Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Weather
Yosemite Valley
Today: Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming southwest between 10
and 13 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 54. Southwest wind at 11 mph becoming
east.
Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west
southwest between 8 and 11 mph.
El Portal
Today: Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming southwest between 7
and 10 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 55. West southwest wind at 11 mph
becoming east northeast.
Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. East northeast wind between
7 and 10 mph becoming calm.
Wawona
Today: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest between 7
and 10 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 49. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph
becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southwest between
6 and 9 mph.
Tuolumne Area
Today: Sunny, with a high near 75. Light wind becoming southwest between
12 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 39. Southwest wind between 12 and 15 mph
becoming light. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming southwest between
6 and 9 mph
Happening Today (see Community News below for other events happening
today)
Energy Audits for Tuolumne corridor, Crane Flat lookout, helibase
office, Badger pass Res 5001 and Glacier Point areas will be in process on
July 19 and 20. Please be advise that a team of Park Service employees and
an energy contractor with the audit group will be in those areas asking
questions about these energy usage of said buildings. Contact: Diane
Pookie Mansker 379-1056. (K. Bablitch - 7/20/10)
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Hazard Tree Work Continues
Contractors continue tree hazard cleanup along the Big Oak Flat Road and
Tioga Road in the Crane Flat area. Intermittent one-lane traffic control
is anticipated with brief delays. (B. Mattos - 7/19/10)
Construction Update:
Soda Springs Bridge Intermittent Closure: The Soda Springs Bridge (near
the Parson's lodge) will be closed periodically from July 12 - August 5
for repairs. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. (C. Hime -
7/12/10)
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El Portal Complex Photovoltaic System (to be completed approximately 5
months from when work begins July 22)
Paragon Industrial Applications (PIA) [contractor]is in the final stages
of design on the El Portal Complex Photovoltaic (PV) System and will start
moving material and equipment into the El Portal Complex area on July 22,
2010. Trenching for the new PV systems and work on the carports will
begin in August. To minimize potential traffic and parking problems, PIA
has agreed to work weekends and a couple days during the week (most likely
Thursday and Friday). Park Management encourages El Portal Complex
employees to carpool, use the bus, ride your bike or walk to work during
construction days as there will be a decrease in parking during
construction. (M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
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Wawona Road Rehabilitation (June 1 - November 2010):
TODAY (7/21): Placement of curb in the area that runs from a mile north of
the Wawona Campground to the Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin).
There will also be placement of string line in the area that runs
approximately a half mile north of the South Entrance to a mile north of
the Wawona Campground.
TONIGHT: Pulverization of existing pavement and work on culverts in the
section that runs from a mile north of the Wawona Campground to the
Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin). Paving is also tentatively
scheduled to begin tonight.
**Please use caution when driving along the Wawona Road - there are
numerous unpaved surfaces.
-For all Yosemite road construction information and updates, visit the
park's website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm
-For daily traffic control updates, call the park information line at
(209) 372-0200 (then press 1, and 1 again). (M. Ortiz - 7/19/10)
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Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (to be completed by the end of 2010)
Mozingo Construction (contractor) is working this week to remove abandoned
utilities in the meadow between the Yosemite Valley Elementary School
(between Yosemite Village and Lower Yosemite Fall) and Northside Drive.
(M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
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Wawona Tunnel (ongoing)
Candelaria Construction (contractor) is continuing work on the fire alarm
and ventilation systems in the Wawona Tunnel. (M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
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Tecoya Housing (to be completed by October 1, 2010)
Allison Sierra (contractor) will be working in the Lower Tecoya area to
replace old and failing water, sewer, and power lines. Currently they are
working near the laundry room, E Dorm, F Dorm, and the area between
Residence 108 - 113. (M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
Park and Partner News
Three Fires Discovered in Yosemite National Park: Two are lightning-caused
Two lightning caused fires were discovered yesterday, July 19, 2010, on
the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. Smoke was
reported visible from the east near the Waterwheel Fall area. Yosemite
received lightning late last week and into the past weekend along the
Sierra crest. It is not unusual to find these fires a few days after
thunderstorms. These remote fires are approximately at the 8000’
elevation and within two miles of each other. They are in designated
wilderness, and located in Tuolumne County. Firefighters were flown into
the fire area today to monitor the fires. They will gather data to assess
the fire spread potential and observe fire behavior. Additionally, they
will collect adjacent fuels and other vegetation information, determine
fuel moistures, locate natural fire barriers, and place trail warning
signs as needed. Based on the data collection the fires will be
considered to be managed for multiple objectives.
