January 9, 2021
Happy Belated New Year! Let's hope for good things for the world in the coming years. We finished out 2020 on a high note. Our very scaled back fundraiser for people in need was more successful than we hoped for. With 19 volunteers instead of 50+, with many fewer hours, and fewer days, we raised almost $8,000 at City Market.
Those funds, plus private donations, plus a little cushion we have in the Emergency Needs Fund checking account, will enable us to help folks throughout 2021....we hope!
If every month is like December 2020, we're in trouble. We spent about $7,226 on a variety of urgent needs, much of it for rent and emergency lodging. Throw in utilities, food, medicine, gas, transportation for stranded travelers, and a miscellenous item or two, and it adds up. That is the most we have ever spent since I started doing this in 2010,
I think the stimulus checks, rent assistance programs, and other funds being released from the government through the states will help the local population a lot.
This is our thank you ad to the community and to our volunteers!
Happy Belated New Year! Let's hope for good things for the world in the coming years. We finished out 2020 on a high note. Our very scaled back fundraiser for people in need was more successful than we hoped for. With 19 volunteers instead of 50+, with many fewer hours, and fewer days, we raised almost $8,000 at City Market.
Those funds, plus private donations, plus a little cushion we have in the Emergency Needs Fund checking account, will enable us to help folks throughout 2021....we hope!
If every month is like December 2020, we're in trouble. We spent about $7,226 on a variety of urgent needs, much of it for rent and emergency lodging. Throw in utilities, food, medicine, gas, transportation for stranded travelers, and a miscellenous item or two, and it adds up. That is the most we have ever spent since I started doing this in 2010,
I think the stimulus checks, rent assistance programs, and other funds being released from the government through the states will help the local population a lot.
This is our thank you ad to the community and to our volunteers!
Check out this great photo and caption, in the Moab Sun News, of one of our volunteers, Liz Ballenger, on the last day of our fundraiser.
I was honored to receive the Thomas A. Martin Individual Recycler of the Year award. (See photo of the award below.) I was in very good company. Read the entire press release here to see what places like Intermountain Health Care and Deer Valley Resort are doing. Our own Community Recycle Center was awarded Local Government Recycler of the year. See article from the Moab Sun News here.
Individual: Sara Melnicoff, Moab Utah
Sara Melnicoff’s dedication towards active environmental stewardship through the non-profit organization, Moab Solutions, has brought countless benefits to the residents and businesses of Moab, Utah. Sara’s dedication to recycling is evident in her daily travels throughout the Moab community collecting recycling from private businesses and local non-profits for free. Sara takes the material she collects daily and delivers the (source-separated recyclables) to the Moab Community Recycle Center (CRC).
Sara does not accept payment for her services. In fact, the local Food Coop Moonflower Market, provides Sara with a monthly gift card for her services and the local newspaper provides discounted advertising; all of which she then donates to the local Solid Waste District to promote the Community Recycling Center and other sustainability initiatives. Sara’s long-term commitment, passion, and advocacy for the local CRC is admired and deeply appreciated by many in the community. By following her philosophy of zero-waste activism, the rural community of Grand County will continue to achieve a thriving environment for future generations. It is people like Sara who are committed to recycling that make a difference through their actions in our communities.
Brad Mertz, RCU Executive Director had this to say about Sara, “Sara Melnicoff is an inspiration. Not only does she believe in being a steward of the environment, she is an example of going above and beyond in her daily collections of recycleables, all of which she does for free. When she is offered gifts or recognition as a thank you, she thinks of others by using those tools to promote recycling even more. Sara is the kind of person who reflects positively on our industry and is well deserving of the Thomas A. Martin, Utah Recycler of the Year Award!”
Individual: Sara Melnicoff, Moab Utah
Sara Melnicoff’s dedication towards active environmental stewardship through the non-profit organization, Moab Solutions, has brought countless benefits to the residents and businesses of Moab, Utah. Sara’s dedication to recycling is evident in her daily travels throughout the Moab community collecting recycling from private businesses and local non-profits for free. Sara takes the material she collects daily and delivers the (source-separated recyclables) to the Moab Community Recycle Center (CRC).
Sara does not accept payment for her services. In fact, the local Food Coop Moonflower Market, provides Sara with a monthly gift card for her services and the local newspaper provides discounted advertising; all of which she then donates to the local Solid Waste District to promote the Community Recycling Center and other sustainability initiatives. Sara’s long-term commitment, passion, and advocacy for the local CRC is admired and deeply appreciated by many in the community. By following her philosophy of zero-waste activism, the rural community of Grand County will continue to achieve a thriving environment for future generations. It is people like Sara who are committed to recycling that make a difference through their actions in our communities.
Brad Mertz, RCU Executive Director had this to say about Sara, “Sara Melnicoff is an inspiration. Not only does she believe in being a steward of the environment, she is an example of going above and beyond in her daily collections of recycleables, all of which she does for free. When she is offered gifts or recognition as a thank you, she thinks of others by using those tools to promote recycling even more. Sara is the kind of person who reflects positively on our industry and is well deserving of the Thomas A. Martin, Utah Recycler of the Year Award!”
December 14, 2020
12/21/2020 This is the latest entry I have ever made! There has been a lot of activity around our fundraising efforts at City Market, and for many days we had call after call after call for assistance. So besides the latest entry, it will be the shortest!
We love Moab and the way the community steps up to help those in need. We are getting lots of private donations and lots of public donations at our City Market table, which we only have out a few days a week. Covid precautions. We want to keep our volunteers and the public safe.
12/21/2020 This is the latest entry I have ever made! There has been a lot of activity around our fundraising efforts at City Market, and for many days we had call after call after call for assistance. So besides the latest entry, it will be the shortest!
We love Moab and the way the community steps up to help those in need. We are getting lots of private donations and lots of public donations at our City Market table, which we only have out a few days a week. Covid precautions. We want to keep our volunteers and the public safe.
I was honored to receive this award and will have more to say about it soon!
We had a mini work party in the canyon on September 1st, 2020. Sandy Freethey, trail worker extraordinaire, met me and Sam to help us maintain a trail and block some user made trails. That tumble is almost as big as Sandy!
Sandy Freethey with a tumbleweed used to block a user made trail.
Tragic Update on the BSPark.....
Well, despite all of our efforts, including an offer to redo the grading plan by a licensed grading contractor and permaculture expert, the original horrible plans went ahead and it is a huge disaster. Protected trees are being irreparably harmed, and the entire area desecrated. And we ask, FOR WHAT?
I have not been able to go anywhere near that area, nor look at photos. I am heartbroken and very disappointed with the city, for allowing this to take place. Let's not have a repeat!
Well, despite all of our efforts, including an offer to redo the grading plan by a licensed grading contractor and permaculture expert, the original horrible plans went ahead and it is a huge disaster. Protected trees are being irreparably harmed, and the entire area desecrated. And we ask, FOR WHAT?
I have not been able to go anywhere near that area, nor look at photos. I am heartbroken and very disappointed with the city, for allowing this to take place. Let's not have a repeat!
Don't destroy this!
We lost another great one. Dean Nebergall, pictured here with Breezy, (with Carol Hoggard - who passed away 7/5/19 - in the background), passed away on 12/6/19. One of the kindest humans to walk the earth, we send love unending to Dean and to those who love him.