Yosemite Photos, Video and News

Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Weather

Yosemite Valley
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind between 7 and 14
mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. West wind between 6 and 9 mph
becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming west
between 8 and 11 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind between 8
and 11 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind 5 to 11 mph becoming
west southwest.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

El Portal
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind between 3 and 11
mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind between 6 and 9 mph
becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. East northeast wind between 6
and 9 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind between 7
and 10 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East northeast wind 6 to 10
mph becoming west southwest.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Wawona
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Southwest wind between 3 and 11
mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind between 6 and 9 mph
becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming west
between 6 and 9 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. West wind between 7
and 10 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming west
southwest between 7 and 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Happening Today (see Community News below for other current events)
Specialty Tram Tours: Beginning today, June 1, DNC will offer a Specialty
Valley Floor Tram Tour at 9:00 am Sundays - Fridays. The theme of the tour
will change each day. Interpreters from DNC, NPS, Yosemite Association and
Yosemite Climbing Association have created special in-depth tours revolving
around a host of topics including: climbing, geology, rivers and waterways,
and birds.

The schedule is as follows:
Sundays: Vagabonds and Visionaries, presented by the Yosemite
Climbing Association
Mondays: The Unknown West End, presented by the Yosemite Association
Tuesdays: Vagabonds and Visionaries, presented by the Yosemite
Climbing Association
Wednesdays: Geology, presented by the NPS Division of Interpretation
and Education
Thursdays: The Feathered Dragon - Yosemite's Birds, presented by the
Yosemite Association
Fridays: Yosemite's Waterways and the Hidden Strength, presented by
DNC Interpretive Services
Saturdays: No program

Visitors will be able to explore in-depth at designated stops along the
route of the Valley Floor Tour. For more information contact the Yosemite
Lodge Tour Desk at 209/372-1240. (G. Rosenfeld - 5/28/10)
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Hazard Tree Mitigation
The park forestry crews plan to resume tree hazard mitigation work, weather
permitting, along the Big Oak Flat road between Rattlesnake creek and the
Crane Flat intersection today, Tuesday 6/1. The tree work is part of the
Big Meadow fire burned area emergency rehabilitation. Trees that were
killed by last years fire and that have been determined to be a hazard to
the public, employees or the road will be mitigated. Traffic control will
be in place and delays can be expected.The Big Oak Flat Entrance can expect
surges of traffic exiting the park in 15 to 20 minute intervals. This work
will continue for 2 to 3 weeks.

For additional information, contact Butch Castro at 379-1968. (B. Castro -
5/26/10)
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Construction Update:
Wawona Road Rehabilitation (June 1 - November 2010)
Crews will be working at multiple locations along the Wawona Road with the
following delays Sunday night 11:00 pm through Friday night at 4:30 pm:
For daily traffic control updates, call the park information line at (209)
372-0200 (then press 1, and 1 again).

11:00 PM to 6:00 AM 60-Minute Delays
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM 15-Minute Delays
7:30 AM to 3:30 AM 30-Minute Delays
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM 15-Minute Delays
4:30 PM to 11:00 PM 30-Minute Delays

**June 1 locations of work: Today, contractors will be stringing for
preparation of new curb line from about one mile north of the Wawona
Campground to the Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin). They are
also working on removing the telecommunications line between the Wawona
Tunnel to Bridalveil Fall, but there will be no closure or delays in this
area.

Glacier Point Road Rehabilitation (June 1 - 11, 2010)
Crews will be working at multiple locations along the Glacier Point Road as
well as on the Wawona Road at the Chinquapin Intersection with the
following delays Monday morning 6:00 am through Friday night at 4:30 pm.
Weather permitting, construction is anticipated to be completed by June
11th.

