Issue 102 campground

In an effort to boost visitation to campgrounds and RV Resorts a new publication is being released over the next few days.

"GetawayUSA has been in the planning stages for some months now and we are very pleased with the initial response from the

industry" said Publisher Dennis Macready.

public national email addresses".

"In any new venture there are understandably some reservations to the viability and the actual reach to the consumer, which is why we opted for what some consider a scattergun approach emailing to 66 million

GetawayUSA is an online 60 page magazine which promotes four states each month covering 48 states over 12 issues. The first four being Colorado, Maine, California and Tennessee".

Continued Page 2

Continued from Page 1 "Online Newspapers and magazines have enjoyed a huge growth in popularity" said Macready.

"Many managers, especially between the ages of 35-55 have grasped the advantages of the online medium.

Many national newspapers now offer paid subscriptions to their readers. It is also interesting to note that over 20% of Campground & RV Park E News readers open and read the news more than 3 times during the week".

The new magazine has a strong focus on "GROWING THE INDUSTRY" by attracting the general public to get off the lounge chairs and experience the great outdoors.

"The opening editorial pages tell the story where

we outline the focus of the magazine, a big point is made on creating memories with children and getting back to family values, get outdoors and take them camping".

GetawayUSA has had initial support and encouragement from ARVC, Best Parks in America, Jellystone, KOA, Encore RV Resorts, Horizon RV Resorts and National State Parks plus various private campgrounds and RV Parks.

Campgrounds have the opportunity to promote their property via the unique "What's your interest" links page where advertisers can promote in up to 5 categories for the one price.

Categories like: RV Resorts With cabins Long term/Retirement

With Golf Course Best Parks in America Encore Jellystone KOA State Park Lodging

to the 66 million plus a planned increase by way of adding a data base of existing and potential RV owners and experienced campers.

"If we get a good response to the links page we plan on adding more categories where properties can be more specific and target individual audiencies" said Macready.

Campgrounds are also encouraged to forward GetawayUSA on to their existing clients adding another "customer service" to their clientele and keeping their property "top of mind" in the eyes of the camper.

Possibilities like:Casinos with RV facilities Campgrounds with Marinas Ocean or Lakefront "The real advantage to the advertiser is for one low fee that property can appear in a multitude of links".

The online magazine will be published at the beginning of each month

"We appreciate all the feedback we can get and encourage our readers to let us know what they think of GetawayUSA ". said Macready.

GetawayUSA falls under the umbrella of Industry E News LLC along with Campground & RV Park E news.

that now forms the center of the Branches of Niagara property.

The process provided Pariso and her partners — Tom McLaughlin, Don Benoit and Larry Stolzenburg — with cleared land, road bases and, most of all, the capital they needed to realize their vision of a high-quality, familyfriendly campground.

Elaine Pariso and Don Benoit are two of four partners, at the Branches of Niagara Campground & Resort.

Photo- Charles Lewis/Buffalo News It has been said that you have to spend money to make money. And sometimes you have to sell land to develop land. The four partners who in May opened the Branches of Niagara Campground and Resort on Grand Island did all of that, with an unusual and lucrative twist.

First they bought some 90 acres of woodland on Whitehaven Road. Then they subdivided and sold lots along that main county road to help fund the original purchase and the development of the campground that was to take shape in the woods behind. Pretty straightforward so far.

Then came the real bonanza.

"Grand Island is made of clay," explained Elaine Pariso, one of the partners.

It's a kind of clay that can be very valuable to a few businesses, she said. It makes a good cover for toxic landfills, of which there are a few in the Niagara Falls area.

"We dug some test holes and prayed a lot," Pariso said. "It was a key part of our business plan to sell the clay to finance the project."

Then one day, their prayers were answered. Pariso left a crew from the mining firm to carry out their tests, and before she could make it back into town to meet her partners for lunch, her cell phone rang.

"It was the contractor saying, "We want your soil!'"

Pariso said.

