NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
   
   
   To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
   
   From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
   
   Day/Date:   Wednesday, January 26, 2000
   
   ALMANAC
   
   On this day in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation 
   establishing Rocky Mountain National Park in the Colorado Rockies.
   
   INCIDENTS
   
   00-007 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Follow-up: Demonstration
   
   On January 6th, the park issued a special use permit to Carpenter's Local 
   20 for First Amendment activity at Fort Wadsworth. At issue is a 
   construction contract with the Army Reserve, which owns property within 
   park boundaries. The permit went into effect on January 11th and expired 
   on the 18th. The union asked for another permit and was given a second 
   week-long First Amendment special use permit, once again for the fort's 
   back gate. Demonstrators appeared at the front gate, though, and were met 
   by rangers and Park Police officers. Protest organizers took their 
   inflatable rat (see "Operational Notes" below) and moved from NPS property 
   to a site owned by the city of New York. No further incidents have since 
   occurred. [Marty O'Toole, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 1/25]
   
   00-015 - Eastern Areas - Winter Storm Impacts
   
   The winter storm that swung through the South, then strengthened and 
   surprised much of the East Coast yesterday, affected offices and parks 
   throughout the area:
   
   o     Jean Lafitte NHP&P (LA) - A freak hail storm descended on the 
         greater New Orleans area on the evening of January 23rd. It lasted 
         only five minutes, but produced winds up to 55 mph and dropped 
         marble- to plum-sized hail. The visitor center in the French Quarter 
         was hard hit, with 18 broken windows, 25 to 30 broken roof tiles, 
         and considerable damage to landscape plantings. Two GSA vehicles 
         parked at the site also suffered extensive body damage, but remain 
         serviceable. There was a good deal of wind blown debris but no 
         property damage at Chalmette. The visitor center in the French 
         Quarter was closed to the public on January 24th so that the 
         building could be safely cleaned and repaired; it reopened 
         yesterday. Chalmette was not closed.
   
   o     Little River Canyon NRA (AL) - The park was struck by a massive ice 
         storm on January 22nd, reportedly the worst in the area since the 
         1960's. All park roads are closed due to downed trees. Hundreds of 
         thousands of residents were without power at the time of the report, 
         including many park employees. Park and state crews started working 
         Monday to clear roads. Park headquarters and the ranger station now 
         have power and phones. Additional snow and ice are predicted for 
         late Thursday and Friday.
   
   o     Guilford Courthouse NMP (NC) - A single-vehicle accident was 
         discovered on Old Battleground Road on the park's north boundary 
         just before 3 a.m. on January 23rd. A 1997 Chevy Blazer left the 
         road and struck a large tree before traveling down an embankment 
         into the boundary fence. The driver, 28-year-old Jonathan West of 
         Greensboro, was killed. Roads were covered with snow and ice from 
         the storm at the time.
   
   o     Richmond NBP/Maggie Walker NHS (VA) - The park closed for the day on 
         Tuesday, along with most everything else in the Richmond area, 
         including the airport, schools and businesses. 
   
   o     Colonial NHP (VA) - Both the Yorktown and Jamestown units were 
         closed yesterday due to a combination of heavy sleet and blowing 
         snow, with winds gusting to gale force. All schools and public 
         offices in the area were closed. Crews were attempting to keep the 
         parkway passable for traffic.
   
   o     Washington Office - A foot or more of snow fell on the D.C.          
         metropolitan area yesterday, and all federal offices closed for the 
         day. 
   
   Short summaries from other parks affected by this storm would be 
   appreciated and will appear tomorrow.  [Jim Carson, CR, JELA, 1/25; CRO, 
   LIRI, 1/25; Steve Ware, CVS, GUCO, 1/25; Dave Barna, WASO, 1/25; Cindy 
   MacLeod,  Superintendent, RICH/MAWA, 1/25; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 1/25]
   
   CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
   
   No submissions.
   
   OPERATIONAL NOTES
   
   Clarification - The first report on the demonstration at Fort Wadsworth 
   noted that the demonstrators brought "an 18-foot inflatable rat" with 
   them. That prompted several reader queries. Could it be that they actually 
   meant "raft"? The fort is near the water, so it seemed possible that the 
   demonstrators meant to storm the battlements from the sea if all else 
   failed. Not so - it was/is a big, inflatable rat, presumably meant to 
   characterize the demonstrators' opinions of the management of the 
   construction company being protested. Efforts to obtain a digital photo of 
   the rat for dissemination to skeptical readers have so far been fruitless, 
   as the rat has proven elusive. We will continue our efforts in the 
   interest of keeping you informed and abreast of the latest, 
   state-of-the-art demonstration technology.
   
   MEMORANDA
   
   No submissions.
   
   INTERCHANGE
   
   No submissions.
   
   PARKS AND PEOPLE
   
   No submissions.
   
                                 *  *  *  *  *
   
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   park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address 
   requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub 
   coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on the web at 
   http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
   
   Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation 
   and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
   
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