tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304940752024-03-21T20:16:59.909-07:00Ranger Gord's Campfire StoriesStories about parks, the people who work there and the people that visit them.Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-33170499245142525302007-10-19T17:40:00.001-07:002007-10-19T17:42:21.903-07:00Elephant Butte ranger sentenced to probation<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Park ranger Clyde Woods has been sentenced to 5 years probation and 1 year house arrest for fatally shooting an unarmed belligerent camper who refused to pay his camping fee. Details about the shooting can be found in the post: <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/10/incident-at-elephant-butte-lake.html">The Incident at Elephant Butte Lake</a>.<br /><b><br /><a href="http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/oct/18/new-mexico-park-ranger-gets-five-years-probation-s/">New Mexico park ranger gets five years probation in shooting death (Albuquerque Tribune)</a></b><br /><blockquote>A former New Mexico State Parks ranger has been sentenced to five years' probation and one year of house arrest in the fatal shooting of a man in a dispute over a campsite fee at Elephant Butte State Park.<br /><br />State District Judge Kevin Sweazea on Wednesday ordered Clyde Woods to wear an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet for a year before serving probation.<br /><br />Woods pleaded guilty in March to voluntary manslaughter in the August 2005 death of Bruce Teschner, 58. Teschner - who according to testimony was drunk and had a history of mental illness - refused to pay a $14-a-night camping fee and refused to leave the park.<br /><br />Woods said he acted in self-defense. He said Teschner turned and made a motion as if he were pulling a weapon. Witnesses said Teschner was running away when he was shot.<br /><br />State Police said at the time that the camper resisted arrest and was moving away from Woods, apparently keeping his hands in his pockets, when the fatal shots were fired.<br /><br />Teschner was shot twice in the back of the neck, authorities said.<br /><br />Special Prosecutor Scot Key had sought the maximum punishment for Woods, seven years behind bars. But defense attorney Gary Mitchell asked Sweazea to give Woods probation.<br /><br />Before the sentencing, clinical psychologist Eric Westfried testified for the defense that Woods poses no threat to the community. He also told the court that a more thorough psychological evaluation before Woods was admitted to the police academy might have found him an unsuitable candidate for law enforcement.<br /><br />The victim's brother, Charles Teschner, testified that arthritis forced his brother to give up his jewelry-making business, and he had been given a diagnosis of depression and put on medication. He said his brother was "obviously self-medicating with alcohol" in the last months of his life.<br /><br />He told the judge that he believed Woods had to know that his brother was unarmed.<br /><br />Several community members told the judge that Woods was a dedicated father, an avid community volunteer and an asset to his hometown.<br /><br />Woods apologized to Teschner's family for taking the man's life but said he did the best he could with what he had the evening he was called to Teschner's campsite.<br /><br />"I'm sorry for what happened," Woods said as he sobbed and looked briefly at Teschner's family.</blockquote></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-80986817079845227292007-10-05T10:03:00.001-07:002007-10-05T10:18:41.647-07:00The worst canoe trip since Deliverance<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In August Emmerich Koller and his two children, Marina (age 26) and Andrew (age 11) went on a 5 day canoe trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Not even a boy sitting on his front porch playing Dueling Banjos could have alerted them to what would happen on this trip.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.google.com/history/url?url=http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1430787.html&ei=5G8GR6utD5yKqwOij7nMAw&sig2=4BkROyoJ35kYjFPteAFPLg&zx=7wmPEFnGheE&ct=n">Night of terror in BWCA still haunts family (StarTibune.com)</a><br /><blockquote>The trouble began before dusk on Aug. 7, when the five men and the teenager went to Basswood Lake in two motorboats to "have some fun," according to Barton.<br /><br />Koller said he and his family heard shooting north of their campsite while they were eating supper about 7:30 p.m. on the first night of their BWCA trip.<br /><br />"Here I am in this pristine wilderness and you don't expect to hear gunshots," he said. "And it was not just hunting rifles, but repeat rifles, semiautomatic."<br /><br />About 10 p.m., three men in a motorboat stopped near the Kollers' campsite and began talking loudly and cursing. At the time, Koller didn't think they were involved in the earlier shooting.<br /><br />He said he turned on his flashlight and asked them to be quiet, but was cursed, ridiculed for his accent -- Koller grew up in Hungary -- and told to shut up.<br /><br />"They really cussed me out and cursed me out using every imaginable obscenity," Emmerich Koller said. "I was really taken aback. They seemed messed up, either drunk or on drugs, I don't know. They were scaring my family."<br /><br />In the complaint, Olson told investigators that the men "kind of pushed it, yeah. We should have stopped."<br /><br />Koller said Tuesday that when the men left, they lifted their motor out of the water and "revved it up." They shot a flare that exploded in the sky before leaving to meet up with their friends in a nearby bay.<br /><br />While there, the five men and teenager sat in their boats, drank beer and fired off more rounds from several weapons.<br /><br />Koller said that about 11 p.m. his son woke him to tell him a boat was approaching.<br /><br />"As they got closer, I got an inkling: 'We've got to get out of here,'" Emmerich Koller said.<br /><br />Koller and his children fled to the woods, pushing deep into the brush where they "just hunkered down and listened to their ranting and raving."<br /><br />For the next 45 minutes, the men poked around the campsite, commenting in vulgar terms about the family's sleeping bags and food.<br /><br />At one point, Marina Koller told authorities, one of the men said, "Maybe if you make us s'mores for an hour, we won't ... kill you!"[The men said] they were going to kill me and rape us all, in very graphic terms," Emmerich Koller said. "We were very scared. My daughter was just trembling behind me, and we were just holding onto each other."<br /><br />A part-time bartender, Marina Koller said she'd never heard such foul language, even in a bar.<br /><br />About 15 minutes after the men left, Emmerich Koller called 911 and told a Lake County dispatcher what was happening. At the same time, the five men and teenager headed to a nearby beach to swim, where they confronted two adults, their five children and two friends of the children.<br /><br />Two of the men skinny-dipped. One of the adults told investigators that the men used "a lot of f-words" and threatened a sexual assault.<br /><br />By then, however, several more campers had called authorities to report men racing around "shooting guns,"terrorizing people" and setting fire to the lake with gasoline.<br /></blockquote><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.timberjay.com/current.php?article=3692"><span class="headline">Men charged in BWCA terrorizing and shooting mayhem (</span>Timberjay Newspapers Online)</a><br /><blockquote>Cell phone calls from threatened campers alerted law enforcement that the men were shouting threats and obscenities while shooting firearms and fireworks from two motorized boats. Lake County Sheriff’s deputies and federal agents were able track the progress of the men from the calls and intercept their boats as they returned to the Fall Lake landing around midnight.<br /><br />Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Hoberg contacted U.S. Forest Service Agent Chip Elkins for assistance in apprehending the suspects.<br /><br />The boat with a 16-year-old male, Olson and Lakner arrived at the landing. Lakner was wearing a knit hat with fake dreadlocks attached to it. Hoberg had known Lakner for over 20 years, but did not recognize him at first.<br /><br />During the pat-search, Hoberg noticed Lakner was wearing a .45 caliber semi-automatic side arm and had another bullet clip on his belt.<br /><br />As the officers continued arrest procedures, they heard the second boat approaching and instructed the first three suspects to remain silent.<br /><br />However, Lakner continually talked louder, according to the complaint, apparently trying to alert the second boat of their situation. Ely Police Officer Chad Hood began to escort Lakner to a squad car about 50 yards away, but Lakner persisted shouting to the point that Hood had to wrestle him to the ground and cover his mouth.<br /><br />During an audio and videotape interview after his arrest, Fenske admitted they did not go on the excursion to fish. He said he and his boat partners almost turned back at Jackfish Bay because it was dark and they couldn’t find the others until they saw their fireworks.<br /><br />Barton stated on tape that the whole group just wanted to have some fun and “stir things up a little bit.” He said they laughed about the comments they made to campers and “thought it was cute and funny.”<br /><br />Of the weapons found, one was a Russian or Romanian made AK-47 assault rifle. However it was discovered to be semiautomatic, rather than fully automatic.<br /><br />Through complainant statements made to Agent Elkins, he realized the boat containing Lakner, Olson and the juvenile traveled into Canada. Elkins notified Ontario officials who asked him to enter Canadian territory and retrieve the evidence.<br /><br />Boaters and campers provided officers with a beer bottle and 13 spent shell casings. A variety of other evidence surfaced later and included more beer bottles, spent casings, cardboard tubes and paper remains from spent fireworks.<br /><br />A criminal investigation and charges from Canada are uncertain at this time.<br /><br />In all, Deputy Hoberg and Agent Elkins talked to at least 80 people regarding the case.<br /><br />If convicted, penalties for each count of aiding and abetting terroristic threats, harassment and firearms possession is five years incarceration, or a $10,000 fine, or both. Theft penalties include one year incarceration, a $3,000 fine, or both. Reckless discharge of a firearm, transporting an uncased firearm, and possession and use of fireworks all have penalties of 90 days incarceration, a $1,000 fine, or both.</blockquote>I first heard about this story in the blog <a href="http://lagniappeslair.blogspot.com/2007/09/minnesota-family-terrorized-by-armed.html">Lagniappe's Lair</a>. The author of this blog states that when he goes camping he always brings a .357 Magnum revolver or an AR-15A1 assault rifle. Despite how horrible the Boundary Waters story is, I would not recommend carrying firearms with you while you are camping, unless you are Dirty Harry (he favored the .357 Magnum) or Rambo (who favored the AR-15A1, aka the M16).<a href="http://www.timberjay.com/current.php?article=3692"><br /></a></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-62794176748004473382007-10-02T17:03:00.001-07:002007-10-02T17:12:17.323-07:00Hey, DNR, kiss my ass!<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Ranger Bob over at the <a href="http://retreadranger.blogspot.com/">Retread Ranger Station</a> has shared a <a href="http://retreadranger.blogspot.com/2007/10/dont-moon-park-ranger.html">story</a> of a camper who pulled down his pants and asked an Indiana Conservation Officer to kiss his ass.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070929/News01/709290322/1130/Sports01">Charges filed in an alleged mooning case </a><a href="http://southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070929/News01/709290322/1130/Sports01">(South Bend Tribune)</a></b> <blockquote>In the top 10 list of things one shouldn't do to an Indiana Conservation Officer, flagrantly exposing your buttocks to one probably ranks right up there. Also, inviting said officer to smooch those buttocks is likely on the no-no list. Yet, those alleged offenses are what landed one Plymouth man in jail Labor Day weekend, after allegedly drinking enough to cause him to become a bit cheeky when an officer visited his campsite near Gilbert Lake.</blockquote> <blockquote>The man then reportedly again exposed his hindquarters and shouted what Salb wrote were "the sweet words sure to perk up the ears of every conservation officer." In other words, Dowdle reported, the man yelled, "Hey, DNR, kiss my (expletive)." That was enough for Dowdle, who headed back around the lake to speak with the man again. This time, his words were succinct and to the point. "You don't even have to stand up," he was quoted as saying to the man. "Just put your hands behind your back."</blockquote><blockquote>After his arrest, the man was taken to the Marshall County Jail, where he was booked on charges of public nudity and public intoxication.</blockquote>This has to be a <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/07/introducing-ranger-gords-rhadamanthine.html">Rhadamanthine Citation</a> if I have ever seen one.<br /></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-50858278268687851062007-09-27T10:47:00.001-07:002007-10-02T17:09:10.355-07:00Sneaky rangers invade nudists privacy<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Some cruisers and nudists who visit Cape Cod National Seashore to participate in their favorite recreational activities are angry that park rangers are using sneaky tactics to catch them breaking the law (namely engaging in public sex and nude sunbathing).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.provincetownbanner.com/article/news_article/_/50861/News/9/20/2007">Undercover tactics: Park criticized for using sneak approach to nab nudists, stop sex (Provincetown Banner)</a><br /><blockquote>Nudists,amorous couples and others who used the Seashore as their pleasure ground this summer were shocked when they were served $75 to $175 citations for baring their bodies and/or engaging in sexual acts in public. It was not the tickets that bothered them so much as the manner in which they received them. "It was crossing the line as far as I am concerned," said Susie Maguire, a summer visitor. Maguire said she and a friend were walking up South Pamet Road in Truro on July 27, fully dressed, when a young park ranger drove up in his truck. “He got out, walked down to us and as he was walking said, ‘You two just hold it right there. I’m giving you a ticket for public nudity.’” The ranger proceeded to ticket Maguire for having been nude on the beach earlier that afternoon. She had, indeed, been sunbathing in the buff for three hours in an isolated spot south of Ballston Beach. But how had the ranger seen her? Was he “peeping” from the dunes? Why had he waited until she and her friend had walked all the way back to the parking lot and up the road to their car before approaching them? Maguire said she had been asking herself these questions. “When I have something like that happen, I’ve been invaded,” she said. “He wasn’t nasty at all, he was a very nice guy. But the whole thing was bizarre.”<br /></blockquote>She is not upset that the park ranger wrote her a ticket for being nude in public, just that he saw her naked. Now let me get this straight. She went to a public beach, removed all of her clothing and then sunbathed naked for three hours. If she is bothered by the idea of someone "invading" her privacy by at her naked body, then maybe she should not get naked in public. Just a thought.<br /><blockquote>She was not the first beachgoer to be caught off guard by a ranger. One man, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he and his partner were dallying in the reeds in a remote spot near Herring Cove in Provincetown one day last month when suddenly a park ranger sprang upon them. The ranger was in plainclothes and had appeared to be just “another gay man” ambling by, which is one of the reasons why the man and his partner didn’t stop having sex. They were given a $175 ticket for disorderly conduct.</blockquote>That's not fair! If that poor guy had know that he was a police officer, then he would have stopped breaking the law. When I am out on patrol, I always announce my presence with a loud, "Park ranger coming through. I hope no one is engaging in any illegal activities out here." That's the only fair way for a ranger to patrol.<br /><blockquote>Other visitors to Herring Cove have reported seeing undercover park rangers, dressed as though they were just there to enjoy the beach, stop and ticket people for nudity or sexual activity. “I observed this practically the whole summer,” said Ron Raz, a New York resident who comes to Provincetown often. He said there were four plainclothes rangers, two in T-shirts, khaki shorts and carrying backpacks and the other two in “just shorts,” one with “pierced nipples and everything.” He said the undercover rangers will comb the beach between the breakwater and the parking lot at Herring Cove, which is “mostly the gay guys’ beach.” Sometimes, “they’ll just sit and wait.” When a man makes a move on the undercover rangers, they ticket him or serve a summons. Raz said it seemed like entrapment to him.<b> “I would see people leaving the beach in tears,” he said.</b></blockquote>There is nothing more sad than a horny guy that just wants to go to the beach and have some gay sex out in public and is senselessly harassed by some jack booted park ranger.<br /></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-63058587762262976132007-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:002007-09-26T08:56:24.169-07:00Seven reasons to not become a park ranger<p class="MsoNormal">Nearly every time I am introduced to someone as a park ranger, I inevitably hear something like, “Oh, I always wanted to be a park ranger.” It seems everyone has a romantic view of what it would be like to be a park ranger. Sure there are a lot of great things about being a park ranger, but it’s not all about getting paid to play in the outdoors.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here are a few things that may make you think twice about choosing a ranger career:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. It’s not sunny everyday.</span><br />Everyone thinks it would be great to have a job working outdoors when it is 78 degrees and sunny. How would you like to be riding a bike wearing a bulletproof vest when it is 95 degrees? How about digging a ditch while standing in six inches of mud while the sky unloads a torrent of rain? Have you ever tried to thaw a frozen pipe when it’s ten below zero? Guess who has to work outside no mater what the weather is: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Stuff is expensive.</span><br />They say park rangers are paid with sunsets. The problem is that food, rent, utilities, car payments, clothing, diapers…all that stuff costs money. Guess who is always struggling to pay the bills: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Your family and friends get weekends off</span><br />Your family and friends, like the rest of society, work and go to school Monday through Friday. People come to the park when they are not working. That means that the park is busy on nights, weekends and holidays. Guess who has to work when their family and friends don’t: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. People are pigs.</span><br />People leave fast food wrappers in the parking lot, build campfires in pristine wilderness, tangle fishing line in the trees, throw beer bottles down the outhouse, puke in the sink, pee on the floor and crap on the toilet seat. Guess whose job it is to clean it all up: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Drunk people are not funny.</span><br />People have a couple of beers (at least that’s how much they always say they have had) and think that everything they do is hilarious. Peeing in a trash can instead of walking 50 feet to the bathroom is not funny. Raiding you neighbor’s cooler is not funny. Building an 8 foot tall bonfire is not funny. Asking if you can wear the park ranger’s hat is not funny. Guess whose job it is to tell them that they are not funny:<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. People don’t have any common courtesy.</span><br />People just don’t seem to care anymore how their actions impact others. They let their dog off leash so he can jump up on strangers to greet them with his muddy feet and snapping jaws. They play their favorite songs so loud that you can hear the thundering bass vibrate your fillings from a quarter mile away. They burn their garbage in their campfire so that downwind campsites can enjoy the scent of melting plastic and charred hotdogs. Guess who has to give them a lecture on proper manners: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Dirtbags go on vacation too.</span><br />Criminals seem to enjoy visiting the parks just as much as us regular folks. In fact some, prefer hanging out in parks because they aren’t hassled by the cops as much. Guess who has to deal with these criminals without a partner and with the nearest backup 30 minutes out: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the park ranger</span>.</p>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-88782518724257249182007-09-22T11:42:00.001-07:002007-09-25T23:51:19.584-07:00Home on the Range with Action Jackson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbEAODhPWu6warzm4uYQX1yBFUVknajUofEJXKg8jaSwHjx5OkwkCU9ovxQgasndpMuLwsSCpxbBI6PzrVBV-YPWe_0MF5GP_p0IsHaU6I68XcG22Jkpvqby62L06ZIWIoBkd0g/s400/action+jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbEAODhPWu6warzm4uYQX1yBFUVknajUofEJXKg8jaSwHjx5OkwkCU9ovxQgasndpMuLwsSCpxbBI6PzrVBV-YPWe_0MF5GP_p0IsHaU6I68XcG22Jkpvqby62L06ZIWIoBkd0g/s400/action+jackson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Muggs over at <a href="http://yellowstoneparknews.blogspot.com/2007/09/action-jackson.html">Yellowstone Park News</a> has featured a story from the <a href="http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/former_controversial_yellowstone_ranger_becomes_bison_rancher/C38/L38/">New West</a> about former Yellowstone seasonal backcountry ranger Bob "Action" Jackson. Jackson worked for over 30 years as a backcountry ranger in Yellowstone's Thorofare district. Here Jackson describes why he decided to stay a seasonal ranger and not go permanent:<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">My dual career in bison and backcountry rangering happened because of one defining incident early on. I saw my retiring district ranger boss, at the acknowledged pinnacle of rangerdom, steal a big box of toilet paper as his very last official act in Yellowstone. This was a sturdy, tall, deep-voiced and well measured man, the type of ranger tourists imagined. He had spent his life as a ranger at the envied Big Five of Western national parks and it was the life I strived for upon coming to Yellowstone. As I watched this empty shell of a man struggle to get his long arms around the taxpayers’ 128 rolls of wipe so he could put it in the back of his station wagon, I knew then and there I didn’t want a career that ended on a toilet seat.