Some 20,000 truckloads of it were hauled away, leaving a hole that just happened to be the shape of the lake

It was a welcome development for the fledgling partnership, friends who depended on one another and a shared Christian faith to help them persevere through the more than four years required to meet all of the town, county and state zoning, licensing and environmental requirements, including a mandated, and ultimately fruitless, search for Native American artifacts.

The campground opened May 21, has done a good business since and was fully booked for the July 4th weekend. Most customers have found the

facility by searching the Internet, moving its Web site from Google's page 32 up to page two in only a few weeks.

It has 12 cabins, 68 spots for campers in their tents, RVs or pop-ups, a lake now stocked with fish, a swimming pool, a laundry facility and a small convenience store. There are plans for an 8,000square-foot lodge for parties, weddings and other events and lots of room to grow. It employs a dozen people.

The cabins have running water, electricity, small kitchens, ceiling fans, at least one bed and a loft where children can set out their air mattresses.

Guests can bring their own boats or rent a canoe or a kayak. No motors are allowed on the lake.

"We want families to know what a family vacation is all about," Pariso said.

"Quiet, together, with no TV." Full Article: www.buffalonews.com

With the scent of fireworks still in the air, summer is alive and well.

In Niles, Michigan, a timehonored spot where so many have spent summers camping and fishing and sneaking off from the day to day for a little escape, has gone new and improved.

Under the new ownership of Bill Graffenius, Riverfront Park Campground is ready and waiting for campers, anglers, locals and visitors – with close to $200,000 in completed renovations.

Graffenius, who works in real estate, just happened to be working with the seller of the property on another project, and one thing would lead to another.

“Once I saw it, I just bought it,” Graffenius said.

Owning a campground was something the new owner “thought would be a good challenge.”

“And it has been,” he said.

The grounds had been “neglected” on a lot of levels, Graffenius said, and visitors had somewhat kept their distance.

Investing in the property, Graffenius said he built new bathhouses with new tile flooring, tile walls, double-vanities and marble accents.

“Each one is an individual unit,” he said. “So they’re unisex, so you can take

Niles Township Supervisor Jim Kidwell shakes hands with Riverfront Park Campground owner Bill Graffenius. (Photo submitted www.nilesstar.com ) the whole family in.”

The lodge has also been renovated along with newly added roads and driveways, continuous hot water and landscaping.

“We took down 206 trees and opened it up so grass would grow,” Graffenius said. “It was so thick.”

Purchased last July with improvements starting in April, the new grounds reopened officially on Memorial Day, and Graffenius said the property did fill up.

The property, located just of Pucker Avenue in Niles, is home to 35 riverfront and 35 lakefront sites – both with water and electric.

Graffenius said the grounds are home to an estimated 25 people who live there full-time – with room for more.

So what is it that lures people away from their backyards and subdivisions to the rural landscape of the campground summer after summer? And why is it beneficial to do so when they’re so close to home?

Graffenius said the campground’s proximity is one of its amenities.

“I would just say the convenience of it being right on the city limits of Niles and yet it’s like a hidden jewel,” he said.

“When you go back in there there’s 50 acres of land and the river runs through it and it’s just very tranquil back there.

“And you can be anywhere in just a minute,” Graffenius said. “A lot of people come down here and stay and leave their pets at home and run home and take care of them or go to work…”

The “beauty of the lake and the river” isn’t half bad either.

“It’s beautiful,” Graffenius said, adding that he’s heard the area is prime for fishing.

Walking trails, horseshoes, swimming and fishing are just a few of the activities available at the property.

Full Article : www.nilesstar.com

PORT ORCHARD — Joyce Foster-Torgerson, 65, always told people around her that she wanted her life to be like Disneyland. So when the Manchester State Park manager mentioned that she was going to throw away an old costume, park host Foster-Torgerson claimed it for herself.

After replacing a missing leg and adding a tail, Foster-Torgerson took on the role of Eager Beaver, the Washington State Parks mascot.

As a park host, FosterTorgerson’s job includes selling firewood, cleaning

campgrounds and helping out in the park office. She adds her own twist by dressing up for visitors.

