WawonaNews.com - June 2024
New Wawona Listing
8039 Larkspur Ln, Wawona, CA 95389 - 3beds, 2baths, 1,212sqft, $780,000. Click here for more info.
8039 Larkspur Ln, Wawona, CA 95389 - 3beds, 2baths, 1,212sqft, $780,000. Click here for more info.
Due to a Post Office error in mailing the June Newsletter we are posting it here
Wawona Friends of the LibraryAnnual Membership Board Meeting
June 18, 2024
2:30 p.m.
In the Library
The annual membership meeting of the Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library will be held in the library Tuesday, June 18 at 2:30 p.m. All dues paying members are invited to attend. Membership dues may be paid at the meeting if you haven’t already renewed your membership. Wawona Friends whose dues are overdue shall not be eligible to vote or serve on the Wawona Friends of the Library Board of Directors. (Bylaws: Article VII, Section 3)
June 18, 2024
2:30 p.m.
In the Library
The annual membership meeting of the Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library will be held in the library Tuesday, June 18 at 2:30 p.m. All dues paying members are invited to attend. Membership dues may be paid at the meeting if you haven’t already renewed your membership. Wawona Friends whose dues are overdue shall not be eligible to vote or serve on the Wawona Friends of the Library Board of Directors. (Bylaws: Article VII, Section 3)
Tioga Road Still Not Open
June 1 - In the Tioga Road opening process, we have mostly finished phase 1 and are in phase 2 (see below). The following items must still be completed before road opening:
June 1 - In the Tioga Road opening process, we have mostly finished phase 1 and are in phase 2 (see below). The following items must still be completed before road opening:
- Have EMS staff in Tuolumne Meadows to support employee safety.
- Repair and set up the potable water system, sewer system, and wastewater treatment plant.
- Pump all vault toilets (some have been pumped but some are still buried in snow or frozen).
- Fabricate and replace road signs, as needed.
- Entrance station, visitor center, and wilderness center de-winterized and set up for opening.
- Housing readied for employees to move in.
WAPPOA General Meeting Agenda
June 1, 2024
Wawona Community Center 9:00 am
2. Speakers
WAPPOA Regular Meeting
June 1, 2024
Wawona Community Center 9:00 am
- Call to Order
2. Speakers
- Representative from Cicely Muldoon-Superintendent YNP
- Heidi Edgecombe – Wawona District Head Ranger
- Nancy Phillipe – NPS Yosemite Fire Communications and Education Specialist
- Kyle Pina – Wawona Fire Department
- Bryan Hammill – District Manager – Aramark
- Jill Connors – Wawona Interpretation Supervisor – Yosemite National Park-cannot attend sent update
- Rosemarie Smallcombe-Mariposa County Supervisor, District 1
- Melinda Barrett – Resource Conservation District Mariposa County-cannot attend sent update.
- Jeremy Herber – General Manager Recology Mariposa County-cannot attend sent update.
- Senator Tom McClintock Representative – Rocky Deal or Matt Reed
- Yuli Gotsev – Marketing Manager the Redwoods
- Stacy Boydston – Head Teacher – Wawona School
WAPPOA Regular Meeting
- Call To Order
- Presidents Report- Cheryl Kanaan
- Approve Minutes from April 6,2024
- Treasurer’s Report – Trish Peterson
- MOU Water issues Urgent need to protect water rights and supply– Katy Jacobson
- WTPAC meeting May 31st – Gene Spindler, Ed Mee
- Club Express update – Trish Peterson and Marty Cerles
- Barn Dances 2024 – Cheryl Kanaan
- Wawona Golf Course – Marty Cerles, Trish Peterson
- Firewise – Cheryl Kanaan
- Future WAPPOA Meetings
- Adjourn
Message from NPS re Memorial Day Weekend
We're expecting a busy Memorial Day weekend. Here are some important things to know:
-A reservation is required to drive into Yosemite on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Learn more about reservation requirements this year at go.nps.gov/reserve.
