After several years of being held for ransom, the National Parks Service got back the names for the property it owns (well, you and me really) in Yosemite National Park.

The Delaware North Corporation, an organization that used to own the concession contract for many sites in the park such as hotels and food courts, lost out on that contract when it came up for renewal in 2015. DNC somehow wound up as the trademark holder for names such as Ahwahnee Hotel and Curry Village and threatened to sue if the park used the actual name of the places it actually owns.



For a couple of years the result was scenes like this:



Temporary coverings over the rightful place names. After a drawn out legal process and an exchange of some money (ransom) the names are now in the hands of Aramark (the outfit that took over from DNC) and the National Parks Service. There also appears to be clarity that the trademarks remain the property of NPS going forward.

When Penny and I visited Yosemite not too long ago we drove into Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite to look for lunch since it was near where we were staying. As we pulled off the road we spotted that the establishment was run by Delaware North Corporation. We did a U-turn and never looked back. Screw them.