Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Weather
Yosemite Valley
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Calm wind becoming west southwest
around 5 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Light east southeast wind.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. East northeast wind around 6
mph becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Calm wind becoming
east around 6 mph.
El Portal
Today: Partly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 42 by 5pm. Light
southwest wind.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Light east wind.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 60. East northeast wind between 4
and 7 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Calm wind becoming
east between 4 and 7 mph.
Wawona
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming west southwest
around 5 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Light east northeast wind.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Northeast wind around 5 mph
becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Calm wind becoming
east around 5 mph.
Happening Today
Today: Tuesday, November 30, the Art Center will celebrate From Our Point
of View, this year’s show of Employee and Resident Art, by hosting a
reception from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. We take great pleasure in inviting
everyone to join us in recognizing the wealth of talent in this community.
If you haven’t seen this year’s show, do come by The Yosemite Art Center,
and don’t miss your chance to see what your coworkers do in their free
time. The last day of the exhibit is today. We hope to see you this
evening. (A.Allen-11/29/10)
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December YARTS Vouchers
Today
El Portal Warehouse- 0700-1130 hours
Valley Mail Room- 1230-1500 hours
See below in Employee News for rest of schedule.(D.Buskeness-11/30/10)
Acting Designations
Jay Shields will be Acting Mather District Ranger from 11/22 through 12/1.
(K.Killian-11/23/10)
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Mike Yochim will be the Acting Division Chief for the Planning Division
December 1 and 2. You may phone Mike at his El Portal office at 379-1441
or if unavailable you may leave a message with Doyle Harrison at 379-1110.
(D.Harrison 11/29/10)
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Greg Torres will be Acting Trails Supervisor from Nov. 19 - Dec. 3. Greg's
cell phone number is 742-8811.(S.Baudoux-11/19/10)
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Mary Kline will be the Acting Chief of Interpretation & Education Nov. 15 -
Dec. 6. Mary can be reached at 372-0645.(T.Medema-11/15/10)
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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
call 379-1282 or 379-1104. (J. Bayless - 06/03/10)
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Ed Dunlavey will be the Acting Operations Branch Chief and Deputy Chief
Ranger until further notice. (C. Cuvelier - 09/07/10)
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Ansley Rothell or Heather Cave should be contacted from Nov 19-Dec 6 for
any Emergency Communications Center needs. (N.Bissmeyer-11/18/10)
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Dayna Jackson will be Acting Chief of Admin 11/29-12/3. She can be reached
at 379-1872. Katariina will be available by cell or by email.
(P Lendvay-Humphrey x1007)
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Deron Mills will be the Acting Chief of Fire and Aviation Management from
11/19 - 12/06. Contact him at 379-1902.(K.Martin-11/19/10)
Park & Park Partner News
Yosemite National Park Volunteers Recognized at the
First Annual Yosemite Volunteer Awards Ceremony
The first annual Yosemite Volunteer Awards ceremony took place in September
of this year. The ceremony was held to recognize outstanding volunteers
who have donated their time, talent, and skills to help improve park
facilities. Yosemite National Park volunteers repaired trails, removed
invasive plants, helped visitors during their visits, curated museum
artifacts, educated hikers on backcountry ethics, researched wildlife,
performed clerical work, and participated in search and rescue efforts.
In 2009, over 9,500 volunteers donated more than 154,000 hours to Yosemite
National Park. Each of these volunteers has helped to protect the natural
and cultural resources of Yosemite, in addition to enhancing the
experiences of park visitors.
The award ceremony was held on September 25, 2010, on National Public Lands
Day in conjunction with the annual Yosemite Facelift. Yosemite National
Park Superintendent Don Neubacher presented each of the award winners a
framed certificate of appreciation, a Volunteer of the Year hat, and either
a gift certificate to the Yosemite Conservancy bookstores or a gift
certificate for an Outdoor Adventure for Groups. The park also recognized
a volunteer Supervisor and Volunteer Program of the year.
