Cover Little White House 2 Message from the Chief Conductor HOOVER AND 3 Welcome Aboard TOGETHER AGAIN 4 St. Augustine 5 Vendor Spotlight 6 Someone’s in the Kitchen With... 6 Safety First 7 Puzzles, Games, and Trivia 8 Washington, D.C. 9 CAST Anniversaries 10 Boston 12 Conch Tour Train 13, 18, 21 If You Only Knew... 14 Key West 15 CASTmembers of the Month 15 Pet of the Month John Avlon, and Clifton Truman Daniel. 16 San Diego 19 Famous Faces The Harry S Truman Little efforts to save the starving of Europe, espe - 20 Savannah White House was honored to cially the cildren of Belgium. Truman was have Margaret Hoover, FOX wise enough to know 70-year old Herbert 22 Tropical Shell and Gift News commentator and Hoover could do it again and he sent D great-granddaughter of Hoover to Europe in June 1945. Most of President , her husband Hoover's reccommendations were adopted John Avlon, CNN News commentator and and reflected our finest moment as we author of Wingnuts: saved millions from certain death. How the Lunatic Fringe Hoover was again tapped in 1949 to reor - Is Hijacking America , ganize the Executive Branch of the federal and Clifton Truman government streamlining the various agen - Daniel, eldest grandson cies with the cabinet and the cabinet with of President Harry the president. Truman. While both men could be partisan politi - One month after cians, both understood that politics was a Truman assumed the give-and-take process necessary to make office of president he the system work. It was a stark contrast to asked Herbert oover for politics of the far left or far right we have help. seen for the past 20 years. John Avlon was During World War I, the perfect choice to summarize the discus - billionaire Herbert sion, as recent polls have shown most Ian J. Turpin (Luci’s husband), Paul Hilson, Hoover had led Americans would prefer a centrist govern - Luci Baines Johnson, Bob Wolz and Jane Vetter. America's humanitarian Cover Story continued on page 3... FROM THE CHIEF CONDUCTOR My Story of a Twenty Dollar Toll on the Road to Hell BY: CHRISTOPHER C. BELLAND Chief Executive Officer, Historic Tours of America, Inc.

omebody once said, “The road to pocket and peeled off a twenty dollar bill hell is paved with good inten - feeling very happy with the incredible bar - tions”. As I grow older, I realize gain I had made. more and more how true it is. To be perfectly honest, I have felt crappy S A couple of months ago I went about it ever since. Here is this lovely to a yard sale being held by Karley young lady of no small talent embarking on Klopfenstein. Those of you in Key West a grand adventure and I had taken advan - might remember her as the Exhibit Director tage perhaps of our friendship, but certainly for Sculpture Key West. We knew each the fact that this was a one-time “must-sell- other, so we engaged in some casual banter everything” day for her. The table was about the fact that she was selling everything clearly worth substantially more than I paid, she had and moving to New York to try to yet still I fell in the trap of self interest and make it as an artist. A part of me was jeal - played the yard sale game. In all candor, if I ous of her ability to literally sell everything had it to do over, I would have given her and make a commitment to an entirely new twice her asking price, for the piece was place and career. That is a feeling of worth it. absolute freedom I have not felt for many In any event, the table now sits in my liv - decades. For, once one establishes oneself ing room with a vase of water plants on it. in a community, whether you like it or Its graceful elegance and obvious quality believe it, friends, family, business and even enhance my life every day. Every time I see a dog all conspire as things that tie you it, though, I shamefully remind myself I down. While it is not necessarily bad, it is should send Karley the twenty dollars addi - far from complete freedom. tional she asked for it and, to a small degree, weight, be a better father or partner, to get While we were talking, someone came up it makes me feel miserable. It’s a good organized, to go to church, read two books and asked her a price for something and I intention and I have made myself swear that each week and so forth and so on. turned away and had my gaze fall upon a I will take the twenty dollar bill, wrap it in Unfortunately, we usually find ourselves not small, black, metal table. It was elegantly this column after publication and send it to very far into a New Year with many of these designed with two sweeping reversed “C” her with an apology and my best wishes for good intentions gone awry. legs at the foot of which were hand- her success in New York. To me, at least, the most important inten - wrought knuckled feet. It had a There is a mysterious element tions have to do with human relationships. piece of glass embedded in the of self inflicted misery in a Is there someone who helped you that you “L” channeled top that was good intention that is need to say a heartfelt thank you to? Is there not a cheap one eighth inch never manifested. It is someone you need to reach out to and apol - piece but, rather, a full quar - almost like procrastina - ogize? Did you make a mistake, faux pas or ter inch of solid glass that tion. We know it’s gaff that hurt somebody? Do you have a son had been milled on the wrong. We know we or a father to whom, for one reason or edges and was quite heavy. should do something another, you haven’t spoken? Whether I The piece would easily sell in a about it, but we don’t. lose weight or not, as I promised myself I gallery or fine furniture store for Maybe it’s one of those would, will matter pretty much only to me, north of $200, at least that was my Freudian conditions of human but the human relations that need mending estimation, for it was a one off, well execut - nature like a gambler who plays until he and are left unattended, are the bricks that ed piece of sculpture furniture. It had a loses everything. He knows he’s going to do, indeed, pave the road to hell or at least a small yellow sticker with the price of forty lose but he does it anyway. Personally, I degree of unhappiness. dollars on it. When Karley came back over think we should change New Year’s Eve to As you are reading this, you can be sure to me, I automatically, without thinking, Good Intention Day, for that is the day we that I am tearing it out of the paper and said, “Would you take twenty for this?” To summarize and prioritize the intentions we wrapping it around a twenty dollar bill to which she immediately responded, “Of have to do better with our lives. We send to New York in order to remove at least course.” I pulled my money clip out of my promise ourselves to quit smoking, lose one brick in my road.

2 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 3 TROPICAL SHELL AND GIFT DC DUCKS Joel Semerzier Dale Seastrom Gayla Gerz Robert Gabler Travis Jones Kent Thomas Cindy Acevedo Michael Courtney Laura Corbett Frank Santacroce Curtis Craig Allen Delaney Roberta Catalano Stephen Heare Paige Spencer Patricia Rowles ST. AUGUSTINE Burnadette Blake Joyce Marks Jaquon Williams William Norris II Jesse Lemoon WASHINGTON, DC Joanna Jones Camolli Watkins BOSTON Scott Avery CONCH TOUR TRAIN Ralph Beard James Mehigan William Kelly David Bowers Neil Boyle II John Yarborough Darin Delrosario Richard O’Brien Brenda Schmidt Andres Trujillo Steven Johnson Ronald Moore David Parker Stephen Larson Khilola Djabarova Teresa Butts Richard Leahy Julio Martinez-Roche Charlotte Dore SAVANNAH Xzennia Robertson William St. George Jr. Beverly Calhoun Eric Blake Paul Mahoney April Jarrell Latisha Burrows Paul Peirolo Tuvia Mittman Linda Hazelton Kelly Horan Sarah Haig Anthony Coney Susan Olson Ashia Gaines Lianne O’Shea Juan Sepulveda Jr. Anthony Reid Raymond O’Hare Erica Felton Charles Person Francis Gleason Brian Roylance HISTORIC TOURS OF AMERICA Tiffany Blake Sharron Grzybowski Nicholas Rymer James Gainer III Michael Shine Marquese Ruth Katherine Stanton SAN DIEGO SEALS Nathan Hurley Robin Kedward Jennifer Finkle Johnny Beasley James Farrell Christopher Corrado Robert Carpenter Michael Finney Nadia Wolff Lisa Mosley George Elmies Jr. Neal Anderson Allison Tuten John Smart Natalie D’Agostino James Auld Scott Schwarz Drake Calhoun KW WELCOME CENTER Eric Coney Maria Guzman SAN DIEGO Kortnie Favors Kevin Brent Brigitte Lisk

Cover Story Hoover and Truman Together Again Continued... the men were close personal friends. at the Little White House in mid May when ment. Truman had first proposed national health - a world class panel will meet to discuss A week later we were surprised to find care in 1946. In 1965, when President President Harry Truman's Far East Legacy Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Johnson enacted the Medicare law, it was on Japan, Korea and the two Chinas. 2010 Lyndon Johnson touring the Little White signed at the Truman Presidential Library marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning House with her husband and friends. with President and Mrs. Truma receiving of the . Lyndon Johnson had first come to office as Medicare cards # 1 and #2. Harry Truman was leaving the Congress and The educational opportunities continue