Tuolumne: 37 57.024 x 119 32.582. It is 1/10 of an acre and west of the
Wildcat 2 fire and Rodgers Creek. It has a slight to moderate potential
to spread. Light smoke was visible. It is burning in short needle conifer
vegetation and brush, on a south aspect.
Wildcat 2: 37 56.865 x 119 30.447 - It is 2.8 acres and has moderate
potential to spread with light smoke visible. It is on the south side of
Register Creek and north of last summer’s Wildcat fire. It is also
burning in short needle conifer and brush, on a south aspect.
Seventy-five percent of the perimeter is active and mostly burning the
brush.
There are three historical fires in this area: 1948, 1985 and last year’s
2009, Wildcat fire.
Suppression Fire:
Footbridge: 37 46.319x119 32.275 – This .10 acre fire was discovered July
20, 2010, and is in Mariposa County. It is burning in heavy fuels, many
of which are snags, (standing dead trees.) Light smoke was visible from
Glacier point, and was dispersing to the northwest. The fire is near the
Snow Creek footbridge and is N/W of Basket Dome. It is within the
suppression zone, and is being put out by Helicopter 551 and helitack
hand-crews. The cause is unknown.
In the weather report, there is a chance of thunderstorms later this week
and into the weekend. Another update will be out in the next few days as
new data is collected, including photos. Additional maps and photos will
be posted to the Yosemite Webpage as they become available.
“The National Park Service manages wildland fire to protect the public,
communities and infrastructure, conserve natural and cultural resources
and restore and maintain ecological health.”
For Additional Information:
Fire Information and Education Office: (209) 372-0480
Yosemite Online: www.nps.gov/yose/fire (G. Wuchner-7/21/10)
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Greetings Yosemite! Beginning Thursday July 22 and for five nights the
Moonlight Valley Tour will be operating. The two-hour tour is fascinating
under the moon. Come see the Valley in a different light. Thursday's
departure is 9:00 PM from Yosemite Lodge. (G. Rosenfeld, 7/21/10)
Acting Designations
On Wednesday, July 21, Tori Seher will be acting Branch Chief of Wildlife
Management. She can be reached at 372-0476. (Steve Thompson-7/21/10)
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Lorene will be acting Administrative Officer for the week of July 19.
Lorene can be reach at 379-1873. (P. Lendvay-Humphrey - 7/20/10)
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Cindy Whitten, Acting HRO will be out of the Park the week of July 19.
Trudy Hawkins (209) 379-1802 will be Acting HRO. (C. Whitten - 7/19/10)
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Shane Sims will be Acting Safety Officer while Roger Farmer on assignment
in the Gulf July 12-July 24. Shane can be reached at 379-1209. (C. Ronay
- 7/16/10)
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Kieth Stowell will be the acting Buildings and Grounds Facilities Manager
July 15- 23. He can be reached at 379-1280, or have a message left with
Tara Hawksley at 379-1054. (A. Sharp - 7/15/10)
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Until further notice, Brenna Lissoway (379-1283) will be the Acting Park
Archivist while Paul Rogers is on a detail as the Acting Regional
Archivist (PWR). If you have need to access the Archives, or have archive
related questions, you can also try calling at 379-1282 or 379-1104. (J.
Bayless - 6/3/10)
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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
New Employee: Mae Frantz, Outdoor Recreation Planner
Division of Planning: A native of the Central Sierra foothills, Mae has a
strong connection to our gateway communities, regional stakeholders, and
the resource. Her professional experience includes work with the
California Department of Fish and Game, the Community Development
Department of Tuolumne County, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, as well
as extensive consulting experience for both public and private sector
clients. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from San Francisco State University
with a B.A. in Geography focused on Environmental Management. She also
holds a professional certification from an award-winning program in
Geographic Information Systems. Her work in the Planning Division will
support the Merced River Plan and Tuolumne River Plan, where her skills in
spatial analysis, scientific visualization of data, and visual
communication will inform the planning process, foster collaboration
across disciplines, and promote increased public participation. Mae lives
in the community of El Portal and loves exploring the resource with her
partner, Todd. (D. Harrison, 7/21/10)
Community News
The Yosemite Conservancy is looking for someone to clean the artist
apartment in the Yosemite Art & Education Center in the Valley. The
contractor will be paid a salary of $30/wk to clean the apartment once a
week on Sundays. If you are interested please contact Carolyn King at
379-2317 ext. 10. (C. King- 7/21/2010)
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SIERRA INSTITUTE PRESENTS RESULTS OF IMPORTANT STUDY
A ground-breaking study has just been completed in Mariposa County. The
community is invited to a presentation of the final results at 6 pm on
Wednesday, July 28, at the Mariposa County Government Center.
