Judy and Sten Larkin of Colfax, Wash., had a miniature family reunion at the Boise-Meridian KOA this week.

The retired teachers brought two grandchildren from Pocatello who had been traveling with them and met up in Meridian with the children's parents and the other

Continued Page 2

grandparents, who had two more grandkids.

The Larkins often travel in their RV, casino-hopping and visiting friends and family, because it's flexible and less expensive than hotels, they said.

"We don't like reservations," Judy Larkin

Continued from Page 1said. "When you have your own rig, you're free."

Times may be hard, but RV travel is booming.

Kampgrounds of America said camper registrations climbed 7 percent between May 1 and July 15 compared with the same period last year.

"This year is a good year," said Ron Lundquist, manager of the Boise-Meridian KOA, on Pennwood Street near Interstate 84 and Meridian Road.

And reservations at state parks are up 15 percent this fiscal year over the previous year, according to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

Anne Chambers, executive director of the Idaho RV Campgrounds Association,

said campgrounds across the state did well after the recession began and are doing even better this year.

More people began to travel within the United States after 9/11, Chambers said.

After the economy worsened in 2008, people still camped. Even $4-a-gallon gasoline in summer 2008 didn't stop people, though they may have camped closer to home, she said.

"RVing is really a big deal and during the economic times we're going through, RVers are still out RVing," Chambers said.

State tax collections suggest she is right.

While the state doesn't provide data for RV parks alone, combined hotel and

RV park revenue in June more than doubled to $26.3 million from $12 million in June 2009, according to the Idaho Tax Commission.

Lundquist said reservation numbers stayed strong in the past few years, but the demographic of travelers has changed.

He now sees more well-off travelers with RVs worth a half-million dollars or more.

He said parks like the Meridian-Boise KOA campground, which is only 6 years old, have long, wide spaces to handle modern RVs, which can be up to 45 feet long with pop-outs on the side.

The park also provides electrical hook-ups of 50 amps required by the newer models, instead of 35 amps that older RVs used.

KOA nationwide reported a record Fourth of July weekend, with an 8 percent growth in camper registrations over 2009. Friday, July 2 brought the highest volume of camper registrations in Kampgrounds of America's 48-year history, the company said.

KOA reservations through the end of September show an 11 percent growth over the same period in 2009.

State campgrounds are likely to stay busy, too.

"We're expecting a really good rest of the summer," Chambers said.Article: www.idahostatesman.com

Amateur astronomers recently got a glimpse into the cosmos during a Dark-Sky Star Party at the Santa Margarita Lake KOA campground.

Stargazers used telescopes and binoculars to peer into the black night

sky during the event, which was organized by the Central Coast Astronomical Society.

The gatherings are put together each month and are designed to promote astronomy, according to the club.

Leslie J. Peterson, 69, Decorah, was sentenced Tuesday on eight counts of invasion of privacy in connection with installing a video camera in the women's bathroom facility in Kendallville Campground some time in 2007.

He was arrested last month after the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Department was made aware of the camera, which was providing a "live feed." Recordings or photographs were not found.

Peterson served as campground host and was originally charged with 31 counts of invasion of privacy-nudity, serious misdemeanors. He later pleaded guilty to eight counts.

Peterson was fined $315 and court costs on each count. He received a suspended four-year prison sentence and was placed on probation with the Department of Correctional Services for two years.

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

ELKHART, Ind. — Working so hard on the assembly line that his T-shirt was soaked, Clint Lehman hustled to build a camper trailer meant for someone else’s vacation. He could not have been happier.

“It’s great to be back,” said Mr. Lehman, a stocky 29-year-old who had been laid off for eight months last year. Called back to work by a surge in demand in the recreation-vehicle industry, he is earning $30 an hour for Jayco, one of the largest manufacturers in Elkhart County.

People are returning to work at some of the best manufacturing wages in the region, but maybe more important, the humming production lines indicate an increased demand for parts suppliers and affiliated businesses in the Chicago area. Unemployment in the county has dropped to 13.7 percent from a high of about 20 percent in March 2009.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Elkhart, the nation’s center of recreation-vehicle production, became a symbol — “the poster child of the recession,” as a local catchphrase has it. In February 2009 President Obama used the city as a rallying stage to promote his economic stimulus plan.