Eager Beaver is one of six costumes FosterTorgerson wears as she goes about her duties at the park. She also dresses up as Fawn the woodland fairy, Mrs. Claus, Tiffany Teddy Bear, a pink fairy princess and Mother Nature.

It’s all about putting a smile on people’s faces. “I feel there’s too much sadness in the world,” she said.

Article & Photo: www.kitsapsun.com

WEST MICHIGAN — With more expensive trips overseas or to other states no longer an option for many summer vacationers, some might see camping as a walletfriendly alternative.

However, some private Muskegon-area campground owners admit they have not been completely recessionproof the last several years, citing a statewide decrease in reservations.

And despite that, those same owners are reporting or expect to report increased business this year.

“I think we had a down year last year due to the weather,” said Steve Yates, co-owner of the Muskegon KOA campground in Dalton Township.

This summer has not had those issues with several days in the 90 degree temperatures and few rainy days.

Chilly temperatures are just one issue that plagued West Michigan’s tourism industry as a whole last year. A Michigan State University forecast estimated a 4.8 percent drop in tourism volume across the state, but predicted a 2 to 3 percent increase for 2010.

Likewise, the Michigan Association of RV Parks

and Campgrounds anticipated a 5 percent boost in camper sales after a down year, said Wayne Purchase, the organization’s executive director.

The West Michigan area remains perhaps the most popular place in the state to camp, he said, but some campgrounds — especially private ones — appear to have suffered from the economy.

“I’d say private ones are a little more expensive because they have a lot more costs and have to pay taxes,” Purchase said.

“But that comes with benefits.” Private resorts earn the distinction of offering better amenities, he said, but public campgrounds tend to maintain the best land for themselves, which consistently draws in a high number of visitors each season.

Muskegon KOA reservations for the month of July are down from last year’s numbers, Yates said. But at the same time, the average number of days guests spend at the campground has improved by about 10 percent, and now stands at 2.6 days per guest.

The Silver Lake Resort and Campground — due in part to its close proximity to sand dunes and Lake Michigan — is one private campground that has not

The sand dunes at Silver Lake Resort and Campground only been unaffected by the recession, but has done better.

In 2009, the business recorded a 20 percent increase in bookings, and it appears to be on pace to equal that mark in 2010, said campground owner Don Tucker.

The Pure Michigan advertising campaign and the resort’s close partnership with the Silver Lake Sand Dunes are credited for the increase in visitors, but Tucker is particularly astonished with one contributing factor — new media.

“There are still people who downplay the web, and that’s frusturating to me,” he said. “Ninety percent of my bookings are done through the Internet.”

The Duck Creek RV Resort is mostly dependent on the success of its down-theroad neighbor — Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park.

Uncooperative weather not only affected the amusement park, but also the campground in its first year of operation.

Campground co-owners Roger and Casey Jourden admit the resort did not receive as much business in its inaugural season as she had hoped, but also attribute it to not enough people knowing it had just opened up.

That has changed this year, with better weather and other factors resulting in a 100 percent increase in reservations, they said.

“We’re way ahead of last summer’s reservations,” Roger Jourden said. “It looks like (Michigan’s Adventure) is doing better, and we received a very good national ranking from a campground directory.”

Purchase said the industry will likely remain strong this decade, despite the slight hit it took last year.

Full Article: www.mlive.com

LAWRENCE, Kan., June 30, 2010 – When Ralph Newell and his wife, Kim, bought their 85-site campground 10 years ago, they knew they had their work cut out for them.

The park, located at 1473 N. 1800 Road / Highway 40, was in “tough shape.”

But after investing $750,000 in improvements, the Newells have transformed their campground into a popular family friendly destination, complete with fun, family activities with everything from daily tie dye T-shirt crafts and ice cream socials to flashlight candy hunts, hayrides and outdoor movies.

unique activities and special themed weekends, which is something the Newells have done at their park for years. This year, in fact, the Newells have planned nearly 30 themed weekends, including a “Death by Chocolate” and Murder Mystery weeks as well as a 50s week and a Christmas in July celebration with campsite decorating contests, free cookies and free admission to children under 16.

