Atari's Landfill Adventures, I now have the proof it's true.

[2600lover]

Sorry about all these posts lol, but check this out. Look at the map I just put up, fallow the dirt road th the left of the green thing fallow that over a ways and you will see a big blach square with a gray dot out in front of the place. What do you think that is?

[rbudrick]

Holy crap...that really is the middle of nowhere. It's like 3-5 miles outside of town, by the looks of it! Looks almost like you have to drive over a mountain or something to get to it.

 

Sorry about all these posts lol, but check this out. Look at the map I just put up, fallow the dirt road th the left of the green thing fallow that over a ways and you will see a big blach square with a gray dot out in front of the place. What do you think that is?

 

Hmm, dunno. Looks like the top of a shack or house or something.

 

-Rob

Edited August 31, 2006 by rbudrick

[2600lover]

Yeah, but anyway, about the White Sands Dr, looks fishy!!

[homerwannabee]

Ok, I did some dedective work and actually called someone at City Hall. I asked him where the Land Fill in the 70' and 80's was located. He told me it was at Dog Canyon. He also told me the location was about 5 miles south of Almogoro. I then Googled Dog Canyon and it turns out there is a state park on Dog Canyon Rd. Interesting thing is Dog Canyon road intersects with White Sands Rd. So here is the place where I think it is.

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&a...016784,0.028925

Edited August 31, 2006 by homerwannabee

[2600lover]

I emailed the Chamber of Commerce. Should I request the exact address of the landfill? Do I have rights that I can know that, or can they keep that under wraps?

[jbanes]

I emailed the Chamber of Commerce. Should I request the exact address of the landfill? Do I have rights that I can know that, or can they keep that under wraps?

1. It doesn't hurt to ask. This is still a free country, so the worst they can do is say 'no'.

 

2. Make sure to emphasize that you're doing historical research. They'll often be a lot more accomidating if you have a reason they can understand.

[2600lover]

Alright I guess I will do that now!!

[rbudrick]

Also, notice that there's a park there already. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. You will also notice this off to the left hen you click on the little letter where the park is:

 

LocalHikes - OLSP Dog Canyo...

... Canyon Nature Walk: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Oliver Lee State Park - (505) 437-8284 ...

 

So, if there's guided tours of the park, Im sure the tour guide or even the park keeper will be able to tell you a bit a bout the place. Hell, call the ranger advertised at that number.

 

-Rob

[2600lover]

I will look into that!!!!! Well here is what the email I sent the Chamber of Commerce said:

 

Hello ,

Me and some fellow Atari freeks are doing research from AtariAge.com and we were trying to locate the "Atari Landfill". We were wondering if we could be supplied the street address or there abouts to do online research. I assure you no one will be on your property doing anything wrong. We are just trying to preform some online research. We would appricate you cooperation!

Thank you

Atari Age

[2600lover]

"The 180-acre canyon was an early Apache stronghold, and records show that at least five major battles."

 

As stated on the Alamogordo Chamber site,if thats true why would they have used a historical site as a landfill?

[jbanes]

Well here is what the email I sent the Chamber of Commerce said:

 

Me and some fellow Atari freeks...

 

Tell me you didn't already hit send?

 

* jbanes begins banging his head against a wall

[rbudrick]

"The 180-acre canyon was an early Apache stronghold, and records show that at least five major battles."

 

As stated on the Alamogordo Chamber site,if thats true why would they have used a historical site as a landfill?

 

Wouldn't be the first time, that's for sure.

 

As for the letter, I think something more professional might be in line.

 

-Rob

[2600lover]

Yeah, well that was a draft.

[jbanes]

Yeah, well that was a draft.

Whew. (Whipes forehead.)

 

Okay, let's try to be a bit more professional here:

 

Hello,

 

My name is (put your name here) and I am doing historical research into the validity of a claim made about Atari Inc. back in the 1980's. Specifically, Atari is said to have dumped a large number of game cartriges into a nearby landfill. I am currently seeking information that would help me identify this landfill, if it indeed exists at all. According to the claim, the cartridges were first crushed, then mixed with cement before disposal.

 

Are you aware of any landfills in the nearby area in which Atari Inc. might have dumped plastic and cement materials? If you could provide addresses of possible landfills registered in the area, it would be of great help. Also, if you have any suggestions for other records I might check into, it would most appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

 

Sincerely,

(put your name here)

 

Couple of things:

 

1. Using your real name is likely to get you a better response. Remember, this is going to be read by a clerk who is just doing his/her job, not looking to report everyone to the secret police.

