texascavers Digest 21 Dec 2010 08:03:27 -0000 Issue 1213
Topics (messages 16732 through 16746):
cavers in the news
16732 by: David
Re: Caving on the moon
16733 by: Gill Edigar
16734 by: John P Brooks
Re: Houston Grotto Party report
16735 by: Fritz Holt
Galen Falgout is missing
16736 by: Andy Zenker
16737 by: Don Arburn
Galen has been located
16738 by: Andy Zenker
collapse pit on the moon
16739 by: Mixon Bill
Search and shop with NCKRI
16740 by: George Veni
16742 by: germanyj.aol.com
Re: [greater_houston_grotto] May I ask you a big favor, please?
16741 by: caverarch.aol.com
9:00 CDT tonight: "World's Biggest Cave" on National Geographic channel
16743 by: Logan McNatt
Another LED flashlight review
16744 by: David
a new headlamp
16745 by: David
Stricklands drop long fought suit against city, dam will go :
16746 by: Jerry
Administrivia:
To subscribe to the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To unsubscribe from the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To post to the list, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message ---
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/4456332/Cavers-get-funds-to-explore-deeper
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Take a look at this Devils Sinkhole type collapse cave presently
located on the moon.
--Ediger
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philip Balister <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 9:10 PM
Subject: Caving on the moon
To: [email protected]
http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/looking-into-a-lunar-cave
Philip
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Maybe the TCMA ( aka...The Caving on the Moon Association) will buy it for us.
--- On Mon, 12/20/10, Gill Edigar <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Gill Edigar <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Fwd: Caving on the moon
To: "Cavers Texas" <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Monday, December 20, 2010, 8:58 AM
Take a look at this Devils Sinkhole type collapse cave presently
located on the moon.
--Ediger
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philip Balister <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 9:10 PM
Subject: Caving on the moon
To: [email protected]
http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/looking-into-a-lunar-cave
Philip
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
If someone had told me I was the guest of honor (not) I might have sung a
couple of songs (also not). However, I could have won a prize for the oldest
geezer in attendance. Thanks to Don and Sid for hosting this party for the
Greater Houston Grotto. The great food and goodies were abundant. It was a
pleasure to see so many friends. This was my first but I don't plan to miss any
more.
Fritz
-----Original Message-----
From: David [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2010 10:04 PM
To: Cavers Texas
Subject: [Texascavers] Houston Grotto Party report
Cavers in the Houston area got together this past Saturday evening
for the annual GHG Christmas Party.
Long time cavers Don & Syd Formanek hosted the party at their house,
as they have done for many many years. I am pretty sure this ritual
has taken place in the Houston area for over 20 years, and probably close
to 40.
Kenny McGee couldn't make it, but he furnished the party with local grown
batch of citrus reticulatas, and there was enough for cavers to take home.
There was plenty of free wine, beer, liquor and sodas and a whole lot left
over.
Several of the cavers there were active in the club back in the 70's, like
Mike & Teresa Connolly, and Jim McLane ( & his girlfriend ).
And, there were cavers there that
were active in the 80's like George Sanders. 2 cavers from the 90's were
there, myself and Sheryl Rieck. And quite a few cavers that have been
active in the club recently like Wayne and Gay Lynn Hutchinson and
Clint Ladd. Other members there were Barbara Benavides and her
fiancée Jeff, and 3 other members I haven't seen in 7 years or so, and
can't remember their names, who brought friends and family.
Also attending were, Ray Hertel and his wife, and a new member named
Lucy ( who is anxious to go caving and seems enthusiastic.)
The guest of honor, Mr. Fritz Holt was there, along with his two daughters:
Jenny and Mandy Holt.
I am probably leaving somebody out?
There was plenty of delicious snacks, including the traditional bacon-wrapped
stuffed jalapen~o. And two 20" pizzas with extra cheese. My
mother-in-law,
( from Monterrey ) made a batch of fresh tamales from scratch.
There were several members that could not make it and quite a few cavers that
live in the Houston area that did not come. But we still had a
pleasant evening.
