River Cleanup May 13

[SwampMatt]

I registered online the other day for the River Cleanup project in Volusia County. And though I'd throw this out there as a possible second run for May. It is the weekend BEFORE the Quiet Airboat Competetion and may give us a chance to clean up our own ride area prior to the event.... and get free publicity to boot.

And I just got this letter from the cleanup organizers:

Good Day Everyone!

One month from today we will be hosting the 10th Annual St. Johns River Cleanup in Volusia County.

Many of you have already registered but don't fret if you haven't yet - we'll be taking registrations up to May 8th. If there are any modifications to those who have already registered, just let me know and I'd be happy to make the corrections.

You may register online at http://volusia.org/cleanup/

Also, can you help spread the word by downloading and printing our flyer? Just follow the St. Johns link and look for the downloadable flyer and post one or more at the place of your choice.

Hope to see at the river!

Tom Carey
Pollution Control Manager
Volusia County Environmental Management

The 10th Annual 
St. Johns River Cleanup 
May 13, 2006
8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

In conjunction with National River Cleanup Week, the next St. Johns River Clean up is scheduled for May 13, 2006.  

The cleanup will be from 8:00AM to 11:30AM with a complimentary lunch to follow at selected sites.  Lunch will be over by 1:00PM. Click on the “Map of sites� link below for locations.

Participants will also receive a free t-shirt.

Participants are encouraged to wear sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, work gloves and comfortable clothing and also may bring water.

Clean up registration
Pre-registration is preferred and is available here.

For more information concerning the event, contact Tom Carey at (386) 736-5927 ext. 2073. 


Cleanup sites are:

* Ninemile Point Park, at the west end of Ninemile Point Road, Pierson.
* DeLeon Springs State Park, 601 Burts Park Road, DeLeon Springs.
* Ed Stone Park, 2990 W. State Road 44, DeLand
* French Avenue boat launch / Starks Landing, where French Avenue meets the St. Johns River, Orange City.
* Lake Monroe Park, 975 S. U.S. 17-92, DeBary 
* Lake Monroe boat ramp, 980 Lakeshore Dr., Deltona.
* Lemon Bluff boat ramp, 907 Lemon Bluff Rd., Osteen.
* Lake Harney Woods Subdivision, end of Gone Fishing RD


Map of sites.pdf.

The 9th Annual St Johns River Cleanup was held on May 14, 2005.  A total of 432 participants pulled 12.2 tons of tires, bottles and other debris from 54 miles of river.  All participants received a t-shirt, and were invited to a  luncheon after the event. 

2005 Photo Album

*******************

I marked in bold some of the airboat friendly places on the list of cleanup sites above.

What does everyone think? Do you think airboaters can make a difference here? Clean up a heavily used waterway and get some publicity for it?

Laura and I will be at the 9 mile Point location. Some reps from the volusia cleanup group are meeting us at the Volusia Bar ramp with our t-shirts and trash bags. We'll also be taking part in the Lake County Club's porker run that day.

WHEN YOU REGISTER, TELL THEM YOU'RE IN AN AIRBOAT, AND WHERE YOU PLAN ON LAUNCHING FROM.

matt.

 

[lmichaud]

Our club - Seminole County Airboat Club will also be doing the clean up. We will be going from SR 46 (bridge) to Lemon Bluff area of the St. Johns.
This is open for members & non-members, all are invited. We will be having a ride after the cleanup with a BBQ @ Lake Harney Woods Boatramp.

The BBQ will be put on by the Lake Harney Woods Fire Dept. any money brought in will be donated to the Fire Dept. The BBQ will also be available to any Lake Harney woods residence.

This is a great event, everything we can do as airboaters, is sure to help, even if just a little.

 

[Anonymous]

Great event! If you have your airboat & see a reporter, make sure you get some press.........

FYI: * Lemon Bluff boat ramp, 907 Lemon Bluff Rd., Osteen

This is the area that has a major complainer on the river. Hope we have a few airboats in the area CONSPICUOUSLY picking up lots of trash. If anyone has a reporter onboard, please get this area and landing in the coverage.
Could be a nice feather in our cap........

 

[Skeeter]

Took a ride north from Lk Harney we definitley need a clean-up day.Hope everyone takes the time to come out a help,Volusia County has made it easy enough with I beleive 8 check in locations from Lk Harney to Lk George.If you live in surronding area of Lk HarneyWoods Boat Ramp, good day to come out and meet some of the people who ride that area and maybe join Seminole County Airboat Club.Just thought I'd throw that in.

 

[stan]

got emailed back.
Stanley,

I received your registration for the St. Johns River Cleanup. Thanks for your participation! I'm glad LCAB is involved again this year - we're planning a big, big time up at Ninemile.

