For our Lake Powell Fridays section:
April 25th is the 28th Annual Page Attacks Trash in Page, Arizona.
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Details 2009 Page Attacks Trash
When: April 25, 2009
Time: 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Pick up Trash
10:30 a.m. Give Out T-Shirts
11:30 a.m. Lunch
Where: Come to the Townhouse on North Navajo Drive for clean up assignments
Lunch: Bring your t-shirt for the free lunch
History of Page Attacks Trash:
· In 1980, Jim Popovich, a Glen Canyon National Recreation Area interpreter, came to Jerry Jones, Navajo Generating Station public affairs representative, to propose the idea to establish a partnership between NGS, the City of Page, the National Park Service, and later the Navajo Nation for a community clean-up.
· In the spring of 1981, the program began as a one-day community wide clean-up effort. It started with 1,200 volunteers and steadily grew.
· By 1986, more than 5,000 people joined hands to attack the litter problem. Volunteers collected 212 tons of trash in Page and nearby Navajo communities.
· NGS extended similar efforts with the LeChee Chapter, in conjunction with Earth Day.
· In 1986, Page Attacks Trash received a first place award in the 1986 “Take Pride in Arizona” campaign founded by U.S. Secretary of Interior Donald Hodel.
· In 1987, the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors praised the clean-up program in a national report to the President of the United States.
Points of Interest Page Attacks Trash:
· Iron Eyes Cody, a figure head for the “Keep America Beautiful” campaign participated with the open ceremonies by giving the Walk in Beauty prayer in American Indian sign language.
· Senator John McCain with wife, Cindy McCain, also visited Page to participate with Page Attacks Trash.
· The Navajo communities near Page have diligently increased their participation each year with their own community clean-up efforts.
· Page Attacks Trash maintains a presence to teach our children about protecting the beauty and harmony of our vistas, community, plants and animals from the spoilage of litter.
· The anti-litter campaigns of the 1950’s, a messy cartoon insect taught children, “Don’t be a Litterbug”; 1970’s jaunty Woodsy Owl, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute!”; and from 1971, the most famous tear-stained Indian’s message “People start pollution, people can stop it”, are long gone.