 

2. Being professional, polite, and upfront will usually make the clerk more sympathetic to your research.

 

3. Verify the grammer and run your email through a spell checker before sending it. This will improve its professionalism. (I have not done so with the example above.)

 

4. By providing information relating to the matter (e.g. the carts were crushed and cemented) you're both making it easier for the clerk to help you (by narrowing the search) as well as making clear that you have an academic interest rather than a "gold-digging" interest.

 

You're still in school, correct? If you wish to invest a lot of resources in this search, consider speaking with your social studies teacher about the best way to approach this research. He or she should be able to give you good advice on how to properly conduct an investigation. If you're interested, they might even be willing to let one of your papers on the subject. (Depends on the teacher and school. Some teachers are boring in that they assign subjects for reports. )

[moycon]

LOL This thread is always good for a chuckle.

 

Hey 2600lover, here's my my idea for the letter.

 

Dear Crabby,

Waz UUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP!!!

Gimmi that old landfill address where they didn't bury any Atari carts back in the day.

 

Thanks chump,

 

Love,

atari26600 and his posse o cool mo fo's.

 

That'll do it.

[else]

I'd go with moycon's letter! :)

 

Seriously, I think the second biggest mystery here is what they actually DO in Alamogordo. It's got to be some top secret military stuff or something. Why else would people want to live out in the desert in the middle of nowhere like that.....

[A.J. Franzman]

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&a...mp;t=h&om=1

 

That the place?

 

 

EDIT: Move up and to the left a little, see all the redish orange land? Is that it? Maybe not, I mean I could pan around the satillite images for ever and now see anything. I did already look aroung quitea a bit and found some other interesting stuff but not near that White Sands Blvd.

No, sorry fellas thats a municiple airport.

Im not givin up yet!!!

 

If you mean this, there's no airport in this image, nor an active or recently-closed landfill. The central area with orangish soil is too small for a landfill for a city this size, and has no runway or aircraft. Just to the east is Mill Rd., perhaps this is the mill?

 

On the other hand, if the landfill has been closed for more than a few years, there could be almost anything on top of it by now, and even a trained photo interpreter might have trouble finding it.

Edited September 1, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[A.J. Franzman]

Yeah, well that was a draft.

Whew. (Whipes forehead.)

 

Okay, let's try to be a bit more professional here:

 

Hello,

 

My name is (put your name here) and I am doing historical research into the validity of a claim made about Atari Inc. back in the 1980's. Specifically, Atari is said to have dumped a large number of game cartriges into a nearby landfill. I am currently seeking information that would help me identify this landfill, if it indeed exists at all. According to the claim, the cartridges were first crushed, then mixed with cement before disposal.

 

Are you aware of any landfills in the nearby area in which Atari Inc. might have dumped plastic and cement materials? If you could provide addresses of possible landfills registered in the area, it would be of great help. Also, if you have any suggestions for other records I might check into, it would most appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

 

Sincerely,

(put your name here)

 

Couple of things:

 

1. Using your real name is likely to get you a better response. Remember, this is going to be read by a clerk who is just doing his/her job, not looking to report everyone to the secret police.

 

2. Being professional, polite, and upfront will usually make the clerk more sympathetic to your research.

 

3. Verify the grammer and run your email through a spell checker before sending it. This will improve its professionalism. (I have not done so with the example above.)

 

4. By providing information relating to the matter (e.g. the carts were crushed and cemented) you're both making it easier for the clerk to help you (by narrowing the search) as well as making clear that you have an academic interest rather than a "gold-digging" interest.

 

You're still in school, correct? If you wish to invest a lot of resources in this search, consider speaking with your social studies teacher about the best way to approach this research. He or she should be able to give you good advice on how to properly conduct an investigation. If you're interested, they might even be willing to let one of your papers on the subject. (Depends on the teacher and school. Some teachers are boring in that they assign subjects for reports. )

I have a couple of corrections to add:

First, change "cement" to "concrete". Cement is an ingredient of concrete; they are not the same thing. Concrete is cement plus sand plus gravel. Leave out the gravel, and you have mortar. Make your mortar with less cement and more sand, and possibly some fine gravel, and it becomes "grout" (a low-strength type of concrete used for protecting buried pipes, yet allowing them to be found or dug up without too much effort -- not quite the same as what goes between the tiles in your kitchen or bathroom). Portland cement by itself isn't very useful at all.

