The Selling of Yosemite

When I was a kid, my dad used to take us to Candlestick Park to watch the Giants, and Kezar Stadium to see the 49ers.  Later, we’d go to the Oakland Coliseum to watch the A’s play.  They weren’t called Pamper’s Candlestick Park, or Trojan Kezar Pavilion, or Oracle Coliseum (not at that time anyway).  Ah, but corporate money speaks volumes, and thus the AT&T Parks, and Staples Centers, and Coors Fields have bought off the great sporting venues just for the right to have their names plastered on the sides of stadiums and blurted out by sportscasters happy to hype the absurd like Vivint Smart Home Arena (Google it).

But now, Wall Street behemoths have gone WAY TOO FAR in their zest for greed at the expense of the public domain.  Delaware North, which calls itself a “Hospitality management” company, is being downright inhospitable in a power grab over one of America’s great treasures.  Delaware North (also known as DNC), which has operated the concessions at Yosemite National Park since 1993, lost the contract to competitor Aramark.  And, in a nasty snit, DNC has told the US Government, in other words, you and me, that it will sue us because it doesn’t want anybody else to use the iconic names of Yosemite landmarks they had a temporary contract to operate … unless we pay Delaware North more than 50-million dollars.  

That means there will be no more summer camp outs at Curry Village, no more grand hiking trips out of Wawona Hotel, no more skiing at Badger Pass, and the worst of it all, no more gourmet dinners or royal accommodations at the majestic Ahwahnee Hotel.  Yep, in not so many words, Delaware North says “screw you,” if we can’t continue to run those historic facilities in Yosemite, then no one else can, at least under their original names dating back nearly a century.  When we leave, says Delaware, we’re claiming those names are ours and if you want them, you’ll have to pay us for them.  What a bunch of bastards!

In order to avoid paying the absurd extortion to DNC, the federal government has announced it will change the names of all those facilities.  This would save us taxpayers millions, but at the same time, result in the loss of historic identities for some of America’s most prized possessions.  Opened in 1927, the Ahwahnee is a national Historic Landmark and on the US register of National Historic Places.  It has served Presidents and queens and shahs.  But more importantly, it has served the average person.  As of March 1, The Ahwahnee will no longer exist.  Nor will Curry Village or Wawona.  All because of the outrageous greed of Delaware North.

The new names don’t matter.  They actually sound like something the Hilton or Marriott or Hyatt would come up with for prestige properties they own.  They are randomly generic and do little to reflect the ethnic and cultural identities that forever have been associated with Yosemite. 

Are they permanent?  Perhaps not. As Scott Gediman, a longtime Yosemite ranger, public spokesman, and all around good guy told the Fresno Bee, “If there is a resolution to the current dispute, it’s the park service’s intention to retain the original names.”  

So how can we get a resolution. Public backlash may have something to do with it.  Already, it has been severe against Delaware North.  I have made my opinion known to them. And if you’re pissed off at them for their anti-American tactics, feel free to let them know what you think as well.  Here is the link to their “comments” page.

http://www.delawarenorth.com/contact-us/contact-us-form

While the facilities at Yosemite are not yet being named for corporate sponsors (so far there won’t be a Comcast Majestic Hotel or a Netflix Motor Inn), the mere thievery by Delaware North of historic property names should be enough to entice many to shove the directors of Delaware North off the face of Half Dome, and take with them their greedy money grubbing hands they are trying to stick into each one of our pockets.