistant Recreation Director Cyndee Reppe stopped at the new site in the morning after her walk. "So far so good," she reported. Reppe noted the mid-summer heat, and guessed the new location would be the best site in the park. "It was really hot, but the site was all shaded," she said.

Reppe noted that no pesticides or repellants are sprayed by the recreation department, and every camper should be aware of their own protection, whenever they venture outside.

The latest reports on deer ticks, known to carry infection leading to health threats, say numbers have skyrocketed in Newport County, notably in Jamestown. "Lyme disease is debilitating, it really is," she added.

Reppe went on to suggest researching some simple household items, garlic as an example, to use as natural repellants against the critters. "With being so close to the ocean, we have to be aware of what we're putting in our environment," she advised.

Geraniol, an alcohol found in plant oils such as citronella, lemongrass and rose oil, is often used as a bug repellant, according to studies done at the University of Florida.

Found as a fragrance in personal care products and detergents, geraniol can be mixed with almond oil, another natural repellant, or water in a spray bottle.

Bill Piva, director of the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department, gave credit to the maintenance crew that cleaned up the area. Ron Parfitt, who is in charge of grounds maintenance for parks and recreation, "transformed that area" in a short time frame.

Piva said they found telephone poles to section off parking, cut a path leading to the beach, and put up a wooden fence by the road. "I envisioned a 5-year old kid come flying around the corner into the road," Piva added, noting the fence was a safety precaution.

Piva also said that feedback about the new camping spot would be evaluated by the Fort Getty Master Plan Committee at the next meeting. "We, the master plan committee, are happy to see progress made," Piva noted.

For information about reserving a camp site, call the recreation department at 423-7211. When registering, the recreation office asks that campers pick up a form to give feedback about the new site.