Entrance free to
national parks Aug. 25
The National Park Service turns 97 Aug. 25. To celebrate Founder’s Day, entrance is free to all 401 national parks in America, including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.
A schedule of free ranger-led programs and guided hikes is posted by 9:30 a.m. daily outside Kilauea Visitor Center.
Free-entry days are also scheduled for Sept. 28 for National Public Lands Day, the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States; and Nov. 9 to 11, Veterans Day Weekend.
Space Foundation accepting achievement award nominations
The Space Foundation is accepting nominations for its highest honor, the annual General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award. The deadline to submit a nomination is Sept. 30. Awards will be presented in May 2014 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Honoring its late, longtime chairman, Gen. James E. Hill, USAF, Ret., the award recognizes outstanding individuals who distinguished themselves through lifetime contributions to humankind through exploration, development and use of space, or through use of space technology, information or resources in academic, cultural, industrial or other pursuits of broad benefit to humanity.
The 2013 award was presented posthumously to two former NASA astronauts: Neil A. Armstrong and Sally K. Ride.
Any person may nominate a candidate for the award, with the exception that individuals may not nominate themselves.
The nomination criteria must meet at least two of the following measures: significantly advanced the state-of-the-art of space technology, significantly advanced humankind’s understanding of space or space technology, significantly contributed to public understanding of, or support for, space endeavors, significantly and positively shaped governmental policy toward space, effectively interpreted, through visual or other communicative arts, the majesty and importance of space, effectively provided — by management, advocacy or design — significant, enduring or crucial space systems or infrastructure or effectively employed space technologies, research systems, or space-derived data to improve the human condition through the artistic, scientific or humanistic endeavor.
The mission of the Space Foundation is “to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity.” Nominees must exemplify the Space Foundation mission by meeting at least three of the following criteria: has written or published papers, textbooks, articles, relating to the exploration, development or utilization of space, or has spoken in public forums such as conferences and symposia, has been active in promoting and disseminating information about space exploration, development or utilization through any medium, has been active with nonspace-related groups — whether professional, fraternal, industrial, academic or community based — resulting in a transfer of space knowledge to other professions or groups, has been active in community or public service not related to normal job responsibilities, has volunteered or otherwise contributed significant or extended effort on behalf of the Space Foundation and its mission.
Submit a nomination to Elliot Pulham, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation, 4425 Arrowswest Drive, Colorado Springs, CO. 80907.
Questions may be directed to Space Foundation Vice President for Human Resources and Administration Kathleen Vinson at kvinson@spacefoundation.org.
