Firestone

I would like to encourage clubs in each state to highlight The Center of Population monument in their state by using the monument coordinates as a cache location and/or a Waymark. Because of the openess required by the NOS, manyof the locations will not be suitable for a cache container, but all locations should allow an offset cache container with a log. Thus far, I have found that four states have caches associated with their monuments, but the collection of states that have monuments would make a great Waymark category. This is an interesting program that is going on across our country, and finding these monuments can be both fun and educational. I would like to suggest that we call these the "Where Is Everybody?" series and I have initiated the series with: Where Is Everybody In Tennessee? The Center of Population Project In a project co-sponsored by NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS), the Census Bureau, and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), many states are in the process of officially monumenting their Year 2000 Center of Population by setting commemorative markers. Most recently, Missouri, New Jersey and Washington have set and performed GPS observations of their 2000 Census Center of Population monuments. A number of states have now set such markers. In a cooperative effort, the Census Bureau provides the location of the state population centers, and NOS provides the guidelines for placement of the marker. ACSM coordinates the monument setting and observation performed by state professional surveyors. This is an excellent example of what collaboration between the private sector and Federal, state and local governement surveying and mapping professionals can achieve. It is expected that all state Center of Population sites will be included in NOAA's National Spatial Reference System, which will allow surveyors and others to utilize the markers. For additional information about The Center of Population Project, and "Where is Everybody?" for other states go to: Center Of Population Project Happy trails, Firestone

I received the word on the new "Waymarking" activities that may become available. I think the set of state Center of Population Monuments would be an appropriate sub-set of the places category. I would like to solicit support for a new Waymarking category under "Places" for the Center of Population Monuments that are being established nationwide. For more information see the "Where Is Everybody?" topic in the forum, or "Where Is Everybody In Tennessee? (GCPV2K).

I would like to solicit support for a new Waymarking category under "Places" for the Center of Population Monuments that are being established nationwide. For more information see the "Where Is Everybody?" topic in the forum, or "Where Is Everybody In Tennessee? (GCPV2K).

If you rearrange the letters in "Tangelina", they spell out "A Tin Angel", and it becomes perfectly clear.

Thanks Ambrosia, but I think the monument referred to in your post is the geographial center of Washington. The Center of Population monument is west of this location and south of I-90. I believe it is in Kanaskat-Palmer State Park and as far as I can find out, has no cache associated with it. Putting a cache there, featuring the Center of Population monument, would be a good mission should you accept it.

Thanks to Poppa Duck, Jake - Team A.I., and the hermit crabs for making me aware ot three other COP Caches: New York - Epicenter, GCA189 10/27/2002 Arizona - Arizona's Center Of Population, GCHRX4 2/27/2004 Massachusetts - Center Of Mass. GCNAT6 4/2/2005 Tennessee - Where Is Everybody In Tennessee?, GCPV2K 7/22/2005 New York takes honors, so far, for first hidden. Props to Bob393. Come on now, Where Is Everybody?

The more precision you are allowed, the more accuracy you have.

The reason I said that it provides more accuracy is that it allows you to input more decimal places than many sites allow. For example, you can work with ten thousandths of a second. I agree, it has nothing to do with the algorithm itself.

The Great Circle Calculator Here is a really good web site for getting the distance between two sets of coordinates, or getting a new set of coordinates from a known set, knowing a bearing and distance. The results come from Great Circle calculations. The advantage this site has over most is the level of accuracy it allows. Great Circle Calculator By the way, I agree with JoyPa, above, that in the field use 5 or 6 feet for each 0.001 minutes offset in latitude or longitude. (I use 6'.) If there is an offset in both, I square the two distances, add them together and then take the square root of the sum. (Remember Pythagoras?) This all sounds like a complicated process to do on the fly, but remember, you do not have to be that acurate if you are already that close.

Thanks to Team Red Oak for the note about Maryland. Now, let's get a cache at that location to feature that monument.

