NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
BLACKBERRY EDITION
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
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INCIDENTS
Great Basin NP
Memorial Service for Jim Schlinkmann Set for Friday
James “Jim” Schlinkmann, 49, chief ranger at Great Basin National Park, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Wednesday, November 23rd, while returning home from an incident management team assignment in response to Hurricane Wilma at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Jim is survived by his son, B., and B.'s mother, C.; his parents, P. and S.; and his sister, J.
Jim began his 23-year commissioned ranger career with the National Park Service as a seasonal park technician at Devils Tower NM. For the next five years, Jim worked seasonally between Devils Tower NM, Joshua Tree NM, and Denali NP. In 1987, he received a permanent appointment at Joshua Tree. In 1989, he transferred to Rocky Mountain NP, where he worked as a ranger for three years. In 1992, Jim returned to Devils Tower as the chief ranger and subsequently transferred to Great Basin NP, where he was the chief ranger from 2000 forward.
Jim was an avid rock climber and throughout his career made enormous contributions to the NPS technical rescue program. Jim helped develop some of the first organized technical rescue courses at Joshua Tree NP and for seven years was a lead instructor for the Servicewide technical rescue course, taught annually at Canyonlands National Park.
For the past two years, Jim was the plans section chief for the Pacific West Incident Management Team. He was known throughout the NPS as a plans “wizard” and in addition to his contribution to hundreds of searches and technical rescues throughout his career had recently made a significant impact on the PWR IMT.
Jim was the Mojave Network representative on the Pacific West Region Ranger Advisory Committee and was a lively contributor to that group. His breadth of experience gave him valuable perspective on issues facing modern rangers. As stated by Regional Director Jon Jarvis, “Jim never forgot his roots as a field ranger.”
Jim will be remembered and missed for his intense dedication to the National Park Service, his incredible work ethic, and his contagious sense of humor.
Memorial services are planned for Friday, December 2nd, at Queen of Angels Church, 209 W 11th Street, Port Angeles, Washington, at 2 p.m. The uniform will be Class A winter dress. Commissioned staff are requested to wear duty gear and arrive at least 30 minutes early.
Condolences may be sent to: Schlinkmann Family, c/o Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
Sequoia NP
Investigation Underway into Moro Rock Falling Fatality
Around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 20th, park visitors drove a Porterville, California, man to the Giant Forest Museum, where he reported that the pastor of his church had jumped off Moro Rock in an apparent suicide. Rangers found the ministers body on the east side of Moro Rock about 400 vertical feet below the point where he had reportedly jumped. Rangers found the body around 9 p.m., so a ranger spent the night at the location to assure scene integrity. Rangers also looked for witnesses to the incident. Although there were other park visitors in the vicinity, none actually witnessed the fall. The body was recovered the following morning and turned over to the Tulare County coroner. The victim, who was the minister of a church in Porterville, was out on bail after being arrested and charged with multiple sexual assaults on two juvenile girls. Due to the uncertain circumstances surrounding the pastor's death, the FBI is assisting NPS special agents with the investigation. [Bob Wilson, Law Enforcement Specialist]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Director/Deputy Directors
Remembering Randy Jones
A. Durand “Randy” Jones, 56, of Estes Park, Colorado, passed away peacefully at his home on Wednesday, November 23rd. His wife Julie was at his side, as she was during his courageous year-long battle with cancer. Randy and Julie were married for 34 wonderful and adventurous years.
Randy was born on June 27, 1949, in Mount Prospect, Illinois. In addition to his wife, Randy is survived by his mother, Virginia G. Jones of Tallahassee, Florida. Also grieving the loss of Randy are his sister Casey and her husband David Gluckman, also of Tallahassee, Florida, and Julies parents, Kenneth and Charlotte Franklin of Loveland, Colorado. Randy was preceded in death by his father, Elton W. Jones.
Randy is a graduate of the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, with a BA in history and natural science.
Randy had a long and distinguished career with the federal government, spanning over 30 years, primarily with the National Park Service. From 2002 until this past spring, Randy held the position of deputy director, the highest position for a career employee within the National Park Service. For the past six months, Randy served as a special assistant to the director, providing leadership and guidance in the area of concessions management, legislation, land acquisition, management policies and the selection/appointment of numerous career positions within the agency.
His diverse career consisted of a number of complex and prestigious assignments including superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, superintendent of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Texas, deputy superintendent of Everglades National Park, assistant superintendent at Olympic National Park, program liaison officer for Alaska Regional Office, legislative affairs specialist in the Division of Legislation in WASO, member of the special resources staff in the Office of the Director in WASO, and environmental specialist, Division of Federal Agency Coordination, also in Washington. Along the way, Randy mentored many current and retired leaders of the National Park Service and others who served with private organizations as well as federal and state agencies.
Randy received numerous honors and special act, achievement and superior service awards from both the Department of the Interior and National Park Service during his distinguished career, including the 2005 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service, 2005 Bronze Secretary of Interior Executive Leadership Award, and the 2005 Intermountain Region Courage Award.
Randy held memberships in a number of professional societies, including the American Ornithologists Union, Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, British Ornithologists Union, National Press Photographers Association, George Wright Society and the Western History Association. He was also a member in good standing with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Nature Conservancy and the Rocky Mountain Nature Association.
Other notable achievements include chairing scientific symposia at a national meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences concerning biological research in Alaska. Randy taught classes in political science, in resource management, and on Alaska programs at the Albright Training Center, and was a guest seminar lecturer at the University of Michigan. During 1970 and 1971 he conducted two seasons of ornithological field research in the Everglades and during 1971 a season of field research in Arizona, where he met Julie for the first time. Both projects involved the biology and behavior of hawks and were sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the University of South Florida.
Randy was an avid world traveler and photographer. He was a voracious reader, an incredible cook and a connoisseur of fine wines. He enjoyed nothing more than spending the evening with Julie and friends telling stories and sharing his vast wealth of knowledge and insight on the issues of the day.
A celebration and remembrance of Randys life will be held on Saturday January 28, 2006, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Historic Crags Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. All of Randy and Julies friends and co-workers are invited to attend and share their favorite memories of this good man. Please RSVP by January 10th to one of the following if you will be able to attend: Kevin FitzGerald (303-969-2541) HYPERLINK mailto:kevin_fitzgerald@nps.gov; kevin_fitzgerald@nps.gov; Kyle Patterson (970-586-1363) HYPERLINK mailto:kyle_patterson@nps.gov; kyle_patterson@nps.gov; or Cleve and Marty Pinnix (369-943-7836) at HYPERLINK mailto:twopaddes@comcast.net twopaddes@comcast.net
Condolences may be sent via mail to Julie Jones at P.O. Box 248, Estes Park, Colorado 80517 or via the internet at HYPERLINK "http://www.allnutt.com" www.allnutt.com, obituaries, and sign guest book.
Memorial contributions in honor and memory of Randy may be made to the National Park Service Employee and Alumni Association George B. Hartzog, Jr. Educational Loan Program, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA ,19034, or to The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA, 22203.
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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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