August, 2016
HOORAY! 13th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser!
The Annual Friends of the
Bassett Memorial Library
20th Book/Bake/Craft Sale
is a go!!!!
Saturday — September 3
9a.m.—3 p.m.
This annual sale brings in additional
funds that enable the Friends of the Li-
brary to expand the library collection
and support library projects. The suc-
cess of the sale is dependent on:
volunteers, bakers
and a team of workers
For information on how you can help
please drop by the library
(209-375-6510) or contact
Kathy Scott (209-628-0969)
The sale will take place in the library
parking lot.
Rain moves the sale to the
Wawona Community Center.
Join us on Saturday, September 17th for
our annual golf tournament!
The Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School
is delighted to invite you to our
13th Annual Wawona School Golf Tournament
Fundraiser on Saturday, September 17th, 2016 at
the historic Big Trees Lodge Golf Course in Yosem-
ite National Park. All event proceeds will be used
to help supplement operational funds for Yosemite-
Wawona Elementary Charter School for the 2016-
17 school year. We also invite you to consider a
sponsorship - a significant way to make a difference
in the education of our children.
If you would like to be a sponsor or donate an item
for the auction, please contact us:
Phone: 209-375-6383
Email: admin@yosemitewawonacharter.org
More ways to stay up-to-date with the 2016 golf
tournament news!
RSVP & invite your friends on our
Facebook Event Page for the
13th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser here:
https://www.facebook.com/
YosemiteWawonaCharterSchool/
Stay connected on our golf tournament event page
here:
http://www.yosemitewawonacharter.org/2016---
2017.html
 Wawona Recycling Update
Chad Andrews ~ Wawona Sub-district Ranger

For those of you that don't know, Total Waste Systems out of Mariposa services
our county waste receptacles (the grey trash bins around town). They also pro-
vide recycling service in some, but not all parts of the county. Since the closure
of the community recycling center by the school, Total Waste has agreed to a trial
period of providing recycling service in Wawona. They are in the process of de-
termining if providing the service is cost effective for them, and have placed two
recycling bins in town. One is near the Redwoods and the second is now near the
Community Center. The bins are small relative to the amount of recycling gener-
ated at the now closed center. As a result, they will not be able to handle com-
mercial amounts of recycling. However, residents now have a bin to deposit
their recycling, and no doubt visitors will take advantage of it too. Please do not
put trash in the recycling bins. Depending on what Total Waste decides, this
may or may not be our long-term solution to recycling in Wawona. A reminder
for NPS employees. For trash removal and recycling, NPS employees and
families must use the trash and recycling bins at the Wawona Maintenance
Yard. The community bins cannot handle the volume of both private and
NPS residents, and the dumpsters often overflow, causing wildlife and litter
issues. Thank you.
If you have other ideas or suggestions, please call Chad Andrews at the Wawona
Ranger Office. (W) 209-375-9520 (C) 209-742-8269

Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School News

We will begin our third year as a public charter school this year!

School begins August 22nd for the 2016-2017 school year

and we are excited to announce that we currently have 17 students enrolled—

our largest enrollment to date since becoming a charter school! Thank you
again to the wonderful Wawona community for all of your continued support!
Because of your support we are able to continue growing our school with new
students, staff and programs. We are implementing new, exciting programs to
ensure that our local students have the best education available to them to not
only meet, but exceed, state and national standards.

Thank you again for supporting the

Yosemite Wawona Elementary Charter School Students
a.k.a. The Young Ambassadors of Yosemite National Park