Residents of Elkhart County, about 90 miles east of Chicago, now hope that improvement here augers a broader recovery.

“The recreation-vehicle industry is a leading economic indicator for the nation,” said Sid Johnson, the director of marketing for Jayco. “We lead the country into recessions, and we lead the country out of recessions.”

Across the street from the Jayco plant in nearby Middlebury, a new hotel is being built, a sign that good times are coming back.

While the upturn might signal growing consumer confidence, leaders in the recreation-vehicle industry acknowledge that much of the increase in production has been driven by the need to replace inventory that dealers were hesitant to restock during the financial crisis.

Officials in the region are unsure whether the new vehicles being produced and shipped to dealer lots will move quickly enough to encourage factories to hire even more workers.

“We’re at a critical juncture,” said Mike Yoder, a county

commissioner in Elkhart County, which has a population of about 200,000. “Everything depends on whether these actually sell.”

Dealers say there is cause for optimism. At Camping World in Lincolnshire, just north of Chicago, the headquarters of the nation’s largest chain of recreation vehicles, sales have improved significantly for some models.

Marcus Lemonis, the chairman of Camping World, which owns 80 stores, said sales had increased 40 percent this year for the camping trailers that are towed behind a truck or car, models that cost an average of $28,000. Mr. Lemonis said sales were flat for luxury motor homes, the gleaming highway palaces that can cost $500,000 or more.

“The consumer has come

Continued

back,” he said, “but in a more conservative way.”

The ripples of the rebound are reaching Chicago.

Kevin McNamara, an economist at Purdue University, said that while production of recreation vehicles is centered in Indiana, “some of the suppliers of the raw materials for those RVs are going to be coming out of the Chicago market.”

Zip Dee, an Elk Grove Village manufacturer of expensive powered awnings for recreation vehicles, has increased production as demand has risen from plants in Elkhart

County and elsewhere, said Jim Webb, the company president.

“It’s getting stronger every month,” said Mr. Webb. “I’m optimistic, but I’m not jumping on any bandwagon. It’s going to be a slow recovery.”

In Elkhart, people say they are grateful for an increase in any kind of buyer.

About one-quarter of the jobs in the county are tied to the recreation-vehicle industry, said Dorinda Heiden-Goss, the county’s president of economic development. “We’re seeing positive signs,”

Continuedshe said. “We’re just praying that it’s sustained.”

Nationwide, production in the industry is about 93 percent higher than a year ago, said Kevin Broom, a spokesman for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.

Conditions in the industry had become disastrous. Nearly half of the 400,000 workers in the recreational-vehicle industry in the United States lost jobs during the recession, Mr. Broom said.

Paul Thomas, an 87-year-old businessman and the town historian in Elkhart, noted that two years ago many people in the county

had already given up and moved away. United States Census Bureau figures show that Elkhart County saw a net out-migration of 2,366 people from 2008 to 2009, although a rising birth rate made up for the exodus and population figures remained relatively stable.

Plenty of houses stand empty, and many others are being foreclosed or sold at fire-sale prices.

But on Main Street in Elkhart, the talk over coffee in the Old Style Deli is more upbeat these days. Article: www.nytimes.com

MORE Australians are holidaying on the road than ever before, according to the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia.

Jubilant manufacturers turned out nearly 20 percent more RVs during the 2009-2010 financial year to meet the booming demand.

Caravan production soared by an incredible 28.4 percent while 20.9 percent more camper trailers rolled off assembly lines.

In fact, some factories indicated the strongest growth in the entire Australian manufacturing sector in the wake of the global financial crisis which saw several well known caravan brands disappear from the market.

And with more Australians now turning to touring caravans for their holidays, other types of holiday

accommodation in the country could suffer.

RED-FACED caravanners had a lot of explaining to do when they accidentally left their 12-year-old son behind at Swiss petrol station. The hapless British couple thought he was asleep in their caravan, but he had wandered into the shop as they refuelled. They collected him two hours later after pulling over and realising he was not in the 'van.

