The Missourian had a story Wednesday saying that the Missouri Division of Natural Resources Clean Water Commission has granted Strack Excavating an operating permit at the site of its quarry development off U.S. 61 near Fruitland. Here’s a link to the DNR site with all of the information, including a legend identifying the property owners on the exhibit above. No. 7 is the northern boundary of Saxon Lutheran High School.
You can click on any photo to make it larger.
Aerial of general quarry area
When Ernie Chiles and I went flying on April 17, 2011, I asked him to make a pass over the Saxon Lutheran High School in Fruitland. I didn’t know at the time exactly where the proposed quarry was going to be, but I figured we’d be close.
This view above is generally to the north. The high school is the inverted Y-shaped building with the blue roof at the left center. You can orient yourself by looking for the road that curves to the right near the top of the photo and the creek / treeline that cuts across diagonally at the center.
View to the southwest
The school is on the left; the light-colored road running left to right at the top is I-55, the darker road running under I-55 is U.S. 61. The road that makes a right-angle bend is County Road 601.
What’s east of the school?
When we made a closer pass, my eye was drawn to something diagonally across from the school’s athletic fields. Whatever it was was spread over a significant expanse of land.
Looks like some kind of recycling operation
It looks like what we would have called a junk yard in the old days. It appears that it’s somewhere that takes big pieces and makes them into piles of little pieces. Note the corner of the high school’s playing field in the upper left.
Still can’t identify it
We came in a little tighter, but I still couldn’t tell exactly what was going on there. I wasn’t sufficiently curious enough to drive up there to find out. I’m sure someone will fill me in.
Without getting in the middle of what is purely a local issue, it does seem a little disingenuous to get worked up about the quarry when there appears to be another industrial operation with its attendant traffic within stone’s throw of a playing field.
Strack Hwy 74 Quarry
Here’s a link to photos I took of the Strack Quarry on Hwy 74 last fall.
Yippee! Another edition of the “Watchdog Express”! Ken, you are truly “the Eye in the Sky” –from Bloomfield Road to Advances’ “best kept secret” to the machinations of the Strack Quarry! I begin to think that nothing can be kept secret from your prying eyes!
I’m sure the Saxony Lutheran parents are wishing they could re-vote on the zoning issue! Tsk, tsk–two opposite examples: Too much government intrusion on Bloomfield Road, and too little at Fruitland!
Everything is fresh when you don’t get back to the area but a couple of times a year.
It’s a lot harder coming up with stories when you drive by them every day.
It’s also a lot easier to do just the stories that you want to do without having to cover the Dull But Necessary stuff like city commission and the Rotary Club.
I’m with Madeline, I believe — whenever I see one of those “No quarry here” signs, I want to knock on the door and ask them if they voted against county planning and zoning.
Even in the present day, I think I’d call that a junkyard. I drove by this morning on my way to work and took a few photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/agathman/tags/fruitlandjunkyard/). By the way, thanks for pointing out this road to me — it’s a paved county road that connects 61 to Highway W, less than 10 miles from my house, that I’ve never ridden my bike on. I’ll rectify that soon.
Even in the present day, I think I’d call that a junkyard. I drove by this morning on my way to work and took a few photos. By the way, thanks for pointing out this road to me — it’s a paved county road that connects 61 to Highway W, less than 10 miles from my house, that I’ve never ridden my bike on. I’ll rectify that soon.
Yep, based on your ground photos, I’d call that an old-fashioned junk yard.
Let me know how that road is for riding. Glad to be of service.
Actually, that facility is Hoffmeister Stake & Handle Co. They’ve been a part of our community for as long as I’ve known >30 years. They have expanded operations at that property to include metal reclaimation and recycling — such as metal from outdated production line equipment originally used at local manufacturing plants.
I wouldn’t recommend using that road for riding when school is in session. With its steep hills and 90 degree bends, it has become dangerous now that the students speed up and down the road.
Sounds like a road that is crying out for a little bit of law enforcement.
If the students are driving too fast for conditions, then they need some educational material in the form of traffic tickets.
Roads aren’t dangerous. DRIVERS make roads dangerous.