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Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper August 2015 Page 21
Catoctin Mountain Park Superintendent Mel Poole Retires This Month — Continued from page 1
travel. Globally, it’s hard to keep from Mars,” because he described In 1984, he qualified as an public tour ticketing for visitors each
outside influences from impacting a landscape so different from interagency firefighter. For six years, morning until 9/11 ended that tour
the ecosystems that we’re trying to Poole’s coastal habitat. He also met he fought fires each summer and fall operation. It was a big milestone to
manage.” people from Texas, New York, New in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, open that facility because, even if
Raised in the Tidewater area of Hampshire, and Georgia, and learned Montana and California. Meanwhile, you couldn’t take a tour of the White
Virginia, and with deep family roots that there were even more parts of he progressed in grade and served House, you could now still have a
in coastal North Carolina, Poole America. He said, “I was going to as the Regional Fire Management White House experience. In June of
is one in a proud family of public see them all.” He then worked in a Officer for six months during which that year, Poole went to Shenandoah
servants. He said he knew he wanted Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) time he mobilized firefighter crews National Park to temporarily serve
to be a ranger from about age eight program in Norfolk, Virginia for from the mid-Atlantic area to as Public Information Officer on the
when he wrote his congressman and 3 years and went on to college at wherever forest fires were occurring incident team managing a double
asked for a job. He claims he was a Virginia Tech where he earned a across the continental United States. homicide investigation. This case
typical suburban kid who, in junior degree in horticulture by way of In 1989, he was detailed to Kodiak, was later featured on America’s Most
high, wandered into the woods in his forestry and landscape architecture. Alaska, to help clean up the Exxon Wanted.
neighborhood where he discovered He accepted his first job within Valdez Oil spill. He said, “That Poole finished at President’s
life and wonder which further the NPS in 1978 as a gardener in was interesting because I thought Park in 1997 and moved to
fueled his interest in nature. He then the White House Green house. Denver’s mountains were big. It’s Catoctin Mountain Park. He’s
climbed the ranks of Scouts as a President Carter was in the White double that in Alaska.” His oil spill been at Catoctin since March
Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer, House at that time. Later, working expertise would again be put to the 1997, leaving briefly in 2006 to
spending his time completing tasks with National Capital Parks-East, test when he was assigned to the BP serve as Superintendent at George
to earn outdoor conservation merit a management unit based in D.C., oil spill along the Gulf Coast in 2010. Washington Memorial Parkway,
badges. he gained experience with hard- Before accepting the and again in 2009 to serve as acting
He was fortunate, at age 14, core urban parks, but also worked Superintendent job at Catoctin Superintendent at Gettysburg
to attend the National Boy Scout on a portion of the Potomac River Mountain Park, Poole was the Park National Military Park.
Conservation Camp where he and historic sites where he worked Manager at President’s Park in His milestones at Catoctin include
spent time building trails and with with vegetation management and Washington D.C. — ground zero work on President Clinton’s Middle
professors from Rutgers University cultural landscapes. It was here and for First Amendment activity in East Summit, and President Obama’s
who taught conservation. Poole said, along the Anacostia River that he Lafayette Park and lineups for White G8 Summit, and Gulf Coast Summit.
“I ate it up! I absolutely loved it.” worked oil spills first as a Hazardous House public tours. He helped at In 2008 the park conducted a 2-day
From a tent mate who was from Materials Specialist for the park and seven Easter Egg Rolls, seven White search operation that successfully
Pennsylvania, Poole learned about then at the regional level. This work, House Christmas Tree Lightings, recovered a lost 81year-old woman.
the varying wild life and terrain in along with firefighting and water and two Presidential Inaugurations. Upon retirement, he is planning
Pennsylvania. He said he felt the fowl hunting management, made for Poole literally watched history being some genealogy research, some doing
camp mate, “might as well have been exciting daily adventures. made every day during his time in of nothing, and a visit to a lifesaving
Presidents Park. station on the Outer Banks in North
A career highlight for Poole Carolina, where three of his cousins
occurred in 1992 when then First were keepers, to volunteer.
Lady Barbara Bush requested that Poole and his wife, Candy, will
the National Park Service provide continue to reside in Thurmont.
a White House tour for every Their son, Joshua, is currently
fourth grader in Washington, D.C. serving in the Marine Corps,
Poole handed a script to rangers stationed at New River Air Station in
who greeted school children at Jacksonville, North Carolina Their
the Northwest Gate where, every daughter, Lauren, recently graduated
Wednesday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 from Penn State and landed a job
p.m., fourth graders entered the as page designer for a newspaper in
White House through the front door North Carolina.
on the North Portico. These kids
witnessed daily business and history Play Our Games!
of the nation as they moved through Go to page 5 to play our games. You
the White House on their tours. He could win a gift certiicate to one of our
said, “It was a great school year for advertisers!
them, and a great experience for all
the NPS rangers!”
In 1994, a new visitor pavilion
was built on the Ellipse at President’s Get reSultS!
