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People doing service with tools and trash bags. Many are wearing work gloves.

With the National Day of Service right around the corner, it is time to get our shovels and gloves ready to improve our local communities along Highway 12. The National Day of Service has been set aside as a time to memorialize those who lost their lives on 9-11 in New York City, and to galvanize our commitment to making our homeland the best it can be. With Highway 12 designated as one of the top 10 scenic highways in the USA, our goal is to rekindle the spirit of unity and service for all citizens and tourists.

Each community along the Highway 12 corridor plans to participate by customizing the service they will be doing on Saturday, September 9. Please arrive prepared with gloves, a water bottle, shovels, and rakes. Please have your name on your tools. A hamburger and potato salad lunch from the LDS church with root beer floats provided by the Prevention Coalition will be served at noon in each community. See their individual paragraphs for lunch locations. 

Starting with Boulder on the east, they will begin at 8:00 am at the LDS church pavilion, serving cinnamon rolls and orange juice while organizing groups to prune the food forest in the town park, clean out the Free Box, clean the cemetery and provide service to specific individuals. Lunch will be at the LDS pavilion. Contact Jeff Sanders 435.263.2060 with questions.

Escalante citizens will meet at the Heritage Park pavilion at 7:00 am grabbing cinnamon rolls and orange juice before heading to clean up trash on the Little Desert, paint the curbs red, and trim and remove trees on city property and along the highway. Others will clean up the town park in preparation for the Escalante Arts Festival starting the following week. The city will provide some paint and rollers, but if you are planning to paint the curbs, please take an old paint tray and roller if you have one. Lunch will be at the Escalante Heritage Park. Contact Karen Munson 435.231.2231 or Royce Orme 435.314.7839 with questions.

Henrieville will begin their day with a pancake breakfast at their town park sponsored by the mayor starting at 8:00 am before cleaning up the town cemetery. Lunch will be at the Henrieville Town Park. Contact Ray Overson 385.223.2327 with questions.

Continuing west to Cannonville, they plan to clean the curbs, gutters, and sidewalks on town streets and Kodachrome Road leading to Kodachrome State Park. Different organizations will work on their own section. Show up at the Cannonville Town Park at 7 am to be assigned a group to work with. Lunch will be at the Cannonville Town Park. Contact Jeanee Shakespeare 435.616.1659 with questions.

Tropic is focusing on individual needs, helping remove old appliances, yard debris, etc. from the homes of senior citizens and single women. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get involved in helping their neighbors in need. Everyone wanting to participate can meet at the town park at 7 am. Lunch will be served at the Tropic Town Heritage Center at noon.

Thank you in advance for your support and service to unify our citizens and beautify our communities.

by Karen Munson

Feature image courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.