MARK YOUR
CALENDAR!!
August 20: Square Dance
Gray Barn 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
September: PGE will continue to
mark and remove trees adjacent to power
lines
September 3: Wawona Friends of the
Library Annual Book/Bake/Craft Sale:
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Library parking lot
Rain moves the sale to the
Wawona Community Center
September 3: Square Dance
Gray Barn 8 – 10 p.m.
September 10: WAPOA
Wawona Community Center
9 a.m.
September 10: Large item pickup
Wawona Maintenance Yard
8 a.m.—3 p.m.
September 17: Yosemite Wawona Ele-
mentary Charter School Golf Tourna-
ment
Water Conservation
Wawona will be going into Water Con-
servation Measures soon as the water
level on the South Fork dips below 3
CFS.
This means that things like watering
lawns, washing vehicles, etc. needs to
stop, and residents/employees should
ensure they take measures to conserve
their water use.
Big Trees Lodge
Amanda Lee ~ General Manager
*The summer has come and just about gone;
what a monumental summer has been for the
organization. With record visitation within
Yosemite, Big Trees Lodge and rest of our lo-
cation throughout the Park have been busy
with guests and we continue to strive for im-
provement.
*As we move into the Fall season; our hours
operation will remain same until visitation
slows throughout the Park. Our dining room
will operate for breakfast from 7 AM-10AM;
Lunch from 11AM-3 PM and Dinner from
5PM-10PM. Tom Bopp plays from 5:30PM-
9:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday and cock-
tails are served to the lobby from 5PM-
9:30PM. The last BBQ at Big Trees Lodge
will be Saturday, September 10th. As the
weather permits the golf course will be open
until mid to late October from 8AM-6PM. I
would like to extend a local discount for those
who play The Big Trees Golf Course. Local
residents can play the Big Trees course with at
50% off of Greens Fees for the remainder of
the 2016 season.
*September, The Big Trees Lodge will be sup-
porting the Wawona School by hosting the an-
nual golf tournament. Be sure to check out
that information and come support the kids on
Saturday, September 17th. The Lions Club
will also be hosting their annual golf tourna-
ment on Saturday, September 10th.
*Holidays are soon approaching. Menus for
the Holidays will soon be available and we
will be begin to take Thanksgiving dinner res-
ervations the end of September. We expect
the Holidays to be busy so be sure to make
your reservations for dinner and rooms soon, if
you have family visiting.
*The staff at the Big Trees Lodge hope that all
in the community continue have a safe and en-
joyable summer.
 WAWONA RANGER UPDATE
Eric Scott ~ Wawona District Ranger

It has been a very busy spring and summer for the Wawona Ranger staff. With the great wa-
terfalls the park had this year, visitation to Yosemite was up 40% compared to the same time
last year. To add to that, President Obama’s visit to the park added a lot extra planning and
activity for all park staff. Wawona rangers assisted the U.S. Secret Service to help facilitate
their needs as well as assist Valley rangers in coordinating their activities during the Presi-
dential visit. The President’s aviation detail landed their three CH-47 Chinook and two H-60
Blackhawk helicopters on the Wawona Golf Course for a dry run in case the President want-
ed to go to the Mariposa Grove. Local residents and employees got to witness that amazing
spectacle.

We also have busy with the extra visitation at Glacier Point, due to the Mariposa Grove clo-
sure. Since the shuttle bus operation started in late May going from Badger Pass to Glacier
Point, there have been a total of 44,000 visitors riding the shuttle system. That is more than
all of last summer combined for that operation.

On the afternoon of June 25, a structural fire occurred at the Wawona Waste Water Treatment
Plant, in one of their work areas at the top of the complex. The Park structural fire brigade
responded, and were on scene within 8 minutes of the initial report. The structure was not
yet fully involved, and firefighters were able to knock down the fire in about 20 minutes. The
fire also spread to the grassy hillside to the West of the building, causing a 1.3 acre wildfire.
Multiple engines and crews as well as a helicopter responded to quickly to extinguish that fire
as well. This incident was grim reminder that the fire danger is high and very real in
Wawona.

The “urban interface” between structures and the natural forest in and around Section 35, is
significant. Please do your part as a property owner to remove any dead trees and associated
debris from your property. Your house as well as your neighbor’s house could be at great
risk should a fire start somewhere in the community.

