PROGRESS 19

PROGRESS REPORT NO. 19
(SEPTEMBER 4, 2000)

In August, we had 33,360 visits to our web site. Some have suggested that we start selling advertising space. Any takers?

CCWF volunteers have completed the following tasks since the time of our last progress report.

	On August 22, we had Coal Creek Discovery Day 2000 at Briceville Elementary School. What a day! Congressman Wamp, Channel 10 News (Live at Five), and more. Details can be found at www.coalcreekaml.com/DiscoveryDay2000.htm on our web site. Newspaper articles and photographs can be found at www.coalcreekaml.com/WampAnderson82700.htm, www.coalcreekaml.com/ClintonCourierWamp8-23-00.htm, www.coalcreekaml.com/courier82700.htm, and www.coalcreekaml.com/lafollette82400.htm . How many events get commemorated in song like Discovery Day did, courtesy of Rev. Roy Daugherty at www.coalcreekaml.com/BricevilleSong.htm ?
	On August 23, Dr. Charlie Faulkner, UT Professor of Anthropology, toured the monster trash dump in Tennessee Hollow, shown at www.coalcreekaml.com/images/dead18.JPG . He provided advice on our planned dump removal as part of an event we are coordinating with the Gore 2000 staff. His first professional assessment was "WOW". We discussed moving the upper (newer) trash with heavy equipment (i.e. excavator, dragline, or clamshell) to expose the buried "goodies" to be removed by hand. Dr. Faulkner volunteered to provide on-the-spot assessments of the value of buried "goodies", from a cultural anthropological viewpoint, during our October 21st event. We have invited Vice President Gore to participate in the clean-up effort. While on the tour, Dr. Faulkner became interested as to why the miners who died in the 1902 Fraterville Mine Disaster and the 1911 Cross Mountain Mine Disaster are buried in circular layouts around monuments. The most likely explanation is that other memorial cemeteries of that era used similar circular layout as described at www.graveyards.com/oakwoods/confederate.html and www.mdw.army.mil/fs-m05.htm .
	On August 21 and 26, we manned the Clinch River Chapter of Trout Unlimited booth at the Anderson County Fair. A portion of the display described the various initiatives in Coal Creek. Copies of the Coal Creek Motor Discovery Trail Guide Booklet and Map were distributed at the fair to interested parties.
	On August 31, Barry Thacker of the CCWF met with Messrs. Roger Foster (Executive VP) and Lewis Howard (President) of Coal Creek Mining and Manufacturing Company (CCMM). CCMM does no mining nor manufacturing, but manages about 82,000 acres of land in Coal Creek and surrounding areas. We need CCMM approval before beginning those initiatives which will be located on their property. Research of CCMM shows that they rarely receive recognition for their civic contributions. If not for CCMM, there would be no Briceville, Fraterville, Beech Grove, or Lake City. All these communities developed as a result of mining jobs on land leased to coal companies by CCMM. Most of the public facilities are on land that was donated by CCMM to these communities. CCMM still donates land for public welfare. Messrs. Foster and Howard share our vision for improving the quality of life in the Coal Creek watershed. Unfortunately, they have been "burned" in the past by initiatives that fizzled and left CCMM "holding the bag". For example, did you know that many folks in Coal Creek lease their homes from CCMM for $100 per year? CCMM pays more in taxes on these properties than they get from the lease revenue. From a business standpoint, CCMM would be wise to evict the residents and demolish the homes. They refuse to follow conventional business wisdom because the people can't afford to live anywhere else. As Mr. Howard said "the federal government can find money to help the needy in New York City, but not in places like Coal Creek". Before deciding on supporting our efforts, CCMM wants "a read on our cooperative commitment". We suggested that CCWF volunteers send "expressions of cooperative commitment" letters to CCMM at the following address: Coal Creek Mining and Manufacturing Company, First Tennessee Plaza, 800 S. Gay Street, Suite 1706, Knoxville, TN 37929-1706.
	We were notified on September 1 that starting in January, CCWF will get an AmeriCorpsVISTA volunteer. We select the volunteer and we decide what they do. Candidates are typically recent college graduates who join AmeriCorpsVISTA for the same reasons that their parents' generation joined the Peace Corps. Some of the tasks for the AmeriCorpsVISTA volunteer to tackle in Coal Creek will include: grant application writing, fund raising, finding corporate sponsors for stuff on our eAngel tree, figuring out how to get the clinic re-opened, assisting the students at Briceville School with funding and development of their video on the history of the watershed, and development of adult education programs through the Briceville Public Library. By the time the AmeriCorpsVISTA volunteer starts, we will have another list of things for them to do on their second day of service. Special thanks in getting this much needed assistance goes to Sara Hill, an OSM Intern who prepared the AmeriCorps*VISTA grant application after attending our Deadwood Removal Day event. Also, Allan Comp and others from OSM lobbied for the position in Coal Creek.
	After learning of the AmeriCorpsVISTA assistance, we sent a "thank you" email to Mark Messenbaugh with the Gore 2000 campaign. AmeriCorpsVISTA volunteers are provided through the Corporation for National Service, which was one of the first acts of the Clinton-Gore administration in 1993.
	Allan Comp and Marykatherine Gonzalez from OSM Headquarters will be visiting Coal Creek later this month to provide advice on our various initiatives.