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Post by blaird83 on Apr 7, 2010 20:38:01 GMT -6
Strasma Grove is in an area long since left to fend for itself and has become a place for people to just toss out their trash, and to practice their spray on art work.
We will be meeting at the Pavilion at Beckmen Park, in Kankakee IL for a quick link up (as this will make for a good place to serve as a parking lot) and from there we will make the 2 and a half block walk to Strasma Grove, where we will conduct area beautification.
I still have to get in touch with the Kankakee Valley Forest Preserve District to set a date and time, but should have that added shortly
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 7, 2010 20:56:52 GMT -6
Thanks for posting this one Bryan. I was gonna ask about this myself... but have been working on other things here at the forums. Argh! But for sure, when a Date is Set, I WILL Attend this one. I have 5 CITO trash bags that I am willing to Provide for this up coming CITO event.
For those who aren't aware, Strasma Grove is a nice little Preserve set into the middle of the East Side neighborhood where Bryan and I used to live at. Sadly, (as he mentioned...) the folks there have taken this on as a new trash dump. I have another thing I can provide for this CITO Event. I'll Empty out the bed of my Full Sized Truck so that we can load up the trash we collect and I'll haul it away. It's pretty sad that the local folks just dump stuff at will, but maybe we as a Geocaching team can get together for this Event to clean things up a little. Announcement Status enabled for this topic.
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 7, 2010 22:17:34 GMT -6
I have one started i have to publish, simply called Strasma Grove CITO or something like that, if i remember i'll call the KVFPD to see about setting up a date and time for the event
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Post by snow on Apr 8, 2010 14:47:53 GMT -6
Just an idea.. Contact your local media (t.v./paper etc.) and tell them about this event, try to spread the word, even try to get local bussiness to supply garbage bags, gloves and such.. even try to get local politicians to help out.
I know a few guys who started doing a similar thing in and around the trails they go out driving there Jeeps on.. after about 3 years of doing it all them selfs (with the help of others who drive and enjoy the same area) they got the media involved and wow.. the turn increased, they even had a local tow company come out and haul off all the tires for free and even pick up the remains of a couple junked vehicles.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 8, 2010 19:10:34 GMT -6
Just an idea.. Contact your local media (t.v./paper etc.) and tell them about this event, try to spread the word, even try to get local bussiness to supply garbage bags, gloves and such.. even try to get local politicians to help out. I know a few guys who started doing a similar thing in and around the trails they go out driving there Jeeps on.. after about 3 years of doing it all them selfs (with the help of others who drive and enjoy the same area) they got the media involved and wow.. the turn increased, they even had a local tow company come out and haul off all the tires for free and even pick up the remains of a couple junked vehicles. Snap!! Great Post Craig!! ;D Hey Bryan, I just saw this Today at out Daily Journal's site. Check it out, huh... ? The timing of this is incredible, yes? Kankakee: Annual spring cleanup canceled to control expenses ~ per our Local PaperWow! I am Truly amazed how the timing of all of this just turned out today. I've been bitching to myself about the Gov't for weeks now. (Federal and Local) Then I change the direction of my place here and get a couple Geocacher friends signed up as we're planning a Clean Up of an area the we both know is in the decline. Then I see that article in the paper's site on the same day that one of my Camper friends just so happens to post this idea about contacting the local media. Talk about an Excellent Opportunity to Get Involved and show them politicians just how easy it really could be to do Something that actually makes a little bit of Common Sense look easy and be productive at the same time. Thanks Craig. Excellent timing!!
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 18, 2010 21:08:24 GMT -6
Bump for Bryan. Think about contacting our Local Media for this one? Sure sounds like an interesting idea to me. What a way to try to get more local members here to join in on the conversations about Geocaching or Camping.
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 18, 2010 21:20:44 GMT -6
yeah it would be nice, and the local media could work as well for getting more people to be willing to help out, but for some reason i can't get ahold of the forest preserve and they haven't returned any of my calls, almost like the entire district is on vacation
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 18, 2010 21:30:16 GMT -6
Hmph. That's weird. You would think Now is the season for them to start getting to work and being available to folks like us... the ones who Use the preserves? I hope you hear from them soon.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 23, 2010 20:47:21 GMT -6
Just a note saying that I'm taking off the Announcement status for now.
As this event get's closer to being reality, I'll set it back as an Announcement, or one of us can start a New Topic.
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 23, 2010 21:22:50 GMT -6
agh!!! I'm really starting to dislike this dang forest preserve, still not answering the phone, or returning my calls, so i went out to the office on Thursday, and it was locked up nice and tight with out any cars in the lot!!! still on winter break?
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 23, 2010 22:44:57 GMT -6
This is horse pucky! We try to offer to help... and nobody cares? I guess I can understand the Budget cut backs, but C'Mon! Their ain't Nobody that's willing to Work with us to Improve this City?
