Barbara Munson. Coordinator 4138 Dark Hollow Rd. McMinnville. TN 37110 Phone (931) 668.3925 NCA Cave Talk Fax (931) 668.3988 NATIONAL CAVES ASSOCIATION vw,cuern.col
February 28, 2000
NCA IN BERMUDA Convention 99 in Bermuda was everything David Summers promised and lots more ... A Special Thanks to David, Dolores, Henry, Debbie, Anita, Jacob, and all the others who made our stay so Special.
The December 10th issue of the Hid-Ocean News carried a lengthy article about our NCA Convention 99.
Larry W. Gibbs, was one of our Convention 99 featured speakers. If you would like a copy of the article, "Strategic Planning For Owners of a Family Business" he presented during his talk, please let us know.
NCA THIS YEAR Arizona Director of State Parks Ken Travous' invitation to hold our year 2000 convention in Arizona and visit the newly opened Kartchner Caverns was eagerly accepted. Linda Larsen will be using her recent convention planning experiences to assist in coordinating our year 2000 convention. The tentative date is November 13-15, with an opening get- together reception Sunday evening, the 12th.
NEW MEMBER We are pleased to welcome LOST RIVER CAVE as a new Category A NCA member. Carl Niles has recently been appointed Director of Operations and the cave will be open April through October Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 to 5. The mailing address is PO Box 706, Bowling Green, KY 42102, and the phone number is 270-793-1023.
THE NCA MOURNS THE LOSS OF SEVERAL FRIENDS
Christopher Bishop, age 13, son of NIAGARA CAVE'S Mark and Jenny Bishop, died November 24th following a battle of many years with leukemia. Many of us had enjoyed getting to know Chris during our conventions in Virginia, Texas and California which he attended with his parents and brothers.
During Convention 99 we 1eanJed of the loss of two men whohad been active in the formative years of the NCA, and only recently another long-time friend was lost:
....William (Bill) Houndsh,~ll died in the spring of 1999. Bill, assisted by his wife Sue, had been Operations Manager since 1969 of FORBIDDEN CAVERNS in Sevierville, Tennessee. Bob, his son, now holds that position and Sue continues her involvement with the operation .
....W. Fred Conway, who developed Indiana's SQUIRE BOONE CAVERNS, also died this past year. Fred was writer as well as the founder of a label business which currently employs around 800 people. In addition, he and his son, Rick, also established a .,holesale outlet to market Squire Boone Caverns Products .
....Cave Without A Name's Eugene Ebell died at age 82 February 3, 2000 at his home near the cave. Services, attended by friends, cavers and -.
NCA members, were held Feb. 6th in Boerne, Texas. Hemorial contributions will be used to establish a Memorial Flag pole and Garden at the cave entrance in honor of Joleen and Eugene .
....Jon Larry Kany, who had managed BOYDEN CAVE for 20 years, died November 21, 1999.
ACCIDENT CAVE OF THE MOUNDS' Mike Roonery, who 83, received critical injuries in an auto accident February 4th. Although still in the hospital in Hadison he is making progress in his recovery.
ISCA The International Show Caves Association will be holding their Symposium on Show Caves Protection and Restoration October 20-24, 2000 in China at Yaolin Cave. Contact the NCA Office for details. The 2001 Heeting on Show Caves and Environmental Education will be at Grotte di Pastena & Frisinone, Rome, Italy, and in 2002 the 4th ISCA International Congress and General Assembly will be in Slovenia at Postojna Caves.
PERSONNEL CHANGES ....Kara Ulasewiez has been named Assistant General Manager at HOWE CAVERNS and assumed her duties in mid-February .
....Chris Coffey, who has handled our NCA Insurance Program Account for a number of years is leaving Arthur J. Gallagher & Co and the insurance industry. Until a replacement for her is hired, Linda Joski will handle our account in the Milwaukee office .
....Jerry Orpen has been hired as Account Executive for the National Caves Association Program. He will be working out of the Itasca, IL Gallagher office and will be visiting a number of NCA caves with Keith Dobrolinsky during the next few months.
NATIONAL COVERAGE Brad Wuest says careful planning of every aspect, including the Press Releases, was the key to the success of NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS' October 21st Hedia Day announcing the opening of their new South Cave Adventure in November. They had national coverage on CNN, The Today Show, the Fox Network, and on stations in Mexico. Travis Wuest was also invited to appear on a number of big city talk shows. Participants can either walk into the cave tour area or can be lowered in down the 164' 36" shaft-many of the media people chose to be lowered, taking their movie cameras and tape recorders with them!
TAX ALERT Rod Graves of LURAY CAVERNS in Virginia tells us Page County, where the cave is located, introduced a proposal in the state legislature to permit the county to impose a 10% admissions tax - the proposal was temporarily defeated for this year, but will be presented again next year. Such a tax would be disastrous tourism and farming are the county's .two largest industries and a lodging tax is already in place. The folks at LURAY CAVERNS warn that other caves should be alert to taxation moves of this type. Talk with Rod for additional details.
