Reprinted from the August issue of the ARVC Report.

Each year, at the annual InSites Convention,members of voting areas with open Board of Director seats are given the opportunity to vote for their national leaders – the ARVC Board of Directors.

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This election cycle offersthe opportunity for members in Voting Area1 (which includes the states of CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) and Voting Area 5 (including the states of AR, CO, IA, KS, LA, MO, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX) to elect a peer to representthem on a national level.Both seats this election

cycle are “open” seats and we have one nominee in each region.

Being a member of ARVC’s Board of Directors requires commitment anddedication.

Board members are electedto serve a three-year term.

Continued from Page 1The role of a board member includes developing, approving, and annually reviewing theassociation’s strategic plan – ensuring that the association has adequate resources to fulfill its mission and goals.

Additionally, the Board establishes governance and public affairs policy, accepts partial fiduciaryresponsibility, and provides direction and feedback to the President/CEO on behalf of the association’s members.

The ARVC Board gathers twice a year for meetings and conducts several conference calls throughout the year.

On-going work may also be required of Board members on various committees and task forces.

The opportunity to elect Board members for the coming three year term occurs each year at our annual InSites Convention.

To help you become better acquainted with the nominees we have asked each of them a series ofquestions on their experience, industry views,and why they would like to serve on the ARVC Board.

The nominees presented are aware of the commitment needed and have been chosen to be

nominated for open ARVCBoard seats.

Voting will take place at this year’s InSites Convention & Expo on Wednesday,December 1, 2010 from 4:15 to 5:30pm at theVoting Area Caucuses. If you are unable to vote in person please make your voice heard by voting absentee. An “Official Request for Absentee Ballot” form is included in the ARVC Report on page 16. Please note, the deadline for requesting an

absentee ballot is Thursday, November 4, 2010. All completed absentee ballots must be received at ARVC no later than Monday, November 15, 2010.

To view the nominees and to read the complete ARVC report please click here:

http://www.arvc.org/downloads/ARVC-Report-August-2010.pdf

“Puddle-Palooza” to feature performances by Rodney Crowell, Emily West, Lane Brody, John Anderson, Robin Meade, and more to be announced

The 2010 Walden’s Puddle “Puddle-Palooza” benefit concert and festival has been scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21, at Nashville’s Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ campground.

Hosted this year by the Music Valley Merchants Association, the festival and concert raises funds for Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.

Artists scheduled to perform include John Anderson, Lane Brody,

Cerrito, Rodney Crowell and the Notorious Cherry Bombs, Jypsi, HLN news anchor Robin Meade, Victoria Shaw, Army Ranger and Country artist Keni Thomas, Emily West and additional special guests to be announced soon. GAC’s Nan Kelley serves as MC of the event.

All proceeds benefit the non-profit facility, located approximately 20 minutes from downtown Nashville in Joelton, Tenn.

The Walden’s Puddle organization receives a substantial portion of its annual financial support each year from the daylong event.

Two people were injured Monday morning when fire destroyed a recreational trailer at the Bowling Green KOA Kampground.

A man and a woman suffered burns after the blaze began at about 11:30 a.m. Both were taken to The Medical Center for treatment, according to Capt. Kevin Bailey of the Plano Volunteer Fire Department, which responded along with the Alvaton Volunteer Fire Department.

Bailey said he believed both people were inside the trailer when the fire began. Bailey said the man told medical responders that he had tried to turn on the stove inside the trailer and something apparently went wrong with the propane tank that fed the stove.

Paul Von-Webb, the owner of the campground, said by telephone later Monday that the occupants had rented space at KOA for about a month.

Campgrounds are encouraged to log on to our new facebook page to keep abreast of the happenings of our new consumer magazine- GetawayUSA. The magazine has reached out to 66 million public email addresses.

New Berlin, PA – “Our show is only a ‘toe-dip’ into the ocean of the computerized virtual world”, says Art Lieberman. Lieberman is referring to the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo which will run on the Internet, November 1-3 of this year.

“The Expo is being run in 2-D because experiencing the virtual world can be worrisome for Exhibitors and attendees alike, so we chose to keep the Expo as simple as possible, this time.”

But the producers are hoping that in the future the Expo will graduate to a 3-D version which IS incorporated into the Expos present software. That show will become more like a computer game, which utilizes avatars and even allows visitors at the show to move around and literally speak to others whose faces they recognize.

