 Cache In - Trash Out!  Dangerous area - use caution  Weather Permitting |
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This is the first ever Arizona Geocacher Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up.
After months of waiting, the Arizona Geocachers sign has been installed. What better time for the Inaugural clean-up than CITO Day!
Once I have arranged everything with the ADOT coordinator, the information will be provided here. We will meet at a different location, receive a safety briefing from this person, and then shuttled in large vans to the location. Safety vests will be provided, and strict rules exist with regard to how close we can be to the highway itself, as well as which direction we must face while picking up trash.
I plan on having a get together afterward, most likely at an Eatza Pizza or something similar.
Let's show everyone just what CITO means to us, and make this stretch of highway an example of what the Adopt-A-Highway program should be.
Update 03/17/04: I spoke with ADOT today, and it turns out that only I need to attend the safety briefing, which can be done anytime before the cleanup. At the same time, I will pick up the vests, trash bags and anything else we need. I still need to confirm the transportation, but it sounds like we'll all be driving out to the site and doing the cleanup there. Tentatively, I'll plan for the cleanup to start at 0800, with the meeting prior to around 0730 someplace close to the cleanup, but in a safe, more quiet location. For anyone with FRS radios, this would be a good time to use them. Channel 2/12. More updates to come as a location is chosen and policy info regarding the cleanup itself.
Update 03/19/04: I'm working with the approving admin for the Arizona area to allow this location to also become a permanent virtual or traditional cache with a CITO ammo can placed nearby. Inside would be approximately 7-dozen 35mm film cannisters each with a grocery bag inside for CITO. The containers can then be used for micro caches or for a stage on a multi. If the traditional doesn't go through, it will be placed as a separate cache somewhere.
Update 03/26/04: CITO Gear now available! I was thinking of purchasing the shirts prior to and selling them to anyone interested at cost. If anyone is interested, please e-mail me and I'll look into putting something together. Also, if anyone was wondering why I chose not to schedule a pre-CITO cleanup, it's work-related. Due to some training on a new system at work, I am unable to get a Saturday or Sunday off right now (but have the event day off!). Hopefully the attendance is high and we can clean it up in no time and get somewhere to have a good lunch in air-conditioned comfort.
Update 03/31/04: I just scouted the area this morning and came up with a scheme that I think will be good for ensuring a quick clean-up. I'm hoping that we see attendance of at least 30, and I can assign milepost segments randomly to groups of 3 and each will be responsible for a .1 mile segment. As other groups finish, they can migrate to other unfinished segments and help get those taken care of. The other alternative is we split into 2 main groups and work from opposite ends of the clean-up area and meet in the middle. On this page you'll find pictures of the cache area, taken at .1 mile intervals. They don't do the area justice because of all the brush on the ground. I will say that it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would.
ADOT Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup Rules:
* Carpool to work site and keep vehicles off the right-of- way of state highway
* Make sure workers wear safety vests provided by ADOT
* Face oncoming traffic
* Avoid overexertion
* Stop work in inclement weather
* Do not remove hazardous substances
* Avoid contact with noxious weeds and areas where herbicides have been applied
* Do not pick up items on bridges or on the pavement
* Do not bring children under 12 to the Adopt-a-Highway area
***A waiver must be signed by each participant in the cleanup, which I will have on hand at the safety briefing prior to heading out to the clean-up site.
Lunch: The closest place I thought would make a good post clean-up lunch is just shy of 8-miles south of the cleanup location, at N33 23.448 W111 47.298 (Eatza Pizza). Anyone who hasn't identified with a cache note that they'll be attending, please do so as soon as possible. I can get us a table reserved, and will try to arrange calling about an hour ahead of time to ensure that we have tables ready for us to minimize any problems. The location is subject to change if I can't get everything arranged at this site, but just a bit further east at N33 26.244 W111 42.019.
Update 4/9/04: Thanks to Team EvilFish for the suggestion on a meeting place, which will be at N33 27.947 W111 46.689 at 7:30am. I need to do a short safety briefing, basically to reiterate what is already posted here, distribute trash bags/vests, bottled water and see who can carpool to minimize vehicles on-site. Afterward, we can all meet back at the park, get our vehicles and caravan to lunch!
PLEASE bring gloves if you have them. They are NOT provided by ADOT, and are recommended for safety. It is not necessary to have them in order to help in the clean-up, but is strongly suggested.
Also, consider the two locations for lunch (Brown/Recker (9 mile drive) and Gilbert/Southern (8 mile drive)) and let me know which would be preferred. I'm leaning toward Gilbert/Southern because it's near US60, whereas the other location requires a little more driving to get back to the freeways.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
***UPDATE 04/14/04: I am moving the meeting time back 30 minutes to 8am. It dawned on me that I will be working until 6:30am, leaving me little time for prep. Remember, no longer 7:30!!!!
Update 04/15/04: To answer LazyK's questions, the 'shuttle' will be in the form of carpooling vehicles to minimize the number of cars on the side of the highway. It is very important for those attending to be at the meeting prior to, because of the waiver that requires everyone going to the cleanup to sign, and vests/water/bags need to be distributed.
If anyone has FRS radios, a reminder to bring them with you and have them on channel 2/12.
Update 04/17/04: I'm not sure if something was said about this before, but I was looking at lunch at 11am at the Eatza Pizza, Gilbert/Southern. I'll know in the morning if I'll be able to get tables held due to the large number (we'd take up most of the tables in the place with just our group), but it should be early enough that we'll beat the lunch rush.