And the Newells’ efforts to create a family friendly destination don’t stop there.

On July 1st, their park will become the first campground in Kansas to join the Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts chain.

move for us,” Ralph Newell said. “Jellystone Parks are well known for their family friendly activities, and we believe our park will be a nice addition to the Jellystone Park chain.”

“We think this is the right

Indeed, Jellystone Parks are known for having

The park also operates a corn maze in the fall and this year will have its first pumpkin patch in advance of Halloween.

“Anybody can provide a place to stay overnight,” Newell said, adding, “What we want to do is get that customer to want to come back again and again.”

An industry built on wanderlust is surviving on the notion of "wander less."

Texas RV campgrounds are part of a national trend of anchoring specialty vehicles, called park models , which look and feel like small cottages, for rent or purchase as reported in the Austin American-Statesman.

Forty percent of Texas recreational vehicle campgrounds have introduced the models, twice the rate of five years ago, to appeal to a broader market and to increase revenues, according to the Texas Association of

Campground Owners.

"There's a good segment of the population that wants to experience the campground experience but don't own an RV, and they don't want to sleep in a tent," said Brian Schaeffer, the association's executive director.

Consider the state of the RV manufacturing industry, as compiled by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association: One in 12 vehicle-owning U.S. households owned a recreational vehicle in 2005. Shipments of new RVs of all kinds were down more than 57 percent in

2009 from the industry's record year in 2006. And the continuation of an uptick in shipments this year depends on a healthy economic rebound — something that's not at all guaranteed.

At RV parks, however, the story is brighter.

Despite the recession and fluctuating fuel prices, reservations at RV parks were up 8 percent in 2009, and rentals of park models were up 20 percent, according to the industry, as many people were looking for cheaper, shorter vacations.

"The idea of driving to the Grand Canyon isn't happening as much as it used to," Schaeffer said.

"They are looking for something nearer to home."

To campground owners and managers, the park models make sense as an alternative to hotels.

"People who had been in the business a lot longer than me said everyone in the business should have them," said Bryan Kastleman, president of the management company for Hill Country RV Resort in New Braunfels.

He said the owners have invested $1 million in the park, including adding 33 park models, in the past two years.

Park models typically are 300 to 400 square feet,

with the option of an additional 150 square feet of loft space for children.

Some come with porches.

Decks can be added once the model is anchored, its trailer hitch detached and the underside carriage hidden by skirting that matches the building's exterior.

'Little houses' "They're not cabins," said Ken Butschek, the owner of La Hacienda RV Resort & Cottages, on Hudson Bend Road on the way to Lake Travis. "They're little houses."

The cottages are freestanding (no common walls) with full kitchens, wood laminate floors and high ceilings. They are typically equipped with the comforts of home: highdefinition televisions, air conditioning, linens, microwaves, coffee pot and dishes.

"Bring your clothes and your ice chest, and you're good," Butschek said.

Butschek said he started with two models when he opened in 2004, has 15 today and expects to add more.

Austin Lone Star RV Resort, which has been in business for 40 years at Interstate 35 and William Cannon Drive, has just taken delivery of its first park model, manager Sharon Knopf said. www.statesman.com

New Berlin, PA – The Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo Producers have announced that they will be offering to pre-register members of Associations within the Outdoor Hospitality Industry. The Expo, which will take place on November 1st - 3rd of this year, will give all members of associations the opportunity to attend the Expo by simply logging in with a User ID and Password which will be provided in advance by the Expo.

Associations can utilize this service as another example of the benefits of membership. The PreRegistration will be sent to outdoor facilities via e-mail.

Promoters insist that since there is no charge to attend the Expo there is, likewise, no obligation to attend it either. Separate invitations will also be sent to Outdoor Hospitality businesses, without pre-registration.

Co-producer, “since each email will have to have a different ID and Password, personalized for each attendee. But it will simplify matters for those who wish to attend”.

