www.kentucky.sierraclub.org
January 2015
Volume 49, Issue 1
TheCumberland
S I E R R A
C L U B
•
K E N T U C K Y
Activist Weekend: Time is Running Out - Register NOW!
A call for better Electric Utility Policies
by Wallace McMullen
ouisville Gas & Electric
and Kentucky Utilities
have requested an undesirable restructuring of their electric
rates. If approved, this will hurt
small users, discourage energy
efficiency improvements in
homes, and heavily discourage
homeowners from doing rooftop
solar installations.
LG&E intends to have customers pay more for having an
electric meter and wiring connection to a house, and to pay less for
kWh usage. They propose to raise
L
the fixed monthly electric connection fee f rom $10.75 to
$18/month, and to boost the fixed
natural gas charge to $19/month.
KU intends to increase both fixed
electric connection charge and
kWh prices.
This is a social justice issue for
small users and low income users.
If a small user usually has an electric bill of $40 a month or less, this
change will increase their monthly
bills, putting a financial burden on
those who can least afford it.
This rate restructuring will
(continued on page 9)
Save the Dates
Clean Energy Lobby Day, February 5
I Love Mountains Day, February 12
See information on page 3
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Time to Re-Power KY
Get ready to get outdoors! New 2015 outings to put a smile on your face! See
page 12.
PAID
(continued on page 7)
Permit No. 100
London, Ky
A
mental issues. Whether you’re a
long-time or new Sierra Club
member, you’ll hear about and
participate in issues and discussions that are relevant to all of
us. We are especially pleased to
announce that the Saturday
evening Keynote Speaker for
Activist Weekend 2015 is Sarah
Hodgdon, the national Sierra
Club Director of Conservation.
Other Sessions, Discussions,
and Workshops during this
year’s event are expected to
include:
• The Cumberland Chapter’s
vision and plans for 2015
• National Sierra Club issues
• The Beyond Coal Campaign
• Environmental Reporting
• Legislative Issues
P.O. Box 1368,
Lexington, KY 40588-1368
ctivist Weekend is almost
here! The 2015 version of
our annual event is
scheduled for January 23-25 at
Rough River Dam State Park.
We hope you are already registered to attend and are ready for
an enjoyable and informative
weekend. Time is running out,
but there is still an opportunity
to register and to make room
reservations with Rough River
Dam State Park (information at
the end of this article). On-line
(kentucky.sierraclub.org) and
mail-in registration are available.
The program committee has
arranged a fun and interactive
weekend of sessions, workshops,
trainings, and activities centered
on themes of energy, diversity,
and communication of environ-
Photo by Joey Shadowen
January 23-25 at Rough River Dam State Park
The Cumberland January 2015
page 2
Group News
GRAND CANYON FOR
JAN (NEW LOCATION)
he Executive meeting of the
Bluegrass Group will be held
on Monday, January 5, at
7:00pm. The meeting will be held
at
Faith
House, 836
BLUEGRASS
Melrose Ave.
behind Faith
Lutheran
Church.
Donna DePenning
Everyone is
(859) 268-2968
welcome to
attend. Call Jay Taylor, Group
Chair, or Donna DePenning , 859268-2968 for details and directions.
T
Inner-City Outings
Our Inner-City Outings group
will meet on Monday, January 12,
at 7:00pm to begin planning an
exciting upcoming year. This is a
wonderful opportunity to introduce
some inner-city kids to the outdoors. Volunteers are always needed. The group will meet at the
home of Frankie and Oscar Geralds, 2173 Palomar Trace Drive,
Lexington. Call Frankie or Oscar,
948-0118 or 264-8903, for further
details.
January General Meeting:
NEW LOCATION
The January General Meeting
will be at Hunter Presbyterian
Church at 7:00 p.m. Please note the
location change!!! Hunter is near
the corner of Rosemont and
Nicholasville Road. Please enter at
the door closest to Nicholasville
Rd. Our special guest will be Eric
Eisminger, who will share his experience as a volunteer with an important conservation project at the
Grand Canyon. Eric works with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service to
assist with long-term efforts to
monitor native fish populations in
the Little Colorado River. His slide
presentation will include photographs of spectacular scenic
attractions from the surrounding
area. Please join us to learn about
this exciting program and enjoy the
magnificent natural beauty of the
area! Please note: we will be back in
our usual meeting place in February. For further information or
directions, please call Judy Humble,
859-699-2934.
Book Group
On January 15, the Bluegrass
Group Book Club will meet to discuss “The Conundrum” by David
Owen. All opinions are welcome.
They will meet at 7:00opm, in the
home of Ray and Mary Barry, 3415
Snaffle Road, Lexington, phone:
859-223-0180.
Dinner Out
The “Dinner Out with Sierrans” group will resume dining on
January 22. Come and join us for
dinner and socializing. If you have
any questions, please contact Mary
Barry,
859-223-0180
or
[email protected]
.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
FOR JANUARY
anuary Program will be on “The
2015 General Assembly: What’s
in store for the environment?”
Please
join us Tues- GREATER LOUISVILLE
day, January
20 as we welcome Tom
Fitzgerald for
Steve Henry
our annual
(502) 894-8029
Kentucky legislative update. We’ll learn about
the good, the bad, and the ugly of
our current state legislative agenda.
