Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1380
feature 41 July 2009 Losing customers, Ed Slusser, the new owner of Alligator 1, decided that drastic action was required to save the business and the lifestyle of this marina. Jump- ing through hoops, Slusser along with Dave Cruse, John Francis, Gary Fisher and Greg Sudduth were able to get the permits and con- tracts approved in record time to move the unusable Alligator 1 slips to a new location called Cave Springs. Throughout this past winter, these volunteers dedicated their time to moving this marina to its new location. But it wasn't as easy as one might think. Moving a marina is more than just cutting the anchors and floating a dock along the shore line. This opera- tion was more like moving a small town. "Alligator 1 had electric- ity just like your house. The infra structure that you have to replace when moving is phenomenal. There are TV lines, phone lines, water lines, sewer lines… and to do it that fast all with volunteers is phenomenal," Cruse says. The process of moving Alligator 1 to Cave Springs forced Slusser, Cruse and the other volunteers to go through areas that no other marina had gone through in the past. The proper permits had to be approved quickly because of the fast pace that Alligator 1 was losing its slip owners. The Corp of Engineers had already approved Cave Springs as a marinara spot; it seemed that this was go- ing to be the quickest spot to move to. Since the Corp had approved it, SHIP (State Historic Preservation Office) had already approved the location and had finished with all the studies on the pristine land that were needed. The Corp gave Slusser the okay and he started to spend time and money making the move. But there were more setbacks and hurdles to cross. "The Corp came back and told me that they couldn't find the environmental or the archeological studies so SHIP had to come and do that again. Then we were back to starting over. They had already given me the spot and let me start and then they put their hand up," Slusser explains. Once that hurdle was crossed and all the other permits were passed, the manual labor needed to start. Two hundred anchors that were 10,000 pounds each needed to be dropped John Sudduth, 12-years-old, provides a taxi service be- tween the docks with the faithful dock mascot, Taz. Bringing the barge around to dock. Esty Slusser, Tonda Francis, Gary Fisher, John Francis and Reggie. Work doesn't stop at dark, Gary Fisher, Greg Sudduth, John Francis and Ed Slusser brainstorming the process of pushing the anchors. Ed and Esty Slusser, dock owners riding the dock to its new home in Cave Springs. 5 5 5 5