-All campgrounds also require a reservation. Crane Flat Campground will open on Tuesday, May 28—with reservations being released this Sunday, May 26, at 7am PT.
-Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will be closed this weekend (to both bikes and cars). We do not have an opening date yet.
-Mariposa Grove shuttle service will begin Saturday, May 25, 2024.
-Glacier Point Road is open, but parking may be full at times throughout the day.
-If you will be hiking above around 7,500 feet, be prepared with appropriate gear for snowy conditions. (Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 feet.)
-Rivers are running high and are dangerous. Stay on trails and away from rivers and creeks. Rocks in and near water are very slick even when dry.
We're expecting a busy Memorial Day weekend. Here are some important things to know:
-A reservation is required to drive into Yosemite on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Learn more about reservation requirements this year at go.nps.gov/reserve.
-All campgrounds also require a reservation. Crane Flat Campground will open on Tuesday, May 28—with reservations being released this Sunday, May 26, at 7am PT.
-Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will be closed this weekend (to both bikes and cars). We do not have an opening date yet.
-Mariposa Grove shuttle service will begin Saturday, May 25, 2024.
-Glacier Point Road is open, but parking may be full at times throughout the day.
-If you will be hiking above around 7,500 feet, be prepared with appropriate gear for snowy conditions. (Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 feet.)
-Rivers are running high and are dangerous. Stay on trails and away from rivers and creeks. Rocks in and near water are very slick even when dry.
New Wawona Listing
3 bd 2 ba 1,154 sqft, $1,390,000 Click here for more information
2576 Chilnualna Ln
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
3 bd 2 ba 1,154 sqft, $1,390,000 Click here for more information
2576 Chilnualna Ln
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Chowchilla Mountain Road Open
Chowchilla Mountain Road open for the season on Tuesday 5/21/2024. High-clearance vehicles are recommended. (H. Edgecomb)
Chowchilla Mountain Road open for the season on Tuesday 5/21/2024. High-clearance vehicles are recommended. (H. Edgecomb)
Wawona School Returns From D.C. Trip
Wawona Wildcats wrapped up the school year in BIG ways! Thanks to the amazing support of the Wawona community, YC's Educational Grant, and Redwoods, the students were able to get out into our world and learn hands on. The 4th-6th graders spent a week in Washington D.C. experiencing our nation's capital in a way that can't be done through books and videos. They learned how to operate airplane bathrooms, briskly maneuver through airport crowds, navigate the Metro subway system and manage their own money for lunch & treats/souvenirs. All of those first time experiences on top of touring the White House, visiting the Monuments & Smithsonian museums, and for some, even getting in some fishing! (How many kids can say that?!) It was the trip of a lifetime and each student took something different from the experience.
Wawona Wildcats wrapped up the school year in BIG ways! Thanks to the amazing support of the Wawona community, YC's Educational Grant, and Redwoods, the students were able to get out into our world and learn hands on. The 4th-6th graders spent a week in Washington D.C. experiencing our nation's capital in a way that can't be done through books and videos. They learned how to operate airplane bathrooms, briskly maneuver through airport crowds, navigate the Metro subway system and manage their own money for lunch & treats/souvenirs. All of those first time experiences on top of touring the White House, visiting the Monuments & Smithsonian museums, and for some, even getting in some fishing! (How many kids can say that?!) It was the trip of a lifetime and each student took something different from the experience.
Glacier Point Road Open For The Season
Glacier Point Road has opened for the season. Four Mile Trail remains closed. Trails leaving from Glacier Point Road are still snowy. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate gear and for route finding including cross-country navigation using GPS with map and compass for backup.
Drinking water is not yet available at Glacier Point, but vault toilets are open.
Glacier Point Road has opened for the season. Four Mile Trail remains closed. Trails leaving from Glacier Point Road are still snowy. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate gear and for route finding including cross-country navigation using GPS with map and compass for backup.
