Issue 97 Campground

The purchase ends a seven-year relocation effort that began when Falls Church, Va. announced plans to raze ARVC’s previous headquarters building as part of a city redevelopment effort LARKSPUR, Colo., June 1, 2010 – The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds

(ARVC) hopes to close escrow this month on 3,500-square feet of space in a professional office building in Castle Rock, Colo.

ARVC has offered $721,300 for the office space, which includes the entire second floor of a three-story office complex at 103 4th Street in Castle Rock. The second floor

ARVC Chairman David L. Berg

Continued page 2

Continued from Page 1 includes three office suites, two of which ARVC will use. The third suite is being leased by another business, which would pay ARVC more than $20,000 a year in rent.

“That’s more than enough to cover the association’s property taxes, insurance and utilities,” said association Chairman David L. Berg, adding that the third suite also gives ARVC additional space for future expansion, should that ever be necessary.

ARVC is paying for the new office and various improvements to its new office space using $950,000 in net proceeds from the sale of its Virginia office, which it sold at the top of the real estate market three years ago.

“We paid off the Virginia mortgage, moving expenses to Colorado, and rented space up until now,

and we still have more than enough funds from the sale of the old building to pay for the new one in full,” Berg said, adding, “Not only will we have no mortgage, but we will be in a brand new building and have $20,000 of non-dues revenue from our tenant. It’s a real winwin situation.”

“The new building is just fantastic,” said ARVC Executive Committee member Michael Gelfand of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.based Terra Vista Management, Inc., whose properties include Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina in Newport Beach and Campland by the Bay in San Diego. “I think it’s a great move and is a significant upgrade that will benefit the whole

organization. I wholeheartedly agree that purchasing the new office space in Castle Rock is the right thing to do.”

The Douglas County Economic Development Council has also agreed to reimburse ARVC for all of it’s various permitting fees in addition to allowing ARVC to put up GoCampingAmerica.com signage on the side of the building that would be visible to travelers on Interstate 25, which has over 90,000 vehicles pass by each day and cuts through Castle Rock, said ARVC Treasurer Patrick O’Neill of Camping on the Gulf in Destin, Fla. Several ARVC board members noted that the

headquarters location really doesn’t matter to most park operators, who typically only meet with ARVC representatives during the annual InSites convention and tradeshow, which is held in different cities each year.

Nor does the headquarters location matter to the association’s legislative affairs, media relations, advertising and website consultants, who conduct much of their work by phone and Internet from various offices across the country.

“So long as ARVC’s work gets done, that’s what matters to the membership,” said Continued

Continued

began searching for other potential locations for the association’s headquarters.

Michael Hobby, a board member from Moon Landing RV Park & Marina in Lake Greenwood, S.C. But having a headquarters in a location that is close to the post office, office supply stores, restaurants and other business services is helpful to ARVC’s staff members, several of whom currently reside in the greater Castle Rock area.

“The previous location we were considering in Larkspur was ideal as a vacation spot, but it’s not well suited for the association’s headquarters,” said ARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer, adding, “We’ve had issues with mail delivery, problems with overnight mail service, Internet access and other office-related functions that have made us come to the conclusion that we could better serve our members if we relocated our headquarters to a larger city closer to Denver.”

Gelfand said ARVC’s new office location will also be more convenient for board members, since it’s closer to Denver and between two major airports.

ARVC’s board of directors voted 18-2 earlier this year to explore new office locations in the greater Denver area after determining that the Larkspur building that the association has been

Former ARVC Chairman Jason Sheaffer formed a nine-member task force in 2005 to establish criteria for the move and to research various headquarters options, including staying in Virginia.

ARVC President and CEO Linda Profaizer renting from Jellystone Park Camp-Resort owner Ian Steyn was not the best option for the association.

Berg said ARVC’s timing in purchasing a new building now is also worthwhile, given that we’re at the bottom of the real estate market and that commercial real estate prices are the lowest they’ve been in many years. The purchase also caps a seven-year-effort to find a permanent home for ARVC’s headquarters after the city of Falls Church, Va. announced plans to raze ARVC’s previous headquarters building as part of a city redevelopment effort.

