November 7th Highway Cleanup

[56FordGuy]

Alright y'all, our planned Adopt A Highway cleanup is this Sunday, the 7th. What time do y'all want to start?

I plan to get in touch with our contact at the DOT tomorrow and sort out the details.

I plan to drop off the volunteer release forms on Friday, November 5th. If you would like to help, you will need to fill out a Volunteer Release Form and send it to me so I can turn it in to the DOT. You can PM me for details and the link for the form.

I have several forms from y'all already, I'll be going through them and contacting y'all to ensure I have all the forms in order.

Thanks!

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

Who's forms do you have already? Do I need to fill another one out?

[56FordGuy]

Who's forms do you have already? Do I need to fill another one out?

I will have to go through them to be sure, I'll update this thread once I do. If you have filled one out already, I should have it.

[Trekbike]

What time do y'all want to start?

The earlier the better for me since I'm use to getting up early. As a reminder to everyone, the time changes this weekend.

Do you know how many confirmed folks we have yet?

[Mechanic_X]

Earlier the better for me also.

[56FordGuy]

I spoke with the lady at the Department of Transportation, we are set for Sunday. The current plan is to meet at the Waffle House located right off of exit 3. When you exit Vietnam Veteran's, go north on Gallatin Rd and the Waffle House will be on your left, next door to the Exxon station.

We're planning to meet at 7:00 AM. We can move the start time a bit in either direction, but we need to agree on what it is before hand.

We'll have a cooler with bottled water, and Joe at Hero Gear has generously donated 10 reflective safety vests. The DOT requires we wear the vest and put out litter pick up signs, the signs and trash bags will be provided by the DOT. They will also provide vests if necessary, but it looks like we'll have enough of our own. The section was just recently mowed, but I would recommend long pants, boots, and gloves. I don't know if the DOT will provide the grabber stick things.

If you intend to join us this Sunday, please respond to this thread so that we can get an accurate headcount and I can ensure I have your volunteer form. I have to turn in the volunteer forms on Friday, the 5th so if I do not have yours please contact me.

I have volunteer release forms from the following people:

John F.

Robert E.

Brent S.

David G.

Blake B.

Timothy W.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask here or contact me.

Thanks!

Edited November 4, 2010 by 56FordGuy

[Trekbike]

7:00AM is good for me.

You mentioned meeting at the Waffle House, I'm assuming we are just meeting there, not eating but please confirm. I can do either one, I just wanted to know the plan.

[56FordGuy]

7:00AM is good for me.

You mentioned meeting at the Waffle House, I'm assuming we are just meeting there, not eating but please confirm. I can do either one, I just wanted to know the plan.

The current plan is to meet there, but not eat. We can have breakfast if y'all want to, but since it had not been brought up I hadn't planned for it. The schedule is pretty flexible thoough, so if folks want to get breakfast we can.

[Farman]

Hats off to you guys. Dress warm, it's going to be in the mid 20s Saturday AM.

[LagerHead]

The earlier the better for me since I'm use to getting up early. As a reminder to everyone, the time changes this weekend.

Do you know how many confirmed folks we have yet?

Me too. 7AM is perfect.

Hats off to you guys. Dress warm, it's going to be in the mid 20s Saturday AM.

I'll bring an extra Snuggy in my motorcycle side bags.

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

I don't know the exact location of the WH, could someone please school me on the exact location. I don't know that area all that well.

[56FordGuy]

Take I-65 North to Vietnam Veteran's Parkway/ Highway 386. As you're going east toward Gallatin, get off on exit 3. The exit ramp has two lanes, one goes north and one south. Go north, in the left hand lane closest to the wall. You will be able to see the Waffle House from the exit ramp. The ramp curves around and joins Highway 31E/ Gallatin Road. Make your way over to the left lane and turn left. The Waffle House and Exxon station are right beside each other, and will be right after you get onto Gallatin Road.

Edited November 7, 2010 by 56FordGuy

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

thank you

[Guest StillKicking]

I wanted to help. what can I do at this point?

Edited November 7, 2010 by StillKicking

[56FordGuy]

I want to help. what can I do at this point?

Not much today, we finished around 9:00

Full report later.

Edited November 7, 2010 by 56FordGuy

[56FordGuy]

Well, here's the report. Went pretty well.

We met as planned, and it took about two hours to clean our section of highway. Nothing terribly exciting happened, save for a deer running out in front of us as we were headed back to the cars afterwards. I didn't get an exact count on the number of trash bags we filled, but I'd estimate at least 12-14. Not as bad as I'd expected it would be, with this being the first clean up.

That's us, at the start this morning. That's TrekBike on the right, and StreetKW05 slightly behind him. Mechanix_X is in front of the sign, and LagerHead is to the left of him in the front. I'm beside the sign on the left, and Rightwinger was behind the camera.

It was a good morning, doing something nice for the community with a great bunch of folks.

[Rightwinger]

I tried to pick up frost balls twice..but I would much rather do this in cold weather and shed the jacket than do it in summer when you just melt.

Thanks for picking it up and running 56, great job !

[Mechanic_X]

No bottles of piss. No body parts. No syringes. Everyone worked their butts off.

[56FordGuy]

...No body parts. No syringes. Everyone worked their butts off.

We did find one road killed critter, and the skeletal remains of another. Didn't pick those up.

Yep, everyone worked (and froze) their butts off.

[Rightwinger]

till we got hot and came out of the coats!

[Trekbike]

Thanks to 56 for organizing and working with TDOT to get the supplies. Thanks to Rightwinger for use of his truck, it made the job much easier.

It was good to personally meet a few more TGO folks and spend a little time giving back to the community. For those two hours I believe that stretch of roadway was the most well armed of the morning in Sumner County.

[Mechanic_X]

For those two hours I believe that stretch of roadway was the most well armed of the morning in Sumner County.

StreetKW05 and I were talking before we started, I said it would be a good headline--"Attempted robbery of litter pick-up goes horribly wrong."

[MikePapa1]

I apologize guys as I intended to come, but unfortunately I was sick most of yesterday. I had to go to court in Nashville this AM and saw the affects of your great work. Y'all should be very proud of yourselves. Thanks for giving back.

[LagerHead]

I'm glad some of you finally got to meet me. It's a shame how many go through life without such a privilege.

Seriously though, despite the cold, which disappeared quickly after about 100 yards of bending down, standing up, rinse, repeat, it wasn't bad. It took us about 2.5 hours from the time we met in the parking lot until we got back, plus a few more minutes of flappin' our gums afterward.

I'd like to say thanks again to Joe and Hero Gear for the vests. The extremely high vis yellow kept us visible, well from space basically.

See you guys again in a few months, if not sooner.

[Trekbike]

I'm glad some of you finally got to meet me. It's a shame how many go through life without such a privilege.

I Sir, am glad that my car's passenger seat was able to be graced by your presence for a few minutes while waiting on the others to arrive.