PROGRESS 20

PROGRESS REPORT NO. 20
(SEPTEMBER 22, 2000)

On Labor Day, Drew Justice and the Boy Scouts of Troop 120 in Lake City worked on cleaning the tombstones and monuments at Leach Cemetery where 89 of the 184 miners killed in the Fraterville Mine Disaster are buried as shown at www.coalcreekaml.com/BoyScoutsLeach.htm. Later that day, CCWF had a booth at Miners Appreciation Day as described in the LaFollette Press at www.coalcreekaml.com/newsLAFOL9700.htm. One thing led to another and we decided to have the Fraterville Mine Disaster Family Reunion on May 19, 2002, which is the 100th anniversary of the disaster. Feedback from CCWF volunteers on the event includes:

a. Dr. Allan Comp from OSM wrote of what can come from an initiative like this: "The Johnstown Flood of l898 was the largest disaster of its kind in US history, but it became a reason to celebrate the resilience and recovery of the town and its peoples, one that now boasts a good museum, an annual town celebration and a stronger economy as a result. Richard Burkert was the then-young man that decided the event needed to happen and he just would not accept "no" for an answer. Today he is Director of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, on the board of AMD&ART, and a leading figure in the economic recovery of Johnstown."

b. Carl Fritts from Georgia has ancestors who died in the Fraterville disaster. He has started a web site at www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/3415/FMD.html to find out more about the disaster and other descendants. He wrote about attending the reunion and offered to help contact other descendants about attending.

c. Bart Jennings who operates the Secret City Scenic Railroad in Oak Ridge and I have raised the idea of bringing the train to Lake City/Briceville for the event in 2002. The bodies of the dead miners were hauled out of Fraterville by train in 1902. It would be fitting to have descendants of those dead miners hauled back to the old Fraterville mine site for a memorial service in 2002.

d. Rev. Roy Daugherty will be meeting with leaders of the other churches in Coal Creek about repeating the 1902 memorial services on May 19, 2002 as described at www.coalcreekaml.com/FratervilleProg.htm.

e. Dr. Charlie Faulkner, Professor of Anthropology from UT, volunteered to help Drew Justice in locating descendants as part of his Eagle Scout project at Leach Cemetery.

Other activities conducted by CCWF volunteers since the time of the last progress report include:

	A press release describing the Fraterville Mine Disaster Family Reunion was issued as shown at www.coalcreekaml.com/PRESSreunion.htm.
	An announcement of the next work day by Drew Justice at Leach Cemetery on September 30th was issued at www.coalcreekaml.com/LeachDay.htm.
	Congressman Wamp added photographs of Coal Creek Discovery Day to his web site at www.wampcongress.org/issues.html. He has also been discussing our initiatives during his appearances since Discovery Day. Members of the Oak Ridge Rotary heard of our efforts and have requested a visit to Coal Creek to find a project to undertake. CCWF volunteer Nikki Kapolka has volunteered to assist in finding a project for the Oak Ridge Rotary.
	On Sunday, September 10th, an article appeared in the Anderson County Edition of the Knoxville News-Sentinel about the current political silly season. Examples were given of Congressman Zach Wamp and State Rep. William Baird doing things like "tip-toeing on the rocks in Coal Creek" on Discovery Day. The political season may be silly, but the results are positive. A week after Congressman Wamp's visit to Coal Creek, we were notified that an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer will be assigned to Coal Creek starting in January to write federal grant applications to fund our various initiatives. Congressman Wamp promised to find help and help arrived the next week. The next week, the Oak Ridge Rotary offered assistance due to Congressman Wamp's efforts. Rep. Baird was "tip-toeing on the rocks in Coal Creek" long before the political silly season began as evidenced by his participation in our Deadwood Removal Day activities in June. Don't we expect candidates to act a little silly in order to get our votes?
	On September 14th, Rev. Roy Daugherty, Wally Pressley, and Barry Thacker made a presentation on the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation to the Lake City Council.
	A new section was added to our web site at www.coalcreekaml.com/NWFP.htm to help the Eastern Coal Region Restoration Roundtable prepare for the National Watershed Forum to be held in Washington from June 27th to July 1st, 2001.
	Another section was added to our web site at www.coalcreekaml.com/NEWS.htm summarizing the news stories written about Coal Creek.
	Rev. Roy Daugherty is now a published songwriter thanks to the Clinton Courier at www.coalcreekaml.com/newsCour9600.htm.

PROGRESS REPORT NO. 20 (SEPTEMBER 22, 2000)

PROGRESS REPORT NO. 20
(SEPTEMBER 22, 2000)