ARVC’s board decided to sell its building in Falls Church after the city announced in 2003 that its redevelopment plans would include the eventual razing of the ARVC building. Rather than wait for the eventual loss of the building, the ARVC board

The task force, whose members represented the diversity of America’s campground industry, ultimately determined that Denver was the best location, citing the city’s prominent rankings for

quality of life and low cost of living, ample labor supply, as well as its proximity to major highways and airports.

In April 2007, the ARVC board voted to sell the Falls Church building and to look for a location in the Denver area, with the association opting to rent a building on Ian Steyn’s campground property in Larkspur until ARVC’s board recently decided to relocate the association’s headquarters to Castle Rock. Berg said he expects ARVC to close escrow on its new headquarters building later this month.

In the 2010 Visioning session the boards of CalARVC and CampCalifornia Marketing recognized a potential industry problem ... evidence strongly suggests that young families are not getting into camping like they used to.

That means there will be fewer and fewer campers, today and in the future.

To combat this trend we are implementing activities to introduce young families and others to the fun of camping.

Our first event will be held at the 2010 California State Fair July 24-27. We’ll be showing 160,000+ attendees how much fun it is to go camping with our presentation of the “California Camping Adventures.” July 27 is “Kids Free” day … so we’re expecting thousands of young families to attend!

Each day we will be presenting camping activities all day, on the hour. Included: balloon stomping, chubby bunny marshmallow eating contest, family tent set-up races, watermelon seed spitting contest, ladderball, geo-cache treasure hunt, water balloon toss, and crafts … just to name a few.

That’s where CalARVC members come in . . . you can help us host these

area because, in addition to all the camping fun, they can enter to win the free Crossroads RV that will be given away July 27. http://www.calarvc.com/docs/ StateFair_ParkFlier.pdf

events and let fairgoers know where to go camping.

This is your chance to share your passion about your park and destination with thousands of potential guests!

Normally it would be very expensive to get in front of so many people. But, the total cost per space for all 4 days is only $1,600.

Spaces are available for 1 day ($650), 2 days ($1100) or 4 days ($1600). You can occupy a space all by yourself or you can contact the RV parks and campgrounds in your area and join forces.

You may want to include your local Convention and Visitor’s Bureau as part of your team. You will be able to split costs and exhibit staffing.

This is going to be an awesome event … one that has never been done before!

Don’t miss this unprecedented chance to reach new customers; lot’s of them! Folks WILL COME to the 2500 square foot exhibit

From the Publishers of Campground & RV Park E News First issue- June This is by far the best value for your promotional dollars. Campgrounds and RV Parks can offset 1/3 advertising costs with night give aways.

Each monthly issue will go to over 66 million opt in email addresses.

Each advertiser's ad will be linked from their State page so consumers can find offers in their area PLUS additional ads will appear FREE in the relevant links page (see page 6 of the draftlink at the bottom of the page)

Quarter Page ad- $150 per ad x 12 issues = $1800 OR $1200 plus $600 in equivalent site or accommodation night give aways.

Half Page $300 x 12 = $3600 OR $2400 plus $1200 in equivalent site or accommodation night give aways.

Full Page $600 x 12 = $7200 OR $4800 plus $2400 in equivalent site or accommodation night give aways.

Minimum Quarter Page advertisement- $150 per issue (minimum 6 issue buy) Half Page $300 per issue (minimum 6 issue buy) Full Page $600 per issue (minimum 6 issue buy) Double Page spread $1200 (minimum 6 issue buy) All ads full color, prices quoted from art supplied to our specifications. Art production cost if required $70.

All ads will have links to your website.

Washington, D.C. – President Barack Obama and nearly all of America’s governors have proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month.

The proclamations, requested by a coalition of outdoor recreation and conservation organizations, celebrate the many special events held during June, including National Trails Day®, National Fishing and Boating Week, National Get Outdoors Day, National Marina Day and the Great American Backyard Campout, and the benefits of time outdoors to the health of Americans, young and old.

