Olympic National Park (WA)
Highway 101 Closed Along Lake Crescent
Highway 101 along Lake Crescent was closed yesterday following a rock
slide that occurred while construction crews were working on a rock
bolting and scaling project on the cliff face next to the road. Two men
sustained minor injuries and an excavator was damaged by the falling
rocks. Rocks up to six feet in diameter have covered a 10 foot
stretch of the road. Due to the nature of the loose rock, geotechnical
engineers have been called in to examine the rock face and determine if
it is stable enough to continue construction and reopen the road.
Until they determine that US 101 can be safely reopened, motorists will
be detoured onto State Routes 112 and 113. Current road information is
available by calling Olympic National Park's information line at
360-565-3131 or online at the park's road conditions web page.
[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public
Affairs Officer]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Las Vegas Man Dies In Cliff Jumping Accident
A 28-year-old Las Vegas man died on October 13th while cliff jumping
near Wishing Well Cove in Lake Mead. Park dispatch received a call
around 1 p.m. reporting that the man had been severely injured in a jump
from the cliff and was unresponsive. His friends pulled him from the
water and took him to Hemenway Harbor, where they were met by
ranger/paramedics and state wardens. He was declared dead shortly
thereafter. Preliminary reports indicate that alcohol and drug use were
contributing factors.
[Submitted by Kevin Turner]
Great Basin National Park (NV)
Visitor Center Closed Due To Presence Of Explosives
On October 12th, park visitors brought some old blasting caps that
they'd found to the park's Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Rangers Nathan
Snyder and Jacob Wahler responded and found an old metal can with the
words "Blasting Caps - Dangerous" on the unopened lid. Although the
visitor center was already empty, the rangers also immediately evacuated
the attached administration building and Lehman Caves Café, the
latter with assistance from café employees. The White Pine County
Sheriff's Office was contacted and officers came and removed the can and
caps. The building was closed for about three hours. Cave tours had to
be canceled due to the incident, but all tours were either rescheduled
or refunds are being processed.
[Submitted by Jacob Wahler, Park
Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Intermountain Region
Passing Of Interpretive Ranger Judy Rosen
Judy Rosen, an interpretive ranger and exhibit designer at Fort Union National Monument, passed away on October 13th after a prolonged and courageous struggle with cancer.
Judy was extremely proud of her career-long contributions to the National Park Service. She began as a coop student at Colorado State University, working for Denver Service Center as a natural resource specialist. Her first permanent NPS job was as an interpretive ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park in 1985. There, Judy grew into a fine interpreter, and, more importantly, an NPS family member. She embraced the mission, and added her nuanced application to everything she did.
Judy excelled at her jobs including assignments in Australia for the national parks, several Alaska parks, and Canyon de Chelly NM, Gila Cliff Dwellings NM, Navajo NM, Montezuma Castle NM, El Morro and El Malpais NMs, Fort Union NM, and Sand Creek Massacre NHS. She also worked in the planning office in Intermountain Regional Office and had an assignment at the Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania, Africa. Judy also worked for the U.S. Forest Service at the Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Colorado.
Her work was as varied as the locations, ranging from providing public programs, to creating park-wide interpretive plans, managing a volunteer program, compiling compliance documents, conducting American Indian consultation, facilitating stakeholder meetings, and countless tasks in between. Throughout her many projects and at numerous locations, Judy possesed the ability to clearly connect with her co-workers, audiences and her constituents and to convey the importance of the task at hand.
Her career took Judy to treasured places, and she turned each of her assignments into extraordinary experiences and products. Her immense skills and her legendary personality will be sorely missed.
Judy was preceded in death by her parents Claire Bloom and Jack Rosen, and her sisters Jaime, Amy, and Lisa, and is survived by her sons Bridger and Hayden and brothers Howe and Rick.
During an interview with Juley Harvey of the Trail Gazette in March 2011, Judy made this observation: "I have loved ones on both sides. I'm good either way with what happens. Either way, I'll be cared for."
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 21st, at the Hyde Chapel at YMCA of the Rockies, 2515 Tunnel Road, Estes Park, CO, 80511.
Condolences may be sent to Bridger and Hayden Baird, 3333 Little Valley Road, Estes Park, CO, 80517. Donations in Judy's name may be sent to The Rocky Mountain Nature Association (RMNA.org), or the World Wildlife Fund (WorldWildlife.org).
[Submitted by Lisa Hanson, Linda Lutz-Ryan,, lisa_hanson@nps.gov, 303-969-2918]
Northeast Region
Rose Fennell Selected As Deputy Superintendent
After an extensive nationwide search, which attracted outstanding candidates from throughout the National Park System, Superintendent Cassius Cash has selected Rose Fennell for the position of deputy superintendent for operations at Boston African American National Historic Site and Boston National Historical Park.
"Rose Fennell has been an outstanding advocate for our parks and programs and I'm pleased to have her join our team in Boston," said Superintendent Cash. "Not only will she bring great leadership and people skills to Boston African American National Historic Site and Boston National Historical Park, she will be the perfect addition to assist me in leading our dedicated and committed workforce, in working with our outstanding partners, including the City of Boston, and in advancing our park's vision."
"Rose is an excellent communicator and connects well with people. Rose's various work and leadership experiences gained while working in Washington, DC, made her the 'perfect addition' for assisting me in leading."
Fennell was the National Park Service's Bevinetto Congressional Fellow for 2011-2012 and has spent the last year working as a special assistant to Director Jon Jarvis and as a legislative specialist in the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs. Before her selection as Congressional Fellow she was the National Park Service's cooperating association coordinator in Washington, D.C. for nine years and worked for nonprofit organizations whose work intersects with the National Park Service, including the Wilderness Society and the Parks & History Association.
"I've hit the trifecta," Fennell said. "I'll be working in Boston with a phenomenal superintendent, extraordinary staff and partners, and incredible resources."
Fennell's early career was in the field of bookselling where she was a bookstore clerk, bookbuyer, book reviewer, and eventually a bookstore owner operating Lammas Books & More, with locations in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, from 1991 until 1998. Her free time is devoted to family, including her partner Terri, their dogs, and to her hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery.
[Submitted by Sean Hennessy, sean_hennessy@nps.gov, 617 242-5616]
Midwest Region
GS-0025-12 Superintendent
An announcement has been issued for a superintendent for Nicodemus NHS in Kansas. Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties and procedures for applying.
Nicodemus tells the story of the exodusters – freed slaves looking for a new life on the Great Plains. This position offers tremendous leadership opportunities at a crucial time in the development of this park unit. During the next year, the park superintendent will supervise construction projects on two of the park's five historic structures, decide on the final location and planning for a park visitor center complex, and determine the role that interpretation will play in the future of the park.
Candidates should have excellent people skills, demonstrate good negotiation faculties, and have the ability to problem solve. This is an ideal position for a division chief or program manager with a variety of skills looking to transition into a superintendent position.
It closes on October 22nd.
More Information...
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.