Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Weather
Yosemite: TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. WINDY. HIGHS 59 TO 64 IN YOSEMITE
VALLEY... 39 TO 45 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY. GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH OVER THE CREST
DECREASING TO 50 MPH OVER THE CREST IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. WINDY. LOWS 36 TO 41 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY... 17 TO
27 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 56 TO 61 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...37 TO 42 IN
THE HIGH COUNTRY.
THURSDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 35 TO 40 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY... 16 TO
26 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. HIGHS 56 TO 61 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY... 36 TO
42 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
El Portal: Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind 7 to 11
mph becoming west southwest.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southwest wind at 9 mph
becoming northeast.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming west
between 6 and 9 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind between 4
and 7 mph becoming calm.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62. South southwest wind between 3
and 8 mph.
Happening Today/This Week (Check the Community News section for other
events)
YARTS vouchers: The vouchers have arrived. I am planning on being in El
Portal on Thursday (3/27) to disburse them. I will be in the small
breakroom in the maintenance building about 3:45 until 4:30. Prior to that
I will stop in at the Fiscal Office. Please mark your calendars to
remember to meet with me. I'll be in my office today and Wednesday morning
for riders who are here in the Valley.
If the RM riders who get their vouchers from Sarah or Mitzi would please
let me know who they are, I would appreciate it. There are so many new
names that I'm having problems remembering who works where. I want to
make sure your voucher is left with them. (S. Grin - 3/26/08)
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The Yosemite National Park Fire Management Program, the Division of
Resources Management and Science, and the USGS Yosemite Field Station are
sponsoring the 2nd Yosemite Fire Science Symposium Tuesday March 25th and
Wednesday 26th at the Cliff Room in the Yosemite Valley. The purpose of the
Fire Science Symposium is to share research and information on issues
related to fire and smoke management in the Sierra Nevada, including
Yosemite National Park. This is an opportunity for Park and National Forest
fire managers, along with regional and local airshed managers, to interact
with researchers and discuss the latest information on the latest issues,
including climate change, fire ecology, and smoke management.
The Yosemite Fire Science Symposium will be open to the public and free of
charge, however RSVP will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Leland
Tarnay, Air Resources Specialist (209-379-1422, Leland_Tarnay@nps.gov) or
Kent van Wagtendonk, Fire GIS Specialist, (209 379 1046,
kent_van_wagtendonk@nps.gov) to RSVP or for further information. (P.
Meierding - 3/20/08)
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The next Open House will be on FRIDAY March 28 instead of a Wednesday.
Friday, March 28, 2008 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm in the Yosemite Valley Visitor
Center Auditorium.
Planning efforts and projects that will be represented at this Open House
are:
New Zealand Mud Snails
Find out how to avoid bringing this invasive species into the park.
Greening the operations of the park
Find out about the sustainable practices the park uses in its daily
operations
Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan
Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan
Invasive Plant Management Plan
Environmental Education Campus
Construction and Project Updates (P. Meierding - 3/21/08)
New Today
YOSEMITE RENAISSANCE XXIII ART EXHIBIT open at the Yosemite Museum Gallery
through May 4, 2008, Fridays through Mondays, 10 - Noon and 1 - 4 PM.
TAKE SOME ART HOME! Most of the works of art are available for sale, with
one-quarter of the proceeds going to support the Renaissance non-profit
arts organization, and the rest to the artist.
This year, from a near-record number of 465 entries, 38 paintings,
photographs, sculptures and drawings by 34 artists from across the country
were selected, and six prize-winners were named and received $4000 in cash
awards. This year's exhibit is unquestionably one of the best and includes
a broad range of works from the representational to the abstract to the
conceptual. Local artists in the exhibit include: Linda R. Abbott, Susan
Bolen, Elizabeth Carmel, Michael Frye, Marian Gault, Peggy Hansen, Mark
Heliger, William Neill, Penny Otwell, Jon Shiu, and Carol Rae Shockley. (J.
Bayless & B. Beroza - 3/26/08)
Announcements
Please be advised that in order to prepare for an AMR CAP Status review,
the Contracting Office will be closed onThursday 3 April 2008. (L. Sheetz -
3/21/08)
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Leave Share Participants
Currently, YOSE leave share participants are:
Shari Baudoux
Kevin Bowman
Kimberly Cunningham-Summerfield
You can find leave share participants Servicewide on InsideNPS at:
http://insidenps.gov/index.cfm?handler=leaveshare
If you are interested in contributing annual leave, please do so by
completing a Request to Donate Annual Leave to Leave Recipient (Within
Agency) Under the Leave Transfer Program, OPM Form 630-A. A fillable PDF
version of the OPM 630-A may be found at:
http://opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm630a.pdf (T. Hawkins - 1/31/07)
HR Corner
Detail/Temporary Promotion Opportunity:
Parkwide Custodial and Grounds is looking for a permanent career or
career-conditional Yosemite National Park employee interested in a
temporary promotion (if qualified and eligible) or detail (if not
qualified) for up to 120 days to perform the duties of Maintenance Worker
Leader, WL-4749-05. The duties would include leading VIP groups, performing
buildings and grounds maintenance work and would require working weekends.
