Saturday, April 26, 2008

Thanks to 183 positive people, the rivers in Jennings County are now 136 tires and 10,800 pounds of refuse cleaner. The crews were called to order early Saturday morning by FMRS president Kevin Jayne at the Vernon Commons to commence their day of cleansing. Kelly Jayne, Sherida Moore, Kim Eder, and Tricia Losey registered all the bright, smiling faces. Mike Goodpaster and staff quickly recycled the metal bringing in $384 to help fund the efforts.

Simeon Stearns led a gregarious group along the banks of the winding Muscatatuck from the power plant at MUTC to the border of the government land. Mike Hughes supplied the Kawasaki Mule as Tommy Phelps, Kirsten Cox, Isaac Stearns, McKenzie Powers, Matthew Wilhelm, Michael Crawford and Ashton Phelps combined to pick 1060 pounds in two pickup truck loads of dumped material and 18 tires… and they smiled while they did it!

Lois Kellar led her charges to Selmier State forest to find 5 tires, an ironing board, and other sundry illegally discarded items. Adults Jerry Davis, Joan Davis, Kay McGriff, and Jon Eastman helped lead youngsters Teal Smith, Greg Smith, Sarah Andrews, Kirsten Jayne, Anna McGriff, Emily Davis, Grace Davis, Widya Fitri, Larry Maschino, and Annabelle Woods in vacuuming the area so well that it may be skipped in the fall sweep.

Richard Apsley led several veterans across his farm to put in below the city dam to start their sterling efforts. Bill Suhre, Dick Tekulve, Morgan Webster, Darien White, Ryan Dill, Rick Apsley, Kole Apsley, and Roger Robinette floated, pulled, and paddled their way to the Flintwood neighborhood across from the Calli Preserve, unloading once at the remains of the Wagon Wheel Bridge along the way. They plucked 11 bags of trash, 3 tires, and 1000 pounds of metal. They were almost ready to set up housekeeping after acquiring a rural mailbox, washer, and water heater. The Flintwood community pitched in to help haul the loot up from the river and put it on the county truck. Assorted neighbors donated lawn tractors, dump trailers, and strong backs to the cause. Salute!

Wal*Mart workers went out of their way to supply the crew to comb the Rock Rest Falls site and help feed the help via a food tray. George Haysler spearheaded the Wal*Mart army that included Caymen Crouch, Lisa Wilson, Abby Robinson, Taylor Haley, Cathy Jacobs, Aaron Amis, Paul Diekhoff, Julie Diekhoff, Marquess Staten, Rae Gray, Jon Weeks and Brooke Sapp. They searched the banks and constructed a rope and pulley to transport buckets of mainly broken glass from the bottom of the bluff to the top. Every step at the dump site resulted in a clinking or broken glass sound.

The river site at Twin Cities Speedway was witness to the latest scene in the battle of Troy Jackson versus the car frame from long ago. Rob Loretz attacked with the Vernon Fire Department chop saw, the frame turned them aside as the pull cord broke before the machine could start. Next up Britt Burgmeier and Allan Leeds lent a hand with a powerful winch, no success. The frame lies to be retrieved in another sweep while Troy retreats to his lab to concoct even keener deployments. Meanwhile a slew of sweep soldiers-Dwayne Chastain, Ryan Malone, Vince Jackson, Rene Jackson, Bryce Bower, Mieka Stearns, Taylor Holley, Shelby Clark, Tia Stearns, Alex Robinson, Meaghan Bowman, Josh Bowman, Natalie Bolen, Christinia Koons, Timothy Maiden, Dustin Koons, Shatalina Miller, and Kristian Koons nabbed 25 tires, 20 bags of trash and 2,000 pounds of metal from the sandbars and the banks, assisted by Josh Day on the county Bobcat and the watchful metal-sorting eye of Mike Goodpaster.

Before leaving for a doctor’s appointment, Eddie Shepherd led a small but determined crew at the Vernon Commons area. Christy Moberly, Daniel Perry and group leader Larry Perry drug debris from near and far, then called in reinforcements of Larry Allsop, John Scroggins, and a Mule to extricate a water heater, refrigerator, and carpet. The items were in a very inaccessible sapling thicket, but were no match for the Perrys.

Les Ticknor, Larry Treadway, Wayne Moore, Scott Hockersmith, and Bill Browning led Scouts and more into the cemeteries of Vernon and Baldwin and returned victorious. Adam Driver, Gary Driver, Noah Baney Wilbert, Bill Wilbert, Frederick Wilder, Grandma Wilder, Terry Marksberry, Jonathan Giddens, Bob Giddens, Ryan Hockersmith, Leighton Moore, Morgan Hill, Cathy Hill, Angel Skelton, Lee Skelton, Addie Skelton, Alex Skelton, Dwayne Chasteen, Bryce Bower, Sarah Andrews, and Cherie Ticknor pulled out a dump truck load of material and sorted it for recycling!

