Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ,UT)
Accident Killing Two Ruled A Murder/Suicide
On January 28th, a Natural Bridges NM volunteer who was visiting Glen Canyon noticed what appeared to be a motor vehicle on its roof immediately below a 60-foot cliff at Muley Point. Natural Bridges ranger Lofton Wiley and San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputies responded and found that there were bodies inside the car, a rented Ford Explorer. The Explorer was winched to the top of Muley Point the next day and the bodies were extricated. Subsequent investigation has revealed that in all probability the driver deliberately steered the Explorer over the canyon rim. The driver was a 66-year-old man with dual Taiwanese and Japanese citizenry; the passenger was a 26-year-old Japanese woman. The pair were in a relationship that had been deteriorating. [Submitted by Mark Law, Law Enforcement Specialist]
Amistad National Recreation Area (TX)
Ranger, Warden Intervene In Attempted Suicide
On the evening of January 26th, a park visitor came upon an 84-year-old man lying near the lake, bleeding profusely and refusing any assistance. Ranger Isaac Cohen and a Texas game warden found that the man had cut his wrists and was trying to crawl into the water. Cohen and the warden restrained him and pulled him from the water. Ranger Tyla Guss, an EMT, arrived and assisted with the man's care. He was transported by ambulance to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center, where he's currently recovering from his injuries. A suicide note was found on him in which he wrote that he was tired of all his aches and pains. [Submitted by Regina Klein, District Ranger]
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Mother And Daughter Killed In Motor Vehicle Accident
Rangers are currently investigating the cause of a fatal collision that occurred near milepost 205 on the parkway on the afternoon of Monday, January 29th. The park received a report of the accident around 2:40 p.m. B.L., 52, and her daughter, M.L., 22, both residents of Stewart, Mississippi, were pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained in the collision. It appears that the Ford Explorer, which was being driven by the elder L., was heading south on the highway when it went off the road and hit a tree. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Several agencies assisted rangers with the accident, including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Choctaw and Webster County Sheriffs' Departments, and Choctaw County Emergency Services. Rangers Brent Mahle and Barb Mauller are investigating this accident. [Submitted by Marty Huseman, Assistant Chief Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
67
Ron Kerbo To Retire On March 1st
Ronal C. Kerbo is the national cave management coordinator for the National Park Service, working for the Washington office out of Denver, Colorado. He started his NPS career at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks in 1976 as the cave resource specialist for both areas. He spent five years in the Southwest Regional Office in cave and karst resources before assuming nation-wide responsibilities through the Geologic Resources Division. He was also instrumental in establishing the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and has served as an interim director of the Institute.
Ron is the author or co-author of a number of books, articles, and papers on caves, bats, and skindiving. He has been caving and diving for over 40 years, and is an honorary member, a life member and a fellow of the National Speleological Society. He is also a fellow of the Cave Research Foundation, a former director and now an honorary director of the American Cave Conservation Association, a former director of the Karst Waters Institute and a member or honorary member of many other speleological associations.
Ron is an adjunct professor at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado, teaching a course on the geology and evolution of caves. He has lead speleological expeditions to the Peoples Republic of China and to Ukraine and South Africa. He was also an expedition member of the first Chinese-American speleological expedition and the first United States-Soviet Union speleological expedition. After retirement, he will continue to live in Colorado with his wife Dianna, his life-long love. Two daughters, Christi and Misti, also live and work in Colorado and his son Damon lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ron plans to enjoy his retirement feasting on green chile, enjoying digital photography, teaching, playing with gadgets, spending time with his family, and occasional caving and travel.
Ron's friends and family plan on holding a retirement party/roast on the evening of Saturday March 10th in the Denver area (this is currently a TENTATIVE date, depending on availability of out of town friends and acquaintances) The event is open to all of Ron's friends and acquaintances, whether located in Denver or elsewhere. Tim Connors (NPS-Geologic Resources Division) and Dale Pate (NPS-Carlsbad Caverns NP) are the planning organizers for this event.
If you can attend this event and can make that date, please contact Tim Connors (contact information below) no later than Wednesday February 7th to reserve a space (yourself, guest, etc.) and to give an adequate headcount. More finalized details (time, place, cost, etc.) will be coming after February 7th once we have a headcount and better estimate of your interest in attending.
We will likely be assembling some sort of presentation and banner to honor Ron, so if you have any interesting stories, pictures, etc., please send them to Tim Connors as well.
Tim Connors
tim.connors@comcast.net
303.514.1563
[Submitted by Tim Connors, tim.connors@comcast.net, 303.514.1563]
67
Judy Geniac Moves To Forest Service
Judy Geniac will be leaving the NPS on February 2nd to begin her new position leading the new partnership office in the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Region. Judy notes that her time with the National Park Service has been very rewarding, and she has deep appreciation for the opportunity to work with such knowledgeable people.
Judy started with the Geologic Resources Division nearly 18 years ago, and in that time, she lead its effort to convert the office to a PC network(!); provided comments on resource management plans, regulations, and policies; helped address external minerals issues; helped develop and then managed the geoscientist-in-the-parks program, placing hundreds of geoscientists in parks to address their needs; created a number of partnerships; and facilitated geoscience research.
Through her outreach work, Judy became a familiar face to hundreds of people in the geoscience community. She served on a Servicewide sustainability subcommittee; served on a National Science Foundation grant panel, and the NLC's recruitment futures team. Judy also led a year-long effort to provide guidance to the research learning centers, which, in her words, was "incredibly rewarding, as they exemplify the outstanding ability of the NPS to create partnerships to understand and protect resources and convey this information to mangers and the public."
Judy will miss the NPS and wishes everyone the very best. She can be reached at jgeniac@fs.fed.us
[Submitted by Bob Higgins, 303.969.2018]
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
Norman Williams Retirement
Norman Williams, chief of facilities management for Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, has retired after 30 years with the National Park Service.
Norm began his service in 1977 as an automotive worker for Andersonville National Historic Site. During his seven years there, Norman received training in many fields of maintenance work. He also worked on several projects, including complete construction of a maintenance equipment building and the remodeling of an existing building into a visitor contact station.
In 1985, he joined the staff at Fort Caroline National Memorial as a maintenance worker who supervised two other maintenance employees. In 1988, with the addition of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, the staff and facilities under his jurisdiction began to grow. By 1993, he had been promoted to maintenance supervisor and formally became facilities chief in 1995. Through all of this, his continued level of outstanding performance enabled the growth of Fort Caroline and Timucuan Preserve to progress at an exceptional pace resulting in increased protection for the resources and improved facilities to service both visitors and park employees. Now, in 2007, the facilities management division includes two site supervisors, six permanent, one temporary employee, and an historic preservation crew.
During the 90's, Norm served on the regional maintenance advisory committee and assisted Washington-based staff with PMIS training. Norm provided leadership in the implementation of the Facility Management Software System on park, region, and servicewide levels. He continued to provide support for the program throughout his tenure.
Norm and Renee recently purchased a new home and will continue to live in the Jacksonville area. He also plans to spend more time with his favorite hobby, drag racing.
[Submitted by Tracy Aukerman, Tracy_Aukerman@nps.gov]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type;=Announcements&id;=3363All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office. The former will be forwarded to the appropriate staff in WASO.