Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Weather
Yosemite: TODAY...SUNNY. HIGHS 78 TO 88 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...58 TO 68 IN
THE HIGH COUNTRY.
TONIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS 39 TO 49 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...32 TO 42 IN THE HIGH
COUNTRY.
FRIDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS 85 TO 95 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...62 TO 72 IN THE HIGH
COUNTRY.
FRIDAY NIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS 43 TO 53 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...35 TO 45 IN THE
HIGH COUNTRY.
SATURDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS 86 TO 96 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...64 TO 74 IN THE HIGH
COUNTRY.
El Portal: Today: Sunny, with a high near 89. East southeast wind 6 to 10
mph becoming west.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 48. Light wind becoming east northeast
between 10 and 13 mph.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. East northeast wind between 10
and 13 mph becoming calm.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. West southwest wind 8 to 13 mph
becoming east northeast.
Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. East northeast wind between 8
and 11 mph becoming calm.
Happening Today/This Week (Check the Community News section for other
events)
Yosemite News Release
June 11, 2008
For Immediate Release
Missing Visitor Found in Yosemite National Park
Esmin Garmendia-Barrios was found alive and responsive today, June 11,
2008, at approximately 2:15 pm. Mr. Garmendia was located by helicopter
near Mt. Starr King inside the designated search area, south and east of
Washburn Point where he was last seen on June 8.
Almost 200 searchers from Yosemite National Park, the California
Conservation Corps (CCC), and Mono, Tuolumne, San Mateo, Marin, Santa
Clara, Ventura, Fresno, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara and Sierra Madre
Counties, as well as the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit and China Lake
Search and Rescue participated in the search
Media calls should be directed to the Media Relations Office at
209/372-0248. (-NPS-)
"Chief Ranger Steve Shackelton wishes to express his gratitude for the
remarkably spirited outpouring of support shown during this week's
successful search.
Along with the huge number of park staff people who committed their time,
park partners including the Yosemite Institute, DNC Parks and Resorts at
Yosemite, Inc., and the CCC were invaluable as was the help of fourteen
county and area search and rescue teams who responded from all over
California to lend a hand-- including many who volunteered their time. This
amazing cooperative effort made the success of the operation possible." (A.
Freeman - 6/12/08)
*************************************************
Employee Recreation Dance at the Visitor Center East Auditorium: Feat. BLVD
& MC SOULEYE (Electro / Breakbeat / Hip Hop ) Thursday June 12th from
9:30pm - midnight $3 cover 18+ See you there! (Y. Chaley - 6/10/08)
New Today
The Yosemite Volunteer Office has a Bond now in place that will cover
Volunteers who handle money. Any volunteer who handles money must be on the
Bond. If your department has volunteers that handles money, please contact
the volunteer office so we can add them to our Bond. (K. Stowell - 6/12/08)
*************************************************
El Portal Voice Mail Change: Attention employees who are utilizing the
379-1000 voice mail system. We must discontinue use of the old "1000"
voicemail system. The replacement system has been in place for some time
and is being used by many of us already. The new system uses 379-1400
instead of 379-1000.
We strongly encourage anyone using the old system to set-up a box on the
new system right away. The procedure is similar, but there are some
differences.
If you are within the El Portal Maintenance complex, simply dial 1400 from
your phone.
You will be prompted to enter your password, initially this will be 0000
Follow the prompts to change your password, record your name and greeting
etc.
Throughout the set-up procedure please remember that 1=yes and 2=no.
After set-up is complete, your message waiting indicator light will blink
when you have a message. When this occurs, access the system from your
desk, enter 1400, and then your password.
Messages can not be forwarded by us to the new system, so please make any
notes you will need, as they will disappear when the old system is taken
out of service.
If you use the 379-1000 voice mail system and your office is NOT in the El
Portal maintenance complex, you will need to dial 379-1400 to access the
new system.
When the auto attendant (the computerized voice) begins to talk, press 9
right away, then follow-up with the last four digits of your phone number
quickly. If you hesitate too long, the system will by-pass your access
opportunity. Once you have done this, the procedure is the same as above.
This is the same procedure those inside the El Portal maintenance complex
would use to retrieve voice-mail from a phone other than the one on their
desk. Remember when asked a question by the system,1=yes, 2=no.
Some users of the old 1000 system may not yet have boxes configured on the
new 1400 system, if the above procedure does not work for some of you,
please contact Michael Jordan at 379-1234, or myself at 379-1092.
Please notify me at the Telecom Shop via email, phone, or in person once
you have completed the set-up of your new voice-mail box, and your
forwarding will be updated so that your new box will begin working for you.
(T. Gorham - 6/12/08)
*************************************************
Reminder: For all Maintenance repair requests in Yosemite, please contact
the Customer Service Center. Maintenance repair requests include: Park
Housing, Buildings, Grounds, Utilities, Roads, Trails and Forestry issues.
It is especially important to remember to contact the Customer Service
Center before any requests for Sign Shop fabrications. You may do so by
phone, e-mail or fax.
