June, 2016

YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL

Last day of school - Wednesday, June 8th!

 Thank you to everyone who has helped us this school year! We appreciate everything you
do! :)
 Save the date for the Y-WECS Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Community
Stakeholder Meeting on Saturday, June 4th directly after the WAPOA meeting. We
invite you to meet us in the school multipurpose room. Light refreshments provided! This
is a public community meeting to discuss school goals, progress & related budget items for
the 2016-2017 school year. We are looking forward to connecting with everyone & would
really appreciate everyone's input and feedback. Thank you!
 Save the date for our 13th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament Fundraiser - Saturday, Sep-
tember 17th, 2016 at The Big Trees Lodge! ;)
 Check out all the ways you can stay connected with Wawona School:
School Website:
http://www.yosemitewawonacharter.org/

School Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteWawonaCharterSchool

Student Website:
http://yosemitewawonacharterstudents.weebly.com/

YOSEMITE WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL

2016-2017 SCHOOL CALENDAR
https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteWawonaCharterSchool
 The Big Trees Lodge
Amanda Lee ~ General Manager
Hello Wawona Friends and Neighbors,
The Big Trees Lodge staff is very excited to be open for the summer season!
The dining room hours have been adjusted to better meet the needs of our guests. Breakfast is
served from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.. The lunch hour has been extended with lunch being served
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Our menus feature good, coun-
try style comfort food. The culinary team shows us their creative side with nightly specials.

Big Trees Lodge will continue the tra-

dition of the Saturday night BBQ from
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. . BBQ tickets can be
pre-purchased Saturday before 4 p.m.
at the front desk and after 4:30 p.m. at
the BBQ. The BBQ menu can be
found on the Wawona News website.
(www.wawonanews.com)

The Big Trees Stables opened May

27th. The Big Trees Stables will be the
only stables in the park offering trail
rides. Two-hour and four-hour trips are available daily. Reservations are recommended. Visi-
tors can contact the stables at 209-375-6502 for information and to make a reservation.

The golf course should be open mid to late June.

Wawona News Website

For the latest Wawona information, check the Wawona News Website at:
www.wawonanews.com

We no longer send emails with Wawona and Park updates, so please keep up-to-
date with community and park happenings, calendar of Wawona events,
fire news and drought news at our Wawona News Website.
 Wawona Large Item Pick Up
The Mariposa County Public Works will
again pick up large items in Wawona on
Saturday, September 10, 2016 – the same
date as the September WAPOA meeting.
The truck will arrive in the Wawona mainte-
nance yard at 9 a.m. that morning and depart
at 3 p.m. Large household furnishings, ap-
pliances, deck furniture, etc. will be accept-
ed. No hazardous waste or electronics will
NEW at The Redwoods In Yosemite -
be accepted. Our trash pick up fee has al-
Summer 2016!
lowed Wawona property owners to continue Donna Davis ~ General Manager
having our annual needle pick up and our  New items in our gift shop! Stop by!
large item pick up.
 New Fitness Hikes and
Photography Tours!
Call Front Desk 375-6666
for information.
 We are also bringing back our spon-
sored Ranger programs in June (Tuesday
evenings and Saturday mornings).
 New Work & Travel program interna-
CALENDAR tional students (and a few returning).
June 6 - 10: Pine Needle Pickup They are looking for extra work on their
July 4: Squar e Dance Gr ey Bar n days off. Call Donna 375-6670 for infor-
8 p.m.—10 p.m. mation.
July 23: Squar e Dance Gr ey Bar n
8 p.m.—10 p.m.  New Website with group, wedding
August 6: Squar e Dance Gr ey Bar n and lodging specials!
8 p.m.—10 p.m. www.RedwoodsInYosemite.com
August 20: Squar e Dance Gr ey Bar n  Newly painted company cabins (17C
8 p.m.—10 p.m. & 18C). They really needed it!
September 3: Squar e Dance Gr ey Bar n
8 p.m.—10 p.m.
September 3: Wawona Fr iends of the
Library Book/Bake/Craft Sale (MAYBE)
September 10: WAPOA Wawona
Community Center 9 a.m.
September 10: Lar ge item pickup
September 17: Golf Tournament
Hosted by the Yosemite-Wawona
Elementary Charter School
 WAWONA RANGER UPDATE
Eric Scott ~ Wawona District Ranger
The Wawona Rangers were busy this last winter, and spring is shaping up the same way. With
the nice weather, good waterfalls, etc., there has been a lot of visitation to the park this spring
so far. March visitor estimates showed Yosemite visitation 40% more than the same time last
year. Our seasonal rangers are here and getting settled in. They are, Tara Saczynski
(returning from last year), Cara Dehart, and David Engle.
As I mentioned at the WAPOA meeting in April, property owners have the responsibility to
remove trees/debris cut down by PG&E on their property. We are hoping this can happen be-
fore the fire season gets going. While the South Fork of the Merced is currently flowing at
about 680 CFS and will likely peak in the next couple of weeks as warm temperatures contin-
ue to melt the snow in the high country, it is possible that later in the summer we could still
possible be under water restrictions. Hopefully that will be delayed by the decent winter
snowpack.
Regarding the South Fork, if you or your guests have plans to go swimming this spring, please
be very cautious. Currently, the river is running too swiftly and it is dangerous to go swim-
ming. The river needs to come down quite a bit to be safe for this activity. The current is too
swift and water too cold to risk being swept downriver. If you have questions about this or
want to know more about current river conditions, please feel free to call us at the Wawona
Ranger Office, (209) 375-9520.

