Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site (GA)
Special Event: King Week, 2003
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change held
a series of events celebrating the seventeenth national holiday and the
seventy-four birthday observance honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This annual observance brought several events to the park between
January 15th and 20th. Participants included Secretary of Education
Rodney Paige, local, state and national politicians, leaders of national
organizations, and entertainment celebrities. The National March,
sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was the
largest of the events, drawing over 100,000 visitors to the park.
Rangers from Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS, Kennesaw Mountain NP,
Chattahoochee River NRA, Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP and Little
River Canyon NP provided security on park land during the events. There
were no incidents.
[Submitted by Clark W. Moore, Chief Ranger]
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (TX)
Burglary and Arson
Sometime during the night of February 12, the historic Tufa House at
Mission San Juan was burglarized. Some fans and other items were taken
and the exhibits inside the building were vandalized, with pieces thrown
out a broken window onto the mission grounds. The one room structure
does not have an alarm system. While members of the park staff were
assisting a San Antonio Police Department evidence team, visitors
reported a fire on one of the wooden overlooks along the San Juan nature
trail. The San Antonio Fire Department responded, put the fire out, and
began an investigation. The floor of the overlook was completely
destroyed. The fire had evidently been set on the previous evening and
smoldered until discovered. A portion of the nature trail had to be
closed for repairs. It appears both incidents are related.
[Submitted by Dan Steed, Chief Ranger]
New River Gorge National River (WV)
Conviction: Felon in Possession of Ammunition
In August, 2002, rangers Chuck and Jenny Noll, responding to a report
of a loud party along the river, contacted K.M. alongside the
park's Royal Road. K.M. had about 9.5 grams of powder cocaine in his
possession. Further investigation revealed that K.M. also had several
boxes of ammunition and numerous gun cases and holsters in his vehicle.
A records check revealed that K.M. was a convicted felon and on parole
from Tennessee for a narcotics trafficking violation. No firearms were
found on K.M. or in his vehicle. On February 3, K.M. was convicted
and sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for being a felon in
possession of firearms ammunition. Assistant U.S. attorney Steve Lowe
aggressively pursued this violation of a federal statute which treats
possession of ammunition the same as possession of an actual firearm.
Following his federal time, K.M. will be extradited to Tennessee to
serve time on his parole violation. This was the first time in West
Virginia that a felon has been convicted of a federal firearm
violation based solely on the possession of ammunition. Special agent
Chris Schrader assisted with the prosecution.
[Submitted by Chuck
Noll, Park Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Virgin Islands National Park (VI)
Three GS-7/9 Park Rangers
Announcements have been issued for three GS-7/9 park rangers. All are on the island of St. John. Those selected will be engaged in protection of the parks' historical, natural, archeological, cultural, submerged and human resources. Work will also involve complex search and rescue activities, provision of emergency medical services, and public use management. If you are interested in taking on this diverse and challenging job, please see vacancy announcement number VIIS/VICR-03-10 at www.usajobs.opm.gov; the closing date is March 14. For overviews of the park and region, go to www.nps.gov/viis and www.usvi.gov. For more information, contact chief ranger Steve Clark at 340-776-6201, extension 254, or human resources officer Nancy Wilson at extension 258.
[Submitted by Nancy Wilson]
Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Park Ranger (Law Enforcement)
Dates: 02/18/2003 - 03/03/2003
Mount Rainier National Park has an opening for a GS-025-7/9 Park Ranger (Law Enforcement) Duty Station: White River. White River, located in the park's East District, is near the small town of Greenwater, approximately 38 miles from Enumclaw, and within a 2 hour drive of Seattle. The position is subject-to-furlough. No government housing is available, however housing is available for rent/purchase in Enumclaw, which has schools, medical facilities, and all ammenities. In addition to LE/SAR/EMS skills, the park is seeking an individual with strong winter skills, who can establish and maintain effective relationships with park neighbors and staff from other agencies. The position may be filled at the GS-7 or 9 level and is open to those with federal status, and individuals eligible for non-competitive appointment, such as reinstatement, Peace Corps, etc. USAJOBS, ID # IL0359. The announcement number is MORA-2003-31. Closes 3/3/03.
[Submitted by Patty Klump, patty_klump@nps.gov, 360-569-2211 x2363] More Information...
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.