2 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 3 ST. AUGUSTINE St. Augustine Easter Festival Parade BY: MICHELLE LAROCCO Assistant Charter Representative, Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine

Our White Trolley was took part in the parade. The Easter Bunny made a special appearance.

pring has sprung in St. tors cheerfully carried their young passen - Historytellers greet buses, ticketsellers direct Augustine! After months of gers all over town, and kept our hectic lost chaperones, the facilities department record cold, we’ve packed away schedule running smoothly. Most of these keeps our properties clean and safe, the our coats and gloves and are guests also toured the Old Jail and the St. mechanics keep our vehicles running their S back in summer uniforms. Augustine History Museum, where history - best...every one jumps in to help. The surest signs of the season are the fleets tellers gave back to back tours throughout The event of the spring season in St. of buses in the Old Jail parking lot, the the day. This was just the first of the many Augustine is the Annual Easter Festival. The hordes of schoolchildren on the property, busy days the charter department will see highlight of this tradition is the Easter and the fully booked Trolley charter sched - before June 1st rolls around! Of course, it Parade, held on Easter afternoon. The ule. On March 25th alone, we carried over can only be done with a full team effort, and parade dates back over 50 years; in 2008, 1200 students and chaperones! Our conduc - you will see that each day of the season. there was no parade, much to the disap - pointment of locals residents. Our own Dave Chatterton , general manager, was instrumental in bringing back this beloved event last year and stepped up again this year to chair the event. This year’s parade brought local St. Augustine residents and visitors out in never-before seen numbers. Pokemon, a white tiger, the “easterdillo”, classic military vehicles, pirates, local elect - ed officials, beauty queens, Star Wars …we had it all. Conductor Jay showed off our white wedding Trolley, and HistoryTeller Boss Bil l traded his badge for a bunny cos - tume and thrilled the kids from his chauf - feured convertible. A dozen or more OTT CASTmembers volunteered for this event; decked out in yellow safety vests and purple

The annual St. Augustine Easter Festival Parade. Continued on the next page...

4 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 5 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT Grand Hyatt Hotel WASHINGTON, DC

When people think Hyatt hotel, luxury hero. I’m sure glad I have a wonderful friend comes to mind. The Grand Hyatt in like you who would be the ruler of the world Washington, D.C. located at the intersection some day. You are a truly amazing person of 10th and H Streets, NW, is the epitome of who I am lucky to be in the same room with.” lavishness. There are four concierges to Okay…so David didn’t say all those things, answer any questions you may have regarding but I’m sure he was thinking it. our nation’s capital. And when you ask Before I get too far into the realm of the which is the best tour of Washington, each of weirdness of Abe, here are Kimu’s answers to them would simply say with a resounding bat - the questionnaire. tle cry Old Town Trolley! The Grand Hyatt is a top ten vendor out of With four concierges selling our tickets, it 300 accounts David Orr manages. We are was difficult to find the one on whom to do pleased to have them in our trolley family. the vendor spotlight. David Orr and I were racking our brains around it for weeks. So we Kimu Washington did the only thing we could do…heads or tails. We set up a heads or tails tournament, Property Worked? Grand Hyatt with the winner being our vendor spotlight. Number of Years There? 3 years Kimu Washington won in a narrow margin. How Long Have you Lived in DC? 14 years The final flip landed on the table, bounced up, Grand Hyatt Hotel How Many Times Have you Taken the OTT Tour? hit David in the face, turned left, hit me in the 3 times elbow where it landed on my knee on heads. How could this have happened? We have a What is a MUST Do in Washington? Go to Ben’s Chili Bowl theory…the single coin theory. You can rest assure, there was no second flipper. If David Orr Gave You $1000, What Would You Spend it On? A trip to a spa resort—much needed. “I don’t want to do any ordinary vendor spotlight.” Orr said to me as he looked in the If the World’s Ocean Were Made of Ice Cream, mirror at the mark left on his forehead from What Flavor Would You Love it to Be? Banana the coin flip. Nut “Nor, do I,” I said mocking him. “The best Favorite Quote: We warp our perceptions to make way to do this is to make a questionnaire and our reality a little more palatable. send it to her. That way, it’s her words not ours.” ABE BURGOS “That is a brilliant idea, Abe. You’re my Old Town Trolley Tours of Washington DC Kimu Washington and David Orr

St. Augustine Easter Festival Parade continued... that feeling …but guests that visit at professional hunters, both believers and hats, our energetic crew lined up floats, night….let’s just say that it is a far eerier skeptics search for supernatural signs of the directed traffic, and controlled crowds. We experience. Based on guest comments prisoners who suffered the ultimate punish - are honored to be a part of this long -time from Ghosts & Gravestones, inquiries from ment …a trip to the gallows. They seek the favorite event. Same time, same place next paranormal groups, and requests from folks apparitions, disembodied voices, and other year, Dave? who’ve seen our own Savannah Brewer on phenomena experienced during past investi - The busy week before Easter brought GhostHunters , we realized there was a mar - gations. amazing ridership for all of our tours, and ket for organized paranormal investigations In the midst of all this excitement, we the best numbers yet for our newest tour, A of this historic property. Every Friday and have still found the time to bring some new Night at the Old Jail. If you have never visit - Saturday night, small groups join the folks aboard. We welcomed our conductors ed the Old Jail, you cannot imagine just Paranormal Seekers (of Telemundo fame) for Tom O’Brien and Bill Norris , and certified how creepy this place is after dark. Guests a three hour “ghost hunt.” Using state- of Krystle Kraft and Christina Harrison for the who visit during the day get an inkling of the-art detection equipment and guided by Old Jail and St. Augustine History Museum.

4 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 5 SOMEONE’S IN WHITE DEATH THE KITCHEN WITH... Level of Difficulty: Ridiculously Easy Prep Time: Ridiculously Short OK, to be honest, I don't LOVE the name so call it whatever you want; but if you’re into sweet AND salty then you have just encountered addiction personified. (Hey, that has a nice ring to it.) INGREDIENTS 1 cup of broken up stick pretzels 1 package of vanilla CANDIQUIK 1 cup of salted peanuts Candy Coating 2 cups of Cap’n Crunch cereal (I use Cap’n Crunch Berries) Wax paper 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal DIRECTIONS Put all dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix together until all are well-combined. Lay out the wax paper on the counter. Melt the package of CANDIQUIK in the microwave for 1 minute (it comes in microwaveable trays) or until completely Erica Frost melted. Once melted, pour into bowl of dry ingredients and mix everything togeth - Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego er. As soon as everything is mixed together and the CANDIQUIK has coated all dry ingredients, drop spoonfuls of mixture onto your wax paper. It will only take about ½ hour for it to set. Done! Be prepared that people will now expect you to bring this to ALL family get-togethers, kid’s birthday parties, tail - gates etc. The best thing about this is that you can make this with both hands closed and your eyes tied behind your back. Wait, strike that and reverse it. Enjoy, snack well and often!