Drinking water is not yet available at Glacier Point, but vault toilets are open.
Prescribed Burning Operations -Friday, May 17
Fire managers are planning to conduct prescribed burning operations on Friday, May 17, 2024, in the Wawona area. The 55 targeted acres, known as Studhorse units 1 and 2, are south of the Wawona community and two miles northwest of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. In order to maintain the safety of park visitors and allow fire management operations to be conducted, there are temporary trail closures in place. There are no anticipated road closures associated with this work.
Smoke may be present in the Wawona community and along the Wawona Road (Hwy 41) during and after burning operations. Fire managers work closely with park staff and the local air pollution control districts to time the burns to coincide with favorable weather and smoke dispersion conditions. Smoke impacts are always a consideration in the decision to begin any prescribed burning operation.
Last year, Yosemite fire crews successfully burned units 3, 4, and 5. Completion of the Studhorse units will enable the park to continue to prescribe burn within Mariposa Grove and reintroduce fire in the surrounding units to provide protection to the grove. Some of the first prescribed burns in Yosemite occurred in the Studhorse area in the 1970s.
Fire managers are planning to conduct prescribed burning operations on Friday, May 17, 2024, in the Wawona area. The 55 targeted acres, known as Studhorse units 1 and 2, are south of the Wawona community and two miles northwest of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. In order to maintain the safety of park visitors and allow fire management operations to be conducted, there are temporary trail closures in place. There are no anticipated road closures associated with this work.
Smoke may be present in the Wawona community and along the Wawona Road (Hwy 41) during and after burning operations. Fire managers work closely with park staff and the local air pollution control districts to time the burns to coincide with favorable weather and smoke dispersion conditions. Smoke impacts are always a consideration in the decision to begin any prescribed burning operation.
Last year, Yosemite fire crews successfully burned units 3, 4, and 5. Completion of the Studhorse units will enable the park to continue to prescribe burn within Mariposa Grove and reintroduce fire in the surrounding units to provide protection to the grove. Some of the first prescribed burns in Yosemite occurred in the Studhorse area in the 1970s.
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of April 9.
3.3 – Accept Donations to YWECS
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Public Hearing on the Local Control Accountability Plan and Budget for 2024-25
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
- CALL TO ORDER
- ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
- CONSENT AGENDA
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of April 9.
3.3 – Accept Donations to YWECS
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
- REPORT OF P-2 ATTENDANCE
- STAFF REPORTS
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Public Hearing on the Local Control Accountability Plan and Budget for 2024-25
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT
Yosemite National Park's contractor of visitor services has received its second "marginal" rating in consecutive years.
National Park Service Says Yosemite Contractor Endangered Visitors
Report: Aramark subsidiary's negligence led to injuries at historic Yosemite hotels
By Ashley Harrell - SFGATE, May 9, 2024
Failures on the part of the Aramark subsidiary contracted to run visitor services in Yosemite National Park have led to the deterioration of historic structures, resulting in injuries to a visitor and a staff member, according to United States Department of the Interior records.
Reports of the deficiencies come from last year’s National Park Service annual report on Yosemite Hospitality, a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation, which has been contracted to operate and maintain the various hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other attractions in the park since 2016. SFGATE obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.
NPS initially awarded Yosemite Hospitality a “satisfactory” rating overall. But complaints about the services provided by the contractor, which included a visitor falling from a porch after a poorly maintained balcony railing broke, as well as the partial collapse of a dining room ceiling during meal service, led Superintendent Cicely Muldoon to revise the grade to “marginal,” the second year in a row the contractor has earned such a rating. Two “marginal” ratings in a row are technically grounds for termination of the park’s contract with the provider, according to the report.