If you are interested please submit your resume to Irma Keheley in Human
Resources Office, El Portal, no later than close of business March 31,
2008. Please make sure to have your supervisors approval. For additional
information about the position, please contact Brian Martin at (209)
375-9508. (I. Keheley - 3/24/08)
Community News
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, County Bank, Sierra Tel, the
James Irvine Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Mariposa
County. We are also generously supported by Iron Mountain Systems and
Stonecutter.com. Monthly membership is $12, allowing film entry for $3
each; non-members pay $7, and non-member students pay only $5. Film/theater
information: (209)966-1333 or http://www.sixthstreetcinema.org Staff:
209 742-6666. E-mail us: sixthstreetcinema@sti.net
Upcoming Programs:
March 27 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. LIVE FROM THE NYPL: THERE YOU GO AGAIN.(FREE
ADMISSION). - Sixth Street Cinema has partnered with the New York Public
Library to broadcast exciting, thought provoking discussions of topics
relevant to our times. 60 years ago, George Orwell published "Politics and
the English Language", in which he described political speech as consisting
"largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness." Today,
many symptoms of manipulation and propaganda diagnosed by Orwell persist on
the American political landscape, along with new disinformation techniques
enabled by modern technology. Historians, scientists, philosophers,
linguists, cognitive experts, journalists, image-makers, and public figures
will debate in three separate sessions the current state of political
discourse — and journalism's response to it — on the dawn of a bitterly
contested presidential campaign. This month, we will be screening Part I:
Propaganda Then and Now: What Orwell Did and Didn't Know, with a panel
including George Soros.
March 29 (Saturday) 7:30 p.m. TED: Technology, Education and Design... and
beer and wine. (FREE ADMISSION). - TED (which stands for Technology,
Entertainment, Design) began in 1984 as a bringing together of people from
those three worlds, but since then its scope has expanded to include
science, business, the arts and the global issues facing our world. It also
has expanded to global venues and conferences. The "main" Monterey annual
conference brings together 40 of the world's most fascinating thinkers and
doers, over four days, each of whom fill an 18-minute slot, interspersed
with many shorter pieces of music, performance and comedy. "Just be
profound" is the technical advice offered to presenters. TED attendees can
normally expect to pay upwards of $6,000, but Sixth Street Cinema (in
partnership with TED) is offering the best of the best program selections
for free, as a thank you to the community. Come and be prepared to be
wowed! Then enjoy stimulating conversations with your neighbors over a
beverage. (T. Arfsten - 3/11/08)
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Saturday March 29 9pm – Midnight: FREE - Evergreen Lodge
Join us in our tavern as we welcome Bay Area instrumental band, Little
Muddy.
With a combination of evocative and rocking original instrumentals, and
great interpretations of classic movie themes, R+B, country and rock
classics, Little Muddy has forged a unique niche in instrumental
roots-music.
For more information, call (209) 379-2606 or send us an email at
info@evergreenlodge.com (J. Gorman - 3/25/08)
Acting Designation
Dave Kari will be out of the office March 25 - April 1, returning to the
office April 2. During his absence, John Ray will be in charge of Trails
March 25 - 31. You can reach John on his cell phone: 742-8851, or by radio
#621. Jose Lopez will be in charge of Trails April 1. You can reach Jose
by cell at 742-8910, or by radio #640. (S. Baudoux - 3/25/08)
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Sueann Brown (379-1222) will be acting Branch Chief for History,
Architecture & Landscapes on Wednesday, March 26th and Danny Schaible
(379-1295) will acting Branch Chief for HAL on Friday, March 28th. (D.
Humphrey - 3/25/08)
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In my absence during the week of March 24, Paul DePascale is acting Branch
Chief for Anthropology and Archeology. (L. Kirn - 3/24/08)
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Jonathan Bayless will be Acting Chief of I&E Mon-Wed, March 24-26
Scott Gediman will be Acting Chief I&E Thu-Fri, March 27-28 (T. Medema -
3/24/08)
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Tim Messick will be acting Valley Utilities Supervisor on Monday 3/24/08
through Thursday 3/28/08. He can be reached at 372-0560 or cell 742-8725
or Katie Bablitch at 379-1055. (K. Bablitch - 3/24/08)
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On the following days the designated employees will be acting Branch Chief
of Wildlife Management until my return
Monday, March 24 - Thursday March 27, Sarah Stock (379-1435)
Friday, March 28, Ryan Leahy (372-0476) (S. Thompson - 3/21/08
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Craig Anthony will be acting Safety Officer while Roger Farmer is on
Special Assignment through March 28. He can be reached at 379-1064, or you
can contact Claudine Ronay 379-1072. (C. Ronay - 3/20/08)
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Brian Martin will be the acting Buildings and Grounds Facility Manager
while Tom Darcy is out of the office from 3/24/08 thru 3/28/08. He can be
reached at either 379-1076 or 375-9508, or you may leave a message withTara
Hawksley at 379-1054. (T. Hawksley - 3/19/08)
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Dan Benitag will be acting PCO supervisor March 20th-30th while Alan
Hawksley is out of the park. Please call 209-372-0533 with any problems.(C.
Gonzales - 3/19/08)
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