Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 13

Casper StaKI Vibi ie Wednesday, May 31, 2000 OBITUARIES B3 WEATHER B4 In Brief Thomas chides NPS on fire safety GAO finds historic buildings unprotected V' view blamed the deficiencies on the lack of minimum structural fire-safety standards for local park managers as well as an overall low priority within the agency for fire prevention planning. "Our work, as well as a recent analysis by Park Service staff, show that structural fire safety is near the bottom of the parks' priority lists," the GAO determined. The GAO used safety standards supplied by the National Fire Protection Association, the U.S. Fire Administration and six other associations and government agencies to rate the Park Service's efforts. Those experts identified three essential components prevention and protection, fire response, and funding.

"At each of the six parks (visited) most of the key elements were missing," the agency wrote. For example: Yosemite National Park's 800 structures all lacked formal fire safety inspections, including the national historic landmark Ahwahnee Hotel. Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, which has suffered 41 structural fires since 1988, had never been inspected. Please see FIRES, B2 needed for an effective fire safety effort." "We found fire extinguishers that had not been checked for years, overnight accommodations that had not been inspected by qualified fire-safety people, cabins without smoke detectors, and visitor centers that did not have fire suppression systems," the GAO reported. "Furthermore, Park Service documents show that even when fire hazards are detected, they can go uncorrected for years," the report continued.

"As a result the safety of park visitors, employees, buildings and artifacts are being jeopardized." While none of the six closely inspected national parks were in Wyoming, Thomas called for swift fire safety improvements throughout the nation. "The conclusions paint a stark picture of an agency that is not meeting its obligations to visitors and our resources by not managing a clear safety problem," the Wyoming senior senator said in a statement. "The facts brought to light in this report are unacceptable to me and surely unacceptable to the visiting public." The federal fire-safety re By JASON MARSDEN Star-Tribune Washington bureau WASHINGTON National Park Service managers are failing to protect historic park buildings and their visitors from the risk of structural fires, says U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas.

Thomas, chairman of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, cited a new U.S. General Accounting Office report which he requested. The study concludes that "structural fire safety efforts at national parks are not effective." "While much public and media attention has historically focused on spectacular wild-land fires like those that occurred in Yellowstone National Park in 1988, building or structural fires have not received much attention," the authors said. "Nonetheless, since 1990 more than 1,400 fires have occurred in national park buildings," killing five people, injuring many others and causing millions of dollars in property losses, the report continued. GAO investigators found that structural fire prevention programs at six parks "lacked many of the basic elements COURTESVNPS A National Historic Landmark, the Old Faithful Inn was built in the winter of 1903-1904.

Yellowstone is not among the parks cited for poor fire safety, but a spokeswoman says it too needs to improve fire fighting abilities. Wyo election filing deadlines near the Natural Law Party, having collected sufficient signatures to get the party on state ballots. State Elections Director Peggy Nighswonger said she hasn't seen a significant increase or decrease this year in the number of people who have filed thus far lor state legislative seats. Nighswonger said it is too early to render final judgment on whether this is Please see DEADLINES, B2 ask the Legislature to change the law to make filing seasons for statewide and local offices the same length in the future. For the statewide and county offices, only members of the Republican.

Democrat, Libertarian and Natural Law parties qualify for ballot listings in those partisan races. That is based on the number of votes those parties received two years ago in the U.S. House race, or, in the case of statewide races such as the U.S. Senate and House and state legislative seats. "Friday, five o'clock, that's it," said Natrona County Clerk Mary Ann Collins.

"From then on, you have to try it by write-in." All other local, nonpartisan elections, such as city council races, have a three-week filing season, and the deadline to file for those seats is June 9. Elections officials have said they will By BILL LUCKETT Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE Time is running out for people who plan to run for elected office this year, but the state's elections chief said people like to wait until the end of filing period to file their candidacies. Friday is the deadline for people who want to be listed on the ballot for FROM ST AFT AM) WIRE REPORTS Geringer signs counterdrug plan CHEYENNE -Gov. Jim Geringer on Tuesday signed a counterdrug plan to continue the Wyoming National Guard's assistance to law enforcement agencies, schx)ls and communities to reduce the flow and demand for illegal drugs. The program, which began five years ago in Wyoming, is financed through the National Guard Bureau, said Wyoming Adjutant General Ma).