Cody Kreutzjans captained Evan Chaille, Ethan Chaille, Devin Vanosdol, and Logan Chilman as they dropped canoes in the river at the Dan Shade Access Site and unloaded trash, including a distributor cap for a Model A Ford, at the Vernon Cemetery, Dryden Bridge, Vinegar Mill, Dog Farm Bridge, and the Green Bridge. They conscientiously brushed their long route clean. Needless to say, they were the last crew to report back to the city park, but their food was fresh.

Matt Vawter, Jim Shaw, and Don Layman piloted their crew of Dan Struck, Sydney Craig, Madyson Harsh, Eli Vawter, and Marley Vawter from the Dog Farm Bridge to the Green Bridge in Crosley’s. They wrestled 15 regular and 2 tractor tires from the drink. They stuffed lots of bags of trash and had to leave a horse trough for another day.

Gary Smith and Larry Allsop led crews in various locations including the banks of the Dog Farm Bridge and the Vinegar Mill area. Josh McLeod, Tamra Roe, John Green, Mandy Thorne, Tyler Thorne, Courtney Green, John Green, and Allison Green shined in sprucing up the mill and scouring the bridge compound.

John Clark single-handedly took on the Muscatatuck Christian Ranch area and came away with 500 pounds of junk for his efforts, many of the pounds in 14 tires. He also assisted Gary Smith in lugging a safe from the river and up the Vinegar Mills steps. Good job, Lone Wolf. We’ll have to assign a crew next time.

Robin McClintock led the charge as some healthy young men and women and her Girl Scout troop thoroughly scoured Sullivan's Ford. They found quite a bit more there than expected. C.J. Lamb, Jordan Cox, Traven Marksberry, Alex Alcorn, Nick Grills, Matt Vaughn, Macy Donnell, Ashley Pittman, Paige Axsom, Bryan Dewar, and A.J. Rose headed downstream garnering an air conditioner hull, 5 tires, and 7 bags of trash. Payton McClintock, Cailin Schwein, Candy Schwein, Bobbie Jacobs, Breanna Wilson, Debra Kuntz, and Emma Knoy forged upstream to find a dead fox (they left it), 3 tires, and trash.

Steve Losey led two groups in the Artz Ford area. Kristi Rowell, Ron Rowell (with Rhino), Hugh Partridge, Tiffany Partridge, and Reilly Losey took the actual Artz Ford site and got 8 tires including a tractor tire that took an hour to unearth, a car door, a mattress springs, scrap metal, and many bags of trash. Angela Roach, Brandy Stearns, Robyn McClintock, and Deb Kuntz marshaled Girl Scouts as they cleaned the bridge area upstream of the ford. Baleigh Bentz, Taylor Bentz, Cindy Bentz, Marley Stearns, Halle Stearns, Hannah Warren, Josh Warren, Odell Roach, and Cassidy Birge tackled 10 tires and 2 lawn chairs along the way. The bandana wearing Scouts learned a valuable lesson and Reilly caught only one small snake for their entertainment.

Leader Everett Sparkman tried to be ahead of early arriving Jeff Burton and Jim Schneider as they made their first pick up of the event. FMRS veteran sisters Cheryl Trisler and Joann Moore were humble assistants for Everett’s considerable feats. Randy Bonesteel, Brittany Bonesteel, Amanda Bonesteel, and Denver Sparkman fished a T.V., 12 bags of trash, and a radio from the muddy banks and water in and around the abandoned Tobias Ford Bridge in Marion Township on the Scott County line.

Sherida, Cherie, Kim, Jill, Kelly, and Tricia doled out the food from Subway, Papa Johns, Dominos, KFC, Wal*Mart, and IGA. Kelly Jayne also administered allotment of Solid Waste District fully sponsored shirts for children and mini dustpan and broom kits for adults; an effort spearheaded by Richard Schneider and Tom Perotti and very appreciated by all.

The weights are made possible by the generosity of the Hanson Aggregates allowance of the use of their scales. Thanks also go out to R&M Tool for their dually and FPBH for the Kawasaki mule

So many residents partnered to make this sweep successful and we hope none have been missed in the report; definitely none have been intentionally slighted, as FMRS appreciates everyone who gives us a kind word or help during the biannual events.

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

Tireless Troopers Traipse Tens of Miles Tracking Tires!