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Yosemite National Park Landmarks to Get Iconic Names Back After Lawsuit Is Settled
KTLA Channel 5 (Los Angeles) ^ | July 15, 2019 | Anon

Posted on 07/15/2019 10:51:41 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom

Yosemite National Park’s great Ahwahnee Hotel has its name back.

The Ahwahnee was renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel after the park’s former concessionaire filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service in September 2015, claiming ownership of some of the park’s trade names and trademarks.

The Ahwahnee Hotel was named The Majestic Yosemite Hotel. The Wawona Hotel became Big Trees Lodge. Curry Village became Half Dome Village. And Badger Pass Ski Area was renamed Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area.

As part of a $12 million settlement paid to the park’s former concessionaire, names that had been changed during the lawsuit will revert to their original names.

“We are very excited to restore these historic names to these properties that are so important to Yosemite and the American people,” Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman told CNN Travel. “The American people have been very supportive of the effort to restore these historic place names and this settlement agreement is a win for everybody.”

(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: ahwahnee; yosemite
This is GREAT news for everybody who loves Yosemite. The loss of the historic and traditional names should never have happened.

Just a bit of feel-good, happy news today.

1 posted on 07/15/2019 10:51:41 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

And $12 million in taxpayer money goes to the former contractor?! What kind of scam did they pull to garner a $12 million payout?


2 posted on 07/15/2019 10:54:58 PM PDT by Reno89519 (No Amnesty! No Catch-and-Release! Just Say No to All Illegal Aliens! Arrest & Deport!)
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To: Reno89519

Don’t blame the contractor. Blame the idiot bureaucrats who signed off on a contract giving the names to that concessionnaire in the beginning as part of the contract! Probably incompetent government lawyers reviewing the contract. Your government at work!!!


3 posted on 07/15/2019 11:00:19 PM PDT by SFmom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
The loss of the historic and traditional names should never have happened.

It was a shame that those names had to be changed for a few years. On the other hand, the concessionaire had the 5th amendment on its side. The Obama-era Feds wanted to seize the concessionaire's trademarks and trade names without compensation. It was an odd situation but the constitution and relevant IP law were pretty clearly on the concessionaire's side. If the park service wanted the names, they had to pay up. And they did.
4 posted on 07/15/2019 11:04:55 PM PDT by irishjuggler
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Ahwahnee & Curry Village, historic/iconic Yosemite!
Who’s the idiot that allowed the changes?


5 posted on 07/15/2019 11:10:14 PM PDT by rainee (Her)
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To: SFmom

No, why would he contractor think they gain ownership of the names? This is theft. And, yes, shame on the government for leaving ambiguity in the contract that enabled the theft.


6 posted on 07/15/2019 11:11:17 PM PDT by Reno89519 (No Amnesty! No Catch-and-Release! Just Say No to All Illegal Aliens! Arrest & Deport!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Next, someone will charge these names are cultural appropriation or somehow derogatory and demand the park service change them.


7 posted on 07/15/2019 11:12:45 PM PDT by Reno89519 (No Amnesty! No Catch-and-Release! Just Say No to All Illegal Aliens! Arrest & Deport!)
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To: rainee

Founder of Delaware North..the concessionaire, obviously ridiculously well off..
Here’s what his Wikipedia page says:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Jacobs

He is currently serving his second term on the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.[35] Members of the board are selected by the Secretary of Commerce and advise the Secretary on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry.
••Wilbur aka Census Ross is current Secretary of Commerce

Also,
Jacobs has made substantial contributions to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and John Edwards.


8 posted on 07/15/2019 11:16:55 PM PDT by rainee (Her)
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To: SFmom

Well this was done under Zero’s watch!


9 posted on 07/15/2019 11:56:17 PM PDT by tallyhoe
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To: Reno89519
Next, someone will charge these names are cultural appropriation or somehow derogatory and demand the park service change them.

That's what I thought had happened when I read the headline!

10 posted on 07/16/2019 12:45:02 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Ain’t nothing feel good or happy about being stupid enough to sign a contract that gave naming rights to a concessionaire

&12 million tax payer dollars. Geez


11 posted on 07/16/2019 12:46:46 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: SFmom

“Don’t blame the contractor. Blame the idiot bureaucrats who signed off on a contract giving the names to that concessionnaire in the beginning as part of the contract! Probably incompetent government lawyers reviewing the contract. Your government at work!!!”

No different than the type of politicians who cut deals to allow toll road operators free reign over drivers.


12 posted on 07/16/2019 3:43:56 AM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart - I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: Reno89519
"And $12 million in taxpayer money goes to the former contractor?! What kind of scam did they pull to garner a $12 million payout?"

Fresh, new and exciting ways to launder your graft....

13 posted on 07/16/2019 3:53:35 AM PDT by unread (Joe McCarthy was right.......)
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To: SFmom

Exactly! Apparently the government never filed copyrights to the names when it created them in the first place. Unbelievably stupid...er, maybe not.

I’m puzzled why the concessionaire took ownership rights to the names when the government originally created them (just guessing here).


14 posted on 07/16/2019 6:35:11 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Sounds an awful lot like extortion, doesn’t it? Even if some attorney “discovered” their client had the right to the names, what kind of person would assert it and thereby steal part of the soul of one of America’s National Parks? SCUM.


15 posted on 07/16/2019 6:42:03 AM PDT by drwoof
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To: Reno89519

“why would he contractor think they gain ownership of the names? “

Wikipedia has a detailed explanation of the ownership of the intellectual property in Yosemite going back to the Curry family. It’s on the up-and-up.


16 posted on 07/16/2019 6:43:38 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Who paid the bureaucrats some $$$ years back, and how much, when they negotiated the contract giving the concessionaire ownership of the place names in the park?? Are we to believe the NPS negotiators were simply stupid??


17 posted on 07/16/2019 7:56:48 AM PDT by Wuli
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