Mariposa County was chosen from all the counties in the state of
California. It is helping to develop and test a new measurement of the
condition of watersheds in California. The Statewide Watershed Assessment
Framework currently includes scientific indicators for physical attributes
like water quality and the condition of plants and animals. This study
enters new territory by looking at the people living in a watershed, what
they value in their watershed, what concerns they have, and what is needed
for them to understand and work together to address watershed issues.
Over several months, community members from Mariposa County’s three
watersheds shared their knowledge and perspectives on watershed
conditions. Sierra Institute for Community and Environment Consultant
Jonathan Kusel will report on the social and economic indicators for
Mariposa County’s watersheds that emerged from these discussions. He’ll
describe how the indicators were tested in Mariposa County and how they
will help to measure watershed conditions here and throughout California
as well. He‘ll demonstrate how the information gathered in the study will
document what has succeeded and what is still needed to protect Mariposa
County’s exceptional natural resources.
The project was funded by the California Department of Water Resources and
managed by the Sierra Nevada Alliance. For those who cannot attend, the
report will be posted at www.merced-river.org as soon as it is available.
(A. Steed- 7/21/10)
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UNOFFICIAL YNP “BAR” ASSOCIATION GATHERING All attorneys, law school
graduates, paralegals, anyone else interested in the practice of law and
administration of justice at the U.S. District Court in Yosemite, and
anyone who would like to say “Goodbye” to Assistant Federal Defender
Reginald Aligada is invited to Reggie’s going-away party at 9005 Oak Lane,
Yosemite Valley, at 5:00 PM Thursday, July 22, 2010. Refreshments and
hors d’oeuvre will be provided. For more information, please contact Jamie
Hubbard at (209) 372-8917. (J. Hubbard - 7/20/10)
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Carpool Opportunity: If anyone is willing to carpool somewhere between
Chukchansi Casino and El Portal at least one day Monday through Friday
and works a schedule between 0700 & 1630 please contact Brenna at
559-676-7739, x 1804, or brenna_eagle@nps.gov. 1-2 seats available! (B.
Eagle - 7/20/10)
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6TH STREET CINEMA is located upstairs in the historic Old Masonic Lodge
(under historic renovation) on 6th Street in downtown Mariposa. Entrance
is $7 per film for non-members; non-member students pay $5. Monthly
membership is $12 allowing film entry for $3 each. Special performances
and broadcasts have alternate pricing structures.
Recorded Information: 209 966-1333. Staff: 209 742-6666. Visit our
website: http://www.sixthstreetcinema.org or e-mail us:
sixthstreetcinema@sti.net
This week:
July 23 - 24 (Friday - Saturday) 7:30 P.M.: GREENBERG.
Ben Stiller plays Roger Greenberg, a 40 year old New Yorker who moves to
Los Angeles in order to figure out his life, while he housesits for his
brother. He soon sparks with his brother's assistant, who may finally have
given his life purpose. A funny, bittersweet, poignant film. This funny,
offbeat film is directed by Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale",
"Margot At The Wedding"). (Rated R; 107 minutes).
July 28, 6:00 p.m.: DINNER, WINE TASTING AND A PLAY.
"LONDON ASSURANCE" (FROM LONDON'S NATIONAL THEATRE) AND DINNER AND WINE
TASTING AT SAVOURY'S : $60
Please join us for fine dining and fine farce, as we present the classic
British comedy "London Assurance," taped live at London's National
Theatre, preceded by an all-inclusive dinner and wine tasting at
Mariposa's Savoury's, located right next door to the theater. Tickets must
be purchased in advance by July 25. Please call 209.742.6666 for
reservations. (T. Arfsten-7/21/10)
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