23 Days: In the Life of a Park Ranger

By Gary Alan Nelson

Nick Stanich, veteran park ranger with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, has just been promoted to the manager's job at Lake Mary State Park. The story begins when Nick and his family move into the park residence and he starts his new job. Join Nick as he deals with government bureaucracy, infrastructure failures, severe weather, law enforcement incidents, accidents, medical emergencies, wildlife encounters, and demanding customers. And that’s the easy stuff. The real challenges are employee issues and personalities. Nick is confronted with a power hungry clerk who’s not happy with all of the changes being made, a maintenance employee who’s on suspension for drinking and driving, a flirtatious female employee who desperately wants to get promoted, an angry union steward who is suspicious of everything management does, a cranky senior employee who thinks very highly of himself, and two park volunteers that have been breaking the law for years while working at the park.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hillcrest Media Group
• Release date: Apr 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781635050080

Book preview

you.

Prologue

Lake Mary State Park needed a manager. Tom Olson, the assistant manager for the past eleven years, had been appointed acting manager when Carl retired last fall. It was now May and the busy summer season was about to begin. Tom had interviewed for the manager position and in his mind he was the logical choice for the job. His many years of experience at the park and his familiarity with the community gave him an advantage over the other candidates.

Marsha Burns had been the clerk at Lake Mary State Park for twelve years. She was comfortable working with Tom and hoped that he would get the job. She did not want an outsider coming in and making changes. She liked things just the way they were.

The senior managers in the Division of Parks and Recreation kept the names of the candidates confidential. It was not against the rules to tell others that you were going to interview for a job but upper management was always tight-lipped regarding hiring choices. The grapevine was alive and well though, and speculation on new appointments was daily lunch time fodder. All of the park managers knew each other, and people talked, especially about job opportunities and promotions.

Lake Mary State Park was located one hundred miles south of the regional headquarters in Bemidji where 64 year old George Ferguson was the regional manager. Years of experience had taught George that hiring the right person for each position was critical to the success of the organization. George was looking for someone that would tackle issues head-on and get things done.

Interviews were conducted in early May. Twelve experienced park managers traded their uniforms for suits and ties and headed to St. Paul to interview as the world outside was transitioning from winter to summer.

Government interviews are cold and impersonal. Questions are asked and answered. There is no elaborating and no idle chatter. Just straight forward questions in a robotic fashion meant to be fair and impartial. After two grueling days of interviews final recommendations had been made to the Park Director. The Director had given George his approval to offer the job to the top candidate. George had made the offer and the job had been accepted. Now he was going down the list and calling all of the unsuccessful candidates. He hated this part of the job.

When the phone rang at Lake Mary State Park, Tom grabbed it with eager anticipation. This was the call that he had been waiting for. Tom thought that his interview had gone well, but he was still nervous. A trickle of sweat started in his left arm pit and slowly ran down his side leaving a damp trail on his uniform shirt. His heart was racing. He held his breath and listened intently as George Ferguson gave him the bad news.

Marsha was watching him carefully from her desk in the cramped office. She could tell from his expression that he was not going to be the next manager of Lake Mary State Park.

Tom hung up the phone delicately as if it was made of glass. He told Marsha that the job had been offered to a guy named Nick Stanich, currently the manager of a remote park in the northeast part of the state. His first day would be in early June.

This was not supposed to happen. Tom had been the de facto manager for more than nine months and they had chosen someone else. He got up from his chair, walked across the room, and went out the door, slamming it hard on his way out.

Chapter 1

Tuesday June 4, 1996 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.

Nick Stanich accepted the manager’s job at Lake Mary State Park without hesitation. After a discussion concerning the park’s budget, personnel, and deteriorating infrastructure George gave him one piece of advice. Figure out what needs to be done and do it.

The Division of Parks and Recreation encouraged employees who wanted to advance to move around the state park system to get a variety of experiences. This was move number seven for Nick and his family.

Moving was difficult. Spouses had to give up their jobs and community interests. Kids had to change schools and leave their friends. Park managers had to learn everything about a new park and park employees had to adjust to a new manager.