This is an excellent opportunity to
learn about what’s going on in
Frankfort and what we can do to
make a difference. Our program
begins at 7:00 p.m. and is free and
open to the public.
Tom FitzGerald has been
Director of the Kentucky Resources
Council since 1984. KRC is a nonprofit environmental advocacy
organization providing free legal,
strategic and policy assistance to
individuals, organizations and communities concerning environmental
quality, resource extraction, energy,
and utility issues.
J
It Pays to Advertise in
The
Cumberland
only $10.00 / column inch
(Minimum ad size is 3 inches)
The
Cumberland
A monthly publication of the Cumberland
Chapter of the Sierra Club, Kentucky
P.O. Box 1368, Lexington, KY, (859) 296-4335, Fax (859) 233-4099, E-Mail [email protected]
Editorial Committee
Frankie Geralds
Lane Boldman
Oscar Geralds
Alice Howell
Terese Pierskalla
Joey Shadowen
Carl Vogel
David Allen
Advertising Coordinator
Oscar Geralds
2173 Palomar Trace Dr.
Lexington, KY 40513
(859) 264-8903
[email protected]
Outings Coordinator
Dave Stawicki
859-293-0712
[email protected]
Change of Address
Send old and new addresses with
mailing label (or member number)
to:
Sierra Club,
P.O. Box 52968
Boulder, CO 80322-2968
Deadlines
The deadline for all materials is the
second Thursday of this month.
The deadline date for submission
of articles to the February
issue of The Cumberland
is January 8, 2015
Visit us on the web at www.kentucky.sierraclub.org
Contributors’ Guidelines
Please submit articles typed, on disk,
or e-mailed to address above, according to the following:
1. Double-spaced, not to exceed 700
words (3 double-spaced pages.)
2. Author’s first and last names, day
and evening phone numbers at the
top.
3. Articles on disk or e-mailed should
be accompanied by double-spaced
hard copy.
The editor reserves the right to trim
or revise for reasons of clarity, space
or libel.
The Cumberland is printed on
recycled paper.
Column sizes
1 column = 2.29” 3 columns = 7.20”
2 columns = 4.75” 4 columns = 9.66”
Depth of page = 11”
Deadlines
Camera ready ad or digital file must
be submitted by the second Thursday
of the month for the next month’s
issue.
For advertising info contact:
Oscar Geralds Jr.
2173 Palomar Trace Drive,
Lexington, KY. 40503. 859-264-8903
Fitz received his Juris Doctor
from the UK College of Law in
1980 (Order of the Coif) and was a
Reginald Heber Smith Community
Lawyer Fellow with the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of
Kentucky from 1980-1982. He is
an alumnus of Roger Williams College (now University), Bristol,
Rhode Island, with a B.A. in
American Studies with distinction.
Fitz has been a Adjunct Professor of Energy and Environmental Law at the Brandeis School of
Law at the University of Louisville
since 1986, and has published a
number of articles.
He received the Environmental
Quality Commission Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2002; the
Henry R. Heyburn Public Service
Award from the UK College of
Law in 2003, the Kentucky Nature
Preserves Commission Biological
Diversity Award in 2003, the inaugural Professional Achievement
Award from the University of Kentucky College of Law Alumni
Association in 2008, the 14th
Heinz Award in the Environment
Category in 2008, and the Brennan-Haly Award from the University of Louisville Department of
Political Science in 2012.
He has been a fixture in the
halls of the Kentucky General
Assembly since 1978.
Louisville Group Social Dinner
When: Friday, January 23,
2015 @ 7:00 p.m. Where: Porcini,
2730 Frankfort Ave. Please contact
Judy Lyons @502- 585-3806 or
Gloria Kemper-O’Neil @502-4585253 before noon Thursday prior to
dinner for accurate reservations.
Greater Louisville Water
Quality Working Group
As an action follow-up to
Hank Graddy’s presentation in
November, we are in the planning
stages for a water quality working
group. Our first meeting will be in
late January. If you are interested in
meeting/participating, please contact Steve Henry @ [email protected].
The Cumberland January 2015
NEW YEAR,
NEW OFFICERS!
onday, January 5at 6:30
p.m. at Colonial Cottage,
3140 Dixie Highway,
Erlanger, KY the Northern Kentucky Group
Ex-Com
NORTHERN
will meet.
The
ExCom will
start
the
Kim Luber
new year
(859) 344-8713
with a vote
and introduction of 2015 officers.
Get in at the start and stop by an
ex-com meeting. New faces and
new ideas are always welcome – the
excom needs your input and feedback. These monthly meetings are
open to all. For more information
please contact Rich Koster at
[email protected].
M
In Your Neighborhood
Thursday, January 22, at 6:30
p.m. The Northern Kentucky
Group will enjoy a social evening
out at Blinkers Tavern at 318
Greenup Street, Covington, KY.
This two time winner of Best Steak
in NKY, is a great neighborhood
hangout with menu options that
include steaks, pasta and salads –
something for everyone. Treat
yourself to an enjoyable evening out
with good friends and good food.
Watch for more information or
contact Rich Koster at [email protected].
Outings! Outings! Outings!
Monday, January 26, at 6:30
p.m. the Northern Kentucky Group
will meet at Mokka and the Sunset
Bar and Grille, 500 Monmouth,
Newport, KY 41071. The Group
has a strong tradition of crowd
pleasing and well planned outings.
