February 16, 2016 • Page 15 Aetrex - SAS - Double H - Justin February Clearance Entire Inventory 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% OFF Boston Shoes to Boots Socks With 312 W. 3rd • Yankton • 665-9092 Free Boots! Minnetonka - Red Wing Carolina - Wolverine shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com “WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB, I PUT THE CLASSIFIEDS TO WORK!” Our Help Wanted Listings Have Hundreds Of Opportunities For You... • Full-Time • Part-Time • Permanent • Temporary 319 Walnut • Yankton, SD 605.665.5884 Congratulations The UPS Store The Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors hosted a Ribbon Cutting for The UPS Store at their location, 3013 Broadway, Suite 8. Owners are Dennis Crowell and Doug Frederick is the Manager. The UPS Store offers: packing and shipping, postal services, private mailbox rental, full service printing, copying and document finishing, passport photos, secure shredding and computer time sharing. A notary is always on staff. The UPS Store is open Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 6:30 pm, Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and closed on Sundays. They can be reached at 605-689-3033 or check out their website at www.theupsstorelocal.com/6716 A Birthday Bash BY RANDY DOCKENDORF P randy.dockendorf@yankton.net ark Ranger Dugan Smith and his buddy, Roscoe, have been drawing attention lately. Smith works for the National Park Service (NPS), assigned to the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) headquartered in Yankton. Roscoe, a toy river otter, serves as mascot for the NPS centennial being celebrated this year. Together, they are promoting the NPS milestone, with a particular emphasis on the MNRR. The national park consists of 39- and 59-mile segments, running from Pickstown to Ponca, Nebraska, with the exception of Running Water to Gavins Point Dam near Yankton. The NPS will officially observe its 100th anniversary on Founder’s Day, Aug. 25. A program will be held at Riverside Park in Yankton, featuring musicians, artists and presentations. “We’ll also have a reenactor portraying President Theodore Roosevelt, who established the first national park and was a strong promoter of conservation,” Smith said. “Teddy Roosevelt visited Yankton twice, as vice president and then as president.” However, the celebration isn’t limited to Yankton, Smith said. Many other observances could be held up and down the river. The party — 100 years in the making — will truly represent a team effort, Smith said. “We’re coordinating what steps will be taken by the parks, communities, tourism and visitor centers up and down the river, from Pickstown to Ponca,” he said. “This will include state parks in South Dakota and Nebraska, Vermillion and Yankton officials, South Dakota tourism officials and tribes to talk about tourism and the events going on. Missouri National Recreational River Preps For The National Park Service’s Centennial Party We’re going to share our ideas and work together.” The year-long celebration will promote greater awareness of the National Park Service in general and the MNRR in particular. “The centennial theme is ‘Discover Your Parks,’” Smith said. “We want people to realize the beauty of the national parks and all there is to do. And we want to make people aware that the Missouri National Recreational River is a national park.” Many people, including lifelong residents, don’t fully realize the natural treasure that flows through their backyard, Smith said. “We want people to see this (river) as a resource and special place. We have this river run through much of the entire United States, and we have the very small part of it that’s still natural, unchannelized and pretty much what (explorers) Lewis and Clark saw when they passed through here two centuries ago.” MNRR Superintendent Rick Clark said his staff members work with agency-wide centennial plans. However, Clark also looks forward to local centennial events. The MNRR plays a special role in the national park system, he previously told the Press & Dakotan. “This is a great stretch of free-flowing river in your back yard,” he said. “It’s great to have our headquarters in Yankton.” While America’s park system has changed over the past century, the MNRR has maintained a three-part mission, Clark said. “We’re working to preserve, protect and promote the river,” he said. KELLY HERTZ/P&D National Park Service Ranger Dugan Smith stands next to the Missouri National Recreation River (MNRR) sign in front of the Yankton headquarters. The sign features the NPS centennial logo. The year-long celebration culminates Aug. 25 with the Founder’s Day program at Riverside Park in Yankton. PROVIDING AN EDUCATION The centennial provides both a recreational and educational outreach, Smith said. Some activities are one-time events tied to the centennial, while others are ongoing events that feature the river. Three May events already focus attention on the Missouri River, Smith said. The school festival has drawn more than 500 students from southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. The river clean-up has removed tons of debris from below Gavins Point Dam. And the clean boat event has promoted action to prevent — or at least hold in check — the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). The NPS also sponsors classroom talks, seeking to reach elementary school students, Smith said. The agency also works with events such as Junior Ranger Day. “It’s absolutely the age to get kids interested,” he said. “We’re welcome in the classroom, and the kids are open to learning more about the river.” A major activity arrives June 18 with the Lake Yankton Outdoors Festival, Smith said. The event represents the combination of three activities sponsored by different state and federal agencies: Homestead Days, the Water Festival and the River Rendezvous. “We’re taking three things that worked on their own and had their own audience. We thought, maybe they can work together and partner and accomplish a lot more,” he said. “We’re promoting culture and history: the homesteaders, the Native Americans and the history of the river area.” The day will also promote fun on the river, Smith said. “We’ll talk about the outdoor recreation — the fishing, skiing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and biking,” he said. “We’ll have the Teddy Roosevelt re-enactor, and we’ll also feature the Royal Gauntlet, a show with all types of raptors. And we’re bringing back the cardboard boat races, which have been really popular.” During the year, the MNRR will also feature its mobile ranger station and continue its sponsorship of educational programs on Meridian Bridge. “We want to get people aware that we have the great river resources,” he said. “We’re a special part of the Missouri River. It’s our chance to tell them our story.” CATCHING ATTENTION The National Park Service and MNRR have taken a pair of road trips to Pierre during the past month, attending the state tourism conference and “Yankton Day” at the Legislature. n BIRTHDAY Page 18 Participating Businesses Are… 2016 Rita’s Purse–o–Nalities Beautiful Baby Contest CREATIVE CORNER Riverfront Event Center We will be featuring our annual “Beautiful Baby Contest” in print and online on Wednesday, February 24 If you or someone you know has a child we would love to include them in our feature! To enter, simply submit your photo and entry form with a $10 submission fee by Wednesday, February 17 First place winners in the folllowing categories will receive a framed winners print and prize. 1) newborn-6 months 2) 7-12 Months 3) 13-24 Months 4) 25 Months-4 years 5) Multiple Births J&H Cleaning Services YANKTON WORKS Want your REAL-TIME MESSAGE on the most visited media website in the Yankton area? Join our ‘Friends2Follow’ program! Contact your Yankton Media Representative today! 605-665-7811 Submit Entry To: Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 Entry Deadline: Wednesday, February 17 Beautiful Baby Contest Category#___________ Age:____________ Date of Birth_________________ Child’s Name_______________________________________________________ Submitted by/phone number____________________________________________ Relation to Child____________________________________ Winners will be selected by the staff of Yankton Medial Inc. Employees and family members of Yankton Media Inc. are ineligible to win. *Submissions of this form authorizes the publication of child’s photo in this contest in print and online at www.yankton.net. Submission fee ($10) must accompany entry form to be void. Only child’s name and name(s) of person submitting will be printed in paper. (Example: Jon Doe, submitted by parents Bob & Beth Doe)