10-3-09 - Shady Sweep Report

The beautiful first October Saturday of 2009 found 138 Friends of the Muscatatuck River Society beautifying ole Man River to the tune of removing 14,430 pounds of rubbish and a record setting 158 tires ( the previous high was 140).  It was a remarkable day with remarkable results.
It all started even earlier in the week when Everett Sparkman slipped down to the bottoms and collected a trailer load of junky treasure in the Tobias Ford area in Marion Township.  Before the job was finished, this group had six additional bags and four tires. 
Volunteers:  Nancy and Herschel Kirk, Owen, Amanda, and Randy Bonesteel, Cheryl Trisler, and Joann Moore

Moving upriver (Big Graham Creek) to the highway 250 bridge area Jeff Barger, Rob McGriff, and Josh Day pulled a 12 foot fiberglass outboard boat, swing set, washing machine, and 5 tires from the drink.

Meanwhile on the eastern extreme of the county, the cleaning site on Fair Weather Crossing road along Little Graham Creek was losing seven tires and 1,720 pounds of dumped debris which had to be wrested up a steep, slippery slope. Diapers, carpets, and exercise equipment were the order of the day.
 Volunteers: Simeon Stearns, Evan and Ethan Chaille, Logan and Luke Chilman, Bryan and Dylan Dewar, Colton Pifer, Isaac, Marley, and Halle Stearns, Carol Draper, Autumn Mercure, and Eric Johnson

Between Euler’s Ford and Lucas’s Ford Crossing, 14 tires and lots of junk were plucked from the stream.  Volunteers:  Richard, Katie, and Xavier Vogel, Bernie, Laura, and Aidan Hauersperger

The Sullivan Ford region had accumulated ten tires and five bags of trash.  It is clean again for awhile.
Volunteers:  Robyn McClintock, Payton McClintock, Shay Miller, Kirsten Jayne

At the Muscatatuck Christian Ranch eight tires and 250 pounds of trash came out of the water.  There were hopes of retrieving a previously identified pontoon boat, but it was elsewhere.  Not to worry, a john boat had taken its place, but, alas, it proved too tough a character to convince to leave its home.  Luckily, a large piece of mystery metal was pulled from the deep. 
Volunteers: Jerry Davis, Jan, Skylar, and Wes Furgason, Josiah Faber, Bryce and Taryn Mayer, Taylor Eder

Two different crews worked the Vernon Cemetery area finding three tires, three partial tires, and several bags of trash.  “Somebody does a good job along this river.  The place looked really good and neat,” were some quotes regarding this adventure.
Volunteers:  Ed and Lois Kellar, Les Ticknor, Valaree Assman Whitehead, Derek Helton, Kay and Anna McGriff, Kate Eastman, Joan and Grace Davis, Liz Maschino, Teal Smith, and William Nick Perry

Floating from Dog Farm Bridge to the Green Bridge in Crosley yielded twelve tires and assorted trash.  “Looking good,” was the quote for the day.  Five first time canoeists were fun viewing for the veteran paddlers.  Volunteers: Don Layman, Jim Shaw, Larry Allsop, Matt Vawter and his students Seth Schumacher, Amber Mercure, Will Harper, Phillip Riley, and Megan Kennedy.

Paddling from the Vernon Commons to Dryden Bridge resulted in eight tires, a television, steel in the form of flat, rebar, angle iron, plus the usual goodies.  Getting crossways in the rapids provided the group entertainment.  Volunteers: Larry Jacobs, Wayne and Leighton Moore, Paul and Joe Diekhoff, Jeff and Austin Malcomb, and Cody Piirto

The Vernon Commons expanse gave up tens of aluminum cans and bags of small flotsam, plus seven tires.  A small army could be busied there for another few hours. 
Volunteer:  Kevin Jayne

To the east on South Fork a small recent dumping was scooped up bringing in three tires, some tin, and mystery junk. 
Volunteers: Steve and Reilly Losey

The race track produced over 70 tires, two truck loads of trash, lots of metal, and some mud.  Majestic Electric chimed in with Pete Abel tearing it up like Mike Mulligan on an excavator.
Volunteers:  Troy Jackson, Dustin Koors, Tim and Christinia Maiden, Larry and Daniel Perry, David and Myah Schildknecht, Andy Jackson, Lindsay and Cameron Hadley, Trevor Maschino, Steve and Reilly Losey, William and Phillip Cartwright, Cedric Thompkins, Andy Eaken, Felicity Sheppard

The Rock Rest Falls scenic overlook gave up a meth lab to start the day.  The sheriff’s department graciously responded and saved the day.  More mundane litter included a bed frame and two pick ups full of rusty metal.  Volunteers:  George Haysler, Jill Richey, Nathan Eder, Janet Frederick, Sam Ross, Kaylee Ridener, Billy Ripperger, Tiffany Waggoner

A cruise from Flintwood to the race track brought in a canoe brimming with junk that included a two foot diameter plastic ribbed culvert pipe and lots of metal. 
Volunteers: Bill Suhre, Roger Robinette

A mobile group toured the Selmier Forest flood plain and the city dam areas fetching five tires and 600 pounds of refuse.
 Volunteers:  Larry Treadway, Dave and Jonathan Kipper, Fred and Rose Wilder, Terry Marksberry, Malique Gills, Kadeem Hacker, Robert Young, Max Tukey, Jo Ann and Cedric Giles, Jeff, Rhonda, and Zack Wettrick

A walk upstream from the Vinegar Mills shelter house along the bank will deliver a pristine experience since a vacuum cleaner and two bags of debris have been spirited from the territory.
 Volunteers:  Will Neely, Tabitha and Josh Mcleod
 
Gopher: Tom Moore
Registration was quick, smooth, and orderly.  The food was tasty and plentiful.
 Volunteers:  Tricia Losey, Kim and Tony Eder, Sherida Moore

Unloading the offal was a considerable task that involved sorting out the metal for recycling, which will benefit FMRS.  It took a full two hours to sort and empty all the trucks out at the county highway department.
Volunteers:  Jeff Barger, Howard Jones, Mark Collett, Jordan Gast, Jacob Renoll, Kirk Plaster, Brandon Long, Brian Hempstead, Logan, Conner, and Brian Montgomery, Justin Baldwin
The Highway Men:  Mike Goodpaster, Alan Maschino, Marvin Sporleder, Josh Day

Once again,
in the immortal words of
Dan Shade,
“Mother Nature thanks you.”