Friends of South Cumberland Email Newsletter

Dear Santa (copy to all Friends members and South Cumberland lovers),

It's your favorite state park in Tennessee writing again.  Thank you for helping us last year and, as always, we have been a really good park this year.

We just have a couple of things on our wish list this year.

1. Currently two of our park rangers, Brent and Jason, are EMT's. Jamie and Bill are going through EMT school now and will be done in May 2009. The state provides us with medical gear but some gear is considered too expensive for each EMT to carry. One item that would be really important for the benefit of park visitors who might need EMT help, if each EMT could have one to carry with them all the time, is a pulse oxygen meter, the small ones that can be carried in a pack on foot on the trail.  Maybe something like this one from Amazon. We need 4 of these to outfit each EMT.  Ranger Bill can tell you exactly what we need.

2. We are getting lots and lots of digital picture files people send us, general park pictures, programming pictures for interpretive presentations at the park, etc.  All of these pictures  are currently scattered on several computers.  It often takes a lot of time to find the picture we need and the rangers were hoping you might bring a large external hard drive that plugs into a USB port so we can consolidate and organize them. We use them in programs and occasionally send them out to newspapers, etc.  If possible the USB part would be very helpful where we could just move the hard drive from one computer to another, depending on who needs it.  Something 500mb to one gigabyte would be perfect.

3. During Halloween this year we had another break-in at Grundy Lakes, some mean people broke into the store room, did some damage and stole some stuff.  We can't patrol this area as often as we would like.  A time lapse recording security camera would be a big help.  We aren't exactly sure what kind of camera we need, but if you think you can bring us one we will figure it out in a hurry!

That's all Santa.  Last year we had 16 items on our wish list.  We know things are tight this year, everything but your red suit that is.  This is what we need and if you can help us we will really appreciate it.  It could be that some of our Friends members will want to give us some of these gifts for Christmas, and if they do we will let you know as soon as possible.

Be careful on your December 24 journey and thank you for all of your hard work.  Our best wishes to Mrs. Claus, all of the elves and reindeer.  Even if you can’t bring us anything, we still love all of you.  We believe in you, Santa!  Thanks a million.

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases,

Ron Castle on behalf of the Rangers & Staff at South Cumberland State Park