SAFTEY FIRST WHAT IS THE SAFEST AMOUNT OF TIME TO KEEP LEFTOVERS IN THE FRIDGE? BOTTOM LINE: NO MORE THAN FIVE DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE FOOD. Why? more opportunity bac - foods stored in the The fridge doesn't get rid of bacteria; it just teria have to grow to a Fridge Time for Leftovers freezer are automati - slows it down. If stored food already has some - level that will make Raw Meat: 1 to 2 days cally safe. Freezing thing growing in it (which often times it does), you sick. Luncheon Meat: 3 to 5 days (after opening) stops the growth of the cool temperatures will slow the rate of bac - This is not a one-size- Cooked Meat: 3 to 4 days bacteria, but it does not teria growth, but the longer foods are kept, the fits-all rule, however; Gravy & Meat Broth: 1 to 2 days kill bacteria already different foods spoil at Leftover Pizza: 3 to 4 days present. Once the food different times, since Cooked Fish & Shellfish: 3 to 4 days is defrosted, any organ - some foods provide isms living inside the more suitable breeding grounds than others. food will begin to grow. So thawed food (espe - In general, bacteria love foods rich in protein, cially meat and fish) should be cooked/eaten as volume 14, number 119 making meats and poultry more likely to be quickly as unfrozen food. contaminated than bread or fruit. While it is Sources: Food Safety and Inspection Service, Monica Mu noz Department of Agriculture, Be Safe! by Melissa Heckscher. Editor in Chief safe to eat a four-day-old burger after you've Piper Smith recooked it to the proper temperature (165 Editor Emeritus degrees F [74 C]), you probably wouldn't want to--spoiled food smells bad and has lost its sig - Chief Executive Officer Christopher C. Belland nature flavor. President Edwin O. Swift, III Sr. Vice President Gerald R Mosher Chief Operating Officer Herschel Hayo Words of Caution 201 Front Street, Suite 224 Store foods that spoil quickly in the back of JIM LAMBERSON Key West, FL 33040 the fridge; it's coldest there. Never assume that National Safety Director (305) 296 -3609 Copyright ©2010 Historic Tours of America ® Old Town Trolley Tours and Transportainment are registered trademarks of www.historictours.com Historic Tours of America® . Ghosts & Gravestones, Frightseeing and Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum are registered service marks of Historic Tours of America®

6 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 7 PUZZLES, GAMES AND TRIVIA TRIVIA TEASER FAMOUS NAMES WORD SEARCH WINNERS CIRCLE ANGELL LANGE ANNAN MONETA 1. A line that intersects a circle at two points is ARAFAT MOTT called a what? a-Tangent, b-Philtrum, c- ASSER MYRDAL Radius, d-Secant. BELO NANSEN BRANTING OSSIETZKY 2. In The Divine Comedy, who guided Dante through the nine circles of hell? a-Judas, b- BRIDE PASSY Satan, c-Beatrice, d-Virgil. CECIL PIRE CHAMBER - RABIN 3. "Circle of Life" is the opening song in which LAIN ROBLES animated Disney film? a-The Lion King, b- CORRIGAN ROOSEVELT Pinocchio, c-Dumbo, d-Bedknobs and EBADI ROOT Broomsticks. ELBARADEI SADAT FRIED SATO 4. "Bad Boys" by the group Inner Circle is the theme song for which TV reality series? a- GORE TUM Jersey Shore, b-Cops, c-Cake Boss, d-No HENDERSON TUTU Reservations. HULL WALESA HUME WIESEL 5. In the international trail marking system used JOUHAUX WILSON for ski hills, the easiest slopes are marked by KING YUNUS circles of which color? a-Black, b-Red, c- KYI Green, d-Yellow.

6. What is the point in the center of the circle in ANSWERS TO PUZZLES, GAMES AND TRIVIA ON PAGE 13 the United Nations emblem? a-New York MAY SODOKU City, b-Mount Everest, c-Rome, Italy, d-North Pole. To solve a sudoku, you only need logic 7. On his second voyage (1772-75), which and patience. No explorer circumnavigated the world at the math is required. Antarctic Circle? a-Christopher Columbus, b- James Cook, c-Juan Ponce de Leon, d- Simply make sure that each 3x3 Bartolomeu Dias. square region has a number 1 through 9 8. Number One Observatory Circle is the offi - with only one occur - cial residence of which person? a-U.S. Vice rence of each num - President, b-Prime Minister of Canada, c- ber. Prime Minister of Great Britain, d-President of Mexico. Each column and row of the large grid 9. Which singer had a No. 1 hit in 1973 with must have only one instance of the num - the song "Will It Go Round in Circles?" a- bers 1 through 9. Harry Chapin, b-Ringo Starr, c-Joe Cocker, d- Billy Preston. The difficulty rating on this puzzle is 10. In juggling, tossing the balls in a circle easy. instead of a figure eight is known as a what? a-Shower, b-Feed, c-Renegade, d-Pirouette.

6 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 7 WASHINGTON, D.C. Oops I Did it Again... BY: ABE BURGOS Director of Safety and Training, Old Town Trolley Tours® of Washington, D.C.

Left: Tracy Howard, Director of First Impressions, and Abe Burgos, Safety Officer. The two make up our social media committee. Middle: Stephen “Mr Holiday” O’Brien our tour guide trainer. Above: David Orr our Vendor Representative. ometimes in life we get busy. So needs an umbrella. These umbrellas are our sales rep, one shuttle driver, and 21 new busy we forget to smell the roses. standard protection for the rain. Without conductors. All of our Duck captains came So busy we forget to eat lunch. umbrellas we cannot possible stay dry. back from last season and we are presently Well, I was so busy I forgot the That’s where Malcolm Barton and his team recruiting new sales reps. Our new portable S Nation’s Storyteller . Oops. of maintenance superstars come into play. credit card machines are working wonders. This past Cherry Blossom Festival was a This year Malcolm has the mission of mak - And although the DC Ducks waddled out on huge success. Now although we are not as ing sure 22 trolleys are on the streets of the wrong foot, they are still making a splash busy as we were these past two weeks, we Washington every single day. So far, mis - in our bottom line. cannot let our guard down. Our season is sion accomplished. This year’s Cherry In life a little rain must fall. We are hop - like a summer storm. First it starts with Blossom Festival allowed the trolley day tour ing for a torrential downpour here in DC. thunder and lightning. That would be to surpass what we carried last year during As long as we have our rain coats on and Cherry Blossom. Then you wonder if it’s the same two week period. our umbrellas open, we shall all have fun going to start pouring. That’s May. There’s Then with rain comes the rain coats. You times. a sprinkle here and a sprinkle there. But not have to wear the proper outer attire. Our much. Soon the fat drops come down. That sales reps, conductors would be June. June is the fat month. All of and captains are the FUN PHOTOS the sudden you can’t see in front of you. outer attire. These That’s July. It seems everyone wants to fortunate souls are Bello Skiing Behind a Duck come to DC in July. Hopefully they all take the in between of the a tour. Then it starts to light up. That’s hard pounding wind WASHINGTON, DC August. Then some more thunder. That’s and the fat drops of September and October. All of the sudden rain. They are the the skies are sunny once again. November – front line CAST mem - March. You see, it’s a summer rain storm. bers. And during the In going with this theme, this scenario winter months they calls for a few things. When it rains, one are starving. During these busy months they are thriving. And so that we don’t fully overwork them, we have gone on a citywide search high Bello Nock (born 1968), usually known simply as "Bello", is a clown performed by and low for new Demetrius Alexandro Claudio Amadeus Bello Nock. A performer for three years with the one-ring Big Apple Circus early in his career, he later joined the Ringling Brothers Barnum blood. As I write this, and Bailey Circus, where in 2008 he starred in a tour named after him, "Bellobration, the we have added one first time in the company's 137 years that a clown had been given that honor. In March the daredevil decided to ski behind our very own Ducks in the Potomac River. A trolley. It’s about to pull out of the green line slot. Duck captain, one See sometime we have a little fun!