General Ed Boenisch during the signing ceremony in the governor's conference room. Geringer recalled riding along on low level guard flight over rural Lincoln County in a search for methamphetamine laboratories. Wyoming's supply reduction program supports 20 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Linda Bebout makes House bid Democrat Linda Bebout has announced her candidacy for Wyoming State House Representative from House District 55 in Riverton. Bebout said in a release she is in no way related to Republican Rep.

Eli Bebout, who currently represents the district and plans to retire after this term. Linda Bebout manages the business office of the Wind River Clinic. She has served as a member of the Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees and as president of the State Trustee Association. She was a member of the Post Secondary Education Coordinating Council under Gov. Mike Sullivan.

For the past five years she has been a public member of the accreditation group overseeing colleges in 19 states. Bebout said in a statement, "Legislators must focus on the future. Short-term fixes for current problems are not the answer." She emphasized stable funding for education, job development, public lands access, and an equitable tax base as priorities. Burton elected NABCA president CHEYENNE -Wyoming Department of Revenue Director Johnnie Burton was elected president of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association last week. The NABCA is the national trade association representing the 19 "control states" that more directly control alcohol distribution within their borders.

Upon assuming the presidency, Burton said, "All the control states have been uniquely charged with both revenue and regulatory responsibilities. I would like to expand research and information efforts by this association to clarify the benefits of such a liquor distribution system." Burton's term as NABCA president is for the upcoming fiscal year. Fremont Sheriff hospitalized RIVERTON Fremont County Sheriff Dave King has been hospitalized after suffering kidney and liver failure Sunday. Undersheriff Roger Millward said the sheriff may have had a severe allergic reaction to something. Deaconess Hospital in Billings, listed King in stable condition Tuesday.

Doctors have been running tests on the sheriff to see what may have caused the illness. Millward said he has assumed the sheriffs responsibilities while King recovers. Correction Trie age of Rep. Fred Parady, R-Rock Springs, was incorrectly reported in a brief last week. He Is 45 years old.

United Way taps Fox Experts pan funding plan ployees have a long history of generosity with the annual United Way campaign. In 1999 they donated $79,814. which represented 12 percent of total United Way contributions of Fox said he is confident state employees will reach this year's goal of $90,000. Dr. Fred F.mricli.

the Please see FOX, B2 By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE -Wyoming Retirement System Director Jerry Fox will head the state employees United Way campaign in Laramie County this year, Gov. Jim Geringer announced Tuesday during his weekly news conference. Geringer said that state em lege comparators are from states that have very different procedures in financing community colleges." the two professors wrote. But the architect of Wyoming's college funding system said the two University of Florida professors aren't keyed into the state's specific needs. The WCCC formula was Please see FUNDING, B2 at the University of Florida, wrote that the Wyoming Community College Commission's new funding distribution formula may be too complicated and overly reliant on data from outside the state.

"We do not see the value of using comparator colleges from other states to determine allocations in Wyoming, especially knowing that these col By the Associated Press with staff reports RIVERTON Using information from colleges in other states to determine how Wyoming distributes money to its community colleges is unwise and potentially unfair, according to two experts in the field. James Wattenbarger and David Honeyman, professors Clearing the road Help wanted: teen-age agents CHEYENNE (AP) The state Health Department is working out the details of how teens will be used in undercover operations to catch businesses selling tobacco products to minors. The deadline to have the procedures in place is July 1. Statistics show that 55 percent of teens who tried to buy tobacco products in Wyoming succeeded. By contrast, Colorado, which uses teens in sting operations, has just a 6 percent buy rate among teens.

If Wyoming does not drop its buy rate to 20 percent by 2002, it will be fined $328,571 by the federal government. If could also lose up to $4.9 million of its federal substance abuse block grant. Earlier this year, state Please gee TEENS, B2 LARRf MAYER. AP A snowboarder, who refused to be identified, jumps over the highway near the top of the Beartooth Pass on the Wyoming side Saturday. The pass becomes an unofficial ski area in the spring and summer as skiers and boarders hike to ski steep headwalls near the lO.OOOfoot level of the pass.

State Editor Nadia White For Information, questions and comments about this page, call Hie new desk (307) XAtM oMHWl) miw.iI editmstflnb oHn, fax C7) XWX..