Aerial photographer David Roy
Cottonwood AZ (February 19, 2012) – It is said that pictures are worth a thousand words.
Pictured is the February 18, 2012 “Leap Frog Two” Arizona highways litter clean up event organized by Folksville USA mayor, Gary Chamberlain, and a dedicated band of fellow Verde Valley anti-litter road warriors.
Folksville USA and the road warriors were joined by Arizona Department of Transportation permittees, local elected officials, Boy Scouts, Verde Valley clubs and organizations, businesses, and citizen volunteers.
The national restore beauty to American highways began with an initiative by Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson during LBJ’s presidency in the 1960s, and was revived in Arizona as a peoples movement led by a small group of dedicated Arizonans to reclaim the beauty of its highways and communities in the new millennium.
AZ highway litter
The Arizonans, led by Gary Chamberlain of Cottonwood, a decorated Vietnam veteran, are beginning to receive local and national attention for the aptly named, Folksville USA, volunteer effort to clean up local highways and byways.
The “Leap Frog Two” photographs are the property of Prescott Arizona aerial photographer Dave Roy, aircraft piloted by John “JJ” Johnson.
The Sedona Eye thanks Dave Roy and JJ Johnson for the use of the photos.
David Roy, aerial photographer
David Roy, aerial photographer
Adrian Dean likes this story via Facebook.
Hello readers of the Sedona Eye , great news sharing , my name is Litter King, King Of National Creative Anti Litter Marketing Programs, Strategies and Solutions (Canada), solutions such as the great work being produced in Arizona by my new Litter King friends Gary Chamberlain and all his litter clean up warriors !
I would like to share my opinion ( that any state or Country is only as good as the people who live in it and the individual efforts that make the state or Country as good as she can be ), always remember you have a choice of being a society problem or society solution ! It takes so little effort to hang on to your disposables until you reach a trash bin, don’t litter the Country you claim to love!
As you may be aware Mr Gary Chamberlain has volutarily stepped up as a Patriotic Citizen to be your voice to help keep Arizona Highways and otherwise proud & clean, it is important that you stand tall & proud with Mr Chamberlain as
keeping a large state like Arizona clean can not be accomplshed by one man and a small army of patriotic litter clean up warriors.
If you can’t be present during a litter clean up event ( this is understandable ) maybe perhaps write a support letter or throw a barbeque or a prize for the efforts being made on your behalf, do something, as this will help keep the
movement to have Arizona highways and environments clean and proud !
Congrats to all the people involved in helping out to keep Arizona free of litter, may the growth of participation grow daily , more environmental caring angles are in need ! Sincerely, Litter King
Dear Sedona EYE,
Folksville USA & Litter King destroying America’s bug (litter) infestation! I became aware of the Litter King (KING) about a month ago when he contacted me through the SedonaEYE.com (nothing escapes the EYE).
I have received many emails from the King, had many phone conversations with him and have learned much from him on issues that I have been curious about for several years regarding highway litter. One of those things is, “Why are there so few states that have deposits on beverage containers?”
Take a look at your favorite beverage bottle and see if your states name is on the label. A large number of items in the highway trash that we pick up are beverage containers! Being from Oregon where the bottle bill was implemented, tossed beverage containers are rare compared to dumpy Arizona where I now live.
Now the King may be a fraud but in my opinion, he is genuine and factual, so I’m suggesting that the SedonaEYE let the King present his positions on littering, recycling, bottle deposits, etc. and we as individuals make our own decisions as to his authenticity.
The King has some strong opinions on why corporations do few if any anti-littering or recycling promotions, advertising or education events. As our population grows and so does our problem with beverage containers, fast-food items, cigarettes and their packaging, etc. what will we do? What will the businesses who are associated with these tossed products do? We better find a way to slow down littering before it becomes a problem too big to solve.
What I will say about the King is this, if he is correct about Keep America Beautiful and the “Crying Indian” campaigns, we all need to wake up and I’ll be the first to applaud his efforts and feel a bit betrayed by those who may be pretending to be pro-recycling and sustainability organizations.
In a new world economy, we all need to be asking the question, “why aren’t tourists, new home buyers, new renters and new businesses moving to my community?” The answer may be what I call the “Broken highway theory” which describes how the cancerous highway trash we allow to come into our communities is quietly killing our community.