8 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 9 MARCH APRIL 23 YEARS Happy Anniversary! 5 YEARS Shawn P. Ford, BOS Rachel Adame, TSG 4 YEARS 35 YEARS 16 YEARS Irenette Clark, SAV Jackson Barrett, SAV Gregory Curry, TSG Rick Diaz, SAN Janise Haman, WDC Stephen Kent, BOS Harold Henson-Dozier, SAN Richard Smith, SAN Donald Kraby, BOS 29 YEARS 15 YEARS Sheila Marshall, WDC Lucia Tabag, CTT Edwin Sage, STA 4 YEARS 3 YEARS 20 YEARS Adam Avey, SAN 14 YEARS Hildrus Burrus, WDC Leslie Nagy, BOS Peter Corcoran, SAN Mariola Janicka-Williams, HTA Michael Clark, DCD Jennifer La Barre, BOS Charlotte Dore, BOS 13 YEARS 16 YEARS Herschel Hayo, HTA Djamol Karimov, CTT Jeanne Fain, HTA 2 YEARS Robin Kedward, SDS Jay Friend, STA 12 YEARS 15 YEARS Paul Mahoney, BOS Sandra Silver, STA Erica Frost, SAN John McKinstrie, CTT Stephanie Montesino, CTT Robert Matchinske, SAN Paul Peirolo, BOS 3 YEARS 13 YEARS Eric Posey, TSG 11 YEARS Mercy Herrada, HTA Sandra Campbell, TSG Peggy Ellis, SAV Gail Price, STA John Welby, BOS Suly Cruz, WDC John Smart, SDS Barbara Roundtree, SAV David Thomas, TSG 12 YEARS 10 YEARS 2 YEARS Miriam Vega, TSG 1 YEAR Glicerio Menacho, BOS Oscar Alfaro, SAN Amanda Brown, BOS Carmen Thulin, SAN 9 YEARS Teresa Butts, WDC Dominic Dyson, WDC Janice Emerson, SAV Danguole Capas, STA 9 YEARS John Egan, BOS Miriam Cleare, TSG Cecile Bateau, TSG 8 YEARS Kelly Horan, BOS James Devine, TSG Kevin Beede, HTA Saul Alba, SAN Hanna Ilczuk, CTT Veronica Brown, KW Oliver Long, HTA F. Jeffrey Duesel, WDC Sherry Pope, STA Malcom Spindle, STA James Farrell, SDS Michael Chandler, BOS Montogmery Triz, HTA Michael Finney, SDS Theodore Galo, BOS Kenneth Rose, STA Richard Ware, KW Lucas Giswold, BOS William Thomas, WDC Rhonda Stenroos, STA Stephen Heare, DCD Evan Whitley, KW 7 YEARS Claire Hillard, KW 7 YEARS Dale Seastrom, DCD Peter Judson III, SAV Michael Cates, HTA John King, BOS Charles Holmes, SAV 1 YEAR 6 YEARS Evan Kohler, SAN Steven Johnson, BOS Amy Brackett, STA Beth Cohen, BOS Bethany Lee, BOS Robert Norris, WDC Kristi Mills, TSG David Gant, WDC Mark Lohman, SAN Dell Lundsford, HTA David Parker, WDC Fred Gefteas, BOS Dale Love, CTT Carralyn Gilliland, TSG 5 YEARS Stephen Mitchell, STA 6 YEARS Dennis Morrison, SAV Tyler Hackworth, SDS Debbie Hildebrand, SAN David Aptaker, SAN Lianne O’Shea, BOS Justyna Janicka, HTA Timothy Atwell, HTA Candace Jones, KW William Midgley-Adlerz, SAN Anthony Pernell, WDC Mark Keeler, SAN Elizabeth Nordan, STA Ernest Poore, STA Walter Rhodes, BOS Gregory Lopez, CTT Raymond O’Hare, BOS Kenneth Queale, BOS Linda Riskus, STA Cesar Moreno, KW Ronald Zorn, SAN Adam Wenbourne, SD Mark Patterson, KW Andre Wicker, BOS Thomas Pelletier, BOS

8 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 9 BOSTON

Left: New CASTmembers Charlie “Cracker Jack” Person, Packaging and Promoting Brian “The Viking” Roylance, Nick Rymer and Matt “Eck” BY: MATTHEW MURPHY Eckhardt. General Manager, Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston Right: “Darlin’ Deb” Kelley shows off the newly installed sig - nage at our all-important sales desk in the lobby of the xcitement is in the air here at Old the next day will actually be included. Marriott Copley Hotel. The Hotel recently completely refur - Town Trolley Tours of Boston. • Free Harbor Cruise. Guests will now have bished the lobby, so our spiffy new signs are in keeping with the hotel’s snazzy new look! Signs of springtime are all around the option of enjoying a 45-minute sightsee - us. Buds are starting to blossom ing cruise conducted by Boston Harbor “Visitor Guide.” This beautifully designed and in the Public Garden. The Red Cruises, included with the Old Town Trolley produced brochure, in a magazine-like format, E will be featured in 592 brochure racks all over Sox have already played their home opener ticket. against the Yankees. The Boston Marathon is • Free Museum Admission. Old Town Trolley metro Boston. Once again, the theme here is scheduled to kick off on Patriots’ Day, April 19. has partnered with the Old State House selling and promoting our tour competitively, And increasing numbers of Boston tourists are Museum in Boston for the last several years, and we believe this new brochure will convey riding the orange-and-green trolleys! and we’re please that the relationship will to potential guests our company’s professional - At our March CAST meeting, we unveiled to continue in 2010, as our guests gain free ism, our commitment to outstanding guest ser - the Boston CAST our strategy for the upcoming admission to Boston’s premiere history vice, and our ability to deliver terrific value. season, featuring new added-value items to the museum. The new visitor tour that will allow our sales reps to sell even • Discount Coupons. Exclusively guide features more trolley tickets, a new promotional on Old Town Trolley, guests detailed informa - brochure that is sure to get lots of attention, and receive a coupon card worth up to tion about our pri - a number of exciting new attraction packages. $50 in discounts at Boston attrac - mary selling tions, restaurants, and retail stores. points, a “Day New Added-Value Features Planner” section Boston is a fiercely competitive city in terms Of course, the most important sell - listing all our stops of sightseeing tours. In addition to Old Town ing point for our sales reps is the and the various Trolley, there are three other trolley companies quality of the tour itself. With the attractions avail - and two amphibious tour companies that are best people, the best training, the able at those stops, vying for the tourist’s time, attention, and most expertise, the most frequent a beautiful presen - money. This year as part of our strategy, we are service, etc. the Old Town Trolley tation of our tour increasing the value of our ticket by including a Tour of Boston is an unbeatable route, and a page number of exciting new features: value! devoted to our the many packages New “Visitor’s Guide” Promotional Brochure. • Second Day Free. Old Town Trolley guests New “Visitor Guide” that we offer. It will now have the option to ride the tour a Promotional Brochure also features a page that I particularly like, second consecutive day if they wish. In Countless hours were spent over the winter - called “Our People Make the Difference!” This recent years, we have charged a special dis - time developing a brand new promotional page contains quotes from outstanding com - count rate for a second day ticket, but now brochure, what we call Old Town Trolley’s Continued on the next page...

10 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 11 Packaging and Promoting Continued... nies are industry leaders, and this year we ment cards we’ve received about our CAST, decided to join forces and offer guests a spe - and some explanation of the ways in which cial combination ticket that includes the best we focus on providing great guest service. trolley AND the best duck tour! When it comes to differentiating ourselves Trolley & Whale Watch Package from our competitors, I believe the biggest dif - Boston Harbor Cruises’ whale watch cruise ference is the quality of our people and the is an extremely popular summertime offering, way our CASTmembers treat the guests. My offering guests a thrilling opportunity to get hope is that this new brochure will help to “up close and personal” with these awe-inspir - convey this difference in a compelling way! ing creatures. This year OTTT will sell a spe - cial package ticket, the best of land and sea! New Attraction Packages For the last several years we’ve been focus - New CASTmembers ing on expanding our package ticket offerings, As we gear up for what we anticipate will be a and this year we have some especially exciting very busy season, we are expanding our roster attraction partnerships that will give our sales of sales rep, tour conductors, and gravedig - reps a big edge! ger/guides. Fenway Park Tour On the sales rep side, Depot Sales Manager As “The Official Trolley Tour of the Boston Ed Doerr has been bringing in some great new Depot Sales Manager Ed Doerr showing off our Red Sox”, Old Town Trolley has the exclusive talent, and showing all the new folks the new menu of attraction package offerings. rights to sell a package ticket that includes a nuances and details of how to sell packages. name by the time the next issue of the Nation’s special Twilight Tour of America’s Most Our enthusiastic new crew includes Chris Storyteller comes out. Beloved Ballpark. Corrado, Eddie Martens, Maggie Matthews, As you can tell, we’ve put all the right pieces Day & Night Tour and Nadia Wolff . into place to have a fantastically successful This new package combines Old Town Sue Pye and John “Huck” Cronin have been year. Here’s hoping that Boston tourism bursts Trolley’s daytime sightseeing tour with our putting tour conductor trainees through they forth just like the spring blossoms are opening popular nighttime “frightseeing tour,” Ghosts very thorough and regimented training pro - up right now. At Old Town Trolley Tours, & Gravestones. gram. Congratulations to the latest tour con - we’ll be ready to treat guests to the best vaca - Trolley/Aquarium Package ductors to reach certification: Neal “Pearl” tion experience they’ve ever had! The New England Aquarium has been an Boyle, Dara “Scout” Poulton, Mike “Cannon” important attraction partner with OTTT for a Buchanon, and Peter “Praz” Prosinos, and number of years, and the trolley/aquarium Mike “Shiner” Shine. package remains one of our most popular. The Ghosts & FUN PHOTOS Official Freedom Trail Walking Tour Gravestones got off to The Freedom Trail Foundation’s “Walk Into a fantastic start this Travel South Showcase Showdown History” tour, with guides in colonial costume, year, completely sell - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA has been a part of the historic scene in Boston ing out its first week - for nearly 20 years. Now the “Walk Into end, so congratula - History” tour will be offered in conjunction tions to Evan O’Brien with the OTT tour as an exciting new pack - and his entire team! age! We’re fortunate to Boston & Salem Package have nearly all our North of Boston is the charming town of gravediggers returning Salem, also known as “Witch City.” Our new from last season, plus Boston & Salem package includes not only the there’s one new ghoul OTT tour of Boston, but also a round trip to amongst the CAST, and from Salem on the Salem Ferry, and a Ryan Jennings . sightseeing tour of Salem on the Salem Trolley. Although he just start - Trolley & Duck Tour Package ed training as of this For about fifteen years now, Old Town writing, I’m certain Joyce Ellis of Old Town Trolley Savannah and Cindy Stavely of Old Town Trolley St. Augustine just attended Travel South Showcase in Birmingham, AL, where we took on the Trolley tours has been in friendly competition he’ll have a stage tour operators, who were there to look for southern destinations for their groups, in bowl - with Boston Duck Tours. Both of our compa - ing. Just one of the great events surrounding this four day destination showcase.

