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State
Reorganization Could Impact the Hennepin
Herman Kunz writes in the Illinois Rifle
Association’s web news that …It is not bad enough that our Illinois State
Conservation Police officer program is already severely undermanned, … now
Governor Blagojevich says he is planning to merge the Illinois Conservation
Police department directly into the Illinois State Police Department. He also
plans to move the staffing from the state’s parks and fish and wildlife areas
in the Illinois Department of Conservation, to the state’s Central Management
Services. If this happens, enforcement operations and conservation services
would practically be gutted… worse than they are now!! “Merging the Illinois
Conservation Police with the Illinois State Police will absolutely kill wildlife
enforcement.” Kunz quotes “one veteran IDNR employee” as saying, "All
of the priorities will shift to drug and traffic enforcement.
While one might question the veracity of “one veteran IDNR
employee,” the sentiment makes sense. Conservation Police Officers (CPO) are
specifically trained for their jobs. They know and understand environmental
issues. CPOs are experts in their
fields, and this is true of the other conservation related jobs throughout the
State. We’ve also heard rumors that the State might create “work pools,”
all workers under one management chief. That sounds efficient. But
organizational efficiency isn’t desirable if service is compromised. Why do we
have decentralized “station houses” to fight fires? The answer is simple: we
need fire fighters close to the fire. The same can be said of conservation
personnel. If someone is violating fishing laws, we can’t expect police to
catch the wrongdoers if they must be called from highway patrol in order to make
the bust. Also, we worry about bank breakouts along the Hennepin during Spring
flooding. Those breaks require immediate attention by trained workers who know
what to do and have the skills to do them. We don’t have time to train workers
before they repair the damage.
We think the Governor’s proposal should be reconsidered. The short run
benefits of this plan, if there are any, could create long run costs far beyond
money. All those who are interested in protecting our natural resources need to
study this issue and give their views to the Governor and their state
legislators. This is one time when interest groups that sometimes are
cross-threaded can join forces. Kunz puts it this way: These
sort of plans need to be de-railed before they can get on track. If all of the
states outdoor fishing, hunting, boating, bird watching, etc., etc., clubs and
groups put there heads together and try and kill this thing in its infancy,
maybe it can all go away…Maybe!
Here’s how you can help;
you can contact the
governor’s office by e-mail at;
governor@state.il.us or by phone at 1(217) 782-0244, or write to; Office of the
Governor, 207 State House, Springfield IL 62706. If you would like to voice your
opinions to your state legislators, go to www.elections.state.il.us/dis/pages/dlsaddresscrit.asp.
From
the Superintendent by
Steve Moser
With
each Friends of the Hennepin newsletter, we ask Superintendent Steve Moser to
comment on the state of the canal. Because there is no formal connection between
the State Park and the Friends group, his comments do not necessarily represent
the views of the FHC.
As I sit here putting these notes
together the snow along the walkway has accumulated to some five inches and we
have just opened the snowmobile trail for the first time.
It has been an unusual winter to say the least.
Ice fishermen, both here and at Geneseo, started just before the new year
and most of the action has slowed considerably over the last week or so.
The new parking lot at Lock 3 is almost complete and the new walkway Br
across the lock should be in place sometime in the late spring.
We just opened bids for our vault toilet replacement project
and, if all goes according to schedule, the contractor should begin replacing
the structures at Lock 11, 17,21,22,23 and Br 23 this spring.
Also part of this scope are new restroom facilities at Lock 3, Lock 6,
Lock 26, Br 50, Br 56, and Br 64.
As the weather begins to change and during any forays you
take out along the Canal, should you see anything unsafe or needing attention,
i.e., leaks, etc., please give us a call (815/454-2328).
Many times it is our users who give us the first alerts on these things.
Steve
Profile — Bud Light
BUD LIGHT - GLASS BOTTLES PREFERRED! TWO
AS USUAL.
Solve this mystery, who is this Bud
Light person?