Having seen a demonstration of such a show, Art Lieberman and his co-Producer Deanne Bower were stunned at what could be accomplished at such an event.

“We exited a door in the 3-D Expo and were actually in a virtual campground where we could sit near a waterfall, enter a park model and see it in 3-D or

even go to a game room in the campground’s store and play video games that were for sale by exhibitors”, said Bower. “The possibilities were endless”.Costs for producing such a show are triple what producers are paying for the software that will run the current Expo.

But trade shows and conferences are an extremely small portion of what is happening in the virtual world. The most fascinating and, perhaps, outrageous use of virtual technology can be seen in “Second Life” (www.secondlife.com) a complete virtual world.Linden Labs launched the site in June of 2003. There is a free program which allows users, called Residents to interact with each other through Avatars. They can socialize, participate in activities, create and trade virtual property and services and travel through the virtual world (which Residents call “the grid”). But the software contains an unusual tool that allows Residents to build virtual objects, and functionality can be added to these objects. Residents can design clothing for themselves and literally “live” in the world they create and the Second Life Terms of Service

ensures that users retain copyright for any content they create,

In 2008, Second Life was honored at the 59th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards for “advancing the development of online sites with user generated content”.

In January of 2010 18 million accounts were registered.

Although there is no charge to create a Second Life account, Linden Labs does charge $9.95 a month, or $72 a year, to advance to a higher level of technology on the site. There is an internal currency in Second Life called the Linden dollar (L$) and it can be used to buy, sell or trade for all hard goods in the virtual

Continued

world. Parcels of land are sold in Second Life, where Residents “live”.

It’s escapism taken to its highest form.The Outdoor Hospitality Expo producer’s are happy to settle for a much simpler use of virtual technology for their world and are eager to utilize the advantages that that world contains.

Availability of registration information to exhibitors, webinars and Open Forums that are all recorded to be viewed at a later time, instant “teleportation” to a particular booth out of the

directory listing or by merely clicking on a sponsor’s logo and online help that will even evaluate the capabilities of the computer of all attendees.

These are just a few of the advantages of a virtual trade show.

Information about the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo can be found at their website at www.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com or by calling them at 877-901-EXPO (3976)

Continued

Gambling, RVing & Golfing by Jerry Worlock offers information about casinos, poker rooms, golf courses and RV parks throughout North America THE VILLAGES, Fla. (MMD Newswire) August 9, 2010 -- Gambling, RVing & Golfing by Jerry Worlock seeks to assist those searching for gambling and golfing facilities in close proximity to recreational vehicle (RV) parks.

According to Worlock, few resources exist to assist RV enthusiasts seeking convenient locations to play golf or enjoy gambling while traveling the country. With this in mind, Worlock describes and rates casinos, golf courses and RV parks throughout the United States and Canada. Each of the first 50 chapters of the book are dedicated to an individual

state and are subdivided by region so that the reader can quickly identify what is convenient to each RV park. The 51st chapter offers a listing of poker rooms by state and the 52nd describes facilities in the Canadian provinces. Each facility listing includes a star rating, full street address for easy location using a GPS unit, driving directions, contact information and other notes including WiFi access and types of games offered at gambling facilities. Also included are maps of each state and province, notes regarding where supplies may be purchased and the location of popular family restaurants.

"My wife and I have traveled the world but enjoy nothing more than golfing, RVing and

gambling right here in the U.S. & Canada," Worlock says. "I wrote this book to help others enjoy these great activities without wasting hours on tedious research."

Worlock and his wife have traveled more than 70,000 miles throughout North America and visited more than 100 casinos and countless golf courses to research the book. Worlock plans to update the guide annually and hopes that readers will contribute additional information that they learn on their travels.

Gambling, RVing & Golfing is available for sale online at Amazon.com and through other channels.

About the AuthorJerry Worlock is a retired businessman and avid RV traveler. A graduate of the

University of Georgia, Jerry was the founder and CEO of a flooring company. He and his wife, Lois, have four children and 13 grandchildren. When they're not traveling in their RV across North America, the Worlocks live in The Villages.