10 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 11 CONCH TOUR TRAIN CARTOONS Road Hazards BY: SHEILA CULLEN Conch Tour Train Engineer ere on the sub-tropical island of with information for drivers who are out on the Key West we managed to get streets and suddenly confronting the business through this year’s edition of end of a road grader. As backing up is not an Spring Break relatively option, the drivers are reminded to constantly H unscathed, with very few “Can check ahead, look for possible problems and you believe this!” additions to our collection of an escape route. stories of hi-jinks buy our young visitors. Our visitors probably wonder why they are Memories of the seemingly endless and brutal seeing the drivers with their heads together, winter have faded from our subconscious and pouring over a map, perhaps thinking that we we are looking forward to welcoming our should have learned our way around this place many European guests in the coming months. by now. We all compare notes, and offer sug - Our carefully orchestrated tour routes are tak - gestions to each other on information to present ing a beating from the island’s Department of to our passengers when we are on a unfamiliar Public Works, as recently acquired funds have street. Because of our unusually wet winter, the a generated a flurry of activity in the Large Hole riotously flowering shrubs and trees also offer Digging and Street Closure Departments. additional points of interest on our tours. As work must be completed before a certain Our head driver, Bill McIntyre , has complet - date, there are multiple projects under way at ed training of all of our newer drivers for both any given time. For the safety of the work of the routes we offer. He managed to do that crews, a large percentage of the roads and with the assistance of Glenn Evans and Peggy streets that bisect our island’s Old Town are Newton , veteran drivers with vast amounts of closed for weeks on end. patience and reassurance to our fledgling engi - Many of streets under construction run paral - neers. lel to each other, and because we haven’t got We welcome summer and the visitors that that many of them in the first place on an island the off season brings. Many of us are planning only a mile-and-a-half by four miles, figuring our own vacation, and more than a few are out how to get our guests from Point A to Point hoping to visit some of Historic Tour’s other B becomes tricky. Our dispatchers are quick attractions while out on the road. FUN PHOTOS San Diego ConVis Annual Meeting Charlie Crist and Don Shula SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA KEY WEST, FLORIDA

The Leadagers all met and enjoyed a nice lunch and presentation by San Diego ConVis for their annual meeting of 2009 and the expectations for 2010.” (see pic. From left to right, Florida Governor Charlie Crist made a surprise appearance to the Harry S. Truman Little Carmen Thulin, David Thornton, John Savage, Erica Frost, Terri Gaughan, Mark Keeler, White House during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Friend and football legend Don Shula Harold Henson-Dozier, and Norm Niles (not pictured). hosted a party at the house during the World Sailfish Tournament. The two along with about 35 other people spent a few hours touring the house.

12 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 13 If You Only Knew... RYAN HARRAH Computer Specialist, Historic Tours of America The six people I would like to have dinner with are professor Plum, Ms. Peacock, Mr. Green, Colonel Mustard, Ms. White, and Ms. Scarlett My five favorite movies of all time are The Toxic Avenger , Delta Delta Die , Leonard Part 6 , Bloodsucking Freaks , and Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D The four foods I refuse to eat are foie gras, crawfish heads, tripe and casu marzu. Three things I am terrified of is my mother with a frying pan, my girlfriend with a frying pan and snakes on a plane. My two favorite books are Where’s Waldo, The Great Picture Hunt Book by Martin Handford and Oh! The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. The one thing I would do to make the world a better place is to have people be required to take and pass their drivers test every few years. If You Only Knew... CARLOS MURRAY Gateway Administrator, Historic Tours of America The six people I would like to have dinner with is Zora Neal Hurston, Richard Wright, Dali Lama, Earl Warren, John Locke, and Elvis. My four favorite movies of all time are The King of Hearts, Matador, Drag you to Hell, A Beautiful Thing, and PBS National Parks Series. The four foods I refuse to eat is nothing. Three things I am terrified of are aliens enslaving the planet, school cafeteria food, and a world without onions. My two favorite books are Their Eye’s were watching God by Zora Neal Hurston and Gideons Trumpet by Anthony Lewis. The one thing I would do to make the world a better place is to vote. Puzzles, Games and Trivia Answers from Page 7

TRIVIA TEASER MAY SODOKI FAMOUS NAMES WORD SEARCH Answers to 'Winners Circle' 1-d, Secant 2-d, Virgil 3-a, "The Lion King" 4-b, "Cops” 5-c, Green 6-d, North Pole 7-b, James Cook 8-a, U.S. Vice President 9-d, Billy Preston 10-a, Shower

12 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 13 KEY WEST Spring BY: CEDRIC HUMPHREY Old Town Trolley Tours of Key West

he cold weather has decided to leave Key West. This winter was one of the coldest on record. We went twelve con - T secutive days with temperatures in the 50’s, as well as we experienced the third coldest day in Key West history, 42 degrees. Okay, so our blood gets thin after Claire Hiller, Conductor we live here for any length of time. The end of the Easter season means that it is time for the snowbirds to fly north. The week following Easter is a busy one, but then Tim Watson, Conductor the number of tourists in town begins to wane. This summer promises to be busier than last year because of an increase in the number of visiting cruise ships. The local Key West newspaper has a column where they list what was happening 20, 50 and 100 years ago. This week the paper wrote that twenty years ago Ed Swift was promoting cruise ships as a way to increase city rev - Candace Jones, Conductor enues...visionary! The trolley drivers are always available for Kelly Woody, Conductor special events and recently we had a special one. The Blue Angels came to Key West to stage a spectacular, free two day show. A train and a trolley shuttled people from park - ing lots on the Navy base to the viewing area to see the aerial performances. Breathtaking…to see a trolley and train on Navy tarmac. Summer is coming. Memorial Day is a few weeks away. Memorial Day is more than a day to hold a barbeque or to head for a store promising a great sale. Remember our Jack Sibley, Sales Representative Maria Allen, Sales Representative nation’s valiant soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our way of life. Freedom is not free. Be the best American that you can.

