NIKE NEWS
Site SF 88
September, 2014
Wow! Like the speed of a
Nike Missile, summer has passed us by! And what a summer it was.
Visitation at the site has
been growing by leaps and bounds. Over 20,000 visitors came by in the last
year. That meant a lot of fantastic tours by a group of fantastic people! The
calls and e-mails I get from our visitors only prove the valuable contributions
of our Volunteers, Interns and Rangers. We have the opportunity to tell an
amazing story. A story that should never be forgotten and a story we tell so
well.
Now for what’s happening around the site:
Our September Open House had
600 visitors at the site. Don, Rod, Clinton, Ed and Greg were on hand to show
all a great time.
During the summer we worked
with Road Scholar, a non-profit group arranging tours for Grandparents and
their Grandchildren. We conducted four tours for them at NIKE as well as Point
Bonita. The responses by the participants was so great, Road Scholar has asked
to expand to nine tours next year. Things like this make all of our work so
meaningful. To be able to share the stories of such an important era in our
history is key to our mission. Thank you and kudos to all who helped make this
a trip to remember for those visitors.
Repairs at the site are in
progress! The Assembly Building will be the first to see some cosmetic repairs.
The interior will be cleaned and painted. Cultural affairs will be revamping
the displays with an eye for bringing more artifacts to the site.
The large filing cabinet
will be removed and replaced with a t.v. cart. A new
introductory PowerPoint presentation and video is almost completed and will be
shown to our visitors when they arrive. We will be moving a Hercules shipping
container to an area by the Assembly Building. This will make for a better
interpretive experience for our visitors.
Out in the launch area, two
hydraulic cylinders were replaced on the launcher. The hydraulic fluid was
replaced and the launcher is once again operational. We now have a 55 gallon
drum of 5606 hydraulic fluid in “B” pit. We are also looking at fabricating new
doors for “A” pit.
Work is proceeding on
removing the invasive foliage at the site. The first phase which is scheduled
to start soon will remove the foliage from the entrance gate to an area near
the Warhead Building. NPS staff will cut down the trees in the launch area. In the
Warhead Building, the nose cone will be replaced with one in better condition.
We are finally going to be
able to say good-bye to the trash dumpster by the Assembly Building. It will be
leaving us in the next few days.
Thanks to Susan Ewing-Haley
for her hard work in getting these things done. The efforts of all of us,
Rangers, staff and volunteers is to be commended and appreciated. The story
lives on!
Upcoming Special Groups:
This is the time of the
year when I contact a variety of groups to invite them to the site. In
addition, many groups are calling me to arrange for tours.
Sandia Interns are
scheduled to return in December.
Expeditionary Learning will
be visiting on November 20 and 21. More details to follow as regards times and
other groups that will be visiting.
Other News
It seems that the return of personal items that were at the site has
progressed very well. Thanks to all concerned for getting this accomplished.
Please don’t forget about our Living History initiative. Susan
Ewing-Haley is pursuing oral histories from all of our great volunteers. Your
participation will help ensure the story never fades away.
We recently had PBS at the site filming a documentary. I spoke with the
producers and was told the show is in its final stages of production. I will
keep you informed as to when the show is scheduled to air.
Everything Else
As National Park Service Volunteers, you are all eligible to join The
Department of Interior
Federal Credit Union.
They offer great rates and services. Let me know if you would like further
information..
Our next Open House will be October 4 from 12:30-3:30. I am looking
forward to a fantastic afternoon.
We Players, a local theatre group who has worked extensively with GGNRA
and San Francisco Maritime, will be presenting King’s Fool, an adaptation of
Shakespeare’s King Lear. The performances will be at Battery Wallace in The
Marin Headlands on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28 at 2 P.M. It
is a very worthwhile experience. Again, let me know if you are interested in
attending.
See you at the site!
Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!
Al Blank
Park Ranger
Marin Headlands
GGNRA