“The pre-registrations will begin in September”, states Producer Art Lieberman, “and there is no limitation upon how many people may register from any one facility. The webinars, Open Forums are, likewise, open to any attendee and registration is virtually unlimited and, of course, FREE”

“We will spend a great deal of effort to make exhibitors comfortable with the virtual reality of their exhibits while also making sure that attendees have a clear vision of how to navigate the Expo’s virtual world. To some, it will be a game, like a Wii, while others will find it a new adventure.”, says Lieberman.

“And we don’t even need a room stretcher.” quipped Lieberman.

“It’s going to be a huge amount of work”, says Deanne Bower, the Expo’s

Whatever the experience – it is sure to be different!

The Expo can be contacted at

Also in September, the first draft of the Expo’s Souvenir Program will be prepared by Campground and RV Park E-News. In October, the final edition will be sent to over 15,000 outdoor hospitality facilities.

The Program will announce the sponsors, exhibitors, webinar schedule, and the speakers.

Throughout the Expo’s live hours there will be giveaways and prizes for attendees from various exhibitors. Many of the exhibitors will be encouraged to feature “show specials” due to the reduced costs of exhibiting at a virtual show.

www.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com

or 877-901-EXPO

regions, but sometimes include young men and women from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

But this week, there isn’t any campground in America that’s busier than High Plains Camping, a 55site campground in the middle of nowhere, roughly half way between Kansas City and Denver.

“These guys not only bring their RVs, but they travel with combines, grain trucks and other farm equipment, which they leave in the farm fields,” she said. “They were in Oklahoma and Texas as couple of days ago. Now they’re in Kansas, and from here, they will fan out across the Midwest. Some will go to Nebraska.

Others to the Dakotas and Colorado. Some of them will ultimately keep heading north into Canada as the wheat ripens.”

The only difference is their clientele. Arlington’s guests are farm workers, young farm workers who travel across the country in RVs, harvesting America’s wheat. The harvesting companies are from Texas, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and even Canada, and the crews are mostly from the same

Arlington, a former Ohio resident who bought the campground in 2002, previously knew nothing about the wheat harvest or about the bands of farm workers who travel across the Midwest in RVs, harvesting the grain that will be used in countless food products, both here and overseas.

OAKLEY, Kan., June 30, 2010 – Most of the time, Mary Arlington promotes her 55-site campground in northwest Kansas as a quiet place for weary travelers to unwind as they travel across the country.

But she said she has developed a healthy respect for them and the work they do. “These are very hard working American boys,” she said, adding, “They bust their butts so that you can have a loaf of bread.”

Arlington said seven crews are staying at High Plains Camping right now. They typically leave the campground by 9 a.m. and don’t return until after midnight, after their work for the day is done.

“I’m up until one in the

morning myself, making sure everything is OK and that they have what they need,” she said.

While the visiting farm workers usually do their own cooking in camp, they also fill the seats at the restaurant next to Arlington’s campground and patronize other businesses in the neighboring town of Oakley, population 1,800.

Arlington said she gets a Continued next page

kick of the reaction of vacationers who call her remote campground thinking they won’t have any trouble finding a space, only to find that the entire park is booked.

“Walk-ins take a real chance of being disappointed,” she said.

These farm workers, of course, are not Arlington’s usual clientele, who normally consist of RVers heading east or west on Interstate 70 or snowbirds heading to or from Canada and other northern states along U.S. 83.

to another campground or RV park in the Midwest and I’ll have my usual clientele once again,” Arlington said.

High Plains Camping features 55 pull-through sites with 30 and 50 amp service, free Wi-Fi, propane service, bathrooms and showers, three hot tubs, a recreation hall, an organic garden, a miniature golf course and a large campground store.

More information is available at www.highplainscamping.com.

“In another week, the farm workers will have moved on

Gene and Johanna Farrar of Snowy Peaks (note background) holding their award for serving as presidents of CCLOA for the past 2 years. They are smiling because they are now past presidents!