Rande Allen, Conductor and Evan Whitley, Mechanic Geoff Hintz, Conductor

14 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 15 CONCH TOUR TRAIN March: Conductor: Bob Lutz • Sales Rep: Joyce Dahlberg Supporting: Norm Linseman

BOSTON March: Conductor: Brian Buckley • Sales Rep: Amanda Brown Supporting: Bethany Lee April: Conductor: Joseph Driver • Sales Rep: Deborah Kelley Supporting: Namik Zeqolli • Actor: Lianne O’Shea

SAN DIEGO February: Conductor: Bill Fox • Sales Rep: Ken Hargrave and Mark Lohman March: Conductor: Bob Matchinske • Sales Rep: Barbie Harrell • SEAL: Jerry Coulson • Supporting: Yolanda Osana

SAVANNAH February: Conductor: Michael Smith • Sales Rep: Wanda Rideout • Supporting: Quinn Martinez

KEY WEST March: Conductor: Claire Hiller • Sales Rep: Randy Crouch • Supporting: Joseph Schrober

WASHINGTON, DC PET OF THE MONTH February: Conductor: Stephen “Mr. Holiday” O’Brien Nathan Helland Sales Rep: Margo Johnson March: Conductor: Stephen “Mr. Holiday” O’Brien ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA Sales Rep: Oscar Overton

ST. AUGUSTINE February: Conductor: Linda MCowin Sales Rep: Mark Spindle • Supporting: Melinda Vargas History Teller: Jordan Dennis-McCloskey March: Conductor: Kevin Rose Sales Rep: Tracy Conley • Supporting: John Anderson History Teller: Krystle Kraft • Maintenance: Larry Alameda

Hello my name is Nathan Helland I am a rescue dog... My family The HELLAND'S Tom, Angel, Kelsey and Elliot adopted me in July of 2007 that was the happiest day of their lives.... and mine. I am a short haired Dachshund and pretty dog gone cute "I think" I love to swim, long walks on the beach and lots of snuggling. Although I have plenty of friends you could be a face book friend if you would like.

14 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 15 SAN DIEGO

Left: In March, we began operating our new ticket depot on Coronado Island at our McP’s trolley stop. Our new ticket booth has proven to improve our guest service as well as San Diego Scores Two New Depots bolstering awareness on the Coronado island community. Middle: Sales podium at the Star of India. BY: Alex Rodriguez Right: Saul Alba adds finishing touches to our new Star of Sales Manager, Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego India, SEAL ticket podium. fter much negotiation, prepara - the San Diego bayside Embarcadero will SEALS tromped their goal coming in at 95% tion, sweat and tears, San remember the tall sailing ship Star of India over budgeted revenue and 48% over bud - Diego has opened two brand docked at the Maritime Museum of San geted riders. Compared to Last Year’s num - new, fully-equipped ticket Diego. For decades, the world’s oldest bers, the month of March was over 40% of A depots! The depots – one at the active sailing ship has been a major water - March 2009 revenue and over 48% of last Maritime Museum of San Diego and the front icon, and now, thanks to a new and March’s riders. Comparing Fiscal Year 2009 other in front of McP’s Irish Pub on exciting partnership with the Maritime with Fiscal Year 2010, the SEAL was 6% Coronado Island – opened for business at Museum and Anthony’s Fish Grotto, the Star over budgeted sales and 7% over budgeted the beginning of March, increasing visibility will be joined by another harbor icon – the riders. Needless to say, we totally beat last and guest service. San Diego SEAL! In addition to Seaport fiscal year’s actual numbers in both ridership McP’s Irish Pub Depot: We are thrilled to Village, guests now have a second point of and revenue. finally have a staffed ticket depot in origin from which to take the SEAL tour, and This month also saw the official opening Coronado. The trolley stop at McP’s Irish the new bayside depot is there to serve them of our new SEAL depot perfectly set at the Pub is one of the most popular stops along with a full complement of San Diego tours bow of the Star of India at the Maritime the tour route, and it isn’t uncommon for and attractions. Museum. Could we get any closer to the entire trolleys to empty out there. The addi - Until Bai Yun and Shi Shi, the pandas from water without actually being wet? No! tion of a smiling CAST member there to the San Diego Zoo, move in with Shamu at What a wonderful group of advocates we greet guests, sell tours and attractions, and SeaWorld, this will remain one of the most have along the embarcadero. Anthony’s communicate ridership to dispatch is a important joining of San Diego icons in his - Fish Grotto is a great new partner offering great, new boon for the tour. The presence tory! discounts to our tour riders and our of a real, live sales rep in Coronado has CASTmembers. It’s amazing what a sticker already proven useful in improving our guest Sab Diego Safety - can get you! For the month of March, the service at the stop as well as bolstering by Bob Ross; Safety Officer Star of India SEAL carried over 600 riders awareness on the Coronado island commu - The final 2009 Quarterly Safety Report is which is about 14% of the total month’s rid - nity. The new booth at McP’s also acts as in and I am happy to report that San Diego ership – even though we weren’t operating our silent Sales Rep by displaying our menu achieved its long sought after goal of the #1 there for the entire month. We are looking of tours and attractions, even after we’ve HTA safety ranking. at good things ahead. The SEAL visibility called it a day and posted our “What are alone is priceless. your plans for tomorrow? sign”. San Diego SEAL Tours The SEAL is looking forward to a busy Star of India Depot : And talk about visi - by Mark Keeler; Head SEAL Captain summer. We have three returning first The month of March was definitely in like bility in the heart of San Diego! Visitors to mates and three returning captains. In addi - a lion and not at all out like a lamb! The Continued on the next page...

16 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 17 Norm Niles

Old Town Trolley Tours monthly meeting was held at the historic Marston House in Balboa Park. The Marston House Museum is one of San Diego’s finest examples of the Arts and Crafts architectural movement. Completed in 1905 for prominent merchant and civic leader, George W. Marston and his family, this 8,500 square-foot home is surrounded by four acres of rolling lawns, manicured formal gardens, and canyon pathways. Norm Niles (right) picture here with Saul Alba. San Diego Scores Two New Depots continued... came in on a day off here and there to help Norm Niles started working for Old tion, we have three more captains in the hir - out. They are all looking forward to the Town Trolley Tours of San Diego as a ing phase and one of our conductors will rookies getting out there so they can get a Tour Conductor in 1995. He worked in soon be switching hats from conductor to much deserved break from the pace. My San Diego during our summer peak sea - captain for the busy summer season. hats off to each and every one of our “prod - sons. He would then travel to Old Town Auditions are being held in April for new uct deliverers.” (Insert a video of Terri doing Trolley Tours of Key West to give tours first mates. We have lots of interest and a the “Mary Tyler Moore beret toss!”) during their winter peak season. Then in big thanks to Jessica Hiatt for keeping a list The light at the end of the staffing tunnel is 2006, Norm became the Maintenance upon list of interested parties to call back for our new folks that passed the audition. Manager for San Diego. Although he no auditions and applications. We have done Again, big thanks to Jessica Hiatt who kept a longer gives tours, his love of Key West all this without attending a single job fair or 2-page list of interested parties since last keeps him going back to visit at least once print ad. year and made all 60+ phone calls to get a year. During his time as Maintenance those folks back here for our two days of Manager, Norm has worked to earn OTT Trolley Tours auditions. We had a great turn out and have by Terri Gaughan-Zorn; Operations Manager SD the 2009 EPA Star Energy Award and The Old Town Trolley operation outdid Continued on the next page... 2009 Cool California Award by reducing itself in March carrying 11% more riders our energy consumption by 1/3 in our than last March. The Trolley Tour was 9% buildings. Norm has partnered with San over budget for revenue and 15% over bud - Diego Gas & Electric consultants by get for riders. We did carry 3% more riders installing new lighting and light motion than was budgeted for 2009, although we sensors to reduce consumption that adds a were about 1% under the total riders for positive number to our bottom line. 2009. That was a lot of numbers; so let’s get Norm was born and raised in San to where the rubber meets the road – our Diego, specifically Ocean Beach. They CASTmembers. should just change the name to Norman This year we made the decision to hold off Beach. In his spare time, Norm travels the hiring until after Spring Break. We didn’t world, visiting amazing places most only want to end up overstaffed during the slower dream of seeing. He also is an avid times of March and mid-April until the end motorcycle rider traveling many miles and of June. This decision meant we really had cruising to many destinations on motorcy - to rely on our current conductors to put in cles. Norm is a lover of life, a free spirit some long days during the busy Spring always on the go whose life is the epitome Break. They worked tirelessly and even Four retail kiosk carts have been pain-stakingly of successful ventures. sanded and remodeled for the Old Town Market.