Please feel free to contact me at the Wawona Ranger Office if you have any questions or con-
cerns. I can be reached at (209) 375-9520 x 226. or Email: Eric_Scott@nps.gov

Wawona Large Item Pick Up

The Mariposa County Public Works will again pick up large items in Wawona on Saturday,
September 10, 2016 – the same date as the September WAPOA meeting. The truck will arrive
in the Wawona maintenance yard at 8 a.m. that morning and depart at 3 p.m. Large household
furnishings, appliances, deck furniture, etc. will be accepted. No hazardous waste or electron-
ics will be accepted. The raise in our trash pick up rates has allowed Wawona to continue
having our annual needle pick up and our large item pick up.
 Yosemite Pioneer History Center
Dean Shenk ~ Division of Interpretation

*The final Barn Dance of the year will be on Saturday, September 3, from 8:00 to
10:00 pm in the Grey Barn near the Wawona Covered Bridge. As always, music
will be provided by “The Wawona Philharmonic” and donations will be accept-
ed. Our thanks to The Redwoods In Yosemite and WAPOA for their continued
financial support of these popular dances.
*Nightly Campfire programs in the Wawona Campground, the Saturday morning
Junior Ranger programs, the Blacksmithing demonstrations at the Pioneer Yo-
semite History Center and the Tuesday evening and Saturday morning Ranger
Programs at The Redwoods In Yosemite will all conclude for the year this Labor
Day Weekend.
*Burrel “Buckshot” Maier's Horse-Drawn Stage rides will be offered at the Pio-
neer Yosemite History Center from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Fridays, Saturdays, and
Sundays through Sunday, October 9, but not on Saturdays September 17 and Oc-
tober 1.
*The Wawona Visitor Center at Hill’s Studio will remain open every day until
mid-October.
*Please refer to the current issue of the park’s free newspaper, the Yosemite
Guide, for information about all of the programs that are offered by the National
Park Service throughout Yosemite National Park.

Fire information: The lar ge tank seen on the Wawona golf cour se is anoth-
er part of enhancing water supply for firefighting. The 16 thousand gallon tank
can be refilled in 15 minutes with reclaimed irrigation water for use by helicop-
ters during unwanted wildfires. More information will be posted to
www.wawonanews.com for fire updates. Maps and photos accompany this fire
information.
Yosemite Fire Staff is also beginning extensive fuels treatments within the com-
munity addressing areas of accumulation of dead and down on park lands. They
evaluate the fuel loads and mitigation of the most “at risk” areas.

Wawona News Website

For the latest Wawona information, check the Wawona News Website at:
www.wawonanews.com
We no longer send emails with Wawona and Park updates, so please keep up-to-date
with community and park happenings, calendar of Wawona events, fire news and
drought news at our Wawona News Website.
 Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in Wawona

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

Thanks to Wawona Property Owners

who donate the dollars for our summer June—July 2016
Extra Hours!! We are nearing our goal Memorial Donations
for receiving donations for our 2016
Wawona Bassett Memorial Library Extra
House Challenge. The extra hours dona-
tions that are being matched by Sara Mil-
ler McCune will enable us to increase the
2016 summer hours from the County
funded 15 hours a week to 30 hours a
week. The library is open 5 hours daily,
Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m.—6
p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The
library is closed on Sunday. Our heaviest Dudley Goul
use is in the summer when the Redwoods Winnie McCarty
cabins are occupied.
Thank you for helping keep the library Dr. R. David Miller
open 30 hours weekly! Dr. Willis & Floy Ware

Wawona Bassett Memorial Library Hours

Labor Day 2016 through Memorial Day 2017
209-375-6510
Free Internet & Wi-Fi Available
Monday: Noon – 5 PM
Wednesday: Noon – 5 PM
Friday: Noon – 5 PM
Saturday: 10 AM – 3 PM
Closed Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Holidays
 Thank You!

The Redwoods
in Yosemite purchased refrigerator mag-
nets for all their rentals with the Wawona
Bassett Memorial Library hours.

Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library

Annual Book/Bake/ Craft Sale

September 3, 2016 ~ 9 a.m.—3 p.m.
Saturday ~ Library Parking Lot
(Rain moves the sale to the Community Center)

What are you baking?

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

2016 MEMBERSHIP WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

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

Name_____________________________________________________ Phone___________________

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

$_____Memorial for (Name)_________________________________________________________________________

$_____Gift in honor of (Name)________________________________________________________________________

$_____Extra Hours Donation_________________________________________________________________________

I am interested in assisting with the following:

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

Make checks payable to:

WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ALL DUES AND DONATIONS ARE

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