Recipients of the Individual, Youth, Enduring, and Group Awards will be
nominated for the National George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding
Volunteer Service, which will be announced in April 2011. The recipients of
the first annual Yosemite Volunteer Awards are:
Individual Volunteer:
George and Charlotte O'Hare have been volunteering at Yosemite, as well as
other national and state parks for many years. In Yosemite National Park
they have worked for the Interpretation Division at Glacier Point, for the
Visitor Protection Division at Badger Pass, and as Campground Hosts at
Tuolumne Meadows Campgrounds. In all their work they have shared their
constant enthusiasm and vast knowledge of the park to enhance the
experience of countless park visitors.
Youth Individual Volunteer:
Brina Mocsny came to Yosemite to work on a mine mitigation project in
cooperation with the Student Conservation Association and the Division of
Resources Management and Science. She has become a critical asset to
Yosemite National Park, serving not only in her original duties, but also
supporting other operations throughout the park.
Enduring Individual Volunteer:
Jack Phinney has been volunteering for Yosemite National Park for over 20
years. His work for the Division of Education and Interpretation in
designing, building, and constructing signs and other interpretive
materials has been critical to communicating the park story with visitors.
Group Volunteers:
Backcountry Brigade
For the last three years, Backcountry Brigage has been travelling from all
over the United States to Tuolumne Meadows for a full week of wilderness
restoration work. They have removed and restored over 140 out-of-bounds
campsites, as well as exhibited Leave No Trace ethics during their weeklong
backcountry work experiences.
Youth Group Volunteers:
SCA High School Wilderness Crew
For several years the Yosemite Conservancy has sponsored a Student
Conservation High School Wilderness Crew to work in Yosemite National Park
for over one month with the Wilderness Restoration Program. The students,
ages 15-18, spend over 30 days in the wilderness removing out-of-bounds
campsites and restoring impacted areas to a more natural state. This
program gives students a change to experience nature in a way that few
teens do.
Supervisor of Volunteers:
Suzy Hasty came to the Yosemite Conservancy as the Volunteer Coordinator
for the former Yosemite Association in 2009. In 2010 as the Yosemite
Association and Yosemite Fund merged, Suzy's program expanded, making her
the Volunteer Program Manager. Her leadership of the Month-Long,
Work-Week, and Corporate Volunteer Programs has lead to a stronger program
with well-trained and dedicated volunteers.
Volunteer Program:
The Yosemite Conservancy is Yosemite National Park's primary non-profit
partner. The Yosemite Conservancy's month-long volunteer program provides
visitor information assistants in Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows, and Yosemite
Valley from May through September. The Work Week Program, also supported
by DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., brings up to 15 volunteers to the
park for 6 week-long projects. These projects include repairing trails,
restoring meadows, and repairing the High Sierra Camps. The Corporate
Program brings employees of corporations to the park to work on projects
which their companies have funded, such as: meadow restoration and asphalt
removal. All of the Yosemite Conservancy’s programs are operated in close
partnership with several divisions of the with Yosemite National Park to
provide benefit to park resources and park visitors.
Facelift Volunteer:
John Stannard has been supporting the Yosemite Climbing Association's
annual Facelift event for seven years. He has provided essential planning
and preparation assistance throughout all of the planning stages of the
Yosemite Facelift.
Special Award Presentation of Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (for
4,000+ hours):
The Presidential Service Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to
volunteers who have accumulated over 4,000 hours of service. Each
recipient received a letter of commendation from President Barack Obama, a
certificate of achievement, and a Lifetime Service pin. This year, five
volunteers were given this award during the Yosemite Volunteer Awards
ceremony:
Jack Phinney
Charlotte O’Hare
George O’Hare
Ruth Heine
John Heine
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Croaking Toad Lecture Series, Thursday, December 9, 8:00am to 9:00am.