</span></blockquote>Jackson was considered to be an exceptional ranger by his supervisors, until he caught the media's attention with his adept skills at catching elk poachers. Apparently, Jackson went blabbing his mouth to the press about the local hunting outfitters unethical practice of salting National Forest lands just outside the park boundary to lure in elk for high paying clients to shoot. Park management, worried about negative media attention forced Jackson to sign an illegal gag order and terminated his seasonal employment before the fall hunting season.<br /><br />Extensive details of the incident can be found in Thunderbear's December 2001 article <a href="http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/243.html">The Seasonal Who Cried Salt</a>. A follow-up on the fallout over the incident can be found in Thunderbear's November 2002 article <a href="http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/249.html">Hell Hath No Fury</a>.<br /><br />Were glad to see that Ranger Jackson has found a career that won't end on a toilet seat. It's too bad the National Park Service doesn't reward these kind of employees, instead of punish them.<br /></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-59277679254818369852007-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:002007-09-11T11:12:21.163-07:00The Robo Ranger of Griffith ParkI received the following comment on my <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2007/09/park-ranger-vs-cop-john-stolpe-trial.html">first story</a> about the John Stolpe trial (which turned out to be the Douglas Kilpatrick trial): <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Anonymous said...</p> <blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>Doug Kilpatrick aka "Uniform man"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>has a very long history of extreme abuse of park visitors. He Really enjoys his job, to much apparently.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>Popular LA Times Columnist Steve Lopez documented a short list of the abuse of park visitors received from this public servant.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>See LA TIMES Column "The Robo Ranger of Griffith Park" published Aug. 31 2001.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>Nine Citizen complaints in less than 3 years! Sheesh! Makes the meanest baddest cops envious.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don't know Doug Kilpatrick or his history. So I took the anonymous commenter’s advice and donated $3.95 to the LA Times to read Steve Lopez's column about Douglas Kirpatrick. First of all, Lopez is a columnist, not a reporter. He is paid to add spice and controversy to get people to buy newspapers. In his Kirpatrick column, he spoke with six people who were contacted or cited by Kirpatrick for breaking the law. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Peter Aiello stopped for riding a bike in a prohibited area was taken to the ground after refusing to identify himself and comply to orders of a law enforcement officer. Kilpatrick also pepper sprayed Aiello after he attempted to escape.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Darrell Jones was contacted by Kilpatrick for playing his car stereo too loud. Kilpatrick noticed that Jones was consuming beer from a cup. Jones claims it was non-alcoholic beer. That makes total sense to me, because if you drink non-alcoholic beer directly from the bottle, it ruins the taste. Near beer needs to breathe. Lopez fails to tell us if Jones was even cited by Kilpatrick.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Peter Rhodes was cited by Kilpatrick for riding his bike on a trial closed to bikes. Rhodes claims he wasn’t riding on that trail and challenged the citation in court and lost. Rhodes filed a complaint with the parks department and Kilpatrick was cleared of any wrong doing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Amilcar Barquero, according to Lopez was doing nothing more than attending a birthday party when Kilpatrick came around “to inspect an ice chest and sniff cups.” Lopez states that Kilpatrick threw Barquero to the ground, hand cuffed him, and took him to jail, merely for stating, “Nobody's doing anything wrong." My guess is that people were illegally consuming alcohol and Barquero refused to comply with Kilpatrick in some way. I don’t know, however, because Lopez doesn’t tell us why Barquero was arrested.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Pasadenan Stephen Schweitzer refused to empty a cup before a “tailgate session” before a concert at the park. Once again, we don’t know if Schweitzer was cited or arrested or just told to empty his cup because Lopez purposefully left that info out. I am sure Schweitzer was merely enjoying an ice cold Coca-cola before the concert, not consuming alcohol.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lopez mentions that Roderick Greaves got into a “scuffle” with Kilpatrick while sitting in a car with his friend. Kilpatrick arrested Greaves for assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest. Last I knew, a scuffle is a fight and if you get into a fight with a cop, then you are going to be arrested.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>When this column ran in 2001, Greaves case was going to trial and Lopez promised to be in the front row at act as “Witness for the people.” Yet in the six years since Lopez wrote his column, he has yet to write another word about Kilpatrick. Should we be surprised that Lopez never did a follow up story? I guess it wasn’t sensational enough for Lopez to cover.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Notice that only one of these complainants claimed to be innocent (and that one had his day in court and lost). I suspect that most of these people had a problem with Kilpatrick because they didn’t respect his authority to enforce the law.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Park rangers are constantly challenged by law breakers on their authority. I have had people tell me, “You’re not a real cop. Why don’t you quit bothering us.” Then they try to walk away and ignore my commands. When this happens, a park ranger has to assert his authority, which can sometimes mean gaining compliance through physical contact. If it is a park ranger’s job to enforce the law, then they need to enforce the law even with people who openly refuse to obey it.</p>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-40192540829204145842007-09-10T21:11:00.001-07:002007-09-11T00:33:10.097-07:00Ranger vs. Cop: Cop Wins<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In the case of the aggressive park ranger vs. the cop engaging in gay sex in a public park, it looks like the jury has sided with the cruising cop, John Stolpe. Defense attorney Robert Schwartz certainly earned his money on this case by convincing the <span style="font-style: italic;">attentive </span>jury <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2007/09/park-ranger-vs-cop-john-stolpe-trial.html">Stolpe's version</a> of the incident could have happened despite the fact that it defied all logic. Schwartz did this by convincing the jury that the arresting officer, park ranger Douglas Kilpatrick was an overly agressive, "wanna-be cop" who would lie just to make an arrest and enjoyed beating on innocent victims.<br /><br />Now I am not going to defend Ranger Kilpatrick <span style="font-weight: bold;">just </span>because he is a fellow park ranger. Some of Kilpatrick's actions definitely weakened this case. Kilpatrick's surveillance of the two men should have been better so that he could have positively identified the specific sexual activity that they were engaged in. This may have been difficult, however, considering the terrain and vegetation in the area. Additionally Kilpatrick should have verbally identified himself as a police officer upon initial contact and after Stolpe fled the scene. I doubt, however, that attorney Schwartz made these items key to Stolpe's defense.<br /><br />What Kilpatrick did right, was use the force necessary to subdue a fleeing suspect, including pushing the suspect to the ground, using pepper spray and using an impact weapon (collapsible baton). These are the types of actions that attorney Schwartz focused on and was able to convince a jury that a park ranger should not be doing. I doubt Stolpe would have been acquitted if Kilpatrick had been a police officer instead of a park ranger.<br /><br />I guess people just want park rangers to tell them all about the cute cuddly woodland creatures instead of enforcing laws and arresting criminals. What should a park ranger to do once all of the woodland creatures are scared away by hoards of horny men looking for sex?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6856147">Stolpe not guilty on all counts (Press-Telegram)</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /></span> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">By Tracy Manzer<br />9/10/2007<br /><br />HOLLYWOOD - A retired Long Beach police officer and 27-year veteran of the force was found not guilty Monday of exposing himself in public and resisting arrest.<br /><br />The seven-woman, five-man jury agreed with the defense's argument that retired Long Beach Police Cpl. John Stolpe was falsely accused of lewd conduct by Los Angeles City Park Ranger Douglas Kilpatrick at Griffith Park on April 6, 2006.<br /><br />As the court clerk read the not-guilty verdicts on both counts, Stolpe exhaled loudly and looked over at the jury, smiling and tapping his heart.<br /><br />His wife, Assistant Long Beach City Attorney Sandra Stolpe, remained composed but her eyes grew red and seemed to mist with tears. When Stolpe turned to look at her and give her a smile, she smiled in return and put her hand up to her mouth looking as though she might cry.<br /><br />"Sometimes you have to put your faith in the system," she said once the jury left the courtroom.<br /><br />"That's hard to do when you're a cop," Stolpe quipped just a few moments later.<br /><br />Throughout the trial, defense attorney Robert Schwartz focused on destroying the arresting ranger's credibility, calling witnesses that depicted Kilpatrick as irrational and a man who frequently abused<br />Advertisement<br />his authority whenever questioned.<br /><br />"As I said in my closing argument, Officer Kilpatrick is not a credible witness," Schwartz said outside of the courtroom Monday afternoon. "What we presented in court is just the tip of the iceberg."<br /><br />Prosecutor Yong Sohn tried to paint Stolpe as a man living a double life: on one hand, the defendant was a well-known and highly decorated officer, loving father and husband with political aspirations, but was also driven to extreme risks to fulfill a carnal urge.<br /><br />The former mayoral candidate, who was arrested about five days prior to the 2006 election, vehemently denied those claims on and off the stand.<br /><br />Exchanges between Stolpe and Sohn grew heated in a verbal battle over two days.<br /><br />Sohn argued that Stolpe ran from authorities and lied about his job as a police officer because he knew it would destroy his career, his marriage, his election dreams and, ultimately, his life.<br /><br />The 51-year-old - who retired not long after his arrest and about two years shy of his full pension - scoffed at Sohn's claims.<br /><br />Stolpe said it was too soon to know whether he was going to pursue a civil suit for malicious prosecution.<br /><br />"It's about time that someone took this guy to the mat," he said, referring to Kilpatrick, adding that several people had thanked him for standing up to the ranger.<br /><br />Conditions in Judge Leslie Swain's courtroom were tough at times due to a faulty air conditioner that resulted in high temperatures and no air flow during the recent heat wave.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A number of jurors on the case looked pained, except for one man who dozed frequently during testimony and another woman who sat expressionless during every moment of the six-day trial.</span><br /><br />On the first and only day of deliberations, they convened promptly at 9 a.m. and, except for lunch, declined any breaks. They were had their verdict by 4 p.m.<br /><br />Stolpe told the jury he was hiking in a canyon in the park near Zoo Drive when he came upon two men in a clearing just off the trail who were fondling one another.<br /><br />Stolpe testified that he told the men to stop and that one of the men pulled up his pants and ran but the other stayed put, looking irritated.<br /><br />It was while he politely chastised that man that came upon the pair and accused both of lewd conduct, he told the jury.<br /><br />Kilpatrick testified he could not see much through thick brush surrounding the clearing, but that he saw the buttocks of one man - who he identified as Stolpe - and could see another man standing directly in front of him.<br /><br />The ranger said he ordered both men to stop and sit down. Stolpe, he said, made a run for it and pushed the ranger out of his way as he tried to flee down the rocky and narrow path.<br /><br />Kilpatrick told the jury that in his haste, Stolpe lost his footing and fell a couple of times. The ranger said he also tried to keep Stolpe down with his foot, used pepper spray on him and hit him once in the arm with his collapsible baton.<br /><br />The weapons had no effect on the defendant, who was about Kilpatrick's height but about 50 to 70 pounds heavier, and Stolpe eventually fled up into the hillside, forcing Kilpatrick to call for backup.<br /><br />About half a dozen rangers and public safety officers as well as the Los Angeles Police Department's helicopter unit responded.<br /><br />Stolpe was found within about 15 minutes and never identified himself as a police officer or told anyone that he had caught the real culprits, authorities testified.<br /><br />One officer said the defendant lied and told him he was unemployed, which Stolpe confirmed on the stand. Stolpe also confirmed officers' testimony that he claimed he was dropped off at the park. The defendant explained that he didn't want his car impounded or the officers to find his gun, badge and other property.<br /><br />Stolpe never identified himself as a fellow officer because it wouldn't have done any good, he testified, and because he knew they would eventually find out after he gave them his name and driver's license number.<br /><br />Stolpe also testified that Kilpatrick told him to head to the street and when he brushed up against Kilpatrick on the narrow path that he was shoved.<br /><br />Stolpe said he also picked up a little speed as he headed down the steep trail.<br /><br />That is when Kilpatrick pushed him face-down the ravine, Stolpe testified, knocking the defendant about 8 feet down a ditch. Stolpe said he was pushed again, stomped on by the ranger, pepper-sprayed twice and hit about three times with the baton.<br /><br />The defendant said he chose to flee and hide so that he could wait for other officers to arrive. He figured that Kilpatrick would be less likely to continue beating him if there were witnesses, Stolpe testified.<br /><br />Testimony in the six-day trial focused as much, if not more so, on Kilpatrick as it did on the defendant.<br /><br />Schwartz argued his client was a well-respected police officer who had worked some of the most dangerous and highly sought assignments in the Long Beach Police Department and who was known for his professionalism. Kilpatrick, Schwartz said, had an authority complex and a history of false accusations.<br /><br />"(Kilpatrick) was described by the prosecutor ... as an officer who goes by the book," Schwartz said. "I think it would be more accurate to say he writes his own book."<br /><br />To bolster his claims, the defense lawyer called two Los Angeles men to testify about their experiences with Kilpatrick.<br /><br />The men cited by Kilpatrick testified that they were stopped by Kilpatrick on numerous occasions, detained and eventually arrested on minor charges such as drinking in public and riding a bicycle in a prohibited area of the park.<br /><br />Both men testified Kilpatrick had wrongly accused them and lied on citations he issued them. Both said it was their questioning of Kilpatrick that led the ranger to fly into a rage and abuse his authority. A third man, who witnessed several of the confrontations, also testified.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kilpatrick told the jury that both men were detained when they became belligerent. One was taken into a local jail to be cited because he didn't have any identification, while the other was arrested after he lost control and began fighting with the ranger, Kilpatrick said.</span><br /><br />At one point, the ranger testified that he found red or purple residue in a cup one of the men had, and that it appeared to be wine or a mixed drink, prompting him to cite and arrest the man for drinking in public.<br /><br />Schwartz showed Kilpatrick the ticket he had issued and where the ranger had written down that the cup contained beer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"He's a frustrated cop is what he is," Stolpe said. "He's a wanna-be cop and he should be sticking to being a park ranger."</span><br /><br />Kilpatrick ended up testifying over three days of the trial, more than any other witness, and was grilled extensively.<br /><br />Sohn noted as much, pointing out to the jury that Schwartz's lengthy closing argument was devoted almost entirely to destroying Kilpatrick's credibility.<br /><br />Schwartz told the jury the case clearly came down to the two officers and which man was more believable. The witnesses that testified against Kilpatrick undoubtedly planted that crucial seed of doubt in the jurors' minds about the ranger's credibility, Schwartz said after the trial.<br /><br />"We see this as a vindication and an exoneration of John Stolpe," Schwartz said.<br /><br />A prosecutor from the Los Angeles City Attorney's office called to fill in for Sohn on Monday declined to comment.</span></blockquote></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-74879568372381463982007-09-07T11:14:00.001-07:002007-09-07T13:36:19.708-07:00Park Ranger vs. Cop: The John Stolpe Trial<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">It looks like its not just senators that are getting caught with their pants down in public. Long Beach police officer and Mayoral candidate John Stolpe was arrested in April 2006 by a park ranger for engaging in cruising activities and resisting arrest in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. Stolpe maintains he is innocent and the victim of mistaken identity and police brutality by a rogue park ranger.<br /><br />Officer Stolpe's testimony proves to be quite entertaining as he explains what he was doing in the park with a half naked man and why he fled the scene when an unarmed park ranger attempted to arrest him (Jump to the bottom if you want to see the Ranger Gord's Condensed Version of Stolpe's Story).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe Trial: Day #1 & 2</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6803233">Character witnesses speak in Stolpe trial (Press Telegram)<br /></a></span><!--subtitle--><div class="articleSubTitle"><span style="font-size:85%;">Police officer, deputy city prosecutor support defendant. </span></div><!--byline--><div class="articleByline"><span style="font-size:85%;">By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer </span></div><!--date--><div class="articleDate"><span style="font-size:85%;">09/04/2007</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div class="articleViewerGroup" id="articleViewerGroup" style="border: 0px none ;"><script language="JavaScript"> var requestedWidth = 0; </script></div><script language="JavaScript"> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </script><span style="font-size:85%;">HOLLYWOOD - A string of character witnesses were called to testify about the integrity of two peace officers Tuesday: one a former Long Beach police officer charged with exposing himself at a park, the other a park ranger who allegedly caught the defendant in the act. </span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">It marked the second day of trial, and the first day of the defense's case, for former Long Beach mayoral candidate and Police Cpl. John Stolpe, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of public nudity and resisting arrest during an incident at Griffith Park in April 2006. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Deputy City Prosecutor Yong W. Sohn argued during his opening statements Friday that the 50-year-old defendant was found, with his pants down, with another man in a clearing at the park and that the former officer suffered scrapes and bruises when he fought capture. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Defense Attorney Robert Schwartz argued Friday that Stolpe was wrongly identified as a suspect by L.A. Park Ranger Douglas Kilpatrick, whom he said is quick-tempered and has a history of false accusations. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe, then an active-duty officer, saw two other men fondling each other near a hiking trail and he walked over to them to tell them what they were doing was wrong when the ranger came upon the scene, Schwartz argued.</span> A scuffle and foot pursuit followed, prosecutors allege, and Stolpe was eventually arrested and charged. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe has maintained his innocence, arguing that he was the victim of an overzealous park ranger who misunderstood the situation and used excessive force to apprehend him. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Called to testify Tuesday on behalf of Stolpe and detail his 27 years on the force were a retired deputy city prosecutor and a retired police officer, both of whom worked for Long Beach. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">John Fentis said he knew Stolpe well in a professional capacity - and worked for many years with Stolpe's wife, Deputy City Prosector Sandra Stolpe - and successfully prosecuted hundreds of environmental hazard cases stemming from trucks coming into and out of the Ports of Long Beach and L.A., thanks to Stolpe's professional demeanor and trustworthy character. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Former Officer Robert McDonnell, who retired in October after 26 years on the force, testified he and Stolpe became friends in junior high in Inglewood. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"I consider John like a brother," he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">McDonnell said Stolpe was a model officer. Stolpe's honesty, integrity, intelligence and hard work saw him chosen for some of the top jobs and earned him several honors, McDonnell testified. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"Most of the time John had the ability to talk them into being handcuffed," McDonnell said, recalling that Stolpe never fired his service weapon in the line of duty. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe also had an uncanny ability for undercover police work, he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"You had to be a crook or someone like one," McDonnell said when describing undercover assignments. "John was one of the best officers I've seen do that type of work." </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Also called to testify on behalf of the defense was John Cox, a 43-year-old who lives near Griffith Park. Cox spoke for more than an hour about his negative experiences with Kilpatrick, who stopped him on three different occasions on suspicion of public drinking. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">During the first incident, in 2004, Cox said he and a group of friends were drinking at the park and were correctly cited by Kilpatrick. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">But in two other run-ins with the ranger, in May 2005 and November 2005, he insisted Kilpatrick falsely accused him of having an open container of alcohol when he had not been drinking and had no alcohol or alcoholic beverages, seeming to bolster the defense's claims that Kilpatrick is not a credible witness. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">During the second incident, Cox was handcuffed after he calmly protested the citation, he testified. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Within a few minutes, Kilpatrick let him out of the handcuffs and gave him another ticket once he stopped talking, he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">In the third incident, Kilpatrick kept him in a holding cell at a nearby police station for about an hour before letting him go with another ticket, he testified. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Had it not been for a bad joke, Cox testified, Kilpatrick might not have cited him at all the third time. The ranger, he said, was preparing to walk away when Cox told him that he had joked to his buddy, "here comes that ranger from hell." </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"Within a couple of seconds he turned beet red and put the handcuffs on me," Cox testified. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">At least one of the tickets was dismissed by a prosecutor after Cox appeared in court and explained the situation to the attorney, Cox testified. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">During his cross-examination, Sohn asked Cox if he knew that drinking in public is grounds for arrest and that the ranger could have arrested him on every occasion. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The trio of defense witnesses followed a string of park rangers and police officers called by Sohn. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">They, like Kilpatrick, testified that Stolpe at no time identified himself as a police officer once he was eventually found following a search of a steep canyon. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"He told me he was unemployed," Ranger Peter Steur testified Tuesday.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The other officers and rangers testified Tuesday they found Stolpe on the eastside of Zoo Drive, after breaking off into two directions to search the rough terrain. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">About half a dozen officers and rangers, including Steur, responded to Kilpatrick's call for help. A police helicopter was also used. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">They said they found no identification on Stolpe and did not learn he was an officer until later that evening while running his name during the booking process at the Parker Center Detention Center in downtown L.A. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Kilpatrick returned to testify Tuesday about a series of photos he took of Stolpe the afternoon of the arrest that showed scrapes and cuts on his knees, legs and elbow as well as pictures of the area, taken about a week after the incident. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The photos showed thick vegetation in spots. The brush was so thick, according to L.A. Public Safety Officer Victor Carrasco, that officers in the helicopter could not see Stolpe. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Carrasco said they eventually flushed Stolpe out of the brush with a ruse. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"My partner started to yell, `We're going to send in the dogs,"' Carrasco said. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moments later Stolpe came out, he testified.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The trial continues today.</span></p></blockquote><p> </p><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Stolpe Trial: Day #3</span><br /><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6813096"></a><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6813096">Stolpe says he fled ranger for survival (</a><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6813096">Press-Telegram)</a><br />Stolpe says he fled ranger for survival.<br />Ex-police officer denies sex acts, exposure in Griffith Park.<br /></span> <div class="articleByline"><span style="font-size:85%;">By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer </span></div> <!--date--><span style="font-size:85%;">09/05/2007<br /><br />HOLLYWOOD - A former police officer on trial for exposing himself in public and resisting arrest described his flight from a park ranger as a fight for survival with a maniac.<br /><br />Retired Cpl. John Stolpe was called as the final defense witness in his case Wednesday afternoon at Hollywood Superior Court and vehemently denied he was ever exposed or engaged in any sex acts while hiking in Griffith Park on April 6, 2006.<br /><br />The former Long Beach mayoral candidate, who was arrested about five days before the 2006 election, also denied saying his "life was over" while running past Los Angeles Park Ranger Douglas Kilpatrick, which others have testified to in the trial.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But Stolpe did admit he lied to authorities when asked about the location of his car and when he told an officer that he was unemployed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I said I was dropped off," Stolpe testified. "I didn't want them rifling through (the car), they'd find my badge, they'd find my gun."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The 51-year-old was arrested for lewd conduct and resisting arrest by Kilpatrick.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kilpatrick told the court he found Stolpe - with his pants down - and another man fondling themselves in a clearing in one of the park's canyons near Zoo Drive.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kilpatrick said Stolpe ran past him after he ordered Stolpe and the other man to stop what they were doing and sit down. According to Kilpatrick, Stolpe brushed past him as he ran down a steep foot trail, lost his balance and fell.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kilpatrick said he used pepper spray and his baton an in effort to stop Stolpe, but the defendant eventually fled into the brush and out of sight.</span><br /><br />Stolpe was arrested after public safety officers, park rangers and the L.A. Police Department's helicopter unit searched the canyon, according to Kilpatrick and other authorities called to testify by Deputy City Attorney Yong W. Sohn.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe testified Wednesday that he had hiked through the canyon for about an hour and was on his way back to his car when he saw two men in an alcove in a clearing below him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Both of them were standing there with their penises out," Stolpe recalled.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After making a comment about taking it somewhere else, Stolpe testified, one of the men pulled up his pants, waved apologetically, then took off. The other man zipped up but stayed put, appearing irritated with the interruption, Stolpe said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was while he was "politely chastising" that man, Stolpe said, that he heard something in the brush and figured it was the first man coming back. It turned out to be the ranger, who was wearing a uniform but was not armed with a gun and did not identify himself, Stolpe testified.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"He says, `lewd conduct, head toward the street,"' Stolpe recalled.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe said the path, which he estimated to be about a foot wide and running up a steep hill, was too narrow for anyone to pass a person. He didn't mean to touch the ranger, but most likely did brush up against Kilpatrick, Stolpe testified.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As Stolpe moved down the steep path, he was forced to pick up speed but planned to slow down, he testified.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >When he passed Kilpatrick, he said, the ranger shoved him from behind, causing him to fall down. </span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe said the ranger pushed him down three times, knocking him into ditches, kicked him while he was down, pepper-sprayed him twice and struck him with a collapsible baton on the elbow, side and back.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The defendant's voice grew louder as he recalled the incident and soundly criticized Kilpatrick's actions. At one point, Stolpe used a white handkerchief to wipe sweat off his brow. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe frequently referred to photographs that showed the area where the incident occurred and were taken a couple of days after his arrest with the help of his wife, who works in the Long Beach City Prosecutor's office, and his nephew, a harbor patrol sergeant assigned to the Port of Long Beach. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe compared the brish to a "South American jungle" and insisted there was no way Kilpatrick could have seen what he claimed in such dense foliage. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe also told the jury his injuries could only have been caused by being struck by a baton and shoved to the ground, not by falling. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe said he and Kilpatrick eventually ended up at the bottom of a ravine, where "the beating" stopped. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">His eyes were blurry from the pepper spray and he was disoriented from having the wind knocked out of him, Stolpe said. Not knowing what to expect next, he testified, he decided to make a run up the hillside in the hope that other officers called in for backup would find him and he would be safe from Kilpatrick. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">He said it was survival instinct that got him stumbling up the hillside and insisted anyone in his situation would have done the same. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"I went up this mountainside to get away from this maniac," Stolpe said, his voice booming. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">He said it felt like an eternity before he heard the helicopter and saw some other men in uniforms with guns, which he assumed to be police officers. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I'm coming out now because there's going to be more witnesses to the arrest and I'm not going (to get another) beating," Stolpe said.</span> </span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">Defense Attorney Robert Schwartz called several witnesses over the past two days to testify on Stolpe's character as well as Kilpatrick's, seeking to establish the defendant as a respected police officer known for his integrity, while the park ranger is hot-tempered and has a history of false accusations.<br /><br />Fellow officers testifying on Stolpe's behalf were questioned at length about use of force and apprehension tactics, but all stopped short of saying Kilpatrick erred that day.<br /><br />Stolpe was the only one to directly criticize Kilpatrick's technique, for not identifying himself and for not using certain restraints.<br /><br />During the prosecutor's cross-examination of one defense witnesses, Sohn asked a Long Beach police officer what he would do if that officer were faced with a suspect that was his height, but 50 to 70 pounds heavier, and the officer had no gun and no working radio because of the park's deep canyons - the same situation Kilpatrick faced on Aug. 6.<br /><br />"It just depends on the situation," said Officer William Swain, who worked with Stolpe.<br /><br />Swain testified Stolpe was extremely honest in his work and loved serving the public. He said he thought if Stolpe could have become a council member or mayor, he would have preferred that to police work.<br /><br />The prosecutor will resume cross-examination today.</span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Stolpe Trial: Day #4</span><br /><div class="articleTitle"><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6823215"></a></div><blockquote><div class="articleTitle"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6823215"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stolpe grilled on park actions </span>(Press-Telegram)<br /></a></span></div><!--subtitle--><div class="articleSubTitle"><span style="font-size:85%;">Defendant in exposure case asked why he didn't say he was a police officer. </span></div><!--byline--><div class="articleByline"><span style="font-size:85%;">By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer </span></div><!--date--><div class="articleDate"><span style="font-size:85%;">09/06/2007<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div class="articleViewerGroup" id="articleViewerGroup" style="border: 0px none ;"><script language="JavaScript"> var requestedWidth = 0; </script></div><script language="JavaScript"> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </script><span style="font-size:85%;">HOLLYWOOD - A former Long Beach police officer charged with exposing himself in public with another man and resisting arrest in Griffith Park was grilled extensively by a prosecutor Thursday. </span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The one question Assistant City Attorney Yong Sohn kept returning to was why did retired Officer and defendant John Stolpe, 51, never tell a Los Angeles city park ranger that Stolpe was a police officer, and not the suspect, as he claimed in his defense. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Did you tell him you were a cop at that point?" Sohn asked Stolpe in his cross-examination at the Hollywood Superior Courthouse. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"No," Stolpe shot back. "What good does that do?"</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The prosecution, and the arresting park ranger, contend the retired LBPD corporal was caught, with his pants down, with another man and they were masturbating in a clearing on April 6, 2006. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Ranger Douglas Kilpatrick testified that he ordered the two men to stop and sit down, but that Stolpe ran past the ranger, pushing him aside. He said the Long Beach mayoral candidate, who was arrested about five days before Election Day, tried to flee down a steep and rocky path and lost his balance. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kilpatrick told the court he used his baton once, hitting Stolpe in the arm, and pepper-sprayed him, but Kilpatrick said Stolpe continued to flee and hid in some brush. Stolpe was found after a search.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe has vigorously denied those allegations, saying he came across two men who were exposed and engaged in a sex act. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe said he told the men to stop and one man ran, but the other stayed. It was while he was chastising that man, he testified, that Kilpatrick came upon them and wrongly identified Stolpe as the other culprit. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe said he didn't lose his balance and didn't run, but was shoved and knocked down by an overzealous Kilpatrick. He said the ranger pushed him three times, knocking him down steep embankments face first. The ranger also struck Stolpe three times with his baton, stomped him with his boot while he was down and pepper-sprayed him twice, Stolpe testified. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The prosecutor repeatedly asked Stolpe if he heard the ranger giving him orders to stay where he was. Stolpe said no. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The former officer, who retired after his arrest, said he was so disoriented that he had no idea what was going on.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Authorities, including Kilpatrick, testified Stolpe never told them he was an officer or that he had caught the real perpetrators. One officer testified that Stolpe told him he was unemployed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe admitted Wednesday he told the officer he was unemployed. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stolpe also testified that he told the officers and rangers that he didn't have a car at the park. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">When Sohn asked Stolpe why he lied about the car, he defendant bristled. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"I didn't lie about it, I just didn't want them to know about the car." </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sohn then questioned Stolpe why, if he feared for his life - as he had previously testified - would he care about the car. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Your concern is your job was over, your concern is your life is over," Sohn insisted. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"No, no," Stolpe said. </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sohn then referred to the mayor's race and that Stolpe was also worried about his political career. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"My race for mayor was done way before I got arrested, pal," Stolpe snapped.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">It was one of several heated exchanges between the attorney and defendant Thursday. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The combative tone was set almost immediately when Sohn began by asking Stolpe about his testimony from Wednesday, when he described seeing the two men. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"You saw the penises, or is it penii?" the prosecutor asked Stolpe, who glared at Sohn before Sohn finished with, "You said you saw their penises ..." </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The prosecutor also asked Stolpe if had seen a lot of such behavior as a police officer. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"I've seen people having sex ... in public ... in the city of Long Beach and throughout Los Angeles County," he said, adding that it is not terribly uncommon. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Sohn wasn't the only one to dig into a witness Thursday. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Robert Schwartz, Stolpe's attorney, ripped into Kilpatrick after the prosecutor brought the ranger back as a rebuttal witness. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Sohn asked Kilpatrick to talk about two men called by the defense as character witnesses. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Both testified that they had come across Kilpatrick several times over the years at the park and said he falsely accused them of misdemeanor crimes such as drinking in public and riding a bicycle in an unauthorized zone. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Each of the men was cited several times by Kilpatrick and both were arrested on at least one occasion. They both painted him as quick to anger and said he used unneccesary force with them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Kilpatrick testified that both men had become belligerent when he approached them, prompting him to use physical force, including handcuffs, and pulling one man off his bike. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">At one point, Schwartz had Kilpatrick recall a moment with one of the men where the ranger said the man had dumped a cup that left a puddle on the ground. The ranger testified that he remembered the liquid was a purple color and thought it was either wine or a mixed drink. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">On the citation, Kilpatrick wrote the cup had contained beer. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"Does beer look purple to you?" Schwartz demanded. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"No," Kilpatrick said, adding that he had written the ticket three years ago and "obviously, I was wrong." </span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sohn also asked to play a tape recording of part of Stolpe's arrest taken by Kilpatrick. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The prosecutor wanted to play the tape so the jury could hear Stolpe saying the only thing that hurt after the ordeal were his knees.