NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, December 17, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-758 - Delaware and Lehigh NHC (PA) - Death of Employee

Gerald Bastoni, the executive director of the Delaware and Lehigh National
Heritage Corridor, died suddenly of an apparent heart attack on December 7th. 
Gerry had been director since February, 1996; he was a strong supporter of
the National Park Service and maintained a close relationship with parks
throughout the Northeast.  He is survived by his wife and three young
children.  Condolences may be sent to the family;
contributions may be made in his name to either a
memorial fund at The Wildlands Conservancy, 601 Orchid Place, Emmaus, PA
18049 or to a memorial fund for the benefit of his children at Summit Bank,
One Bethlehem Plaza, Bethlehem, PA 18018.  [Dave Herrera, Assistant
Superintendent, DEWA, 12/16]

98-759 - Canyonlands NP (UT) - Assist; Life Saved

District ranger Glenn Sherrill and his family were returning to the Hans Flat
ranger station around 7 p.m. on the evening of December 9th when they came
upon a pickup off on the side of the 47-mile-long dirt road that runs from
the paved state highway to Hans Flat.  The truck was about 15 feet from the
road and had a turn signal activated.  Sherrill stopped to investigate; he
found that the truck had gone off the road and rolled over, and that the
occupant - a local, 73-year-old rancher - could not move.  The rancher told
Sherrill that he thought his neck was broken, that the accident had occurred
about four hours previously, and that the Sherrills were the first people to
drive by since the accident.  The temperature at the time was in the low 20s. 
Sherrill and his wife A. provided blankets to keep the rancher warm and
assured that he had a clear airway, then summoned assistance by radio.  It
took about 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from Hanksville, the nearest
community.  The rancher was taken to Greenriver, then flown to Grand
Junction, where it was determined that he'd fractured two cervical vertebrae.
His spinal cord was not severed but is badly damaged, and he is presently
paralyzed from the neck down.  Prognosis for recovery is not good.  The seat
belt available to the rancher was not utilized.  It's very probable that no
one drove down the road after the Sherrills, and that the rancher would
certainly succumbed to the elements and/or his injuries if Glenn and A.
Sherrill had not intervened.  [Larry Van Slyke, CR, CANY, 12/15]

98-760 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Narcotic Seizures and Arrests

During the two-week period between November 30th and December 12th, an
interagency BANN (Border Anti-Narcotics Network) drug task force operation
along the southern Arizona border resulted in a record number of arrests and
seizures.  The operation involved about 30 rangers, officers and agents from
the National Park Service, Customs, Pima County sheriff's office and the
Tohono O'odham police department.  Rangers Jolene Johnson and Jon Young
participated from the NPS.  The operation resulted in the arrest of 23 people
and the seizure of 9,469 pounds of marijuana, over two pounds of cocaine, 14
grams of heroin, 17 vehicles, two horses, and about $2,300 in cash. Other
Organ Pipe rangers assisted with surveillance, monitoring of land sensors,
and overflights of park lands.  Most of the seizures occurred on reservation
lands located just west of the park's boundary.  The United States will be
prosecuting all cases stemming from the operation.  [Aniceto L. Olais, CR,
ORPI, 12/14]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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