Please join Resources Management and Science Division on Thursday, December
9, 2010, from 8am- 9am in the Large Breakroom at the El Portal Maintenance
Warehouse Complex to hear Laura Kirn, Branch Chief of Anthropology,
presenting: The New Indian Village, The Wilson House and The Indian
Cultural Center: A New Life for an Old House. Resources Management &
Science hosts the monthly informational series to address various natural
and cultural resource issues that impact Yosemite National Park. Please
come to learn more about your park.
For further information, contact RMS at 379-1301. (K. Dera-11/30/10)
Employee News
YARTS Vouchers Today
El Portal Warehouse- 0700-1130 hours
Valley Mail Room- 1230-1500 hours
12/01/2010-12/08/2010
El Portal Warehouse- 0700-1030 hours
Valley Mail Room- 1130-1600 hours
Will not be here to disburse Vouchers on December 3, because it is my Flex
day.
Please keep in mind I leave to the Post Office around 1400 hours
12/01/2010
Old El Portal Employees: I will be at the budget and SPU Office around 1100
hours..(D.Buskeness-11/30/10)
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Missing Signs - Someone removed two signs at Hwy.140 - 120 intersection. TO
395 > They were taken down during the closure of Tioga Rd. If you have
them call the Sign Shop 379-1286 and we will pick them up. Thank You !
(G.Taylor-11/30/10)
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Just a reminder that the CFC will be sponsoring a BAKE SALE and COFFEE BAR
this Wednesday, 12/1 at the El Portal Warehouse Complex. We have some cute
holiday goody bags so you can make some gifts to save you some shopping
time. Also, will have a big pot of yummy coffee to warm you up!
For those who are making baked goods to contribute, we say THANKS! Can't
wait to seeing what you're baking up. (J.Harrison-11-30-10)
Construction Update
Update - El Portal Complex Photovoltaic (PV) System (July 22, 2010 -
January 2011)
Paragon Industrial Applications (PIA) [contractor] began work at the El
Portal Complex area on July 22, 2010.
Schedule Change:
The contractor ( PIA) will be going to a Monday - Thursday
work week beginning Dec 6th. For the past four months PIA has
been on a Thursday - Sunday work week. Beginning next week,
most of the remaining work will have much less impact on
traffic and parking then previous work.
Last Week's Progress:
The last shipment of structural steel arrived a couple of days
ago for the parking structure carport 8 [Upper parking deck]
The steel structure was erected over the last few days and
after the finish welding takes place next week it will be ready
for paint and the panel crew. The carport 8 structure will be
the final structure to need to have PV panels installed. The
carport structure will have 1014 panels installed on it and
this will bring the total panel count for the entire PV project
to 2,820 panels.
PIA electricians are continuing running conduit and conductor
to lighting circuits and secondary panels.
NOTE: Please do not walk out on the upper parking deck when the
welders are working on the structure. If you absolutely have to walk
out on the deck during construction activities, you must wear a hard
hat. (M. Ortiz - 11/29/10)
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Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station Improvements (August 16 - November 2010)
Abide International (contractor) began work Monday, August 16 to upgrade
the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station. During the past week, crews installed
insulation, the vapor barrier, and the dry wall in the kiosk. They also
installed new exterior lights and drains for the new HVAC unit. In
addition, crews poured the new concrete for the walkway and walk-up window.
(M. Ortiz - 11/16/10)
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Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (2010 - 2011)
Removal of Old, Abandoned Utilities Embedded in the River, within Meadows,
and within Campgrounds
Phase 3B - Mozingo Construction (contractor) is finishing up with the
river-crossing related portions of the project. The removal of the lift
station near Lower River has also been completed. You will notice work
being done primarily around The Ahwahnee. (Phase 3B to be completed by the
end of 2010)
Update - Phase 2B - Allison Sierra (contractor) began work in the North
Pines Campground area on November 1. This is continuing work to replacing
old and outdated utilities and removing abandoned utilities from
environmentally sensitive areas.This phase includes work within the
following areas, and highlights include:
North Pines Campground
- New lift station and related accessories to be located
near Campground Entrance Kiosk.
- Removal and replacement of existing sanitary sewer
system.