The “broken highway theory” is the same as the proven “Broken Window Theory” which discusses what happens when one house in a neighborhood falls into disrepair and attracts all of the issues that most of us wouldn’t wish to live near.
Working together on litter we all can make a difference and by doing nothing we will get what we deserve.
Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
Restoring the beauty to America and
Honoring our Armed Forces men & women
David (Folksville USA) vs. Goliath (ADOT Adopt-A-Highway)
Dear Sedona Eye readers,
Have you have ever noticed or wondered why the “blue” ADOT Adopt-A-Highway bags of trash have been left out on the highway for 7-10 days in the Sedona, Cottonwood and Camp Verde area for over two years?
Why have these blue bags of trash just been left on 15 miles of Scenic Highway 89A and 15 miles of Highway 260 before they magically disappear?
Where do these bags go? Who picks these bags up? What happens to the contents?
Please submit your answers to these questions. There is more to this story but that will come after you voice your opinion to this question.
Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
Restoring the beauty to America and
Honoring our Armed Forces men & women
In responce to PointMan FVUSA Gary Chamberlain’s comments pertaining to my position on litter proliferation destroying Americas National Image & Environment daily, I thank you Mr Chamberlain for adding me to the mix of anti litter message marketing to all caring citizens of America !
There is a solution to stop or at least greatly reduce littering in America, it’s called create social voice and put in place the right justful anti litter recipe to rid litter ! The National recipe to reduce litter in America will take one part recycling, one part corporate / private joint sponsoring of creative new national marketing steady year round, prize incentives to drive public participation creating social voice, and of course anti litter educational reminder systems all across America !
It can be said & proven, we have reduced drinking – driving, seat belts are 90 % used, helmets are usually worn, drug awareness is marketed daily, if we can campaign successfully campaign nationally to accomlish helping all those issues and more, we should have no reason to believe we can’t successfully reduce litter by large margins, it’s just a matter of all us teaming up to get the marketing in place ! If you (the reader) has marketing skills or friends that do social media marketing, here is your opportunity to help the America you love !
Sincerely, Litter King (Canada)
hey we saw the blue bags. those blue bags were more noticeable to us on our way back from page springs than all the trash that must’ve been blowing around before being stuffed inside. thanks to the people that picked up trash. we got our subscription and like what we’re reading. nice people out there helping others. THANKS to them all.
Dear Jason,
Sincerely thanks for noticing and posting your comments about the blue bags and trash.
Here’s our choices as I see it……
In 2009 ADOT didn’t mow our targeted 30 miles of highway and only 25% of the ADOT AAH Permittee’s were honoring their obligation to clean up 3X per year and 4x on Scenic Highways.
By 2011, 86.6% of the 15 ADOT AAH Permitte’s on Scenic Highway 89A cleaned their one-sections between Cottonwood and Sedona at least 3X per year and some 4X and 65% on Highway 260 met the 3x per year obligation.
Between 2010 and 2011 ADOT mowed the highway shoulders and medians on Highway 260 between Cottonwood and Camp Verde and Scenic Highway 89A between Cottonwood and Sedona. This mowing made it safer to pick up trash and more desireable to do so during snake season. Hey, you could even see the road signs and safety reflectors.
There has been some grumbling over leaving the bags out for 7-10 days but when we explain that it’s a educational opportunity for the public and a chance to show how much crap is out there it seems to make a difference to those being critical.
For over 2 years we have displaying the bags and the Reese & Son’s Tire and Tire Pro Automotive have picked them up and taken them to Rusty’s Morningstar Ranch for recycling. There is a new hardnosed ADOT employee who has taken exception to the bags being left out and ADOT picked up all 209 bags and took the to the landfill with no recycling nor reuse of the litter bags as we have been doing.
I’m not aiming my comments at you but most people who complain about how things are being done have never picked up one piece of highway trash, they see to have lots of lip and no legs and arms.
I’m one of the advocates for leaving the bags out and mowing the highways because we’ve seen a big improvement in trash reduction.