Park to replace a kiosk where Poole
and his park rangers worked. It was AdvertISe IN...
complete with new bathrooms for
visitors and a first aid room where tHe CAtOCtIN
rangers could treat minor visitor BANNer!
injuries. He said, “We saw that as
a quantum leap forward.” In April Full Color, Affordable,
1995, Poole helped to open the
White House Visitor Center across & Effective
the street at 1450 Pennsylvania
Avenue. In addition to high quality local Advertising
exhibits on White House history and for Your business!
a retail store staffed by the White Call 301-447-2804 or email
House Historical Association, the [email protected]
National Park Service provided
Catoctin Mountain Park Superintendent Mel Poole Retires This Month — Continued from page 1
travel. Globally, it’s hard to keep from Mars,” because he described In 1984, he qualified as an public tour ticketing for visitors each
outside influences from impacting a landscape so different from interagency firefighter. For six years, morning until 9/11 ended that tour
the ecosystems that we’re trying to Poole’s coastal habitat. He also met he fought fires each summer and fall operation. It was a big milestone to
manage.” people from Texas, New York, New in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, open that facility because, even if
Raised in the Tidewater area of Hampshire, and Georgia, and learned Montana and California. Meanwhile, you couldn’t take a tour of the White
Virginia, and with deep family roots that there were even more parts of he progressed in grade and served House, you could now still have a
in coastal North Carolina, Poole America. He said, “I was going to as the Regional Fire Management White House experience. In June of
is one in a proud family of public see them all.” He then worked in a Officer for six months during which that year, Poole went to Shenandoah
servants. He said he knew he wanted Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) time he mobilized firefighter crews National Park to temporarily serve
to be a ranger from about age eight program in Norfolk, Virginia for from the mid-Atlantic area to as Public Information Officer on the
when he wrote his congressman and 3 years and went on to college at wherever forest fires were occurring incident team managing a double
asked for a job. He claims he was a Virginia Tech where he earned a across the continental United States. homicide investigation. This case
typical suburban kid who, in junior degree in horticulture by way of In 1989, he was detailed to Kodiak, was later featured on America’s Most
high, wandered into the woods in his forestry and landscape architecture. Alaska, to help clean up the Exxon Wanted.
neighborhood where he discovered He accepted his first job within Valdez Oil spill. He said, “That Poole finished at President’s
life and wonder which further the NPS in 1978 as a gardener in was interesting because I thought Park in 1997 and moved to
fueled his interest in nature. He then the White House Green house. Denver’s mountains were big. It’s Catoctin Mountain Park. He’s
climbed the ranks of Scouts as a President Carter was in the White double that in Alaska.” His oil spill been at Catoctin since March
Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer, House at that time. Later, working expertise would again be put to the 1997, leaving briefly in 2006 to
spending his time completing tasks with National Capital Parks-East, test when he was assigned to the BP serve as Superintendent at George
to earn outdoor conservation merit a management unit based in D.C., oil spill along the Gulf Coast in 2010. Washington Memorial Parkway,
badges. he gained experience with hard- Before accepting the and again in 2009 to serve as acting
He was fortunate, at age 14, core urban parks, but also worked Superintendent job at Catoctin Superintendent at Gettysburg
to attend the National Boy Scout on a portion of the Potomac River Mountain Park, Poole was the Park National Military Park.
Conservation Camp where he and historic sites where he worked Manager at President’s Park in His milestones at Catoctin include
spent time building trails and with with vegetation management and Washington D.C. — ground zero work on President Clinton’s Middle
professors from Rutgers University cultural landscapes. It was here and for First Amendment activity in East Summit, and President Obama’s
who taught conservation. Poole said, along the Anacostia River that he Lafayette Park and lineups for White G8 Summit, and Gulf Coast Summit.
“I ate it up! I absolutely loved it.” worked oil spills first as a Hazardous House public tours. He helped at In 2008 the park conducted a 2-day
From a tent mate who was from Materials Specialist for the park and seven Easter Egg Rolls, seven White search operation that successfully
Pennsylvania, Poole learned about then at the regional level. This work, House Christmas Tree Lightings, recovered a lost 81year-old woman.
the varying wild life and terrain in along with firefighting and water and two Presidential Inaugurations. Upon retirement, he is planning
Pennsylvania. He said he felt the fowl hunting management, made for Poole literally watched history being some genealogy research, some doing
camp mate, “might as well have been exciting daily adventures. made every day during his time in of nothing, and a visit to a lifesaving
Presidents Park. station on the Outer Banks in North
A career highlight for Poole Carolina, where three of his cousins
occurred in 1992 when then First were keepers, to volunteer.
Lady Barbara Bush requested that Poole and his wife, Candy, will
the National Park Service provide continue to reside in Thurmont.
a White House tour for every Their son, Joshua, is currently
fourth grader in Washington, D.C. serving in the Marine Corps,
Poole handed a script to rangers stationed at New River Air Station in
who greeted school children at Jacksonville, North Carolina Their
the Northwest Gate where, every daughter, Lauren, recently graduated
Wednesday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 from Penn State and landed a job
p.m., fourth graders entered the as page designer for a newspaper in
White House through the front door North Carolina.
on the North Portico. These kids
witnessed daily business and history Play Our Games!
of the nation as they moved through Go to page 5 to play our games. You
the White House on their tours. He could win a gift certiicate to one of our
said, “It was a great school year for advertisers!
them, and a great experience for all
the NPS rangers!”
In 1994, a new visitor pavilion
was built on the Ellipse at President’s Get reSultS!
Park to replace a kiosk where Poole
and his park rangers worked. It was AdvertISe IN...
complete with new bathrooms for
visitors and a first aid room where tHe CAtOCtIN
rangers could treat minor visitor BANNer!
injuries. He said, “We saw that as
a quantum leap forward.” In April Full Color, Affordable,
1995, Poole helped to open the
White House Visitor Center across & Effective
the street at 1450 Pennsylvania
Avenue. In addition to high quality local Advertising
exhibits on White House history and for Your business!
a retail store staffed by the White Call 301-447-2804 or email
House Historical Association, the [email protected]
National Park Service provided