President Obama’s proclamation states, “America’s vast and varied outdoor spaces are a source of great national pride, and we have long strived to protect them for future generations. Our lands provide countless opportunities for exploration, recreation, and reflection, whether in solitude or with family and friends. During Great Outdoors Month, we renew our enduring commitment to protect our natural landscapes, to enjoy them and to promote active lifestyles for ourselves and our children.” Referring to America’s great outdoor spaces, the proclamation goes on to say, “These

places are especially important today, as an increasing number of Americans, especially children, fall into unhealthy sedentary lifestyles.”

increase their physical activity. More information on these initiatives is available at: www.DOI.gov/AmericasGreat Outdoors and www.LetsMove.gov.

The proclamation highlights current Administration efforts to get Americans healthier through outdoor activity, like the recently launched America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to protect natural landscapes and reconnect Americans to the outdoors, and the First Lady’s Let’s Move effort to help children eat more nutritious foods, lead healthier lives, and

The gubernatorial Great Outdoors Month proclamations began four years ago, although 2010 marks the greatest number of proclamations ever issued. While the state proclamations vary in emphasis and reflect key state features, most praise volunteerism, the power of outdoor recreation to contribute to happier, healthier lifestyles, and the legacy of parks and public Continued

Continued lands and waters.

The Great Outdoors Month initiative is led by the American Recreation Coalition, American Hiking Society, Association of Marina Industries, Children and Nature Network, National Wildlife Federation, National Association of State Park Directors, National Recreation and Park Association, and Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

Proclamations can be read and downloaded at: www.funoutdoors.com/node /view/2486.

ARC President Derrick Crandall praised the actions of President Obama, noting, “We are delighted that the President has demonstrated his support for increasing the positive role the outdoors play in Americans’ lives.

From the new America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign to combat

childhood obesity, this Administration has shown its dedication to improving Americans’ quality of life through time spent outdoors. We are also pleased that governors across this nation recognize and support the important role that outdoor recreation plays in creating and sustaining a healthier, happier America. We hope that the public responds to the advice contained in virtually all of the proclamations: get outdoors and have fun improving your health!”

The original proclamations will also be highlighted at Great Outdoor Week events (June 7-12) in Washington, D.C.

RV wholesale deliveries to retailers were reported at 24,600 units in the April 2010 survey of manufacturers, up 2.5% over March 2010 and up 85% from this same month one year ago.

Total shipments in April were at their highest level in two years. Seasonally adjusted they represented an annualized rate of nearly 250,000 units.

Towables were the

biggest gainers with deliveries to retailers of 22,000 units while motorhomes reflect the highest percentage improvement by growing from 1,000 units in April 2009 to 1,600 units in April 2010.

Year to date, shipments of all RVs in the first four months of 2010 have now reached 84,500 units, nearly double the total from the same period last year

1. What's the best way to clean my bird feeder?

How often?

Give all feeders a good cleaning once a month.

Remove any seed and scrub clean with a mild soap. Rinse well with fresh water. A clean feeder is essential to the good health of your birds!

2. What's the best way to clean my birdbath?

Wash your bath with water and white vinegar.

Our formulation is one tablespoon white vinegar to one gallon of water.

The vinegar will help to prevent algae growth.

Water should be changed every few days to insure a fresh, clear water supply.

3. I love goldfinches and want them, but I don't want Nyjer seed to sprout

on my lawn -- will it?

Did you know tha all Nyjer (thistle) seed sold in the U.S. is imported? These oilrich tiny black seeds are heat sterilized immediately upon reaching these shores to make sure the shipments are not bringing in any other plant or animal materials. This procedure is under regulation from the US Dept of Agriculture.

Nyjer in our experience doesn't spout that readily.

From time to time there may be a stray bloom that rises -- it has a small yellow flower on a 8-12" stem, is easily pulled and is not considered invasive, nor is it as prickled as the purplebloomed Scottish Thistle.

Feed Nyjer seed in confidence -- the birds will love it.

Continued

Continued 4. How can I keep bees away from hummingbird feeder?

If it's honeybees that are a problem, they prefer feeders in sunlight, so move your feeder into the shade. If they persist: distract them by putting out a super-sugar water concentration in a shallow dish -- they will probably leave the feeder for the easy sipping at the plate, and you can keep adding distance between the plate and feeder day by day. If yellow-jackets invade, sometimes its just best to let them 'have the feeder' and put up another for hummers elsewhere.