The topic of caving did come up. Quiet a few cavers were
embarrassed to explain
how many years it has been since they have been underground, especially
myself.
I would like to thank the host for the wonderful party and also for
letting me stay
in the guest room.
David Locklear
NSS # 27639
P.S. Someone else is welcome to add to this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
LOOKING FOR GALEN FALGOUT! His older brother contacted me just now saying
that Galen went on a couple of caving trips this weekend and hasn't heard
from him since Friday. We don't know where. If anyone knows anything about
Galen's whereabouts, let me know ASAP! Thanks.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Is he at Deep & Punkin? Was he with Drew Thompson or Justin?
Don's iPhone.
On Dec 20, 2010, at 10:30 AM, Andy Zenker <[email protected]> wrote:
> LOOKING FOR GALEN FALGOUT! His older brother contacted me just now saying
> that Galen went on a couple of caving trips this weekend and hasn't heard
> from him since Friday. We don't know where. If anyone knows anything about
> Galen's whereabouts, let me know ASAP! Thanks.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks everyone. Galen is out at Punkin. It just shows how important it is
to communicate with your family on where you are going and how long you will
be gone.
Andy
On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 10:38 AM, Don Arburn <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is he at Deep & Punkin? Was he with Drew Thompson or Justin?
>
>
> Don's iPhone.
>
> On Dec 20, 2010, at 10:30 AM, Andy Zenker <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> LOOKING FOR GALEN FALGOUT! His older brother contacted me just now saying
> that Galen went on a couple of caving trips this weekend and hasn't heard
> from him since Friday. We don't know where. If anyone knows anything about
> Galen's whereabouts, let me know ASAP! Thanks.
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Sure does look like a collapse. Not surprising, as lots of so-called
rills may to be much longer collapse structures, judging from the
occasional occurrence of roofed-over sections. Of note in this case is
that the floor of the pit in the most-magnified picture shows the same
digital geometric artifacts that we were discussing at length here
some months back when they were seen in some Google Earth views of
Mexico.
--Mixon
----------------------------------------
A fearless man cannot be brave.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
Personal: [email protected]
AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Dear Friends,
I have something new and exciting I'd like to share with you! It's the new
National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) toolbar:
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/national-cave-and-karst-research-institute
Once added to Internet Explorer or Firefox, each time you shop on-line at
more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your
purchase will be donated automatically to NCKRI - at no cost to you (and you
may even save money since the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!).
The toolbar also has an excellent Internet search engine powered by Yahoo.
Each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to NCKRI. It may
not sound like much, but if only 140 of us made only two searches each day
for a year, that would earn NCKRI over $1,000 for cave and karst research,
scholarships, and other programs.
Please pass this message along to your friends. The two minutes it takes to
add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference! NCKRI is
a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving our understanding of caves
and karst and building partnerships that supports those goals. We appreciate
your support and hope you will get the toolbar now!
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/national-cave-and-karst-research-institute
George
***************************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
1400 Commerce Drive
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 413-383-2276
[email protected]
www.nckri.org
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
HI George!
Thanks for the toolbar! It was so easy to install and runs great on FireFox.
And as much as I search the Web, you might be able to fund two scholarships :-)
Happy holidays!
julia
-----Original Message-----
From: George Veni <[email protected]>
To: 'Texas Cavers' <[email protected]>; 'New Mexico Cavers'
<[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Dec 20, 2010 1:48 pm
Subject: [Texascavers] Search and shop with NCKRI
Dear Friends,
I have something new and exciting I’d like to share with you! It’s the new
National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) toolbar:
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/national-cave-and-karst-research-institute
Once added to Internet Explorer or Firefox, each time you shop on-line at more
than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will
be donated automatically to NCKRI - at no cost to you (and you may even save
money since the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!).
The toolbar also has an excellent Internet search engine powered by Yahoo. Each
time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to NCKRI. It may not
sound like much, but if only 140 of us made only two searches each day for a
year, that would earn NCKRI over $1,000 for cave and karst research,
scholarships, and other programs.
