The Morning Report
Thursday, May 14, 2015
INCIDENTS
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Traffic Stop Leads To Significant Drug Seizure
On May 3rd, a ranger made a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle for a defective tail lamp. The vehicle was towing a small utility trailer. Upon interviewing the driver, the ranger developed strong suspicions that the operator was involved in drug smuggling activities. An odor of marijuana was also detected coming from the vehicle.
A search of the driver's compartment turned up leafy material that tested positive as marijuana. The driver was questioned about the contents of the trailer; he said that he'd just purchased the trailer, and that anything that was in there was there when he bought it.
Further information from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents made the ranger believe that the trailer contained large amounts of marijuana concealed in a hidden compartment, as the driver had an extensive criminal history, including drug trafficking.
Area license plate readers (LPRs) confirmed that the vehicle had traveled south toward the border from the town of Marfa, Texas, with no trailer. Other area LPRs later showed the vehicle northbound with the trailer attached.
A Border Patrol canine unit was called in to perform a free sniff of the air around the vehicle and trailer. The dog alerted on the trailer. A search of the trailer showed a hidden wall partition which was made to look like the trailer was empty. Within the compartment, searchers found 553 pounds of marijuana.
The driver and passenger were arrested for drug trafficking. The subjects and narcotics were subsequently transferred to HSI for prosecution.
[Submitted by Allen S. Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Rangers Successfully Intervene In Suicide Attempt
On Monday, May 11th, the police department in Tallmadge, Ohio, contacted park dispatch and advised that a man missing from that town was believed to be suicidal and at the park.
Rangers were able to locate his vehicle at the Bright Angel Lodge and were able to trace the man to the Abyss on West Rim/Hermit's Rest Drive based on information provided by investigators in Ohio. Rangers contacted the man and over the course of three-hours were able to safely move him away from the rim. He was then taken to the Flagstaff Area Medical Center for evaluation.
An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Tallmadge Police Department.
[Submitted by Public Affairs Office]
NEWS AND NOTES
Centennial and Communications Offices
Find Your Park Campaign Reaches More Than A Billion
Throughout the month of April -- especially during National Park Week -- hundreds of parks, programs, and partners joined together to launch Find Your Park, a public awareness campaign funded by the National Park Foundation to build excitement and momentum for the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.
Special launch events in New York, Washington, and Los Angeles garnered strong national media attention for the campaign. Combined with coverage of special programs by parks, programs, and partners, as well as virtual tours, website activity, in-park signs, and social media outreach, the campaign reached more than one billion people with the Find Your park message -- all over the course of only a few weeks.
This video provides a great snapshot of events across the country in the last month.
Web traffic to nps.gov during April totaled more than 13,000,000 visits, an 18% increase from April 2014, and FindYourPark.com received hundreds of thousands of visitors as well.
In addition, the new NPS Instagram account went live at the beginning of April, and attracted thousands of followers in less than a month. During National Park Week, 27 parks participated in the first-ever NPS Instameet, and more than 700 photos were posted to Instagram during the two-hour event.
Also during National Park Week, parks and programs took advantage of the nps.gov national calendar and promoted 740 events, compared to 310 in 2014. These events help populate FindYourPark.com, giving the public more ways to connect with parks.
This remarkable and unprecedented response would not have been possible without the efforts of the individual parks, programs, and partners, and the support of the National Park Foundation and the campaign's sponsors. Altogether, this combined participation is dramatically increasing the ability of the NPF and the NPS to extend the campaign's reach to attract the next generation of visitors, supporters, and advocates.
In addition, the NPS staff Centennial Ambassadors have been excellent messengers in sharing their personal stories of the work we do and the diversity of who we are across the Service.
On behalf of the NPS Centennial Office, the WASO Office of Communications, the Office of Partnerships & Philanthropic Stewardship, and the National Park Foundation, we offer our sincerest thanks to all of you for making the Find Your Park launch and 2015 National Park Week an extraordinary success. With your dedication and enthusiasm, these exciting events officially invited the public to join in the NPS Centennial celebration in 2016.