GROVELAND, Calif., July 6, 2010 – When John Croce led a group of investors to purchase Yosemite Pines RV Resort from a bankruptcy court seven years ago, they had their work cut out for them.

“It was a disaster when we first showed up,” Croce said. “When we first started to look at this park, it was in foreclosure, receivership and bankruptcy all at the same time.”

To make matters worse, the campground’s previous owner had not only failed to maintain the property and stripped it of its physical assets, but he had double- and triplebooked campsites and cabins to people from across the country and overseas, while pocketing the cash from these bogus reservations.

Croce found out about the previous owner’s misdeeds when he took over the property mid2003.

"We had people showing up with confirmed reservations for cabins that didn’t exist,” Croce said, adding that he spent $15,000 to $16,000 booking campsites and hotel rooms in other facilities nearby so that visitors would not have to suffer the consequences of the previous owner’s misdeeds.

“I remember we had one lady who came from England. She had already paid for a cabin, which didn’t exist. We put her up in a bed and breakfast hotel,” Croce said.

But the problems didn’t stop there. The previous owner also left town owing just about every vendor and utility company money. “The trash people almost threw me out of their office when I first showed up,” Croce said.

“The same thing happened with the propane company. They had all been burned by this guy. It took a lot of convincing to explain that we were different.”

But in time, Croce succeeded in doing just that.

They joined the chamber of commerce, sponsored the local parade and other community events and informed everyone in the business community that they had no connection with the previous owner.

Croce and his team also set about making more than $2 million in

"The previous owner had bankrupted the park, stiffed local businesses and pocketed money from double- and triple-booked reservations. But new owners have invested more than $2 million in improvements in the property and turned it into a high quality RV resort that serves thousands of families and tour groups who use it as their base while they visit Yosemite"

improvements to the park, which included upgrading the electrical and sewer services, renovating the clubhouse, general store and bathhouses, and purchasing 28 park model cabins and eight yurts, which the park uses as rental accommodations for people who don’t have a tent or RV. As a result of their efforts, Yosemite Pines has reestablished positive working relationships with the businesses and service providers in Groveland and surrounding communities, and developed a successful business base that now includes more than 40 tour groups.

“We do a lot of business with the Dutch and the Germans. There are tour groups from Europe that love our park and send groups there all the time.

We just had another group come in from India. They were all doctors and attorneys and they rented all of our park models for about a week.”

The park is generating so much business, in fact, that it now generates more online reservations than any other campground in California, according to the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

“Newport Dunes RV Resort beats us in terms of actual revenue generation, but we have the highest actual number of reservations,” Croce said, adding, “On a typical summer day, we probably have 1,000 people at Yosemite Pines.”

The park’s profitability has also increased, with revenue growing more than Continued next page

Continued fivefold from $250,000 during its first year to $1.3 million or more, Croce said.

“We told members of the Chamber of Commerce that we could bring more people to the Groveland area than any other business in town, which we successfully did,” Croce said, adding that guests at his park patronize

local businesses, providing a significant economic multiplier effect for the community as well as tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenue.

“We’re real pleased with the success John Croce has had in transforming Yosemite Pines into a true vacation destination,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

Sipe added that the private campground industry is attracting growing numbers of investors who are purchasing parks and transforming them into attractive weekend retreats

or vacation destinations California residents as well as visitors from outside the state. “Entrepreneurs and investors are increasingly realizing that the campground business is a viable and growing niche

within the travel and tourism industry,” Sipe said, adding that the campground industry has been the most resilient segment of the tourism business during the recession.

Prison inmates building 12by 16-foot cabins are helping to bring more people to Minnesota parks, filling a niche between tent camping and RVs. The spare $50-anight cabins mean not having to pitch a tent and offer the security of a roof overhead.

and a few as overnight shelters on some of the state's longer trails.

The tiny camper cabins are performing as expected: All 73 in the state parks were booked for the July 4th holiday and fill up every weekend, as well.