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Both sides will return today for closing arguments.</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-weight: bold;"></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ranger Gord's Condensed Version of Stolpe's Story</span><br />While Stolpe was out on a hike he saw two men masturbating. Stolpe told the men that they shouldn't be masturbating in public and one man zipped up and left. The other man zipped up listened to Stolpe lecture him on proper behavior when out in public. Suddenly, some guy wearing a uniform with a badge and carrying a radio, baton, and pepper spray jumped out of the dense brush and said "lewd conduct, head toward the street." After noticing that he was not wearing a gun, Stolpe decided that this man was not a police officer. Stolpe figured that it would be pointless to tell this <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> that he is a police officer who had just stopped some men from masterbating in public. Stolpe started walking down the trail towards the <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span>, but the trail was so steep Stolpe was unable to controll his speed and accidently ran past him. The crazed <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> then pushed Stolpe to the ground and pepper sprayed him. Stolpe, scared for his life, tried to get up and run away, but the crazed <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> pushed him down again, hit him with a police baton, and sprayed more pepper spray. Stolpe tried to get up again, but <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> knocked him to the ground, hit him with the baton and then stomped on him. After all this, Stolpes somehow escaped from the <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> by running up a hill and hiding in the brush. After a long time, Stolpe heard a helicopter and the sounds of people searching the park. Stolpes may have thought that the masterbater had called the police to report that a crazed <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> was attacking hikers in the park. Stolpes noticed that some of the searchers were wearing guns. At this point, Stolpes may have realized that these people were police officers, just like they have back at Stolpes job in Long Beach. At some point Stolpes must have decided that the <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> was some sort of police officer that was trying to arrest him for some unknown reason. Stolpes announced, "<span style="font-size:100%;">I'm coming out now because there's going to be more witnesses to the arrest and I'm not going (to get another) beating." Stolpes then came out and surrendered to the people dressed like police officers. Stolpes may not have been completely convinced that these were real police, because he decides he should not reveal that he is a police officer and that he has a car parked in the park. Perhaps he thought that if they found out he was a police officer that had a car, then they could steal his gun and badge and then they could give it to the <span style="font-style: italic;">uniform man</span> so that he would look like a police officer.<br /></span></p><p>It seems like perfectly logical story to me.<br /></p><p>Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion.<br /> </p><blockquote></blockquote></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-91464262477068364762007-09-06T00:48:00.000-07:002007-09-06T09:16:58.157-07:00Cruising through the park looking for a toe tapping good timeThe recent onslaught of news coverage about Idaho Senator <a href="http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=333">Larry Craig</a>'s arrest for soliciting sex in a public restroom by tapping his foot has exposed the secret world of cruising for sex in public places. Apparently most people were not aware that many gay men visit public restrooms and parking lots to hook-up with anonymous sex partners. In the gay community such behavior is commonly known as "cruising". Parks and restrooms where gay men can easily find other men looking for sex are called a "cruisy parks" and "cruisy toilets."<br /><br />Park rangers that have the pleasure of working in a cruisy park are usually quite aware that such activity is occurring. I was lucky enough to work in a cruisy park for several years. During that time I had to clean up a variety of items left in restrooms by careless cruisers, including used condoms, sexual lubricant, pornographic magazines and even sex toys. I had male park visitors complain about being hit on by male cruisers. One time a female birdwatcher photographed a naked man pleasuring himself in the woods. She thought it would be funny to embarrass her fiends by showing them a photo of the nude hiker that she ran into. After looking at the picture on her computer monitor, however, the bird watcher realized that this man was enjoying himself much more than he was enjoying nature.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cruising for Sex</span><br />How do you know if people are cruising in your park?<br />Apparently, the internet has become a prime resource for sexual information (who knew?). Currently the most popular cruising websites are <a href="http://www.cruisingforsex.com/">CruisingForSex.com</a> and <a href="http://www.squirt.org/">Squirt.org</a>. Warning: These sites are NSFW (Not Safe For Work) because they are full of gay porn (who knew?). Warning: If you are a fan of the TV show Will and Grace and you have never seen gay porn before, then do not go to these websites or you will never be able to enjoy the show again. <br /><br />To find out if you work in a cruisy park, just search for the park name to see if it is a popular meeting place. <a href="http://www.squirt.org/">Squirt.org</a> requires that you fill out and verify your registration before you can read any detailed listings. Warning: It may be difficult to explain to your wife why you had to setup an account on a gay sex website.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Ranger Gord's Cruisy Toilet Cleaning Tips</span><br />Here are some tips if you are a park ranger who has the unfortunate task of cleaning up after some messy cruisers:<br /><ul><li>There is no such thing as wearing too many surgical gloves, but after about six pair, you start to lose your ability to grab things with one hand.</li><br /><li>The Center for Disease Control recommends using a 10% bleach/90% water solution when sanitizing surfaces that have been exposed to body fluids. I recommend an 90% bleach/10 % acetone solution. Warning: Make sure you take a deep breath of fresh air before you spray because this solution has a tendency to dissolve lung tissue when it is inhaled.</li></UL><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Why?<br /></span>If you are wondering why men act like this, then check out this documentary where they interview several cruisers and film them on cruising escapades. Warning: Although there is no nudity or sexually explicit scenes, does feature several gay men talking about sex. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Enchanted Forest</span><br /><embed width="448" height="365" src="http://www.ifilm.com/efp" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="flvbaseclip=2782851&"> </embed> <h1><a href="http://www.ifilm.com/video/2782851">Enchanted Forest</a></h1><span></span><p>Documentary exploring the underground world of cruising</p>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-19733539542544614062007-08-30T10:12:00.001-07:002007-09-06T23:21:41.829-07:00Spiders cover park with massive web<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ap_spiderweb_070830_ms.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ap_spiderweb_070830_ms.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Spiders at a Texas State Park near Dallas have created a huge 200 foot long communal spider web is responsible for the death of millions of local insects.<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><small><b><br /><a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3540678">'Fairyland' Spider Web Blankets Texas Park (ABC News)</a></b><br /></small> <blockquote><small>Entomologists are debating the origin and rarity of a sprawling spider web that blankets several trees, shrubs and the ground along a 200-yard stretch of trail in a North Texas park. Officials at Lake Tawakoni State Park say the massive mosquito trap is a big attraction for some visitors, while others won't go anywhere near it.<br /><br />"At first, it was so white it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, superintendent of the park about 45 miles east of Dallas. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown. There are times you can literally hear the screech of millions of mosquitoes caught in those webs."</small><br /></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_49Hou7V3Pio/Rtb_yYXrDfI/AAAAAAAAAAM/tQMLtrzVL1Y/s1600-h/Kingdomofthespiders.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_49Hou7V3Pio/Rtb_yYXrDfI/AAAAAAAAAAM/tQMLtrzVL1Y/s200/Kingdomofthespiders.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104548468671319538" border="0" /></a>Now I don't want to be an alarmist, but this has happened before. In 1977, I saw a movie called <a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Kingdom_of_the_Spiders/70002507?trkid=189530&strkid=1175275021_0_0">Kingdom of the Spiders</a> where William Shatner is a small town veterinarian who battles an army of rogue tarantulas that work together to kill everything in their path. <b>SPOILER ALERT</b><i> - (If you haven't seen this screen gem, then stop reading now and add it you your Netflix queue!) - </i>As the movie ends, Shatner and his friends have barricaded themselves in a rustic lodge in an effort to keep the evil spiders at bay. Meanwhile, the rest of the town is in ruins. Every man, woman and child has been killed and the entire town is encased in a huge spider web. It is only a matter of time until Shatner and the rest of the country become spider food.<br /><br />If Shatner can't kill an army of rogue spiders, then what hope does the rest of humanity have?<br /><br />I suspect that the governement has been aware of this threat for quite a while. The feds want you to have duct tape and plastic sheeting on hand to make an emergency shelter to protect yourself from the spiders, not a terrorist chemical attack.<br /><a href="http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/chemical_threats.shtm">Are you ready?</a><br /><br />UPDATE: I have located a clip of Kingdom of the Spiders on YouTube. Here is the best scene...<br /><object height="353" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9cnLc4_vtQ"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9cnLc4_vtQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="353" width="425"></embed></object><br /></div>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1162758516181523522006-11-05T11:57:00.000-08:002007-09-11T00:25:27.854-07:002006 National Outdoor Book AwardsI love the fall. The weather cools down and all but the die-hard visitors leave the park. It's time to curl up with a good book next to a warm fire. If you are looking for a good read, then check out these jems that just named as reciepents of the <a href="http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/books/books06.htm">2006 National Outdoor Book Awards</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060583002?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060583002"><img style="margin: 10pt 10px 10px 10pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/lastseason.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060583002?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060583002">The Last Season</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rangernetwork-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060583002" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br />By Eric Blehm<blockquote>Randy Morgenson is an experienced backcountry ranger in <st1:place><st1:placename>Kings</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Canyon</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>National Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> of the California Sierras.<span style=""> </span>He leaves on a routine patrol to an area, which after 28 seasons, he knows as well as anyone alive, but Morgenson never returns.<span style=""> </span>An extensive air and ground search ensues.<span style=""> </span>No sign of the ranger is found.<span style=""> </span>Was it an accident?<span style=""> </span>Was it foul play?<span style=""> </span>Or was it all just a ruse?<span style=""> </span>Could Morgenson still be alive?<span style=""> </span>In this outstanding work of investigative journalism, author Eric Blehm pieces together a fascinating story of an individual comforted by his solitary time in the wilderness but who is increasingly troubled by life in civilization.<span style=""> </span>Blehm spent eight years researching this book and it clearly shows.<span style=""> </span>He sets the stage, draws you in, and slowly unravels the truth of this absorbing mystery of the Sierra mountains.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1424302668?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1424302668"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/salmon.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|1424302668" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1424302668?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1424302668" id="static_preview">The Middle Fork of the Salmon River : A Comprehensive Guide</a><br />By Matt Leidecker<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>More than any, river guidebooks get used --and abused.<span style=""> </span>All day, they are in and out of ammo cans, passed around, and used to keep track of mileage, to re-check routes through rapids, and to find the night's camp.<span style=""> </span>They have to be tough, conveniently sized, able to withstand a soaking or two, have easy-to-read maps, and clear and concise descriptions.<span style=""> </span>Matt Leidecker's <i style="">Middle Fork</i><span style=""> </span>If you have a trip planned on <st1:state><st1:place>Idaho</st1:place></st1:state>'s Middle Fork of the Salmon, this is the guide written and built for the job.<br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933763000?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933763000"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/yellowstone.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|1933763000" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933763000?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933763000" id="static_preview">Yellowstone Expedition Guide: The Modern Way to Tour the World's First National Park</a><br />By Charissa Reid <o:p> </o:p><br /><blockquote>This is a state-of-the-art, technologically savvy guidebook for visitors of <st1:place><st1:placename>Yellowstone</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>National Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>It's packed full of beta, including information on the area's geology, its hydrothermal features, plants, animals, and hiking trails.<span style=""> </span>Topping it off are two included CD's:<span style=""> </span>one is an audio tour which can be played as you visit different parts of the park, and the other contains movies and panoramic photo tours which can be played on your computer.<span style=""> </span><br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/eastcaterpillars.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/eastcaterpillars.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|0691121443" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691121443?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0691121443" id="static_preview">Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History</a><br />By David L. Wagner <o:p> </o:p><br /><blockquote>It's a caterpillar lover's delight:<span style=""> </span>a copiously illustrated guide to the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the <st1:state><st1:place>Mississippi</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style=""> </span>Many of the caterpillars included in the volume have never been photographed.<span style=""> </span>The guide is nicely designed and easy to use with clear and crisp photographs of both the larva and adult stages.<br /></blockquote><br /><o:p> </o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899973736?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0899973736"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/kids.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|0899973736" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899973736?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0899973736" id="static_preview">Extreme Kids: How to Connect With Your Children Through Today's Extreme (and Not So Extreme) Outdoor Sports</a><br />By Scott Graham<o:p> </o:p><br /><blockquote>Healthy, adventurous outdoor activities are a great way to connect with your children.<span style=""> </span>And here's a book to help you make that happen.<span style=""> </span>Extreme Kids has the low-down on how parents and children can safely participate together in sports like rock climbing, surfing, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and many others.<o:p></o:p><br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p><o:p></o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594850100?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1594850100"><img style="margin: 10pt 10pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/caribou.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594850100?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1594850100">Being Caribou: Five Months On Foot With An Arctic Herd</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rangernetwork-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1594850100" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br />By Karsten Heuer<br /><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/caribou.jpg"></a> <blockquote>Karsten Heuer has just married and he has an idea for the perfect honeymoon: a 5 month, 1,000 mile journey following the caribou migration from their winter range to their calving grounds in the <st1:place>Arctic</st1:place> and back again.<span style=""> </span>No stranger to wilderness adventure herself, his wife and film maker, Leanne Allison readily agrees.<span style=""> </span><i style="">Being Caribou</i> is Karsten's sensitively done book of the couple's adventurous and inspiring journey.<span style=""> </span>This a book full of heart and soul, capturing, like no other, the exquisite beauty and stark realities of that timeless and most celebrated of all mammal migrations.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p><br /></blockquote> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060088621?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060088621"><img style="float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/condor.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060088621?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060088621">Condor: To the Brink and Back--The Life and Times of One Giant Bird</a><br />By John Nielsen<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>This book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the efforts to save the condor, <st1:place>North America</st1:place>'s largest flying land bird.<span style=""> </span><i style="">Condor</i> is a story waiting to be told, and there could have been no better person for the job than John Nielsen.<span style=""> </span>Nielsen has penned a natural history book that is fun to read, mixing humor, science and human interest in just the right portions.<span style=""> </span>In short, it's a brilliant telling of a compelling environmental saga.<br /><br /></blockquote> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691127034?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691127034"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/undergrowth.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691127034?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691127034">Life in the Undergrowth</a><br />By David Attenborough<st1:place><st1:placename></st1:placename><st1:placetype></st1:placetype></st1:place><st1:place></st1:place><o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>Beautifully illustrated, this book takes the reader on a tour of the cloak-and-dagger underworld of creatures without backbones, the invertebrates.<span style=""> </span>The tour guide is naturalist David Attenborough, prolific author and producer of popular nature documentaries for television.<span style=""> </span>In <i style="">Life in the Underground</i>, Attenborough guides us past scampering scorpions, albino termites, sex-starved slugs, blood sucking ticks, and ravenous, lizard-eating spiders.<span style=""> </span>Well, you get the picture.<span style=""> </span>It's a scary world down there at our feet.<span style=""> </span>But it's also a wondrous world, and the ever-curious Attenborough is clearly in his element telling us about it.<span style=""> </span><br /></blockquote><br /><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813123887?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0813123887"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/himalaya.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813123887?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0813123887">Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya</a><br />By David Zurick and Julsun Pacheco<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>The <st1:place>Himalayas</st1:place>: the word itself can send our thoughts soaring to dizzy heights, and now there's a reference work worthy of the range's summits.<span style=""> </span>The <i style="">Illustrated Atlas</i> is the first full-color comprehensive atlas to the entire 2,700 kilometer length of the <st1:place>Himalaya</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>It's attractively designed and includes 300 specially created maps, including maps of the range's national parks and preserves.<span style=""> </span>The facts are there too, of course.<span style=""> </span>Along with a wealth of photographs, the book includes textual information on the natural environment, conservation, resources, exploration, and culture and society.