Yosemite Pioneer History Center

Dean Shenk ~ Division of Interpretation
Burrel “Buckshot” Maier and his Horse-Drawn Stage Rides will be offer ed fr om 10:00 am to
2:00 pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning Friday, June 3. Wednesday afternoons as well
as Thursdays will be added beginning June 15.
Blacksmithing Demonstrations will be offer ed Wednesday after noons thr ough Sundays be-
ginning Wednesday, June 8.
Ranger Programs will r etur n to The Redwoods in Yosemite beginning Tuesday, J une 14.
Junior Ranger Programs will r etur n on Satur days beginning J une 18.
Evening Ranger Programs will r etur n to the Wawona Campgr ound Amphitheater ever y
night beginning Sunday, June 12.
Please refer to the current issue of the park’s free newspaper, the Yosemite Guide, for more infor-
mation.
Remember that the 4th of July will fall on a Monday this year. As always, we will be celebrating an
Old Fashioned 4th of July in the Pioneer Yosemite Histor y Center on the 4 th of July. The cab-
ins will be open and Stage rides will be offered from 10:00 am to Noon the morning of the 4 th of
July. At 2:00 pm we will begin the afternoon activities with the obligatory speeches followed by
three legged races, gunny sack races and egg toss for folks of all ages. The afternoon activities will
continue until 4:00 pm. The evening of July 4, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, we will have our first
Barn Dance of the season in the Gr ey Bar n in the Pioneer Yosemite Histor y Center .
Please don’t tell too many people, but the dates for our other Barn Dances of 2016 will be on the
evenings of July 23, August 6, August 20 and September 3. As always, music will be provided by
“The Wawona Philharmonic” and donations will be accepted. These dances continue to exist due
to the generous continued support of WAPOA and The Redwoods In Yosemite.
 WAWONA FIRE NEWS
Gary Wuchner ~ Yosemite Fire and Education Specialist

It is late spring and the temperatures are beginning to rise. And although Yosemite received nor-
mal rainfall and snow, the warmer days are beginning to dry-out needles, dead trees and limbs.
That said 5 years of continued drought pine trees and cedars are continuing to show high mortality
rate of pine trees. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) crews will continue to work with park forestry
and fire officials as they remain busy this summer and fall removing hazard trees throughout the
community.
So if you have not begun to clear your property of hazardous fuels it is time. In 2015, over 10 mil-
lion acres burned from wildfire in the U.S. – A record year.
As a reminder, maintain 100’ clearance (or to your property lines) of all tree debris and needles. It
is essential that trees be “limbed up” 15’ off the ground, and branches and limbs are clear of heat-
ing vents, and chimneys. Maintain the limb clearance over hanging decks and please do not store
combustible materials under decks.
Defensible space inspections will begin in early June by fire prevention personnel. The National
Park Service follows CAL Fire State wide defensible space regulations and codes. Many residents
have already done an outstanding amount of work clearing their property.
Something to remember – “We can’t help you if we can’t find you.” Please provide address num-
bers that are easily seen from the streets and roads. It is suggested, the signs be reflective. This is
invaluable for appropriate response times by park rangers and firefighters responding to assist in
any emergency. The extra minutes saved make a difference, particularly with medical emergen-
cies.
Yosemite Fire Staff is completing plans for extensive fuels treatments within the community, by
addressing areas of accumulation of dead and down on park lands within Section 35, Wawona.
Battalion Chief Kelly Singer will present the details of the proposed work and a time-line at the
June WAPOA meeting. If you miss the meeting the information will be posted on the Wawona
Web Page.
Two prescribed fire (Rx) projects are scheduled near Wawona – the upper part of the Mariposa
Grove and continuation of the Soupbowl project near the south entrance. The Soupbowl Rx was
to begin May 31, however fules were too wet due to recent rains and the Rx is postponed. It is
likely these projects will be delayed until fall. Vegetation pile burning will continue, as weather
permits, to reduce fuel loading along the Wawona Road. More information will be available and
posted on the park and Wawona webpages and through the Fire Information email program.
In conclusion, this will most likely be my last fire information newsletter contribution, as I have
made a permanent move to the Superintendent’s Office as a realty and lands specialist. Thank
you to all community members for your attention to fire concerns through the years. I have appre-
ciated your cooperation, conversations and being able to serve you through the years. Thank you
to Pat Sischo and Jennifer Wuchner for keeping the fire information flow and other important park
communication messages flowing in our area of the park.
My replacement through the summer, and hopefully permanent, is Nancy Phillipe. She is detailing
into my position from Yosemite Emergency Communication Center, where she served as the Su-
pervisor. She will be a good fit for all Wawona and the other Yosemite communities as the Fire
PIO.
Finding ways to assist our residents and visitors to safely enjoy the community is a common goal
for all members of Yosemite fire managers and crews. Please do your part to maintain a fire safe
Yosemite National Park community for future generations.
 Yosemite Realty and Lands Office Update
Gary Wuchner ~ Realty and Lands Officer