When purchasing a new hummingbird feeder, look for bee guards or nectar

ports designed to thwart bees. Look for designs that will not leak or drip!

5. Won't the birds find natural foods in the summer? Why should I still be putting out seed?

Yes, birds will find natural foods, and you may want to reduce your amounts.

However, we recommend that you still offer some seed so that you will have the enjoyment of the birds at the time of year when you are outdoors the most. Also, the birds are particularly pretty in the summer -- for example, the American Goldfinch is brilliant lemon yellow!

Remember, throughout the year birds acquire the greater part of their nourishment from natural sources not from us!

well as a great selection of construction and transportation equipment.

Highlights of the June 9-10 auction include cranes, unused bottom dump trailers, hundreds of camper trailers, hundreds of dirt bikes, scooters, ATVs and more.

HOUSTON, June 1:Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will be conducting a two-day multimillion dollar unreserved public equipment auction at its permanent auction site in Houston, Texas from June 9 to 10, 2010.

The auction features more than 2,900 equipment items, including late model cranes, unused bottom dump trailers, hundreds of recreational vehicles, as

Equipment is still being added to auction daily.

"This auction will certainly have something for everyone," said Alan McVicker, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros.

Auctioneers. "Not only do we have a great selection of construction and transportation equipment, including lots of unused aluminum bottom dump trailers and a number of cranes, we also have hundreds of recreational vehicles that will appeal to many buyers.

Due to the heat anticipated during the auction all stationary items will be sold virtually from our air-conditioned theaters. Every item will be sold on auction day to the highest bidder regardless of price."

A number of large, late model cranes are featured in the auction, including a 2007 Grove TMS700E 60-

ton hydraulic truck crane, a 2005 Grove RT760 60-ton rough terrain crane and a 2003 Link-Belt RTC8050 50ton rough terrain crane - as well as a Manitowoc 3900 Vicon crawler crane.

Over 550 late model camper trailers and portable camp houses, ranging from 24 to 37 feet in length will also be sold in the auction brands include Jayco, KZ Jag, Forest River, Fleetwood, Keystone and many more.

The auction also features 300+ unused Jackel dirt bikes, scooters and ATVs. Other items beings sold include 28 unused 2008 Vantage aluminum bottom dump trailers with warranty, 45 truck tractors, 35 loader backhoes, 30 skid steer loaders, 30 dump trucks, 30 mixer trucks, 25 hydraulic excavators and 20 forklifts.

Construction equipment, camper trailers and portable camp houses will be sold on Day 1 (June 9) of the auction. Trucks and

transportation items will be sold on Day 2 (June 10).

Smaller items and consumer goods will be sold at the auction through the Company's new Timed Auction system. Bids can be placed (starting on Monday, June 7) on the Timed Auction lots online at rbauction.com, through internet kiosks at the auction site, by using free public wireless access at the site or by proxy.

Onsite bidders can also place bids on the Timed Auction lots with their smartphones at mobile.rbauction.com. All items will be sold to the highest bidders, with no minimum bids or reserve prices.

Location: Ritchie Bros.

Auctioneers' permanent Houston auction site, 15500 Eastex Freeway, Humble, TX, 77396 Auction site phone: +1.713.455.5200

These are actual comments left on U. S. Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips: •“A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.”

•“Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.”

•“Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.”

•“Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.”

•“Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals.”

•“All the mile markers are missing this year.”

•“Found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse.”

•“Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid

building trails that go uphill.”

•“Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.”

•“Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter.”

•“Chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.”

•“The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.”

•“Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.”

•“Need more signs to keep area pristine.”

•“A McDonald’s would be nice at the trail head.”

•“The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.”

•“Too many rocks in the mountains.”

PINEVILLE, MO. - As this year's Memorial Day holiday came to an end many area campgrounds and canoe rental shops had enjoyed some muchneeded profit.

Before the Memorial Day weekend the owner of Sugar Island Campground Ed Ables, says he did not expect a significant amount of business.

Last year's profit was 30% less from what he usually saw.

"The economy has been down so much and everything, and we're not seeing the early bird canoers that we normally see," Ables says.

But that was last year.

When Ables opened up the park this year there was a surprise.