<br /></blockquote> <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0938216821?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=9325&creativeASIN=0938216821"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/carving.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0938216821?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=9325&creativeASIN=0938216821">Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery</a><br />By Wayne Ranney<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>How and when was the <st1:place>Grand Canyon</st1:place> formed?<span style=""> </span>For nearly a century and a half, scientists have debated that question, but the answer remains elusive.<span style=""> </span>They do, however, agree on one thing:<span style=""> </span>the canyon was carved by the <st1:place>Colorado River</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>In this stylish, full-color book by the Grand Canyon History Association, Wayne Ranney describes and summarizes the various geological theories of the canyon's origins.<br /></blockquote> <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674021908?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0674021908"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/100caterpillars.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674021908?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0674021908">100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica</a><br />By Jeffrey C. Miller, Daniel H. Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>This is an exquisite book portraying the caterpillars of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Costa Rica</st1:place></st1:country-region> in impressively sharp and brilliant color photographs.<span style=""> </span>The lay-out and design is flawless.<span style=""> </span>The accompanying text is complete and satisfying.<span style=""> </span>The authors clearly want to share their discoveries and wonders of their work with everyone -- not just with fellow biologists, but with all who are fascinated with the infinite variety of the natural world -- and in that effort, they have succeeded beyond measure.<span style=""> </span><br /><br /></blockquote> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811701417?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=0811701417"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/wings.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><a name="evtst|a|0811701417" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811701417?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=0811701417" id="static_preview">Wings of Spring: Courtship, Nesting, and Fledging</a><br />Photographs by Tom Vezo.<span style=""> </span>Text by Chuck Hagner<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote><i style="">Wings of Springs</i> represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published:<span style=""> </span>a Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from its beak.<span style=""> </span>One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured.<span style=""> </span>Complementing Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as work of artistry.<br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585362689?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1585362689"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/kelly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|1585362689" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585362689?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1585362689" id="static_preview">Kelly of Hazel Ridge</a><st1:place><st1:placename></st1:placename></st1:place><br />Text by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuysen. <span style=""> </span>Illustrations by Gijsbert van Frankenhuysen<o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>Kelly is in trouble.<span style=""> </span>Her fourth grade teacher has asked her to write about something that's been important in her life.<span style=""> </span>But she can't think of a thing until her father tells her to take a walk around their small farm.<span style=""> </span>As she walks, she sees all the wild animals that share the farm, and she remembers helping her parents dig ponds, create wetland areas, and, oh yeah, plant a gazillion little trees!<span style=""> </span>This book is a pure delight with a suffused gentle innocence, heartfelt text, and warm, luminous illustrations, all of which will surely excite young minds and imaginations.<span style=""> </span>Ages 4-10.<br /></blockquote> <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933609001?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933609001"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/gaia.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|1933609001" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933609001?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933609001" id="static_preview">Gaia Girls: Enter The Earth</a><br />By Lee Welles <o:p></o:p><br /><blockquote>In this 320-page novel, a young girl takes on a corporation that threatens to pollute the air and water of her upstate <st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state> home.<span style=""> </span>She is helped by a fantasy creature by the name of Gaia who she learns is the embodiment of the earth and of all living things.<span style=""> </span>But can she, only a fourth grader (but soon to be a fifth grader!), stop a big corporation?<span style=""> </span>Find out in Lee Welles' page-turner for young girls.<span style=""> </span>Ages 9 to 14.<span style=""> </span><br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933937033?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933937033"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/sleeping.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="evtst|a|1933937033" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933937033?ie=UTF8&tag=rangernetwork-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=373489&creativeASIN=1933937033" id="static_preview">Sleeping Island: A Journey to the Edge of the Barrens</a><br />By P.G. Downes<o:p> </o:p><br /><blockquote><i style="">Sleeping Island</i> is the story of P.G. Downes' 1939 canoe expedition through unmapped country in the remote northern corner of <st1:state><st1:place>Manitoba</st1:place></st1:state> and <st1:state><st1:place>Saskatchewan</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style=""> </span>His journey takes him to the edge of the Canadian Barrens, a desolate arctic wasteland known to the Indians as the "<st1:place><st1:placetype>Land</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Little Sticks</st1:placename></st1:place>."<span style=""> </span>What helps elevate this book over many of the chronicles of early twentieth century canoe excursions is Downes' intimate knowledge of the trappers, traders, and especially the Indians who live off the land.<span style=""> </span>This is what it was like on the cusp of change, just before the advance of civilization and titanic forces that would forever transform the face of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s north country.<br /></blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/kids.jpg"><br /></a><o:p></o:p>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1162606135960732172006-11-04T15:07:00.000-08:002007-09-27T11:05:32.821-07:00Ranger Gord picks a fight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/fightclub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/fightclub.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Look out, I'm in one of those moods.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago I shared with you the <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/10/let-off-leash-dogs-owners-lie.html">story</a> of a blogger who calls herself Pontifica, who is a selfish dog owner that chronically lets her dog run loose at the park and was recently cited by a park ranger. Pontifica shared her story of getting out of her dog off leash ticket by lying to the prosecutor about being a responsible dog owner.<br /><br />I recently checked back with Pontifica and found the following <a href="http://katieofthewest.blogspot.com/2006/10/come-into-my-parlor-said-spider-to-fly.html">post</a>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Perhaps the creepiest discovery was that my blog was quoted at length, and disapprovingly, by someone named Ranger Gordon, who objected to my "silver-tongued" scofflaw-itis regarding my Alleged Lawless Hound. Sheesh. No helpful link to his blog here - sorry, Gordon.</span></blockquote>While I expected her to disagree with my post, I was surprised that she couldn't even get my name correct. I guess I was just expecting too much from Pontifica, who I shall now refer to as Katherine. Everyone knows that it is common courtesy to flush the toilet when you are done, call people by their proper name, and to keep your dog on a leash. O.K. so I don't really know if she flushes when she is done. Someone as self absorbed as Katherine probably doesn't ever consider what her actions will do to others, so she is probably the type that lays half a roll of toilet paper on a perfectly clean seat and then just leaves the whole mess for the next unsuspecting fool to walk into the stall.<br /><br />As I looked through Katherine's blog, I noticed that Kate likes to see how people may have accidentallyy come across her <a href="http://katieofthewest.blogspot.com/2006/10/come-into-my-parlor-said-spider-to-fly.html">blog</a>.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Here are some of the recent web searches that have led hapless victims to my parlor:<br /><ul><li>daring cleavage</li><li>john lennon bed peace hair peace</li><li>berlin art hipster (my blog was #1!)</li><li>dozens of Fields of Gold/Sting/Studio 60/lute combinations (my blog often came up #1. Go figure!)</li></ul></span></blockquote>Kate'ms seems to get especially excited when Google Blog Search lists her blog as "#1", so I thought, as a courtesy, I would help her out by listing some of the searches that lists Kathy's blog, Ponitifica's Parlor as "#1." The following searches all listed Pontifica's Parlor as the #1 result on the day I made this post. Check them out...<br /><ul><li><a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=charming+park+ranger+gave+expensive+citation+to+out-of-control+scofflaws&btnG=Search+Blogs">Charming park ranger gave expensive citation to out-of-control scofflaws</a><br />Hmmm...I guess Google agrees with my point of view.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=I+fucking+loathe+so-called+writers&btnG=Search+Blogs">I fucking loathe so-called writers</a><br />Did I forget to mention that Cathy is a writer or wants to be a writer for a television show.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=Yucky+crack+addicted+mental+girlfriend&btnG=Search+Blogs">Yucky crack addicted mental girlfriend</a><br />I guess her girlfriend has a few issues.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Stupid+second-rate+slippery+sex+product&btnG=Search+Blogs">Stupid second-rate slippery sex product</a><br />Caveat emptor! You get what you pay for. Don't be a cheapskate when purchasing sex toys!<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Smashing+the+8-year-old+cheerleader%27s+heart&btnG=Search+Blogs">Smashing the 8-year-old cheerleader's heart</a><br />I'm not sure what that is all about, but it doesn't sound good.</li></ul><br />By now, some of you must be thinking, "Wow, that Ranger Gord is mean." Well, it's not the first time I've been called an <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/07/why-park-rangers-are-assholes.html">asshole</a>.<br /><br />UPDATE: Pontifica has removed all references to the name Gordon from her blog. Ranger Gord declares victory!<br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ranger+Gord" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ranger+Gord</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/angry" rel="tag" class="techtag">angry</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/park+ranger" rel="tag" class="techtag">park+ranger</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fight+club" rel="tag" class="techtag">fight+club</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Google+Blog+Search" rel="tag" class="techtag">Google+Blog+Search</a>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1162579030214882642006-11-03T10:37:00.000-08:002007-09-11T00:31:44.677-07:00The sounds of solitude<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/rainforeststream.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/rainforeststream.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As a bad DSL modem left me cut off from the internet world this week, I thought about how difficult it is to cut yourself off from the modern world, even when you want to. Many of us use parks to seek solitude and escape from the artificial stress of modern society. This solitude is often interrupted by the intrusive sounds of man made machines, such as <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/10/end-of-season-rant.html">RV generators</a>, <a href="http://yellowstoneparknews.blogspot.com/2006/10/yellowstone-greets-winter.html">snowmobiles</a>, and airplanes.<br /><br />Gordon Hempton's <a href="http://www.onesquareinch.org/">One Square Inch of Silence</a> project seeks to protect solitude by reducing man made intrusive noises within our parks. Hempton has declared a one square inch <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B2GGGL_enUS177&q=47%C2%B0%2051.959N%2C%20123%C2%B0%2052.221W&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl">spot</a> within Olympic National Park as the quietest place in the United States. When the solitude at this spot is interrupted by a man made noise, such as a commercial airline flying over head, Hempton contacts the source of the noise and asks that they avoid this area. Hempton believes that protecting the solitude of this single spot will effectively protect a huge area within the park.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">One Square Inch of Silence was designated on Earth Day 2005 (April 22, 2005) to protect and manage the natural soundscape in Olympic Park's backcountry wilderness. The logic is simple; if a loud noise, such as the passing of an aircraft, can impact many square miles, then a natural place, if maintained in a 100% noise-free condition, will also impact many square miles around it. It is predicted that protecting a single square inch of land from noise pollution will benefit large areas of the park.</span></blockquote>I applaud (golf clap), Hempton's effort to protect the solitude within our parks. I can recall trips through the backcountry of Canyonlands National Park where I did not see another human for days, yet my desert solitude was frequently interrupted by the annoying sound of a 747 streaking across the sky 10,000 feet above a desert floor.<br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/solitude" rel="tag" class="techtag">solitude</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/parks" rel="tag" class="techtag">parks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/man+made" rel="tag" class="techtag">man+made</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/noise" rel="tag" class="techtag">noise</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/One+Square+Inch+of+Silence" rel="tag" class="techtag">One+Square+Inch+of+Silence</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Olympic+National+Park" rel="tag" class="techtag">Olympic+National+Park</a>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1161599979979961602006-10-25T02:06:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:26:19.908-07:00A hard to swallow squirrel solution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.timeinc.net/fieldstream/images_large/sqtown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://img.timeinc.net/fieldstream/images_large/sqtown.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A few weeks ago, I told you a story about the <a href="http://rangergord.blogspot.com/2006/10/when-squirrels-attack.html">squirrels attacking people</a> in a Mountain View, California park. Apparently park visitors had taken to feeding the cute little rats biscotti and banana-nut muffins due to a shortage of their natural food source, litter. This went on for some time until some jackbooted park rangers put an end to the volunteer squirrel feeding program. Now PETA claims that squirrels don't hold a grudge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://www.helpinganimals.com/wildlife_livingWithSquirrels.asp">Living in Harmony With Squirrels (PETA's </a><a href="http://www.helpinganimals.com/wildlife_livingWithSquirrels.asp">HelpingAnimals.com)</a></span> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Nevertheless, it'’s important for all of us to remember that we should not vilify these animals' they don'’t have a score to settle with us. </span></blockquote> I think the facts speak for themselves, however. Immediately after the feeding ban was put in place squirrels began attacking park visitors. With angry squirrels attacking cute little toddlers, park rangers were left with no choice but eradicate the squirrels, until the story became national news and <a href="http://www.peta.org/">cute animal loving people</a> began complaining. So the squirrel hunt was put on hold.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/15758998.htm">Squirrel traps left unarmed, for now (</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/15758998.htm">MercuryNews.com)</a></span> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">The squirrels at Mountain View's Cuesta Park have been enjoying a reprieve: Mountain View hasn't "armed'' the heavy-gauge steel traps that would've squished them to death. That was the fate they faced after three people -- including a 4-year-old boy -- were bitten by the bushy-tailed rodents at the popular park, and city officials said they had no other recourse. But as of Friday, the 15-inch tube traps placed in trees at the sprawling park "have never been armed,'' said David Muela, community services director for Mountain View. Instead, the city has successfully retrained park visitors, who were feeding the squirrels a steady diet of muffins and leftover treats for their children.</span></blockquote><a href="http://troutunderground.com/">Trout Underground</a> made a comment on my original post that got me thinking.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">I think the problem isn't that squirrels have become habituated by human feeding.<br /><br />It's that we're not training the humans to *not* feed the rodents by letting the squirrels bite, maim assault anyone who does.<br /><br />Sure, it's a radical's simple solution to a complex problem, but I think we'd have a lot less bear problems in Yosemite if we'd train the bears to attack those who offered them food.</span></blockquote>While this initially sounded like a good plan, there was a fatal flaw in Trout Underground's logic. Any animal trainer with a lick of sense knows that the only way to train a bear (or squirrel) is with food rewards. If you train them to attack anyone who offers them food then you end up with a dead animal trainer. This plan is not cost effective since you may go through two or three animal trainers per animal you train.<br /><br />We need to find a real solution before a tragedy strikes like it did in this park in the UK:<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4489792.stm">Russian squirrel pack 'kills dog' </a><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4489792.stm">(BBC NEWS)</a> <blockquote>A "big" stray dog was nosing about the trees and barking at squirrels hiding in branches overhead when a number of them suddenly descended and attacked, reports say.<br /><br />"They literally gutted the dog," local journalist Anastasia Trubitsina told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.<br /><br />"When they saw the men, they scattered in different directions, taking pieces of their kill away with them."</blockquote>I believe that by feeding squirrels, we have taught the squirrels that they are at the top of the food chain and that people are at the bottom. This is a dangerous predicament because it is only a matter of time until a squirrel attempts to eat a human. A <a href="http://www.arcadetown.com/zombiesquirrelattack/index.asp">secret government program</a> to teach people how to defend themselves from human eating squirrels has already been developed.<br /><br />After some extensive research, I determined that squirrel attacks were virtually non-existent in the Southern United States. What is different about the South, you ask? <span style="font-weight: bold;">People in the South eat squirrels!</span> I believe that in order to solve the squirrel crisis in the west, people must start eating squirrels, lots of squirrels.<br /><br />I have listed some of my favorite squirrel recipes to help those in the west think of squirrels as a tasty treats instead of cute fuzzy friends.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.drinkswap.com/images/da/pink_squirrel.jpg" valign="top" align="right" width="100" /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.drinkswap.com/drinks/detail.asp?recipe_id=7794">Wild Buttery Squirrel</a><br />While this concoction of Vodka, Amaretto, Butterscotch Schnapps does not actually contain any squirrel, I recommend that you knock back a few of these before sampling some of the other recipes.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/outdoorskills/cooking/article/0,13199,1111005-2,00.html#">Pork Rind-Crusted Fried Squirrel with Molasses Red-Eye Gravy</a><br />Anything encrusted with pork rinds and then deep fried has got to be good.<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir15.html"><br />Squirrel Casserole</a><br />Surprise your family this Thanksgiving with a squirrel casserole topped with the traditional Durkee French Fried Onions.<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir11.html"><br />Chicken Fried Squirrel</a><br />This recipe leaves out 8 of the <span style="">Colonel's herbs and spices to let that squirrel flavor come through.</span><br /><img src="http://z.about.com/d/forestry/1/5/v/I/squir_hnt4.jpg" valign="bottom" align="right" width="200" /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=squirrel">Squirrel Fricassee</a><br />Nothing warms you up on a cold winter day like a warm bowl of squirrel soup. MM...Good!