The UK's Caravan Club has sent a letter to every

MP revealing just how much their members contribute each year to their constituency. Its members spend over $800 million in local economies gevery year.

A WOMAN died and eight other holidaymakers were seriously injured when a tornado swept more than 20 caravans into a lakeside campsite near Doetinchem in Holland.

SEVENTY-three-year-old Welshman William Roberts had a shock when he woke up in his caravan ... it was

under tow! He managed to escape when the thieves pulled into a roadside area some miles away. The two thieves were later arrested.

NEARLY a hundred companies have signed up for the International Caravanning Show in Barcelona, Spain. The major nine-day trade show opens on October 9 and will also incorporate the sixth annual Caravan and Motorhome Convention, organised by the Caravan Association of Catalonia and the Lleure Camper Club.

ENGLISHMAN Wally Jinks who scooped $4m on the lottery with his friend, has vowed to upgrade his caravan and continue touring along the Yorkshire coast. The 51-year-old was already on holiday when he learned of his windfall.

RESTON, Va. – Gary LaBella, vice president and chief marketing officer for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, has announced that he will retire from RVIA after 32 years at the end of 2010.

LaBella made the announcement to the industry Aug. 2, while receiving an award from the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart, Ind.

"When I was planning the industry's 2010 Centennial Celebration, I realized I've been in the same chair for a third of this industry's

history, and I was afraid I might end up here planning a bicentennial," LaBella said.

"And so I am going down a different road, very proud of what we accomplished in three decades to improve and elevate this great industry's image and stature," he added. "I've been surrounded by outstanding fellow staff members as well as outstanding agency account

teams at Barton-Gilanelli and The Richards Group, at least eight of whom have been with me for 15 or 20 years or more, led by the very talented Chris Morrison, my colleague of 25 years. And I've had the honor of having BJ Thompson as my PR committee chairman for 25 years."

"Gary LaBella has contributed greatly to this industry's success over the past three decades," said RVIA President Richard Coon. "The effort he has led in the marketing of RVs has helped unify this industry and transformed the way Gary LaBella to retire

consumers think about RVs in this country. He is a very innovative and creative person and these talents will be missed."

When a small group of investors came together to build a campground on property in Yankton owned by the National Field Archery Association (NFAA), they decided to make it a first-class facility.

“The group of us decided that, if we were going to do it, we were going to do it nice,” said Dale James, one of the investors. “There are going to be a lot of activities — way more than most campgrounds. You won’t just go to camp there.”

The owners anticipate that the Yankton/Missouri River KOA, located at 807 Bill Baggs Road, will quietly open by the end of next week. A more official opening will occur in mid-August when a couple of archery tournaments will bring an influx of people to the area.

It will have 90 camp sites, including pads for campers, four small cabins and six lodges.

The 20-acre site will also include facilities for basketball, sand volleyball, croquet, badminton, miniature golf and horseshoes. Additionally, it will have playground equipment, a swimming pool with a slide, a recreational area for dogs and a jumping pillow that

can hold approximately 75 people at once.

Bruce Cull, president of the NFAA, which is an investor in the development, and James could be found bouncing around on the large jumping pillow during a recent muggy afternoon.

“Talk about a cardio exercise!” Cull said as he hopped off the pillow. “I was on there for a minute, and I’m breathing harder than if I had run for 10 miles. It’s crazy.”

Cull said the idea was to make the KOA facility a “destination campground.”

“It’s such a cool project,” he said. “All the things we’re going to have for campers is incredible. We’ve got pretty much everything to make it a real destination.”

In addition to the previously-mentioned amenities, Cull points out that a building at the site will house showers, bathrooms, a convenience store, an arcade room and a video lottery area. A pavilion will also be used to hold activities.

On the NFAA grounds adjacent to the campground, there are four 28-target field archery courses, a trap range, a tennis court, and a pond for fishing.

The project will represent an investment of more than $2 million, Cull said.

“The whole idea is to bring more people to town,” he stated.

James added, “Look at the money these campers are going to spend in town. They’ve got to buy fuel, food and will also spend money on recreational opportunities.”

