Minutes of the Kentucky Speleological Survey

October 24, 2010

Meeting held at Kentucky Geological Survey Well Sample and Core Library

2500 Research Park Dr.

Lexington, KY 40511

President Darrell Adkins called the meeting to order at 1:06 pm.  

Officers & Board Members Present:  President, Darrell Adkins; Vice-President, Howard Kalnitz; Treasurer, John Cassidy; Secretary, Kim Gentry

Organizational Representatives Present:  Bluegrass Grotto, Randy Paylor; Greater Cincinnati Grotto, Howard Kalnitz; Kentucky Geological Survey, Jim Currens; Western Kentucky Speleological Survey, Preston Forsythe; Louisville Grotto, Steve Gentry; Membership at Large Representative, Don Conover.

Absent:  Dayton Underground Grotto, Jim Perkins; ESSO Grotto, Johnathan Lewis; Hart of Kentucky Grotto, Peggy Nims; Membership at Large Representative, Jim Greer.

KSS Members and Cavers in Attendance:  Bill Walden, Bruce Warthman, Richard Gilliam, Alice Woznack, Nick Lowhon, Mike Crockett, Janeen Sheppshair, Eric Weaver, Matt Keller, Tama Cassidy, Tammy Otten, Amber Yuelling, Lee Florea, Shari Forsythe, Harry Goepel, Mike Dyas, Jerry Nichols, Chasity Stinson.  

Welcome and Introductions/ President’s Report (Adkins):  Everyone was welcomed to the meeting and the officers present were introduced.  The meeting today will be different than usual, due to presentations; business part of the meeting will be short.  Housekeeping items-bathrooms, snacks.  Sign in sheet, KSS brochures and KSS Newsletter on back table.  

Vice-President Report (Kalnitz):  Nothing to report.    

Secretary’s Report (Gentry):  Nothing to report.  

Data Access Committee Report (Currens):  There has been one engineering request from ETC for information regarding a highway.  Discussion ensued regarding a previous request.  There was a suggestion to add a disclaimer to the KSS website for large requests; that KSS is manned by volunteers and due to this fact large data requests may not be processed timely.  There was discussion of the KSS relationship with Kentucky Fish & Wildlife.   

Data Administration Committee (Library) Report (Currens):  The Library in better shape after last work session.  We need to make sure at next work session that everything is inventoried.  

Membership Committee (Cassidy):  Nothing to report.    

Data Administration Committee (Database) Report (Kalnitz):  Howard gave presentation of database activities/processes to date.  Each cave now has a specific KSS identifier, combining cave and county info.  Duplicates and errors are being deleted, often times changing the numbers of reported caves in a specific county.  As new data is added, it also changes the numbers of reported caves.  Previously had 3,920 caves in Kentucky, this has now been reduced to 3,734.  County Coordinators are compiling individual data, turning it in and all data will be accumulated into a statewide database, eventually a web-based database is planned.  The plan is to continue to update database with information from County Coordinators.  We may need to replace unresponsive County Coordinators.  The new system is working well, but there is still a lot of work to be done.  Within another year we should have made good progress.    There was discussion of who gets access to web-based database and what they can access, yet to be determined.  There was also discussion of categorizing sensitive vs. non-sensitive data, which is already in place.  In addition, there was discussion of adding non-solutional karst features and noting as such.   

Web Site Review Report (Weaver):  The new web site has been designed with old content.  It has been sent out for feedback to the committee.  Once that is returned it will be updated.  John Cassidy will send PayPal button information to be added to the web site for membership fees and donations.  

Annual Publication Report (Paylor):  Did not have enough material to publish.  

KSS Newsletter Report (Walden):  Copies of latest newsletter on the table at the back of the back room, it is also available electronically on the website.  If you have a change of address/email, etc please give updated info to John Cassidy so that future mailings will be sent to the right place.  Kudos to Bill from group for a nice newsletter.    

County Coordinators Report (Kalnitz):  Nothing additional to report.  

Old Business:  None

New Business (Adkins):  

Elections will be held at January meeting.  Preston Forsythe volunteered to poll/coordinate candidates wishing to run for office.    

Next meeting date/location-

Bill Walden checking into Monticello locations –may only available on Saturdays, and we may be charged a fee ($50-$60).  

January 22nd, 2011 was set as tentative date.  Time & location to be announced.  

Next work sessions

November 14th, 2010 –10 am to 2 pm

December 2010 –no meeting due to holidays

January 9th, 2011 – 10 am to 2 pm (Jim Currens to re-verify as he may be out of town)

February 27th, 2011- 10 am to 2 pm

Darrell Adkins has been updating Yahoo Group calendar with meeting information.  

Presentation of Life Membership certificates (Adkins/Gentry):  Presented to:  Darrell Adkins, John Brewer, Marie Christiano, Don Conover, Bill Copeland, Jim Currens, Preston Forsythe, Kim Gentry, Steve Gentry, Barry Nichols, Lou Simpson, John Taylor, Kevin Toepke, Bill Walden, Katie Walden-Schmid, Alice Woznack.  Kim will mail certificates to those who are not present.    

Presentations

• County Coordinators:

Howard Kalnitz-Activity in Rockcastle/Jackson Counties

Darrell Adkins-Activity in McCreary County

Bill Walden, Eric Weaver, and Harry Goepel-Activity in Wayne County  

Mike Crockett-Activity in Pine Mountain/Cumberland Mountain area

Steve Gentry-Activity in Breckenridge/Hart County

• Jerry Nichols-Presentation of Coral Cave in Pulaski County.  

• Eric Weaver-Presentation on GPS usage.

• Lee Florea/Chastity Stinson/Nick Lawhon –Presentation on recent geochemistry research in the karst of Wayne County.

• Preston Forsythe/Mike Dyas-Western Kentucky Speleological Survey overview

Open Discussion (Group):  

Format of meeting was met with approval by attendees.   Notices will be sent out to all Grottos for the next meeting.  

Thanks to everyone for coming.  The facilities manager stopped in and was pleased to see such good attendance.  Jim Currens asked that we put the room back the way we found it.  Thanks to Jim Currens for procuring the place to meet.

Adjournment: 4:50 pm  

Respectfully Submitted,

Kim Gentry, Secretary