"They came out of the woodwork, they certainly did," Ables says.

He believes he's regained more than that 30% loss from last year.

"I think they were already tightening their belt last year," Ables says. "And I think with the winter and everything, and the hard times and everything, they said 'hey, we've had enough of this."

One group of campers who park their RV at the campground all season pretty much agree.

"I think people just finally are cutting loose of some money," says Larry Taylor of Webb City. "They've been couped up all winter long. It's not that expensive to come down here and have a good time.

It's close to home."

"We had out little barbeque yesterday and we have some left-overs so we just decided to come here and chill and just have a fun time with the family," says Cristina Juarez of Rogers, Arkansas.

Ables is considering offering a self-serve canoe service where people would carry their own canoes to and from the water.

It would lower the rental costs and hopefully keep

business high.

"If we could keep doing this for the season, and it would be great if we could go through Labor Day - I think that's what people want," Ables says.

Ables says this year brought customers not only from the Four State area but also people from as far away as Nebraska. www.koamtv.com

North Hollywood, CA, May 26, 2010 – RV Buddies, the internetbased adventure-lifestyle show, announced the launching of “Project RV,” a series of webisodes that will follow the bumper-tobumper restoration of a classic 1977 GMC 26’ Royale.

“We’re really excited about this,” said show host Mark Summers.

“Restoring, repairing or upgrading an RV is something most of the 8.2 million RV-owning households have either done, wanted to do, or dreamed about doing over the course of their RV ownership. RV Buddies wanted to show them how

we’d do it - in a way that maintains the integrity of a coach’s original design but updates it to supply the owner with the modern amenities that he or she wants.

RV Buddies selected a very used 1977 GMC 26’ Royale because it is a true classic with unique design, detailing and engineering features. It is one of 12,921 models GMC built from 1973 to 1978 before deciding to discontinue producing luxury motorhomes to focus on their truck operations. “It’s a great example of a coach that has good bones but its fine points have suffered from the ravages of time,” Summers said. “It’s going

to be a lot of fun for our audience to follow the process.”

Over the next nine months, RV Buddies will film and report on Project RV through four phases – demolition, chassis and drive train, interior, and exterior body and paint.

Audience members will be able to follow the process through a combination of

video and written reports and even email their questions to Summers.

“That’s the beauty of the internet,” Summers said, “Our audience will be able to interact with us during the project and apply what they learn to their own projects.”

Episodes will air on a weekly basis starting the second week of June.

Those who enroll by June 30 will receive points for camping and cottage stays in 2009. Once registered, rewards card holders may check their balances online at www.ohiostateparks.org.

offering a 25 percent discount on room rates for card holders before June 11 and between Aug. 23 and Dec. 30.

COLUMBUS -- Ohio State Parks is offering a new rewards program for frequent campers and cottage guests, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The free rewards card is available through the state parks website, www.ohiostateparks.org, the reservation call center at 866-OHIOPARKS and from local state park offices.

Card holders earn points toward a free night of camping for each dollar spent on camping at one of Ohio's 56 state park

campgrounds. Rewards card holders who stay in the getaway rentals and vacation cottages at many of the state parks earn points toward a free stay.

Other activities that contribute points include camp store purchases and shelter house rentals.

As a bonus, several of Ohio's state park lodges are

RVIA is gearing up for its Committee Week and Annual Meeting, to be held in Elkhart and South Bend June 7-10.

Committee Week events will be held at the Century Center in South Bend, where RVIA members will plan the association's agenda for the next fiscal year and beyond. The association's standing committees, Executive Committee and Board of Directors will meet to develop strategies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year.

A highlight of Committee Week this year will be RVIA's fun-filled (sold out) RV Centennial Celebration taking place on Monday, June 7, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart. On Tuesday, June 8, Committee Week attendees will spend an evening with the Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. Scheduled activities include a reception and dinner at the Namoli Club as well as a tour of the historic Notre Dame football stadium and locker room.

RVIA's Annual Membership Meeting will be held on the morning of Wednesday, June 9 at the Century Center, and will be immediately followed

honor industry and association leaders by presenting a host of awards.

by a luncheon. RVIA Chairman of the Board Jim Sheldon and RVIA President Richard Coon will discuss the state of the association and speak on a wide range of topics including government relations, standards, industry education, and RVIA-sponsored trade shows. RVIA Treasurer Bob Olson will detail the association's finances.