 

Second, as I interpret the myth, it was said that the Atari items were crushed, buried, then covered with concrete; not mixed with the concrete (which could be quite problematic for things as large as Atari cartridges -- even if crushed with earthmovers, they would not all be reduced to tiny pieces).

Edited September 1, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[2600lover]

Really AJ, I zoomed in all the way and say what looked like a jet in the upper left corner neer Mill Rd. LOOK AGAIN!!!!!

[2600lover]

Yeah and sorry I copied and pasted jbanes into my email and sent it off to the City Manager, I think. Oh and this is just to let AJ know, municipale airports are small. Zoom in and you WILL see a jet. Or maybe its just a car with wings. Mister, "and has no runway or aircraft."

[A.J. Franzman]

Really AJ, I zoomed in all the way and say what looked like a jet in the upper left corner neer Mill Rd. LOOK AGAIN!!!!!

OK, mister "I don't know my right from my left", so there is one aircraft in that photo. There is no runway, and this lot is too small for that plane to have safely landed there (especially since it's all rough dirt). How many municipal airports have you ever seen with exactly one plane on the premises, no hangars, and no runway? The plane you found even looks like it may be missing the starboard side of its horizontal stabilizer. If you follow the railroad tracks from the west side of the plane, down to the southwest a little way, you'll find a pair of buldings with dark brown roofs, one rectangular and one sort of "L"-shaped. From the rectangular one, going a bit further west, is a building with a light gray roof. Coming out the north end of this building is a conveyor which leads to the top of a large conical pile of dark brown stuff. To the west of this same building are 7 wide rows of what looks like bales or bundles of something.

 

I submit the theory that this is in fact the "mill" -- actually a metal recycling facility. The dark brown and reddish-brown colors are all rust. The large bales are crushed something-or-others (too big to be individual automobiles) waiting to be ground up to join the pile at the end of the conveyor. However, I don't have a theory about what the smaller items in several neat, widely spaced rows to the south might be. Perhaps someone who's worked at such a place might have some idea.

Edited September 1, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[2600lover]

Well, those look like pretty damn big bildings, could be hangers. Lets remember this is a far away shot. And do you see the dark colored line that runs diagnal through that block? Looks like a road, OR RUNWAY! If you ask me...........

[2600lover]

Ok, I did some dedective work and actually called someone at City Hall. I asked him where the Land Fill in the 70' and 80's was located. He told me it was at Dog Canyon. He also told me the location was about 5 miles south of Almogoro. I then Googled Dog Canyon and it turns out there is a state park on Dog Canyon Rd. Interesting thing is Dog Canyon road intersects with White Sands Rd. So here is the place where I think it is.

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&a...016784,0.028925

 

Well, well, lookie there!! Thats interesting! One of my sorces told me the trucks went through White Sands Rd, it was a back road at the time.

[A.J. Franzman]

Well, those look like pretty damn big bildings, could be hangers. Lets remember this is a far away shot. And do you see the dark colored line that runs diagnal through that block? Looks like a road, OR RUNWAY! If you ask me...........

You have no idea what a municipal airport runway or hangars look like from the air, do you? For one thing, those buildings are too small.

 

Here's what Alamogordo's regional airport looks like. Hint: it's about 3 miles southwest of what you're looking at. Here's the link: Google Maps

Notice that the first shot is at the same zoom level (scale in lower left corner) as my capture of the other area you've been looking at from post #567 (the third image above, included here again for easy reference), and the runway doesn't even fit completely on the screen! Also notice by scrolling around and zooming in that there are several very distinctive markings near the ends of the runway that identify it as a runway, with large numerals indicating headings (rounded off to the nearest 10 degrees and divided by 10, this runway is identified as 3/21, for 30 degrees or 210 degrees approximate compass headings. Pilots use charts which give the headings to the exact degree.)

Edited September 5, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[Spud]

Maybe this got lost in the thread but if my city employee source there, who has lived there all his life was right, here is the area as told and shown in the videos (as seen on stingrays page still) Also if I remember right there is a city and a county landfill, the county landfill is at Dog Canyon. I could be wrong, havent lived there in a while so... the current city landfill isn't too far, from the old one, it's just on the other side of the new by-pass away from town. The (dirt) road that leads to the area on the map is between the Papa Johns and a auto store (a few blocks north of 10th street) on White Sands Blvd.

 

Spud was a pizza driver at that PJ's, woohoo!!!

 

Also here is a pic of the pit they dug and was burying them in, a little harder to get to then in the music video

maybe we can get Moycons Bigfoot to help us dig??