This last summer we have noticed the
deposits of empty Bud Light bottles in the taller grass in many of our favorite
fishing areas along the Hennepin Canal. My fishing buddy, Ray, and myself just
by accident started seeing these bottles when fishing near the pilings or trees
in the water. They would always be hidden in the taller grass or shrubs along
the shoreline and always at least two at each spot. A few times it would be a
large size can, same brand. We would always pick up the bottles or cans and drop
them into the garbage cans in the parking lots. In our next visit to the same
areas, yes, new bottles appear. When I mentioned this at one of the FHC
meetings, a smile came up on the face of one of our members. It brought to mind
an incident at a local bait store. This person had just purchased bait and as he
was about to leave the parking lot, tossed something into the taller grass near
the road. Yes, two Bud Light bottles! Hummm! same person?
As the autumn season came, we explored different fishing
areas in the eastern area of the canal. A certain person fished the same areas
too, he left his familiar calling card in each spot. The only regions we did not
find any were the remote areas that required hiking a good distance, two blocks
from the parking lots seemed to be this anglers walking limit. Locks 8, 9, 10,
and 12 were free of the Bud bottles.
Winter has arrived and ice was forming in the canal pools. I
have put the fishing gear away till next spring. This mild weather in December
prompted me to do a few hikes and cleanups along the canal’s bike path.
Surprise, surprise, additional bottle deposits appear now that the leaves have
gone. Areas that I had not fished this past year and I am now hiking showed
signs that this fellow had been there. Bureau, locks 2 and 3, Wyanet, lock 19,
and the camping and picnic area west of Wyanet, all had plenty of signs that he
had visited the areas. The camping and picnic grounds has lots of garbage cans
but our unknown person found it easier to toss his empties into the uncut grass
and tree areas. I can imagine he has been leaving his beverage containers in
other areas also along the canal as well. If you notice this individual or any
other person committing a no-no, jot down the license number and pass it along
to Steve Moser at the Visitor‘s Center.
Hiking the Hennepin Canal by
Ed Herrmann
November 16, 2003
The section hiked named, “Red Tail Hawk”.
"Red Tail
Hawk", that was the name of our Nov. 16th hike on the feeder canal, the
last hike for the year 2003. The last time we attempted this same stretch in
November a few years back, Mother Nature was not kind to us and she delivered us
a storm of sleet and snow. It was quite a nice day this time around for our
hikers: Mark Bauer and Larry Gay, Geneseo; Wayne Leader, Moline; Stephen
Carlson, Mendota; Ann Pomatto and Ed Herrmann, Spring Valley. It was Mr.
Carlson’s first hike with our group so we took it easy on him and ourselves
too.
I don’t believe that this area has an assigned volunteer to
do cleanups, so our group did a great job of picking up litter along the way.
The Friends of the Hennepin purchased some ‘Xtra Arm tools to help us pick up
the out-of-reach litter along the way, and the tools did get a workout. Each of
us toted back the results of our efforts, which filled the 40-gallon refuse
container in the parking lot.
In one area just off the path, we noticed the foundation of a
building long gone that contained a lot of debris. The site would have gone
unnoticed as it was off the trail and tall grass hides it except for some cement
fence posts. I reported this to Superintendent Steve Moser at the FHC January
board meeting. He thought that some of the material could have been there when
the structure was torn down but could have also been used as a local dump area.
The area will be checked if it has some history buried there.
With this rounding up our hikes for the 2003, we wish to
thank all our participants in our hikes for aiding us in our cleanups. The FHC
hope you enjoyed these hikes and our help in getting you acquainted with the
Hennepin Canal.
JANUARY 18, 2004
The section hiked named, “WHITE TAILED DEER”.
COLD! COLD! But alas we did have hikers
to brave the elements. In fact it was much nicer than a few of us expected. I
ran into snow squalls on I-80 on the way to bridge 50. Chuck Cartright said that
Mapleton had just got a good covering of the white stuff. I was curious as to
where Mapleton was located and it did not appear on my Illinois map. MapQuest
showed it to be in the Peoria area. Alan and Patricia Brown made the trek from
Danvers which is close to the Bloomington area. Wayne Leader from East Moline
had some road closure problems and arrived too late for the shuttle but joined
us on the hike. His comment was that he should have started right after the last
‘Amen’ at the Sunday morning church services. He promises to be on time for
the February Eagle hike. Rock Falls was represented by Christian Tscheschbia and
Diana Hummar, sorry I may have the last names misspelled. I of course was the
Spring Valley rep.
