Spring ~ 2019

WAWONA RANGER UPDATE

Spring – 2019
Eric Scott ~ Wawona District Ranger
It goes without saying that it has been a very challenging winter for all park staff here in Wawona.
The 35-day Gov’t Shutdown affected employees, visitors, and gateway businesses alike. We ap-
preciate all the support this community has shown during the shutdown, we greatly appreciate it!
The entire month of February hit the area with non-stop winter storms. We had significant snow-
fall, many tree failures and power outages with downed power lines both in Wawona and outside
the park. During this time, we also has road closures affecting all thee highways going through
the park. One surprising thing we saw during the storms, were large green Ponderosa Pine trees
failing and dropping across the Wawona Road. The massive amount of precipitation saturated the
soils, and with heavy rain and associated strong gusting winds, many tree failures occurred both
on Hwy. 41 and the Badger Road.

While there were a lot of negative events with these winter storms, there were great positives too.
We had record snowfall at the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area at Badger Pass, measuring over
111 inches. The annual snow survey results in early March showed the Merced Drainage at 156%
of normal. The waterfalls should be pretty amazing this spring and will likely last through the
summer season.

If you intend to burn small debris piles on your property this spring, you are required to get a burn
permit from Cal-Fire at any of the local Cal-Fire stations, and are allowed only to do it on
“Permissive” burn days, which you can determine by calling Mariposa County. You should also
call Yosemite Park Dispatch at 209-379-1992 to inform them you will be burning a pile. You can
also call the Wawona Fire Station at (209) 375-9515 if have additional questions. Related to this,
the NPS is finalizing the process where the Park Superintendent will authorize property owners to
clear vegetation 100 feet from their residence onto adjacent NPS property. We will let you know
when this process is finalized and how property owners can get their “permit” to clear ladder
fuels.

Regarding the opening of the Glacier Point Road and the Tioga Road. Due to the heavy snowfall
in the high country, the plowing and opening of these roads to the public will likely be delayed
this year. The Park will send out press releases when the roads are ready to open.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at the Wawona Ranger office, 209-375-
9520 or via email at Eric_Scott@nps.gov.
 Wawona Fire Update ~ 2019
Parker Bevington
Yosemite Fire and Aviation
Captain - Wawona Fire Station

Currently the Wawona wood-yard/burnpile is open to dumping of the normal materials: logs,
branches, pine needles, leaves, and other yard vegetation. Lumber, plywood, cardboard, trash
etc. are never permitted. The burnpile is smoldering away right now and should begin to burn
a little better soon with a little more drying and the addition of limbs and smaller fuels as
they're collected.

We have all been busy cleaning up an exceptional mess left behind from an exceptional win-
ter. Yosemite Fire has some priority obligations currently which are limited to trying to burn
as many piles as possible in Yosemite Valley. Locally here in Wawona, there are only two
Fire personnel to complete any projects. There are outstanding piles in and around the
Wawona community that are very much on our radar to get to. We are working with other di-
visions within the park to seek cooperation and equipment to help clean what we can.

The fire stations throughout the park are typically short-staffed during the winters, often times
with only one person per station. This limits what we can safely do to accomplish tasks.

This past fire season we said goodbye to two of our permanent firefighters here in Wawona,
Aaron Ludwig promoted to Captain of the Valley fire station and Kyle Cook took a new fire-
fighting position at Fort Hunter Ligget.

We have already made selections for our seasonal staff and the permanent selections shouldn't
be too far off. Our seasonal crew will be starting on May 13th. The following 4-6 weeks will
be very busy with pre-season training, testing, project work, incident response and mutual aid.

I will be hosting a Hooting Owl presentation here at the Wawona Fire Station on 4/12/19 for
all interested community members. I will be discussing what it's like to be a wildland firefight-
er in Yosemite/Wawona. My aim is to make all more familiar with our responsibilities and
capabilities.

Camp Wawona Summer Camp 2019

Cub Camp (ages 7-11): June 23 - 30
Junior Camp (ages 9-12): June 30 - July 7
Tween Camp (ages 12-14): July 7 - 14
Teen Camp (ages 13-17): July 14 - 21
Family Camp 1 (all ages): July 21 - 28
Family Camp 2 (all ages): July 28 - August 4
We also offer Cowboy, Backpacking, Rock Climbing, and Wilderness Survival camps.
Please visit our website for more information or contact us:
CampWawona.org
SummerCampOffice@CampWawona.org
(559)347-3174
 Spring News from The Redwoods In Yosemite
Janine Reichardt~Homeowner Liaison
Come check out our new items at The Redwoods gift shop. Local residents receive a 10% discount. All
Redwood’s homeowners receive a 30% discount!!
We hired four students from South America to fill in for our winter housekeeping staff. They all head
home this month and they will be missed! Our next international students will start arriving in May 2019.
We are still hiring at The Redwoods. We need to fill a maintenance position, front desk position and are
always looking for housekeepers. Please let your friends and family know. Please email resumes to
Hr@redwoodsinyosemite.com, or just stop, by to fill out an application. Our maintenance department has
been really busy this past month checking homes for frozen water pipes and tree damage. We are all look-
ing forward to spring weather.

Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School News

Ed Mee ~ Board Chairman

On February 13, the Bass Lake Joint Union Elementary School District Board of Trustees unanimously
approved the renewal of the charter petition for the Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School
(YWECS). The renewal of the charter is for a period of 5 years. The school was unable to open for the
2018-19 school year. During this down time the Board of Directors has been working to streamline the
school’s programs and mode of operation. Two new board members have been added to the team and
anticipation for the re-opening of the school has been growing.
A fantastic teacher has been hired to staff the school. Stacy Boydstun has accepted an offer to teach at
Wawona. She comes to us with 21 years of experience with multi-grade instruction and a strong back-
ground in the Montessori approach. Stacy loves outdoor exploration and adventures and has had prior
hands-on experience in opening schools. The Board of Directors is very excited to have a teacher of this
caliber working with the students at YWECS. We are planning a meet and greet evening when she is
here. Please check the school’s web site or Wawonanews.com for the date and time.
The school is currently accepting applications for students who would be interested in this outstanding
educational opportunity for the 2019-20 school year. If you would like additional information about the
school, please visit the YWECS website at https://www.yosemitewawonacharter.org/. Enrollment infor-
mation can be found on the website. As the school office is currently closed, any questions can be di-
rected to our email address: admin@yosemitewawonacharter.org.
Our first day of class will be August 15, 2019!

UC Merced Field Station

Anne Kelly ~ Director
Merced's Yosemite Field Station is hunkered down for the winter. Despite the challenges, we have university
and high school field trips coming from all over the state, visiting Yosemite on weekends to study geology,
climate, and ecology. We're digging out of the snow and gearing up for a busy and exciting summer. Both the
Yosemite Leadership Program and Adventure Risk Challenge will call the field station home for the summer,
as well as researchers from all over the world. We have also partnered with Tulare County's Office of Educa-
tion to open a new UCM field station in the foothills of Sequoia, near their amazing SCICON outdoor school
in Springville. Finally, please send your best wishes to Marlon Spinneberg and his wife Diane. Marlon is re-
covering well from heart surgery in February, and will be going full speed again in May.
 Wawona’s Hooting Owl Lecture Series Starts Second Year
James Cox
2019 is the second year for the Hooting Owl Lecture Series in Wawona. This community
event hosts speakers each month and features a variety of topics ranging from Wawona history
to park-wide environmental research to Yosemite search and rescue operations. One goal for
this year is to coordinate lecture dates with other Wawona events, hopefully making them easi-
er to attend. In April, June and October the schedule will align with weekends scheduled for
WPOA meetings, for example.
This year we have already enjoyed A n Evening W ith Galen Clark, by Yosemite Conservancy
Naturalist Pete Devine, and learned from local historians Ed Mee and Tom Bopp as they pre-
sented W awona History: A Local Perspective. We also managed to catch Ostrander Hut
Keeper Howard Weamer on a rare day off of his skis as he presented 45 W inters in the Back-
country: The Ostrander Hut & Ski Touring in Yosemite. Our next event is titled Fire in Yo-
semite and is scheduled for Friday, April 12 with Wawona Fire Captain Parker Bevington.
This event will be hosted at the Wawona Fire Station, so if you are in town that weekend join
us for an up-close look at Wawona fire operations at the station!
The rest of the 2019 includes some very interesting speakers! Later this year attendees will
get a chance to hear about: The Rise and Fall of Sierra Nevada Glaciers from NPS Geologist
Greg Stock, A n A rcheological V iew of Native Use in W awona with UC Merced Associate
Professor Kathleen Hull, and Y osemite Bats with NPS Biologist Breezy Jackson. Other
events include artist, naturalist, and Ranger Shirley Spencer talking about Mountain Men of
the Sierra Nevada, Law Enforcement Ranger Brendan Bonner will present The National Park
Service Ranger: A Brief History, NPS Education Ranger Laura Goforth is presenting on Win-
ter Adaptation in Yosemite Ecosystems, and Yosemite Hospitality Naturalists will share a bit
about Ghost Stories of Y osemite.
The lecture series and events are organized by a committee of volunteers, which consists of
NPS Ranger James Cox, UC Merced Field Station Director Anne Kelly, Redwoods Channel
Liaison Yulia Rippetoe, and community member Gary Wuchner. Events are hosted in
Wawona, typically in the evening from 6:00 to 7:30 PM during the second week of the month.
These events are open to all Wawona community members and employees! Look for the lat-
est schedule updates on the Wawona Community Facebook page and online at
www.wawonanews.com. Or better yet, come to the next lecture and sign up for the email list
and you’ll be sure to know the latest!

