texascavers Digest 10 Apr 2009 13:50:42 -0000 Issue 739
Topics (messages 10474 through 10477):
Re: Butch Fralia out of hospital
10474 by: Bally Barnery
Re: Hydro Brown Bag (April 10th, 12-1 PM; Presenter: Benjamin Schwartz )
10475 by: germanyj.aol.com
NSS WNS Policy Statement - April 8, 2009 :
10476 by: JerryAtkin.aol.com
Bill Putnam running as write in candidate for NSS Board
10477 by: Geary Schindel
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--- Begin Message ---
Butch, glad to hear your doing better....I am at the eastern end of the state
in Texarkana for a funeral. My mother in law passed away and have sorta been
out of the internet WIFI as they don't have that in Arkansas where I am
staying. I'm at a parking lot of a LaQuinta on I-30 and tied in to their WIFI
so I can check email...
I'll keep you in my prayers and sure hope you make a full recovery.
Bill
From: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 13:01:41 -0500
To: [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]
Subject: [Texascavers] RE: Butch Fralia out of hospital
Glad to hear that you're still with us,
Butch, and home and out of the hospital!
Good luck on kicking the nicotine
habit!
With all of your health issues you
experienced and a huge increase on the excise tax on them, it's a good time to
kick the habit.
Hope you continue to improve and hope to
see you at the Convention!
Now, when can you work on the TSA
webpage?! 8^)>
Later,
Mark Alman
From:
[email protected] on behalf of Butch Fralia
Sent:
Tue 4/7/2009 12:49 PM
To:
[email protected]
Subject: [Allcavers] Butch Fralia out of
hospital
I’m happy to report I was finally released from the hospital
about 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 4.
I’ve been “enjoying” pneumonia since the end of December and
have been through several rounds of antibiotics. The last round was
particularly aggressive involving the antibiotic Avolox for 10 days and 12 days
of steroids. That was completed about 10 days before the trip to the
hospital.
Sunday morning, March 29, I was having breathing difficulty
seemingly from excess “gas” and was trying to get to a local clinic to see if
they could give me something for that. Because of the gas, I couldn’t bend
over enough to get in the car so ended up calling an ambulance instead. At
this point, I must mention that breathing is habit forming. Once you get
in the habit, it’s really hard to stop! It’s easier to quit smoking (I
have). Anytime you can’t breathe, it sets off panic attacks and in this
case hyper-ventillation. The ambulance ride seemed like it took about two
years though they were giving me “breathing” treatments on the way.
At the hospital, they continued the breathing treatments,
brought out the vampires for blood samples, ran chest x-rays and an EKG.
They got my breathing stabilized and observed my lungs had lots of excess fluid
along with other parts of my chests. They confirmed I STILL had pneumonia
(enough to make a grown may cry). So there I am on IV antibiotics and
diuretics but with my breathing stabilized. I literally hadn’t slept since
the night before and dozed off only to be awakened by some alarm going off and
people running around my bed. Seems my heart rate started spiking at
around 185 BPM from around 75BPM. More test and some kind of heart drug to
get my heart beat under control. Doctors are asking how long I’ve had
heart trouble. Until that moment I’ve never had it suggested by a medical
professional or my own body there was a problem. There were a bunch other
weird test results that I’m happy to report were anomalous and proved not to be
a problem.
Sunday night I was admitted and finally settled in my room at
1:00 AM Monday morning. On the way to my room, I stopped off for a CT scan
that apparently verified I had fluid on my lungs (seemed like that was pretty
popular test result). The rest of the week was taken up by lots of test,
IV’s and was mostly uneventful other than boring beyond belief. My blood
pressure was way low until one of my nurses checked it in the other arm and
found it to be way high. Checking it in my leg showed normal blood
pressure. Turned out there were some venous clots in both arms causing the
blood pressure anomaly and were deemed not serious.
Bottom line is eventually home with about $30,000 in hospital
bills, a diagnosis of congestive heart failure, pneumonia and excess fluids (I
lost over 20 pounds in the hospital from the diuretics). I came home with
a boatload of medication, not the least of which is three different types of
antibiotics, diuretics, and other heart stabilization medicines. Except
for all the drugs keeping me dizzy and still being tired from the journey I’m
in
good shape and should recover nicely.
Thanks for all your support, e-mails and phone calls.
Butch
_________________________________________________________________
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http://www.live.com/getstarted.aspx
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This Friday at The University of Texas at Austin Dept of Geosciences.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sharp, John M <[email protected]>
Cc: bridget <[email protected]>; Eric W James
<[email protected]>; jayb <[email protected]>
Sent: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 12:38 pm
Subject: FW: Hydro Brown Bag (April 10th, 12-1 PM; Presenter: Benjamin Schwartz
)
From: Chaudhary, Kuldeep
[mailto:[email protected]]
Dear
All,
This
week’s Hydro brown bag seminar will be presented by Dr. Benjamin Schwartz.