Lake Mary State Park was somewhat unique in that there was a permanent residence on site. Years ago nearly all of the parks had a residence where the park manager and his family lived. For a number of reasons that was no longer the case. Most park managers now lived outside of the park. The residence at Lake Mary State Park was only a block from the park office, but it was well screened by a small, thick stand of oak, aspen, and maple trees. Nick knew that there were good things and bad things about living in a state park residence. The good things included little or no rent and he could walk to work. The downside was that he was available to the staff and the public twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Nick, his wife Katie, and their twelve year old daughter Sara had spent all day yesterday unpacking and getting settled into their new house. This morning Nick decided to walk over to the office and meet some of the park staff. He didn’t bother to change into his uniform. Nick went out the sliding glass door onto the patio and walked down the gravel driveway to the garage. A foot path to the office wound its way through a small grassy area behind the garage before entering the woods. As Nick rounded the corner behind the garage a weasel scurried up onto a pile of old fence posts where it sat up on its hind legs and looked at Nick with nervous curiosity. The weasel was less than a foot long and had a chocolate brown coat with a white underbelly. Probably hunting in the woodpile, Nick thought to himself. Weasels ate rabbits, insects, mice, and even birds when they could catch them. Their brown summer coat turned to white in the winter months so it would blend in with the snowy environment. The weasel twitched back and forth then looked nervously at Nick one last time before it disappeared into a hole between the fence posts.

The first thing Nick saw when he came out of the woods across the road from the office was a huge red pop machine sitting right outside the front door. This certainly wasn’t his idea of what visitors should see as they entered a state park. He made a mental note to move it to a less obvious location. Nick walked across the road and up to the door. Just as he reached for the handle the door flew open and a heavy-set blonde woman in her mid-forties came charging out. She had a determined look on her face and a bundle of envelopes in her hand. She glared at Nick and headed for the mailbox at the edge of the curb.

Nick cautiously opened the door and walked in. A short lady in her early sixties, with flaming red-orange hair was waiting on a customer. Nick looked around the nature store with its collection of camping necessities, books, and souvenirs while he waited for her to finish.

When the customer left she smiled and asked, How can I help you?

Nick walked up to the counter and replied, I’m Nick Stanich.

Oh! You’re the new park manager! Come on in. My name’s Ella.

She opened the gate in the counter that separated the store from the office space and Nick walked into the small, crowded office. There were two government-issue gray metal desks against the far wall, a copy machine crammed into one corner, and a small bathroom towards the back. It was pretty dismal.

Your office is back here, Ella said cheerfully as she led the way into a second room.

Nick entered his new office and looked around. Another gray metal desk sat against one wall. Two dark green, scratched and dented file cabinets were squeezed into the corner on the left side of the desk. An old black phone hung on the wall next to the window on the right. Hanging on a nail next to the phone was a rusty clipboard with a bunch of papers jammed into it. To the right of the clipboard was a huge safe. There was a door with a window on the back wall. Nick walked over to the door and looked outside where he saw a small gravel parking lot and an old run-down outhouse. A few seconds later the front door opened and the blonde-haired woman that almost ran him over earlier came back into the office. She was wearing blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and a tan-colored polyester smock-type shirt that was the standard uniform of the office workers in the state park system. When she didn’t see Ella she called out, Ella, are you in the bathroom?

I’m back here, Ella responded with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

The blonde-haired woman walked into the back office and was surprised when she saw Nick.

What are you doing back here? she demanded.

Ella was just showing me around, Nick answered pleasantly.

She turned to Ella and said, You know that this part of the office is for staff only.

Ella smiled and said, I’d like you to meet Nick Stanich. Nick, this is Marsha Burns, the park clerk.

Nick Stanich … as in our new park manager? Marsha stammered.

That’s right, Ella replied with a chuckle, clearly enjoying the moment.

Marsha’s face turned deep red. Her expression shifted from anger to embarrassment.

I am so sorry. I didn’t know who you were. We don’t let the public back here where the safe is.

No harm done, Nick said as he extended his hand, I’m glad to meet you.

Marsha shook his hand and muttered, So much for making a good first impression.

The front door opened and several people walked in. Ella and Marsha went to help them. Nick sat down at his desk and pulled open the drawers where he found a few pencils, paper clips, and a small notepad. A few seconds later the back door opened and Tom Olson came in. Nick had met Tom at some statewide park meetings over the years, but didn’t know him well. He did know that Tom had interviewed for the manager job that Nick now held. Nick wasn’t sure what kind of reception he was going to get from Tom. They needed to have a private conversation soon.