Mary Jean Fenske of Shoreview credits the cabins with keeping her family's camping tradition going.

"Everybody likes them. ... We don't have to do much promotion at all," said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Parks Director Courtland Nelson.

The DNR hopes to eventually add at least 70 more cabins, including six at the new Lake Vermilion State Park in northern Minnesota

"We will keep moving on it," Nelson said. "They are very, very popular. I can't see any scenario where we would be laying that aside."

Her two teenage sons and her husband have had enough of the weather surprises and discomfort of tents. But they are still willing to rough it for a few nights in the woods -- if they can bunk in a cozy camper cabin.

Full Article: www.startribune.com

RV Campgrounds aren’t the only ones suffering due to the disaster.

Fishing businesses and tourist-based services are also seeing their business suffer. However, even as some businesses are declining, others are seeing a steady stream of vacationers heading in for what they hope will be a busy summer season.

While some beaches have been affected, most areas throughout Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida remain pristine.

In Florida, www.pcbeach.org has been set up for visitors to monitor the conditions of local beaches, in an effort to ensure visitors of an enjoyable vacation. Those heading out for a summer

break should check out local areas to be sure they have not been affected by oil.

Indiana: A 29-year-old Hammond man drowned in a pool at a Portage campground on Saturday.

Beaches are a top vacation choice for many RV enthusiasts. With the recession only recently in remission, any loss of business could be damaging for campgrounds.

Jose Tirado was visiting family members on Saturday afternoon at the Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, 5300 Old Porter Road, when he went under water.

“RV Campgrounds are open and ready for business,” says Scott Beaudry of Beaudry RV Company. “The Gulf Coast boasts incredible beaches, atmosphere and people.

RV enthusiasts should check the area they are booked to visit before they cancel reservations. There is no reason for people to be deterred from visiting this area of the country.”

Tirado was transported to Porter hospital's Portage campus, where he was pronounced dead.

Porter County Coroner Robert Schulte said the suspected cause of death is drowning, but the result is pending the results of an autopsy and a toxicology report.

Schulte said that investigators want to make sure that Tirado didn't have an underlying medical condition, or whether he jumped or was pushed in the pool, before ruling on his death.

By Larry

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those who died in the Arkansas flooding June 10 and 11, as well as to the injured. All of us can learn from this tragedy even as we offer condolences to the grieving.

Campgrounds are close to nature and, therefore, vulnerable to nature.

Vacationers think of nature as beautiful, relaxing and enjoyable. They assume that campgrounds are safe.

But blue skies can be deceiving: witness all those people over the years who have died in surprise “natural” events such as snowstorms, floods, tidal waves, tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning storms, fires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The notion of defending against large scale destructive natural events is absolutely unrealistic.

There is no way to hold back walls of water, stop lightning or prevent floods

and earthquakes. Like marines, there is a time to attack to the rear. “Run for your lives” is as true today as whenever that phrase was first uttered.

It is your responsibility as the owner, manager or proprietor to warn everybody when there is danger and to provide instruction and directions for safety. In order to do so, homework and preparation are essential.

Disaster preparedness is a must. Have a clear plan of shelter, escape and evacuation. Remember: the plan does little good if nobody know about it or if it is activated too late.

Rules of thumb: A forecast of more than one inch of rain is a warning bell, as are winds of more than 35 miles per hour, tropical storms, hail, temperatures over 90 degrees or below freezing, wildfires and forest fires within 200 miles.

By Art Lieberman We hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend at your campground and we sure hate to be the bearer of tidings that can ruin this wonderful summer – but the truth is the truth. There is some good news in this article, but we’ll save it for last to end on a happy note.

1. As we mentioned several weeks ago the deadline for accepting pin based debit transactions on pin-pads which are not “Triple DES Encrypted” has come and gone. July 1 was the deadline and if your pin-pad, whether internal or external, has not been re-encrypted you may continue to process debit cards ONLY as “signature” or “off-line” debit. You may also still become TDES compliant by calling your processor and sending in your equipment to be re-encrypted, but as of now your pin-pad is useless for on-line debit transactions. This is part one of the bad news but it gets worse.