A manager will live in a lodge on the campground, and it is expected to be open annually from March through December.

Cull believes hunters will be among those who use it during the traditional camping off-season.

“The operation is set up so it can run in harsh winters,” Cull said. “The intent is to be open as long as we can profitably do so. The bottom line right now is to keep our heads above water financially. We’ve got a big investment here.”Article & Photos:www.yankton.net

Dale James, left in sunglasses, and Bruce Cull, wearing blue and with arms outspread, join friends and family in trying out the jumping pillow at the new Yankton/Missouri River KOA. The two men were part of a small group involved in making the more than $2 million project a reality. The campground is expected to open late next week. (Nathan Johnson/P&D)

The view of the 20-acre campground area from one of six lodges on the site

ELS distributed 4,500 samples of Nature-ZYME holding tank product last week during The Rally in Louisville, Ky. The company plans to begin marketing the product to campgrounds, RV parks and resorts next month with a general consumer-marketing program beginning this fall

CHICAGO, July 28, 2010 – Within two to three weeks, Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) plans to begin marketing Nature-ZYME, a highly effective environmentally responsible RV and marine holding tank product that eliminates odors and liquefies waste without the use of formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals.

Nature-ZYME is ELS’s private label holding tank product, which is manufactured by BiOWiSH Technologies, a Chicago-based company that has established itself as a world leader in creation of fast-acting, environmentally friendly wastewater treatment products.

“RVers and campground operators across the country have been quietly testing this product for months in a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions and have been amazed at its

performance,” said David Kozy, vice president and director of operations of RSI RV, Home & Marine Solutions, the ELS subsidiary that is marketing the Nature-ZYME holding tank treatment product. “We really think we have identified a solution to one of the most challenging environmental problems in the RV and marine industries.”

Kozy said the fundamental problem with most holding tank products is that they use microbial inhibitors, such as formaldehyde and other chemicals, which prevent natural biological processes from breaking down human waste as they would normally do. As a result, chemical-based holding tank products can cause septic systems to overflow, potentially contaminating groundwater supplies.

He said ELS distributed 4,500 samples of Nature-ZYME last week to RVers attending The Rally in Louisville, Ky. and was subsequently inundated with requests from consumers who wanted to purchase the product.“There is a lot of pent-up demand for environmentally friendly holding tank products,” Kozy said. “People increasingly recognize that chemically based holding tank products can pose

various risks to themselves and to the environment.”

“The new line of products we have developed in conjunction with Equity LifeStyle Properties could revolutionize the RV market and marina industry by reducing the environmental impact of wastewater discharges by these vehicles,” said BiOWiSH Technologies President Rod Vautier.

Nature-ZYME has been tested by more than 100 RVing consumers, including Thousand Trails members, since last fall in addition to being tested at 14 different ELS RV parks and resorts. A second test is underway involving RVers affiliated with the Good Sam Club. ELS also hired an outside firm to test the effectiveness of the BiOWiSH product against competing biodegradable and chemical-based holding tank products and was pleased with the results.

“We’ve been trying to gather as much feedback as possible, both from RV park operators and from consumers, and all of it comes back positive,” Kozy said.

While ELS does not plan to launch a full-scale consumer marketing campaign until this fall, the product will be available for

purchase online by late August. For more information on Nature-ZYME, please visit www.Nature-Zyme.com.

Chicago-based Equity Lifestyle Properties is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and operates RV resorts and manufactured home communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the Thousand Trails campground membership club. For more information on ELS and its subsidiaries, please visit www.equitylifestyle.com and www.thousandtrails.com.

Formerly headquartered in Sydney, Australia, BiOWish Technologies recently relocated its corporate offices to Chicago in an effort to be closer to its key markets in North America and Europe. BiOWiSH Technologies owns exclusive and global intellectual property rights to the development, manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of BiOWiSH products that serve the needs of consumer, wastewater treatment, agriculture, aquaculture, agronomy, solid waste management, soil and water remediation and industrial cleaning industries. The company maintains international offices in Sydney and BangKok. Additional information about the company is available at www.biowishtechnologies.com.