In a presentation titled, "RVIA Public Relations: The New Consumer and the Road Ahead," RVIA Public Relations Committee Chairman B.J. Thompson and RVIA Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Gary LaBella will provide an analysis of the postrecession consumer, examine the new Harris survey findings on the factors that influence RV purchase decisions, and give an overview of the media exposure created for the RV industry through the association's public relations programs.

In "Go RVing: We're Back in the Saddle Again," Go RVing Co-Chair Bob Olson and LaBella will provide a briefing on the award-winning ad campaign. RVIA will also

Rich Karlgaard is this year's Annual Membership Meeting keynote speaker.

A columnist, the publisher of Forbes magazine, and a regular panelist on the popular business show Forbes on Fox, Karlgaard will deliver his assessment of the current issues and trends in today's business world. In a talk titled, "U.S. Outlook: Is the Recovery Durable?�

TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. – Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park family campground in Tunkhannock will provide a Thursday night of free camping to anyone who plans to spend Father’s Day weekend at the park and participate in a June 18th golf tournament to benefit Camp Sunshine, a non-profit organization that supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Maggie Miller, a fouryear-old girl with leukemia who lives in

Nicholson, will help Yogi Bear tee off to start the tournament, which will raise money for her family and others like hers so that they can attend Camp Sunshine, which provides week-long camp sessions that include counseling to help children and their families cope with life threatening illnesses.

“We invite golfing guests to come Thursday night and stay for free since the tournament begins Friday morning,” said Tabitha Hott, co-owner of the Jellystone Park.

The 18-hole golf tournament will take place at Shadowbrook Inn & Resort with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. All proceeds will benefit Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake in Maine.

To register, call Jay Hott at (570) 836-YOGI. Camp Sunshine has the distinction of being the only program of its kind in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a lifethreatening illness on every member of the family, including the ill child, the parents and siblings. More information is available at

www.campsunshine.org.

Tunkhannock family campground offers a variety of amenities including waterfront tent camping, full hook-up RV sites, family oriented activities and mini-golf.

Early summer is the time to start thinking about brush and forest fire prevention as grass, foliage and underbrush creep toward structures and campsites.

In the dry season this growth will be fuel for fires. Now is the time to mow it down and cut it back. Reducing fuel for wildfires is the first step for preventing outdoor fires.

An easy way to figure how much to clear: imagine the fire is coming right at you.

How wide a swath around your place would you want? How low to the ground would you wish you had cut? What bushes, foliage, leaves and undergrowth would you wish weren’t there?

That’s how much to start clearing away well before fire season.

Make sure nobody lights an open fire at their site.

On fire danger (red flag) days even outdoor grills that use live fuel such as wood chips or charcoal need to be banned. The idea is to eliminate the

By Larry

one spark or burning ember that could bring on a fire event.

No-no’s: • tossing cigarette butts out the window while driving, or tossing them away while doing anything outdoors.

• walking away from a cooking fire without covering it with dirt and dousing it.

• open burning of trash • ignoring even the slightest bit of smoke coming from grass, bushes, undergrowth or trees, even if the smoke is far in the distance.

In the case of outdoor fire, the ounce of prevention means preventing the first spark and attacking or reporting the first smoldering blades of grass, leaves or other vegetation.

By Art Lieberman For some time we have been discussing ways of processing credit or debit cards at campgrounds, and rightly so. Statistics indicate that 70-72% of all income at campgrounds is from “plastic”. This statistic has grown every single year for the past 7 years that we have been associated with the industry.

Of course the balance of the revenue to campgrounds is from checks and cash. More and more, however, campers are reluctant to carry large amounts of cash when traveling and campground owners are discovering that out-ofstate checks can take up to 8 days to pass through clearinghouses.

We have always downplayed check guarantee and check processing for campgrounds. We’ve done this for several reasons.