MEDIA CONTACT:Jerry WorlockE-mail: jworlock@comcast.net Phone: (352) 205-1231 beWeb: www.grging.com

BOISE, Idaho -- Officials in Ada County in southwest Idaho say they won't renew a 20-year lease for prime riverfront property that they're renting out for just $50 a year.

The land on the Boise River has been operating as the On the River RV Park under the lease agreement with Steve Birkinbine.

County officials are considering what to do with the land once the lease ends Sept. 30. It will remain closed for three months, and possibly could reopen as an RV park but also could be used for something else.

When the lease was signed in 1990, officials intended the land to be used for short-term use by vacationers and others. But up to 100 spaces are now being used by permanent residents living in trailers or motor homes paying Birkinbine $405 a month.

County officials say Birkinbine is making more than $350,000 annually from his $50-a-year lease of public land. He also gets

additional income from short-term visitors.

"He's been subsidized by county taxpayers for 20 years. Obviously it is a huge subsidy," Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman told the Idaho Statesman.

County officials have been looking forward to ending the lease.

"I would never sign a 20-year lease," Ullman said. "It is a disservice to future boards. Our hands have been tied for so long."

Birkinbine last week told residents they have 60 days to leave. But that is causing a problem for some residents, including Glenn and Ronna Hardesty, who have lived at the site for three years.

The couple has a 27-year-old travel trailer, and many private RV parks only allow vehicles 10 years or newer.

"Nobody is going to take us," Ronna Hardesty said.

Full Article:www.oregonlive.com

INGONISH, N.S. — A teenage girl was bitten by a coyote early Monday morning in the same Cape Breton national park where a young woman was killed by the animals last year.

Derek Quann, a resource conservation manager, said the 16-year-old girl, who was visiting Broad Cove campgrounds in Cape Breton Highlands National Park with family members, was in a sleeping bag outside a nearby tent when the coyote attacked shortly after 4 a.m.

“She was awakened by the sensation of pain,” Mr.

Quann said of the teen who received two bite wounds to the scalp. “She shouted and struck the animal and it moved away.”

A middle-aged female leaving a nearby washroom witnessed the animal flee and identified it as a coyote.

Yogi Bear™ and his crew have been busy just outside our campground in Sioux Falls, South Dakota cutting the likeness of one of America’s favorite bears into the corn. The Corn Maze at Jellystone Park™ opened on August 6.

Located at the Jellystone Park campground just three miles east of Sioux Falls, the maze features over 7 acres of turns, twists, and dead ends carved into stalks that reach over your head and offers an experience for those hungry for fun.

Admission to the maze

includes the maze which offers two levels of difficulty, use of the jumping pillow, two playgrounds, wagon rides, and visits by our “smarter-than-the-average bear” - Yogi Bear.

Hours of operation for the corn maze are Friday 5 pm to 9 pm, Saturday 12 pm to 9 pm, and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm.

The maze will be open through Halloween and will feature several special events, including a Superheros day on September 11th, a Yogi Bear’s Corny Fun Carnival and “Fright Nights” at the end of October.

A fire probably started by electricity did an estimated $150,000 worth of damage to a motorhome at the Mountain Shadows RV Resort, at 1295 S. Cawston Ave., about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Hemet Fire Chief Matt Shobert said the electrical problem seemed to involve the refrigerator.

Shobert urged other RV owners to keep dust and debris, even spider webs, away from the condensers

on refrigerators, and suggested that RV owners update themselves on the recall status of the units in their vehicles.

“Several recalls have been issued on many RV refrigerators,” Shobert said.

“RV owners are encouraged to check with their dealer on the recall status of their appliances.

There were no injuries in the fire.

Yogi Bear takes shape in corn maze

Pine Acres Family Camping Resort in Oakham, Massachusetts, hosted their 50th Anniversary Celebration August 6-8 – complete with family activities, parties and giveaways, and fireworks over Lake Dean.

To help commemorate the occasion, the RV Cooking Show filmed an upcoming episode with Pine Acres owner Denise Packard.

Packard and host Evanne Schmarder talked about local attractions including Sturbridge Village, bison

viewing, and nearby farms. On Packard’s recommendation, the RV Cooking Show visited Linabella’s Gourmet Garlic Farm, specializing in pestos, filmed a clip with owner/farmer Jeff Howard then returned to the resort to prepare a delicious white bean pesto dip with Packard.