6:00 AM to 7:30 AM 15-Minute Delays
7:30 AM to 3:30 AM 30-Minute Delays
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM 15-Minute Delays
4:30 PM to 11:00 PM 30-Minute Delays

Tioga Road Pavement Borings(June 7 - July 1, 2010)
Beginning June 7 crews will be completing pavement borings on the Tioga
Road between Crane Flat and Tuolumne Campground with up to 15-minute
traffic delays, Monday through Friday with no weekend delays. This work is
being conducted in preparation for a future rehabilitation project.

For all road construction information and updates, visit the park's
website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm (M. Pieper and
M. Ortiz - 6/1/10)

Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (ongoing)
Mozingo Construction will continue work removing abandoned utility lines.
The removal of abandoned utilities is a large part of the IUMP work in
Yosemite. IUMP utility replacement work involves the relocation of old
failing utilities (water, power, sewer) from sensitive environmental areas
and relocating the new utilities into new integrated utility corridors
underneath roads and pathways. This allows meadow and wetland habitat to
revert back to pristine conditions. (M. Ortiz - 6/1/10)

Park and Partner News

Admin. Office Closure: All Admin. Offices will be closed from 8:30-10 am on
June 3 for an all division staff meeting. Please note: the IT Help Desk
will be open by phone. (P. Lendvay-Humphrey - 5/28/10)
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Merged Nonprofits Announce New Organization
The Yosemite Association and Yosemite Fund plan to launch our new
organization on Friday, June 4 at 10:45 am at the Visitor's Center in
Yosemite Valley. By combining our best elements and 100 years of
experience, we can do more than ever to protect Yosemite and inspire
enduring connections for current and future generations. We look forward to
celebrating this exciting moment with our partners and the Yosemite
community.

Please come join us for a celebration of our new organization.
When: Friday, June 4, 2010 – 10:45am
Where: Yosemite Valley Visitor Center (N. Morrison - 6/1/10)

Acting Designations
Jim Donovan will be the Acting Division Chief June 1st. and may be reached
by telephone at 379-1450. If unavailable you may leave a message with
Doyle Harrison at 379-1110. (D. Harrison - 5/28/10)
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Until further notice, Lorene Schafer (379-1873) will be the Acting Chief
for Contracting and Procurement . If you have contracting related
questions and don't already have a point of contact, please call Helli
Tucker at 379-1368. Please continue to route purchase request (PR)
packages to Lorene for Acquisition Approval in IDEAS.
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Until further notice, Ed Dunlavey will be the acting Operations Branch
Chief and Deputy Chief Ranger.
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Until further notice, Cindy Whitten will be the acting Human Resources
Officer - 209/379-1878.

Employee News
Volunteer Opportunity: Have you ever wanted to staff a fire lookout tower?
Miami Mountain Fire Lookout, half way between Mariposa and Oakhurst on Hwy
49, is looking for volunteers to staff the tower a day or two at a time.
You can sign up at their website;
http://www.fire-lookouts.org/cali/miami_mtn/ For more information contact
David Vorous, 372-0207. (D. Vorous - 6/1/10)
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Weekend Employment Opportunity: Yosemite Association/Yosemite Fund in El
Portal is seeking temporary outreach workers for the weekend of June 5-6.
Work will involve interacting with the public outdoors, and will require
moderate physical activity. Employment is 6 hours per day (8:00 a.m. –
2:00 p.m.) at $11/hour. Contact John at 379-2646, x. 11 or
jfriedrich@yosemite.org (J. Friedrich - 6/1/10)
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NEW - DETAIL/TEMPORARY PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY – Permanent NPS YOSE employees
-
In addition to the Superintendent's Office having an exciting opportunity
for a detail/temporary promotion (if qualified) to Administrative Support
Assistant (OA), GS-0303-06/07.

The Division of Facilities Management also has an exciting opportunity for
a detail/temporary promotion (if qualified) to Secretary (OA), GS-318-06/07
. This position works directly for the Chief of Maintenance.

These opportunities require you type a minimum of 40 words per minute.