Tom was an intimidating man. He stood six feet five inches tall, weighed over three hundred pounds, and was mostly bald. A thick gray moustache covered his upper lip and his huge belly strained the buttons of his uniform shirt. His left forearm bore a tattoo of a rattle snake, coiled in a striking pose. Its mouth was wide open and its fangs were dripping with red venom. The venom drops followed a line down his huge arm. At the end of the drops were the words Bite Me. His right forearm was adorned with another tattoo that read: Real Men Love Jesus.

Tom was carrying a fistful of expired camp cards that looked like bits of confetti in his enormous hand. He had just finished the morning campground check to see if anyone had come in after hours and wasn’t registered. This was a standard early morning task in every state park. Tom was surprised to see Nick sitting at the desk that he had formerly occupied.

Well, hi Nick, he growled with his deep baritone voice. He dropped the camp cards on the top of the safe, extended his hand, and said, I wasn’t expecting to see you right away this morning.

I just came over to get acquainted.

After a couple of seconds of awkward silence Tom said, I’m going down to the shop. Do you want to come along?

No thanks. I want to get settled in first. I would like to meet with you and Marsha later though, if you have time.

I’ll have time in an hour or two.

The phone rang. Marsha appeared and asked, Are you going to get that?

Uh … no, go ahead.

Nick stood up and moved out of the way.

Marsha grabbed the phone and sat down at Nick’s desk. Tom went out the back door.

When Marsha hung up Nick asked, Is that the only phone in the office?

Yes it is.

Why isn’t there a phone in the front office?

Carl was very strict about who used the phone and what it was used for.

Hmmm … we may need to discuss that. I’d like to have a meeting with you and Tom this morning. What time would work best for you?

I need to get the bank deposit ready first. How about ten?

Ten will be fine.

The phone rang again. Marsha sat down at Nick’s desk and answered it so Nick walked over to the back door and looked outside. A shiny black Lincoln Continental was parked in the employee lot. Next to it was a green park pickup. A big man dressed in bright red shorts, a blue and orange Hawaiian shirt, and leather sandals had two female maintenance employees backed up against the park truck. He was yelling and waving his hands all around. Nick started to open the door when the big man abruptly turned and walked towards the office. The two employees walked over to the outhouse with a broom and a bucket of cleaning supplies. Four rolls of toilet paper were stacked on the broom handle.

Marsha had gone back to her office so Nick sat down at his desk.

The big man stormed through the front door and marched up to the counter. His face was the same color as his ridiculous shorts and he was sweating profusely.

Ella greeted him in her sweetest voice, Good morning Mr. Henderson.

Good morning, my ass. I spent last night in site 22. Why didn’t you put me in site 24? I always get site 24, you know that.

Ella was a seasoned parks worker and not easily intimidated. It looked like she was trying to hold back a smile as she said, Site 22 is a wonderful campsite.

There isn’t enough room on site 22 for three tents. I want you to get those people out of my site and I want you to do it now!

There’s plenty of room for two tents on that site.

I didn’t say two tents. I said there wasn’t room for three tents.

Now, now, Mr. Henderson, you know that the park rules don’t allow for three tents on one site.

That’s a stupid rule and you know it.

Everyone has to go by the rules. You’ve been coming here long enough to know that.

Well, I have my granddaughter and my grandson with me this time. They are from two different families. They each need a tent and so do my wife and I.

Marsha walked over to the counter and asked, Did you make that information available to the clerk when you made your reservation?

I don’t make the reservations. My wife does.

If your wife would’ve given that information to the reservation clerk you could’ve rented two sites side by side. Then you’d have room for three tents.

Two sites, are you crazy? I’m not paying for two sites just so I can put up three tents.

You know the rules Mr. Henderson.

This is bullshit. I want to talk to the manager!

Nick was listening from his office. Actually, he was watching it too since the previous manager had installed a one-way mirror in front of his desk that provided a full view of the nature store and front counter.

Marsha came into his office and said, We could use your help out here.

As Nick and Marsha walked up to the front counter the two maintenance employees came in the front door and stood silently behind Mr. Henderson.

Marsha introduced Nick by saying, This is Nick Stanich, the park manager.

Mr. Henderson looked at Nick and said, You’re not the park manager. You’re not even wearing a uniform. I know the park manager. He’s an old guy with glasses and a crew cut. What the hell are you trying to pull?

Carl retired last fall. I’m the new park manager. How can I help you? Nick replied.

You can help me by getting the real park manager out here, that’s what you can do.

