I WORKED IN YOSEMITE FROM 1974 TO 1984, AND THE FIRST TWO YEARS AT THE OLD CURRY VILLAGE MOUNTAIN SHOP. I BELIEVE THAT THE BUILDING WAS TORCHED,I DO NOT KNOW BY WHOM, BUT THAT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE FEDS HAVE NEVER DONE A PROPER ARSON INVESTIGATION, BUT WRITTEN THE FIRE OFF TO SQUIRRELS CHEWING ON ELECTRICAL WIRES,,,
HERE ARE THE FISHY FACTS,,,THE RETAIL DEPT HEAD FOR THE CONCESSIONAIRE( CALL IT THE "CON"),THE MAJOR BUSINESS CONTRACTOR IN YOSEMITE COMES IN ONE DAY WITH THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS OF THE NEW MT. SHOP AND CURRY CAFETERIA AND GIFT SHOP. HE SAID THEY NEEDED N.P.S. APPROVAL TO GO AHEAD.,, AFEW DAYS LATER , I HEARD THAT N.P.S. HAD SAID NO TO THE NEW BUILDING PLANS.,,, THE MANAGER OF RETAIL CAME IN AND SAID THAT N.P.S. DISAPPROVAL DID NOT MATTER AND THAT THE CON WOULD GET ITS WAY. AGAINST THE FEDS AND THE N.P.S.,,,?!?? NO WAY!?,,,WEEKS AND MONTHS PASSED AND THEN THE SHOP MANAGER CAME TO US AND SAID HE HAD ORDERS TO OVER -ORDER NO JUST A LITTLE BUT 200-300 % OVER LAST YEAR, FOR THE YEAR,,,BUT WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT ALL THIS CAMPING GEAR AND CLIMBING GEAR AND QUALITY HAND MADE ITALIAN PIVETTA HUGE SIZE AND MODEL VARIETY OF QUALITY--NOT CHINESE--BOOTS AND "GO CLIMP A ROCK" T-SHIRTS,,,??? IN THE WAREHOUSE,,,???,,,WE WERE TOLD , NO, ALL WOULD BE STORED IN THE MT. SHOP, EVEN IN THE AISLES,NOT JUST THE ADJOINING SMALL STORE ROOM,,!!,,,WHAT, THAT IS CRAZY!,,,WE WERE TOLD TO JUST DO IT,,,
THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MERCHANDISE WAS ORDERED AND DELIVERED TO THE VALLEY WAREHOUSE AND THEN TO THE MT. SHOP,,,WE COULD BARELY MOVE IN THE STORE BECAUSE THE PLACE WAS PILED HIGH AND WIDE,OVERSTOCKED FOR SURE,,,THEN AND FEW NIGHTS LATER, A FIRE STARTED AND BURNED DOWN THE MT. SHOP AND ALOT OF THE NEARBY ADJOINING BUILDING COMPLEX,,,I WAS TOLD THE CON WAS PAID THE INSURANCE FOR ALL THE YEARS PLUS MERCHANDISE AT RETAIL,NOT WHOLESALE COST,,,SO THE CON JUST ORDERED MORE SUPPLIES AND MADE AN ENORMOUS PROFIT THAT YEAR OFF THE BURNED STUFF AND NEW STORE STUFF,,,I KNEW THE CON'S FIRE DEPT WAS A JOKE, FULL OF A BUNCH OF AMATEURS, JUST LIKE THE GARAGE THAT ALLOWED TOW TRUCK DRIVERS THAT HAD NO TRAINING AND NO BUSINESS BUT DID WORK ON MANY PRIVATE AUTOS WITH BAD BRAKES AND OTHER PROBLEMS THAT PROBABLY ONLY WERE MADE WORSE BY THE INCOMPETENTS THE CON USUALLY HIRED,,,I HAD JUST BEEN PASSING THRU WHEN I WAS HIRED,,,
THE MT. SHOP WAS REBUILT JUST LIKE THE CON WANTED,,,AND I WAS NEVER ASKED ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT WHEN ON BEFORE THE FIRE/ARSON BY THE N.P.S. OR THE FEDS OR THE F.B.I. ,,,BUSICKNESS AS USUAL,,,,
I KNOW , SOME OF YOU BLUE STATERS ARE SAYING , NO , THE N.P.S. COULD NEVER NEVER NEVER LAND DO SOMETHING SO CONTRARY TO PRIMARY POLICY OF PROTECTING THE PARK AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLIC'S ENJOYMENT OF THE PARK,,,NOT THE SAME AGENCY THAT A FEW YEARS AGO SUGGESTED BUILDING A MULTI-STORY PARKING GARAGE IN THE VALLEY,,,OR THE SAME AGENCY THAT NOW PROPOSES TO REDUCE ACCESS AND LODGING AVAILABILITY BY TAKING OUT THE NORTH SIDE DRIVE AND TAKING OUT THE LESS EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATIONS AND CAMPGROUNDS LIKE UPPER RIVER AND LOWER RIVER IN THE VALLEY SO THAT MOSTLY THE RICH WILL HAVE YOSEMITE TO THEMSELVES AND WONT HAVE TO SEE OR DEAL WITH THE GREATER GERERAL PUBLIC,,,NOT THE SAME AGENCY THAT JACKED THE ENTRANCE FEE FROM $5/CAR TO $20/CAR IN ONE MOVE THAT WILL KEEP MANY LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE AWAY FROM ENJOYING THE FIRST U.S. PARK,SET ASIDE BY PRES. LINCOLN IN 1864/5,,,
WELL, WAKE UP BLUE STATE SINNERS,,,THE N.P.S. ALLOWED THE CON TO ONLY POST ROUND TRIP TOUR PRICES AT THE 4 VALLEY PICKUPS OF CURRY VILLAGE, YOSEMITE VILLAGE, THE AHWAHNEE HOTEL, AND THE YOSEMITE LODGE,,,SO WHEN THE PULIC GUESTS ASKED HOW MUCH A ONE WAY TICKET TO GLACIER POINT WAS SO THEY COULD HIKE DOWN , THE CON'S AGENT WOULD SAY THAT ONLY ROUND TRIP TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE,,,THE PUBLIC GUESTS WOULD OVER PAY BY THE $$$ THOUSANDS AND END UP NOT USING THE RETURN TICKET,,,WHAT A RIPOFF,EH,,,AND WHAT DID THE GOLDEN N.P.S. DO WHEN I WROTE THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT THIS WAS GOING ON ?,,,NOTHING, BUT PASS THE LETTER TO THE EXECUTIVE OF THE CON WHO HAD MY MANAGER CHEW ME OUT THE VERY NEXT DAY,,,IT WAS LIKE THE CON, NOT THE N.P.S. RAN THE PARK,,,WHY DID THE CON THEN GET TO DO THE $$$ HUGE PROFIT RAFT RENTAL AND SHUTTLE THEN, WHEN NO CON SINCE HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO OFFER THAT SERVICE ? AND THE NATIONAL PARK CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION GIVES WHAT ABOUT $60 MILLION PER YEAR TO THE N.P.S. AND IS SET ON GETTING "THE CAR" OUT OF YOSEMITE VALLEY ,WITHOUT ANY GOOD ALTERNATIVE, AND THE RICH WILL HAVE MORE ROAD TO WEAVE ON,,,WHAT, DIESEL BUSES,,THEY ARE SO DIRTY POLLUTION -WISE AND USUALLY GO EMPTY ON THE RETURN,,,I KNOW, I DRIVE THEM ALL THE TIME,,,