Southside Drive and Upper Pines Corridor (including Clark
Bridge)
- Installation of water, sewer, communication, and
electrical utilities through and across Clark Bridge (between North
and Upper Pines Campgrounds)
Backpacker’s Camp Utilities
- Installation of new vault toilets (removal of current
flush toilets). Because the gravity sewer line serving the
Backpacker's Camp bathroom crosses Tenaya Creek and is impacting the
creek flowage, this sewer line will be removed from the creek
bed. This will require that existing bathroom with flush toilets to
be removed and replaced with vault toilets. (M. Ortiz -
11/9/10)
Community News
Yosemite Conservancy 2011 Wall Calendar Sale. The price of our wall size
(approx. 10” x 13”) Yosemite calendar has been drastically reduced to $2.95
at the Yosemite Bookstore in the Valley Visitor Center. These full color
12-month calendars are the perfect stocking stuffer for Yosemite lovers,
and now at an irresistible price. No other discounts apply. While our
limited supplies last. (T. Arfsten-11/29/10))
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It is that time of year for the Toy and Coat Drive that Yosemite has
participated in the past several years. If you would like to donate any
new toy, a new or used coat for a boy or girl, infant to 18 years of age,
please bring your toys or new/used coats to the Resource Management
Division at the El Portal Maintenance Warehouse and see Ami Knighten
(379-1011),
Or, for your convenience, in Yosemite Valley on the second floor in the
Admin Building and see Rhonda Soden (372-0290).
We will be accepting coats up until December 10, 2010.
We will be accepting other gifts up until December 17, 2010.
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Artist 0pen Studios 2010, Saturday, Dec. 11, 10am-6pm-- Locations in El
Portal (5 houses/studios), Briceburg (Visitors Center) , and Mariposa
(Gallery 7). Briceburg and Mariposa locations also open Sunday, Dec. 12,
10am-3pm. Come shop locally and have fun too!
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Christmas Bug Barn Dance--Featuring a three-piece band with a caller and a
fiddler, piano, etc., for Contra Dancing or New England Folk Dancing.
Extremely fun partnered folk dance style in which couples dance in two
facing lines of indefinite length. This dance has had a huge renaissance
this last couple of years.
Family style event with Christmas decor. Santa Claus will be there for
pictures along with Doug the Grinch.
Saturday December 4, 7:30pm - late
Come early to eat at the Cafe 5:30 to 9:00 pm!
Learn to Contra dance through the evening, but best to show up early at
7:30, the dance is easy to learn.
$10 entry, youth 16 and under are free. Beverages, mulled wine and Xmas
beer on tap.(D.Shaw-11/30/10)
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Subletter wanted in old El Portal house for the month of December-$300.
Female preferred. Please call (702) 575-8861 for more
details.(E.Babich-11/30/10)
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Subletter wanted in old El Portal house for mid-January through the end of
March. Rent is $400. Female preferred. Please call (702) 575-8861 for
more details.(E.Babich-11/30/10)
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Single, quiet, and clean male with no pets. I need to find housing before
February 1, 2011. I have lived in Yosemite the past three years, and I am
looking forward to 2011. You can reach me at wwills3379@hotmail.com or
209-379-1455. (W.Wills-11/30/10)
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THE YOSEMITE GREEN LIVING FORUM is coming soon. Join Balanced Rock for an
interactive sustainability course in El Portal.
Explore ecological design, bioregional action, and voluntary simplicity
while developing a practical vision for creating a sustainable future in
our local communities. All three sessions meet Tuesdays from 7-9pm at the
El Portal Community Hall.
• November 30, “Ecological Design and Biomimicry: Theory to Practice”
• December 7, “Wild Democracy: Ecological Citizenship and Bioregional
Action”
• December 14, “Sustainable Living Practices: Green Building, Energy,
and Food Systems” (at the Yosemite Institute in El Portal)
Suggested donation of $10 per session to cover take-home reading material,
video presentations, and staff preparation time. Call 209-379-9453 or
arin@balancedrock.org with questions or to reserve a space.
(A.Trook-11/30/10)
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