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SE District UUA

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Kayford Mountain MTR Site Panorama

We began our main eco-justice Action Project to advocate to end Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining (MTR) in October, 2009, with our InterfaithVigil for the People and Mountains of Appalachia, and since then, we have taken some significant steps to advancing our plan.

We hope to organize a site trip to Wise County, VA, in fall 2011, but we began our work last year:

  • In February 2010, five of us joined a group organized by Appalachian Voices to attend the historic Virginia senate hearing on a Stream Saver Bill.  To read Sharon’s account of that testimony, click here: Stream Saver Hearing Blog.  Sharon Baiocco and Ruth Douglas gave testimony. hearing-statement
  • In June 2010, ten of us traveled to Kayford Mountain, WV, home of long-time advocate against MTR, Larry Gibson, “keeper of the mountain.” To view a video of our trip on YouTube, click here: “Witnesses to MTR.” To view “Larry Gibson, Keeper of the Mountain” video on YouTube, click on the highlighted words. TJMC UUs Witness MTR
  • More than 20 UUs attended the one-woman show, “Cry of the Mountain,” in July.  In it, Adelind Horan, playwright and actress, performed characters she interviewed who have experienced MTR either as a proponent or opponent.
  • Several of us attended a screening of “Coal Country” sponsored by Appalachian Voices at Jefferson Theater.  This enabled us to identify musicians and speakers for our next Vigil, set for Oct. 17, Sunday evening, in our sanctuary.
  • A presentation planning group met to plan our outreach presentations in July.  Plans are under way to send teams of speakers to local churches and to other UU churches.  Sharon created a DVD with videos of Larry Gibson’s talk and our visit to Kayford Mountain. Plans are also being made to submit a proposal for a MTR workshop at GA next year in Charlotte, NC.
  • Laura Wallace presented an outstanding sermon in July 2010 for our Green Sanctuary worship service.  Her sermon, “Healing the Gulf” addresses the 7th Principle, with specific references to the Gulf disaster and MTR (mountaintop removal mining). Click here to view the video of Laura’s sermon.
  • In August, Laura and Sharon were invited to give the sermon and a Green Sanctuary “Nuts and Bolts” workshop to members of the Congregation of the Peninsula, Newport News, VA. Laura’s sermon has since been posted on the UUA resources list as well. Click here to read it. Laura has been invited to present her sermon to the Williamsburg UUs in April.
  • Glenn Short presented a 3-minute argument to Governor Robert McDonnell against MTR at a town hall meeting in Harrisonburg.
  • Sharon Baiocco was invited to write a MTR Site Tour Blog.  To read it, click on the highlighted words.
  • The 2nd Annual Vigil for the People and Mountains of Appalachia was held for Oct. 17, with speakers, music, and program.
  • Katie Corish and Sharon Baiocco presented a talk on MTR to St. Paul’s Memorial Church (Episcopal) in Charlottesville in February 2011.
  • Sallie Kate Park, Glenn Short, and Sharon Baiocco participated in “Virginia Rising” March, 2011 along with the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices.  We visited Senators Webb and Warner’s offices in Richmond to protest cuts in the EPA’s authority and budget and MTR.