Clarksville, TN Online » Faith Robinson

A review of the 2009 Haunting History Tours at Dunbar Cave

Debbie Boen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:00:17 +0000

Once again Haunting History was a great success. Haunting History just finished its tenth year of performing skits inside the cave and bringing the public in to see them. The dreariness of Friday’s weather did not stop 205 people from coming to go into the cave. Saturday brought 341 people. We had the event earlier in the month than usual because studies by APSU show that the Dunbar Cave bats begin their hibernation right on/around October 31. Two weeks earlier is a safer time to be making noise in the cave.

The Roxy Regional School of the Arts gave us 11 actors to do our three skits in the cave with Brendan Cataldo as their director. The Roxy Theatre also gave us a delightful gatekeeper.

The 2009 Haunting History Tour Actors

Swan Lake Golf Course allowed us to use their parking lot for overflow parking.

Volunteers stand ready to serve refreshing drinks

Over 40 volunteers poured and stirred complimentary cups of hot chocolate, put up and took down the tiki torches that lined the lake, sold glow necklaces and tickets, took us into the cave to see the skits and manned the parking lot. The volunteers were a happy bunch, their enthusiasm catchy.

Haunting History is a fundraiser by the non-profit group, Friends of Dunbar Cave. Monies raised are used to help preserve and protect the park and educate the public.

The Friends Group was able to talk APSU’s Clean Cut Productions into producing an Introductory Film that explains the history of Dunbar Cave.
The Friends group filmed interviews of local residents who have stories to tell about the Good Ole Days at Dunbar Cave.
The Friends group designed, bought and installed a monitor in the lobby that shows films to the public especially the one made by Clean Cut Productions.
The Friends group runs Trees to Trails, Cooling at the Cave and Spring Fling each year. These events are free to the public.
The Friends group bought interpretive signage for the park and will continue to do so.
The Friends group pushes for an Interpretive Center at Dunbar Cave. They’ve used the money they have raised as an incentive for the State to also support that effort.

The 40+ Haunting History volunteers were an impressive bunch. They came willing to do whatever was needed and also to have a good time. They did both. This event has side benefits, like making everyone fall in love with the cave and the Friends of Dunbar Cave group. Several people became members during the event.

The Skits

The first skit

I received a lot of positive feedback about the skits from the public and the volunteers. I was thrilled to overhear a man quote the first skit about bats to his wife and talk about how many mosquitoes bats eat. They both agreed that they should build a bat house to try and attract bats to their property.

The first skit was meant to dispel fears about bats and replace them with true information. At the end of the skit the actors showed the audience that a live bat was hanging on the ceiling. It was with excitement and awe that people looked at it, not with horror and fear.

An Eastern Pipistrel Bat

The second skit

The second skit, Haunting Memories, was created from what certain people had to say about the good ole days at Dunbar Cave. Woman 1 represents Marguerite Rubel and Mary McDaniel. Woman 2 is Rachel Tate and Jacquie Miles. Man 1 is Jimmy Dunn and Ronnie Hunter. Man 2 is Zoot Parker who was known as the best dancer in Clarksville. While talking to the actors I was able to fill them in on who they were representing.

The third skit

Skit three, Haunting Questions, is about the Native Americans who made the art on the walls in Dunbar Cave. Information about the topic was gathered on visits to Indian Mound sites, like Pinson Mounds in West Tennessee and from books purchased there.

Many people come out of the event smiling and saying, “Wow, I learned a lot!” They seemed pleasantly surprised by that, maybe because they were older by far than the children doing the skits.

The Roxy actors were great. I watched them rehearse and was totally impressed. Then, of course, they just kept getting better. A week before the event we took them and the director into the cave to see how the “stages” looked. After that we were treated to a bit of a tour by Michael Fulbright who works at the Park. The kids were thrilled and learned a lot about the cave.

