Author: SRYC Comms Team

Indeed. Where do aluminum cans go?

Answer: They go here.

There are “cans only” garbage cans behind the bar, on the upstairs deck and downstairs near the ice machine.

They don’t go here.

This is called a Dumpster. It has “dump” in name, because that’s where they dump it — at at the dump.

This is a landfill solid waste disposal site — a.k.a. “dump”.

This is the type of place where they take the stuff in the Dumpster. They make a big mountain of waste.

So, “What’s the problem,” you ask?

It’s simple. Aluminum isn’t waste. It’s a valuable metal that can be used again and again instead of wasting it. In fact, people will buy your unwanted aluminum. For cash money. At SRYC, we collect the used aluminum in containers that say “Cans go here”, and we sell it for money. The money goes to pay for nice extras like holiday parties for kids, which is a whole lot better than wasting the aluminum.

… and that’s where aluminum cans go!

 

 

The Illinois DNR has closed the entire length of the Illinois River — nearly 300 miles of water. River level predictions show that the Ottawa pool will fall to within about a foot of normal by July 4th, but is that enough to reopen the river for Saturday and Sunday? Good question.

Meanwhile downriver things are much worse. In Havana, the crest is predicted to come Friday and Saturday, to within a few inches of the all-time high water record. In other towns downstate, such as Meredosia and Beardstown, the water is expected to exceed the April, 2013 records. Sandbagging, anyone?

Update: Thursday a.m. Major flooding downriver sets new records.
Update: Thursday p.m. water.weather.gov predicts the river at Ottawa to be back to normal levels by Saturday afternoon.
New record set at Meredosia
Update: The river is open down to Lacon as of 3pm Thursday.

At Spring Valley Boat Club access by road will have been cut off for 3 entire weeks as of Monday. The water and power is off, the kitchen is closed and fuel dock & pump out are shut down.

Some parking and other facilities are closed at Starved Rock State Park.

It’s good to remember that the river was actually meant to spread out. It’s been forced into a narrow channel, especially up north, and runoff from roads, parking lots and roofs in developed areas make the situation worse. All that water has to go you-know-where. The Peoria Journal-Star featured this article recently.

Maybe we need to rethink the whole flood plain map to account for heavier rains and more run-off, according to a study discussed in the Washington Post.

Photo from Ken Holden, showing the flood gates wide open at Starved Rock Lock & Dam

Sign up now for the Pork Chop Dinner on July 11. Dinner is served from 6pm to 8pm, followed by live entertainment provided by Sh’Bang. Please RSVP by Sunday, July 5th. Email [email protected] or use the sign up sheet in the clubhouse.

Sh’Bang, from Chicago, plays a great mix of high-energy rock tunes from across the decades. Don’t miss it! http://www.shbangchicago.com/index.html