If ADOT doesn’t allow our bags to be left out for at least 7 days then I will personally hand the responsibility of inspiring all 30 ADOT AAH Permittee’s on these two highways over to the 2009 folks who fell far short on doing ther job managing the program …. that would be ADOT.
Our next litter recovery will be May 19, 2012… Hope to see you out there…. we actually have fun.
Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
HI THERE ARIZONANS,
WE DROVE TO/FROM PRESCOTT VALLEY/CAMP VERDE YESTERDAY UP & DOWN I17 (169 & 69) TO PV & SAW BLUE BAGS IN A MILE SECTION ON 69.
WE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE ALL ABOUT BECAUSE WE READ ABOUT IT IN YOUR NEWS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO ORDER A CLEAN UP ON I17 SOUTH OF CAMP VERDE ENTRANCE RAMP. ONE WHOLE TREE WAS COVERED IN PAPER. STUFF WAS DUMPED BESIDE THE ROAD. ONE WAS SCARY BECAUSE IT COULD’VE BEEN A DEAD ANIMAL OR PERSON BUT WAS A MATTRESS AND RED BLANKET. A GOOD AREA FOR THE NEXT CLEAN UP?
ANDY AND MIRIAM, PRESCOTT VALLEY (WISCONSIN SNOWBIRDS) (WE WENT TO CC CASINO FOR DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN SEDONA SHADOWS)
Dear Andy & Miriam,
The I-17 (Arizona Veterans Highway), the I-40 (Arizona Purple Heart Highway) and the I-10 should be an embarrassment to all residents of Arizona.
We are currently in a huge battle with ADOT Adopt-A-Highway managers who are not allowing those groups who pick up the trash to leave the bags on display for 7 days.
This display of blue bags raises the awareness of the amount of trash, and acknowledges those who actually make a attempt to keep their one-mile sections picked up. Plus it honors their commitment to the ADOT Adopt-A-Highway program and the tax payers who fund the program!
You may want to contact Don Cassano (ADOT). Don is the newly appointed Ombudsman at (602) 712-4371 office or (602) 377-3450 cell and is responsible for the ADOT Adopt-A-Highway program issues.
After over 2 years of Folksville USA being allowed to display the blue bags which have been a welcomed sight for most of the Verde Valley residents, and now our Dewey, Prescott Valley, and Prescott folks who identify with the Folksville USA restore the beauty effort, why is ADOT throwing water on a successful approach that has gotten results?
Is it because ADOT has failed to motivate people associated with the Adopt-A-Highway program?
Did I mention that Folksville USA picks the bags up after 7 days and extracts all recyclables? Did I mention that FVUSA reclaims and reuses the blue bags?
ADOT takes the trash and bags to the landfill!
Writing editorials to local newspapers helps us get our message out that we don’t want highway trash and we want the state employees who manage the ADOT-AAH program to get the results that we taxpayers, who fund this program, deserve.
You may want to read more about FV USA through the Sedona “EYE” and consider calling me for more information. We need the public to support our efforts to reduce highway trash, not continue throwing more people and cash at the problem.
Education and awareness are musts!
Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
(928) 202-1186
Dear Dan,
Got to the post office yesterday and received your $50 to the “$10 per bag effort”. In the next 30 days I hope to send out a statement as to the number of bags of trash removed from our highways by my two hands under this $10 per bag effort.
We’ve got people talking about the trash on the highway and I’m starting to see a difference.
Awareness does make a difference, the more we discuss this issue with others, the greater our chances of reducing this trend to trash our state.
Thanks again
Gary Chamberlain
folksvilleusa@gmail.com
PS: Fort Bliss TX and FVUSA have been partnering on highway litter issues for over a year and they are now working on a plan which is close to being official and that is to have 10,000 men and women from Fort Bliss do a one-day highway litter clean up…. yes 10,000 is the number …will keep you and all interested parties informed when this is OFFICIAL.
Hi to all you litter awareness folks I wanted to add – i was driving on a main highway here in Ga and saw young teens out with vests on cleaning up a portion of a main Highway – boy was it nice to see other than the inmates – litter is all our problems, we have gotten to use to putting it off on the inmates in the county jails – it’s all our problem. I just wanted to share keep up the litter clean up with positive efforts …