Like I said, Carl retired and I’m the park manager now.

You need to kick those people out of campsite 24. I’m going to be here for the next ten days and I’m going to be in that site!

I heard the entire conversation that you just had with Ella and Marsha. It seems pretty clear to me that site 24 is not available.

I always get site 24 and this year isn’t going to be any different.

It sounds to me like site 22 is a nice site and has room for two tents. We don’t allow more than two tents on any site. You’ve been told that already, so moving to site 24 wouldn’t make any difference.

Weren’t you listening? My granddaughter and my grandson are with me. They are from separate families. You aren’t going to force them to sleep in the same tent.

We don’t make sleeping arrangements here. It’s your decision who sleeps in what tent.

Tom had come in the back door and had overheard the last few minutes of this conversation. He had dealt with Mr. Henderson for many years and was tired of his demands and superior attitude. He really wanted a piece of this action, but wasn’t sure if he should interrupt Nick. Finally he made a decision and walked out of the back office and up to the front counter. When Ella and Marsha saw him they quickly moved out of his way. So did Nick.

Mr. Henderson was a big man and not easily intimidated. Tom was bigger and he had reached the boiling point. He leaned over the counter until his face was just inches from Mr. Henderson’s. Then in a move that was astonishingly quick for a big man Tom slammed his open hand down on the counter so hard that it sounded like a bomb had exploded. Everyone jumped. Mr. Henderson stepped back with surprise. Tom straightened up and said in a calm and forceful tone, Mr. Henderson, if you don’t like your campsite you can pack up and leave. This conversation is over. Now get out of this office!

Mr. Henderson started to say something, thought better of it, then turned and walked to the door. He grabbed the handle, looked back at Tom and said, This isn’t over. I know people. Then he left.

The younger of the two maintenance employees came around the counter, walked up to Tom, gave him a big hug and said, I love it when you act tough!

Tom mumbled a soft thanks then walked back to his desk and collapsed into the chair.

Nick looked at Tom and said, That was interesting.

Tom nodded, Sorry, I should’ve let you handle it, but this guy gets under my skin.

No problem. I appreciate the help.

He does know people. We’ll be getting a call.

I’ll be happy to take it.

The maintenance employee that had hugged Tom puffed out her chest and strutted around the room saying, You’re not the real park manager. I want to see the real park manager.

Then she walked up to Nick, extended her hand, and said, Hi, I’m Mindy and this is Barb. We’re the maintenance crew today.

Nick immediately noticed three things about Mindy. First, she was about thirty years old. Second, she had a twinkle in her eye that looked like trouble. And third, she had huge breasts. The top three buttons on her shirt were open, allowing for a clear view of her ample cleavage. Nick could see her lacey bra and a lot of skin. She noticed him looking and giggled.

Nick liked people that told it like it was, and he could see that Mindy didn’t hold back. If she had something to say, she was going to say it. Nick shook her hand and said, I’m Nick Stanich. I am the real park manager and I hope all of the customers here aren’t like this guy.

Barb said, Don’t mind Mr. Hemorrhoid. He’s been a pain-in-the-ass here for years. Barb was in her late thirties. She had dark shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, and a pretty face.

Smiling at the nickname for Mr. Henderson, Nick replied, Sounds like you’ve dealt with this guy before.

We all have, both in the office and in the field. He’s used to getting his way.

Mindy broke into the conversation and said, Come on Barb, we need to check the lift stations. One of them has been acting up.

Nick knew that they were referring to the sewer lift stations. They were an essential part of the park’s infrastructure and needed constant monitoring. He would take a look at them later.

Before Barb and Mindy left Nick said, I’d like to meet with both of you sometime soon. When would be a good time?

Mindy replied, Why don’t you come down to the shop at noon?

How about 12:30? I don’t want to interrupt your lunch.

OK, that works.

Barb and Mindy gathered the office trash and went out the back door.

Nick turned to Tom and said, I’m going home to put my uniform on. I’ll be back at ten to meet with you and Marsha.

Chapter 2

Tuesday June 4th 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.