TV STAR Gundagai, one of KENTUCKY DOWN UNDER'S Laughing Kookaburras appeared February 3rd on the Jay Leo Show. Gundagai was hand-raised by Judy Austin and was taken to the show by KDU's Sue Halford. Kookaburras are sometimes called "the bushman's alarm clock." MARKETING FANTASTIC CAVERNS has two elegant new 5 3/4" x 6" eight panel brochures to promote their Summer Discovery and their Educational Tours. This light beige piece, with vignetted pictures and lots of 'open space,' provides teachers and administrators with concise information about every aspect of these tours and how to make reservations for their classes or groups.
NEW BROCHURE 'Get down to earth' and 'The flip side of Texas' are the subtitles of NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS' new brochure promoting their North Cavern Tour, their Mining Company, and their Adventure Tour. Lots of pictures and various different bright colored rectangles with sidebar messages
PACKAGING ....Ann Molosky has produced two coordinated colorful mailing pieces to promote LINCOLN CAVERNS' 'Geo Paks' and School 'Geo Paks,' each offering a choice of five different tour packages. There's another one for 2000 Group Tour Information. Their Lincoln Caverns Scout News announces the March debut of their primitive camping option and the new Lunch Option. The Lunch Option is the result of a contract with Domino's Pizza to supply and deliver pizza for troops participating in a Scout Badge Program .
....PERRy.S CAVE is offering Combined Tour and Gemstone Mining packages for School and Scout Groups.
WHOLESALE You can now place secure online wholesale orders with Emily Davis' SPELEOBOOKS at
SUPPLIERS The Bat Hat and the Foam Cowboy Hat Judy Turilli modeled during her Convention 99 talk can be ordered from Jacbson Hat Co., Attn: Frank Rempe, P.O. Box 1429, Scranton, PA 18501, Phone 1-800-882-4690, Fax 1- 800-882-JHAT. Bat Hat Style #18509 is $16.80 /dozen. The videos she mentioned on Successful Merchandising, Spirit of Hospitality, and Successful Harassment can be ordered from IAAPA, 1448 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1994, Phone 703-836-4200.
VIDEO The America's Greatest Caves! video can be ordered from Finley-Holiday Film Corp., PO Box 619, Whittier, CA 90601, Phone 1-800-345-6707. Please mention you are a member of the National Caves Association - the NCA receives a small percentage on these sales ..
SHIRTS Bat, cave, and animal T's and sweats are available from Reflective Images, 42 Digital Dr. #10, Novato, CA 94949, 1-800-366-5815. Free name drop with minimum order of only two dozen.
KIDDIES Grandmas love "Caver in Training" logo Infant and Toddler T's and Sweats from Jibber Jabbers, Attn, Ric Dilz, 2450 Central Ave" Suite C, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone 1-800-432-7346,
EMPLOYEE MANUALS The Employee Manual Maker Jean Cunningham told us about during one of the Convention 99 Cracker Barrels can be ordered from JIAN, 1975 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040, Phone 1-800-346-5426. See their website
100 YEARS In their Nov-Dec MAMMOTH CAVE newsletter, The Flashlight, Supt. Ronald Switzer has compiled an interesting chronology of Hammoth Cave events of the past century .
CHANGES ....LAKE SHASTA CAVERNS' Gift Store has been remodeled with new carpet and new layout and the Snack Bar has been turned into a basic self- serve area to increase selection and decrease labor intensity .
....TALKING ROCKS CAVERN has enlarged their Gift Shop area;
....SQUIRE BOONE CAVERNS/VILLAGE is remodeling and air-conditioning two more of their buildings.
CHRISTMAS IDEAS ....The Christmas Gift Certificates for their newly opened Adventure Tour were a popular item at NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS . ....Three Friday & Saturday weekends of "Caroling In The Caverns" was another successful NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS idea. Four different choirs from area churches sang in four different cave room each night the acoustics were wonderful and, of course, everyone came to hear their choir. An optional catered meal was available in the Visitor Center.
FOR SALE Baker Cave, a Pennsylvania cave that was shown commercially sometime prior to 1990, is for sale. A minimum of 2 acres is included and more property is available. Contact Mrs. Pat Musser of Smith Associates, Realtor, at 717-23-3133.
CLEANUP Last November ACCA, the Cleveland Grotto of the NSS and the City of Horse Cave sponsored a "Fall Sinkhole Cleanup" of a nearby sinkhole that drains into the HIDDEN RIVER CAVE drainage basin, a habitat for southern cave fish, troglobitic crayfish and other aquatic cave animals.
1906 CADI The Sept/Oct 1999 issue of "The Bulb Horn" Veteran Motor Car Club of America magazine shows a 1906 Cadillac, part of an antique car tour, at the entrance to Heineman Winery's CRYSTAL CAVE at Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
RADIO John Sagendorf of HOWE CAVERHS, who was a Convention 99 Panelist, calls our attention to the enclosed marketing article from TIA.
RECORDS??? Cave Historian Gary K. Soule comments on the 1999 edition of The Guinnes Book of Records in the December 1999 NSS News.
CAVE B & B Kokopelli's Cave, operated by Bruce and Margie Black in Farmington, New Mexico, offers a unique Bed and Breakfast experience in a man-made cave about 70 feet down a vertical Alamo Sandstone cliff face. Phone: 505- 325-7855
INCREASE According to the TIA, the number of on line travelers increased 190% from 29 million in 1996 to 85 million in 1999.