One of the many tour groups heading to the cave

Volunteers who helped on this event

Actors:

Scene 1 – Haunting Facts:Becca Winters, Patrick Long, Hallie Sampson, Tim O. Smith
Scene 2 – Haunting Memories: Kayla Coleman, Jacob Ritchart, Emily Ritchart, Autumn Crafton, Jaymin Burr
Scene 3 – Haunting Questions: Frances Dennis, Christian Boyd

Contributers and Volunteers:

Volunteers Kim Chandler and Blayne Clements on Friday night

Barbara Wilbur, Jim Hancock, Richard Gildrie, Meredith Gildrie, Jack Bastin, Suva Bastin, John Sneed, David Boen, Randall Boen, Bill Larson, Kitty Madden, Beverly Fisher, Paul Schwab, Merri Hinton, Bob Lyon, Carol Sequra, Kyle Sequra, Christine Pieysk, Kelly LaPlante, Bobby LaPlante, David Shelton, Curtis Davis, Turner McCullough, Mike Vogt, Kathy Vogt, Kim Chandler, Blayne Clements, Stephen Walker, J.B., Brooklyn Lyle, Dan Racklin, Marilyn Racklin, Beth Racklin, Jill Eichhorn, Barry Kitterman, Hannah Kitterman, Lee Gray, Gabriel Redel, Bryan Valentin, Kathryn Myracle, Matthew Fowler, Beth Robinson, Faith Robinson, Katherine Kolodzie, Gloria Miliken, Elaine Foust, Carl J. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. William Keen

We wish to give a special thanks to the Dunbar Cave Park Staff! Amy Wallace, Adam Neblett, Robert Wells, Teresa Campbell, Michael Fulbright and Blaine Hargis

Park Interpreter Amy Wallace with some of the many pumpkins carved by Suva Bastin and herself

Photo Gallery

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Environmentally friendly bills stalled in Tennessee senate committees

Beth Robinson — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:29:31 +0000

Have you attended a Tennessee senate committee hearing in Nashville? On April 2 Clarksvillian’s Faith Robinson, Nicole Donnelly, Debbie Boen and I went to several of these meetings. This was a Conservation Lobby Day and dozens of environmental supporters from around the state attended. Our main focus was to support ending mountain top removal coal mining and reenacting bottle deposits which encourage recycling.

We felt pretty helpless and uncounted in our seats watching the hearings since neither bill we supported was even voted on in committee. However, we could tell that phone calls and emails to Senators and Representatives really have an impact on what happens in session.

While visiting our Clarksville Senator co-sponsoring this bill, Rosalind Kurita, she reminded us that Senators and Representatives have a rough and winding road to get bills passed – enduring frequent delays and other obstacles. Experience is critical to getting things done within this system. Senator Kurita was enthusiastic when she told us about her role on the Governor’s new task force to develop a Tennessee Comprehensive Energy Policy.

We also met with our Representative, Joe Pitts. “How are our issues doing?” asked Rep. Pitts as he took time out of his busy schedule to say hello and take a picture with Rossview High School students, Faith Robinson and Nicole Donnelly.

*SB 3822 Finney R.: Issuance of permits for surface mining.

This bill prohibits the department of environment and conservation from issuing permits related to surface mining until a new programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) addressing direct and indirect site specific and cumulative impacts is completed and a record of decision is published in the Federal Register by the office of surface mining.

Recommended action: Support this bill, attend the committee hearing. This bill would stop mountain top removal in Tennessee.

The Senate committee did not vote on 4/2/08 and re-scheduled the hearing for 4/9/08. Unfortunately, a House subcommittee voted to kill the bill and adjourned for the year. Therefore, this bill cannot be passed this year. However, let the Senators know your views because it will probably resurface next year.

As far as the action in the House, here are the votes for and against the bill. Legislators voting for the bill were Reps. Frank Buck, D-Dowelltown; Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville; and Mike Kernell, D-Memphis.

Those voting no were Reps. William Baird, R-Jacksboro; George Fraley, D-Winchester; Joe McCord, R-Maryville; Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains; and John Tidwell, D-New Johnsonville.

Some of this information was obtained from Knoxnews.com

The Senate met to discuss the same bill.

Senate Environment, Conservation & Tourism Committee members: Chair Kilby (D), Vice Chair Bunch (R), Secretary Jackson (D), R. Finney (R), Herron (D), Ketron (R), Roller (D), Southerland (R), M. Williams (I).

