Scenic Drive Volunteers Help Keep Scottsdale Beautiful

Posted By The Peak on Apr 15, 2019

April 15, 2019

The Greater Pinnacle Peak Association, which produces this publication, thanks Friends of the Scenic Drive, its corps of volunteers for participating in Saturday’s litter pickup. Because of the cleanup, visitors and residents can enjoy 13 miles of roadside that is clear of litter.

Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive is the northern part of Scottsdale Road from Happy Valley Road to Carefree Highway – a distance of 6 1/2 miles. Friends had two sign-in locations. The “North” location was managed by Bill Scott and the “South” location by Gina Kulp. Gina and Bill registered volunteers and provided safety vests, pickup “sticks,” and plastic trash bags. Complimentary donuts and water were also available at each sign-in location. Volunteers were able to sign-in at the location is conenient for them.

Edie Shannon, accepts award for Friends of the Scenic Drive

Accepting Governor’s Arizona Pride Award, Past President Edie Shannon thanked “..the hundreds of volunteers who have made the program so successful (2002).”

As usual, voluteers selected or were assigned specific roadside areas to cover, e.g. Jomax Road to Dynamite Blvd. Volunteer left filled bags by the side of North Scottsdale Road so the bags could be picked up by the City of Scottsdale. Volunteers included Gary Homan, Claire Powers, Peter Gill, Barbara Scheele, Betty Zimpfer, Evan Haft, John Kulp, Chris Kulp, John Kulp Jr., Don Doherty, Judy Conklin, Les Conklin and Les Conklin.

The cleanup concluded at 9:45 a.m. and volunteers joined for a few moments of fellowship and three drawings for movie theater ticket gift cards. The complimentary drawing was held at the Scenic Drive’s exhibit and monument area.

Friends of the Scenic Drive, founded in 1995,was one of the first organizations to join Scottsdale’s Adopt-A-Road program. Friends is a division of GPPA, which was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale in 1977. GPPA is a 501 C(3) nonprofit organization.

Friends/GPPA will resume litter pickups in the fall. As soon as the schedule has been approved, it will be posted in this publication. You can receive email notification by requesting our newsletter. The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive was founded by residens of Maricopa County in 1963.

Originally, the drive included sections of both Cave Creek Road and Scottsdale Road. Scottsdale residents and the City of Scottsdale have enhanced and maintain the North Scottsdale Road portion, which is referred to as Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive. The Cave Creek Road section, which has not been restored, is in Phoenix.

For information about the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, click on Scenic Drive tab or call (480) 361-6498.