Thursday, November 17, 2011

Yosemite Daily Report for Nov 17


Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Thursday, November 17, 2011

WEATHER
Yosemite Valley
Today: A 10 percent chance of showers after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.
Tonight: A chance of rain showers before 4am, then rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.  Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday: Rain and snow showers. Snow level 5200 feet. High near 41.  Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.
El Portal
Today: A 10 percent chance of showers after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Friday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 57.  Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.

Wawona
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Friday: Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 49.  Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45.

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HAPPENING TODAY

Vickie and Adam Mates' Farewell Gathering - November 17, 4:30
Please plan to join us for an informal farewell gathering for Vickie and Adam on Thursday, November 17, 4:30-6:30 p.m in the Yosemite Valley Auditorium. We will have cake and light refreshments (please bring your own plates and utensils) and a sharing of thoughts and memories! (K. Hardy - 11/8)

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PARK AND PARTNER NEWS

Yosemite National Park Reopens Roads: Tioga, Glacier Point, and Mariposa Grove Roads Reopen After Early Season Snowfall - News Release
Scott Gediman 209-372-0248
Kari Cobb 209-372-0529

After a temporary closure, the Tioga Road in Yosemite National park reopened to the public at noon today, Wednesday, November 16, 2011.  The Tioga Road, the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada in the northern portion of the park, has been temporarily closed since November 3, 2011 due to an early season snowstorm that dropped almost a foot of snow in the higher elevations.
The Glacier Point Road also reopened to the public.  However, due to continued icy conditions on the roadway, approximately the last two miles of the road, from the Sentinel Dome parking area to Glacier Point, will remain closed.  If conditions improve, all of the Glacier Point Road will be reopened. 
Additionally, the Mariposa Grove Road leading to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is open and clear. 
All roads within the Yosemite National Park are subject to chain control or temporary closures due to hazardous driving conditions.  Tire chains may be required at any time during the fall and winter season.  It is strongly recommended that all motorists carry tire chains while driving in the park during the fall and winter months.
For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-372-0200. (K. Cobb - 11/17)
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Audio Visual Assitance Reminder 
If you have an event or training scheduled at the Auditorium or any venue and you need audio/visual assistance, projection, microphones, a sound system, you must request assistance in advance through Ed Whittle at 372-0546 or Edward_Whittle@nps.gov . Scheduling an event at the Auditorium does not guarantee audio/visual assitance. Due to the expensive nature of our equipment and possible replacement due to damage, the key to the AV booth will not be handed out to those who have forgotten to request assistance. (E. Whittle - 11/17)
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Volunteer Training
Friday, November 18 from 10:00am-noon, meet at the swinging bridge parking lot and bring your binoculars (no need to RSVP). Researchers from North Carolina State University are conducting an on-going study of visitor use patterns in Yosemite Valley meadows (permit #YOSE-2011-SCI-0055). The team is in need of volunteers to do observational studies of foot traffic in Yosemite Valley meadows. Observers stationed in the meadows will map locations of visitors on paper maps. Maps will be provided. Volunteers must be able to complete at least four 2-hour observation sessions in different months between December 2011 and April 2012. Additional sessions are welcome. It is also requested that volunteers have access to a pair of binoculars. For additional information, please contact Chelsey Walden-Schreiner at cawalden@ncsu.edu . (L. Prell - 11/16)
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Submit Your Nominations for the Yosemite Conservancy Award
Yosemite Conservancy is accepting nominations for the Yosemite Conservancy Award until December 1, 2011. The Yosemite Fund Award was created in 1991 to recognize annually the efforts of an individual in the Yosemite community who has done exemplary work to significantly enhance the value of Yosemite National Park or the visitor experience. This tradition continues in 2011 as the Yosemite Conservancy Award. The award, along with a certificate of commendation and $1,000 will be presented to the recipient at a special reception.
A one-page nomination should include: Name of nominee, reasons for nomination, list of accomplishments of nominee, and name, phone number and address of person submitting nomination. When nominating an individual, please remember the following guidelines:
The nominee must be a member of the Yosemite community, must not have previously received the award, and must be living. The award is made to a single individual and members of the Award Committee and Yosemite Conservancy staff are not eligible. If the nominee’s contribution is performed on the job, his or her efforts must be above and beyond what is required by that job.
Please submit nominations in writing to Schuyler Greenleaf, PO Box 99, El Portal, CA 95318, or by emailing to schuyler_greenleaf@contractor.nps.gov . (S. Greenleaf - 11/16)
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EMPLOYEE NEWS
New Individual Agreement Plans Procedures
Effective immediately all Individual Agreement Plans (IAGPs) shall be initiated and processed via the PWR Contracting Sharepoint site: http://inpniscsfern1:8000/sites/PWR/pwrcontracting/SitePages/Home.aspx . Any questions regarding these new procedures please contact Tom Tobin @ 379-1040 or any of the Contracting staff. NOTE: until further notice, there are no changes to the processing of Individual Acquisition Plans (IAPs) (T. Tobin - 11/16)
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Workplace Enrichment From Where I Sit: Perspectives on Expectations
Through this continuing article series, titled From Where I Sit, the national Workplace Enrichment committee shares knowledge, inspiring and motivating practices, and helpful tools that are critical to achieving our mission in the 21st century. The newest article in the series has been posted on InsideNPS. Nav Singh, Chief of Interpretation at Haleakala NP, shares his thoughts on setting and delivering on expectations. The article can be found at http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=11260 (J. Treutelaar - 11/16)