Please pass this message along to your friends. The two minutes it takes to add
this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference! NCKRI is a
non-profit corporation dedicated to improving our understanding of caves and
karst and building partnerships that supports those goals. We appreciate your
support and hope you will get the toolbar now!
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/national-cave-and-karst-research-institute
George
***************************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
1400 Commerce Drive
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 413-383-2276
[email protected]
www.nckri.org
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Please help Sid from the Greater Houston Grotto and her brother (who is also a
very nice person)! I agree completely, Sid! So "youngsters," here's your
chance to have some input on the organization that underpins all we do!
Roger Moore, 12548RL
(Naturally, too old to be of any help myself)
CC to Texascavers
-----Original Message-----
From: Sid <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, Dec 20, 2010 11:31 am
Subject: [greater_houston_grotto] May I ask you a big favor, please?
Hello, GHG members,
My brother, a fellow of the NSS, has been given an assignment to interview
newer
NSS members - say #s starting in the 30,000s. He asked me if I could find some
in Texas for him to interview. I'm fairly certain these would be either via
e-mail or phone and not very long.
If you don't want to think about it until Dec. 26th, I'll send a reminder.
Since
we are no longer on the Texas list serve, perhaps you could give me some names
and I'll take it from there.
And while I'm thinking about the NSS, I'll get on my apple crate and suggest
that, since there would be no GHG without NSS, all of our members should also
be
members of the parent organization.
Thanks, y'all!!!!
s
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
__._,_.___
Reply to sender | Reply to group |
Reply via web post | Start a New Topic
Messages in this topic (2)
RECENT ACTIVITY:
Visit Your Group
Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use
.
__,_._,___
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
A reminder that the NG channel has a show on the "World's Biggest Cave" in one
hour: tonight at 9:00 pm.
Unfortunately, I don't have a wide-screen TV; the images may not fit on my
small old TV.
Logan
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I am posting this on Cavetex because it is an inexpensive product suitable for
caving use.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dorcy-1AAA-45-Lumen-Aluminum-Focusing-Flashlight-4252-/130464151729
I bought this light today at MicroCenter and tested it in the back-yard.
I was very surprised by the quality and the brightness of this tiny light.
It is the length of a cigarette, and only a little thicker.
I like that it only uses one AAA battery and appears to be water resistant.
With tax, it came to $ 17, which sounds expensive, but the other equivalent
lights are about the same price or more.
This would be an acceptable emergency light for caving in most Texas size caves.
You could easily duct-tape it to your helmet.
This light gets my approval.
This would be the perfect light to carry every where you go in purses,
briefcases, etc.
Ref: Dorcy # 41-4252
David Locklear
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This post is mostly for newbies looking for a headlamp.
I saw this headlamp today at Microcenter, but did not buy it.
http://images1.opticsplanet.com/750-500-ffffff/opplanet-icon-irix-headlamp-ix107a.jpg
It looks promising, and I hope to test it soon.
But it was $ 40, and that was not in my budget any time soon.
There are some good reviews on the web, like:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Icon_IRIX_LED_Headlamp_IPX107A.php
http://www.backpacker.com/gear-zone-gear-review-icon-irix-headlamp/gear/14984
The headlamp easily snaps onto and off the head-strap, but could
potentially fall down
the pit and leave you without a headlamp, so a string would need to be
rigged to it
somehow.
Note it has a versatile range of light settings, which means it probably is
not very water-proof, as the dial that adjust the brightness needs some
free-play.
>From the reviews on the web, it sounds excellent for newbie cave trips to
Whirlpool Cave.
If anybody wants to test it, feel free to beat me to it.
Ref:
http://www.myiconlight.com/myiconlight/content/templates/main/main/products.html?item=irix1
David Locklear
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Brothers drop lawsuit against city, say dam will go
In property-rights dispute, both sides staked environmental high ground.
By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 7:37 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010
Three brothers who live west of Austin have agreed to remove a dam from their
property and drop a lawsuit against the city, ending a protracted
property-rights dispute in which both sides claimed an environmental high
ground.