“The Packard family runs a top-notch operation at Pine Acres. It was inspiring to see three generations of the family still active in the day-to-day business of guest satisfaction and enthusiastic about

providing memorable camping experiences. They are gracious hosts and we were honored to be asked to be part of their big celebration,” commented Evanne Schmarder, RV Cooking Show producer and host. This episode of the RV Cooking Show will be released mid-August and will be seen on several internet TV outlets including RVCookingShow.com, GoCampingAmerica.com, RV.net, Woodalls.com, WinterTexanTV.com, YouTube.com and more.

For more information about the RV Cooking Show please contact Evanne Schmarder at evanne@RVCookingShow.com or 702-460-9863.

YANKTON, SD - People are picking up the pieces after a dangerous thunderstorm rolled through KELOLAND Sunday night, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Near Yankton, trees snapped like toothpicks, and campers flipped with people still inside.

Three campgrounds near the Gavins Point Dam were slammed head on with straight-line winds of up to 70 miles per hour. Of the hundreds of people there Sunday night, two were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and countless others received scratches and bruises from the storm. One Iowa family says they're just happy no one was seriously hurt, especially when their campers overturned with their children still inside.

Without warning, the winds picked up fast. “All of a sudden, my husband says, 'Denise, go to their campground tell

them to take cover.' He went to our campground to get the girls,” Denise Schreier said.

Schreier ran to get her 4-year-old son in one camper, while Paul ran to warn their daughter and her friend in a separate one. But neither of them made it in time.

“Carla and her son got out, Brian went to grab his dogs and my son and the camper just flipped over, rolled twice right in front of me. I darted behind a tree' our camper went over,” Denise said.

“As soon as my dad reached for the door, we saw him out the window, it flipped. I went flying and the mattress was on me, and I blacked out,” Tawney Schreier said.

Thirteen-year-old Tawney and her 12-year-old friend, Melea Nielsen, say it happened so fast and without warning. When Tawney came to, she called 911.

“Things were breaking when we were trying to stand on them from all the water leaking in,” Tawney said.

And it's hard to believe that just feet away, her little brother was tossed in this camper that landed with the door to the ground. Their friend inside broke a window and climbed out, with Brayden and his two pets. Brayden received scratches on his arm and their friend a bump on the head. Everyone is just happy no one was seriously injured. “Things can be replaced, and we're glad everybody's OK,” Denise said.

Crews at Cottonwood campground are also trying to lift trees off of campers.

Some of the trees that were damaged Sunday night were almost 100 feet tall and several decades old.

Among the hundreds of people that were staying at these campgrounds, only

about two dozen campers were overturned. For the Schreier family, it's proof of Mother Nature's strength and a sign that lives can change in an instant.

“Last night, it was really hard to go to sleep because you could see all the flashbacks, of everything broken around you,” Tawney said.

Several homes in the lake area west of Yankton were also damaged by fallen limbs and trees. Lightening struck a home in Yankton, but damage was minimal.

Officials say they haven't seen this much damage in the area in at least six or seven years.www.keloland.com

Horry County Planning Commission members on Thursday heard two controversial proposals and advanced one - a proposal for a campground.

The commission approved a zoning change request to allow a campground to be built off of River Road near Socastee Elementary and Socastee High schools, but disapproved of a request to build a gas station and convenience store on Palmetto Pointe Boulevard.

The planning commission approved the request to rezone 34.55 acres at River Road and Dick Pond Road in Socastee from residential and highway commercial to a planned development district. The owners, Hucks Limited Partnership LLC., want to build a campground with lots for about 111 RVs and campers. The owners of the LLC live on River Road and said they want to work with the community to make the proposal work.

Community members have had several meetings with representatives from the county planning department and the owners of the property, raising concerns about traffic, community character, safety for the children at the surrounding schools, and issues with

noise and smoke from campfires.

"When students are in school, this will create an impossible situation on River Road for traffic. It's going to push more people to go through the Rosewood community," said Bill Felder. "Background checks on the people who want to move into the campground on an extended basis would be unenforceable and irregular."