<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mikewest.net/squirrel/sorbet.html"><br />Squirrel Sorbet</a><br />This refreshing treat is the result of that ominous question: What happens when you put a squirrel in a blender? Apparently if you throw in a couple of eggs and a whole lot of sugar and refrigerate it overnight, then you get a tasty goop the kids will love. Don't forget that you can "garnish with the ears" for special occasions.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Save a toddler...Eat a squirrel.<br /><br /><br /></span><p class="result"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/park+ranger" rel="tag" class="techtag">park+ranger</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/squirrel" rel="tag" class="techtag">squirrel</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/attack" rel="tag" class="techtag">attack</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/solution" rel="tag" class="techtag">solution</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/favorite" rel="tag" class="techtag">favorite</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/squirrel+recipes" rel="tag" class="techtag">squirrel+recipes</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PETA" rel="tag" class="techtag">PETA</a> </p>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1161313912157367282006-10-20T15:56:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:27:14.908-07:00Let off-leash dog's owners lie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/dogoffleash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/dogoffleash.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As a park ranger, I am supposed to be unbiased and impartial on each and every law enforcement contact. The problem is, that after I have issued 100+ dog off-leash tickets, you start to think that everyone is a liar.<br /><br />Here's how a typical dog off leash contact goes:<br /><blockquote>"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Ranger Gord. I see that you don't have your dog on a leash. Were you aware that we have a leash law in the park?"<br /><br />"Oh, really? I had no idea. I see other people out here with their dog's off-leash, so I thought it was O.K. Besides, my dog is a really good dog."<br /><br />"You didn't see the three signs that you drove past on the way to the parking lot that say 'Pets must be on a leash'?"<br /><br />"No. I didn't see any signs."<br /><br />"I see you found our dog cleanup bags. You didn't notice the sign on the dispenser?"<br /><br />"No. I guess I didn't."<br /></blockquote>Is there truly anyone in America that seriously thinks that it is legal to have there dog off leash in a public park? I don't think we even need signs notifying people that they need to keep their dog on a leash. It's just common knowledge and should be common sense.<br /><br />Here is a typical liar, err...I mean dog owner that is confronted by a park ranger:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://katieofthewest.blogspot.com/2006/10/got-my-mojo-workin.html">Pontifica's Parlor: Got my mojo workinÂ.</a><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">ThereÂs almost nothing I hate more than unyielding bureaucratic authority. In any case, last month I got a ticket for not having my dog on a leash in Griffith Park. I was on a favorite hike with Charming Girlfriend and said Lawless Hound, when said CG spied a Park Ranger up ahead in his Ranger Vehicle. Despite my quick sleight-of-hand, despite my wide-eyed protestations of innocence, said Heartless Ranger issued me a citation and told me to show up in court. I guess sending a check is not enough penance; they feel we scofflaws need a talking-to in person.<br /><br />The last time I ignored such a summons (same dog, same lack of leash, different park) I got slapped with a fine exceeding one thousand dollars (which the Understanding Judge reduced to a mere $300).</span></blockquote>She continues her post by pontificating about her ability to evade punishment through the use of her deceitful silver tongue to sweet talk the prosecutor into letting her off. She then details the disingenuous tale she told the prosecutor:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Okay, I lied a little.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> I said the Ranger was too far away to see whether my dog was leashed, and babbled on about how responsible I am after eleven years of dog-ownership. I might have even said that She Is Always On A Leash In The Park.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Which is a big lie.</span> She is Very (er, mostly) Well-Behaved and gets to run free whenever possible, especially at the beach.<br /></span></blockquote>Here is another miscreant dog owner that has a run in with the local park ranger:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=109930294&blogID=168844590">blog.myspace.com/bs_rocks</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /></span> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">So today I was at this wildlife reserve thing, and I was walking my dog, which is part rottweiler, part sharpei. Anyways, you're supposed to keep dogs on a leash, but I think it would suck to spend your life on a leash so I let her run around on her own. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I mean, my dog's good, if I call her she'll come and she wouldn't run after anybody.</span><br /><br />Anyways, this park ranger guy came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I'm gonna have to ask you to keep your dog on a leash. It's just so it doesn't disturb the wildlife." And I said "Oh, sorry, I forgot it. But she's good, she's not gonna chase anything." And right when I said that, my dog took off after a squirrel, caught it, and totally ripped it apart. I felt hella bad, but I kinda started laughing because it was so ironic.<br /><br />And the ranger got mad and said, "I'm gonna have to write you a ticket." And I said "No speakee english." And I took my dog and started walking back to my car. And the dude was following me so we started running. I got to my car and we left. I think we got away before he got my license plate number. Anyways, I wasn't sure if those park rangers can actually write tickets or if he was just trying to scare me. But it was kinda funny, heheheh.</span><br /></blockquote>I'm a little confused. Maybe Ms. BS could explain to me how it's ironic when a park ranger tells you that you need to leash your dog so that it won't disturb the wildlife and then moments later it kills said wildlife. Irony is when the opposite of what is expected occurs, not that which is anticipated. I guess she does need to work on her English.<br /><br />Here is my advice for you dog owners that insist on letting your dogs run wild through the parks: Go ahead and lie. The prosecutors and judges always enjoy a good laugh when they read the report I write on the back of the ticket.<br /><br />Here's what Ms. BS' would look like:<br /><blockquote>At approximately 1420 hours on September 16, 2006 I observed a woman with a large dog without a leash running through Sacred Squirrel Wildlife Preserve. I notified the woman, Brittney Skye, that she needed to leash her dog in order to protect the park's wildlife. Ms. Skye stated to me in plain English without any hint of an accent that she had forgot to bring a leash. As Ms. Skye was insisting that her dog would never harm the wildlife, her dog ran after a squirrel and killed it. Ms. Skye did nothing to stop her dog. In fact she must have thought it was funny because she started to laugh. When I notified Ms. Skye that I was issuing her a citation, she stated with a heavy accent, "No speak English." She then called to her dog and ran to her car as I yelled at her to "Stop!" Ms. Skye drove out of the parking lot at a speed well in excess of the posted speed limit of 15 miles per hour. I pursued her vehicle in my patrol car and was able to stop her approximately 1 mile past the park entrance. I immediately read Ms. Skye her rights and arrested her for Eluding a Police Officer and Obstructing a Police Officer in addition to her dog off-leash infraction. Ms. Skye was booked into the county jail. During the drive to the jail, I had difficulty maintaining my professional demeanor as I experienced several uncontrollable fits of laughter.</blockquote><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/off-leash" rel="tag" class="techtag">off-leash</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/dog" rel="tag" class="techtag">dog</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/liar" rel="tag" class="techtag">liar</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/girl" rel="tag" class="techtag">girl</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/park+ranger" rel="tag" class="techtag">park+ranger</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/angry" rel="tag" class="techtag">angry</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ticket" rel="tag" class="techtag">ticket</a>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1160981889077168972006-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:002006-10-21T00:04:42.553-07:00See I told you so!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2006/10/14/2003304992.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2006/10/14/2003304992.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Just when I step off my soapbox about people not realizing the amount of law enforcement that park rangers routinely perform, I run across a story that actually confirms what I am saying. I guess Ranger Gord is not full of crap...at least on this subject.<br /><br /><small><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003305418_safetrails15m.html">Crime slowly creeps into parks, forests (</a></small><small><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003305418_safetrails15m.html">The Seattle Times)</a></small><small><br /></small> <blockquote> <p><small>The officers Klaasen oversees in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Olympic National Forest regularly encounter abandoned meth labs, evidence of marijuana growing and fugitives living deep in the backcountry who survive by stealing from campers.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>In general, Cmdr. Barb Severson of the Forest Service said, crime appears to be increasing in the more than 1 million acres of national forest land that her 25 officers patrol in Washington state.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Between October 2005 and September, officers in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest handed out 709 citations and wrote an additional 2,197 incident reports, Severson said. Citations were handed out for everything from vandalism to illegal dumping to nonpayment of recreation fees and illegal off-road vehicle use, Severson said.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>During the same time period, officers in the Olympic National Forest gave 262 citations and wrote 875 incident reports.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Severson didn't know how many arrests were made.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>In 2005, rangers at Olympic National Park made 14 arrests and handed out 523 citations according to park spokeswoman Barb Maynes.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Of the more than 10 arrests by Olympic National Park rangers this year, most were for drunken driving, she said. This year rangers have handed out more than 215 citations.<br /></small></p> <p><small>Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) says the rise of crime in national forests is reflected in the increase in threats and violence toward employees of the Forest Service, National Parks Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. According to PEER, attacks against employees of those agencies have increased from 88 reported in 2004 to 477 in 2005.<br /></small></p> <p><small><strong></strong> </small></p> <p><small>In the summertime, Mark O'Neill, who patrols Olympic National Park, parks his patrol car along Highway 101, the main drag between Port Angeles and Forks, to catch speeders. During these traffic stops he often finds fugitives wanted on arrest warrants.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>"We take weapons off people all the time," O'Neill said.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>A rash of car break-ins at the Lake Quinault trailhead last summer resulted in the theft of nearly $20,000 worth of items from 21 people, Jordan said. By bashing car windows with a rock, thieves stole laptops, wallets and other items. Only six people recovered some of their possessions, she said.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>During 12 years as a Forest Service officer, Shane Wyrsh said he's seen alleged gang members practicing shooting; he's helped investigate violent assaults and even stumbled upon "the mother of all meth labs." This was a property where people were exchanging cars, bicycles, generators and other stolen items for drugs.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Over the years he's also had several people threaten to kill him.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Wyrsh said he joined the Forest Service because he wanted to be a cop. He now believes working in the woods can at times be more dangerous than patrolling a city.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>"It's probably one of the most unique styles of law enforcement there is," he said. "Safety is kind of on us. Backup is 30 minutes to an hour away."</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small><b>Many park rangers and forest officers say park visitors often chide them about carrying guns and don't see them as serious law-enforcement officers.</b></small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>Jordan, who will regularly respond to such comments with a history lesson about the role of the park service, is convinced that the confusion stems from the fact that their khaki uniforms look a lot like the ones worn by civilian park guides.</small></p> <small> </small> <p><small>"They [visitors] view me as some sort of benevolent park employee or a Smokey the Bear," Jordan said.</small> </p> </blockquote><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/park+ranger" rel="tag" class="techtag">park+ranger</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/girl" rel="tag" class="techtag">girl</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/guns" rel="tag" class="techtag">guns</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/crime" rel="tag" class="techtag">crime</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/national+parks" rel="tag" class="techtag">national+parks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/" rel="tag" class="techtag"></a>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1160421142892180242006-10-15T23:24:00.000-07:002007-09-27T11:05:32.822-07:00The Incident at Elephant Butte Lake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/handgun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/handgun.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In my last post, we saw what happened when a park ranger underestimated the threat when making a law enforcement contact...he lost his life. This is often in the back of a park ranger's mind when dealing with an uncooperative suspect.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Incident at Elephant Butte Lake</span><br />On Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Clyde Woods was the only ranger on duty at <a href="http://www.newmexico.org/place/loc/parks/page/DB-place/place/538.html">Elephant Butte Lake State Park</a>, the most popular recreation area in New Mexico, located 150 miles south of Albuquerque. At approximately 8:00 p.m. the volunteer camp hosts notified Woods that the camper in site #84 was rude and belligerent when they asked him to pay the required $14 camping fee. They stated that he refused to pay and shoved something at them when they notified him that they would have to call law enforcement. Ranger Woods contacted <span class="storybody">the rude camper, Bruce Teschner, a 58 year old former jewelry maker, at his campsite. Woods stated that Teschner responded to </span><span class="storybody">him with a "lack of respect" and "negative attitude." </span><span class="storybody">Woods notified Teschner that he would have to either pay the camping fee or leave the park. Teschner refused to do either, so Woods told him that he was placing him under arrest. Woods placed Teschner prone on the ground, a standard practice when arresting an uncooperative subject without backup. Teschner, wearing only shorts and sandals, resisted and got up from the ground. Teschner began moving away from Woods with his hands near his pockets. Woods continued to give Teschner verbal commands, but Teschner refused to comply. A couple in a campsite nearby describe what happened next:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="Butte%20Victim%20Was%20%27Belligerent%27"><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="storyhead">Butte Victim Was 'Belligerent' (Albuquerque Journal)</span></a><br /></span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;">The couple said they heard someone twice yell, "Get on your knees!" and also heard someone say, "Get off of me!" before a series of quick gunshots. But they said they did not know who was doing the yelling or if the same person gave both orders.</span></blockquote><span class="storybody">In an instant, Ranger Woods had shot Teschner twice in the back. </span><span class="storybody">Bruce Teschner died at the scene.<br /><br />Ranger Woods was immediately place on paid administrative leave from his $26,000 a year position while the shooting was investigated. On December 12, 2005, Ranger Woods was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree. Three months later, a judge reduced the charge to involuntary </span><span class="storybody">manslaughter. A week ago Friday, </span><span class="storybody">District Attorney Scot Key announced that they would change the charge against Woods to voluntary manslaughter.</span><a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/499782nm10-07-06.htm"><br /></a> <span class="storyhead"><a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/499782nm10-07-06.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></span><blockquote><span class="storyhead" style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/499782nm10-07-06.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ex-Ranger Gets Reduced Charge In Butte Slaying (Albuquerque Journal)</span></a><br /></span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;">The involuntary manslaughter charge indicated Woods acted with gross negligence but without malice or the intent to kill. The voluntary manslaughter charge indicates Woods killed Teschner by acting in the heat of passion.</span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Commentary</span><br />Was this a case of an over-zealous ranger angered by a park visitor's lack of respect and refusal to comply to the rules or was it a case of a young, in-experienced ranger who got into a tense and stressful situation and made the wrong split-second decision.<br /><br />Michael Morris of MountainMailCountry.com would have you believe that Ranger Woods is a cold blooded killer that would shoot anyone who disagreed with him.<a href="http://mountainmailcountry.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=779"><span class="itemTitle"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></a><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://mountainmailcountry.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=779"><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas comes early for killer cop (</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">MountainMailCountry.com)</span></a><br />It is not every day a man can coldly pump 2 shots into the back of an unarmed man and walk away facing fewer consequences than a fellow who wrote 2 bad checks.<br /></span></blockquote>Morris continues with an absurd description of the incident in which he belittles Ranger Woods' for even attempting to enforce the law.<span class="storybody"></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Clyde Woods was not your typical cop. In fact, absent the shoddy management of the state parks, Woods would never have had police duties or powers. Clyde Woods was more of a nature guide with a gun. On the night of the murder Woods was called to a state campground for a camper who had not paid the $14 camping fee. Woods, lacking the experience of an actual police officer but possessing a gun and a badge escalated the situation. Knowing that being a soft and somewhat weakly man he would be unable to take control of the situation of such a minor offense Woods tried the bully routine. When the victim was obviously not going to put up with the humiliation tactics employed by Woods the ranger became somewhat enraged. Instead of calling for some backup Woods decided he would simply attack the victim. Seeing no reason for the attack over a camping fee the victim fought back breaking the grasp of the underwhelming Clyde Woods. Woods, acting like he had Clyde Barrow in his sights again escalated the violence yelling for the victim not to walk away. When this failed Woods knew he was unable to subdue the non-payer with his hands. At that time park ranger Clyde Woods drew his weapon and shot his victim in the back twice as the victim walked back to his vehicle.</span></blockquote>Morris is obviously unaware of what park rangers do and the kind of situations that they run into. Let's a detailed look at Morris' analysis of the incident.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Clyde Woods was not your typical cop.</span></blockquote>Park rangers are not typical cops. They do not sit in a police cruiser 8 hours a day, five days a week thumping the heads of criminals. They work in remote areas without a partner and often without available backup. Ask any regular duty cop to work this kind of shift and not only will they tell you "no", they will say "Hell no!"<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">In fact, absent the shoddy management of the state parks, Woods would never have had police duties or powers. </span><br /></blockquote>I guess Morris' contention is that park rangers should not be law enforcement officers. Apparently he thinks that criminals don't go to parks. Perhaps Morris thinks bad guys can only be found in the ghettos. The fact is there is a lot of crime that occurs in our parks and there is rarely any law enforcement presence without park rangers.