The Big Trees Lodge

Amanda Lee ~ General Manager
The Big Trees Lodge opens on Monday, April 1, 2019. We've had an eventful winter with the storms our com-
munity faced and we welcomed Nature Bridge to Wawona for an experience most kids have not seen. It was a
joy to see the glee in the kids' eyes for most of them had never seen snow. We are glad to welcome our seasonal
staff back to property along with our guests.
The dining room will open for dinner service on the 1st, at 5PM. Hours of operation will be as follows:
Breakfast: 7a-10a Lunch: 11a-3p Dinner: 5p-9p
Tom Bopp and cocktails in the Lobby 5p-9:30pm
The Big Trees Store will begin operating from 8a-8p with the opening of the hotel. The Pro Shop, Cafe on the
Green and the Golf course are schedule to open in May. We ask for the community's patience as our team clean
up the hotel grounds and golf course. Stables operations will also begin mid-May. Shuttles will resume opera-
tions later this month.
We hope to see you out opening week!
 Yosemite Wawona History Center
Adam Ramsey ~ Supervisory Park Ranger

I'm Adam Ramsey, the new Supervisory Park Ranger in charge of Wawona Interpretation. As
such, I'm responsible for the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, Barn Dances, Old Fashioned
Fourth of July events, Hills Studio Visitor Center, and Mariposa Grove ranger programs. I'm
pleased to join the community and help spread the charm of Wawona to Yosemite's visitors.
I started my federal service in the Marine Corps, serving on active duty from 2002 to
2006. I've been with the National Park Service for ten years, starting my career at National
Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC, and Governor’s Island National Monument in
New York City where I delivered interpretive programs. When I interviewed for the ranger job
in Yosemite, I was asked if I could handle crowds. I was prepared. I've worked in Yosemite
for the last 8 years starting in Yosemite Valley, riding the "Green Dragon" tram tours and
working my way through crowded trails, eventually being promoted to lead park ranger. Yo-
semite is by far the longest I've ever lived in one place, and for good reason. I love it here, and
don't plan on leaving any time soon. Since coming to Yosemite, I've fallen in love with the
place, the people, and the good times. I've become a rock climber, mountaineer, and skier
since moving here, developing a love of mountain sports in the greatest natural playground on
earth.
After five years in the Valley, I worked several years at Glacier Point, doing park programs in
a location even more densely packed with visitors than the Valley. Every so often, I had the
pleasure of leading High Sierra Loop Trips through the park's High Sierra Camps on week-
long backpacking trips with groups of visitors.
Last year, I became lead park ranger of Mather District Interpretation for the summer before
being picked for the Wawona District Supervisor job. I am thrilled to become a part of the
Wawona community, and for once can relax without being constantly inundated by crowds of
people.
I hope more people fall in love with Wawona, just like I did when I moved here in Septem-
ber. The future of the Pioneer Yosemite History Center will be lively. Wawona Interpretation
will be bringing more life to the pioneer center with an increase in living history demonstra-
tions and activities. Ranger-led Mariposa Grove hikes will take place twice a day, seven days a
week during the height of summer. Barn dances are set for July 4, July 20, August 3, August
17, and August 31.
I look forward to meeting you all at Wawona events. Thanks for the warm welcome, Wawona
neighbors!
---

---

Wawona As We Knew It
Liv Eskola has applied for Articles of Incorporation to establish a non-profit as she continues
preparing for her project preserving the history of Wawona. She will be conducting inter-
views and chronicling Wawona recent history. The primary purpose of establishing a non-
profit will enable her to accept donations to fund the compilation of the material she collects.
Liv will be at the Wawona Area Private Property Association (WAPPOA) meeting on Satur-
day, April 13 at 9 a.m. at the Wawona Community Center.
In all of this, WAPPOA and Liv will be collaborating by sharing history subjects as well as
presentations, though we will be separate entities. She already has some exciting possibilities
for this next year. Liv Eskola can be reached at: <liv.eskola@gmail.com>
 Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in Wawona

