
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995                   TAG: 9511170078
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PARKWAY OPEN, BUT INNS OUT

The Blue Ridge Parkway will remain open despite the government shutdown, but all public concessions and campgrounds were ordered closed as of 6 p.m. tonight.

The Peaks of Otter Lodge, Otter Creek Campground, the Folk Art Center outside of Asheville and Mount Pisgah Inn will shut down until further notice, by order of the deputy director of the National Park Service.

"I'm just aghast at the whole thing," said Don Humphreys, general manager of the Peaks of Otter Lodge. "It just blows my mind."

Because the lodge is a private enterprise and gets no money from the federal government, Humphreys figured it would be spared. As of Thursday afternoon, he had not received official word. The lodge will be open for breakfast and lunch today.

This is normally a slow time of year for the lodge, but workers planned to be open for Thanksgiving dinner. Federal employees hope the shutdown is over before then.

Sections of the parkway are closed because of problems resulting from bad weather, dispatcher Sherry Osteen said.

Humphreys promised that as soon as the Peaks of Otter Lodge gets word it can reopen, the doors will be open "at 7:30 the next morning."

by CNB