Our View: Hats off to Candi Zion and recycle volunteers

Seven years ago, Candi Zion sat at a small table not far from where Havre Pride was holding its twice-a-year Havre cleanup program.

She looked a bit lonely.

It wasn’t quite clear to many people just what she was doing there. She had to explain, she was holding a recycle drive. People could bring newspaper or bottles to recycle.

A new group named Recycle Hi-Line had just been formed, and its goal was to encourage people to recycle items.

It was an uphill fight, but little by little the idea of recycling caught on on the Hi-Line.

Nowadays, there are crowds at the monthly recycling drives held at Pacific Steel and Recycling. People have to line up to get rid of their recyclable items. More people are realizing the importance to the environment and to the area landfill of recycling items.

Recycle Hi-Line has also been very active in encouraging Earth Day programs and in teaching young people why they should join in recycling projects.

Lots of people were involved in Recycle Hi-Line, but Zion, as the chair, provided the umph and enthusiasm that got the program off the ground.

After seven years, Zion has resigned as chair and has moved to Fergus County.

Zion built a solid team, and her departure has been very smooth. Operations are going very smoothly under her successor Wanda Meredith. The monthly recycle drives are continuing as they always have.

But Zion’s departure offers us and the Havre community two opportunities.

First, we extend our sincere thanks for Zion and the work she did over the last seven years in building Recycle Hi-Line from the ground up.

It was great work for a great cause.

And second, people can join in and help do at least some of the work that Zion did over the years.

People interested in volunteering can show up at the monthly meeting, or help do some of the work at the monthly recycling drives, both of which are announced in the Havre Daily News About Town section, page 3.