The owners said they are willing to work with the community, including building a fence and buffer around the property, limiting the density and voluntarily conducting background checks on campers. Several committee members argued that the main issue would be traffic, but down-zoning the property so that it allows fewer residents on the site would help traffic. The commission agreed to pass the proposal as long as the owners would use a traffic study when the school district is in session to determine the best entrances and exits for the facility.Article: www.thesunnews.com

SYLVAN BEACH N.Y— A Sylvan Beach business owner is taking the village’s planning board to court over the denial of plans for an RV park.

A decision rendered by the planning board May 24 rejected DJTB Properties Owner Dave Keshler’s plans to construct an RV park on Main Street, behind Blue Lagoon Mini Golf. Keshler filed an Article 78 petition against the village, challenging the legitimacy of the board’s decision.

Article 78 proceedings, under civil law, serve as a

method of challenging decisions made by municipal bodies in order to prohibit them from overstepping their jurisdiction.

Keshler’s plans called for 60 RV sites to be installed with water, sewer, electric and internet access on the five-and-a-half acre lot. Site size would vary from 1,500 square feet to more than 2,000. Open from the beginning of May to Columbus Day, 16 sites would be seasonal while the rest would be reserved on a day-to-day basis.

According to the minutes

from the planning board’s meeting, Keshler’s application was found to be “ineligible” for a special use permit. “Upon exhaustive research,” the minutes said, the board found that, according to a local law adopted in Feb. 2009, campgrounds are only permitted in the B3 Business District.

“The Zoning Ordinance Schedule 1 does not allow for mobile homes, RV parks or campgrounds in any zoning district under the special use permit provisions,” the board’s written decision says.

According to the village’s zoning codes found online and the version on file with the village clerk, the local law adopted in Feb. 2009 indicates that campgrounds are permissible in the residential and village center zones with the issuance of a special use permit. The proposed project site is located within the village center zone.

Special use permits are required for certain projects because of their characteristics and location, in consideration to their effect on the surrounding area and character of the community.

“The primary purpose of special use permit review is to ensure compatibility with the surrounding

neighborhood and to ensure the long-term benefit of the use to the village,” the zoning code says.

“The planning board’s denial of the special use permit was based on a critical error of law that the zoning ordinance did not permit a campground in the zoning district in which the premise is located,” Keshler’s Article 78 petition says.

By filing an Article 78 petition against the planning board, Keshler will seek the ruling of the Oneida County Court. The court has the option to uphold the board’s decision or annul it, which would require the board to reconsider the project.

Keshler expressed his frustration with the board’s decision, questioning the validity of its decision and the conduct of its members.

“It’s just been kind of a mess from day one,” Keshler said.Full Article: www.oneidadispatch.com

Dave Keshler

Monticello’s Walnut Acres Campground, owner Chip Smith immediately blamed the Lake Delhi Recreation Association for not adjusting the dam quicker.

“The only thing they’re worried about is keeping that lake at its optimum height. They don’t care about anything else,” Smith said.

The Lake Delhi Recreation Association privately owns and operates the dam which broke last month during a flash flood.

The flood dumped as much as four feet of sand on some parts of the campground. Crews have spent the past few weeks trucking tons of sand off the campsites. Smith estimates he’s lost more than $120,000.

However, a former Monticello City Council member confirms the area

used to be a sand quarry before it became a campground.

About one hundred people gathered at the campground on Sunday afternoon to show support for a plan to sue the Recreation Association. No one from the Lake Delhi area attended the event.

“We don’t have a voice down here. So, that’s why I stood up and said, ‘We’re going to start doing something,’” Smith said. “If they could responsibly control that dam up there, we would be behind them, but they can’t.”

Smith and many of the people at the meeting think the privately owned dam should either remain broken or instead become public property.

Full Article:www.gazetteonline.com

Campground Success presents both traditional and cutting-edge marketing strategies that specifically relate to the needs of family campground owners.

As an extension of the Campground Success website, the group will encourage a broader dialogue among the owners of family campgrounds and industry professionals who are willing to share their expertise for the betterment of the industry.

The original contributors to the project are: • David Gorin – Principal of David Gorin & Associates and former CEO of National ARVC. • Deb Kohls – Sr. Vice President of Leisure Holding, the parent company of Leisure Interactive, RVSales.com and Camping.com. • Bob MacKinnon – Principal of MacKinnon Campground Consulting and founder of GuestReviews. • Peter Pelland – Founder and owner of Pelland Advertising, a cutting-edge website development company that serves the family camping industry. • Evanne Schmarder – Owner of Roadabode

Productions. Evanne also produces and hosts the RV Cooking Show. • C. David Strait – Proprietor of Strait Answers Marketing Communications, with decades of experience as a Marketing Consultant specializing in the outdoor hospitality industry in California.