“We acknowledge that we fell short of expectations and have already implemented action plans to address key areas by introducing new leadership roles, refining processes, and allocating additional resources,” Aramark spokesperson Sheena Weinstein told SFGATE by email. “We remain committed to working closely with the National Park Service to address these important aspects of our operations and improve the visitor experience.”
Report: Aramark subsidiary's negligence led to injuries at historic Yosemite hotels
By Ashley Harrell - SFGATE, May 9, 2024
Failures on the part of the Aramark subsidiary contracted to run visitor services in Yosemite National Park have led to the deterioration of historic structures, resulting in injuries to a visitor and a staff member, according to United States Department of the Interior records.
Reports of the deficiencies come from last year’s National Park Service annual report on Yosemite Hospitality, a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation, which has been contracted to operate and maintain the various hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other attractions in the park since 2016. SFGATE obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.
NPS initially awarded Yosemite Hospitality a “satisfactory” rating overall. But complaints about the services provided by the contractor, which included a visitor falling from a porch after a poorly maintained balcony railing broke, as well as the partial collapse of a dining room ceiling during meal service, led Superintendent Cicely Muldoon to revise the grade to “marginal,” the second year in a row the contractor has earned such a rating. Two “marginal” ratings in a row are technically grounds for termination of the park’s contract with the provider, according to the report.
“We acknowledge that we fell short of expectations and have already implemented action plans to address key areas by introducing new leadership roles, refining processes, and allocating additional resources,” Aramark spokesperson Sheena Weinstein told SFGATE by email. “We remain committed to working closely with the National Park Service to address these important aspects of our operations and improve the visitor experience.”
Cicely Muldoon is the superintendent of Yosemite National Park.
II
I I I I
In In March, another Aramark subsidiary, Crater Lake Hospitality, received an “unsatisfactory” rating for 2023, following “marginal” ratings in 2022, 2021 and 2019, leading NPS to cancel that contract. But Yosemite has stopped short of firing its service provider, whose contract extends through 2033.
Instead, the report says the National Park Service will work with Yosemite Hospitality “to determine next steps in meeting outstanding contractual requirements,” while also conveying significant concerns about the contractor’s performance, specifically calling out the injuries that have resulted from the deterioration of historic buildings.
“Failures in Risk Management and Asset Management resulted in two separate injuries in 2023: one to a visitor and one to an employee,” the report states, in an explanation of why Muldoon decided to lower the score.
I I I I
In In March, another Aramark subsidiary, Crater Lake Hospitality, received an “unsatisfactory” rating for 2023, following “marginal” ratings in 2022, 2021 and 2019, leading NPS to cancel that contract. But Yosemite has stopped short of firing its service provider, whose contract extends through 2033.
Instead, the report says the National Park Service will work with Yosemite Hospitality “to determine next steps in meeting outstanding contractual requirements,” while also conveying significant concerns about the contractor’s performance, specifically calling out the injuries that have resulted from the deterioration of historic buildings.
“Failures in Risk Management and Asset Management resulted in two separate injuries in 2023: one to a visitor and one to an employee,” the report states, in an explanation of why Muldoon decided to lower the score.
Exterior view of the Wawona Hotel, where a guest leaned on a poorly maintained balcony railing and fell in 2023.
The first of those injuries took place at the historic Wawona Hotel, where NPS employees identified “extensive deterioration and rot of railings” in evaluations in 2022 and 2023 and directed Yosemite Hospitality to make necessary repairs, according to the report.
“Despite extensive documentation and repeat findings, no significant action was taken to address these concerns and subsequently, in June, a guest fell from the porch of the Clark building of the Wawona Hotel after the railing failed when leaned on,” the report states.
Yosemite Hospitality didn’t inform park employees of the injury, according to the report. Instead, the National Park Service learned of it “through internal NPS channels,” and a general manager left his position shortly after, the report states. The report does not identify whether the general manager worked for NPS or Yosemite Hospitality.