I learned that our hikers from the Peoria/Bloomington area
are quite outdoor enthusiasts. They had called Gary Wagle to learn more about
the Hennepin Canal Parkway and plan to do some biking on it when the weather
gets warmer. They told me of some recent outings backpacking in the desert and a
trip to the continental divide on horseback. Looks like the Hennepin will
provide a lot more activities in the future for them. Yes, we have lost our
shuttle van. Three vehicles were cut from the Hennepin Canal Parkway’s fleet
but things will still work out for our hikes.
White tailed deer, not one spotted on our hike, but Wayne and
I noticed the carcass of one that had been killed during the hunting season on
the east side of the feeder. Scavengers had picked clean the remains and just
bones were left. One lone mallard hen duck was spotted swimming in open water
where the feeder narrows and goes through a tube.
The group helped in our cleaning efforts along the canal and
for the most part, except for a few areas adjacent to the parking lots, was
clear of litter. Wayne again showed why he deserved the “Friend of the Year”
plaque he was awarded last year. Our whole group missed where someone camping
along the feeder had left a mess. Wayne found sleeping bags, blankets, a grill,
all left and discarded after a last years’ outing. We were fast on this hike
and I had extra time so decided to cross over and check out the opposite side.
Wayne said he was coming back on that side after getting to bridge 47 and he was
not back yet. At bridge 49 I found that the Bud Light fisherman likes this area
too. Fourteen empties were found in one general area. What ticks me off is a
garbage can is just 75 feet away. No excuse for littering!
Relief
Some might call it gentrification. You
know, tearing down the old and replacing it with something new, expensive and
sterile. But even those who are most nostalgic for things past won’t despair
over the replacement of the vintage, crumbling toilets placed along the
Hennepin. For years, the Park staff has struggled to keep these wooden
facilities workable and clean for us. The current toilets that date back to the
70’s are to be replaced with modern concrete “vault toilets.”
Superintendent Moser announced to the FHC Board that bids are to be let this
Spring for replacing all existing toilets and the construction of quite a few
more.
This is especially good news at this time of the State’s
financial crisis. Fortunately for us, this money had been allocated before the
current money crunch.
A dream for the Hennepin Canal’s future
“A secluded ribbon of serenity” is how
the Hennepin Canal is described in the Fall issue of American Canal, the bulletin of the American Canal
Society, a multi-national organization of canal enthusiasts.
The writer, Mark Beech, “discovered” the Hennepin Canal
fifteen years ago while driving I.80 on his way to Chicago from his home in
Nebraska. He calls himself a longtime “canal aficionado,” and came back to
the Hennepin last summer with a mission. He has the “radical” idea that many
of us have dreamed of: making the Hennepin navigable, through working locks, for
it’s entire length.
Beech is not naďve. He understands the daunting obstacles to
such a mission. But it’s not impossible. It will take energy, planning, time
and resources (money). But, first, such an endeavor requires a vision.
Imagine tourists taking small commercial canal boats from,
say, Colona to Bureau Junction or Rock Falls. Some of these boats have
restaurants and decks; some have bicycle racks for people wanting to combine
their canal voyage with bicycle rides. See these comfortable little canal boats
gently passing farms, crossing an aqueduct high over Green River, gliding by
egrets, hawks, and turtles and other wildlife. They admire horses and wave to
their riders who are riding along towpath. The boats make stops for picnics and
walks under ancient cottonwoods or stop for refreshment and to stroll main
street of one of the villages like Wyanet, Tiskilwa, Colona, and Tampico. Other
riders are staying overnight and shop at Princeton or Geneseo, picking up a
returning boat the next day.