Remember to visit the Centennial Office google site to find the latest updates on centennial plans and activities, Find Your Park campaign toolkits, guidance, and more. Send an email to nps_centennial@nps.gov if you have any questions about the Find Your Park campaign launch.
[Submitted by Centennial and Communications Offices]
Colonial National Historical Park (VA)
Park Celebrates Historic Jamestowne Days
On May 13, 1607, three ships — the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery — disembarked 104 English colonists upon the shores of a small peninsula jutting into the James River.
It seemed an ideal place. Thirty-six miles inland from the Chesapeake Bay, it was easily defended against attack and provided a deep harbor for the ships. The settlers named the river James and the settlement Jamestowne after their sovereign King James I.
This settlement would become the first permanent English colony in North America, the first capital of Virginia, the site of the first English representative government in America, and the social and political center of the Virginia colony for more than 92 years.
It also became the site of the first African settlers — some as free men and women, some as indentured servants and then as slaves. But before permanency was assured, the colonists suffered many unimaginable trials, hardships and tribulations.
Disease, hunger, internal squabbling and conflicts with the "naturals," the name the Virginia Company gave the Virginia Indians of this area, would take their toll on the small population.
The National Park Service's Centennial celebration in 2016 and the 400th anniversary in 2019 of the first legislative assembly in the Western Hemisphere at Jamestowne and the first Africans along the James River represent a major opportunity to showcase the pivotal importance of this region to the origins of modern America.
Colonial National Historical Park and its partner and neighbor, Preservation Virginia, are commemorating the event by entering into a joint partnership and project entitled "Democracy and Diversity: The Origins of Modern America," by establishing a new Research and Discovery Center at Historic Jamestowne Island Visitor Center that will engage youth in internships, by actively working archeological excavations, and by engaging local colleges in areas of scholarly pursuits.
On Saturday, May 9th, Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement jointly offered a range of programs marking the 408th anniversary of the colony's establishment.
The event featured ongoing archaeological discoveries of the 1607 fort and one of Jamestown Settlement's ships sailing in the James River. A variety of family-friendly programs on Powhatan and English weaponry, military and maritime demonstrations, and traditional music and entertainment were enjoyed by visitors at both sites.
[Submitted by Michael Byrd]
Denver Service Center
DSC Hosts Two Small Business Mini-Trade Fairs
Denver Service Center recently hosted two mini-trade fairs to connect small businesses with DSC staff for networking and training opportunities.
Most recently, DSC hosted a fair on April 14th, which focused on service disabled veteran owned businesses. Previously, DSC hosted a fair on February 10th that was focused on small business. This is the 12th year that DSC has hosted trade fairs to encourage small business participation in the NPS contracting process.
"DSC strongly supports the overall small business goals of the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior. These mini-trade fairs play a key role in building long-lasting business relationships with small business firms," said Sam Whittington, Director of the Denver Service Center.
In fiscal year 2014, the Denver Service Center awarded more than $91 million in contracts to small businesses. In addition, when a contract is awarded to a large prime contractor, DSC requires a percentage of the contract value to be performed by small business subcontractors. The percentage is determined in collaboration with the Small Business Administration. For example, for the projects associated with the CityArchRiver project in St. Louis, DSC requires that 35% of the total contract be performed by small business subcontractors.
For more information about the Denver Service Center's small business program, contact Lori Irish at (303) 987-6776.
[Submitted by Lindy Allen, lindy_allen@nps.gov, (303) 969-2588]
Harpers Ferry Center
100th Park Receives Braille Booklets
This month, Harpers Ferry Center shipped Braille booklets to the 100th park.
After the succes of early prototype projects in 2009, the center began regular production of Braille booklets for new Unigrid brochures.
Thanks to a Project Management Information System fund, the program expanded to include existing brochures. The center is on track to complete 140 more by spring 2016.
It also provides brf files to parks for posting on their web pages so those with Braille embossers can print their own copy.
[Submitted by Katrina D. Gonzalez, Katrina_Gonzalez@nps.gov, 304-535-6211]
George Washington Birthplace National Monument (VA)
Park Welcomes Speaker From Washington Family Ancestral Home
George Washington Birthplace continued its centennial series of events by hosting Sue McNally of Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, England. Sulgrave is the ancestral home of the Washington family.