John Robbins, our current Outing
Chairperson, will share with the
group the plans for the upcoming
year. Get set to pull out your calendar and fill in all the outing dates
that you won’t want to miss in
2015. Please RSVP to Karen Upton
at [email protected].
For any questions or additional
information contact Rich Koster at
[email protected].
Curious Attitudes Wanted!
Are you curious about your
community ? Interested in exploring new trails or reaching out to
page 3
those making a difference in our
environment? The Northern Kentucky Group is looking for someone
to coordinate our monthly general
meetings. Chris Comte has handled this for the past several years
and has decided it’s time for someone else to have a turn with this
position. You can reach out to
speakers from a variety of sources
and our members often have fabulous suggestions for topics they
would be interested in learning
about. If you would consider
becoming more active in the group
please contact Rich Koster at
[email protected] or [email protected]..
MEET YOUR
ASSEMBLY
REPRESENTATIVE
he Mammoth Cave Group
will hold it’s first meeting of
2015 on January 20, in the
River Birch
Room
at
Lost River MAMMOTH CAVE
Cave
on
Nashville
Rd.
at
6:30pm. Eleanor Bower
Our
(270) 793-9011
focus will be
on dialogue with our Bowling
Green KY Assembly representative
- Mr. Jim Decesare. Mr. Decesare
was awarded with recognition for
supporting the KY state “Green
School Initiative.” We are hoping
to find out more about this and to
have good dialogue about other KY
environmental issues before the
Assembly this year. We are asking
all members and nonmembers to
invite friends and relatives to this
meeting so we can have some good
dialogue and find some common
ground on environmental issues.
Our representatives can’t know
what their constituents are interested in unless we let them know.
Here is a good chance to have
some positive influence. So we
strongly invite and urge everyone
in Mr. Decesare’s district to come
to this meeting.
Also, Ron Whitmore will be
giving a short presentation on the
Videoconference given by Deborah Payne of the KY Environmental Foundation on the impact of
T
closing the Coal fired power plant
in Paducah, on the economy, health
and environment. The Group Excom will hold
it’s first planning meeting at Ron
and Susan Whitmore’s home in
Alvaton on Sunday, January 18, at
1pm. We invite any members of
the group to attend this very important meeting of the year. Bring
your ideas for making our group
vibrant and interesting. One thing
especially desired is a person(s) who
would be an official outings leader
for the group. If you think this is
something you could do - can do
this job on non meeting days please contact Tom Morris -our
new Chairperson - at 270 - 8435710 or come to the excom meeting
on the 18th. CHALLENGES OF
DAIRY FARMING
anuary 8th at 7:00 pm the Pennyrile Group of the Cumberland
Chapter will meet in room 106
of the Hahn
Science
PENNYRILE
Building on
the campus
of Kentucky
Wesleyan
Rick Fowler
College,
(270) 635-3188
3000 Frederica in Owensboro, Kentucky. The
featured speaker will be John
Kuegel, Jr.
John will speak about the
“Challenges of Dairy Farming.” He
is a dairy and grain farmer in
Daviess County and has a degree in
animal science from the University
of Kentucky. He is a member of the
Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee and the past president of the
Kentucky Holstein Cattle Club.
John will discuss the struggles with
staying small and sustainable farming.
J
Cumberland
Chapter:
Who to Call
Administrative:
Cumberland Chapter Chair
Judy Lyons
502-585-3806
[email protected]
Chapter Coordinator and
Conservation Manager
Sherry Otto
859-296-4335
[email protected]
Issues:
Conservation Chair (all issues):
Betsy Bennett 502-228-1870
conservation@
kentucky.sierraclub.org
Energy Chair:
Wallace McMullen
502-271-7045
[email protected]
Mining/Mountaintop
Mining Co-Chairs:
Alice Howell, 859-420-8092,
Lane Boldman, 859-552-1173
[email protected]
Legal Chair:
Randy Strobo
[email protected]
502-417-0781
Legislative:
Ruth Bamberger
859-291-2976
[email protected]
Political:
Joan Lindop
[email protected]
Recreation:
Outings Program Chair:
Dave Stawicki
859-293-0712
[email protected]
Media/Public Relations:
Sherry Otto: 859-296-4335
Lane Boldman: 859-552-1173
[email protected]
For more informaton on
committees, issues, and leaders, visit our
website at www.kentucky.sierraclub.org
The Cumberland January 2015
page 4
Hometown Café, Booneville, Kentucky
by Dave Cooper
ast weekend Patty and I
decided to take the Elk
Tour at Buckhorn Lake
State Park. We stayed overnight
at the park, then got up at 5:30
am for a guided tour of the
Starfire Mine near Hindman,
where we viewed some elk grazing on the reclaimed strip
mines. Our tour guide, Sue, was
delightful and funny. Buckhorn Lake State Park is
located in the northwest corner
of Perr y County, Kentucky,
roughly between Hazard and
Beattyville on the Middle Fork
of the Kentucky River. The
river has been dammed for a
recreational lake. In winter
months, with the water levels
lowered for flood control, the
lake has a muddy, rather dismal
appearance, but I like visiting
the state parks during the quiet
times of year. It feels ver y
peaceful and remote. Our elk tour was finished by
10:30 on Sunday morning, and
we had to check out of our
rooms, so we took a short hike
in the park and then decided to
take the long way home through
the interesting community of
Buckhorn, then on through
Owsley County to Beattyville,
past Natural Bridge State Park
and home on the Mountain
Parkway. O wsley County is ver y
beautiful and serene, with gently
rolling hills. It feels very sparsely populated: the county seat of
Owsley County is Booneville
(population 81, according to the
2015 Rand McNally Road
Atlas). That is tiny by almost
any standard, too small to support even a fast food joint, so we
were somewhat surprised to see
the happily-thriving, familyowned restaurant called The
Hometown Café, located on the
courthouse square in the center
of town. We decided to stop for a late
lunch on Sunday. As we walked
inside we were delighted to see
L
the hand-printed menu on the
wall with 15 side dishes – Shuck
Beans, Fried Cabbage, Fried
Apples, Peas Corn & Hominy,
Mustard Greens, Baked Beans,
Slaw, Mac & Tomatoes, and lots
more. The daily specials at Hometown Café (only $6.79 including
2 sides and a drink) include
Fried Chicken, Catfish, Chicken
& Dumplings, Country Fried
Steak and Chicken Livers.