Along with lunch, shirts and all, we want to take a group picture of the airboats with trash. We won third prize in the national photo contest last year at Ed Stone Park. With the LCAB's help, we might just win first!

Tom Carey
Pollution Control Manager
Volusia County Environmental Management

 

[BADBILLY]

Hey mood we just signed up for this. Is there something else to do to to sign up for the poker run? Thanks Billy

 

[SwampMatt]

The Poker Run is the Lake County Club's deal. I'm not a member of that club... yet. Stan has the info on that... I'm just the messenger.

there is more info about that one here:
http://www.southernairboat.com/phpBB2/v ... php?t=2393

I hope this helps!

And Stan - That Tom Carey guy with the Volusia Environmental office is a first class dude! It's very cool that he responds to messages one-on-one like that. He did the same with me - no form letters for him! Looking forward to helping out that day and possibly getting a chance to shake his hand. It'll be fun to be able to take part in their bid to win the #1 prize in the National River Cleanup Week competetion!

matt.

 

[Skeeter]

I agree with you Mood Tom Carey has been great to work with. And Seminole County Airboat Club will be working hard to take the gold home. We will be cleaning up the south end of river.

 

[basketcase0302]

Skeeter,

Don't keep us waiting and wondering :roll:

How was the cleanup and what club got the gold?

Basketcase

 

[Skeeter]

Well we had a great day,I think we had around 10 boats show up.Which I thought was good considering it was our first clenup.We just about filled a 20 yd dumpster.We had alot of large items from refrigerator doors to 55 gallon drums,car jacks,chairs.unbrellas,etc.I had so much stuff on my boat,the noise was bout to go under.But i heard Lake county filled a 40 yd dumpster(great job guys).Then we refueled ourselves if you know what I mean, and took a short ride,And got back in time for some outstanding pork butts hot off the grill.Complements of our Volunter Fire department.

 

[SwampMatt]

Due to a bad bearing on our trailer and one of the wheels coming off on the way to the ramp, we were delayed. But VERY HUGE THANKS to passing motorists BEAGLE, STAN, & CNTRY141IQ the breakdown only delayed us 90 minutes or so.

The Cleanup on lake George was fun. We did fill a very large dumpster with lots of smashed crab traps, buckets, cans & bottles.... and a 1940's Oldsmobile. Lake County club prez Jim Brown did a lot of the work getting the rusted remains of the old car out of the lake. They used the winch of a well-drilling rig truck on shore to pull the pieces out of the lake bottom.

Beautiful weather was the saying of the day. After the BBQ at Nine Mile Park, about 25 boats scattered all over the lake to Silver Glen Springs, Juniper Springs, and other spots to take part in the poker run. They met back at the Volusia Bar Marina to play their hands and have a party.

The crew of the Mystery Ship (formerly known as the moodmobile) circled the lake and found a beautiful white sand beach that was just asking for us to park and chill out while enjoying the beauty. In walking around the sand, we filled another trash bag of beer & soda cans & bottles. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? How can they just toss trash like that into the lake?

It was a SUPER DAY. In the afternoon, the light breeze became even lighter, and the huge lake turned to glass. The skinny water around the edge was an airboater's dream to run in!!!!

BadBilly & Bandit - It was a pleasure to meet both of you!!! Those yellow boats are some of the nicest I've ever seen! And the drivers and riders on those boats were some of the nicest I've seen as well. Welcome to the gang!

Jeff, it was heard a couple times by my ears.... "I wish the Basket crew were here... I miss them".

matt.

 

[basketcase0302]

Skeeter,

Cool beans! Probably couldn't have been a more convienent time with the low water level and all.

Mood,

C'mon now....a 1940 Olds :shock: And the parts are not on E-Bay as we speak! Sorry to hear of the trailer, miss our family, seeya in five or six days hopefully!

Basketcase

 

[BADBILLY]

Hey Mood it was great meeting you and Bandit. It was a great day for clean up, the riding and the bbq! Look forward to the next one!

 

[bandit9077]

Would like to take this opportunity to thank stan and his wife and country for showing us around lake george. If you didn,t have a good time around this group its your own fault. oh, don,t let me forget matt and laura and badbilly and his gang of outlaws. look forward to the quiet tests this weekend

 

[SwampMatt]

Bandit - that is a beautiful GTO boat you've got!!! I'm so glad you made it out there and very happy that you got to hang out with two of the most knowledgeable & experienced airboaters around.... Stan & Cntry. And you could not have had a better tour guide on the lake.

It was nice to meet the "Bandita" too. I'm looking forward to making a little more time to hang out with you at Loughmans. PM me if you carpool out there.

I'm sorry that we did not have more time to just hang out.... With our broke trailer/late start, I was a little distracted & off on my social skills.

The Bandit crew and BadBilly crew are going to be great additions to the Southern Airboat "Gang".

matt.