He is an Assistant
Professor in the Department of Biology, at the Texas State University, San
Marcos
Title
of his talk: : 'Speleology and Karst research in Virginia'
Friday,
10th April, 12:00 to 1:00 PM in DGS, # 3.222.
Bring
your lunch and/or a snack
Regards,
Kuldeep
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The following was released on Wednesday by the NSS, and addresses the
organization's official policy regarding WNS. I encourage everyone to read it
and go to the NSS's WNS web page for more information. Even though WNS has
only been confirmed in bat caves of the Appalachian region, it poses a
potential threat to bat populations throughout the country and its cause and
manner of spreading are unknown. In the coming months and possibly years,
WNS will most likely impact caving activities and protocols in a much larger
area than just the Appalachians. Again, I encourage everyone to learn as
much about WNS as they can, and especially become familiar with the
decontamination protocols that have been sanctioned. It is quite likely that
WNS
will be with us for quite awhile, and that Texas cavers may need to
safeguard our own bat populations by adhering to strict decontamination
procedures.
Jerry Atkinson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2009
National Speleological Society
Huntsville, Alabama
White Nose Syndrome Policy Statement
The National Speleological Society’s Board of Governors today issued the
following statement on White Nose Syndrome following its spring meeting last
weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The National Speleological Society (NSS) has taken a leadership role over
the past year in addressing the crisis of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) that is
currently killing bats across the Northeastern United States. WNS has now
spread to the Mid-Atlantic Region and threatens to spread farther,
endangering bat colonies and even bat species, as well as cave ecosystems.
The NSS believes it and its 12,000 members must continue to lead,
providing our expertise and resources in collaborating with the federal and
state
wildlife officials, scientific researchers, cave conservancies, and other
non-governmental organizations who are working on WNS.
The NSS’ goals in this matter are the following:
•
To help determine the cause of WNS and limit its spread in the interim;
•
To protect the bats and other fauna and flora which live in the caves on
the NSS Nature Preserves and the caves and preserves themselves;
•
To protect the strength of the NSS itself and its internal organizations,
especially its local grottos.
In furtherance of these goals, the NSS Board of Governors:
•
Voted to add an additional $10,000 to the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Previously, the NSS has raised and expended nearly $30,000 in support of four
separate research projects to help determine the cause of WNS;
•
The Rapid Response Fund has recently supported additional research to
specifically test decontamination protocols on caving equipment, including rope
and other load-bearing textiles;
•
Urges our members and internal organizations to contribute to the WNS
Rapid Response Fund, and is extremely grateful to those who already have given;
•
Has decided to close the caves on its Preserves within the 17 state region
covered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Advisory of March 26,
2009, until May 15, 2010. This date may be changed based upon science and
management considerations at the time. Cavers are directed to contact the
specific Preserve manager for local exceptions and the status of the surface
Preserve, which in many cases remains open. The caves may be accessed for
WNS research.
•
Asks cavers to honor all cave closures requests on private and government
properties;
•
Asks cavers to follow the USFWS decontamination protocols found at
_http://www.fws.gov/northeast/whitenosemessage.html_
(http://www.fws.gov/northeast/whitenosemessage.html) , and especially do not
use caving clothing or gear
that has been used in the advisory region outside the region, or in a
WNS-free cave.
•
Will work, through the WNS Liaison, with the USFWS to improve the efficacy
of their cave advisory of March 26, 2009 toward our common goal of
limiting the spread of WNS.
•
Voted to provide the NSS WNS Liaison committee with $5,000 to support its
work, including the development and distribution of educational outreach
materials to the public locally and more widely through the show caves
network;
•
Asks NSS members and internal organizations to take the lead locally in
educating the public on WNS, including groups such as the scouts, camps,
church youth groups, and other outing clubs, using the materials developed and
provided. The NSS recognizes that only five per cent of cave visitation is
by organized cavers, and that our members are looked to by their local
communities for advice on safe and conservation-minded caving. Making a special
effort to seek out and maintain contact with non-organized and casual
cavers, informing them of WNS and how they can help is an important leadership
role for the NSS and for our individual members.
•
Asks NSS members to assist local cave conservancies and other land
managers in addressing the challenges of WNS and appropriate cave visitation;
•
Urges cavers to volunteer to assist in WNS-related research projects. Our
knowledge and skills in the underground environment can provide valuable
and necessary resources to researchers, and provide needed match for grant
funding that allows the research to move forward.
