Park News August 27,2008

Mojave National Preserve

On August 23rd, a joint effort by Union Pacific police, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the National Park Service resulted in the arrest of four people for train burglary and a search for a fifth who was later found deceased from apparent heat exposure about five miles from the site of the attempted burglary. Over $30,000 worth of property was recovered. Around 2 p.m. that afternoon, rangers McDermott, Spillane and Cooperider were notified of a train burglary in progress near Cima, which is within the park. Union Pacific employees discovered between 10 and 15 people in the act of stealing 31 42-inch-wide televisions from a train. The employees told rangers that they’d fled in many directions into the desert. Rangers requested a helicopter and assistance from the sheriff’s department and from the UP police. Upon arrival, the police told rangers that they had information that the would-be thieves were armed. A search was begun, and UP police later in the day intercepted a vehicle driven by a known accomplice, arrested him, then put an undercover team in the vehicle to drive the surrounding roads. The team located and arrested four other suspects in a remote area of the park about four miles from the scene of the burglary. They told officers that another member of their group was sick and that they’d left him under a tree about a mile away in the desert. McDermott and Cooperider retrieved ALS gear and along with UP officers started looking for him, finding him just after 11 p.m. He was DOA, having likely succumbed to complications from heat exposure (temperatures were over 100 degrees).

 

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Each year, rangers locate and remove patches of wild growth marijuana from park property. This growth typically occurs in isolated areas and consists of what is commonly referred to as “ditch weed.” The stands are normally small and are limited to a few hundred spindly plants with few leaves. This season, possibly due to very favorable weather, the number and quality of these plants significantly increased. On August 21st, rangers, other park employees, and officers from the Burns Harbor and Portage Police Departments and the Porter County Sheriff’s drug task force participated in a joint operation to clear out a significant patch of wild growth marijuana. The majority of these plants were in excess of 12 feet tall with full foliage. The patch of plants is in an area of the park known for the best salmon fishing in the Midwest and is frequented by anglers from all over the United States. Approximately 30 people worked for eight hours to remove over 10,000 marijuana plants from the park and secure them for later destruction. Local authorities place the value of these plants at approximately $800 per mature plant for a total haul of over $8,000,000. There was no evidence located that the plants were being tended or actively cultivated.

 

National Capital Parks-East

Officers Scott Brecht and Jason Omo were on patrol of River Terrace just after 1 a.m. on August 21st to check into complaints of illegal activities there from park neighbors. They came upon two people in the park’s playground area. Evidence indicated that they were involved in illicit behavior. The pair then began walking in the direction of the officers. The officers checked them out, then discovered an Uzi submachine gun in the place they’d just left. The weapon was loaded and the selector switch was set to full auto. Both were arrested and charged with weapon offenses and other violations.

 

Big Bend National Park

Dates: 08/22/2008 - 09/12/2008





































Big Bend National Park is currently recruiting for a GS-0201-9/11 human resources specialist. The person selected will provide a variety of human resources services to employees and managers at the park.  Primary duties will be related to staffing for all GS and WG positions.  The person in this position will be part of the Santa Fe Servicing Human Resources Office, but stationed at Big Bend.  Big Bend is a great place to live and work.  There is an excellent K-8 school located in the park.  Recreational activities abound year around, including hiking, biking, camping, photography, bird watching and river rafting.  The announcement is posted on USA Jobs and is open until September 12th.


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Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Dates: 08/21/2008 - 09/11/2008

Chaco Culture NHP has issued an announcement for a GS-1421-7 archives technician. The person selected will work in the park's museum collection, which is housed on the University of New Mexico's campus in Albuquerque. The archives technician will assist in the organization and maintenance of the collection. For full details, see the announcement (click on "More Information" below). 

Albuquerque (population approximately 500,000) is an urban area with considerable housing, educational, medical, and cultural facilities. The University of New Mexico is located in the center of the city. Recreational opportunities are abundant. Altitude is approximately 5,000 feet; temperatures range from 20 degrees in winter to 100 degrees in summer.  Park housing is not available.



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National Mall & Memorial Parks

Six NPS employees recently became League of American Bicyclists (LAB) league cycling instructors (LCIs) following the completion of an intense three-day training session that consisted of classroom instruction, parking lot drills for emergency maneuvers, and on-road riding.  The park’s bike program coordinator, ranger Jason Martz, organized and taught the training along with LAB director of education Preston Tyree. 

Three regions were represented in the training, National Capital Region (Richard Ayad – National Mall & Memorial Parks, Jason Barna – Old Post Office Tower, Georgeann Smale – George Washington Memorial Parkway), Midwest Region (Ann Sarnecki – Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Julie Jackson – Central High School National Historic Site), and Southeast Region (Butch Davis – Cumberland Gap National Historical Site).  All of these parks have very active bike programs and all participants realized the importance of proper bike safety education and training. 

Although Martz has been an instructor since July 2004 (he has taught over 50 NAMA and National Capital Region staffers), he only recently attained coach status within LAB, thus making this training possible.  As LCIs, all participants are now eligible to teach the full curriculum of the LAB’s bike education program. All graduates plan to teach interested staff members proper and safe riding practices at their parks.  This is a very cost effective way to educate park staff, offer fun and safe bike tours to park visitors, and demonstrate how to make our National Parks “green.”     

There are over 1,100 active LCIs across the country, but just eight are NPS employees (two before this training). There are just 12 coaches throughout the country (one NPS employee – Martz) capable of teaching interested parties to become new instructors.  If anyone in your park is interested in bike education for your staff and safe biking in your park, please contact Jason Martz at Jason_Martz@nps.gov or 202-438-4391.  For more information about the park’s bike program, please visit their website at http://www.nps.gov/mall .

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness, and transportation and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.  The bike education program is a set of curricula for adults and children as well as the certified instructors who teach it. Bike education classes are taught across the United States by certified LCI.  LAB also promotes May as National Bike Month.

For more information about the League of American Bicyclists, please visit their website at http://www.bikeleague.org .

 

Yosemite National Park

Paul Dettman, Jr., an engineering equipment operator at the park, will retire on September 3rd after 41 years of federal service – three years in the Army in Korea and Vietnam and 38 years with the National Park Service at Yosemite.

Originally from Wisconsin, Paul was invited by an Army buddy living in Mariposa, California, to come visit him upon discharge from military service to enjoy the beauty of and fishing possibilities in the Yosemite region. Taking a laborer job with Yosemite Park & Curry Company in the spring of 1966 led to an offer of a temporary truck driver position with Yosemite NP three years later. After working on a seasonal basis over the next few years, he was selected for a permanent position in September of 1973, his job eventually evolving into his WG-10 engineering equipment operator position.

Through the years, Paul worked and lived in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Mather Districts (including the Tuolumne Meadows subdistrict), serving and living the past 26 years in Hodgdon Meadows.

Paul and his wife, Ruth Ann, are retiring to Columbia, California. Besides a few trips to visit relatives and friends during the upcoming year, Paul plans to enjoy more time engaged in the very activity that brought him to the region 42 years earlier – fishing! 

He can be reached at alpinflo@juno.com . Well wishes are enthusiastically welcomed!