They have burgers, fries, and all
the regular items that you would
expect. A cheeseburger with
fries, slaw and a drink is about
$7. And of course they have
Soup Beans and cornbread. Patty and I love home-cooking restaurants. They are getting harder to find around Kentucky, especially because of competition from fake country, corporate-owned chains like Cracker Barrel. Patty and I are both
vegetarians, so we usually order
the vegetable plate, which is also
very reasonably priced at the
Hometown Café. W ith my
order of Fried Cabbage, Shuck
Beans, Fried Apples and Mac
and Tomatoes I received the
hugest piece of cornbread I have
ever gotten at a restaurant, anywhere, and it was steaming fresh
– right out of the oven. Delicious.
Patty talked to our server,
who gave Patty some advice on
how to grow and prepare Shuck
Beans and where to get the
seeds. (Patty is forever planning
next year’s garden). We loved the food and the
low-key atmosphere, not to
mention the low prices. After
my meal I ordered a piece of
Cushaw Cake, which was
spelled “Curshaw ” on the
Hometown menu – this may be
a local spelling for the big green
striped pumpkins that are often
seen sitting next atop hay bales
in front yard Thanksgiving displays. I am so glad to see that
some people still eat these
things, instead of just using
them for ornamental displays.
Cushaws are great, they grow
easily in Kentucky, and they are
both squash bug- and droughtresistant. Great for next year’s
garden! I enjoyed my dinner so
much that I called the owners of
Hometown Café. Jason Reed
told me that he is a lifelong
Owsley County resident. The
restaurant he has owned with his
wife Kimberly for the past five
years had been in the same location for over 40 years. He told
me that almost everything at
Hometown is homemade, not
f rom a can, like many small
town
restaurants
in
Kentucky. Jason said that business has
been so good that he is soon
opening a new, larger restaurant
called The Old Bus Stop Diner,
located nearby at 64 Mulberry
Street in Booneville. In fact, the
Hometown Café will be closing
soon, but the new restaurant will
feature the same homemade
food, just in a slightly larger
location. The Old Bus Stop Diner
will have separate smoking and
nonsmoking seating areas. Patty
and I have gotten so used to the
smoke-free dining scene in Lexington that it’s difficult for us to
enjoy a meal when someone is
smoking nearby. Jason told me that he tries
hard to hire the best people our ser ver was a former
McDonald’s manager - and use
quality ingredients, with an
emphasis on creating a good
homey, friendly atmosphere. I think all concerned Kentuckians who support the SOAR
initiative and a positive economic transition for eastern Kentucky should seek out and support small, locally-owned businesses like the Hometown Café,
Kathy ’s Countr y Kitchen in
Clay City or the great new pizza
place called The Portal located
in a former bank building in
downtown Harlan. Is it worth the trip to
Owsley County? I would say
that if you like home-cooking
restaurants, the Reeds are doing
a great job. If you are in the
area, or if you enjoy exploring
the lesser-visited parts of Kentucky, Booneville is definitely a
stop to consider. It’s not superfar from the Red River Gorge. The Cumberland January 2015
page 5
Help Us Meet a Critical Need with
your Kroger Plus Card
f you shop at Kroger – your
regular shopping can help
support our conser vation
work in Kentucky. Kroger
donates 4% of all purchase
amounts, recorded by Kroger
PLUS Cards that are connected
to our account, back to our
Cumberland Chapter. So it adds
up! And it doesn’t cost our supporters anything extra to support
our work in this way! I
All you have to do is connect
your Kroger PLUS card with our
Cumberland Chapter Kroger
Community Rewards Account.
Then be sure to have the clerk
scan your Kroger PLUS Card
when you check out so that
Kroger will make their donation
to us. NOTICE:
Kroger requires us to have
separate accounts for their different store “regions” in KY.
Currently they have only activated our account for the central
Kentucky area encompassing
Louisville, Lexington and surrounding counties.