Nick grew up in north central Minnesota, hunting and fishing whenever possible. He would come home from school each day in the fall, change clothes, grab a gun, and head out in the woods to hunt grouse, squirrels, or rabbits. When duck season opened, he would spend evenings and weekends jump shooting on the backwaters of the Mississippi River or waiting in a blind for the flocks of ducks to fly over his decoys. Starting in late October, Nick would run a trap line, where he caught muskrats, mink, and raccoon. Deer hunting in the November firearm season was a sacred family tradition for Nick and his brothers. They would spend days in late October and early November scouting, building deer stands, cutting shooting lanes, sighting in their rifles, and getting all of their gear ready for the biggest hunt of the year. After deer season when the weather got colder and the lakes froze over Nick and his brothers would drag the fish house out on to the ice where they would spend their winter weekends angling for crappies and spearing northern pike. When the ice melted in the spring and the crappies moved up into the shallows to spawn, Nick and his brothers would take the boat out to their favorite crappie hole to catch huge slabs by the dozens. The first day of walleye season on the second Saturday of May was considered the official fishing opener. This highly anticipated event was second only to the opening day of deer season. Nick spent his summers fishing walleyes, bass, sunfish, and trout in the many lakes that dotted the landscape near his home.

When he was sixteen years old and a junior in high school Nick decided that he wanted to work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Nick figured as a DNR employee he would get to spend a lot of time working with the things that he loved. After high school, Nick went to college where he studied forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and parks. He was fortunate to get a job with the DNR a few months after he graduated. Now, twenty years later he was the manager of Lake Mary State Park.

Nick was 42 years old and had been happily married to his wife Katie for fifteen years. They were delighted when their daughter Sara was born twelve years ago. Nick loved being a father. He spent as much time with Sara as he possibly could. They would go on hikes and catch turtles, frogs, butterflies, and bugs of all kinds. After studying the critters for a few minutes they would let them go. Nick would quiz Sara on tree, flower, and bird identification. She learned to identify trees by their bark, leaves, and general shape. Sara knew many of the woodland and prairie wildflowers and she could identify birds by sight, song, and flight patterns. Her favorite bird was the Chickadee. She loved how happy and appreciative the little bird seemed when it came to the bird feeder and picked up one sunflower seed at a time, flew away to eat it, and then came back for another. Nick and Sara perfected the chickadee whistle, a three note song with one high and two low notes, and used it to find each other in shopping malls and other crowded places. It was their special call and was a part of their very special father-daughter bond.

Nick walked into the park residence and waded through the cardboard boxes to the kitchen where he found Katie. She handed him a glass of iced tea as he pulled a chair out from the table, sat down and asked, How’s the unpacking going?

Really good, we’ve had a lot of practice.

Yes you have. I’m sorry for dragging you and Sara all over the state.

I understand that we have to move when you get promoted, but Sara is almost a teenager now and I’m hoping we don’t have to move again.

I meant it when I said we won’t move again until Sara has graduated from high school.

Nick and Katie had agreed when they got married that they would follow Nick’s career wherever it took them. Since then Katie had given up three good jobs without complaining. Nick was thankful for that. Sometimes it wasn’t easy to be married to a park ranger.

Sara yelled from the other room, Are you guys talking about me?

Nick was always amazed that kids could hear what their parents were talking about even when they weren’t in the same room. It was like a sixth sense they possessed.

Sara bounced into the kitchen, full of energy and excitement. She was tall, slender, and had blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles, all traits she inherited from her mother. Sara was very outgoing and enjoyed meeting new people and going to new places.

She smiled and said, Hi dad.

Nick loved being called dad. It was the sweetest word in the world to him when it came from his daughter’s lips.

Hi sweetheart, he replied.

Mom and I are going shopping after breakfast. I’m going to get a new swimming suit.

Lake Mary State Park had a very nice beach that was within walking distance of the house.

Great, I’m sure it will be a one-piece, right?

Sara rolled her eyes and said, That sounds like a dad question.

Nick smiled and said, Come over here and give me a hug.

No way! she replied as she skipped out of the kitchen.

How’s it going at the office? Katie asked.

I met some of the employees this morning and got into a minor confrontation with a camper.

Katie raised an eyebrow and asked, Really?

Yeah, apparently he is a regular here. Some of the employees call him Mr. Hemorrhoid.

Katie wrinkled up her nose and said, That’s an awful name.

He seemed like a guy that’s used to getting his way. I don’t think we’ve heard the last from him.

Katie knew that sometimes people called the Governor’s Office or the Commissioner’s Office when they didn’t get what they wanted. After a series of phone calls from one government office to another the complaints usually ended up on the field operation manager’s desk in the St. Paul DNR office. That person usually called the park manager to get the other side of the story.