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Foresta Road Closure - Slide Repair Between Rancheria and Old El Portal
Starting Monday, November 14th the Foresta Road will be closed between Rancheria and Old El Portal as crews complete a slide repair from a spring 2011 slide. The Foresta Road will be closed at 7:00 AM on November 14th and remain closed for approximately 2-3 months, while crews complete the stabilization work. The crews are planning to work 6-days per week, Monday thru Saturday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Due to the safety concerns, it will require a hard closure, meaning that throughout the duration of the project, there will be no access for pedestrians, bicycles, passenger vehicles, trucks, etc... Access will be limited to construction crews and emergency vehicles only. Trucks will also be using middle road to access CA St. Rte. 140, so please be cautious as you are traveling thru this area of Hwy. 140. Also, crews will be bringing in equipment and materials starting Thursday, November 10th, with intermittent single lane traffic control along Foresta Road. (M. Pieper - 11/10)

Sewer Main Rehabilitation along Northside Dr. between Bridalveil Fall View and the El Portal Rd./Big Oak Flat Rd. Intersection
Erick Ammon Inc. (EAI) has been hired by the NPS to rehabilitate the old clay trunk sewer main installed in the early 1970's. EAI has installed a sewer by-pass system and a traffic control system that is necessary for the upcoming work. The project consists of cleaning, video inspection, and installation of a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liner inside of the existing 15" clay sewer pipe. The project is on a compressed 7 day a week, 12 hour per day (7 a.m. - 7 p.m.) schedule due to the nature and expense of the CIPP process. All construction work is anticipated to be complete by Thanksgiving. Expect minimal traffic delays through Thanksgiving. Thank you for your patience and PLEASE DRIVE SLOW in construction zones. (M. Wichmann - 10/27)

Tree Work Along Wawona and South Entrance Station Areas
PG&E will be starting a forestry crew in the Wawona and South Entrance areas trimming trees identified in their Reliability program. Please watch for workers and equipment in roadways. (B. Mattos - 10/24)

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ACTING DESIGNATIONS

Scott Gediman will be the Acting Chief of Staff between Nov 10 and Nov 29, 2011. If you have any questions, please give him a call at 209-372-0248 or email.

Ed Dunlavey will be acting Chief Ranger from Thursday November 10 through Friday November 18. Julie Byerly will be acting Deputy Chief Ranger during the same time period.

Shawn Lingo (379-1416) will be acting Branch Chief for History, Architecture & Landscapes from mid day Wednesday, Nov. 9 thru Monday, Nov. 21.

Ed Dunlavey will be acting Chief Ranger Nov. 14-18, Kevin Killian will be the acting Nov 19-29.
Jana Friesen McCabe will be Acting Branch Chief for Public Outreach and Engagement from November 15 to December 9. She can be reached at 372-0288.
Mark Jones will be acting supervisor, El Portal B&G, while Keith is on leave; effective November 3 through November 17, 2011. Mark can be reached at 379-1280 or 372-0545.
Ron Watson will be the Acting Supervisory Information Technology Specialist until further notice. He may be reached at 379-1074.