NEWSLETTER
PO Box 2008, Wawona, CA 95389 Spring, 2019

Extra Summer Hours Challenge

This is an appeal to Wawona residents and property owners to support the addition of extra sum-
mer hours for 2019. Without your donations the library will have to reduce the hours that the
library is open during the 2019 summer to the County funded 3 days a week.
Thanks to everyone who made donations towards the Extra Summer Hours Challenge in the
past. Sara Miller McCune matches the dollars donated and we are able to keep the library open
6 days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day—adding 3 days to the County funded 3 days a
week.
The Wawona Friends of the Library fund the 4th day a week from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

November 2018 ~ March 2019

Memorial Donations

Carolyn Corn
Chuck Cushman
Pat May
Hugh and Ruth Pittman
Margie and Frank Yost

Join the Wawona Friends of the Library!

The Wawona Friends of the Library publish this newsletter four times a year. Your member-
ship in the FoL pays for the printing and postage as well as new circulation materials for our
library patrons. Is your membership up-to-date? An up-to-date membership assures that your
address is current and you receive the newsletter in a timely manner. Return the form on the
back page with your membership. All dues and donations are tax deductible. The membership
year runs from April 1 through March 31.
 Friends of the Library Book/Bake/Craft Sale
Mark your calendars now for the 2019 Wawona Friends of the Library sale: Saturday, August 31,
2019. Our annual sale supports the Friends projects: purchase of additional circulation materials
(books, subscriptions, books on CD’s, DVD’s), library equipment, landscaping, and much more.
Books and crafts for the sale will be accepted any day the library is open. Our Wawona communi-
ty generously supports our Friends of the Library! Thank you!

Wawona Bassett
Memorial Library Hours
Memorial Day 2019
through
Labor Day 2019
209-375-6510
Free Internet & Wi-Fi Available
April 9: Wawona Fr iends of the Libr ar y Boar d Monday: 1 PM - 6 PM
Meeting 2 p.m. in the Library Tuesday: 1 PM - 6 PM
April 12: Hooting Owl Fir e Wawona Fir e Station
6:30 p.m. Wednesday: 1PM - 6 PM
April 13 WAPPOA Wawona Community Center 9 Thursday: 1 PM - 6 PM
a.m. Friday: 1PM - 6 PM
May : Hooting Owl TBA
June: Hooting Owl TBA Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM
June 8: WAPPOA Wawona Community Center 9
a.m. Closed Sunday & Holidays
June: Annual Fr iends of the Libr ar y Member ship
Board Meeting in the Library TBA
June10: Pine Needle Pickup
July: Hooting Owl TBA
July 4: Squar e Dance Gr ay Bar n 8—10 p.m.
July 20: Squar e Dance Gr ay Bar n 8– 10 p.m. Important Web Site:
August 3 Squar e Dance Gr ay Bar n 8—10 p.m. Check out local events and news on
August 17: Squar e Dance Gr ay Bar n 8—10 p.m. the
August 31: Wawona Fr iends of the Libr ar y Book/ Wawona website:
Bake/Craft Sale Library Parking Lot www.wawonanews.com
August 31: Squar e Dance Gr ay Bar n 8 –10 p.m.
October 12: WAPPOA Wawona Community
Center 9 a.m (Look for Pine Needle Pickup infor-
October 12: Lar ge Item Pick Up mation, Hooting Owl schedules/
. reminders, school news, fire Infor-
mation, park news, and much more!)
 Wawona Community Newsletter
P.O. Box 2008
Wawona, CA 95389

2019MEMBERSHIP WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Please print information for mailing list: April 1 ~ March 31

Name_____________________________________________________ Phone___________________

Address_________________________________________ City_____________________Zip________
Membership Categories: Email Address_______________________
___Individual $ 5.00 ___Gold Friend $15.00
___Family $ 10.00 ___Gold Panner $25.00
___Business $ 50.00 ___Gold Miner $50.00
___Life $ 100.00 ___Gold Strike $75.00
___Golden Patron $ 500.00 ___Wawona Fund Booster Unlimited
Additional Contributions: (Include address for acknowledgement)

$_____Memorial for (Name)_________________________________________________________________________

$_____Gift in honor of (Name)________________________________________________________________________

$_____Extra Hours Donation_________________________________________________________________________

I am interested in assisting with the following:

___Membership ___Telephoning ___Volunteering in library
___Serving on the Board of Directors ___Fundraising ___Book Sale
___Help at Special Events ___Newsletter ___Other

Make checks payable to:

WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ALL DUES AND DONATIONS ARE

P.O. Box 2008 TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
WAWONA, CA 95389