The National Park Service Realty and Lands Office is providing this brief and first contribu-
tion to the Wawona Newsletter.

The Former NPS/Yosemite Realty Officer, Sean McCabe, left the park in July of 2015 with a
career move to the Washington DC area. In December I took a temporary special detail to
continue the work needed to keep the various realty, lands, and permits etc. programs moving
forward within the Park. Since then I was offered an opportunity to permanently continue in
the Realty Office – I accepted the position.

Specific to Wawona - there are a number of enhancements, improvements and remodels being
planned and/or are occurring. They are exciting and important to the community and Maripo-
sa County.

All improvement projects to homes and cabins are coordinated between the Park and Mari-
posa County. The process for obtaining building permits and the associated questions for
NPS involvement concerning remodel projects is worth going over. When the County re-
ceives applications for building permits, the Park Realty Officer is contacted for concurrence
and to determine if NPS has any land issues or concerns. Usually there is not, and within 10
days, the Park responds back to the County to support the projects and the building permit is
issued.

Why is the NPS involved? The primary NPS concerns are encroachments upon Park land and
roads. Sometimes the Park receives complaints of encroachment on private land. They in-
clude: building construction materials being stored; parking of construction vehicles; building
material waste materials; blocking of roads; or excavation near or upon Park sewer lines and
other utilities. Wawona is an area rich in cultural resources to be protected – another concern.

The County, NPS Realty Officer and rangers conduct periodic building site inspections within
community and inspections in response to community complaints.

Property owners can be assisted in planning efforts by referring to the 2012 Wawona Town
Plan for brief construction guidelines. Please remember – you do need a building permit, is-
sued by Mariposa County, prior to beginning any construction or improvement project.

The details are important and I urge all owners considering building improvements to please
contact the Park Realty Officer during the planning stages of projects to save time and money.

Please contact Gary Wuchner at 209.372.0459 or [email protected] for any questions.

I am happy to meet with you at the site or respond to your questions.
 Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in Wawona

Library News
PO Box 2008, Wawona, CA 95389 June, 2016

The 2015 Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library

19th Annual Book/Bake/Craft Sale

may be the last one!
The 20th annual sale is in need of a chairperson to organize and run the sale on Labor Day Satur-
day, September 3, 2016. Are you available to volunteer? Call the library at 209-375-6510 or stop
in and let one of the librarians know you can help. We already have a great selection of books that
have been donated and sorted for the sale.

There will be no sale this year unless

someone volunteers to chair the sale!

Thanks to Wawona Property Owners who donate the dollars for our summer
Extra Hours!!
Since the library opened in 1997, the Friends of the Library members have donated dollars to be
matched by Sara Miller McCune’s Extra Hours Challenge. This enables the library hours to be ex-
tended to 30 hours a week from the County’s funded 15 hours a week . The library is open 5 hours
daily: Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m.—6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.—3 p.m. from Me-
morial Day to Labor Day. The library is closed on Sunday. Our heaviest use is in the summer when
the Redwoods cabins are occupied. Thank you for helping keep the library open 30 hours weekly!

Wawona Bassett Memorial Library Hours

Memorial Day 2016 through Labor Day 2016

Monday ~ Friday 1 PM—6 PM ** Saturday 10 AM—3 PM ** Closed Sunday and Holidays

Internet & Wi-Fi Available

 Wawona Community Newsletter
P.O. Box 2008
Wawona, CA 95389

2016 MEMBERSHIP WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

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

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Address_________________________________________ City_____________________Zip________
Membership Categories: Email Address_______________________
___Individual $ 5.00 ___Gold Friend $15.00
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___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)_________________________________________________________________________

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$_____Extra Hours Donation_________________________________________________________________________

I am interested in assisting with the following:

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Make checks payable to:

WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ALL DUES AND DONATIONS ARE

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