The dam straddles a wide creek that runs through their 13-acre property and was
built without proper permits. City and county officials said it might threaten
a nearby nature preserve.
John Strickland , the eldest brother, still contends officials were more
concerned with the letter of the law than common sense, an assessment shared by
some environmental activists. But his case was considered a long shot by legal
experts. And Strickland said he no longer could afford the rising bills — more
than $100,000 — to fight the city.
The City Council approved a settlement Thursday that waived mounting penalties
against the brothers.
"We take the responsibility to protect our watersheds very seriously," said
Anne Morgan , the city's director of litigation . The dispute touched on
several issues: the rights of property owners outside city limits; the degree
to which regulators should negotiate; and what, exactly, is best for the
environment.
The Stricklands' dam is located along the intermittently flowing Bullick Hollow
Creek near Lake Travis. The Stricklands built the 4-foot-high , 30-foot-wide
structure in 2007 , spending about $3,000 . In the process, they created a pond
the family says has ensured turtles and perch don't die when the creek runs dry
and helped restore bald cypresses, a towering species that suffered when the
arrival of Hill Country settlers triggered the spread of water-hungry cedars.
John Strickland said the dam has partially restored the property to a natural
state that existed before settlement of the area.
"We say natural and traditional is having water in the creek all the time,"
Strickland said. "We don't believe that the best thing for the wildlife is
always to leave the environment untouched. When we drain the pond, the turtles
are going to die."
City officials counter that the Stricklands are altering the waterway's natural
state by damming it.
During times of low flow, when there isn't enough water to fill the pond, the
dam blocks water from continuing down the stream bed, said Nancy McClintock ,
assistant manager of the city's Watershed Protection Department . The dam, she
said, violates the creek's "essential and fundamental characteristics." County
officials have also objected to the dam, saying it could be diminishing the
amount of water flowing into a section of the massive Balcones Canyonlands
Preserve.
"Yes, it's habitat on their property, but it's a different type of habitat than
you typically see in the Hill Country," McClintock said. "We don't want to see
our streams dammed up into a series of ponds."
But longtime environmentalist Jack Goodman says the dam is "a net environmental
plus."
"It doesn't make any sense to tear (the dam) down, even if they created it
improperly initially," said Goodman, a former president of the Save Barton
Creek Association , and a member of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer
Conservation District board. "This is a unique situation. Let it go because in
the end it turned out to be a good thing."
But, Goodman said, the Stricklands should also have applied for permits in the
first place. And he said they should have been more patient in finding a
compromise with city officials before deciding to sue. "The lawsuit was a
poorly considered idea," Goodman said. "It has just made the city stiffen its
spine."
The lawsuit argued the city did not have the authority to order the dam removed
because it is located outside the city.
The state Legislature in the 1980s granted cities some control over development
in extra-territorial jurisdiction — a band outside city boundaries — as a way
to curb undesirable development just across city lines.
Numerous lawsuits challenged cities' newfound power. But most disputes ended in
the cities' favor, said Buck Wood , an attorney specializing in property rights
.
Dana Johnson, an assistant city attorney handling the Strickland case, said
there was no question about the city's authority.
"The staff made a lot of efforts, and (the Stricklands) vacillated back and
forth on what they wanted," Johnson said. "They could have asked for a
variance" — a provision under which the city could waive some regulations —
"but they chose not to."
In court documents, the Stricklands contended they had no choice other than to
sue because a city official had told them an appeal would be denied, but only
after they spent tens of thousands of dollars on studies and applying for
various permits.
John Strickland said he also should not be expected to be aware of Austin's
environmental rules because his family has lived on the property — outside city
limits —since 1975 .
"Do you know much city code there is?" he said. "We bought this land outside
the city limits so we wouldn't have to deal with a situation like this. I'm
being forced to pay to do something the city wants because I can't afford to
fight it, but I also don't get to vote in the city elections."
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/brothers-drop-lawsuit-against-city-say-dam-will-1127611.html
--- End Message ---
