[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 13, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO A.L. SINCLAIR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 13, 2015

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
long-time friend and leader in southern and eastern Kentucky, Mr. A.L. 
Sinclair, upon his retirement from the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE Board of 
Directors.
   In 1997, A.L. participated in a historic meeting at the Hazard 
Community and Technical College during which southern and eastern 
Kentucky's local elected officials joined forces to combat our region's 
troubles with pollution and illegal dumps. The late General James 
Bickford, former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and 
Environmental Protection Cabinet, and I presented a battle plan to the 
group, declaring ``war against pollution'' in our beautiful region. 
Together, we launched the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE organization to 
promote ``Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment'' and A.L. 
immediately became a general in the war.
   Since then, A.L. has volunteered as his hometown, Adair County's 
PRIDE Coordinator and a member of the regional PRIDE Board of Directors 
that now serves 42 counties.
   A.L.'s passion for cleaning up our Appalachian hillsides and streams 
was truly driven by his many years of dedicated work with the U.S. 
Forest Service, and his tireless efforts as Adair County's Solid Waste 
Coordinator. He went above and beyond the call of duty, spearheading a 
variety of cleanup activities, including roadside dump cleanups, tire 
amnesty programs, white-goods buy-back opportunities and free tipping 
at the transfer station. Almost daily, he foraged the hillsides for 
illegal dumpsites and acted quickly to get them cleaned up and pushed 
for accountability and justice for those who marred our cherished land.
   Due to A.L.'s deep pride in our region and courageous efforts to 
educate students, community leaders and families in southern and 
eastern Kentucky, he has been recognized with several prestigious 
awards, including the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission's Earth 
Day Award and PRIDE's Rogers-Bickford Environmental Leadership Award.
   A.L. has inspired an entire generation to take pride in our region 
by keeping our hillsides and waterways clean, by creating innovative 
energy-saving projects in our schools, and bringing access to clean 
water and sanitary sewer to thousands of families over the last two 
decades.
   ``Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never 
the result of selfishness.'' Those words, written by Napoleon Hill, a 
motivational American author, define A.L.'s heart of service and 
commitment to work for a better future in our region.
   I ask my colleagues to join me applauding the diligent work this 
great advocate for a cleaner, more beautiful place in America. We 
deeply appreciate A.L. Sinclair and he will be greatly missed, but his 
torch will be carried forward by the thousands of PRIDE volunteers who 
have joined the mission across southern and eastern Kentucky.

                          ____________________