OK folks, here we go. "Where Is Everybody In Tennessee?" (GCPV2K) has just gone on line and is ready to be enjoyed. Where Is Everybody In Tennessee? (GCPV2K) Luckily, the Tennessee Center Of Population monument is in a very nice municipal park and is also convenient to an interstate highway exit, so travelers can stop by and check it out. It is always an interesting situation when the cache itself controls its own location. I was also surprised to find how well received was the idea of featuring this monument by the local politico and the Board of Parks and Recreation. It was as if they just realized that they were the proud parents of something they knew very little about. This cache will prove very beneficial to geocaching, in general, in this area. Who is next? Where is everybody? Where Is Everybody In Your State?

Note To All: Have you noticed that each state has a unique and often quite creative design for their COP Monument? I think a collection of photos would also be interesting.

These caches are all good and are serving the purpose to highlight the existance of these monuments. Center Of Mass, what a great name for the cache! Maybe Groundspeak, or whoever, could give the monuments a cache designation (like they did for the Earthcache), so that cacher profiles would identify how many states one has found. Population Cache, or COP Cache

See the photos and read the adventures of Jibba-Jabba TB at Jibba-Jabba who, though not the most traveled, has had some great adventures in his 36,511 miles. He travelled with me for a while and then did a tour up east and in the mid-west, was found in a casino in Florida, and returned to the Nashville area last Christmas in time for a holiday homecoming. He has endured being lost, wild animals in the forest, hardships beyond imagination, and yet, he has still brought joy to every family he has stayed with. He is still active and well-known in several Geocaching communities. Of course I am predjudiced, but I think Jibba-Jabba is the greatest TB of all.

The idea is to find the marker. These are commemorative monuments that are unique to each location. The greater idea is for us, as responsible cachers local to the monuments, to turn them into cache locations, called "Where Is Everybody?" to raise awareness of this program so that the geocaching community in general, and the public as well, can enjoy finding them as both a fun and educational activity.

I don't think they are on private property. Here are the site selection and mark setting requirements established by ACSM. The site selection should conform to the following criteria as much as possible: 1. As close to the computed coordinate as possible 2. A "GPS-able" site (e.g., clear of obstructions 15° above the horizon) 3. Located on a publicly accessible site (e.g., town park, road right of way, etc.)

Thanks Skyman. Here is another link that lists the coordinates of the Center of Population of each state: LOCATION AND MONUMENTATION OF STATE CENTERS OF POPULATION USING GPS

To the Leprechauns: Looks like yours is off of US Hwy 22, near Newport, PA. Do you kow where that is?

I would like to encourage clubs in each state to highlight The Center of Population monument in their state by using the monument coordinates as a cache location. Because of the openess required by the NOS, most of the locations will not be suitable for a cache container, but all locations should allow an offset cache container with a log. This is an interesting program that is going on across our country, and finding these monuments can be both fun and educational. I would like to suggest that we call these the "Where Is Everybody?" series and I have initiated the series with "Where Is Everybody In Tennessee?" (GCPV2K). The Center of Population Project In a project co-sponsored by NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS), the Census Bureau, and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), many states are in the process of officially monumenting their Year 2000 Center of Population by setting commemorative markers. Most recently, Missouri, New Jersey and Washington have set and performed GPS observations of their 2000 Census Center of Population monuments. A number of states have now set such markers. In a cooperative effort, the Census Bureau provides the location of the state population centers, and NOS provides the guidelines for placement of the marker. ACSM coordinates the monument setting and observation performed by state professional surveyors. This is an excellent example of what collaboration between the private sector and Federal, state and local governement surveying and mapping professionals can achieve. It is expected that all state Center of Population sites will be included in NOAA's National Spatial Reference System, which will allow surveyors and others to utilize the markers. For additional information about The Center of Population Project, and "Where is Everybody?" for other states go to: www.ngs.noaa.gov/INFO/COP/ Happy trails, Firestone