Past topics have included tips on how to provide added value for your campers by partnering with area attractions and businesses, ideas on how to get campers to extend their stays, and techniques for gathering information from prospective campers that will allow you to mine your way toward future business.

Future topics are in your hands!

When economic times are challenging, don’t think twice about exploring a vital opportunity to learn how to grow your business from both your peers and industry professionals who know your business!

www.campgroundsuccess.com

Last year was “amazing” for King Phillip’s Campground in Lake George, but this year has been even better, said owner Debbie Spaulding.

In fact, as of Tuesday, all of the site’s 200-plus RV hook-ups had been booked solid for five days straight. Spaulding said the lagging economy, warm, clear weather and improvements have brought more people than ever before.

“We’re finding we just don’t have enough space,” she said.

Public parks and private campgrounds say attendance has climbed this summer, thanks to good weather and the continued popularity of low-cost family activities and staycations.

According to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, day use is up 5 percent at its 178 parks and 35 historic sites between April 1 and July 31.

An additional 6,000 people visited Moreau Lake State Park during those four months, an increase of 4 percent over last year,

according to the parks office.

At Saratoga Spa State Park, the increase is larger. Attendance jumped 45 percent, with an extra 300,000 visitors since the spring.

Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the state parks office, said the economy, which contributed to a strong 2009 for parks, continues to drive visitor numbers this summer. She attributed the increased day usage mostly to weather, though. Warm temperatures and clear skies arrived early in the region and have stuck around, unlike the cool, wet summer experienced last year.

Many private campgrounds with amenities, say they can hardly keep up with demand.

John Rayno, general manager for Lake George Escape Camping Resort, said the company’s two Lake George properties are on track to break records. Reservations are up 5 percent over 2009, which was also a banner year.Full Article: www.poststar.com

Jason McKibben - jmckibben@poststar.com An american flag and a welcome sign hang on a post at the entrance of a campsite replete with a tent to shelter the campers' golf cart at King Phillip's Campground in Lake George Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Small business owners and corporations alike struggle to stay on the cutting edge of today’s rapidly evolving technology.

No longer is it a novelty to seek out new ways to market and communicate with current and prospective customers – it’s an imperative.

Once a year ARVC publishes a technology edition of their association newsletter designed to bring ARVC members the latest in several areas of technology, helping them build their business and improve their operations.

Each year editor Evanne Schmarder invites technology thought leaders to share their expertise around a cohesive theme.

Contributors to the 2010 ARVC Report Annual Technology Issue focused on “Technology Futurists: What’s New? What’s Next? “It’s fascinating to see how, in just four short years, technology has advanced.

In 2007 we talked about topics such as “Should WiFi Access Be Free” and “Sorting Through the Internet Marketing Maze”.

Today, the concepts are not that different but the techniques and advancements are light years ahead,” remarked Schmarder.

The upcoming September 2010 ARVC Report – the 4th Annual Technology Edition – will cover mobile marketing, emerging tools such as foursquare and Groupon, tech terms and definitions, ever-evolving website development, and more.

Members of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC) can access the PDF soft-copy via the release email or in the “Member’s Only” section of www.arvc.org after September 1st. Hard copies will arrive in mailboxes around mid-month.

For more information about ARVC visit www.arvc.org. You may contact Editor Evanne Schmarder at evanne@Roadabode.com.

LEBANON, Maine—A 10-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries Monday night after a tree fell on her family's campsite during a wind storm at a Lebanon campground.

At shortly before 6 p.m. the Lebanon Rescue Department responded to Flat Rock Family Resort for a report of a child who was struck by a fallen tree.

It was reported that the girl was pinned under the tree and several camp guests and staff had to pick the tree up off of her. They estimated she was pinned for about ten minutes and she had lost consciousness for a short time.