A city board denied a permit on Friday to allow a temporary campsite for 444 recreational vehicles near the Kentucky Horse Park during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this fall.

Daniel Sexton, owner of Spindletop Mobile Home Park, was seeking a conditional use permit from Lexington's Board of Adjustment for his 90-acre farm in northern Fayette County between old Iron Works Pike and Lisle Road.

Opponents had voiced concern that the soil would be so compacted that it could not be restored for agricultural use.

The city's planning staff recommended approval, but with 13 conditions — including that a 20-foot-wide gravel road would be built capable of carrying 94,000-pound fire truck if necessary. The campground would be

used no later than November 1. Richard Murphy, attorney for Sexton, said the gravel road would be removed and the farm land restored by December 31.

Murphy said his client would post a $15,000 performance bond to make sure the farm would be cleaned up and the soil restored. He later raised that amount to $30,000. Sexton downplayed the impact of installing and removing the gravel road on the soil, saying only 6 inches of soil would have to be excavated. He indicated soil compaction would not be a significant problem.

But opponent Jeanne Owen, recently retired general manager of Cobra Farm, who said she had "extensive experience" with farm construction, said traffic from RVs, cars, garbage trucks and tankers hauling away sewer would compact soil 4 to 5 feet deep. She told the board of

adjustment it needed to hear from an independent soil expert from the University of Kentucky about damage to soil and the difficulty of restoration.

"Fifteen thousand dollars wouldn't remove one iota of the gravel" or begin to restore the damaged soil, she said. "I think it would be every bit of $1 million to restore that farm."

Thoroughbred farm owner Don Robinson, whose family has owned a farm on Military Pike for 60 years, said, "The idea you can restore two miles of gravel road to usable farm land for $15,000 or $30,000 is ludicrous." Robinson is also president of Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, one of several farm groups that opposed the campground.

In urging approval, Murphy said his client had met board of adjustment conditions, including

agreeing to install a fire hydrant, daily trash collection, fire department approval, 24-hour security, and having Kentucky Utilities erect temporary poles to provide electricity so the RVs would not use generators.

He asked why Spy Coast Farm on Iron Works Pike where cars and buses will park, did not have to meet demands imposed on his client, including soil restoration.

Bill Sallee, planning services manager, said the horse park contracted with the farm directly, so Spy Coast was considered state property, not local.

Full Article: www.kentucky.com

THE battle for British Columbia’s forests continues as fires burn throughout the Canadian province. More than 66,407 ha has burned so far, with 380 fires raging – 18 of those sparked last Monday morning alone. Most of the fires are concentrated in the Kamloops, the Cariboo and northwestern BC.Weeks of hot, dry weather have led to extreme fire danger in much of the province. A campfire ban in most regions carries a $345 fine for the person who lit the match -- and everyone at the campfire. Anyone who causes damage to Crown forest or grassland through arson or recklessness can be fined up to $1 million or sentenced to up to three years in prison. On average, the 134 fires started by campfires annually cost more than $2.2 million in firefighting services to contain. "Each day, we are continuing to see more and more fires -- and each afternoon we are seeing some lightning strikes," BC fire information officer Kim Steinbart said.

One the challenges, she explained, is that lightning strikes can smoulder unseen underground for days before conditions are right for a fire to break out. And, while lightning has sparked many fires, people are also to blame. Eleven fires were started by people last Sunday. "For the most part, [fires caused by people] are entirely preventable and we just don't need to be spending our time chasing after those fires when we have so many caused by lightning," Ms Steinbart said. The province got some help with the arrival of 230 firefighters and fire specialists from other areas. They included initial attack crews, sustained action crews, specialized incident command teams, fire-behaviour analysts, incident commanders and division supervisors. BC. is also receiving 14 additional aircraft from Alberta and Yukon, including bird-dog planes and air tankers.

Honesdale — The team approach has paid off.Bill Woodward, owner of Valley View Farm and Campground in Waymart PA and president of the now two-year-old Wayne County Campground Owners Association, says the organization has not only helped the group tap into grant money to promote tourism, but has also improved cooperation between the campgrounds 100-fold.

“Prior to coming together, I don’t think each campground owner was aware what the other campgrounds offered as their main attractions,” Woodward said.