Brenna Lissoway
(379-1283) is on a detail as the Park Archivist. If you have need to access the Archives, or have archive related questions, you can call 379-1282 or 379-1104.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Thanksgiving Cooking Fire Safety
Cooking equipment is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Whether you are cooking the family holiday dinner or a snack for the children, practicing safe cooking behaviors will help keep you and your family safe.  Stay safe when cooking this Thanksgiving:
-Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.
-Use turkey fryers outdoors away from buildings and items that can catch fire.
-Never use a turkey fryer in a garage or on a wooden deck. (J. Alviso - 11/17)
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Sustainable Action will NOT be repairing bikes at Sal's this week
due to volunteers' work and holiday schedules. Sorry for the inconvenience, and Happy Thanksgiving. (K. McHugh - 11/16)
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El Portal Elementary School Fundraiser
El Portal Elementary School is raffling off a brand new iPad2. We will be selling raffle tickets in front of the El Portal Market Nov 14-18 from 4-6pm. Prices are $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20. Proceeds will benefit El Portal Elementary School PTG to assist with computers, art supplies and teacher's aides. You can also purchase tickets form any El Portal Student, parent or call the school 379-2382. As always we thank our local community for all of their amazing support! (C. Ronay - 11/16)
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Virgina Salmon (a long time seasonal employee of Yosemite) lost her son Donald “Wayne” Salmon on Saturday November 12 th , 2011. Wayne, a former Yosemite Trails employee, had been battling a longtime illness. There will be viewing on Thursday November 17th , 2011 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Stratford Evans Funeral Home on “B” Street in Merced. Services will follow at the Church of Christ on Highway 140 (located to the right of the Bradley Overpass) at 1 p.m. For more information or to offer condolences to the Salmon family, please call 209-382-0577. (T. Hawksley - 11/16)
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Housing Needed
NPS Archives Technician seeking housing preferably in El Portal, but also Midpines, Foresta or Mariposa- A room, apartment, house or sublet would all be great. I'm single, no pets, clean, responsible, and a good cook (references available). Please feel free to contact me with any questions or leads at (415) 902-1233 or e-mail me at laurajpatten@gmail.com. Thank you. (L. Patten - 11/16)
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Announce Your Baby's Arrival in the Yosemite Sentinel
We've had a lot of new additions to the Yosemite community in 2011 and we want to announce their arrival. To announce your 2011 bundle of joy in the Yosemite Sentinel send a picture of him or her along with their name, parents' names, and date of birth to
sentinel@dncinc.com by Dec. 10th. If you're baby is arriving after the 10th, let us know their name (if you've named him or her yet), parents' names, and the due date, and we'll add them to the "expecting" column. (J. Graves - 11/16)
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6th Street Cinema is located upstairs in the historic Old Masonic Lodge on 6th Street, in downtown Mariposa. Film Entrance is $7 per film for non-members; non-member students pay $5. Monthly membership is $12 allowing film entry for $3 each. Opera seating is $22 gen. admission; $18 SSC members; $15 students (Please note: we are not accepting credit cards this year.) More information is available on the website: www.sixthstreetcinema.org This week: November 18 -19 (Friday - Saturday) 7:30 p.m.: BEGINNERS. ( Generously sponsored by Tom Martin and Mitch Terkildsen ) - Rated R; 105 minutes. See trailer: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/beginners/
UPCOMING EVENTS: Met Live in HD: Glass's "Satyagraha," Nov. 19, 9:55 a.m. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," Nov. 25-26, 7:30 p.m. Met Live in HD: Handel's " Roelinda" Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m. (T. Arfsten - 11/16)
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Winter Weather Reminder
Freezing water pipes can lead to broken water lines which can cause major damage to your housing unit and personal belongings. Please take precautions when you are away from your home during the next few months by leaving a little heat on in your house. Setting thermostats between 55-58 degrees will help prevent the water pipes in your home from freezing. (C. Baker - 11/16)
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This Thursday is Sal's
from 5-10 PM with beverage service provided by Yosemite Employee Association. If you need to renew your membership, stop by the bar. This is also your last chance to vote for the 2012 YEA Interim Board. Results will be announced at the Winter Social on December 16th. Designated drivers receive free soda. (M. Dale - 11/16)


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