Applicants selected for these detail/temporary promotion(s) would provide
administrative support to the Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Maintenance.
Assignments will provide an opportunity to work with a broad range of
people in support of park/facility operations. Skill in written and verbal
communication is essential. Primary tasks include preparing and
coordinating correspondence, including documents prepared for the signature
of the Superintendent. You will also answer the phone, respond to email,
maintain the office filing system, maintain adequate office supplies and
organization, and other administrative duties as assigned.

If interested in being considered for detail or temporary promotion (if
qualified) for either of these positions, please annotate your preference
(or both) on your resume and submit your resume to Irma Keheley in the
Human Resources Office no later than Thursday, 06/03/10. Please make sure
to have your supervisor’s approval. (Don't forget to indicate your typing
speed on your resume).

Questions about the position(s)? Call Don Neubacher, Superintendent, at
(209) 372-0301 regarding the Administrative Support Assistant (OA); call Ed
Walls, Chief of Facilities Management, at (209) 379-1063 regarding the
Secretary (OA), GS-0318-06/07. Questions about how to apply, call Irma
Keheley at (209) 379-1814. (I. Keheley - 5/28/10)

Community News
Evening with an Artist in Wawona
The Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library will be hosting an
Evening with the Artist, with local artist, Shirley Spencer, today, June 1
at 7 p.m. in the library.

Shirley Spencer has lived and worked in the Sierra Nevada since 1979.
Shirley’s Yosemite experience began in 1989 where she spent the next twenty
years teaching at the Yosemite Institute. In addition to Yosemite, she
regularly instructs and interprets at several other locations, including
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Canyonlands and Arches National
Parks.

Another component of Shirley’s connection with the natural world is
creating art. Painting and drawing landscape scenes and botanical
renditions, in a variety of artistic mediums, add depth and interest to her
Natural History presentations. Her book Flowering Shrubs of Yosemite and
the Sierra Nevada was published by Heyday Books in the spring of 2009.
This publication includes 40 of her original watercolors and scientific
descriptions of each plant.

Shirley has been creating art since she was a small girl. The variety of
mediums that she has experimented with includes chalk and oil pastel, pen
and ink, charcoal, scratchboard, oil, acrylic, and watercolor. Primarily
her art interests have been in rendering wilderness landscapes and
botanicals utilizing watercolor. Art is the way she expresses her love for
the natural world. Shirley hopes that you will enjoy these watercolor
paintings on exhibit at the Wawona Bassett Memorial Library that are
created with attention to botanical accuracy and fine detail.

Shirley is also a talented vocalist and enjoys performing with her guitar.
She recorded and produced a musical compact disc with her vocals and guitar
during the summer of 2008.

Please join the Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in welcoming
Shirley Spencer on Tuesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. in the library. There is no
admission charge and refreshments will be served. (P. Sischo - 5/27/10)

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2010 Yosemite Community Scholarships

Congratulations to the 2010 Yosemite Community Scholarship Winners! They
are Leanna Castro ($1500 scholarship sponsored by the Yosemite Employee
Association), Carson Abbott ($500 scholarship sponsored by the Yosemite
Rotary Club), Emily Morrow ($1000 scholarship sponsored by the Yosemite
Lions Club) and Jordan Gover ($1000 scholarship sponsored by the Yosemite
Winter Club).

The Yosemite Scholarship Commission has been in existence since 1924 to
provide support for college education to local high school seniors through
the generous support of the Yosemite community. (L. Kirn - 6/1/10)
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FOR RENT: Studio apartment in town (Mariposa). Freshly painted; quiet
neighborhood; private. No pets; nonsmoking; one individual. $500/month.
Call 966-6726; ask for Mark or Frank. (Y. Radanovich - 6/1/10)
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FOR RENT: 2 bedroom house for rent with 4 acres on Triangle Rd. Beautiful
front and back yard. Newly painted by hip youngsters. $850 a month, pets
ok. Garden space in the back, and a detached garage. 2 miles past Silva Rd.
Be moved in on time for Carter Rd. Music Festival and walk home from the
party. Call Adam at (330)260-6875. (A. Stroup - 6/1/10)