•
The NSS is developing a communication plan to promote the NSS, its goals
and objectives and to maintain a positive reputation of cavers with the media
The NSS continues to recognize the serious nature of the WNS crisis and it’
s role as a leader toward finding a solution. Please refer to the NSS Web
Site at the following link _http://www.caves.org/WNS/WNS%20Info.htm_
(http://www.caves.org/WNS/WNS%20Info.htm) for current detailed information. It
also recognized that not all cavers or parts of the country have yet
experienced the ravages of WNS, and the ensuing limiting of access to caves. By
understanding that we are all partners, we believe we will enhance and
expedite a solution to WNS and the return to normal cave access and caving
activities.
NSS Mission Statement
The purpose of this Society shall be to promote interest in and to advance
in any and all ways the study and science of Speleology, the protection of
caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those
interested therein.
Gordon Birkhimer
NSS President
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
steps!
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--- Begin Message ---
Folks,
Please note that Bill Putnam is running as a write in candidate for the
NSS Board. I have known Bill for more than 15 years and can attest to
his willingness to work hard for the NSS and cavers in general. I know
him best for his work at the Southeastern Cave Conservancy.
I would recommend that you also consider Bill for the board. Below is
Bill's statement. I'll send his platform an another eamil
Geary Schindel
5) Bill Putnam Write-In candidacy for NSS Board
By: Bill Putnam (Lawrenceville, Georgia)
[email protected]
Fellow cavers,
I have reached my limit with the foolishness and lack of leadership of
the NSS officers and board of governors. I have decided to try to do
something about it. I have declared my candidacy as a write-in candidate
for the Board of Directors Election now in progress. I would appreciate
your votes and support. I need about 1,000 votes to get seated, and
there are many more cavers on TAG-Net than that. I would appreciate it
if you could take the time to read the following statement and pass it
along to your fellow cavers who may not be on TAG-Net. Feel free to post
any comment or questions in this forum or to email them to me or to call
me. I am mad a hell and I am going to do something about it.
Bill
---
William O. (Bill) Putnam, NSS 21117LF Lawrenceville, Georgia Write-In
candidate for the NSS Board of Directors
Background
I am a Life Member and Fellow of the Society, having joined in 1980,
shortly after I began organized caving. Before that I was an occasional
spelunker and flashlight caver in the caves around Birmingham, Alabama,
having been bitten by the caving bug while on a family vacation visit to
Ruby Falls and a school trip to Rickwood Caverns.
I have served the NSS most recently as the IT and network support person
for the NSS office since 2005 and as the Editor of American Caving
Accidents (from 1996 to 2007). I am an Instructor for the National Cave
Rescue Commission, and just finished teaching at the South Central
Regional Seminar in Arkansas last week and at a special training weekend
for the Dogwood City Grotto last month. I have also served as the editor
of the Georgia Underground, the publication of the Dogwood City Grotto,
of which I have been a member since 1980. I was the editor and principal
author of the 1989 NSS Convention Guidebook, Caves and Caving in TAG, as
well as two TAG Cave-In guidebooks. I have written and given
presentations extensively on caving, cave surveying, safety and
techniques, and cave rescue.
I cave actively in the TAG region, but have also been active in Kentucky
(at Mammoth Cave with the CRF), New Mexico (Lechuguilla expeditions,
including one last year and one this year), Wyoming (Tetons, Gros
Ventres, and Bighorns), Mexico (primarily as a pit-bopping speleo-
tourist to date, but I hope to get one a deep cave survey expedition
soon). I will be an active caver and NSS member until the day I die. I
love to survey and make maps. I am an aspiring cave photographer. I am a
member of the Chattanooga Hamilton County Cave and Cliff Rescue Team,
and have participated in many cave rescues over the years, including my
own in 1987. My only regret in caving is that I did not find the NSS
until I was 19.
I am a founding member (SCCi #6), incorporator, past Chairman (1994-
1999), and the only director of the Southeastern Cave Conservancy who
has served continuously on the board since its founding in 1991. The
first organizational meeting was held in my living room. I currently
serve as Acquisitions Chairman, and in that capacity just completed the
acquisition by the SCCi of Surprise Pit and the majority of Fern Cave.
I have participated in or directed the acquisition of almost every one
of the SCCi's 26 cave acquisitions. I am a sustaining member of the SCCi
at the highest level. In 1998 I was honored to accept a Certificate of
Merit presented to the SCCi by the NSS for the acquisition of Neversink,
which was negotiated by then Acquisitions Chair Mark Wolinsky and
myself.
I am an Information Technology Consultant in private practice in the
Atlanta, Georgia area. I received a BS degree in Physics from Georgia
Tech in 1981, and the MS degree in Computer Science, also from Georgia
Tech, in 1984. I have also done a substantial amount of graduate study
in geophysics. I married a caver 26 years ago, and am still married to
her (at least until she finds out about this) and my two children are
cavers.
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