NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Monday, October 20, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-645 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Special Event

The annual "Bridge Day" event was held on and in the area of the New River
Gorge bridge on October 18th.  During this one-day event, the northbound
lanes of the bridge are closed to traffic so that visitors can walk onto it
to view fall colors and BASE jumpers can parachute from the 876-foot bridge
to a landing area below on the New River.  A special use permit is issued to
a parachuting organization to allow jumpers to land on park property.  The
weather was nearly perfect for the event - overcast, cool (mid-50s), and with
very little wind.  This year, 320 registered parachutists made a total of
about 720 jumps from the bridge, including an approved, choreographed eleven-
person jump which went perfectly and set a world record.  There were over 50
water landings in which chutists were rescued by watercraft, none of them
resulting in injuries.  One jumper landed in the trees when his parachute
malfunctioned and suffered a fractured lower leg.  Only a dozen people were
treated on site for injuries, and these were limited to a scrapes, bruises,
sprains and strains.  There were six transports to a local hospital by
ambulance for follow-up treatment.  Another group of about 200 people from
several organizations rappelled from the bridge on seven rappel lines.  The
longest rappel was about 800 feet.  There were no accidents or other problems
with this group.  During the event, rangers also responded to a commercial
rafting accident eight miles upriver from the event in which a visitor
suffered a fractured femur.  First aid was administered and the victim was
evacuated about a mile overland to an ambulance.  The Bridge Day event was
managed under a unified incident command system; participating were the park
and several state, county and local agencies.  [Rick Brown, IC, NERI, 10/19]

97-646 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ) - Attempted Murder

Concession employee T.F., 34, assaulted and stabbed fellow employee
M.K., 39, in M.K.'s dormitory room in Bullfrog just before 1 a.m.
on October 15th.  A security guard alerted the park.  Rangers Bill
Fitzpatrick and Brian Stackowicz arrested T.F., while rangers Leanne Apple
and Mark Camisa provided emergency ALS treatment.  Kocan was airlifted to
Page Hospital in critical condition.  A representative from the county
sheriff's office transported T.F. to jail.  T.F. admitted to the assault
during interrogation and has been charged with attempted murder and assault
under state statutes.  T.F. was recently released from prison after serving
time on a manslaughter conviction.  [David Sandbakken, LES, GLCA, 10/17]

97-647 - Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Double Homicide

A park visitor walking his dog in the dunes near the Well Street/West Beach
unit of the park on the afternoon of October 16th discovered the bodies of
C.G., 20, and E.J., 26.  Both appeared to have been shot
in the head at close range.  C.G. and E.J. were reported missing
following their departure from the home of a friend in Portage, Indiana, late
on the evening of October 12th.  C.G.'s vehicle was found on a city road
adjacent to the park.  An unsuccessful effort had been made to burn it.  It's
not known of the attempted torching was directly related to the homicides. 
Under the terms of a letter of agreement with the city of Portage, Portage
police have taken the lead in investigating the murders, with assistance from
the park's law enforcement staff.  The FBI and state crime lab are also
participating in the investigation.  [Rich Littlefield, CR, INDU, 10/17]

97-648 - American Memorial Park (Saipan) - Super Typhoon Joan

The park suspended all operations on Friday, October 17th, in anticipation of
the arrival of super typhoon Joan.  Forecasters predicted that the eye of the
storm, which packed sustained winds of 180 miles per hour and gusts of up to
220 miles per hour, would pass just 25 miles north of Saipan at noon on
Saturday.  Private and commercial tour boats were moved into the park's
marina, which has been designated as the only safe harbor for the island. 
The park just recovered from August's super typhoon Winnie, which had gusts
of up to 180 mph and passed about 140 miles north of the island.  [Chuck
Sayon, Site Manager, AMME, 10/17]

97-649 - Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (MO) - Special Event

