Volunteers and employees of the National Park Service, may I sale you on your 109th anniversary? Thank you for making our parks, monuments, historic sites and recreation areas available to us. Those places nourish us, whether or not we have immediate plans or ability to get to them.
As a “property owner,” may I demand that you continue your noble work for the sake of our grandkids? We’re counting on you during this particularly challenging time. When I've told you this in person, your collective response looked like this: “Nobody has ever said that to me before – tears well up – yours and mine – I needed to hear that today. Well, this is what we do. It's all about your grandkids.”
You folks protect the parks from the people, the people from the parks, and the people from each other. Yes, I'm a touron, but I swear I have never asked you where the bathroom is, nor have I asked you the question you knew I already knew the answer to on your excellent walks and talks.
Remember what I said, OK? Happy 109th anniversary on Aug. 25.
Steve Scarano
Vista, CA
