Folksville USA joined forces with a high school Utah Folksville USA litter lifter

Sedona AZ (October 2, 2013) – The following is an open letter to the SedonaEye.com editor addressed to Camp Verde Town Manager Russ Martin from Gary Chamberlain, Folksville USA. Chamberlain acknowledged the Town of Camp Verde under the management of Martin for its support of FUSA programs and anti litter events during its October 2, 2013 Town Council Meeting.

Chamberlain prefaced his Camp Verde address saying, “I truly believe Camp Verde could be the leaders in a statewide anti-litter campaign. City of Sedona Mayor Rob Adams and City Manager Tim Ernster have been very supportive of our FVUSA efforts and FUSA received an award from the City of Sedona. Good luck with your combined efforts:”

Will Camp Verde lead the effort?

1) Will Camp Verde lead the way to restore the beauty to “America & Verde Valley the Beautiful”? I believe they can and this is why they are being presented a turn-over package of information including the Adopt-A-Highway contact information for many Adopt-A-Highway groups in our area. The e-files on these documents were provided to the Town Manager Russ Martin and through his leadership, this can be done.

Folksville USA RVRE kids pitch in to clean Arizona highways

2) The Trash on our highways and in our communities are symptoms of much larger social issues that includes lack of pride and respect for self, family, community and country. Is OUR Country, America, worth defending? Just consider the lack of respect by students and parents shown at sporting events during the playing of our National Anthem. The breakdown of the American family and the decline of moral and ethnic values are now destroying our country from within. Many of our citizens are now the enemy of our country and they don’t even know or care about the consequences of their behavior. We will self destruct if the responsible citizens don’t defend what has been given to them by those before them.

3) Russ Martin and the Town Council recognized many of the Adopt-A-Highway groups for their 2012 efforts and this recognition effort should continue out of respect for those that pick up highway litter. Russ Martin has already come up with a process to recognize each Adopt-A-Highway group based on their cleanup frequency (Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Lead) and based on the official ADOT Adopt-A-Highway “Frequency Reports.” Recognizing others based on their efforts is critical and beneficial to Camp Verde.

4) Create a Verde Valley & Arizona “Declaration Proclamation”. The Town officials of Camp Verde have an opportunity to invite other town leaders to participate in this recognition effort and if they choose not to, then Camp Verde could invite all Verde Valley Adopt-A-Highway groups in the Verde Valley area to join the Town of Camp Verde effort. Strength in numbers!

Original AZ Road Warriors launched anti litter campaign to bring awareness that ADOT was not fulfilling its tax funded litter clean up program

5) Camp Verde could invite residents of the Verde Valley to assist all of the Verde Valley Adopt-A-Highway groups by placing an invitation in the local papers, radio and television for litter events being conducted on the third Saturday of February, May, August and November.

6) If the Camp Verde employees would consider adopting the one-mile section of the Arizona Veterans Highway (I-17) north of Highway 260 then the residents of Camp Verde might be more willing to help with anti-littering events, activities, etc …… Lead from the front! Lead by example as a public servant and a resident.

7) If Kentucky can have a 400 mile long “garage sale” then why couldn’t Camp Verde lead the charge on a similar activity for consecutive highway cleanup miles? Set a “Guinness Book of World Records? 50/50/50. Start an effort to establish and connect 5o Adopt-A-Highway groups to 50 consecutive miles of highway and eventually connecting to 50 states.

8) Establish a location in downtown where 6-8 old vehicles could be made available so tourists and residents could spray paint them to their delight …. Fun … fun … fun for children and adults alike. This may bring tourists to the downtown area businesses, restaurants, etc.

9) Vietnam story …. Why I care and why you should care. Do American’s care enough to honor the Armed Forces men and women have paid for this country with their skin-in-the-game? Get the students of the schools to interview your community veterans. Establish a location in the town to post these interviews and the stories of your local veterans and tell their stories. Make these stories accessible to residents and tourists by getting local businesses to provide display space on their walls for photos and stories.

Sedona AZ Verde Valley School students joined Folksville USA

10) Camp Verde by virtue of its name, military history, Cavalry reenactment members, residents that are veterans has the potential to attract tourists. Kokomo Indiana attracts 5,000 Vietnam veterans every year, why can’t Camp Verde be the Kokomo of Arizona?

(http://www.vva310.org/index.php/events/kokomo).

Branson MO honors veterans and attracts tourists with their families from all over the world, could Camp Verde offer the same attraction to tourists?

11) After November 16, 2013, I along with a core group of folks will be promoting “America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs” on a National level and we will no longer be promoting any coordinated highway cleanup activities and we would like to share your future success stories with the nation.

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