A regional "Million Man March" was held on the afternoon of October 17th
which utilized a portion of the park's Grand Staircase as seating under a
First Amendment activity permit.  The event was attended by a moderately
sized crowd, but no official count was made.  City police and NPS rangers
worked closely together throughout the event.  No incidents were reported. 
[Deryl Stone, CR, JEFF, 10/17]

97-650 - Capitol Reef NP (UT) - Rock Slide

A rock slide occurred along Highway 24 about six miles east of the park
visitor center around 7:20 a.m. on October 13th.  The slide, which was about
45 feet long, blocked all of one lane and most of the second lane of the
highway with desk-size boulders.  Ranger Cindy Doktorski, who was the first
to encounter the slide while on her way to work, reported that a cloud of
dust was still hanging over the site.  The debris was cleared by the park's
roads and trails crew by mid-morning.  This is the second significant rock
fall on the highway within the park in the past five months.  Ranger Janice
Richmond was IC.  [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 10/17]

97-651 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Search; Fatality

The park was notified of a missing boater around midnight on October 13th.  A
man reported that he and his companion, L.M., 45, were partying
near Elliott Key when the main engine of their boat stopped working.  They
accordingly used an outboard engine to idle the seven miles across Biscayne
Bay to Black Point marina.  The man said that he'd gone to sleep on the bow
of the boat and that L.M. was gone when he awoke around 3 p.m.  The
engine was idling and lashed to continue on course.  The man continued to
Black Point, hauled out his boat, and went home; he didn't report the
incident until midnight when L.M. failed to appear.  A search involved
NPS boats and Coast Guard boats and aircraft was begun the following morning
in choppy seas and rain squalls, but no sign of L.M. was found.  On the
18th, a kayaker discovered what is believed to be L.M.'s body among
mangroves in the northwest corner of the park.  Metro Dade police took
custody and are continuing their investigation into the incident.  Ranger Kim
Mayo was the IC for the search.  [Steve Stinnett, Acting DR, BISC, 10/17]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Reports pending.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.


MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CALENDAR

Two calendars alternate in the Morning Report on Mondays - this one, which
contains meetings, conferences and events, and a second, which contains
workshops and training courses.  If you know of a conference, meeting,
workshop or training session with Servicewide interest and implications,
please send the information along.  Entries are listed no earlier than FOUR
months before the event, EXCEPT in instances in which registration dates
close much earlier.  Asterisks indicate new entries; brackets at end of entry
indicate source of information.  Brevity is appreciated.

10/23-25 -- "Private Life/Private Space: Understanding the Home," Richmond,
VA.  Changing conceptions of private life manifested in
architecture and changing interpretations of private life in
public history venues.  Contact: Bette Leake, Department of
Architectural History, University of Virginia, 804-924-1428,
bs16r@virginia.edu.  [Diane Vogt O'Connor, DCA/WASO]

10/25 -- "The Eisenhower Era: 1941-1961," Second Annual D.D. Eisenhower
Seminar, Gettysburg NMP, Gettysburg, PA.  Registration is $35
($20 for students) and includes a tour of the Eisenhower farm. 
Contact: Carol Hegeman, EISE, 717-338-9114, 717-338-0821 (fax),
eise_site_manager@nps.gov, or EISE Interpretation at NP-GETT. 
[Carol Hegeman, EISE]

10/25-29 -- "San Antonio Roundup," NPS Employees & Alumni Association.
Reunion will include visits to San Antonio Missions, Padre
Island, LBJ and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.  There will also be a
Southwest dinner and Texas barbecue.  All employees, retirees and
friends are welcome. Contact: Jennifer Mummart at 610-832-0555 or
via Internet at EastNatl@ix.netcom.com.