Changing the subject Katie said, What would you like for breakfast?

How about an egg-in-the-hole?

I’ll make a fruit plate if you want to make the eggs.

Egg-in-the-hole was something Nick had been eating since he was a kid. It consisted of a slice of bread with a hole cut out of the center. An egg was fried in the cut out hole. It was egg and toast all in one.

They talked about their plans for the day over breakfast and agreed to have dinner at five.

Chapter 3

Tuesday June 4th 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M.

After Nick changed into his uniform of green pants, a tan colored shirt with a badge and a name plate, black shoes, and a black cap with DNR embroidered on it, he grabbed a box of supplies and went back to the office. As he approached the back door he noticed there was a picnic table under a maple tree about twenty feet from the building. Nick guessed that the staff used it to get outside on their breaks. He went in and put the box down on the floor next to his desk. Ella was waiting on a customer and Marsha was busy at her desk.

Nick took the clipboard off the wall near the phone and thumbed through the curled and wrinkled forms. They contained a record of all of the long distance phone calls for the last six months. He knew that some of the older managers had an issue with long distance phone calls because of the associated costs. Nick felt that phones should be used as necessary to conduct the parks business. He had no intention of keeping track of his long distance calls and saw no need for the staff to waste their time on this menial task.

The back door opened and Tom walked in. Five minutes later Nick, Tom, and Marsha were seated at the picnic table under the maple tree. Tom had his gray plastic lunch pail, a beat up old Stanley thermos, and a notebook with him. Marsha had a notebook and some files. Tom and Marsha sat on one side of the picnic table. Nick sat on the other.

Tom twisted the cup off his thermos and put it down on the table. Then he removed the stopper and filled the cup with steaming hot coffee. Next he opened his lunch box and pulled out a sandwich bag that contained two powdered sugar donuts. Trying not to spill any of the powdered sugar he gently removed one of the donuts from the bag using his thumb and middle finger. When he took the first bite the powdered sugar coated his moustache and rained down on the front of his shirt. He brushed it away and took another bite.

Nick started the meeting by saying, I’d like to take some time this morning to talk a little bit about ourselves.

I’d like that, Marsha responded enthusiastically.

Tom mumbled something unintelligible through his mouthful of doughnut.

Is there anything either one of you would like to say before we get started?

Marsha replied again, I may have to go into the office from time to time to help Ella if she gets busy.

That won’t be a problem.

Tom finished his doughnut, drained the last of the coffee from his cup, and asked, How about if I go first?

Great, Nick replied.

I grew up in southern Minnesota, in the small town of Luverne. After high school I went to the community college in Ely where I studied Forestry, Parks, and Wildlife. After graduation I got my first DNR job with the Division of Forestry in Baudette. I liked the work, but not the swarms of mosquitos that seemed to be everywhere. I’d been working there for just over a year when the assistant manager job at Forestville opened up. I interviewed and when they offered me the job I took it. I worked there for six years until I got the job here at Lake Mary. Last year my wife and I decided to move out of the park so we bought some land a few miles from here and built a house. When I’m not working I’m either riding my Harley or playing golf.

Nick looked at Marsha and said, Your turn.

"I grew up in southern Minnesota too, near Marshall. I went to college there and got a teaching degree. I taught for a few years but decided that wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I met a nice man, got married, bought some land on a small lake a few miles from here and built a house. That was twenty years ago. I’ve worked here for the last twelve years.

Tell me about your job duties.

Basically, I’m in charge of the office operations and the nature store. In the summer months a big part of my job is to count the money that comes in each day and prepare the bank deposits. I also pay the bills and keep track of the budget. In addition to that I order the merchandise for the nature store, provide direction to the office staff, and wait on customers as needed.

Speaking of the budget, do we have enough money to make it to the end of the fiscal year?

It looks pretty good right now. We have almost two thousand dollars left in discretionary funds.

Ella poked her head out the back door and asked Marsha if she could help her for a few minutes.

When Marsha was gone Nick said, Do we need to clear the air about me getting the manager’s job here?

Tom was quiet for a few moments as he paused and poured another cup of coffee. Then he said, To tell you the truth, I’m a little pissed off about not getting the job. I thought things were going just fine here since Carl retired. My plan was to get promoted to manager and then hire an assistant. It didn’t work out the way I had envisioned it.