Please note that the Customer Service Center staff phone numbers have
changed:
Phone:
Tiffany Jordan...................................379-1058
Lauren Mendez.................................379-1144
Bri Summerlin....................................379-1428
Katie Brown........................................379-1210
Sunshine Good Morning................379-1065
E-Mail:
YOSE_FMD_Customer_Service_Center@nps.gov
Fax:
(209) 379-1066 (S. Goodmorning - 06/12/08)
*************************************************
Travel Document processing tip - When accessing a Travel Manager document
(TA/TV) to print or view, do not "Sign to Review Document" unless you plan
to make adjustments. When you sign back into a document, you will be
starting the routing process (and payment process) all over. (For example,
if the travel office has already reviewed the document prior to you signing
back into it, once you have signed back into it the document will route
back to the travel office for another review.)
If you need to print the document, choose the "Get Document as View-Only"
option. Then click "Preview Document" in the left column and print. (A.
Kunz - 6/12/08)
Construction News
Reconstruct El Portal Road at the “narrows”
There will be construction activity causing delays nightly except
Sundays through 6/14.
Mon – Thurs – 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. Traffic control will be
coordinated with the Valley Loop Road project.
Fri – Sat - 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
Completion of the cut wall facing is scheduled for 6/14 with final
paving to follow.
Guardwall staining is scheduled for 6/12 - 14. (G. Rothell - 6/9/08)
Park News
The annual Barry Hance Memorial Award Ceremony will be held on Tuesday June
17, 2008 beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Yosemite Valley Auditorium
Each year Yosemite honors a fellow employee that epitomizes Barry's hard
work and excitement for life
All Employees are encouraged to attend this very special event
A barbecue luncheon, hosted by Yosemite Child Care, will immediately follow
the award presentation
All donations will got to support our local child care facilities. (Yose
Superintendent - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
Foresta Area Fire Update
Yosemite fire staff will continue ignitions in the Foresta area tonight
through Friday in hopes of completing the proposed 75 acres which will help
provide community protection for Foresta. The onset of hot and dry weather
expected over the weekend will make further work unlikely this season.
Vehicles, staff, and equipment can be expected in the Foresta area through
the weekend as the project is completed and monitored. Please use extra
caution on roadways.
Smoke dispersal has remained fairly good throughout this project. However,
localized smoke can be expected in Foresta, El Portal, and Yosemite Valley,
especially during evening and morning hours. People who are sensitive to
smoke should use caution when exerting themselves in smoky areas.
Information and updates about this project can be obtained on the web at
www.inciweb.org or by calling 209/372-0480. (A. Freeman - 6/11/08)
Announcements
Contracting Office Closure - Please be advised that the Contracting and
Procurement office will be closed for internal administrative operations on
Wednesday, June 18, 2008. If you experience an unexpected, urgent
situation, please contact Dan Sohn at 379-1173. (6/11/08)
*************************************************
The May Lake Road is open for the season. (S. Sprouse/A. Conley - 6/11/08)
*************************************************
Drop in program: Come join the Habitat Protectors of Yosemite (HaPY)
program! Program runs Fridays from May2- October 31st. Work with park
staff to remove invasive plants and learn basic ecological principles. All
volunteers are required to wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Long sleeves,
sunscreen, water, and snacks are recommended. Meet in front of Yosemite
Valley Visitor Center at 9am. Bring a lunch and join us! (M. DeBree -
5/1/08)
*************************************************
The following Yosemite National Park employees have been approved for
participation in the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program:
Shari Baudoux
Kevin Bowman
Kimberly Cunningham-Summerfield
Linda Kelly
If you are interested in contributing annual leave to any of the above
individuals, please do so by completing a Request to donate Annual Leave to
Leave Recipient (Within Agency) Under the Leave Transfer Program, Optional
Form 630-A (OF 639-A).
Please forward your OF 630-A to:
Human Resources Office
Yosemite National Park
P.O. Box 700
El Portal, CA 95318
or fax to (209) 379-1800
Click HERE for more Information on the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program.
(H. Whitman - 6/9/08)
HR Corner
Yosemite National Park
Current Vacancy Announcements
Updated: June 4, 2008
http://www.yose.nps.gov/yosenet/intp/daily.htm (intranet) or
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/upload/daily.pdf (internet)
Community News
Mary Vocelka, former NPS Yosemite Research Librarian passed away Sunday,
June 1st. Mary held many different jobs in Yosemite working for YP&C Co,
Best Studio (now Ansel Adams Gallery), Yosemite Medical Clinic, Yosemite
Elementary School, NPS, YNHA and Yosemite Association. Mary was loved and
admired by all and will be missed. For her obituary and information about
services, the link is www.mary.vocelka.org. (L. Eade/J. Mihalic - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
Dean Conway, a long time resident of Yosemite, passed away recently.