***If you can’t find us listed,
Kroger has not yet activated our
account for your area. Those
areas which we are still waiting
on to be activated include:
Northern KY, eastern KY,
Bowling Green and far western
Here’s how to register for
a Kroger Account online, and
enroll your PLUS card to
support the Cumberland
Chapter:
Step 1: Register for a Kroger
Account
Go
to
https://www.
kroger.com/ and click “Register”
up in the right-hand corner.
Follow the instructions to create
an account. You will need your
current Kroger PLUS Card (the
number on the back.)
Step 2: Enroll
Enroll your Kroger PLUS
Card to Support “The Sierra
Club Foundation Cumberland
Chapter”
Once you have a Kroger
Account, click the “Sign In” button up in the right-hand corner
of the www.kroger.com website.
Under “Community” in the
menu at the top of the page,
click “Community Rewards”
Click the “Enroll Now” button
In the box under “Find Your
Organization” enter “The Sierra
Club Foundation Cumberland
Chapter” and click “Search”
Click the radio button next
to our name, and then click
“enroll.”
We have also provided
instructions on how to connect
your Kroger PLUS Card with
our Cumberland Chapter on our
website here: http://www.kentucky.sierraclub.org/fundraising/TSCF/Kroger/.
Q uestions, or need help?
Contact us at fundraising@ kentucky.sierraclub.org, or (859)
296-4335. Photo by Joey Shadowen
HOW:
KY.
The kids from the Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) group took Cardinal
Valley kids in Lexington to explore Raven Run Nature Sanctuary this past November. The Cumberland Chapter has two ICO groups and are always looking for
additional leaders who like to work with children and explore the outdoors.
page 6
The Cumberland January 2015
Making the Rounds for Strong Regulations
by Thomas Pearce, Beyond Coal Organizer
ver the last few weeks
Kentucky residents have
been working literally
night and day to get their message across to the EPA about
support for a strong Clean
Power Plan, a Strong Smog
Standard, and a strong Coal Ash
Rule. Before the holiday, community leaders led by Mark
Romines submitted comments
(almost 1000!) in support of the
EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Mark Romines, Kathy Little, and Beyond Coal organizer
Tom Pearce weren’t satisfied
with that so they got on a plane
to Washington DC on Dec 2nd
to speak to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in
support of a strong coal ash
rule. While they were in DC they
decided to try and get a meeting
with Congressman Yarmuth.
They did get a meeting with
him. It was a fantastic meeting.
He was ver y supportive and
promised he would get a personal message to the EPA and President Obama reiterating his support for the Clean Power Plan
and pushing for a strong coal
ash rule and a strong smog standard. They then got on a plane
and got home at 5:00 pm. A
very busy 24 hours indeed. We are so proud of our leaders’ performance in the OMB
meetings and how they delivered
their powerful personal stories
along with allies who called in
from Kentuckians For the Commonwealth, the Kentucky
Resources Council, the Ohio
Valley Environmental Coalition,
and others from West VA and
KY.
Photos courtesy of Tom Pearce
O
The Cumberland January 2015
...Activist Weekend
(from page 1)
• Panel Session on Diversity
• The Clean Water Act
• Social Media Training
• College Student Panel
• A Partner in Environmental Protection: The Nature
Conservancy
• Training Sessions on Outdoor Leadership and First
Aid
A Draft Schedule for Activist Weekend events
appears in this issue. However, this schedule is still subject
to change, so check for the latest updates on the Cumberland Chapter Website. Don’t miss out – register soon!
Registration deadline is January 16.
page 7
Cumberland Chapter Activist Weekend
January 23-25, 2015
LOCATION: Rough River Dam State Resort Park
450 Lodge Road, Falls of Rough, KY 40119 270-257-2311/800-325-1713.
Reservation Deadline for Lodging: January 14, 2015
Non-Student Attendees: Make your own room/cabin reservations and choose your
own roommates. Ask for Sierra Club rates. You pay the bill at checkout. To get
Sierra Club rates, lodging reservations must be made by January 14, 2015.
Lodge Rooms: All lodge rooms have two DOUBLE beds at $61.49/night
(includes taxes + $2 resort fee). Cottages: (3 types) Standard = $112.19/night;
Deluxe = $123.21/night; Executive = $134.33/night
Mail-In Registration Form
(or register on line at: Kentucky.sierraclub.org) Deadline: Friday, January 16, 2015
Name: _________________________________________________________
Logistics:
Street: _________________________________________________________
In case you have not been to Rough River Dam SRP,
it is located in Falls of Rough, KY on the edge of a 5,000
acre lake in western Kentucky. Participants (other than
students being given scholarships by groups of the chapter) will choose their own roommates and will make their
own lodging reservation by calling RRDSRP directly: 1800-325-1713 or 1-270-257-2311. Be sure to mention
you want a room or cabin in the Sierra Club block. Lodging (prices include taxes and fees) is $61.49 per night single/double occupancy. There are also a variety of cabins
available (standard @ $112.19/night; Deluxe @
$123.21/night; Executive @ $134.33/night). Deadline to
make reservations at Sierra Club rate is January 14th.
City: ______________State: ___________________Zip: ________________
Registration and Meals:
Registration is $25.00 for the weekend, plus meal
costs. In order to receive a reduced rate on meals, the
Sierra Club has to pay the total meals costs for all attendees. See the Registration Form for more details regarding meal options plus reservation fee.
