NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Yosemite NP
El Portal Market Burns Down
The El Portal Market, one of El Portal's oldest buildings, burned to the ground yesterday in a blaze which was reported by local residents at approximately 5 a.m. Units from El Portal, Wawona and Yosemite Valley and from DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. and Mariposa County responded to the fire. The market has been closed for renovations since late March. The El Portal Market, built around 1934, originally served park visitors travelling to Yosemite by railroad. The market was operated between 1966 and March of this year under the general partnership of Vaughn, Vaughn, and Carter. The current operator was scheduled to open the market in late spring, when renovations were completed. The market has served El Portal residents and park visitors since the mid-1930's as both a general merchandise store and a community meeting place. Yosemite park managers are meeting to consider options for replacing the building. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. [Adrienne Freeman, Public Affairs Officer]
Little River Canyon NP
Father Drowns Trying To Save Five-Year-Old Son
On Friday, April 18th, ranger Larry Beane saw a five-year-old boy fall off Little River Falls. The child was with his parents and members of another family when the accident occurred. Beane had to go to the parking lot to radio in the incident. While he was gone, the boy's father, P.S., 37, jumped into the water in an attempt to save his son. Rangers David Walker and Kim Kirk were on scene within a couple of minutes and were soon joined by ranger Jimmy Dunn. A man who was with S.'s family jumped into the water, found him, and pulled him to shore. He and Walker began CPR while moving P.S. through the water to a rock. He was then secured to a backboard so he could be extricated from the canyon. P.S. was taken to Dekalb County Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the five-year-old was found sitting on a rock not far from the point where he fell into the water. Maintenance worker Jaime Anderson waded out to him and brought him to rocks closer to land. The boy suffered minor cuts and bruises but was otherwise okay. Others involved in the incident were maintenance chief Steve Elsaesser, resource management specialist Mary Shew, and personnel from Fischer Rescue, the Dekalb County Sheriff's Department, Dekalb County Ambulance, and Fort Payne Fire. [Kimberly Kirk, Chief Ranger]
Rock Creek Park
Traffic Stop Leads To Significant Drug Seizure
While interviewing a driver during a traffic stop in Rock Creek Park on April 16th, Park Police officer Andrew Watson detected the odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. He also found that the driver was operating on a suspended license. The driver was arrested. During a search of the vehicle, Watson found seven pounds of marijuana and about 22 grams of cocaine, which together had an estimated street value of over $33,000. The driver has been charged with possession with intent to distribute narcotics. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]
Cuyahoga Valley NP
Suicide Victim Found At Trailhead Parking Lot
A group of bicyclists saw a man seated in a vehicle at the Botzum Trailhead parking lot around 6:30 a.m. on April 12th. Upon returning five hours later, they saw that he was still in the car and had not moved. They checked on him, then contacted EMS via phone. Cuyahoga Valley police and firefighters, a county medical examiner and a ranger all responded. They found the 65-year-old Akron man slumped over, with indications that he'd shot himself in the head with a revolver. The medical examiner subsequently ruled the death a suicide. [Chris Ryan, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
Minute Man NHP - The annual commemoration of the opening of the Revolutionary War at the North Bridge in Concord, held yesterday morning, featured a nationwide flag-raising ceremony called “Old Glory's Journey of Remembrance.”
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6412" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6412
Biscayne NP - Brenda Lanzendorf, cultural resource specialist at Biscayne National Park, died on Tuesday, April 15th, after a six-month battle with cancer.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1891" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1891
Pacific West Region - Karen Gustin, currently the superintendent at Big Cypress NP, has been appointed superintendent of Olympic NP. She will replace Bill Laitner, who retired in January.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1892" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1892
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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