Services will be held on Thursday, June 12 at the Oakhurst Cemetery at 10
am. (J. Wheeler - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
Granite Frontiers
The Yosemite Climbing Association is hosting its second exhibit in the
valley museum. Over the last six months we have been working very hard in
conjunction with Park Service to put together this show, which focuses on
the last 140 years of Yosemite's climbing history. Through much support
from The Yosemite Fund and Royal Robbins, Inc. we have been able to achieve
success in putting this project together.
It's been a long road with many bumps and detours but we've come out with
much to show for it and we hope you can all share this with us. So, please
come ready to learn learn a little history and share in the celebration!The
exhibit is open 10-Noon and 1-4 from June 7th - October 27th in the
Yosemite Valley Museum Gallery. (K. Yager - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
Alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still will open the Summer Concert
Series at Mountain Sage in Groveland this Saturday, June 14th at 5:00pm.
The event is for all ages. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door;
ages 6-12, $6. More information can be found at:
http://www.mtnsage.com/nursery/music.html (G. Stock - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
YA Outdoor Adventures available this weekend. Naturalist Michael Ross is
leading two different field seminars this weekend and there’s free space
available for park employees. Saturday is “Birding Yosemite Valley” and
Sunday’s course is “Foresta Birding.” Both programs are full days, start
at 7:30, and are a great way to learn about our park. Monday through
Wednesday next week professional photographer John Senser leads a unique
backpack trip to photograph the full moon rise with two nights camped at
North Dome; there is also space available on this course at no charge for
park employees. Contact Pete or Corrie to sign up: 379-2321. (P. Devine -
6/11/08)
*************************************************
6th STREET CINEMA is a non-profit theater located in downtown Mariposa,
atop the historic Masonic Lodge on 6th Street. We are the presentation arm
of the Rural Media Arts and Education Project, a 501(c)(3) corporation,
and are supported by the California Arts Council, the National Endowment
for the Arts, SierraTel, the James Irvine Foundation, Mariposa County, and
the Geoff and Josie Fox Family Foundation, a Donor Advised fund of the
Silicon Valley Community Foundation. We are also generously supported by
Iron Mountain Systems and Stonecutter.com. The views expressed by the
films, in print materials, or by discussion facilitators are not
necessarily those of these funders.
Monthly membership is $12, allowing film entry for $3 each; non-members pay
$7 per film, and non-member students pay $5. Recorded Information: (209)
966-1333. Staff: 209 742-6666. http://www.sixthstreetcinema.org . E-mail
us: sixthstreetcinema@sti.net
This month we are celebrating Director's Cuts of some wonderful movies!
This week - Friday-Saturday, June 13-14, 7:30 p.m.: BRAZIL: THE DIRECTOR'S
CUT. (Rated R; 142 min.) Terry Gilliam (yes the Monty Python animator)
gives us this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk
named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a bug. Not a
software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis
insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error
unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected
terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in
unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a
miscreant. The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage
vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of
small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously
screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it
the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing
it...but in an edited form. Now you can see the original as Gilliam
intended it! You will laugh, cry, be awed and dazzled, and wonder if this
is not far from a reality of the future.
UPCOMING DIRECTOR'S CUT EVENTS (at 7:30 unless otherwise noted):
"Savages," June 20-21
"Blade Runner," June 27-28
July: musical month! (T. Arfsten - 6/11/08)
Acting Designation
Tom Darcy will be Acting Chief of Facilities Management on Thursday, June
12, 2008. He can be reached at 379-1076 or you can leave a message with
Rhonda Soden at 379-1059.
Tony Brochini will be Acting Chief of Facilities Management on Friday, June
13, 2008. He can be reached at 379-1008 or you can leave a message with
Beth Benitag at 379-1057. (R. Soden - 6/12/08)
*************************************************
Sueann Brown (379-1222) will be acting Branch Chief for History,
Architecture & Landscapes on Friday June 13th. (D. Humphrey - 6/12/08)
*************************************************
Ansley Rothell will be the Acting Emergency Communications Center Mangaer
from June 10-18. (N. Bissmeyer - 6/10/08)
*************************************************
Sue Beatty (379-3290) will be acting Branch chief for Vegetation and
Ecological Restoration June 9-13. (J. Weaser - 6/9/08)
*************************************************
Andrew Ackerman will be Acting Branch Chief for Visitor Use and Social
Sciences from June 9th thru the 16th. He can be reached at 209-379-1216.
(B. Meldrum - 6/9/08)
*************************************************
For the next 90 days, I will be out of the park often working on an
assignment for the NPS Centennial. Kristina Rylands will act as the Chief
of Planning whenever I am out during this time. She can be reached at
379-1175. This week I will be out Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (L. Dahl
- 6/2/08)
*************************************************
While Jen Nersesian is on an international assignment, Calvin Liu will be
acting branch chief of Public Involvement and Outreach in the Division of
Interpretation until June 24th. (C. Liu - 6/2/08)
*************************************************
Rodney Raines is now acting Wawona Utilities supervisor until further
notice. He can be reached at 375-9510 or leave a message with Shawnessy.
(K. Bablitch - 5/28/08)
_______________________________