"Lifeflight and DART helicopters were requested, but were unable to respond due to

the weather. The female patient was loaded into Lebanon Ambulance One and transported to Frisbie Hospital in Rochester to be stabilized and then was transferred to the trauma center at Maine Medical Center. Her injuries were considered critical and life threatening when she left the scene," said Asst. Rescue Chief Jason Cole.

"The witnesses said it was a beautiful afternoon and they had been outdoor playing when all of a sudden, it got very dark, it downpoured, there was lightning and the wind picked up. They described a funnel like wind that took tree limbs and scattered them everywhere. They saw stuff on the ground picked up and was just thrown. They said it was very scary and came out of nowhere," Cole added.

A 25-foot motor home rolled off its blocks Friday and plunged into the Russian River with a woman and dog inside, the CHP said.

The woman suffered minor injuries in the accident at Riverbend RV Resort & Campground, west of Mirabel Road in Forestville, CHP Sgt. Mike Brown said.

Two huge tow trucks removed the vehicle, which had careened down a steep embankment just before 3 p.m. and was partially submerged in about 5 feet of water.

“Apparently, they didn't chock the tires as they were trying to level the vehicle,” Brown said. “The husband saw it start to roll but she couldn't get out in time.”

Brown identified the man and woman as Jim and Linda Giedl of Antioch.

Witnesses said the Giedls had just purchased the motor home and was preparing for a weekend at the river.

Bill Robson, who lives nearby, said he was working at his computer when he looked up and saw people running toward the river.

He ran out with a camera and saw the motor home sitting in the water, upright.

Robson snapped pictures and talked to the owners, he said.

"It was a little excitement,” said Robson, who works at home as an architect. “Thank God no one was seriously hurt.”

Robson said Jim Giedl was backing the RV onto blocks and had gotten out to check his progress. The motor home began rolling back on its own and went over the edge, he said.

“It went down a 40-foot vertical right into the river,” Robson said. “It ended up on its wheels.”

He said the woman inside banged her nose, but was OK.

She was being treated at a hospital, the CHP said.

A pair of large trucks from Cloverdale Towing pulled the motor home from the river, a distance officers estimated at closer to 60 feet, Brown said.

“It came up pretty easily,” Brown said. “Those are hefty trucks.”

Full Article:www.pressdemocrat.com

AUSTIN – Autumn in Texas means extra elbow room in park campgrounds and cooler temperatures more conducive to a variety of outdoor activities. And, to help you plan a fall excursion to your favorite park, you can now pick up or download online the new, 112-page Texas State Park Guide.

The digest-size, seventh edition of the Texas State Park Guide puts at your fingertips everything you and your family need to know about more than 90

state parks and special park programs, such as free fishing, Texas Outdoor Family and the Geocache Challenge, designed to make it easier and more fun than ever to enjoy the outdoors. The guide can be viewed online in both English and Spanish.“We hope the new guide will serve as your compass pointing the way to your next adventure in one of Texas’ great state parks, where we believe ‘life is better,’” says Walt Dabney, director of state parks for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

By Larry

This information is from an article by Sonya Colberg, published in the Tulsa World July 27, 2010. Oklahoma for some years has been experiencing a significant increase in ticks with a resulting increase in deaths and serious illnesses. New studies confirm, however, that it is not only Oklahoma. These hungry eight-legged pests are moving across the United States and exploding in numbers. Wind, people and deer carry them to new areas. As they adapt they can lay 5,000 eggs or more.

The worst type of tick is the Lone Star tick. Once relatively harmless, it is now responsible for spreading seven diseases, five of which affect humans. One of these dangerous diseases is rilichiosis. In Oklahoma last year it caused 146 cases and one death. Also high on the bad list is the American dog tick. It causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Last year Oklahoma had 342 reports

of this disease, including one death.

Eliminating weeds and mowing is the first and best line of defense. Ticks thrive in weeds and high grasses. Hikers and bikers: stay in the center of trails to avoid brushing against bushes and foliage. After coming in from outside check for ticks on socks, and all over the body, especially armpits and groin areas. If there is a tick embedded in the skin, mark the date on the calendar and watch for any health changes in about two weeks. If that happens, contact a doctor immediately.

Remember also, cats, dogs and other animals can be covered with ticks sticking to their fur. Brushing up against the animal is a quick way to get ticks. Pets can easily bring them into the house and leave them on the carpet or furniture, anything they contact.

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