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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, December 11, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Antietam NB Special Event: Annual Battlefield Illumination On Saturday, December 2nd, the park hosted the 18th annual battlefield memorial illumination, an event commemorating the 23,000+ casualties of that battle. Secretary Dirk Kempthorne was the featured speaker at the event's opening ceremony. Secretary Kempthorne had an ancestor who was wounded at the Battle of Antietam and included that connection in his remarks. Regional Director Joseph Lawler and Congressman Roscoe Bartlett also provided remarks welcoming and acknowledging the nearly 800 volunteers who placed the candles throughout the day. Attendance was much higher this year, with approximately 3,500 vehicles passing through the park to view the display. There were no significant incidents during the event. Traffic control and security for the event were provided by Antietam staff, National Capital Region rangers from Harper's Ferry and Catoctin, officers from the Washington County Sheriff's Department, volunteers from Hagerstown REACT, and members of the secretary's protection detail. [Ed Wenschhof, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/30/AR2006113000137.html" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/30/AR2006113000137.html Buffalo NR Arrest On Felony Warrant On the morning of Friday, December 1st, rangers Noel Mays and Eric Oaks contacted a man at the Rush Mine trailhead about an expired license plate on his truck. A driver's license check revealed an outstanding warrant from Georgia for a probation violation stemming from a vehicular homicide conviction. The 1995 warrant and extradition were confirmed and the man was placed under arrest. A .22 caliber revolver was found in his backpack. The man has been charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office as a felon in possession of a firearm. He will remain in jail in Arkansas until his pending federal charges are resolved. [Jeff West, Lower District Ranger] Delaware Water Gap NRA Conviction For Abusive Sexual Contact A man arrested last July after inappropriately touching several children at a park beach faces up to two years in prison after pleading guilty on Thursday, December 7th. Rangers arrested Jose Vazquez after they received reports that he had touched the genitals and breasts of four girls, including an 11-year-old and two 12-year-olds, who were swimming at Smithfield Beach on July 30th. Vazquez pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact at a hearing in front of a federal judge. [Scranton Times-Tribune] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Archeology Program - From the Grand Canyon to Governors Island, ancient Alaskan villages to Virgin Island reefs, American archaeology is quietly celebrating a centennial. DOI - A new interagency recreation pass, authorized by the Congress in 2004, combines the benefits of existing recreation passes from five federal agencies into one comprehensive pass, the “America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.” Pecos NHP - Dennis Ditmanson is retiring. Harpers Ferry Center - Don Kodak, who has been at the center since 1992 and is currently serving as acting director, has been selected as HFC's new director National Trails System - Jere Krakow, superintendent of the national trails system, will retire on January 2nd. To link to InsideNPS, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |