Arizona Daily Sun from Flagstaff, Arizona • 36

Page A12 ARIZONA DAILY SUN, Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday, March 9, 2000 ifirrifteriiwoirdl yL, 11 XZ.KilnnXaOl Grand prize artwork from the 1999 River of Words contest. Right, The Echo of the Rocks, by Adam Hirsch, Grade 8, Martin Luther King Middle School, Berkeley, Calif. Below, Untitled, by Nicole Andrea Bunn, Grade 5, Santa Ynez Family School, Los Olivos, Calif. Photos copyright International Rivers Network, River of Words Project. Poet Robert Hass blends nature, writing and hard work to bring new awareness to all he touches like the International Rivers Network, a grassroots organization committed to protecting the integrity of watersheds and the people that depend on them.

And though his days as the official U.S. Poet Laureate have come to a close, he continues his involvement in the issues close to his heart: nature and writing. On Tuesday, March 14, Hass will participate in the Restoration Celebration and Rendezvous at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at the Glen Canyon Dam in Page. The event is sponsored by IRN with the Glen Canyon Action Network, and is intended as a celebration of river restoration. An IRN board member, Hass will appear with the likes of environmentalists David Brower, Juliette Majot and Lisa Force, as msm) I Celebration Rendezvous March 14, Carl Hayden Canyon Dam in Page.

For details, call the Network at 213-9381. given his translations and explications of Japanese haiku poetry in "The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa," which he edited. A native of California, Hass is currently a professor of English at UC Berkeley. The numerous awards he's received for his work include the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship (twice) and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1984 and 1997. Hass has published several books of poetry, as well as a book of essays on poetry titled "Twentieth Century Pleasures." He also cotranslated several works of the Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet, Czeslaw Milosz, who spoke at NAU last March during the Northern Arizona Book Festival.

In 1997, the North American Association on Environmental Education chose him as educator of the year. Clearly, Hass' work as an environmental educator is only one of the many reasons to go hear him speak at Tuesday's Restoration Celebration at Glen Canyon Dam. In participating in the event, Hass' stated goal is to help turn the 21st century into the century of restoration, rather than reclamation. Editor's note: Teachers interested in the River of Words Project can send e-mail to roxvirn.org or call (510) 848-1155. Stacy Ramsey is an NAU student with many passions, including hiking, rock climbing, reading and xyriting.

well as musician Katie Lee. Hass' work with IRN is not limited to public speaking appearances and board member duties. He also works with IRN to present River of Words, an international poetry and art contest for kids ages 5-19, founded by Hass ana co-spon-sored by him with IRN and The Library of Congress Center for. the Book. Designed to nurture respect for and understanding of the environment, the program encourages children to learn about their local watershed and to illustrate their relationship with it through art and poetry.

According to a River of Words press release, Hass believes, 'There is no reason we cannot give our kids hope, and a sense of pride, and a love of our amazing earth, and a sense of purpose, and we need to begin now. River of Words is the seed of a place to start." The program has been a success because IRN and Hass recognized that the first step was to educate teachers about the program. A curriculum guide was created by a group of environmentalists, educators, and artists including Hass, Peter Berg and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder. The guide helps teachers integrate I Restoration Noon, Tuesday, Visitor Center, Glen Admission is free. Glen Canyon Action By Stacy Ramsey Flare Writer Robert Hass is not only an accomplished poet and environmental educator, he's an innovative guy.

During his term as Poet-Laureate of the United States from 1995-97, Hass redefined what the job entailed. His tireless work to promote literacy and environmental awareness in this country extended the position from a post of reflection to a launch pad for action. In addition to his involvement in conferences like Watershed where writers and environmentalists come together to teach inner-city kids about nature writing Hass' grasp of the essential importance of the natural world has led him to develop close ties with groups REPAIR From Page All the study of language and visual arts with the study of science and nature. It includes watershed maps, poems, an annotated bibliography, tips on teaching, entry forms for the annual contest and suggestions for classroom activities. In addition, ROW will provide teachers with information on whatever watershed is closest to their school as a means of educating chil- their local environments and the issues surrounding them.

If enough interest is generated in a single community, ROW will conduct a workshop for educators in the area. Part of what makes the ROW program unique is its interdisciplinary approach. Hass believes neither science nor art is an adequate path leading to environmental awareness. He says, "We need both things a living knowledge of the land and a five imagination of it and our j)lace in it if we are going to preserve it. Good science and a vital art and, in the long run, wisdom." Throughout his career, Hass has looked to the land as a source of inspiration for his poetry.

His work also seems to incorporate Buddhist notions of balance, which is unsurprising Country radio They typify country radio comedy, but alas, all things must pass. After five and a half years and more than 1,450 times on the air together, the 92.9 FM KAFF radio duo of Chris Halstead and Stan Pierce will be no more after their show, 6 to 10 a.m., Friday, March 10. Pierce has accepted a job at the local TV station, Channel 2. In addition to to affecting country music listeners duo split throughout the northland, the change will also affect the duo, who, after their many years together feel more like family than co-workers. "It's like getting a divorce," said Halstead.

"I will miss Chris and the listeners most of all," said Pierce. A replacement for Pierce has yet to be selected. Cheryl Hinshaw struments they work on. "They're going to know it's that person's baby, where soul is coming out," he said. "You're always gonna want to treat that as sacred.

It feels good to have someone trust you with their baby, work on it with care and be very knowledgeable." What is the most expensive guitar he's worked on? It was a Paul Reed Smith guitar (like the one Santana plays), guitars with values ranging from $1,500 to $6,000. EBG's also carries insurance for theft and fire. To schedule repair work with Edwards, call 774-2362. bluesman Ray Rossi, aka Delta Blues. Because local musicians come to him, he likes doing the best ossible work he can for them, ut there's more.

"When I watch a customer go out the door and they're happy, that makes me happy. When they leave here with a smile and you know they're gonna come back, that's the greatest satisfaction," said Edwards. "My other favorite part is that I get to play all the guitars that come into the shop." Edwards, a musician who plays bass in the local band Universalia Jane, agrees that it is critical that repair techs be able to play the in- son's and the Cudas'. When he charges an hourly rate, it's $40 an hour plus parts and strings. Usually, he will charge per job and give an estimate before the customer leaves the shop.

If it turns out he goes over his estimate and the job costs more, Edwards will stick with the original estimate. It is this dedication to the job that brings many local musicians to Edwards. Among locals he does work for are the bands Red Balloon, Universalia Jane, and wf-f-w.