NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, January 8, 2001

INCIDENTS

93-179 - Grand Canyon (AZ) - Follow-up: Homicide

On December 27th, R.S., 68, of Grand Junction, Colorado, 
pled guilty in federal district court in Phoenix to the first degree 
murder of Donna R.S. at the Grand Canyon. On April 11, 1993, Donna 
R.S. reportedly fell to her death when she walked backwards over 
the canyon rim at Horseshoe Mesa while her husband was setting up a 
tripod to take a picture. The incident was ruled an accident, but a 
review of the case last year led to R.S.'s arrest and arraignment. 
R.S. admitted in his plea that he wasn't happy in his marriage and 
that he planned her death in advance, making up his mind at some point 
on the morning of April 11th while hiking in the park. When they 
reached a steep section of the Page Springs trail off Horseshoe Mesa, 
he pushed her off the trail to her death. R.S. said that he knew 
there was no place above that point on the trail where he could be 
certain that a push off the trail would kill her. As part of his plea, 
R.S. also admitted to the 1978 Colorado killing of his prior wife, 
N., and their two children. He said that he had lured his wife into 
the basement of the house around Christmas, saying he had a "surprise" 
for her. R.S. had her sit in a chair and close her eyes, then shot 
her. He then went upstairs and shot both his children while they were 
sleeping in bed. The boy did not die right away, so he suffocated him 
with a pillow. R.S. was able to mask the incident as a double 
murder-suicide by typing a note in the days before the murders and 
tricking his wife into signing it as though it was a Christmas card to 
be mailed out. This serial murder investigation was spearheaded by NPS 
special agent Beverly Perry of the park's Branch of Law Enforcement 
Services, in close cooperation with other NPS agents and investigators 
from the FBI, the Arapaho County Sheriffs Department, and the United 
States Attorney's Office in Phoenix. [Branch of Law Enforcement, GRCA, 
1/5]

00-761 - Cape Cod NS (MA) - Follow-up: Suicide

On December 20th, ranger Andy Fisher attempted to help a 39-year-old 
Worcester man get his stuck four-by-four vehicle out of soft sand near 
Province Lands Road. When he asked the driver for his license and 
registration, the man reached across to the passenger seat and 
retrieved a semi-automatic pistol from under some articles on the 
seat. As Fisher took cover and called for backup, the man shot 
himself. It has since been determined that the victim worked for the 
Worcester County Sheriffs Office as a jailer, that he had a history of 
personal problems and depression, and that he was evidently having 
difficulty at work. Most of his family lived on Cape Cod, not far from 
the park. The park extends its sincere thanks for all the calls and 
emails from around the NPS offering support to Andy for what he went 
through. [Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 1/4]

00-779 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Sewage Spill Investigation

A cleaning and video inspection of a sewer line from Yosemite Valley 
to the wastewater treatment plant in El Portal has confirmed that the 
spill that occurred last July 27th was the result of an intentional 
act. The test showed that there were no areas of collapse that could 
have been the source of the large rocks that caused the blockage and 
spill. This test confirmed the previous suspicion that the spill 
stemmed from rocks placed purposely in the sewer line. The park is 
offering a $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and 
conviction of the person or persons who sabotaged the line. There's 
also a $500 reward for information helpful in determining who did it. 
An arrest is not required to collect this money. Confidentiality will 
be maintained. The contact is special agent Doug Roe (209-372-0614). 
[Media Relations Office, YOSE, 1/3]

01-004 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Rescue

On January 4th, B.M., 23, of Boulder, Colorado, lost control 
of his descent while boot-skiing down Lambs Slide near Longs Peak. 
B.M. slid 300 feet before striking a rock and sustaining a compound 
fracture to his right tibia and fibula. An attempted helicopter 
evacuation was unsuccessful due to high winds. This necessitated a 
five-mile carryout by a 34-person rescue team comprised of park staff, 
Larimer County SAR volunteers, and Colorado Mountain School guides. 
B.M. was transferred to an ambulance at the trailhead around 1 a.m. 
Lambs Slide is an 800-foot, 70-degree-slope snow and ice field named 
for Reverend Elkanah Lamb. In August, 1871, Lamb attempted an 
uncharted descent down the east face of Longs Peak and had an 
experience similar to B.M.'s. Although Lamb was able to arrest his 
fall and therefore was uninjured, he later wrote about his harrowing 
experience: "Quicker than I can tell it, my hands failed to hold, my 
feet slipped, and down I went with almost an arrow's rapidity. An 
eternity of thought, of life, death, wife and home, concentrated in my 
mind in those two seconds." [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 1/5]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

No new information. Please check the NPS Fire Management Program 
Center web page (www.fire.nps.gov) for further information on fire 
plan projects.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Uniform History - Bryce Workman's four volumes on the history of the 
NPS uniform and insignia are now available on the Service's park 
history web site. These four volumes, now in short supply, provide 
invaluable information on the evolution of the NPS uniform. The four 
volumes are: "Badges and Insignia, 1894-1991," In Search Of An 
Identity, 1872-1920," Ironing Out the Wrinkles, 1920-1932," and 
"Breeches, Blouses and Skirts, 1918-1991." They can be found at 
www.cr.nps.gov/history. [Dwight Pitcaithley, NRHE/WASO]