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 24, 2010 12:46:44 GMT -6
Hey Bryan, Post here the phone number and the office address you have for the Forest Preserve. Through work, I may be able to get a hold of someone to let them know that you're trying to get this Event set up. Also, Beckman Park: That's where we're planning on meeting up with the cachers first, right? I was just thinking that the KVPD (Kankakee Valley Park District) might be the guys we need to talk to about reserving that place. If you have that info too, post it here as well. I see that some more members are signing up here that I have seen logging caches around the Kankakee Area. Does anyone else have any Suggestions for Bryan so that he can get the permissions we'll need for the CITO Event? Maybe one of knows someone that works for one place or the other. I know that we sell fuel to the Forest Preserve (and they aren't easy to get a hold of...) and I think we also service the KVPD. I'll have to check on Monday about that one when I get back to work.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 24, 2010 12:53:07 GMT -6
I just checked the other topic about the 2010 TB Race, and that's going to be done at the same date as the CITO, right? If so, the going Votes cast in that topic are setting us for July 3rd. So I guess we have a little bit of Time on our side, but the earlier we get these permissions in place, the better off I think the whole day will be. I know I've never hosted an Event before, so my helping Bryan on this is a first for me. And not being able to reach anyone is starting to be a concern. (let's hope it becomes a concern that proves invalid.)
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 24, 2010 13:07:38 GMT -6
their website (where i got all the info from) is www.krvfpd.orgphone number is 815-935-5630 Address is Forest Preserves of the Kankakee River Valley 1301 Waldron Road P.O. Box 13 Aroma Park, Illinois 60910 (better known as Shannon Bayou)
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 24, 2010 13:08:58 GMT -6
also, i figured if it came down to where i couldn't get ahold of them i was gonna put out a feller here about calling Willowhaven in Bourbonnais (i have had a few decent dealings with the park manager) about doing the CITO out there.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 24, 2010 14:12:02 GMT -6
OK, umm... This might get interesting. Let me run this idea by you, since the Event is your baby and I'm just here to assist where I can with it. (in every way possible, of course!) Your business trip is in the latter 2 weeks of May, correct? With that in mind, I think we should give the City of Kankakee 2 or 3 Weeks MAX as a time frame before we give up on the Strasma Grove CITO Event. That would leave you/us with the entire Month of June to regroup and organize the new plan. Too bad really, cause the place could use the Clean up. But if they don't want to work with us, then the time is up and we can move on toward a different Event idea. That said, an Event at the Willowhaven park would be a grand idea in my opinion! You certainly have enough caches out there that folks could hunt. Perhaps together we could hide some Temps for the Event. We can make them Temporary Puzzle caches that (hopefully) will attract fellow Geocachers back to the park even though they've already been there for your caches you have in place. (salz69, obcjy, Michigan Chris... to name a few) Another Idea I want to pass your way for consideration. Do you think that the Willowhaven park would let us do a Camp/Cache Event on their property? That might be a long shot, but that would make for a neat weekend IMHO. Just something to think about. The only other thought I have is this. If we go with Willowhaven, I don't think we'll need to do a CITO Event. They keep the place up pretty nicely from what I've seen there (been there a few times myself...) A Camp/Cache Event would be cool, but if that won't work then just a regular Event with some Puzzle Temps and a Meet and Greet would be great in order to start off with. Any general Meet and Greet would also be a great way to try to get more members here at the Site or Forums. ;D
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Post by blaird83 on Apr 24, 2010 22:03:01 GMT -6
they do, but here was my line of thinking, as the park closes at dark, it has a no camping policy. however, if we work close enough with the park (the park manager hosts a geocaching class every now and then over the summer) and cito events would surly be a good way to do that, even if its just pulling weeds and picking up fallen branches after storms, then over a period of time, they might let us host a camping event their on the property.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Apr 25, 2010 18:21:50 GMT -6
OK, sounds good to me. I remember seeing that Geocache class thing listed in the BTPD <Bourbonnais Township Park District?> catalog (for lack of a better way to say it) of sponsored events just this spring. Darn it, probably too late to sign up for that by now. .. Anyhow, your idea still sounds like a good one. I can get camping in at another time.
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Post by blaird83 on Jun 3, 2010 13:13:23 GMT -6
i just got off the phone with the Kankakee River Valley Forest Preserve, and they appreciate the idea that local groups are willing to clean up the preserves. so we are a go for July 3rd. I have to call again when it gets closer but they might be able to pick up the bags when we are done. The event is www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=bc35fea7-6a62-4475-91d0-7161656d4275 and the gc is GC23YD6 just gotta wait on the reviewer.
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Post by Cowboy Camper on Jun 4, 2010 20:29:39 GMT -6
Eager for the Reviewer to Publish this listing. Argh!
Scroll back to reply #3 in this topic, where Snow mentioned contacting the local Press. Remember that Kankakee City Canceled it's annual Clean Up day? I've heard a commercial recently on WKAN AM 1320 about the Community Calendar and they gave a phone # if we wanted to have our event listed and played on the air. I dunno.... wanna Go for it? If I can get that # and jot it down, I could call in the event and see if they'd air it for us. I would tell them to include the geocache site, GC # for the event and maybe even the Forums here as well. (or the Site, since it has the good "Geocache Kankakee" domain name. Just a thought, so let me know.
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