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Clyde Woods was more of a nature guide with a gun.</span><br /></blockquote>In order to become a New Mexico State Park Ranger you must have a bachelor's degree and successfully graduate from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy. This is the same academy that New Mexico State Police recruits must graduate from, yet the state police do not require any post-secondary degree. Perhaps a more accurate description would be, "Clyde Woods was more of a state police officer with a bachelor's degree."<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">On the night of the murder Woods was called to a state campground for a camper who had not paid the $14 camping fee. Woods, lacking the experience of an actual police officer but possessing a gun and a badge escalated the situation. </span><br /></blockquote>I guess it is acceptable in Morris' point of view for police officers to just look the other way when people violate the law if there is a chance that the suspect could refuse to cooperate and the situation escalate.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Knowing that being a soft and somewhat weakly man he would be unable to take control of the situation of such a minor offense Woods tried the bully routine. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">When the victim was obviously not going to put up with the humiliation tactics employed by Woods the ranger became somewhat enraged.</span></blockquote>I do not know Ranger Woods nor have I ever met Ranger Woods and I speculate that neither has Morris. This statement is Morris' mere speculation with no evidence. I speculate the opposite to be true. Lets take a look at the facts. Woods had been hired as a park ranger in December of 2004. In order to obtain this position, he had to pass a fitness test. Additionally, after he was hired, he was sent to the state law enforcement academy which has a tremendous amount of rigorous fitness and defensive tactics training, so I doubt Woods was "soft and somewhat weakly." How can any rational person consider a police officer that demands a subject comply with the law as bullying or humiliation tactics? Ranger Woods gave <span class="storybody">Teschner two choices, pay or leave. He did not say, "Since you did not pay within 15 minutes of arriving at your campsite I am going to arrest you." That would be bullying. Park rangers quite often must deal with disrespectful individuals that refuse to comply with their orders because they are not seen as real cops. Could this kind of behavior cause Ranger Woods to become </span><span class="storybody">"enraged"</span><span class="storybody">? Possibly, but I highly doubt it. </span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"> Instead of calling for some backup Woods decided he would simply attack the victim. Seeing no reason for the attack over a camping fee the victim fought back breaking the grasp of the underwhelming Clyde Woods. </span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Why didn't Ranger Woods call for backup? Well he was the only ranger on duty, that means his backup would have to be provided from an outside agency. The nearest towns are Elephant Butte (population 1,500) and Truth or Consequences (population 7,000). I am fairly certain that Elephant Butte does not have a police force. Truth or Consequences has 14 police officers, but I doubt they are allowed to respond outside of the city limits. That leaves us with the State Police. Often in rural areas, it can take 30 minutes to several hours for state police to respond to an assistance call. While I do not know if this was the case in this incident, I would not be surprised. When a police officer is attempting to subdue a suspect that is resisting arrest, it can not be considered attacking a victim. </span></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Woods, acting like he had Clyde Barrow in his sights again escalated the violence yelling for the victim not to walk away. When this failed Woods knew he was unable to subdue the non-payer with his hands. At that time park ranger Clyde Woods drew his weapon and shot his victim in the back twice as the victim walked back to his vehicle. </span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">The fact is that Woods did not know who </span><span class="storybody"><span style="font-size:100%;">Teschner was and whether or not he was dangerous. As far as he knew Teschner could have been as dangerous as Clyde Barrow. When a suspect refuses to cooperate when given a simple order to comply or leave, it throws up all kinds of red flags for a police officer. Why won't this guy just leave? What is he trying to hide? Does he have warrants? Does he have weapons or something illegal he is trying to hide from me?</span><br /><br />As it turns out, this was not unusual behavior for Teschner.</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.abqjournal.com/cgi-bin/print_it.pl"></a><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.abqjournal.com/cgi-bin/print_it.pl"><span class="storyhead">'Everybody Was Afraid of Him', Cops Sought Man Killed at Butte (Albuquerque Journal)</span></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;">Truth or Consequences trailer court owner William Martin said some of his last words to departing tenant Bruce Teschner on Tuesday (August 23, 2005) were that someone was likely to shoot him. "Everybody here was pretty much afraid of him. And I was constantly watching him," said Martin, an owner of the Artesian Bath House and Trailer Court. He said Teschner hadn't paid for his month long stay at the court and pulled out early Tuesday evening after being asked to leave on Monday.<br /><br /></span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;">A Sierra County Sheriff's Department report said Teschner was arrested at a Williamsburg RV park on June 6 for disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. "I had to order him to kneel down several times to avoid a physical confrontation," the sheriff's sergeant wrote in his report. "At my (patrol vehicle), Bruce refused to get inside and I had to force him in."<br /><br /></span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;">A former girlfriend earlier this month filed a court restraining order against Teschner, claiming he was dangerous and "displayed extremely (erratic) behavior." And the very day he was killed, Truth or Consequences police obtained a misdemeanor arrest warrant for him after he allegedly harassed a teenage girl in hopes of getting her to pose for nude photographs.</span><span class="storybody" style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></blockquote><span class="storybody">We can only speculate what Woods may have been thinking. "I have a gun pointed at this guy and yet he is still going for the vehicle. What is in that vehicle that he wants so bad? A gun?" Unless you have been in this type of situation, it is difficult to understand how you would react. You have a split second to make a decision. Unfortunately in this situation, Woods made the wrong decision.<br /><br />Former National Park Ranger Jim Stiles recalled a similar incident that he experienced:<br /></span><blockquote><span class="storybody"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15858"><span class="bighead"><span style="color:Black;"></span></span>Blood spills over $14 camping fee (High Country News)</a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">I have my own story. One dark evening, when the Arches campground was full, a couple of young men tried to camp illegally in the picnic area. My first encounter with them was civil enough, and I told them they needed to leave. Twenty minutes later, paid campers complained that they had moved into their site. This time I was firmer, and their attitude was icier. A few minutes later, I could see their headlights creeping down the Salt Valley Road in search of an illegal campsite. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">My self-righteous indignation has always been a quality I needed to work on, and on this evening it was in full bloom: How dare these jerks defy the order of a ranger! I found their vehicle tracks; it was 11 p.m., I was out of radio contact but determined to cite these violators. I walked into the darkness with my Maglite, my service revolver snapped firmly in its holster. A hundred yards down the dry wash, the illegal campers were already in their sleeping bags.<br /></span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">When I advised them loudly that they had to leave immediately and that I was giving them a federal citation, the two men came unglued, leaping up from their bags, screaming. They called me every unkind name imaginable, in such a hysterical manner that I wondered if I was about to lose control of a situation that was barely 30 seconds old. One was particularly rabid, and moved toward me in a threatening way. </span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">I was scared to death. I took a step backward and placed my thumb on the keeper of my gun holster. The young man stopped, then screamed at me, "You take that gun out and you're a dead man!" We stared at each other for five long seconds. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">I reflected on his words, and I decided that he was most likely right: If I took my gun from the holster, I'd be the one shot dead. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"OK," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'm going back to my patrol cruiser. I want both of you out of here in 30 minutes." I backed off slowly, turned and walked back to the road. Had they come running up behind me, I would never have heard them; the sound of my heart pounding in my ears was deafening. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">I sat in my patrol car for 20 long minutes, shaken, but happy to have my body intact. Finally, incredibly, here they came, packed up and in their car. One of them had calmed appreciably, and I handed him the citation. He even thanked me. His friend, however, was still out of control, and kept slamming his fists into the ceiling of their vehicle. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Had I been a coward or a wise man? I decided that, for once, I'd been wise. I never again came close to a confrontation like this. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">I don't know all the facts in the New Mexico shooting, but I would guess that fear and adrenaline and the rapid rush of events were among its causes.</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lesson</span><br />What can park rangers learn from this unfortunate incident?<br /><br />The only way you know how you will react in these stressful situations is with realistic situational training with your force tools. Practice escalating and de-escalating your force level to that which will gain compliance. Even though you have drawn your sidearm, you can always holster it and draw a baton or OC spray in order to gain compliance from an unarmed, uncooperative suspect.<br /><br />Another option would be to defuse the situation by simply leaving the scene. Give the suspect a specific amount of time to comply with the law and leave. Once you are gone, he no longer has to prove to you that he is a bad ass (also known as "saving face"). The amount of time you give him should match the response time of your backup. You can then return to the scene with a show of force. I have seen hard core criminals instantly become calm and courteous when three squad cars arrive on scene.<br /><br />Make sure you train realistically, so that it's the bad guy going to jail, not you.Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1160869613087577682006-10-14T16:45:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:35:38.692-07:00Ranger's killer found not guilty by insanity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/blindjustice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/blindjustice.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I thought that a murder getting off on the insanity plea was as likely to happen as a witnesses actually performing a Perry Mason style confession on the stand. Unfortunately for the family of Steve Makuakane-Jerrell, I was wrong. In 1999, National Park Ranger Makuakane-Jerrell was killed by Eugene F. Boyce III while contacting Boyce about a dog off leash complaint. Judge Susan Oki Mollway found Boyce not guilty by reason of insanity because Boyce thought Ranger Makuakane-Jerrell was trying to kill him and his dogs.<br /><br />I agree with Ranger Makuakane-Jerrell's widow that Boyce should have been found "guilty and insane." Our thoughts are with Ranger Makuakane-Jerrell's family this week.<br /><br /><small><b><a href="http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/13/news/story02.html">Drifter is ruled insane in Kaloko-Honokohau killing (starbulletin.com)</a></b></small><blockquote><small><b>The widow of a ranger shot in 1999 says the ruling makes it difficult to move on</b><br /><br />After waiting seven years for justice, the family of a Big Island park ranger who was shot and killed by a drifter was deeply disturbed yesterday that the killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity. "Definitely it was a blow to us," said Joni Mae Makuakane-Jerrell, widow of park ranger Steve Makuakane-Jerrell. "It's not the kind of verdict that anybody wants, not especially when you have someone who committed such a brutal and violent crime."<br /><br />Eugene F. Boyce III fatally shot Makuakane-Jerrell Dec. 12, 1999, at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park. The ranger was investigating complaints against Boyce's three dogs. After a struggle, Boyce gained control over the ranger's semiautomatic handgun and shot him twice, once in the forehead, piercing his brain, and again in the right arm, according to testimony.<br /><br />U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway found the 37-year-old Boyce not guilty only by reason of insanity following a five-hour nonjury trial. The verdict applies on all three charges of murder of a federal government employee engaged in official duties, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.<br /><br />"Regardless of the fact that the doctors would say he's schizophrenic, I do have a problem with 'not guilty by reason of insanity,'" said Joni Mae Makuakane-Jerrell, a former law enforcement park ranger. "It should be guilty and insane."<br /><br />A Federal Bureau of Prisons psychologist testified for the defense that Boyce suffered from paranoia and schizophrenia, and could not appreciate the wrongfulness of his acts due to his psychotic state, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said. Sorenson said it was a problem trying to overcome the government's own psychologist. "In this instance, you have what is viewed as an impartial psychiatric and mental health entity," Sorenson said. The psychologist testified Boyce believed the ranger was trying to kill him and his dogs.<br /><br />Joni Mae Makuakane-Jerrell said: "The 'not guilty by reason of insanity' means the burden of proof is on Boyce, yet we have to be there every time there's a hearing of any kind to be sure he won't get out, so it's still a burden. "You don't go on with your life, not with a verdict like that," she said. It has been tough these past seven years on the family of Steve Makuakane-Jerrell. "No matter how long it's been, it's not any easier," Joni Mae Makuakane-Jerrell said. "We think of him every day. "We think of all the things he's missed," she said of herself and her children, now 22, 23 and 30. "He never got to see the children graduate from high school. He never got to see our son get married."<br /><br />Sorenson said he will ask for Boyce's continued detention Nov. 20 at a custody hearing and would continue "fighting for detention as long as he comes up for review." Boyce has been held at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo. He will be remanded to the Bureau of Prisons for a mental health study to see whether he poses a risk of danger to people or property, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a written statement.</small></blockquote>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1160032334127455162006-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.128-07:00When squirrels attack<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/killersquirrel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/killersquirrel.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here's some breaking news...parks contain wild viscous animals. Believe it or not, this is news to some people. Visitors to urban parks see the cute and cuddly chipmunks and squirrels and think they can treat them like they are a neighbors pet. "Let's give the cute little squirrel a treat." Then they are shocked when the "cute little animal" bites someone. Once this happens, the local media jumps in a gives a sensational report like this:<b><br /><br /></b><small><b><a href="http://www.nbc11.com/news/9946298/detail.html?rss=bay&psp=news#">Squirrels Go On Attack At South Bay Park (NBC11.com)</a> </b><br /></small> <blockquote><small>An aggressive squirrel pounced on a 4-year-old boy in an attack last week in Cuesta Park in Mountain View, Calif. The attack happened as the boy's mother unwrapped a muffin during a<br />picnic. The boy had to get rabies shots after the attack. He is still getting the shots. The attack is not the first one reported at the park. Mountain View Community Services Director David Muela said that as many as six people have been bitten or scratched by squirrels since May, and<br />that the attacks have become more ferocious in the last month. Park Rangers spent Saturday patrolling the park.<i><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> (<b>RG</b>: Unit 24 I have spotted a bogie at 3 o'clock in a large oak tree. He's heading your way and looks like he means business).</span> </i>The city is trying to make sure people don't bring food into the children's play area at the park.<br /><br />"I think it's our fault, because we made them aggressive," Carmen Perez of Palo Alto said. "Now it's dangerous and we have to do something."<br /><br />In response to attacks, the city of Mountain View has announced it plans to start trapping and killing the aggressive tree squirrels. Over the next three weeks, park workers will set tube-like traps in the trees of Cuesta Park and euthanize captured squirrels "in a humane way," said David Muela, Mountain View's community services director.<br /><br />Ironically, efforts to curb the behavior may have exacerbated the squirrels' aggressive tendencies, Muela said. This summer, the city installed new trash receptacles featuring metal<br />tops with a latch that makes it nearly impossible for an animal to rummage through the can in search of food. Increased park ranger patrols and flier distributions cautioning against feeding the animals might have further cut the squirrels' food supply, prompting them to act more assertively in their quest for food.<br /><br />NBC11 and NBC11.com first ran this story Wednesday and it stirred up a lot of outrage with<br />viewers. Many have e-mailed, saying that euthanizing the squirrels is the wrong<br />response. One viewer wrote, "I come to the parks to watch the wild animals, not<br />the humans. I will no longer visit your parks knowing that any of them have become a killing ground for natural wildlife." <i><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">(<b>RG</b>: This guy obviously doesn't get Animal Planet in his cable package).</span> </i>Wildlife advocates also oppose the unusual measure of killing the animals and said it<br />won't solve the problem. "The squirrels will be back," South Bay wildlife rehabilitator Norma<br />Campbell said. "For every one you take out, two more will come in. It could be a never-ending project that isn't going to accomplish anything."<span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> (<b>RG</b>: Squirrels are well organized and tired of being oppressed).</span><br /><br />Officials said the increasingly brazen behavior stems from years of being fed by park visitors.<br />The state Department of Fish and Game recommends against relocating habituated squirrels, he said, because their fear of humans has diminished and the problem is likely to remain. Instead, the department recommends the animals be put to sleep, Muela said. Muela said the city couldn't afford to wait and see if the squirrels' aggressive behavior goes away eventually, because of the threat posed to public health and safety. Emphasizing his concern for the welfare of park visitors, Muela said, "We will need the public's cooperation on this, because as long as they continue to feed the squirrels it will exacerbate the problem."<br /><br />Although the squirrels' behavior has led some to fear the animals might be rabid, Muela said that is highly unlikely because incidents of rabid tree squirrels are extremely rare.</small></blockquote>How many people would consider hand feeding a wild Norway rat? Probably not many, yet there is little difference between the rat and the squirrel. Both are members of the order Rodentia, but squirrels belong to the family Sciuridae while rats belong to the family Muroidea. The primary difference between these two branches of the rodent family tree is that Muroidea lacks the cuteness gene found in Sciuridae members such as squirrels, chipmunks, and to a lesser degree marmots. Presence of this cuteness gene can often spare an animal from becoming the target of pest control programs by causing an autonomic human response. This response, know as the "Awe, look at the cute little animal" response has even been documented in non-<a href="http://www.helpinganimals.com/wildlife_livingWithRats.asp">PETA</a> members of the human population.<br /><br />A park infested with toddler biting rats would cause a public uproar for their immediate eradication, but when it involves a cute animal it spawns <a href="http://www.nbc11.com/news/9946298/detail.html?rss=bay&psp=news#">demands for the ethical treatment</a>. When will we admit our hypocrisy and just fix the problem (i.e. short term - reduce the problem squirrel population; long term - stop treating wild animals like pets).<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I love animals, especially the cute and cuddly ones. The problem is when idiots <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45XEGLTXHe8">habitualize</a> wild animals to human contact. Ultimately this will lead to a conflict with humans and when that happens, the animal will almost always lose.