I appreciate your honesty. The way I see it we need to work together to manage the park. Your knowledge of the park operation and the community is extremely valuable. I plan to seek your input on all of the important issues and decisions. When I’m not here you’ll have complete authority to make any and all decisions.

That sounds fair enough.

Marsha came out of the office, sat down at the picnic table, and asked, Did I miss anything?

No, we were just shooting the breeze, Tom replied.

Nick gave Tom and Marsha each of copy of his resume and asked them to read it. When they were done he said, As you can see I’ve worked for the DNR for twenty years. I was the assistant manager at three parks and the manager at three other parks prior to coming here.

Marsha looked up from her copy of the resume and said, I’ve been getting questions from the staff about you. Would it be okay if I shared your resume with them?

Absolutely, I’d like it to be available to all of the employees.

Are you going to be making a lot of changes?

Every manager has his own way of doing things. I’m sure that there are going to be some changes.

Carl is the only manager that most of us have worked for. We’re used to doing things the way he wanted them done.

Tom spoke up, We could use some changes around here, starting with a new office.

I don’t know if we’ll start with that, but that’s certainly one of the things that we need to change, Nick replied.

There’s supposed to be some remodeling money available, but I think we should tear this one down and build a new one.

I agree. I’ll talk to George about it when I get a chance.

Good.

Another thing I’d like to change is the phone system.

What’s wrong with the phone system? Marsha asked.

One phone is not enough for a park this size.

That’s for damn sure, Tom said.

Nick turned to Tom and said, I’d like you to purchase four new phones as soon as possible. We should have a phone at your desk, Marsha’s desk, and at the front counter. The one by my desk should be replaced so it matches the others.

Tom sat straight up and said, Consider it done. It’s about time we dealt with this issue.

Nick turned to Marsha and said, I’d like you to call the phone company and tell them we want three more lines to the office.

Do we need to get permission from someone first?

I’ll take care of that.

OK, I’ll make the call.

How long have you been keeping a record of the long distance phone calls?

As long as I’ve worked here.

What do you do with them?

I put them in a file.

Does anyone ever ask to see them?

Carl was the only one that ever looked at them.

Do you think it’s necessary to keep these records?

No, the same information is on the phone bill.

We’re going to stop it immediately then. It’s a waste of time.

Can we do that?

Most parks stopped keeping records of long distance phone calls years ago.

I thought it was a requirement of some kind.

It used to be. It’s not anymore. I’d like you to take the clipboard down and put all of the call logs in storage. If anyone asks for them let me know.

Good riddance, Tom said gruffly.

How often did you have staff meetings when Carl was here? Nick asked.

We’ve never had a staff meeting, Marsha answered.

Do you think we should?

Absolutely! There’s a lot going on here, especially in the summer.

What do you think Tom?

I’d be in favor of a few staff meetings.

Nick changed the subject and asked, How long has that big red pop machine been right outside the office door?

Tom replied, Five years.

Can we move it to a less visible place?

What’s the matter with where it is?

I think it’s really obnoxious and gives the wrong first impression.

There’s an outlet on the west side of the office. It could be moved there.

That would be much better than where it is now.

I’ll have the maintenance crew move it tomorrow.

Good. Is there anything that either one of you would like to bring up before we end this meeting?

There is one thing, Marsha responded. A month ago we came up two hundred dollars short on one of the bank deposits. I’m sure that I counted the money right, but the bank called and said that there was a mistake. I checked and rechecked everything and didn’t find a problem on our end.

Has this ever happened before?

No.

What did the St. Paul office say about this?

They directed us to be present from now on when the deposit envelopes are opened at the bank.

How is the bank taking that?

They don’t like it because it really slows down their operation.

How do you feel about it?

I’m okay with it even though it’s kind of awkward when I go to the bank because it’s like we don’t trust them.

Do we?

I’ve known most of the bank employees for many years and I trust them. They do have two new employees that I don’t know very well. I’m not blaming them. I just don’t know where the money went.

Let’s monitor it for a while and see what happens.

OK.

Nick ended the meeting and went home to get his bike. He was going to ride around the park and take a look at things.

Chapter 4

Tuesday June 4th 11:00 A.M. to Noon

Nick owned a mountain bike with a rack on the back and a light on the front. On the rack was a canvas pack where he kept first aid supplies, park maps, a ticket book, and other items. There were a number of advantages to riding a bike around the park