To Whom It May Concern,                                           January 9, 2009

The community in the Wake Forest area is still battling the site of the new proposed H6 High School on Forestville Road from being built for many reasons. Of course, as many of you know, the traffic issue was at the top of the list in the beginning stages of argument. Those factors have not changed. It was not until later that the discovery of a cemetery became the focus of the community and the Wake County School Board as well.

Since it's discovery and known controversy as to whom is at rest in this place on a hill, the Wake County School Board hired the Chicora Foundation after  letters were sent to the Wake County Commissioners, by the community, to have the site delineated.

Also, members in the community, upon hearing that a reputable organization had been retained by the School Board, offered to show the Chicora Foundation and the Wake County School Board the other possible burial sites that are on different parcels of the property. We also wanted to show them some very unusual carvings and etchings on some of the stones that were found.

What was offered in good faith and with the best of intentions by the community, was met with, what most would call, 'a slap in the face'. The Wake County School Board issued a 'NO Trespass' letter from Rosa Gill, to the community and never replied or acknowledged the letter referencing the other grave sites on the property. In our letter to the School Board and to the Chicora Foundation, we mentioned the unusual carvings on the head stones and the other possible cemeteries, and what is also believed to be Native American Burial Grounds. These areas of interest are nowhere near the cemetery that was studied, but yet on another portion of the property.

After speaking to several different people with Wake County Government, no one could confirm that a community has ever been trespassed from going onto a property owned by the School Board in the past, especially before construction has begun. The letter from Rosa Gill stated that the trespass was issued to protect the cemetery. If it were not for the citizens in the community, the cemetery would have been blasted out of the ground. We are the ones that wanted to protect it from the School Board.

In the report from the Chicora Foundation, (see Chicora Report, Introduction, page 1), it is mentioned, they were on an accelerated schedule with a final report due by January 2, 2009. "This very tight schedule was mandated by the school board's design and planning requirements".

Anyone that has ever studied archeology, knows it is a very time consuming science and one that should not be rushed.

It is here we find problems with the School Boards so called 'Due Diligence' process. First of all, it was the community that brought the cemetery to light, to the Board of Commissioners, even though, there was a survey tape tied in the cemetery by a surveyor, hired by the School Board.

If the School Board completed their Due Diligence Process, the cemetery would have been known, and it's location would have been mentioned. Instead, on the plans for the H6 site, a parking lot, was shown located over the cemetery. It makes one wonder how many more cemeteries lay under parking lots of Wake County Public Schools. If the School Board is working in good faith, then, why not let the citizens show them where the other burial sites are on the property, instead of trespassing them? Is it possible the School Board does not want to know where the other possible cemeteries are, so they can blast them out of the ground and move on, and not have to deal with any other obstacles that could be standing in their way? It seems in our opinion that the School Board will do whatever it takes to justify their means without regard to the moral issues involved, unless they are publicly called upon to do so.

We would like to mention in Chicora's report, that they cannot confirm nor deny the ownership of the property past 1885 belonging to Peterson Dunn. We do have some reports that indicate the tracts in question, making reference to the property as belonging to Peterson Dunn, being of one and the same.

(see attached)

Regardless, we are all in agreement that whomever is resting there should be left undisturbed. Even though, no reports can be located of the people buried there, whomever they are, and wherever they came from, remains a mystery.

Chicora stated in their report, they went back as far as 1840 and could not find any documents mentioning the cemetery.

It is possible, in our opinion with the etchings and carvings on some of the burial markers, that these people could have been here prior to the founding of this country. In the world of science, all things are possible.

(An arrowhead has been found adjacent to the H6 site and was shown to one of the State's Anthropologist, it was placed on a chart in his office and dated back to 6000BC).

There are also some plants that are on our Federal Endangered Species List that appeared to be growing on parts of the H6 site, but, with the trespass notice from Rosa Gill, we are prohibited from showing anyone where they are.

Just another point to the lack of Due Diligence by the School Board. Maybe The Federal Government can step in and take a look, we do have pictures of them and their approximate locations.

The School Board claims they want to work with the people in the community.

Given that statement, it seems that they only want to work with them, if the people in the community agree with the School Board.  

When we offered to work with them and show them what could be other burial sites on the property, we were trespassed. That is really working with the community, isn't it?

We in the community believe that our voices have been ignored. There are so many reasons this site is unsuitable for a high school.

Just once, it would be nice for the School Board to do the right thing and take a step back and look at the big picture, listen to the communities and it's people...being location, re-assignment or other issues...we need to be heard!

Attached are photos of headstones with etchings, along with sketches of what appears to be on some of the stones...time can change a lot of things.

It can make carvings, etchings and paintings fade, it however, cannot create them. Maybe you can see them, maybe you can't...some of the etchings or carvings appear African or Egyptian. All we wanted, was for someone to take a look at them.

With the School Board being several years behind schedule, on securing property for high schools in this area, they are eager to move forward regardless of what else may be on the property. If not, they wouldn't have put scientists on such a rigid time frame and rushed them through their work with a dead line, as they most surely did.

We as humans, with our innate curiosity of the past, should at least take the time to examine what will be 'forever destroyed' if development moves forward as planned. With our economy in the state it is in, I think we can afford to move a little slower. This site, with all of it's uniqueness and history and other areas of interest, should be preserved and studied and peacefully enjoyed by all.

There are solutions, and it would be in everyone best interest, to at least, consider them. There is much controversy as to where Raleigh is planning to locate a dog park, there is also a Horse Rehabilitation Center that is in need of a new location, since it is loosing the one it is presently at. Considering Heritage High is two miles away on the same road and the traffic is already in a state of chaos, it makes perfectly good sense to consider this property for those facilities.

There is no need in spending millions of dollars in blasting granite and millions of dollars in road improvements, that is not going to fix the traffic issues anyway. Take the plans for the high school and use them on another track of land that can better accommodate the traffic.

If the planned elementary school is still needed, it can still be located where it is originally sited on the property and it would not interfere with the present cemeteries.

The barns that are already on the property could remain intact, along with the pastures that are already fenced in for the Equestrian Rehab Center, that Wake County supports, and the dog park will fit perfectly between the two.

This would be good for the community, the cemeteries, the dogs, the horses and the roads. This is a solution we all would be happy to live with.

 Chicora Report
http://www.raleigh-nc.org/publications/Planning/Rezoning_Cases/2009/Z-019-09/Forest_Ridge_HS_(H6)_%20Archaeological_Study.pdf