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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, January 22, 2001
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 06:09:21 -0500
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, January 22, 2001
INCIDENTS
99-731 - Kaloko-Honokohau (HI) - Follow-up: Murder of Park Ranger
F.B., the suspect in the murder of ranger Steve
Makuakane-Jarrell, was arraigned in federal court in Honolulu on
January 19th. He entered a plea of not guily. The trial is set to
begin on October 16th. [Scott Hinson, SA, YOSE, 1/20]
01-002 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Follow-up: Second Attempted Arson
For the second time in three weeks, the ranger/resources office, home
of the park's 24-hour dispatch center, has been hit by an arsonist.
Boulder City FD received a report of a fire at that location at 8:45
p.m. on January 18th. A quick investigation of the scene was conducted
by NPS fire and law enforcement personnel before the fire was
suppressed; although no evidence was found, the strong odor of an
accelerant was detected. Samples were taken and will be sent to ATF
for correlation with those taken in the previous incident. An Eagle
Scout in the chief ranger's Boy Scout troop subsequently reported that
he'd given a friend a ride that evening, and that she had told him
that her boyfriend had been talking with two friend about the fire.
She got scared and left and was walking home when he picked her up.
The information supplied by the scout led to the arrest of one person
on unrelated warrants and follow-up reports on two others whose
families are "Constitutionalists" - a faction that doesn't recognize
federal authority in many arenas. The investigation continues. [Dale
Antonich, CR, DEVA, 1/19]
01-015 - Prince William FP (VA) - Suicide
A state trooper who stopped to check on a vehicle near park
headquarters on the afternoon of January 11th discovered the body of a
45-year-old man inside. He had died from a self-inflicted gunshot
wound. A receipt found in the vehicle revealed that he'd purchased the
weapon only three hours earlier at a store in Woodbridge, Virginia.
The victim's mother found a suicide note at home. He had a history of
previous threats of suicide. [George Liffert, Acting CR, PRWI, 1/18]
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
Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Bighorn Sheep
The status of the park's bighorn sheep population has been a concern
of park staff for a number of years. Over the winter of 1993/94, an
outbreak of pneumonia, complicated by lungworm, decimated between 25%
and 50% of the population. Rangers have actively assisted resource
managers in census counts and other monitoring activity as the
population attempts to recover. Lamb production has been relatively
good, but first year survival rates have been poor for unknown
reasons. The gene pool was potentially impacted by the recent deaths
of two mature rams. The rams, both from the Mummy Range herd, were
found with their horns locked together. It appears that the rams
locked horns during a jousting episode and fell into a rock crevasse
along a ledge system, then died, still locked together. Rangers
utilized technical rescue skills to extract the two rams for biopsy
examinations. [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO]
INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No submissions.
MEMORANDA
"Thank You," signed by Director Stanton and sent to all employees on
January 19th, his last day as director (Deny Galvin is acting in his
stead until a new director is appointed):
"As I prepare to leave office, I want to take this opportunity to
thank each of you for your dedicated service to the National Park
Service and to our nation.
"I ask that you take care of yourselves, take care of the precious
resources and program which the American people have entrusted to your
stewardship, take care of each other, and finally, take care of and
support our young people.
"One of our greatest accomplishments, as a nation, it seems to me, is
that we have come to recognize that our legacy is about learning and
teaching, helping our youth find a better life and a better place
because we have been here. You indeed are contributing to the quality
of life for this and future generations, and for that I again say
thank you - I'm proud to be a part of you - you a part of me.
"I wish you the very best for your continued success."
INTERCHANGE
WASO (DC) - The American Indian Liaison Office is trying to identify
the first American Indian ranger. Francis X. Guardipee, who was the
first American Indian ranger at Glacier NP (1933-1947) might qualify,
but there may have been others before him. If you can provide
additional information, please contact Ronnie Emery at 202-208-5732 or
via cc:Mail. [Ronnie Emery, Historian, AILO/WASO]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Columbia Cascades SO (Washington) - Chuck Odegaard, retired NPS
regional director at both Midwest and the old Pacific Northwest
regions, has suffered a heart attack and mild stroke affecting his
left side and vision. He is in Swedish Hospital in Seattle. He is
conscious and the doctors are hopeful about his prospects for
recovery. He will, however, need by-pass surgery as soon as he is well
enough for that operation. As many of you know, Chuck was a master at
writing notes of encouragement and thanks (most of which we never
could read because of his handwriting) to anyone and everyone. He
loves to get letters and cards; if you are so inclined, please send a
note to him at his home at 2201 3rd Ave, Apt. 2104, Seattle, WA 98121.
His wife Evelyn, will take them to the hospital. [Bill Walters, CCSO]
Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Supervisory ranger Bob Cheung is retiring at
the end of February after 30 years of government service. Bob's career
started at Whiskeytown NRA when he took a position there as a seasonal
fee collector in 1971. He moved on to Bryce Canyon NP as a park
technician in 1975, worked at Joshua Tree NM from 1975 to 1976, then
returned to Bryce Canyon briefly before moving to Golden Gate NRA in
September 1976 as a park technician. After a year at Golden Gate, he
got into the intake program and has worked in the park ever since.
There will be a retirement party in San Francisco at the Presidio's
Log Cabin on February 16th to recognize his numerous contributions to
the NPS. If you have any photos or notes you'd like to contribute to
Bob's scrapbook, please send them to Melinda Moses at Golden Gate NRA,
Bldg. 201, Ft Mason, San Francisco CA 94123. For more information,
please call Melinda at 415-561-4302 or Marybeth at 415-561-5140.
* * * * *
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed
by 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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