Park News July 29,2008

Gateway National Recreation Area

A 38-year-old man who was walking on an unguarded beach in the park’s Sandy Hook Unit with his brother and two cousins during a severe thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon was struck by lightning and killed. The unit’s guarded beaches were in the process of being evacuated at the time. The victim’s brother said that he saw the lightning and that he found his brother on the ground when he looked back. There appeared to be an entry wound on the the man's left hip and an exit wound in his left carotid (neck) area with major trauma. The man's cousins were both admitted to the hospital for cardiac monitoring and CAT scans, but without specific complaints. Subsequent to the incident, ten other visitors stepped forward, complaining of ringing in the ears and headaches related to the strike. The investigation is on-going. According to news reports, the line of severe, fast-moving storms that crossed the region produced as many as 32,000 lightning strikes in New Jersey alone. There were numerous other lightning injuries from these storms throughout the area, including five soccer players on Long Island and a lifeguard and beach-goer in Cape May, New Jersey.

 

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Thursday, July 24th, a 42-year-old man from Berthoud, Colorado, was backpacking with a dozen young people and a second group leader when he suffered a heart attack while en route to their backcountry group campsite. The incident occurred on the Chapin Creek trail about a mile-and-a-half from the trailhead at an elevation of 10,500 feet. The other group leader hiked out to the trailhead, drove to the Alpine Visitor Center, and reported the incident. He said that his partner had a history of heart disease and was displaying symptoms consistent with a heart attack. Two ranger-medics hiked from the trailhead to the man’s location, and a medevac helicopter was launched from Summit County within 20 minutes of receiving the park’s request for assistance, arriving on scene with the rangers within five minutes. The victim was stabilized and airlifted to the Medical Center of the Rockies.

 

Blue Ridge Parkway

Rangers Kathryn Brett and Miranda Cook responded to a report of a motorcycle-pickup truck head-on collision in the Peaks of Otter area on the morning of July 19th. Upon arrival, they found that the operator of the motorcycle, a 51-year-old Arizona man, had succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision.  The two occupants of the pickup were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Big Island Fire and Rescue handled on scene EMS operations and assisted with traffic control and a Virginia State Police trooper assisted with the accident investigation. The investigation revealed that the motorcyclist was travelling northbound when he crossed the center line and collided with the southbound truck.  Initial findings from the Bedford County medical examiner indicate that he suffered massive chest trauma in the collision.

 

Cultural Resources/Midwest Region

Gary Candelaria, associate regional director for cultural resources in Midwest Region, has announced his retirement after 35 years of government service, effective July 31st.

After three-plus decades of serving the American people in three agencies and 10 parks and NPS offices, Candelaria says that “it’s time for the regiment to saddle-up and ride-on.”

Candelaria started his federal career while in college at Oregon State University, where he majored in forestry. He worked seasonally for the US Forest Service and Bonneville Power Administration, where he received a permanent appointment as a forester in 1974.  He joined the NPS in 1975 as an intake ranger at Saratoga National Historical Park, then moved in 1977 to Ozark National Scenic Riverways as assistant chief of interpretation.

In 1979, he began his first Alaska assignment as chief ranger at Sitka National Historical Park, where he stayed for 11 years, working on the Russian Bishop’s House restoration project.  In 1990, Candelaria was named superintendent at Fort Laramie National Historic Site.  Over the next ten years, he successively served as Director Roger Kennedy’s aide-de-camp in the Washington Office, as "acting everything" at Santa Monica Mountains NRA, and as superintendent at Pinnacles National Monument.  In 1999, he returned to Alaska as superintendent of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, where he served until 2004.  Candelaria was assistant manager at Harpers Ferry Center until moving to Omaha in 2006.

Among the things Candelaria regards as his greatest experiences in the NPS are serving at Saratoga, a key Revolutionary War battlefield, during the bicentennial, working to restore the Bishop’s House to its Imperial Colonial Russian American glory, beginning the work that led to the addition of substantial BLM and private lands to Pinnacles, and confronting the threats to Wrangell-St. Elias posed by the “Pilgrim Family” and their supporters.  He received the 2004 NPCA Stephen Tyng Mather Award for his work on the Pilgrim issue.  

Candelaria travelled to England, the Soviet Union, Italy, and Germany to represent the NPS at various international events and meetings.  He also served as the resources co-chair for the Discovery 2000 conference in St. Louis. But the thing he’ll remember the most is the people he has had the honor, privilege, and pleasure to meet and work with. 

“The greatest asset the National Park Service has is its committed and dedicated staff.  In a career spent in parks and offices across the country, superb colleagues have been the constant that has made the journey possible and satisfying.”

In retirement, Candelaria plans to study Greek and Latin, “so I can read the classics in their original languages, as Thomas Jefferson recommended;” “play” in his extensive book collection; write the definitive history of the WW II destroyer, USS Monaghan (DD-354): and follow the football fortunes of the “Fighting Beavers” of Oregon State.

“I’ve been honored to have served and been a part of the NPS!  So long, eh.”

 

National Capital Region

Dates: 07/16/2008 - 08/06/2008

National Capital Region has issued a vacancy announcement for a superintendent for with Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The announcement number is NPS-NCR-08-43. Click on "More Information" below for a link to the announcement and application instructions.



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National Capital Region

Dates: 07/14/2008 - 07/28/2008

National Capital Region has issued a vacancy announcement for a human resource specialist for George Washington Memorial Parkway, located in McLean, Virginia. It is open to federal government candidates and reinstatement eligibles. The announcement number is NPS-NCR-08-37. Click on "More Information" below for a link to the announcement and application instructions.



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