Senator Kilby, Chair, wanted to drop this bill several times but Senator Finney and Jackson argued successfully to put the bill back on the calendar for next week. They had to force the issue. Senator Bunch wanted to delay the vote for further study about the fiscal impact.

Debbie Boen overheard Senator Kilby telling someone in the hallway after session that he tried and tried and tried to kill it, but they wouldn’t let him. That’s how it went. We heard expert testimony to the effect that there is no agency or law that determines exactly how mountain top removal will be regulated and by whom.

Please thank Senators Finney and Jackson for insisting on taking action on this bill. Thank chair Tommy Kilby and Senator Bunch for taking the issue seriously at this time. Let him know that this is a very important issue to us and Tennessee and we want the Senate to lead our state in saving our mountains.

Bottle deposit bill

The other bill we were most interested in supporting, the bottle deposit bill, was put off for a week because there was no time to hear the case. Container deposit bills change behavior and are the single most effective tool yet devised to significantly and permanently reduce litter—more effective than curbside recycling, more effective than penalties, more effective than education programs, and certainly more effective than prisoner pickup programs.

Senate Government Operations — Wednesday at 2:00 pm
MEMBERS: Chair Harper (D), Vice Chair Marrero (D), Secretary O. Ford (D), Bunch (R), Crowe (R), J. Johnson (R), Stanley (R), Watson (R), Williams (I).

*SB 1408 Jackson: TN Deposit Beverage Container Act of 2007 (AKA the Bottle Bill). Requires deposit beverage distributors to pay a fee to the department a fee of one-half of one cent (increasing to three cents by July 2008) per deposit container and a separate deposit of 5 cents on each beverage in a deposit container manufactured in or imported to the state.

Recommended action: Support this bill, attend committee meeting.

SB 1408/HB 1829 creates the TN Beverage Container Act to increase recycling rates and reduce litter. This bill would place a refundable deposit on containers of beer, soda and other designated beverages. A large, nonpartisan coalition of organizations, including the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs, Cumberland Harpeth Chapter of the Audubon Society, Scenic Tennessee, TN Conservation Voters, Tennessee Scenic Rivers, Loudon County Commission, Maury County Commission, Maury County Farm Bureau, Lebanon Beautification Board, Davy Crockett Ruritan District, Trout Unlimited, Keep Bristol Beautiful, Kiwanis Club of Tellico Village, Recycle Rutherford, Boone Watershed Partnership, League of Women Voters of Tennessee and Tennessee Sierra Club support this legislation because:

A recent survey conducted by UT in which registered voters were asked if they would support a 5-cent refundable deposit on beverage containers as a way to reduce litter and increase recycling rates in Tennessee. An amazing 80.4 % of those polled said they would support such a bill–with almost half saying they would support it.
Improved recycling rates generate lower landfill costs. Many Tennessee counties currently pay in excess of $30/ton to landfill solid wastes.
In 2005, Tennessee was found to generate a total of almost 4 pounds of litter per person per year in Tennessee. In Maine, the state whose bottle bill most closely resembles the one we propose for Tennessee, the total litter generated per person was 4 ounces of litter per year.
TDOT is spending $5 – 6 million per year picking up trash along state roadways. Counties are spending up to $6.5 million per year on litter collection and cities are spending millions to pick up litter on their streets.

We need a new strategy.

Numerous surveys have found that in states without a bottle bill, beverage containers can make up the single largest category of roadside litter—typically 40 to 60 percent of the total Funds generated from unclaimed deposits are earmarked for continued funding of the county litter grants program.

In addition, it allots funds to reimburse counties or any lost tax revenue under the proposed change to the “greenbelt law.” Fifty percent of what is left will go to the distributors in the same proportion as they paid deposits in the first place; and the rest will be used for related purposes, such as litter control or recycling projects

States that tracked litter pre- and post-bottle bill reported a decrease in beverage container litter of as much as 84 percent , while overall litter decreased by as much as 64 percent . Container recycling rates increased from 10 % to 85% of containers sold and overall recycling rates in bottle bill states are an average of 30-35% compared to 10% in Tennessee.