Special Note for Students:
If one of the Cumberland Chapter’s Groups agrees to
sponsor your attendance your cost is only $25. The
Groups are: Bluegrass, Greater Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Mammoth Cave, Pennyrile, and Great Rivers.
Make sure to connect with the Sierra Club Group in your
area and see if they will cover additional costs. See the
Registration Form in this newsletter or go to
kentucky.sierraclub.org for complete information. Registration deadline for Activist Weekend is January 20th.
For additional information about the program schedule
contact George Kipphut at [email protected] or 270753-8910.
Telephone- Day/Evenng:__________________________________________
E-mail: ________________________________________________________
Students: List the name of your sponsoring Sierra Club Group:____________
Sponsored Students — Sierra Club-sponsored college students pay $25.00
TOTAL for the weekend; Sierra Club Group sponsor pays $112.00. Students are
to send registration form with name of sponsoring Group plus $25.00 to Janet
Overman (see addresss below) and she will make room reservations and room
assignments (you may ask for a specific roommate).
Registration Fee (Non-refundable) $25.00 Sponsored Student Fee: $25.00
Meal Plan: Check Preference:
Omnivore
Vegetarian
Vegan
Costs Per Person for registration and food.
(Note: Friday Dinner and Sunday Lunch on your own)
Friday-Sunday: 4 Meals- Sat-,breakfast, lunch, & dinner; Sun. breakfast, +
registration Total due $73.00
Saturday: 3 Meals - Sat breakfast, lunch, & dinner + registration Total $63.00
Saturday : 2 Meals - Sat. lunch & dinner + registration Total due $53.00
Saturday: 1 Meal – Sat. lunch + registration Total due $35.00
Saturday: 1 Meal – Sat. dinner + registration Total due $44.00
Sunday : 1 Meal - Sun breakfast + registration. Total due $35.00
Registration only-no meals - Total due $25.00.
Children 6-11: 4 childeren’s meals Total due $24.00
Children 6-11: 3 children’s meals Total due $19.00
Children under 5 eat free.
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED:
$_______________________
Register online at kentucky.sierraclub.org. For mail-in registrations: Make checks
payable to the Sierra Club and send Registration PLUS Food fees to: Genie
Mixson, P.O.Box 200606, Louisville, KY 20250, [email protected]
Home phone (with answering machine): 502 491-0798
The Cumberland January 2015
page 8
The Lesson from the Elk River
The Safe Drinking Water Act is 40 Years Old and, With Your Help, it is Working
by Hank Graddy, Sierra Club, Cumberland
Chapter, Water Committee
n the morning of January
10, 2014, over 300,000
people in Charleston,
W.V., woke up to discover that
they did not have safe drinking
water. They were without safe
water for drinking, bathing,
cooking or for commercial use.
These West Virginians lost their
access to safe drinking water
because a chemical spill from a
company named Freedom Industries released 7,500 gallons (later
revised to 10,000 gallons) of a
chemical known as MCHM into
the Elk River, upstream from the
intake for the Charleston drinking water company, West Virginia American Water.
This disaster was preventable.
The law that should have prevented that disaster is the Safe Drinking Water Act, enacted on December 16, 1974. The 40th birthday of
the Safe Drinking Water Act is
worth celebrating.
On August 6, 1996, a very
divided Congress, at the peak of
the Newt Gingrich era, amended
and strengthened the SDWA to
O
require “Source Water Protection,”
which requires every community to
1. Delineate our drinking water
source protection area, 2. Inventory
potential contamination sources, 3.
Determine susceptibility, 4. Notify
the public, 5. Implement measure
to reduce or eliminate threats, and
6. Develop contingency plans.
The disaster in the Elk River
was the result of a failure to properly implement the Source Water
Protection requirements of the
SDWA. Are Kentuckians any better protected than the residents of
Charleston? Maybe.
Kentucky was the first state in
the nation to have our state Source
Water Protection program
approved by EPA following the
1996 amendments. Earlier this
year, the Kentucky Division of
Water (KDOW ) announced a
new Source Water Protection
Assistance Program modeled after
the successful Washington State
program.
We have also had our share of
water-contamination disasters. Ten
years ago, on
January 26, 2005,
sometime after midnight, MidValley Petroleum discovered a
“FAN Fair”
Saturday, February 7th
Connect with the information, products, and services
that can lead you to the solutions and opportunities
for sustainable living.
Saturday, February 7, 2015 - 10 am to 4 pm.
Purdue Technology Center, 3000 Technology Avenue
(off of I-265 at Exit 4 - Charlestown Road)
New Albany, IN
If your (green/sustainable-living) business or organization wants to exhibit at FAN FAIR 2015, please
send an email to [email protected].
Ask for more information and a registration form.
petroleum leak form its pipeline
into the Kentucky River upstream
from Carrollton. The initial report
was that the leak was 63,000 gallons of crude oil. On February 2,
2005, EPA updated their report to
advise that the leak was actually
83,000 gallons of crude oil, with
about 49,000 gallons captured.
On November 18, 2005, EPA
updated their report again to
advise that the leak was actually
260,000 gallons of crude oil into
the Kentucky River.
The Mid-Valley spill followed
the October 11, 2000, Martin
County disaster where an estimated 306,000,000 gallon of coal slurry was discharged into the tributaries of Tug Fork, and the May
10, 2000, flaming whiskey spill
from the Wild Turkey distillery
into the Kentucky River.
