August 18, 2011. This is the audio from the "visit" to Millinocket's Stearns High School by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Director John Jarvis on Thursday, August 18. Both were dressed in jeans and caps, and both adopted a relaxed demeanor.
I apologize for starting a few minutes after the assembly began. I had some technical problems, as are evident if you listen to the whole thing. None of the problems were fatal, though they were distracting a bit, but blessedly brief.
The Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, was irritated from the moment State Senator Doug Thomas introduced bipartisan contingent of state and local officials and asked, "We feel that you have left us out and that we are not going to be included. And we're curious who you consulted with before you came and who invited you."
John Jarvis, Director of NPS started out saying, "We have no -- absolutely no preconceived notion about this. We're just here to listen to your ideas."
Listen to the assembly here:
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