“Everyone’s a little different, some have canoeing and kayaking on the Delaware. Some do square dancing, others do a variety of activities ...and some of them are just quiet places where people can go and relax.”

They now make referrals to one another.“And in general business has picked up,” Woodward said.

“We all work together to promote our parks. If I have someone who is looking for something in particular that we might not offer, or if we are booked, then we refer to other campgrounds in WC. It’s great,” said

Sonya Zacker of Clayton Park Recreational Area, located on Lake Henry in the southern portion of Wayne County.

“There are approximately 10 campgrounds in Wayne County,” Woodward said. He said that seven campground owners are very active in the association and three more joining.

Wayne County boasts such campgrounds including Three Pines Campground, Secluded Acres, Lake Mocatek Campground and Soaring Eagle and neighboring Pike County is just as rich in campgrounds as well.

Campgrounds are a $50 million annual industry and camping business in Wayne County is a vital part of the economy during the summer.

“It really helps to discuss all types of issues with the group that we might otherwise be dealing with all on our own. Because we all bring something to the table ...something different that someone else might not have been aware of,” Zacker said.The campground owners are passionate about what they do.

“I really truly do feel like this is my backyard, they’re coming to stay in my backyard. My parents

(David L. and Florence Swoyer) instilled that in me. It was a great place to grow up,” Zacker said of the family business.

Working together, the association can market campgrounds in ways they can’t do individually. The association also passes on referrals to other campgrounds when their own is full.

The group attends shows throughout the region and also held exhibits at The Outdoor Expo at Lake Wallenpaupack High School.

“We are certainly grateful for the opportunities the tourism tax dollars have presented to us,” said Jan Keen of Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort.

Al and Cindy Waiter of the Cherry Ridge Campground agree.“I just thought we’d try one camping show,” they said. “I never imagined that so many campgrounds would come together so quickly to promote Wayne County.”Started by Zacker’s grandparents, Clayton and Mildred Swoyer, Clayton Park Recreational Area is close to100 years old.

“The most joy I get from this is watching children developing a love for fishing and the outdoors. It really, truly is why we do

this,” Zacker said. As she talks, Zacker brings up two young campers, Alexis and Robbie Carter.She calls them her zookeepers.

“They come out every weekend. They collect frogs, lizards, turtles, crayfish,” anything that’s crawling, hopping or flying by, to study and then release.

The business is closing in on four decades.

When it comes to owning a campground, Woodward says the best part is “meeting the people.”That and the chocolate cake, ice cream and soda campers share with him, he says with a laugh.

“They’ve become friends. We’re into third generations here, as are many of the campgrounds in WC,” Woodward said.Article: www.wayneindependent.com

Dear Editor Your recent issue about electrical shocks was very concerning to me. What I read out of the article was that the problems all were the result of the campground.

Let's hope in your no shock effort you teach people who own RVs how to manage their use of electric.

We get burned plugs here at my campground, not because of improper wiring, but because the RV'er has no clue as to power management. They come in on a 30amp site and expect to run their A/C and elec. hot water heater, and refrig (approx 31amps) and then use their microwave or hair dryer or coffee pot or crock pot or electric fryer or whatever and pull more than what they are suppose to.

Even more troublesome are people who have burned plugs and still use them without any concern for the damage they can cause to a campground's wiring or their own trailer.

It is always easy to tell if the burned plug happened here as well - our outlet would also be burned. Just remember - the problem is not always caused by the campgrounds! Robert AdamsOwner - Gettysburg Campground

Jumping Pillows USA has a special for one KOA reader – a size 5 Jumping Pillow in the KOA corporate colors and with the KOA logo’s and motto is available for immediate installation at a reduced price of $12250 (fully installed).

The Jumping Pillow is brand new and manufactured with the new ‘Long Life’ material and is 48ft.long x 33ft.wide, the regular price is $18490.

This pillow was manufactured to replace one of the very first Jumping Pillows installed into the USA 6 years ago but was manufactured to incorrect size rendering it

unusable for that particular replacement.

But our mistake will be someone’s benefit and this deal is being made available to readers of Campground & RV Park News first!