At the urging of the Kentucky
River Watershed Watch and the
Sierra Club, on March 18, 2005,
Gov. Fletcher responded to the
Mid-Valley Petroleum spill by creating the Kentucky State Pipeline
Advisory Committee - the second
state in the nation to have such a
committee. Unfortunately, this task
force met only four (4) times,
issued an “Initial Report” on April
30, 2007, and has not been heard
f rom since. The Kentucky
Department of Environmental
Protection has been urged to reactivate this committee.
KDOW reports that more
than 95% of the residents of Kentucky have access to public water
systems that are producing consistently high quality water - a higher
percentage than other states in the
southeast and second only to Illinois of the seven states that border
Kentucky. We know the quality of
our drinking water because the
SDWA requires that we get this
information.
Join us when the Kentucky
River Watershed Watch will celebrate at West Sixth Brewery, West
Sixth Street, Lexington with our
January 10, 2015 SPLASH: “It
takes clean Kentucky water to
make great Kentucky Beer.”
Join the Cumberland Chapter
Water Committee to help the
SDWA protect our source waters
and prevent an Elk River disaster
in Kentucky.
Save the Dates!
Thursday, February 5
Clean Energy Lobby Day
Meet with legislators and urge their support of the Clean
Energy Opportunity Bill
Thursday, February 12
I Love Mountains Day
March to the Capitol and meet with legislators to urge an
end mountaintop removal of coal in Eastern KY
Check the Sierra Club website for more information
www.kentucky.sierraclub.org
The Cumberland January 2015
page 9
...Re-Power Kentucky
(from page 1)
also hurt investments in energy
efficiency improvements for
homeowners, as they will get less
financial reward for their
reduced consumption of electricity (and less reward for saving
natural gas for LG&E customers). Well insulated homes
are more comfortable, but that’s
a nonfinancial issue. Financially,
this proposal will hurt efficiencyminded people who are trying to
reduce their consumption of
coal-fired electricity.
Further, the adverse impacts
will be quite strong for those who
invest in homeowner solar investments. To give some typical numbers, often a home solar PV system
will save about $22 per month in
electric charges. If these rate
changes go through as requested,
suddenly the savings go down
f rom $22 to $14.25 a month.
That really damages the economic
viability of making an investment
in a solar PV system.
Our society badly needs to be
encouraging clean renewable energy, not creating barriers that discourage it with regressive rate
schemes! We must begin to
employ clean, carbon-free electric
generation to reduce the impacts of
global warming. Homeowner solar
PV is one of the best carbon-free
technologies for Kentucky to
encourage. Efficiency is the lowest-cost way to reduce our use of
fossil fuels quickly. So these pro-
posals from the biggest electric utility in the state are very undesirable.
LGE/KU has to get approval
from the PSC to institute their
wretched rate schemes. We need
to get the proposal rejected, and to
persuade LGE/KU that it was a
bad idea. People can write letters
to the editor, and send comments
to [email protected] with the PSC
case number in the subject line,
2014-00372 for LGE, 201400371 for KU. For more info, go to
Kentucky.sierraclub.org
Report on the December 6, 2014 Executive Committee Meeting
he Executive Committee
(ExCom) of the Cumberland Chapter Sierra Club
met on December 6, 2014, at
Bernheim Arboretum with 9 of
13 voting members present. Four
members who will be rotating off
the committee at the end of this
meeting (Alice Howell, Joey
Shadowen, Jacob Stoebel and
Claire Fuller) were profusely
thanked for their contributions
over the years.
Announcements included two
future Frankfort lobbying events to
put on calendars: February 5 is
Clean Energy Lobby Day and
February 12 is (the last) I Love
Mountains Day.
Minutes from the October
ExCom and Treasurer’s Report as
of 10/31/14 were presented and
approved. Election results for
2015 members of Chapter and
Group ExComs were presented
and approved. The chair appointed
a 2015 Budget Committee: Sandy
Dillon, Alice Howell, Kim Luber,
Wallace McMullen, Betsy Bennett, Sherry Otto and Lane Boldman. There was a confidential
Legal Committee report on potential litigation. The report from
chapter staff included a recommendation to approve contracting
with a private vendor to host the
chapter website, since Sierra Club
is moving to a Drupal format as of
March 2015, which will require
major work that is not feasible in
that timef rame given current
T
workload. This action was
approved, as was a 2015 schedule
of April, Oct, and Dec ExCom
meetings to be held at Bernheim
Arboretum.
The chapter chair reported on
highlights of a three-day Council
of Chapter Leaders (CCL) meeting held in San Francisco Nov. 2022, where 59 of 63 chapters were
represented. Nationwide, membership is up, renewals are up and
chapter allocations for 2015 will be
up. CCL delegates were invited to
meet with the Sierra Club Board
of Directors for a session which
saw approval of two major policy
goals for the club:
1) by 2030, no fracking—with
guidance to chapters and
groups to determine appropriate action on this goal locally;
2) by 2030 Clean Energy Goals:
a) 100% no fossil fuels in the
electric sector, and b) 50% no
fossil fuels in the transportation sector.
These targets were noted to be
“Leadership and Urgency Goals.”