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">BTW - In no way do I mean to insinuate that Bob Ross was an idiot.</span><br /><b><br /></b>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1160021942639728122006-10-04T21:19:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.129-07:00End of the season rant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/rant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/rant.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This year's end of the season rush added to a busy wildfire season, some last minute training, and a personal emergency left me with no free time. Consequently, my blog really suffered with a complete and utter lack of posts. I'll see what I can do to remedy that.<br /><br />Let's start off with an end of the season rant from a fellow park ranger. Most parks have a busy season and an off season. In the spring, I can't wait for the busy summer season to start. By August, I'm like a cranky bear getting ready to hibernate. I can't wait for the leaves to start falling and for the idiots to get out of the park and head home.<br /><br />It is not uncommon this time of year for rangers to blow off a little steam with a tirade on all the idiots that they have had to deal with over the past several months. Ranger Don has apparently had to deal with his fair share of idiots this season.<br /><br /><small><b><a href="http://bufordswritings.blogspot.com/2006/09/thoughts-from-angry-park-ranger.html">Lost In Real Life: Thoughts From An Angry Park Ranger</a><br /></b></small> <blockquote><small>It used to be that camping meant pitching a tent and hiking. Or maybe bringing the horses and doing some trail riding. But lately it seems like people are bringing their homes with them. The generators I can live with so long as they are quiet and used within reason. It’s the late night music and drinking that kept us running this summer. I saw more domestics, more of what we classify as "disorderly conduct" offenses, and generally more people being rude and obnoxious to neighboring campers than in years past. And what's with the big screen TV's out in the forest? Can't you cut the umbilical cord with your TV for just three or four days? I went through one campground last night and felt like I was at the freaking drive in. </small></blockquote><small><br /></small>Make sure you check out the rest of Ranger Don's <a href="http://bufordswritings.blogspot.com/2006/09/thoughts-from-angry-park-ranger.html">no-holds barred rant</a> where he summarizes his favorite contacts for the summer, featuring coyote skinning, toy assualt rifles, public defecation, and amoure alfresco.<br /><br />We feel your pain Ranger Don. Before you know it, winter will be gone and you will be wishing someone would skin a coyote on the side of the park road just so you could go and talk to someone.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE: 7/10/06 -</span> I have erroneously attributed this rant as the writing of Ranger Don, but it was originally posted on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/slc/203274705.html">craigslist</a> by park ranger in the Salt Lake City area. Sorry Ranger Don, I am sure you had your share of idiots you dealt with this summer also.Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1155491961335822032006-08-13T10:59:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.129-07:00Why Mom told you not to pick up hitchhikers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/hitchhike.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/hitchhike.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mom was always over protective and exagerated the hazards of picking up hitchhikers or people stranded on the side the road. She would always say something like "those guys are probably Hells Angels who just had a shootout with a rival motorcycle gang and are running from the cops."<br /><br />It is hard for me to say this, but...Mom, I guess you were right.<br /><br /><small><b><a href="http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/08/10/news/local/news02a.txt">Officers arrest shooting suspects (The Rapid City Journal)</a><br /></b></small> <blockquote><small>The two suspects in the biker-gang shooting Tuesday in Custer State Park asked the wrong person for a ride.<br /><br />The suspects, Chad John Wilson, 30, of Linwood, Wash., and John James Midmore, 32, of Valparaiso, Ind., fled the scene in a white Ford pickup after the late afternoon shooting, took a back road and later got stuck, according to Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler. Wilson and Midmore then left the vehicle and traveled on foot through the woods for two or three hours, he said.<br /><br />They came out on U.S. Highway 14 near Stockade Lake, saw a man with a vehicle and asked him for a ride. The man turned out to be an off-duty park ranger who immediately called for backup. Other law enforcement officers had just gone past, Wheeler said. “We had two units there real fast.”<br /><br />Wilson and Midmore were arrested without incident about 11 p.m. Tuesday. They were not carrying guns, Wheeler said.<br /><br />The two were charged Wednesday with five counts of attempted murder for allegedly shooting five people affiliated with the Outlaws motorcycle gang at Legion Lake Resort.<br /><br />Wilson is a member of the Hells Angels, and Midmore is affiliated with the Hells Angels, according to Sara Rabern, a spokeswoman for the South Dakota Attorney General’s office.<br /><br />The Hells Angels and Outlaws are rival motorcycle gangs, according to state Division of Criminal Investigation director Kevin Thom.<br /><br />Authorities said the shooting victims are either Outlaws members or associates of Outlaws members.<br /><br />Wilson and Midmore are being held in Pennington County Jail.<br /><br />They likely will make their initial court appearances this morning in Rapid City, according to Tracy Kelley, Custer County state’s attorney. Kelley said she was awaiting paperwork from investigators before filing formal charges.<br /><br />Kelley said that there were six total injuries but that only five people were shot. One woman suffered injuries not related to a gunshot, she said.<br /><br />Two of the shooting victims were in critical condition after undergoing surgery at Rapid City Regional Hospital, Rabern said. Another victim was flown to a Sioux Falls hospital and was listed in stable condition, she said. Two other shooting victims, as well as the woman who suffered a nonshooting injury, were treated and released, she said.<br /><br />Names of the victims were still unavailable Wednesday afternoon.<br /><br />No one else was injured, although there were about 40 people nearby who witnessed the shooting, Wheeler said.<br /><br />He said the Outlaws bikers had pulled over at the edge of the parking lot off the highway next to Legion Lake Resort. A white Ford pickup came up behind them from the east, and one or both men inside began shooting, Wheeler said.<br /><br />The shots hit the Outlaws bikers but were also in the general direction of the lake, Wheeler said. He didn’t know the locations of the witnesses, but the lake is a popular gathering spot for tourists.<br /><br />“We were very fortunate that we didn’t have other people hurt,” Wheeler said.<br /><br />An off-duty volunteer at the campground down the road from the shooting site was in his motor home when he heard what sounded like firecrackers.<br /><br />The volunteer, who would not give his name because he was told not to speak about the incident, said that when he heard another half-dozen or so shots, he knew they were bullets. He said he then saw a white pickup truck speed by.<br /><br />Bikers on Wednesday morning showed up to survey the scene and look at blood stains and clumps of what appeared to be gore on the driveway leading to the park restaurant. A few feet away were rolls of crime scene tape, no longer in use.<br /><br />Mark Nicoson of Des Moines, Iowa, said the Sturgis motorcycle rally has been quiet this year as it has the past two times he has attended the Black Hills event.<br /><br />He said that the shooting is likely an isolated incident and that most bikers are nonviolent people.<br /><br />“They’re not out to hurt anyone. This is between each other,” Nicoson said.<br /><br />David Berkley of the South Dakota Highway Patrol said a trooper and an ambulance had been parked at the resort during the rally because it’s a central location in Custer State Park from which to respond to calls throughout the park. Another trooper said he had left moments before the shooting to make an arrest on a separate incident.<br /><br />Members of the Outlaws have been staying at a campground near the intersection of South Playhouse Road and Iron Mountain Road, according to Wheeler. The Journal incorrectly reported Wednesday that the Outlaws members were staying at a house there.<br /><br />Custer State Park returned to normal Wednesday, according to park superintendent Richard Miller. “They’ve been busy at the gate,” he said. The Legion Lake parking lot was partly full because of a downpour. “It looked like business as usual,” Miller said in a phone interview.<br /><br />“We are doing everything we can to ensure that the park is the same safe, family-friendly environment it has always been,” he said.<br /><br />Miller said the park had never had a serious incident involving rallygoers in the past. “The park annually hosts tens of thousands of bikers. They are good customers, and the staff enjoys working with them,” he said. “Rally riders come to the park for the same reasons all of our visitors do - to enjoy the wildlife and the beautiful scenery.”</small></blockquote>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1155409804043794042006-08-12T12:10:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.129-07:00Yobs fail to heed stark warnings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/park%20pee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/park%20pee.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Teen hooligans are causing so many problems at a park in Great Britain that the local police have gone to the drastic measure of issuing "stark warnings" that they will notify their parents the next time they are caught. Apparently if this is not enough to curb the <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yob">yobs</a> "anti-social" behavior, then they may need to hire a park ranger to patrol the park.<br /><b><br /><small><a href="http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=400058&imageindex=1">Yobs turn park into booze and drugs den (News & Star)</a></small></b><small><br /></small> <blockquote><small>Workington's Vulcan Park has become a haven for underage drinkers, drug-takers and yobs over the school holidays. Police have received complaints about teenagers drinking, fighting, urinating and littering the area with broken bottles. Some park users have also reported discarded needles in the park.<br /><br />Police have launched an operation to crack down on the problems before they get out of hand. Officers have confiscated alcohol from young people almost every night this week.<b> And they are issuing a stark warning to under-age drinkers that if they're caught, their parents will be informed.<br /></b><br />Sergeant Jason Robinson said the police are operating a three-strikes-and-youÂre-out approach. He told the News & Star: "If they're 16 or above, we can deal them with a penalty notice for disorder. If they're below 16, we'll take them home and speak to their parents and they will go onto an anti-social behaviour register. If they get three hits on that within a month then they will get a visit at home by myself or the inspector and we could consider an anti-social behaviour contract. This can impact on where they're allowed to go and who they're allowed to hang about with." He said that targeting Vulcan Park is part of <span style="font-style: italic;">Operation Beehive</span> an operation designed specifically to tackle anti-social behaviour and youth disorder. Areas such as the bus depot and hotspots in Seaton and Moorclose are also being monitored under this banner.<br /><br />Sgt Robinson added: "Historically the holidays are always a problem time for Vulcan Park for under-age drinking and people taking drugs like cannabis. This is a pre-emptive strike, which has worked to stop some of the disorder."<br /><br />Keith Southward, who lives on nearby Park Lane, often witnesses underage drinking. He said: "I have seen young ones who have had too much to drink urinating against a tree." He added that he would not park his car on his own street because vehicles there have had windows smashed.<br /><br />Pat Hull, of Moss Bay, regularly takes her grandchildren to the park, which is open 24 hours a day. She said: "In the early morning there are bottles and litter around the war memorial. There are bins but the children ignore them. I would not walk through there at night time. It is a lovely park, I think it is great for the children but they have to come in at a certain time. I have seen needles and bottles. It is sad because it is a children's play park."<br /><br />A spokesperson for Allerdale Council said the authority was aware of the problems in the park. She said: "The council clean up such vandalism, litter and filth in the park on a daily basis, generally before the public sees the full extent of the mess."<br /><br /><b>She added that the council is considering employing a park ranger to try to tackle the situation.</b></small></blockquote>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1155144771081631572006-08-09T10:32:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.130-07:00Remembering a fallen colleague: Kris Eggle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/ORPIposterboy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.kriseggle.org/photos/ORPIposterboy.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Four years ago today at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a young and bright park ranger lost his life while pursuing a suspect who had crossed the Mexican border and illegally entered the U.S.<a href="http://www.kriseggle.org/kris.htm"> Kris Eggle</a> had a promising future as a park ranger. He received the Director's Award while attending FLETC and was well respected by his peers.<br /><br />Many people forget that park rangers are law enforcement officers that must risk their lives to protect our parks. Take a moment to remember officers like Kris Eggle who gave their lives to protect our country's precious natural resources and those who visit them.<br /><br />Those of you that are park rangers remember to never let your guard down because any stop can turn into a felony stop.<br /><b><br /></b><small><b><a href="http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=16353">Park Ranger Kristopher William Eggle (The Officer Down Memorial)</a></b><br /></small> <blockquote><small>Ranger Kristopher Eggle was shot and killed while he and several U.S. Border Patrol Agents attempted to apprehended two armed, illegal aliens.<br /><br />The suspects had fled from Mexican authorities into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona at 1400 hours. The Mexican authorities called the Border Patrol and notified them of the suspects. A Border Patrol helicopter in the area located the suspects and directed Ranger Eggle and Border Patrol Agents to the area.<br /><br />One of the suspects was apprehended without incident, but the second suspect opened fire with an AK-47 rifle. Ranger Eggle was struck below his vest, causing a fatal wound. The suspect then fled on foot south toward the Mexican border. He ran to approximately fifty yards from the border, where approximately 30 to 50 Mexican officers from numerous agencies opened fire from Mexico killing him. A medivac helicopter was sent to the scene, but Ranger Eggle had already succumbed to his wounds.<br /><br />The suspect who was arrested during the incident was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison.<br /><br />Ranger Eggle was a recent recipient of the Director's Award at FLETC. He is survived by his parents and a sister, who is also a law enforcement ranger for the Park Service.</small></blockquote>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30494075.post-1154139019696955352006-08-08T06:18:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:34:42.130-07:00What kind of park needs a $50,000 patrol vehicle?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/1600/Ranger%20Rover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2578/3272/200/Ranger%20Rover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Apparently park rangers at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, a California park designed off road driving enthusiasts, receives a new $50,000 Land Rover SUV to patrol the park in each year.<br /><br />While I'm a little jealous of the ride, I'd probably sell the Land Rover and buy two pickup trucks, an ORV, and a mountain bike to use for patrols. Heck I would still probably have enough left over for a year's worth of gas.<br /><br />I'm just glad that I don't have to work at an off-road park. The smell of partially burned hydrocarbons mixed with musky testosterone makes me feel nauseous. I guess that shouldn't be surprising since I never really enjoyed snapping naked guys with a rolled up towel in the locker room either. That's just the way I am.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><a href="http://hollisterfreelance.com/news/contentview.asp?c=190585">Head for the Hills (Hollister Free Lance)</a></b><br /></span> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Mike Stavro doesn't break a sweat when he's spinning the wheels of a donated luxury Sport Utility Vehicle while trying to climb up a dusty, rock-strewn hill at what seems like a 45-degree angle. Its just another day at the office. But for Stavro, a ranger at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, the office is a Land<br />Rover LR3 and his workplace is one most popular parks in the state for off-road driving.<br /><br />The 3,200-acre state park attracts about 300,000 visitors annually and is considered "the Disneyland of off-highway riding," according to Chief Ranger Jeff Gaffney. In addition to miles and miles of trails, the park offers camping, picnic areas, a practice Motocross track, an ATV track and a mini-bike track. Elevations ranging from 660 feet to 2,425 feet above sea level make Hollister Hills an ideal off-road park for both amateurs and professionals, Gaffney said.<br /><br />Even during the hot and dusty off-season at Hollister Hills thousands of visitors from across the country are drawn to the park's 88 miles of off-road, dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle trails each weekend.<br /><br />Hollister Hills is divided into two sections. The 800-acre Upper Ranch is reserved for four-wheel drive vehicles, while the 2,400-acre Lower Ranch is for ATVs and dirt bikes. Visitors can spend the day spinning their wheels and kicking up dust in either section of the park for $5. But the majority of visitors spend the weekend at one the park's several dozen camp grounds for $10 a night. "It's the cheapest fun you can have on two, three or four wheels," veteran Hollister Hills Park Ranger Mike Stavro said. "Most people come for the whole weekend."<br /><br />Hollister Hills is also testing site for Land Rover North America and the proving grounds for Four Wheeler Magazine's annual Top Truck Challenge. Land Rover North America even donates one of its SUVs to the park each year. It started donating vehicles after a company executive visited the park and learned that state officials wouldn't allow rangers to spend money on anything other than Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet trucks, Stavro said. Hollister Hills Park Rangers can be spotted driving around in a $50,000 2006 Land Rover LR3 while on routine patrols in the Upper Ranch this season, the fourth such vehicle donated by the company.<br /><br />And while only the best of best attempt Hollister Hills' Tank Trap trail, the park has other trails for the novice and faint of heart, Gaffney said. Although the majority of visitors spend their time on motorcycles and ATVs in the Lower Ranch, the Upper Ranch is becoming more and more popular. "We've started to see a lot of 4x4s in the last few years, ever since SUVs became popular," Gaffney said. "But still the majority of (Hollister Hills) users come with motorcycles."<br /><br />Off-road enthusiast Mike Matheson does both. The 52-year-old San Jose resident has been coming to Hollister Hills since the park opened in 1975. Matheson, depending on the season and his mood, will either bring his 1975 Toyota FJ40 or his Yamaha bike. "I'm not one of those tear-em-up guys," Matheson said. "I just like to go out there and enjoy the trails." Matheson, who visits the park about 20 times a year, said he keeps coming back because Hollister Hills is nearby and well-maintained. "It's a good place," he said. "And it's not one of the hard-core (off-road) places. Anyone can have fun out there." Dirt biking and off-roading is often a family activity, Stavro said. And Hollister Hills has become a frequent family vacation destination. "People come back again and again. They love it," Stavro said. "It's a family sport. We have families that come here, raise their kids here and then their kids grow up and bring their own family here. It's awesome."<br /><br />Hollister Hills, the first of six State Vehicular Recreation Areas in California, was bought by the state in 1975 from local rancher Howard Harris, who built the majority of the park's trails and operated it privately for many years, Stavro said. The state opened the park to the public on Oct. 1, 1975 and it is paid for largely by gas taxes.<br /><br />Peak season at Hollister Hills is in fall and winter months, when temperatures drop and rain is more frequent. "The first weekend there is moisture on the ground, it's a zoo," Stavro said. "They call it 'Ego Dirt.' You have so much traction that you ride like a pro." In 2005, the park had to close its gates six times when too many visitors showed up, Gaffney said. This summer, construction began on two new off-road areas, which are being dubbed the "East Ranch" and "West Ranch," on recently acquired park land. The two new areas will keep lifelong visitors on their toes and ensure that the park holds its ground as one of the premier SVRAs in California, Stavro said.</span> </blockquote>Ranger Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13055507497953273964noreply@blogger.com1