Criminal Investigators' Conference Information - There has evidently 
been some confusion abroad regarding this year's criminal 
investigators' conference at FLETC. In the past, there's been 
sufficient class space to accommodate all special agents and regional 
and park law enforcement specialists, so the formal application 
process was waived. This year, though, the class size is limited to 
48. The course was announced through the standard Learning Place 
bulletin board system, which necessitates that all prospective 
attendees submit applications through their respective regional 
training officers. The course closes on January 9th. At that time, 
each regional will provide FLETC with a priority list of candidates. 
Send/fax your application to your regional training officer ASAP. [Tom 
Cherry, FLETC]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

NOTE: Since so many of the entries for this section pertain to job 
openings, the following seems worthy of wide dissemination (courtesy 
of the Midwest Region's newsletter).  OPM has introduced a new 
service, called "USAJOBS by Email," which allows federal job seekers 
to customize their search for federal jobs via email. This will permit 
users to focus their job searches on up to three different job 
categories and receive current job openings via email. In addition, 
each time a new job is posted that meets their specific search 
criteria, it sends an email notification with a link directly to the 
vacancy announcement. Individuals may register for the service at 
http://www.USAJOBS.opm.gov. Click on "USAJOBS by Email."  You will be 
asked to provide your name, email address, and search criteria.  Job 
seekers are advised to contact agency human resource offices for 
information on specific jobs and to access OPM's web site at 
http://www.opm.gov for general information and program updates.

Glacier NP (MT) - Bruce Fladmark, a third generation NPS employee, 
retired on January 2nd.  Bruce had served as the park's cultural 
resource management specialist since 1991, but had worked at Glacier 
since 1980.  Bruce's other assignments included park manager at 
Guadalupe Mountains (1976-80), Carlsbad Caverns (74-76), Arkansas Post 
(72-74), Hubbell Trading Post (71-72), Bryce Canyon (69-71) and 
seasonal appointments in Yosemite (62, 63 and 68).  Bruce also lived 
in Glacier between 1945 and 1957 while his father, Elmer, served as 
chief ranger.  Bruce's grandfather worked seasonally at Glacier 
between 1927 and 1929.  A retirement luncheon will be held on 
Thursday, January 18th, at the Belton Chalet in West Glacier. The cost 
of the meal is $10 and RSVP's should be called into the chief 
naturalist's office (406-888-7929) by January 10th. Cards, notes, 
letters and well wishes are welcomed and should be received by January 
16th.  Send them to: Chief Naturalist, Glacier NP, Box 128, West 
Glacier, MT 59936. [Larry Frederick, GLAC]

Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Three rangers with a combined 73 years of 
service at the park and nearly 90 years of total government service 
retired last week - Boulder Basin DR Steve Drolet, SA Gary Sebade, and 
Canyon DR Bill Sherman. Steve spent his entire 24-years NPS career at 
Lake Mead. Gary worked in the park almost as long. His career began as 
a seasonal at Badlands, Mt. Rushmore and Ozarks before he moved to 
Lake Mead, working there as a seasonal before becoming a permanent in 
1977. Bill joined the NPS in 1969. His 33 years included tours at Glen 
Canyon, National Capital Parks, Everglades and Delaware Water Gap 
before he settled in at Lake Mead, also in 1977. The park has paid 
this tribute to them: "They are superb examples of the kind of 
outstanding person that becomes and stays a National Park Service 
ranger. These men have touched the lives of literally millions of 
visitors and are well known outside the park as well. Replacing them 
will be difficult but not impossible, because they - like other senior 
park rangers - set tough standards for their subordinates, the people 
who will step forward to take their places. We will miss them, their 
professionalism and camaraderie." A farewell party will be held at the 
Elks Club in Boulder City on Saturday, January 27th. Good wishes, 
photos, gifts, funny stories and memorabilia can be sent to Tim 
Simonds; call him at 702-293-8963 or mail the items to him at Lake 
Mead NRA, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005. If you intend to 
come to the party from out of town, please call Tim or chief ranger 
Dale Antonich (702-293-8972). (Berton Byers, LAME)

National Capital Parks Central (DC) - Donna Donaldson, the park's 
chief of visitor services, will retire on January 31st. Her retirement 
reception will be held in the Sky Room at the Washington Hotel on 
Pennsylvania Avenue at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30th. The cost is 
$25. Please make your reservations by calling Tonya Robinson at 
202-485-9875. Memories, messages, photos and anecdotes may be sent to 
Robert Fudge at NCP-Central, 900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20024. 
[Robert Fudge, NCP)

Appomattox Court House NHP (VA) - Historian Ronald "Curly" Wilson is 
retiring after over 35 years of government service. He's been the 
historian at Appomattox since 1975; prior to that, he worked at 
Lincoln Boyhood Home, Allegheny Portage Railroad, and Gettysburg. 
There will be a retirement dinner at 7 p.m. on February 9th at Jenny's 
Restaurant. The MC will be former NPS chief historian Ed Bearrs. If 
you're interested in attending or sharing stories or photos of Ron, 
please contact Joe Williams at 804-352-8987 x25 or via cc:Mail. 
[Connie Moody, APCO]

Castillo de San Marcos NM/Fort Matanzas NM (FL) - Chuck Dale, who has 
been the chief ranger for the two sites for the past eight years, 
retired on January 2nd. Chuck has 31 years of federal service, and 
worked at a number of parks, including Virgin Islands, Ozark, Isle 
Royale, Shenandoah, and Manassas. He was a distinguished graduate of 
FLETC. He and his wife Patti will continue to make their home in St. 
Augustine.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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