16 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 17 a pool of about 15 folks in the application process. Much appreciation to not only Jessica’s Lists, but also ‘Craig’s List’ advertis - ing too. Training is set to begin end of April and our new recruits will be on the front line by mid-June – long enough to get their feet wet before diving head long into the deep end of the summer pool. We will be utiliz - ing some of our veteran conductors to help with the training. Bob Ross , Safety Officer, and myself, Terri Gaughan , will be doing a Train the Trainer day to get everyone on the same page to get everyone off to a great start and new season with the Old Town Trolley Ticket depots now sport new signage for our after-hours Silent Sales person’, ‘What are your plans for tomorrow?’ to Tour of San Diego. Erica Frost, Charter Rep, serenaded at encourage guests to come see us and plan their next day our monthly meeting for Valentine’s day. events with us!”

The SEAL Tour began its new departure location from the Star of India at the Maritime Museum on March 1st. Picture left to right is Sales Rep Kevin Brent, Operations Manager Terri Gaughan and SEAL Captain Robin Kedward. First SEAL crew to depart from our new Star of India at the Maritime Museum location. If You Only Knew... ALEX RODRIGUEZ Depot Sales Manager, Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego The six people I would like to have dinner with are Groucho Marx, Albert Einstein, Richard Pryor, Mark Twain, Mahatma Gandhi, Leonardo DaVinci . . . basically, anybody with a moustache. My four favorite movies of all time are Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, The Odd Couple, The Cruise, It’s a Wonderful Life, and When We Were Kings. The four foods I refuse to eat are Undercooked rice, overcooked asparagus, day-old muffins, and Peeps ®. Three things I am terrified of are CROC-,O-,DILES! Up to 20 miles per hour on land, a 2,500-pound per square inch bite – they are the stuff of nightmares. My two favorite books are Einstein For Beginners by Joseph Schwartz and Hope For the Flowers by Trina Paulus. The one thing I would do to make the world a better place is to provide free, lifelong education for everyone on Earth.

18 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 19 FAMOUS FACES WILLIAM SCARBROUGH PROMOTER OF THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC STEAMSHIP illiam Scarbrough (1776- In 1819, William would be talked into outfit - 1838) was the son of a ting a sailing vessel with a steam engine and he wealthy plantation family in agreed to be the principal backer for the Beaufort County, South Savannah, as she would be known. The ship W Carolina. He would be would receive fan fare for being the most educated at the University of Edinburgh. advanced ship of her time. At William’s invita - Scarbrough had established himself as a mer - tion, President Monroe would come to chant in Savannah by 1798, making him 22 Savannah for a visit. He would host the presi - years old. He was an owner/partner of dent at the then completed Scarbrough House Scarborough & Isaacs Shipping and considered and present for inspection the Savannah . It was a “merchant prince” of his time. He held many at this time, he was convinced to have her per - posts including bank director, manager of elec - form a transatlantic voyage to showcase tions, member of the Board of Health, vestry - American ingenuity. The ship would sail over man of Christ Church, Vice Consul of Denmark 10,000 miles and have ports-of-call in and Sweden and Consul General of Russia. Liverpool, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Fortune smiled on everything he touched. Copenhagen, and Arendal, Norway. It was during this time he would court and In the year following the Scarbrough House marry Julia Bernard Scarbrough(1786-1851). “opening” (House opened in May 1819, Julia was dubbed "The Countess" for her high Scarbrough sold house to Isaacs on May 13th handed demeanor. She was known for her lav - 1820). The SS Savannah would never achieve George W.J. DeRenne deeded the property to ish and very long parties. In some historical he success that was expected. Savannah's the Board of Education in 1878. It served as a journals and periodicals of the times, there is owner, the firm of Scarborough and Isaacs, suf - public school until 1962 when it was con - documentation of these lavish events. If you fered financial harm due to the fire, and conse - demned. Historic Savannah purchased the were part of the inner circle of Savannah, you quently was forced to sell the ship. This is an property in 1972, moved in 1976, after restora - would vie to argument put tion was completed. be a part of forth by the In 1995, it would lay vacant once more until these author the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum would “soirees”. It Hoffman, how - purchase it and through a series of restorations, was not ever; there are would bring the historic home to its present uncommon tax records state. The home is the setting for the Museum’s to for them to indicating that collection. Established in 1966, the Ships of last unto the none of the Sea Maritime Museum has a vast collection wee hours of Scarbrough’s of ship models, paintings, maritime artifacts morning. In property was from the Great Atlantic Trade Era with empha - 1818, at the affected by the sis on its importance to Savannah. The zenith of his fire. Savannah is once again the center piece as a wealth and Once sold, technological wonder of her time. The house importance, the Savannah boasts one of the largest and most beautiful gar - he became a would have her dens in the Historic District. It has beautifully principal engines sold restored faux art décor that was popular during investor and and she would the Regency Period. The house is open to the president of A replica of the SS Savannah. serve as a sail - public Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm. the Savannah Steamship Company and began ing vessel for a myriad of jobs until she ran Come visit the Jewell of West Broad and walk the construction of a new house. Later he ashore on Fire Island, New York, in 1823. No in the footsteps of one of the most interesting would call the Greek Revival Styled home "the other American-owned steamship would cross and tragic stories of success and failure in Castle". He would contract the 25 year old the Atlantic for almost thirty years after Savannah’s history. William Jay from Regency era England to build Savannah's pioneering voyage. the home on West Broad Street, one of Scarbrough's family and descendants were QUINN MARTINEZ Savannah's most fashionable neighborhoods. allowed to live at “the Castle” until 1851. Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah

18 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 19 SAVANNAH The Revitalization of Ellis Square BY: QUINN MARTINEZ Sales Coordinator, Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah ith great anticipation, we museums at a great discount price. It has officially started our high expanded our already strong relationships season on St. Patrick’s Day with the Andrew Low House, and The in Savannah. This year the Juliette Gordon-Low Birthplace and the W city held festivities on the Isaiah Davenport House. We were also weekend before and after the mid week excited to finally welcome the Ships of Sea parade. The mild weather and better eco - Museum to our family of third party tickets nomic times made it possible for city to have and will feature them with our Maritime a great turn out. It also gave us an opportu - Heritage Package. nity to get a taste of what to expect for the In March of this year, we happily wel - upcoming season. With ease we have found comed back to existence one of our lost New Ellis Square Booth. our rhythm and have outpaced our competi - squares- Ellis Square. committee for the redesign. The under - tors. It has become a common sight to see Ellis Square is located on Barnard between ground facility was completed and formally our dispatchers handling the extended early Bryan and Congress Streets. It was named dedicated in January 2009. Meanwhile, morning rush of “load and go’s” at the after Henry Ellis, second Royal Governor of hotel, residential and commercial space on Visitor Center and the unrelenting pace of the Georgia colony. It was also known as adjacent properties has been renovated con - our shuttle program that does not stop until Marketplace Square, as from the 1730s currently with the Ellis Square project. The the last trolley departs for that last tour of the through the 1950s it served as a center of restoration of the square itself, begun in the day. We definitely love the start of our new commerce and was home to four successive spring of 2008, was completed in February fiscal year! market houses. Prior to Union General 2010. Ellis Square officially reopened at a Jon Watkins , HR Manager, and Kenny Sherman's arrival in December 1864 it was dedication ceremony held on March 11, Gresham , Training/Safety Manager, have also the site of a slave market. In 1954 the 2010. A bronze statue of songwriter-lyricist done an awesome job at hiring and training city signed a fifty-year lease with the Johnny Mercer, a native Savannahian, was our newest CASTmembers to operate seam - Savannah Merchants Cooperative Parking formally unveiled in Ellis Square on lessly along side our Veteran staff of Association, allowing the association to raze November 18, 2009. For us, the opening of Conductors and Sales Reps. The “rookies” the existing structure and construct a parking the square comes with it a much anticipated have been operating at an accelerated learn - garage to serve the City Market retail pro - return of one of our most successful ticket ing curve and have been showing that they ject. Anger over the demolition of the mar - depots at Ellis Square. Monte Triz and the know what it takes to be performers and ket house helped spur the historic preserva - folks in St. Augustine helped craft a beautiful “Goal Busters”. tion movement in Savannah. When the booth for us and we should see the booth Charlie Brazil , General Manager, and garage's lease expired in 2004, the city operational by mid-April. We can hardly Dennis Morrison , Head Depot Sales Rep, began plans to restore Ellis Square. The old contain ourselves with these new additions have been making new tour packages, parking garage was demolished in 2006 to and know they will further help our guests to adding ticket options, and opening new tick - make way for a new public square (park) have that total experience while touring our et depots to maximize opportunity for our that features open spaces for public con - beautiful city with us. “crack” Sales Representative team and our certs, as well as an underground parking In the winter of 2009, we restarted the guests. Our newest package, The Pioneers garage. Our own General Manager, Charlie Online Vendor Program in Savannah. With in Preservation Package will give our guests Brazil, was one of a handful of “stakehold - a flurry of activity, we campaigned and the opportunity to have access to three great ers” invited to participate in the steering signed up an astonishing amount of vendors both from existing accounts and properties who we did not have existing accounts. The rippling effect from the initial push has been very positive. It has enabled us to reach those Vendors who could not do boarding passes or back office tickets accounts, but were loyal to our company and our

Ellis Square as a marketplace. Old parking garage at Ellis Square. Ellis Square today. Continued on the next page...