10/29-11/2 -- Congress for Recreation and Parks Education, National Recreation
and Park Association, Salt Lake City, UT.  Contact: Michelle
Herrera, NRPA, 703-820-4940.  [Sheila Lee, NCRC, WASO]

11/3-5 -- Conference, "School for Scanning: Issues of Preservation and
Access for Paper-based Collections," New York Academy of
Medicine, New York City, NY.  Co-sponsored by NPS.  Contact: Kim
O'Leary, 508-470-1010, 508-475-6021 (fax).  [Diane Vogt O'Connor,
DCA/WASO]

11/5-7 -- Eighth Annual Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
Conference, Holiday Inn Sun Spree, Gatlinburg, TN.  The objective
will be to work with communities to promote sustainable
development and healthy ecosystems in the southern Appalachians. 
Abstracts on presentations are due by September 30th.  Contact:
Ruthanne Mitchell or Gene Cox at NP-GRSM.

11/8-12 -- "A Celebration of Diversity: Experience the Common, Witness the
Unique!", National Interpreters' Workshop, National Association
for Interpretation, Beaumont, TX.  Several pre-workshop functions
will be offered, including Interpretive Management Institute
sessions.  Contact: Chairperson Bob Valen, BITH, 409-839-2689 x
231, or NAI (for pre-registration packets) at 1-888-900-8283. 
[Bob Valen, BITH]

11/12-15 -- "Ecological Restoration Within a Regional Context," Society for
Ecological Restoration, Fort Lauderdale, FL.  Contact: Society
for Ecological Restoration, 608-262-9547, or via the Internet at
ser@vms2.macc.wisc.edu.  [Kathy Jope]

11/13-18 -- North American Technical Rescue Symposium/NPS Servicewide Search
and Rescue Meeting, Best Western Golden Sails Hotel, Long Beach,
CA.  The NPS meeting will convene after the technical rescue
symposium.  Registration for the symposium is $95 (NASAR and MRA
members), $130 (non-members).  The NPS meeting will be for park
personnel representing active SAR programs and will address
several issues affecting NPS SAR policies.  Agenda topics will
include SARPRO funding development, major SAR guidelines, use of
volunteers and emergency hires in SAR, and a national PSAR
campaign.  If you plan on attending this important meeting,
please RSVP organizers JD Swed at DENA at 907-733-9105 or Ken
Phillips at GRCA at 520-638-7792.  Contacts: Registration -
NASAR, 703-222-6277, reservations - Best Western Golden Sails,
800-762-5333 or 562-596-1631.  [JD Swed, DENA]

11/16-18 -- North American Conference on Pesticide Spray Drift Management,
Portland, ME.  Contact: J. Dill, 207-581-3880 or umce@umext.
maine.edu.  [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]

11/17-20 -- "Partnerships Without Borders," Second International Conference
on Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage, Tempe, AZ.  There are
four conference tracks: environmental justice, business and NGOs,
cultural heritage, and natural heritage.  Field trips will be
conducted on November 20th to Organ Pipe Cactus NM (natural
resources) and Casa Grande Ruins NM (cultural resources). 
Contact: Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, 210-
692-3805 ext 20, or donna@hispanic.com.  

11/19-21 -- World Energy Engineering Congress, Atlanta, GA.  One of several
regional conferences sponsored by the Association of Energy
Engineers, focusing on energy conservation and renewable energy. 
Contact: Ted Collins, 202-586-8017.  [Steve Hastings, HOAL]

12/3-6 -- North American Lake Management Society, Houston, TX.  Contact:
North American Lake Management Society, 608-223-2836.  [Sheila
Lee, NCRC, WASO]

12/4-6 -- Reunion, Everglades 50th Anniversary Celebration, Everglades NP,
FL.  A reunion is planned for this weekend during the anniversary
celebration.  It will culminate with the dedication ceremony at
Everglades City on December 6th.  Special activities will be held
for former employees.  Contact: Sandy Dayhoff or Laura Cowan via
cc:Mail at NP-EVER.  [Pat Tolle]

12/13-18 -- Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN. 
Contact: ESA, 301-731-4535 or PUBINFO@entsoc.org.  [Steve
Cinnamon, MWRO]

1/28-31 -- First International Trails and Greenways Conference, San Diego,
CA.  Contact: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 202-797-5400.  [Sheila
Lee, NCRC, WASO]

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

                                  --- ### ---