First, the amount of checks received by most campgrounds is not substantial. But more importantly, the amount of BAD checks given to owners are extremely minimal. This is probably because campers wish to return at some other time to a campground they’ve enjoyed and they don’t want any bad feelings between owners and themselves. Secondly, check guarantee usually

involves costs including check swiping equipment, and bearing in mind the infrequency of the problem, we didn’t believe it was a cost effective solution to what appears to be a non-problem.

Makes sense to us.

But, almost all processors of credit cards are usually able (sometimes through a third party) to obtain check guarantee services for ANY customer of their services. We have always been prepared to offer such services upon request. We also have the ability to offer “check by phone” where a camper can call for a reservation and merely state their bank’s routing number and account number and NOT HAVE TO MAIL A CHECK. This service, also carries with it some associated costs to campground owners.

Now, one of the leading payment gateway companies in the US, eProcessing Network, LLC, which specializes in secure, real-time credit card debit card processing over the Web, utilizing campgrounds own processor, has allied with Payliance in order to process check on a campground’s website.

The processing can be done from eProcessing’s online terminal.

The check acceptance is, according to both

companies, totally risk free and also includes recovery in the event of a check not being approved. With concerns about credit card PCI compliance, it is imperative that security also be maintained when it involves online processing of checks.

Our company has been aligned with eProcessing Network for many years and have been offering their services to campgrounds. Their network payment gateway is certified through many platforms including First Data, Global Payments, Paymentech, TSYS and Elevon. They are also certified through Magtek, AT&T, FedEx and the U.S. Postal System.

They are a Visa USA Third Party Service Provider and are

compliant with the PCI Data Security Standard.

Their website is www.eprocessingnetwork. com, but we can give you complete information on their services by calling 877-858-9010.

For many campground owners, check processing risks (which are admittedly minimal) can be secured with a program such as this one.

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. He can be contacted at rvcreditcards@yahoo.com

PETERSBURG, MI -- A twelve-year-old boy drowned in a pond at the Pirolli R.V. Park in Petersburg, MI Saturday night. The victims name is not being released.

According to the campground owner, Patricia Pirolli the boy, who was being raised by his grandparents, was last seen at 5:00 p.m. “They thought he went down to play basketball,” Pirolli.

Around 7:30 p.m. the family alerted staff to the missing boy. “They looked the grounds over completely and twenty minutes later we called for backup, we assumed he

was in the water,” Pirolli.

Michigan State Police were called at 8:15 p.m. An off duty trooper was already on the scene and had begun searching for the boy in the water. According to Sgt. Brian Sparks of the Michigan State Police, the victim had been in the water with two younger kids. Those kids left to go eat and the victim stayed behind in the water. The witnesses “pointed in an area where they thought he was last seen,” Sgt. Sparks.

His body was discovered at that spot under 16 feet of water.

Full Article: www.toledoonthemove.com

With decent gas prices, a good weather forecast and the sluggish economy forestalling trips to bigticket resorts in far-flung locales, New Hampshire’s campground owners expect business to increase 10 percent this summer over 2009.

"We think camping could be up as much as 10 percent this summer over last year," said Gregg Pitman, executive director of the New Hampshire Campground Owner’s Association. "The outlook for the economy is better, gas prices are stable, the weather has been great this spring, and advance reservations are running ahead of last year."

Many of the state’s 230 campgrounds were fully booked over the three-day Memorial Day weekend, said Pitman.

In fact, said Christine Bouchie, who owns the Woodmore Family Campground in Rindge, "We are already 80 percent booked for July Fourth weekend, and we already have 45 percent of the number of reservations booked for this season that we had in all of 2009."

Memorial Day was good," said Pam Feldhouse, coowner of Cedar Pond Campground in Milan.

"Most of our rentals are full and our tent sites are busy."

Another boon to the 2010 camping season was the 11th-hour repeal in March of the 11th-hour, late-night of passage of a bill that included campgrounds in the 9 percent meals-androoms tax.

Pitman told NHBR he credits a strong grassroots effort by campground owners as well as Rep. Herb Richardson from Lancaster, who introduced the bill to repeal the law, for helping to strike down campgrounds’ inclusion in the tax hike.

"Many campers choose New Hampshire because of the low taxes," he said.

"With the tax, many were starting to say they now had a choice and were looking elsewhere." – CINDY KIBBE/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW www.nhbr.com