Standing on ceremony

Three national parks that were created or expanded 10 years ago under the Desert Protection Act mark their anniversary this week with slideshows, dinners, hikes and stargazing in High Desert communities. President Clinton signed the law creating the Mojave National Preserve, augmenting Joshua Tree, above, and Death Valley national parks and establishing 3.5 million acres of wilderness on public lands. For a listing of commemorative events, go to www.npca.org and click on “take action” and then “calendar of events.”