2. Effective immediately, Verifone, the owner of the

Nurit Terminals which are in hundreds of campgrounds, are now in an “end- of- life” status.

This means that if your Nurit Terminal is now functioning correctly, you’re OK – BUT – should your terminal go bad or cease to function for any reason, the NOS 6 Operating systems in the Nurit 2085, 3010 and 3020 terminals will no longer be supported. This is similar to what happened to Windows 95 and 98 Operating Systems in computers – except in this case the terminal will have to be replaced in their entirety. Verifone is phasing out these Nurit terminals. Bad news #2.

3. Now on to the ugly. As you may be aware beginning in January 2012, every credit card merchant will receive a new 1099k tax form from their processor which will force merchants to report all credit card transactions to the IRS on their taxes.

This totally onerous tax method also means that

you’re supposed to send one of these forms to everyone you’ve paid by credit card during the preceding year.

How ridiculous is that?

There are tons of business’ organizations attempting to get this law overturned before it actually goes into effect next January. There are severe fines for noncompliance to this new regulation.

4. Finally, a little bit of cheer to end this article.

Visa announced it is now offering its “No Signature Required” program to the majority of merchant categories in the United States.

Under the new expanded program, for domestic transactions $25 and less, campgrounds can accept U.S. issued Visa cards for purchases without requiring a cardholder signature; this program has the potential to increase speed at the point of sale and enhance customer satisfaction.

This mean that campground stores do not have to take signatures from shoppers so long as the cards are Visa cards and the transactions are under $25.

This program was instituted at fast food restaurants to avoid lines at counters and now that MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Long John Silver’s and KFC have all been accepting credit cards, the program has proven to be a hit with consumers and the restaurants alike.

With the changes, approximately 98 percent of all U.S. merchant category codes in the Visa system will be covered by the No Signature Required program.

This now includes Campgrounds.

Art Lieberman is President of MCPS for Campgrounds, a credit card processor sponsored

by Woodforest Bank NA. Art has been in the Credit Card industry for nearly 13 years. Art has been conducting webinars online and seminars on credit cards in many State and Regional Association Conventions.

Fremont Township, Iowa (ABC 6 NEWS) -- A man is in custody after authorities say he placed a video camera in a women's bathroom.

The incidents happened at the Kendallville Campground located in Fremont Township in Winneshiek County, Iowa.

A camper discovered the camera and called police Saturday.

photographs or pictures taken from the camera.

Deputies tell ABC 6 News that they believe Peterson may have been watching the video in real-

time.

Peterson is charged with 31 counts of invasion of privacy, a serious misdemeanor.

Article: http://kaaltv.com

Police arrested the campground's host, 69year-old Leslie Jay Peterson.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Department has not found evidence of

It’s no secret that trends often become popular again such as: an affinity for Saturday morning 80s cartoons, vintage clothing stores, and U2.

But apparently a happygo-lucky squirrel in the Los Alamos Campground in Angeles National Forest has taken this retro-living to new heights, after it

went all 14th Century on us and contracted… wait for it… THE BUBONIC PLAGUE! According to a story on KTLA.com, the campground has since been shutdown, and will remain so until further tests on squirrels can determine if it is safe.

A two-year-old boy was taken to Oakland Children's Hospital after he fell from an eight-foot-tall playground structure at the KOA Campground in Petaluma.

The boy, who hit his head on a ladder as he fell, lost consciousness for about two minutes and sustained an external bruise or hematoma to his skull, a Petaluma Fire official said.

The boy was alert and talking when firefighters arrived, the fire official said. He was flown in REACH medical helicopter

from the campground on Rainsville Road to Oakland Children's Hospital, where a CAT scan later showed no internal bleeding, the fire official said.

The boy was staying at the campground with his family, who were visiting from Sacramento.

His parents were both present at the playground at the time of the accident, about 10:30 a.m., according to firefighters.

Full Article: www.pressdemocrat.com