McNally, the estate's manager, gave a public talk at the park about the manor's history and her experiences there. The manor, she said, is classic Tudor-style building and was constructed in the mid-1500s by George's five-times great-grandfather.
Although the manor has seen many changes over the years, the Washington family crest remains over the doorway to the manor and is anecdotally thought to have been the inspiration for our nation's flag.
A first-time visitor to the United States, McNally says she's discovered abundant connections between America and the Sulgrave story during her visit here.
"Just to see the Washington Family crest all around D. C. made me really proud," she says.
In 1914, some of the most influential people of the day funded the purchase and restoration of Sulgrave. The initiative for the purchase came from the Peace Centenary Committee set up in 1911 to determine how to commemorate 100 years of peace between Britain and the United States.
The list of donors for the purchase and refurbishment was headed by His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and included many of the senior businessmen and major businesses of the time. In the U.S., the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America raised a significant sum of money, which contributes to the upkeep of the Manor to this day.
In 1921, the house was opened to the public by the Marquis of Cambridge and dedicated as "...a center from which sentiments of friendship and goodwill between the British and American peoples will forever radiate."
Today, Sulgrave's mission is to preserve the site for the public's benefit and to provide educational opportunities about the Manor and the Washington Family.
"We are honored to have Sue visit us," said Superintendent Melissa Cobern. "Sulgrave and The Birthplace have a wonderful tradition of friendship that reflects the spirit of the larger bond between our two countries. We couldn't be more pleased to continue that tradition by hosting Sue here at the park."
"To see a bit of what we talk about at Sulgrave, it's made it real, not just a story," said McNally. "It's very personal now. I'm going to go home with a passion for the story and talk about it from the heart. This trip has been just brilliant!"
For more information about Sulgrave Manor, click on http://www.sulgravemanor.org.uk/.
[Submitted by Melissa K. Cobern, Superintendent]
Pecos National Historical Park (NM)
Chief Ranger Regina Carrico Has Retired
Regina Carrico, chief ranger at Pecos National Historical Park, retired on April 30th with 24 years of service to the National Park Service.
Regina started her National Park Service career in 1990 at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River as a seasonal law enforcement ranger.
Leaving seasonal work behind, Regina began her permanent career at New River Gorge National River, where she worked for 11 years. She then worked at Virgin Islands National Park, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park as a lead park ranger, and finally to Pecos as chief of resource management and visitor protection.
During her career, Regina served two separate tours on the Northeast Region Special Events Team, first in the mid 90's and again from 2010 to 2012. Throughout her career she worked many details throughout the country. Some of the most memorable included serving arrest warrants in Inner City Philadelphia; a six week detail on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon; six weeks at Cumberland Island National Seashore, where she served as acting chief ranger; and a forty day detail at Wind River Indian Reservation during Operation Alliance.
Regina served as a defensive/control tactics instructor and EMS instructor both for over 20 years. At Virgin Islands National Park, Regina severed as the lifeguard program manager.
"I can't imagine a career better than the one I had," she says. "It has been a wonderful experience and I have had many opportunities to experience the national parks of our great country in the last 24 years, where I met some extraordinary people along the way."
Regina credits her husband Mark for sparking her interest in law enforcement and the National Park Service while they both were working on their bachelors of science degrees in wildlife management at West Virginia University. They took every course for their bachelor's degrees together, started working seasonally for the NPS together, and became permanent on the same referral certificate at New River Gorge. The Carricos even attended FLETC in the same class.
Mark is working as a district ranger at Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve at this time and has plans to retire himself on June 30th.
On April 30th, a retirement party was held at Greer Garson's Ranch House to celebrate Regina's career with the National Park Service. Regina and Mark plan to retire in West Virginia and will be joined by a new member to their family through the adoption of a new born son. Regina can be reached in retirement at virangergal@yahoo.com.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Outer Banks Group
GS-0318-7 Secretary/Executive Assistant
The Outer Banks Group has issued an announcement for a secretary/executive assistant for the Office of the Superintendent.
Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties, area information, and procedures for applying.
It closes on May 26th.
More Information...