TRR file photo Calvin Hite.

Hite to temp job in West Virginia

By DAVID HULSE

NARROWSBURG — Upper Delaware National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent Calvin Hite will be leaving his post here next month for a temporary superintendent’s position at the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia.

Hite, who has served as superintendent here for five years, said Tuesday that the temporary job resulted from the retirement of the former superintendent and runs a maximum of 120 days. While temporary postings often lead to permanent jobs, Hite said NPS has not yet listed the permanent job vacancy and he currently has no plans beyond the three-month stint. “I’ll be back,” he said.

Hite said he has recommended that assistant superintendent Sandra Schultz serve as acting superintendent during his absence.

While the position might seem tempting to the West Virginia native, Hite noted that New River in the southern part of the state is actually farther from his home in the “panhandle” than the Upper Delaware.

New River includes a 53-mile section of river, 45,000 acres of federal lands, four visitor centers and was authorized in the same 1978 legislation that created the Upper Delaware park area. New River is probably best known for pictures of annual parachute jumps made from the high bridge over the gorge.