Larry Smith Update

Larry Smith continues to improve, and they have enough volunteer help to assist Sally Kobee with the van, Marcia Kelly Illingworth has reported on Facebook:

Larry Smith update – Larry continues to improve. He is still on target for release this weekend. Joni has made it home safely. Sally is here at our house. They would all like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts, good wishes, and prayers, not to mention the offers of assistance.

We will be going down in the morning to off-load the van. Thanks so much to those who have volunteered assistance with that. We have probably notified enough volunteers at this point to accomplish that task in a timely manner.

The real savior in the survival story is the fact that they had put the four foot grid from their display upright behind the seats, making a security cage that just happened to keep the roof from collapsing. Interior shots to follow after we unload.

Thanks again! You guys rock!

Fans In Accident Returning From Dragon Con

Bookdealer Larry Smith and Joni Dashoff had a rollover in Larry’s van on the way back from Dragon Con on September 8 reports Marcia Kelly Illingworth. The accident occurred near Sweetwater, Tennessee.

Smith was injured and is in the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, Steven H Silver wrote in an update. Sally Kobee said they expect to keep him there until at least Saturday.

According to Illingworth, Dashoff is okay.

The van was totaled, however, and Sally needs immediate help retrieving and salvaging the contents of the van. Steven H Silver continues —

It was loaded to the gills with books and the shelves & hardware they use to construct their sales booth at cons. She could use people with strong backs at both ends of the trip – in Knoxville, TN and in Columbus OH.

Please contact her directly at sallykobee (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Update: Additional news here.

Smofcon Ripples

Smofcon 27 was held in Austin over the weekend and produced plenty of interesting news.

This year’s Worldcon, Anticipation, distributed checks for pass-along surplus funds, $17,000 each to Aussiecon 4 and Renovation, and is holding another $17,000 for the winning 2012 bid. 

There presently is only one 2012 Worldcon bid, for Chicago. During Smofcon the bid committee revealed it has chosen Dave McCarty to chair the Worldcon if they win. He is beginning to set up the committee structure.

Bidders for future Smofcons made presentations. The two bids for Smofcon 2011 are Maui (James Daugherty and Bobbi Armbruster) and Amsterdam (Vince Docherty, presented by Steve Cooper).  There also is a bid to hold Smofcon in Pennsylvania in 2012, either in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia (Laurie Mann and Joni Dashoff).