PAGE – The Northern Arizona Region Re- Employment Center held its grand opening at the NGS PERA Club Aug. 14. Event speakers included Page Mayor Levi Tappan, U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran and Coconino County District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler. Salt River Project, the NGS PERA Club and 16 organizations invited members of the community to attend.

With speakers and numerous information tables, the purpose was to educate citizens about the center’s extensive re-employment services, career training and certification programs, resume writing, educational opportunities, internships, on-the-job training opportunities, in-demand career training and assistance with tuition, books, tools and professional attire, and job-seeker assistance by several community organizations.

Page Mayor Levi Tappan, who was raised in Page, talked about the deep connection and dependency Page has had with the Navajo Generating Station and Salt River Project. Tappan highlighted SRP contributions to the area over the years, including “$6.5 million delivered annually through special taxing districts.”

Along with SRP, the U.S. Bureau of Land Reclamation, is part owner of NGS. O’Halleran discussed the federal responsibility to help the area adjust to the impact created by the plant and mine closings. O’Halleran said, “We’re going to try to address that in a bill that’s going through congress, probably in September. We’re going to try to get some relief and job training dollars going forward, and some relief for our educational system, and our cities, towns and counties.”

Fowler spoke first in Navajo, then in English at the event. Many attendees were Navajo. Fowler discussed the how the plant and mine closing took regional leaders by surprise. They knew the plant would close but were originally led to believe it wouldn’t hap­pen until 2044. Fowler also emphasized the importance of education and its rela­tion to local workforce and economic de­velopment, and how losing NGS affects the census data, which determines how federal funds are distributed.