August 22
The Redwood Alliance, a pro environmental group, releases balloons near the updraft of the cooling tower of the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Plant in Eureka, California while research the airborne drift of radioactive steam emissions. A broken balloon and card are found, the following day on the south face of Wizard Island, near the top of the cone, by a Park visitor. The balloon and card are turned over to Ranger Larry Smith who mails the card back to Eureka.
August 29
Patrol Ranger Alice Siebecker attempts to stop a slightly speeding, 1982 Volvo on the South Entrance Road. The driver refuses to stop and Alice gives chase. As Alice’s patrol car comes up from behind, the Volvo suddenly explodes, runs off the road, flies through the air and hits a pumice embankment 500 feet from the road. The driver, Amdris Merzejuskis, a German national, is instantly killed. The body remained in the wrecked car for four hours while the Jackson County Sheriff bomb squad and the F.B.I. check the car over for hidden explosives. The explosion was a military type of hand grenade which was being held in Merzdjuskis’s hand at the time of explosion. The German’s left hand was blown off, along with the victim’s face. Found during a search of the car was a knife, and a pistol, both stored in the driver’s door and a rifle was found in the trunk. Also found was several sets of identifications, all false, and two California license plates. The Volvo had been stolen from a car rental company out of San Diego, California. Merzejuskis is wanted in Texas for drug smuggling charges and had served time in federal prison. Amdris had either planned to use the grenade against the Park Ranger and had accidentally dropped the device or he used the grenade to commitsuicide. Alice leaves the Park Service and returns to her former career of violin making.
August 31
The Federal Government agrees to settle out of court a $90,000 law suit filed against the government by former Lodge owner, Ralph Peyton stemming from the 1975 sewer/water problems. Peyton claimed that he had already paid out $81,989 in judgments to Park visitors who had either stayed or eaten at the Lodge and that he had paid out an additional $35,525 in legal fees. By now 76 claims have been settled and two more cases are still under arbitration.
Summer
Dr. Charles Bacon, USGS geologist publishes a summary of his 4 years of geologic study at Crater Lake titled, Eruptive History of Mt. Mazama, Cascade Range, U.S.A.
Don Morris, of the University of California, finds that the water visibility of Crater Lake is about two times clearer than the water of Lake Tahoe
September
Glen Happell, 68, General Manager for Crater Lake Lodge Company retires after working in the Park for 27 years.
September 8
Congress enacts Public Law 97-250 giving back 480 acres of the new Park additions to the Forest Service because of a previous timber sale on the land. The law also requires that the Secretary of the Interior is to promptly instigate studies to determine the status and trends of change in the water quality of Crater lake and to immediately implement action necessary to assure retention of the Lake’s natural pristine water quality. Every two years a report will be prepared, reporting the results of the studies. In anticipation of the Act’s passage, a 26 foot Monarch boat was purchased and launched on the Lake.
September 9
A 100 acre prescribed burn set in the Panhandle area.
Fall
A Klamath Indian shoots a cow elk in the Panhandle area.
October 20
Ron Dirigar, the Park’s new purchasing agent of only four days, found dead in Stone House #31. Dirigar apparently died of an epileptic seizure. Ron lived alone, except for his large dog.
December
Heavy snow and winds topple 191 trees onto the West Entrance Road.
Season
New park folder written and printed, replacing the 20 year old blue mini-folder.
949 Park visitors participate in the ranger led winter snow shoe hikes.
14,561 visitors ride the boats. 55 government seasonals working for the Park.
21 larceny theft incidents result in a loss of $9,109 to Park visitors.
Total revenue from the entrance station and campground operations amounts to $200,272.
1,748 snowmobiles enter the Park. Three lightning caused fires burn 127 acres.
Season Visitation: 484,283