The Jumping Pillow will be sold to the FIRST KOA Campground owner who contacts Brian Banks on 774-293-0801.

We will fully install the pillow now or pay now and install at a later date, whenever is required by the Campground (normal client responsibilities apply). Be quick! This deal won’t last.

The layout picture does not do justice to the colors as both the yellow and blue are brighter in reality.

They say it's been a perfect season for camping: lots of sun, warm weather — and no 9 percent tax on campsites.

Campers and campground owners across Southern New Hampshire are heralding a summer of exceptional weather and the state's repeal of the controversial tax.

The Legislature eliminated the tax in April, only nine months after it was enacted to help plug a growing state budget gap.

While supporters praised it as a means of generating revenue, opponents argued the levy — an extension of the rooms and meals tax — would severely harm the tourism industry. It would drive campers away and put campground owners out of business, they said.

Now, a year after it took effect, no one at local campgrounds is bemoaning the tax's demise.

There were many out-of-state residents who didn't know it was eliminated and many others who did not know it had even existed.

Several Massachusetts campers fishing or relaxing in other ways at Hidden Valley said they weren't familiar with the 9 percent tax — never mind that it had been repealed.

"I thought I was getting a discount," said Tina Fontes of Lowell, chatting with family members as they sat outside their tent.

Repeal boosts business

Campground owners said they are seeing a significant increase in business this season, with some saying the tax's repeal has made a big difference.

"Well, it seems like it's been going excellent," said Diane Durbin, owner of Mill Brook RV Park in Kingston. "It seems like it has a lot to do with the tax. The weather has helped, too. We did have a lot of cancellations last year because of the tax."

This year, many of those same customers are coming back, she said, adding they seemed to know there was no longer a tax when booking reservations.

Although seasonal campground users were

exempt from the tax, other campers weren't. They had to pay at least a few dollars more a night, Durbin said.

Though it may not seem like much to some, it can certainly add up, she said.

"We have a lot of people who stay monthly and that's $63," Durbin said. "That's a big expense."

At Hidden Valley in Derry, manager Cathy Kierstad said there definitely has been an increase in business over last year, but she wasn't sure how much of that was due to the tax's repeal as opposed to an improving economy.

"I think we are a bit more filled up than last year," she said. "We are doing good."

At Sunset Park in Hampstead, the 9 percent tax didn't have much of an impact, according to office manager Kendra Neville. That's because about 98 percent of the park's customers camped there for the season and were exempt from the tax, she said.

The campground still had to carefully track who had to pay the tax and who did not, a burdensome task, Neville said.

"For us, it was more of a hassle with the paperwork," she said.

While most Sunset customers were exempt from the 9 percent fee, they still had to pay another tax that affects seasonal campers.

Hampstead charges its campers a personal property tax of roughly $21 per $1,000, which averages about $200 per season, Neville said.

The town initiated the tax last year and campers weren't happy because they did not think they were receiving their fair share of services for the money they were paying, Neville said.

"They were very upset," she added.

Neville said the weak economy also has had an impact on the number of campers in the past few years. But one disturbing trend she has noticed is the large number of people living in recreational vehicles because they can no longer afford their homes.

"It's gotten bad enough where people are trying to live on a campsite for a season," she said.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Full Article:www.eagletribune.com

A Maryland man is dead after losing control of his golf cart in a park and plunging over a 15-foot embankment into the Potomac River.

Sixty-year-old Marshall Marks of New Market died early Sunday.

Berkeley County sheriff's deputies say two others were injured. They were passengers in the cart that Marks was driving.

Neither had life-threatening injuries.

The accident happened at River Bend Park, a recreational vehicle community near Falling Waters.

Investigators say Marks was apparently trying to turn the cart around on a narrow trail when he lost control and crashed.

New Berlin, PA – Once again, this past week has seen more variety in the exhibitors who have signed on to the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo, being held on the Internet from November 1st thru 3rd.