Well, you get the picture. What makes this vision “not
impossible” is the prospect of economic gain for the Hennepin’s adjoining
communities. The Hennepin Canal is one of the best-kept secrets
in the U.S. It offers history, beauty, recreation and even romance. Build it and they will come. We
have the vision; it needs a plan.
Beech has formulated a plan. It recognizes barriers and
suggests possible ways around, such as steel inserts to be placed in existing
locks and pre-cast concrete box culverts for bridges.
The plan is a rough draft and it’s recognized that there are countless
unanticipated obstacles. But, they can also be seen as mere challenges to be
overcome. For dreamers, this plan is worth examining. Thoreau said it this way: If one advances confidently in the direction of his
dreams,…he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
We’ll provide more of
Mark Beech’s ideas in future newsletters. In the meantime, for more
information, you may contact www.americancanalsociety.org.
Board Notes
Annual meeting
- Oct 9, 2003
The
annual meeting of Friends was held on Thursday, October 9, 2003.
President Wagle reported that Friends has been in existence
over 5 years and we are recognized as a viable organization, emphasized our
accomplishments, but noted we still
have a long way to go.
Steve Moser, Canal Superintendent,
reported on the status of the canal path and that the local communities
were happy with the trail and see potential in the path.
There have been benches donated and placed in the Geneseo and Tamipco
areas. Vandals did some fire damage
at Lock 22. With state budget cuts,
the parkway will lose some of their vehicles.
Moser stated that they appreciate the support of “Friends”.
Ed Herrmann updated the group on the monthly hikes.
We have had a hiker from as far away as New Mexico join us.
Ed purchased 6 pick sticks to aid in the picking up of trash along the
way. Moser added that if
any person finds along the path a cooler, propane, cold medicine blister packs,
leave the items alone as they are dangerous but call the parkway or the police
as this is evidence of a meth lab.
Judy Jacksohn, site interpreter told several canal ghost
stories, including Benjamin the fisher and the Ghost Boat.
Bruce Perry and Gary Wagle were re-elected for the directors
positions.
This year the “Friends” decided to give a “Friend of
the Year” award. The award went to
Wayne Leader for his support and volunteer work on the banks of the Hennepin
Canal. Ed Herrmann was given the
traveling walking stick award for hiking the most miles during the monthly
hikes.
A suggestion period was held with
several great suggestions
¨ Grab hook & rescue training
¨ Have students write stories along the
canal
¨ Pennies for the Hennepin Canal - have
schools along the canal collect pennies -
use interest for a scholarship fund.
¨ Art contest for those along the canal -
then auction off paintings
Steve reported that the donation box in the Visitor’s Center has collected
over $300. This money goes first to
the conservation foundation and then the canal gets to apply for its use.
They plan to use the money to mount animals for display in the
Visitor’s Center.
The annual meeting was then adjourned.
Jan. 8, 2004 - regular
board meeting
The
Friends held a regular board meeting on Jan 8, 2004 at the Visitor’s Center.
In the meeting Steve Moser gave the group a proposed hike
schedule for 2004. He reported that
they lost 2 trucks and the van in the state budget cuts, Henry County has a new
Conservation Police Officer, there will be a new foot bridge at Lock 3 (Bureau),
they received 17 bids for vault toilets, updated us on Phase 3 & 4 dealing with
roads and parking lots and they received and planted 84 trees.
Ed Herrmann reported on the November hike.
We were informed that the Black Hawk Hiking Club will be
holding a hike in March on the canal.
Election of officers was held with Gary Wagle, President,
Joanne Gernant, Vice-President and Pat Stier, Secretary/Treasurer.
Discussion on things that the Friends could do this year
were:
¨ Hold a bike ride day possibly in June
¨ Clean up the canal - begin with summit
pool
¨ Donate 2-3 benches to be put along the
canal
The board
approved the purchase of 6 additional pick sticks to help with any clean up
projects.
The next board meeting will be held Tuesday, March 16 at
6:30pm at the Visitor’s Center.
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