“Despite extensive documentation and repeat findings, no significant action was taken to address these concerns and subsequently, in June, a guest fell from the porch of the Clark building of the Wawona Hotel after the railing failed when leaned on,” the report states.
Yosemite Hospitality didn’t inform park employees of the injury, according to the report. Instead, the National Park Service learned of it “through internal NPS channels,” and a general manager left his position shortly after, the report states. The report does not identify whether the general manager worked for NPS or Yosemite Hospitality.
An interior view of the Solarium at the Ahwahnee Hotel, where a piece of the ceiling fell and injured a staff member in 2023.
SSGATE contacted the Yosemite National Park public affairs office, but a spokesperson said the park would not be able to respond to inquiries by publication time.
Two additional deficiencies at the park’s most iconic lodging, the Ahwahnee Hotel, also raised concern, according to the report. In February 2023, after heavy rains, a Yosemite Hospitality staff member reported a leak in the ceiling of hotel room 443, the report states. NPS requested that Yosemite Hospitality make repairs prior to renting out the room, according to the report, but an October inspection found that no repair had been made, and the room was still in use.
Then, in April 2023, a chunk fell from the ceiling in the Ahwahnee’s Solarium dining room during a meal, striking and injuring an employee.
Two additional deficiencies at the park’s most iconic lodging, the Ahwahnee Hotel, also raised concern, according to the report. In February 2023, after heavy rains, a Yosemite Hospitality staff member reported a leak in the ceiling of hotel room 443, the report states. NPS requested that Yosemite Hospitality make repairs prior to renting out the room, according to the report, but an October inspection found that no repair had been made, and the room was still in use.
Then, in April 2023, a chunk fell from the ceiling in the Ahwahnee’s Solarium dining room during a meal, striking and injuring an employee.
The iconic Ahwahnee Hotel.
“The [Park] Service is extremely concerned about the risk to visitor and employee safety,” the report states.
Reached by text message, a former employee of Yosemite Hospitality said she wasn’t surprised to learn that the corporation hasn’t been adequately maintaining park facilities. That employee, slackliner and big-wall climber Hayley Ashburn, worked for the contractor as a hotel valet in 2023. She was there when part of the ceiling dropped, Ashburn said, but she wasn’t aware of an injury.
“When I worked at the Ahwahnee last year, part of the ceiling fell onto a guest’s dinner plate,” Ashburn said. “The staff members treated the hotel like the historical treasure that it obviously is, but upper management only cares about cash flow, and they will do whatever they can to keep spaces open and generating income.”
Ashburn pointed out that Aramark — a large corporation that also provides services for prisons, schools, hospitals, the SF Giants and other entities — has come under fire for its performance in prisons in particular. Problems at prisons in Ohio and Michigan included unsanitary conditions and inadequate food service, according to Prison Legal News, leading Michigan to terminate the company’s contract in 2015. Aramark was also fired by a Maryland prison in 2022 based on its performance, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Reached by text message, a former employee of Yosemite Hospitality said she wasn’t surprised to learn that the corporation hasn’t been adequately maintaining park facilities. That employee, slackliner and big-wall climber Hayley Ashburn, worked for the contractor as a hotel valet in 2023. She was there when part of the ceiling dropped, Ashburn said, but she wasn’t aware of an injury.
“When I worked at the Ahwahnee last year, part of the ceiling fell onto a guest’s dinner plate,” Ashburn said. “The staff members treated the hotel like the historical treasure that it obviously is, but upper management only cares about cash flow, and they will do whatever they can to keep spaces open and generating income.”
Ashburn pointed out that Aramark — a large corporation that also provides services for prisons, schools, hospitals, the SF Giants and other entities — has come under fire for its performance in prisons in particular. Problems at prisons in Ohio and Michigan included unsanitary conditions and inadequate food service, according to Prison Legal News, leading Michigan to terminate the company’s contract in 2015. Aramark was also fired by a Maryland prison in 2022 based on its performance, according to the Baltimore Sun.
