Update: Civil War re-enactment in Knights Ferry is back on

Update: American Civil War Association President Stephen Aguirre said the situation that threatened to cancel Civil War Days in Knights Ferry later this month has been resolved, and the event will go on as scheduled March 19-20.

The original story follows:

Before Union and Confederate soldiers can take to the battlefield for the annual Civil War re-enactment at the Knights Ferry Recreation Area, they must first settle a few issues in the parking lot with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The American Civil War Association, the nonprofit group that has organized the re-enactment for more than two decades, posted on its website last month that the event was canceled “due to new restrictions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”

On Friday, however, ACWA President Stephen Aguirre said the issue stemmed more from a “miscommunication.”

Corps spokesman Luke Burns said there are no new restrictions being imposed on the group; rather, there was a misunderstanding by a new event coordinator about the group’s responsibilities.

He said that last year the parking enforcement fell through and rangers had to take over when it began affecting traffic. He said there also was a perception by some participants that the ACWA was collecting a parking fee, rather than asking for donations.

The two issues arose during a meeting Feb. 11, in which details of a special event permit were being hammered out.

Aguirre denies donations were ever presented as a parking fee at last year’s event, but said traffic control remains a sticking point.

Aguirre said ACWA always has been responsible for telling attendees where they can find additional parking if a lot is full, and reminding them not to double-park or park in red zones. There is some confusion this year, however, about if they must also find people to direct traffic in the street, and who would be liable if an accident occurred.

The conditions of the special-event permit never were drafted because organizers at the February meeting said they would cancel the event.

“Since they decided not to do it, the document was never created,” Burns said. He could not get a copy of last year’s permit agreement Friday afternoon but said the conditions would have been the same as they were the previous years.

Essentially, Burns said, ACWA is responsible for designating people to answer questions about the event, monitor the capacity of the parking lots and offer alternate places to park, as well as assist pedestrians crossing the street between parking lots.

“I don’t understand why this year, after 27 years, there is an issue,” Burns said.

Both parties want to resolve the issue so the event, which brings some 3,000 visitors to Knights Ferry each year, proceeds as planned March 19-20. They will meet again Tuesday in an effort to come to a resolution.

“This has not been a smooth ride for us this year, but we keep investing in it because we genuinely think this is service to the community,” Aguirre said. “We all believe in preservation and propagation of American history.”

The Knights Ferry Community Club, which holds a fundraising dinner each year in conjunction with the re-enactment, will proceed regardless. The dinner will be held March 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the club.

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Update: Civil War re-enactment in Knights Ferry is back on."