2009 OVR Cleanup a rounding success!!

 

19 cavers showed up to help. ollectively we gathered 1.5 tons of material from 3 of the 4 sinkholes and recycled 410 pounds of metal. Of particular help were Rick Gordon and Don Conover. Rick brought his truck and a large farm wagon and Don brought his 4X4. Don or Rick (they alternated) pulled the trailer from sinkhole to sinkhole to collect material and then to the dumpster.  Don used his 4X4 to pull heavy material and rolls of wire fencing from the sinkholes. A local Mennonite farmer happened by with his backhoe. He pulled the remains of a culvert or cement bridge from one of the sinkholes, dug a lot of dirt mixed with restaurant material (chairs, tables, adding machines, dishes, etc.) from a second sinkhole, and cleared a swath down into a third and largest of the four sinkholes. The largest sinkhole will require a larger machine to dig out the bottom and open the cave that is somewhere in this 4th sinkhole.
 
There is still lots of work to do.
 
I would like to suggest that DUG, WUSS, and COG take this on as an on going project. While the problem of WNS is with us, this will make a good and close by cave project.  Material removed from the sinkholes should be stacked out of sight from the road. Once the sinkholes are free from trash, construction debris, and other waste, the landowner will have another dumpster brought in.
 
This was an OVR project. Cavers participating were:
 
Erin Hazelton (Organizer)      WUSS
Bill Walden (Co-organizer)    COG, DUG, and BGG
Polly Bargor                        WUSS
Dani Courey                        WUSS
HollyGerbacher                   WUSS
Holly Kellar                         WUSS
Jordan Hilebranit                 WUSS
George Hagen
Clayton Black                     WUSS
John Cassidy                      DUG
Mike Goltzene                    WUSS and DUG
Travis Croxall                      WUSS
Darrell Adkins                     COG
Steven Green                      DUG and RRG
Don Conover                       WUSS, DUG, SSG, and TRA
Rick Gordon                       DUG
Richard Hand                      PMG
 
Missing 2 names.
 
During the lunch break we had a short and informal meeting to elect temporary OVR officers. The new temporary officers are:
 
Bill Walden - Chairman
John Cassidy - Vic Chairman
Harry Goepel - Secretary
Kathy Welling - Treasurer
Directors - Jim Greer, Darrell Adkins, and Don Conover.
We did not set a meeting time. The OVR traditionally had meetings at the Crawl-A-Thon and at Karst-O-Rama or the firehouse in Springdale, OH.
 
Next year's project should be in Indiana.