Lodging Kit Company supplies timeshare resorts, extended stay hotels, standard hotels, condo hotels, government lodging, and many other lodging markets with housewares, kitchen products, small appliances, towels, bedding, housekeeping supplies, spa supplies, furniture, art and countless other products to suit their property's needs. They operate warehouses in New York, Florida and Las Vegas and ship both nationally and internationally, making Lodging Kit Company a perfect fit for the International Expo. Their website is www.lodgingkit.com.

“I’ve been talking to Tony Douque and Kent Martin of the company since February”, said Deanne Bower, co-producer of the event, “and was gratified when the company agreed to exhibit this week.”

The Expo has also announced that they’ve

now added TengoInternet to the list of participants at the Expo. TengoInternet, as most outdoor hospitality facilities are already aware, is one of the leading suppliers of Wi-Fi services in the United States. Although TengoInternet, through its President and CEO Eric Stumberg, had originally agreed to exhibit at the Expo in February, they were extremely busy expanding through the acquisition of Nomad ISP customers and technology. The company recently won the 2009/2010 ARVC Supplier of the Year award and now manages more than 900 wireless networks across 49 states, Canada and Mexico.

TengoInternet now joins exhibitors CA World Wi-Fi, Inc and Check Box Systems (a Gold Sponsor of the Event) all companies that install and maintain Wi-Fi systems in outdoor hospitality facilities.

The producers of the Expo are working with Deb Kohls of Leisure Interactive, who is heading up the educational portion of the show, to create an “Open Forum” discussion on Wi-Fi which includes speakers from all three of these companies.

“We’re now past the halfway point to our goal of

80 booths at the Expo”, said Lieberman, “and we’re now averaging 2-3 booths a week which, a statistic that is likely to increase as the Expo nears.” * * *A CORRECTION: In last week’s press release, we incorrectly stated that Norman Boucher had been elected First Vice President of the NEA in

2008. Mr. Boucher was elected to that position in the Connecticut Association, not the NEA.

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

KENOSHA, Wis. — A man is believed to have drowned Monday while in a swimming pond at campground in southern Wisconsin.

In a news release, Kenosha County sheriff's department spokesman Gil Benn says the man was swimming to a floating platform with his 3-year-old nephew when he began to flounder at about 9:45 a.m.

Some onlookers swam out and rescued the child but

the uncle had gone under. He was found about 40 minutes later under water. The depth of the pond, at Happy Acres Camp Ground in Bristol, is about 12 feet.

Benn says deputies are having language issues with the family and it's unclear whether the uncle was trying to rescue the boy or had him in tow.

The victim is in his 30s and from the Kenosha area. www.chicagotribune.com

By Larry

Lightning can strike from 10 miles away. At any given minute there are more than 1,000 thunderstorms happening on earth with more than 6,000 flashes of lightning.

The air heated by lightning is 54,000 degrees: five times hotter than the sun.

So it is a great idea to avoid lightning! Estimate how close the lightning is by counting the seconds from when you see the flash. Every five seconds equals one mile. If you count ten seconds from the flash the lightning is two miles away.

Thunderstorms (and dust storms and volcanic clouds) have wind drafts. When liquid and ice collide they create large electrical fields, separating the charges (atoms). This allows negative charges to accumulate near the base of the thunderheads. Like charges repel, so negative charges from the ground are pushed down away from the surface of the ground, leaving a net positive charge.

Opposite charges attract. The positive charges from the surface of the ground are attracted to the negative charges in the cloud. Negative charges are a thousand times smaller than positive charges, so they travel much faster, creating an invisible path that is like a

crooked ladder and is called a stepped leader.

At the point where the negative and positive charges connect the negative charges from the cloud start rushing down the path, creating the flash. The flash we see is light travelling up the stepped leader created by the negative charges rushing down. The thunder is air displaced by the heat. Since light travels faster than sound, we can see the lighting before we hear the thunder.

Safety: do not lie down on the ground in a thunderstorm, avoid the highest trees and structures. Being inside is safest but not totally safe. Cars but not convertibles are safe, so are cell phones and cordless phones. Inside of buildings avoid water (showers, baths, hand washing) and electrical appliances. Surge protectors are not always effective. Unplug computers and anything else using electricity and watch for sparks and fires.

And yes, lighting can strike in the same place twice, three times, even more.

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