20 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 21 The Revitalization Ellis Square continued... program is in full swing with an increase in tion’s history. This was due to great plan - Gateway Partners. The most encouraging troops booking for this year! Her tireless ning in advance of the worst of the econom - outcome has been those properties that we support of the Girl Scouts Sojourn Program ic trials, and the hard work and dedication won over from our competitors and have continuously bears fruit. Kudos to Joycee for of all to do “more with less” and to stay nim - gotten more sales in the following months being instrumental in signing a new cruise ble enough to take advantage of all opportu - than we did in one year! This has been suc - line for Savannah and we look forward to nities that presented themselves. A special cessful at signing new Gateway Partners, having them ashore with us this year. thanks to Ed Swift IV , who’s addition this such as Tour Buddy, the Ships of the Sea As everyone knows, March is the end our past year has allowed us as a unit to remain Museum, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil fiscal year. We finished up the year with more focused on all aspects of our business, Rights Museum and Dolphin Magic Tours, 225,723 daytime, 58,580 Ghosts & while he often tackled the myriad of “other and renegotiating with older partners to Gravestones, 6,268 Paula Deen Tour, and projects” and stewarded the implementation have the online option, like The River Street 1,092 Holly Jolly riders for a total of of many new initiatives including the open - Riverboat Company. The initiative has been 291,663 riders for the year. This was an ing of the Perkin’s & Son’s Chandlery and instrumental in signing our newest vendor, increase of 6% vs. FY2008-2009. the launch of our package program (just to North Point Properties. Our company now We finished as the #1 ridership company name a few) that would have otherwise has access to five new properties with in the HTA Nation, nearly 67,000 more rid - served as a distraction locally. unlimited sales potential. You can see what ers than the next highest company (Boston) If the beginning of April is any indication, we have achieved at and continued with high market share per - (again exceeding last year’s numbers) there www.stayinsavannah.com/trustedtours. We formances in the 60% range throughout the is much to be grateful for in the year ahead. are happy to have the Marriott Courtyard, year.. Once again averaged well over 50% We are appreciative and indebted to the Midtown, join our team. We are especially for the entire year- THAT MEANS that more undying loyalty and dedication of our excited because this has sent a domino than half the people in the VERY competi - Leadagement staff and entire CAST. It is effect in an area where our competitor has tive market in Savannah chose Old Town your sense of commitment, company pride been focusing heavily with an extended Trolley Tours of Savannah over any other and continuous hard work that gets us shuttle service. This has brought many of tour provider. We are proud that they made through all the daily challenges, assures our our vendors back and breathed new life into that choice and thank everyone who recom - success and gives us the energy and enthusi - our Midtown/South Side Market. The mended us, partnered with us or rode with asm to plan for the future. I am grateful for Vendor Program is looking for great things in us throughout the year for making these all you do every day and am blessed to work 2010-11! spectacular numbers possible. with a team like you. Also, we would like to Our Charter Rep, Joyce Ellis also had a FY 2009-2010 was one of great challenges take this time and say thank-you for the sup - wonderful year, finishing up with a success - and great successes. In the midst of the port we receive daily from the team in Key ful sales mission to Alabama and participa - “economic downturn” we in the Savannah West. You are apart our many cogs and tion in the Travel South Expo in April. All operation found ourselves having one of, if wheels that keep us ticking! designed to make sure that 2011 is just as not the most, successful years in our opera - great if not record breaking. The Girl Scout If You Only Knew... ROB GREGG Information Technology Manager, Historic Tours of America The six people I would like to have dinner with are my maternal grandfather, Robert Oppenheimer, Sandra Bullock, Joe Black, Hank Aaron, and Coach K. My five favorite movies of all time are Kung Fu Panda, A Lion in Winter, As Good As It Gets, ET, and Patton The four foods I refuse to eat are none, none, none, and none. Three things I am terrified of are guns in the hands of nervous person, closed mindedness, and the word “never.” My two favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama and Howard C Cutler. The one thing I would do to make the world a better place is to wag more and bark less.

20 the nation’s storyteller ® March/April 2010 21 TROPICAL SHELL AND GIFT The Little White House Welcomes International Dignitaries GREEN TEAM REPORT BY: LEAH BENNER Tropical Shell and Gift

Kenny Gosnell loads our delivery truck with recycled cardboard collected over a two day period. Those boxes are filled to the top with broken down cardboard - 1360 pounds of it to be exact. The warehouse staff tells me I’ve created a monster. A cardboard monster. Yes, recycling generates a bit more work for some of our staff, but as Lisa Simpson so eloquently put it, “You can’t create a mon - In 1945, President Truman witnessed the signing of the United Nations Charter. ster then whine when it stomps on a few Harry S. Truman said, "A politician is a man included Key West shrimp, yellowtail snapper, buildings.” who understands government. A statesman is a and key lime tarts, all local delicacies. Cardboard is the largest component of politician who's been dead for 15 years." He Bob Wolz , Executive Director of the Little municipal solid waste coming in at approxi - may well have been right, as Mr. Truman is White House, was the keynote speaker. Harry mately 33 million tons annually. Now that’s now considered the “father of modern states - S. Truman is a subject that Bob is passionate a lot of trees—trees that produce the oxygen manship.” Because of his role in establishing about, and his enthusiasm brought Mr. we breathe, trees that shade us from the sun. foreign policy and his focus on peace, the Little Truman’s history alive. Bob described him as That’s not all. If you’ve ever lived near a White House was the chosen venue for this a “Man of Peace.” He explained how Truman's paper mill or drove past one for that matter, year’s Sovereign Challenge Conference Dinner. life experiences as a farmer, soldier and politi - you probably pulled down the windows or This fifth annual conference was hosted by cian shaped his domestic and international rolled them up to escape that poignant the Southern Command and held the week of policies. chemical bouquet. It smells so nasty, you March 8th. The Sovereign Challenge is an Bob ended his speech with the following know it’s not good for you. By reusing card - international organization that partners with the words: “Part of Truman’s legacy is this site. board, manufacturing emissions are cut in United States Strategic Command to maintain The flags (you see here) represent international half. the sovereignty of independent nations and peace talks led by Secretary of State Colin Want more? Recycled cardboard stays out work together fighting the terrorism that threat - Powell in 2001. I am sure President Truman of our landfills. Where there’s no landfill, it’s ens their sovereignty. would be smiling that peace might be achieved burned. Air pollution. One hundred sixty-six attended the dinner, at his Little White House.” Need a financial incentive? Tropical Shell including military attaches and ambassadors. After the program, Major Gary Town said and Gift reduces waste management fees by Seventy nations were represented. The guests that of all the speeches heard during the week producing less trash. Recycling is free. The were brought in on Old Town Trolleys and that Bob’s was the best. The event coordinator, city sells our old cardboard and that money treated to VIP tours. Cocktails and dinner were John Carmen, said that “Mr. Wolz's program goes to services we can all enjoy. served on the lawn under a giant white tent impressed a large number of foreign delegates Tropical Shell and Gift is now recycling lighted by a large moon and stars hanging from and made the Americans proud.” And that three to four tons of cardboard a month. the trees. The menu was multi-cultural, but makes HTA proud! Have I created a monster? Or a gentle giant.

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