CCL delegates were introduced to a draft Multiyear Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan,
which is already being actively
implemented by national staff with
training and accountability measures. This plan is intended to
make Sierra Club—at all levels— a
more multi-cultural organization,
which represents and values differences, welcomes and respects other
and demonstrates fairness in all
interactions.
The annual State of the
Chapter Report, which collects
and compares data from all chapters across a wide spectrum of
organizational parameters was
shared with the ExCom.
2015 Outings Chair Dave
Stawicki was present for the meeting and encouraged groups to hold
planning meetings and get their
outings into him for publication in
The Cumberland.
There was discussion of the
need for a KY Sierra Club Leader
and Resource List to include
Chapter, Group, Committee and
Outings Leaders with current contact information for all. Kim
Luber volunteered to pull the
information together, and it will
then be published and distributed
statewide.
A taskforce was appointed to
review the pros and cons of combining Annual Meeting and
Activist Weekend events in the
future. Ramesh Bhatt will head
the group, which includes Mary
Carol Cooper, Rich Koster, Cara
Cooper and Joey Shadowen, and
will make a recommendation at
the Jan. ExCom meeting. Both
events take a great deal of volunteer time and energy to plan and
orchestrate, and have attendance of
less than 100, with little overlap in
the participants.
Joey Shadowen, who headed
the planning for the 2014 Annual
Meeting (Nov 7-9) at Lake
Barkley State Resort Park, called
for feedback on that event. Confirmed attendance was 78 people,
and comments included: good programs, diverse outings and good
music.
George Kipphut, chair of the
2015 Activist Weekend committee, described program plans for
that event, which will be Jan 23-25
at Rough River State Resort Park.
From the Energy Report,
committee chair Wallace
McMullen highlighted the large
rate increases proposed by
LG&E/KU to both residential
fixed electric charges and the fixed
charge for gas customers. The
committee is planning an organized protest on these regressive
charges. The Mining Committee
Report addressed a variety of coalition efforts related to mountaintop
mining, abandoned mine lands and
economic transition in Appalachia,
as well as the need to fill an organizer position in eastern KY.
Water committee chair Hank
Graddy noted upcoming celebrations of the 40th Anniversary of
the Safe Drinking Water Act during Dec. in Lexington, Louisville
and Owensboro.
The next Chapter ExCom
meeting will be held Jan 25 at
Rough River State Resort Park at
the conclusion of Activist Weekend. Anyone interested is welcome
to join these open meetings.
The Cumberland January 2015
page 10
Cumberland Chapter Year-End Review
Successes in 2014....Ready for 2015!
e would like to thank
all of you supporters,
seen and unseen, who
made 2014 a successful year for
our chapter. Whether you gave
your time for a cause, made a
financial donation, or simply
attended one of our outings, it is
the grassroots contributions of
our members and supporters that
make the Cumberland Chapter
what it is, and we thank each and
every one of you.
We‘ll now review some of
the highlights of the year, and
thank all for making them happen.
W
Protecting and Celebrating
our Forests
2014 was the 40th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which
defines wilderness as “areas where
the earth and its community of life
are untrammeled by man.”
Wilderness designation provides
the strongest and most permanent
protection of our laws for wilderness values. Kentucky has two
designated wilderness areas, the
Beaver Creek Wilderness in
southern KY and Clifty Wilderness in east-central KY, both of
which celebrated in 2014. The
Bluegrass Group received a grant
and held a great weekend celebration, including hikes on trails in
Clifty Wilderness and presentations by founding KY Sierra Club
members who helped save the Red
River Gorge from being dammed.
The Chapter also began
tracking and commenting on the
Pisgah Bay Project in the Land
between the Lakes area where
the Forest Service proposes a
land management plan that
involves prescribed fires, commercial logging and annual herbicide treatments. A large commercial timber project is also
proposed in the Daniel Boone
National Forest, including logging and fires on more than
15,000 acres. The Chapter
requested that the Forest Service
develop a full Environmental
Impact Statement for the Project.
A Year of Climate Action
In April the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
proposed new carbon (CO2) rules
to limit CO2 emissions (greenhouse gas) from new coal-fired
power plants and create performance standards for CO2 emissions from existing power plants.
A busload of Sierra Club activists
headed to Atlanta to testify before
EPA in support of strong rules to
curb power-plant pollution. The
Chapter also sent a letter to EPA
supporting the rules.
September 21, 2014, saw the
largest climate action event in the
world with The People’s Climate
March in New York City, which
included two busloads of Kentuckians among the 411,000
marchers. Louisville held a local
climate rally the same day, with
supporters from many regional
environmental groups among the
attendance. A Climate Leadership Summit headed by Rainforest
Network was held in Louisville
and a number of Sierra Club
activists were trained to lead and
prepare others to act for the climate.
Protecting the Mountains
Legal progress in protecting
the mountains came from a Federal appeals court ruling in July
that sided with EPA and a large
coalition of citizens groups including Sierra Club to uphold a policy
to scrutinize pollution from severe
mountaintop removal (MTR)
mining in Appalachia. It was a
good ruling that allows EPA to do
its job, but doesn’t mean that state
agencies will do their jobs or stop
granting MTR permits. Environmentalists must continue to
address the deadly human health
impacts of MTR. KY Congressman John Yarmuth refiled his bipartisan bill “Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act”
(ACHE) to study the dangers of
MTR mining which scientific
studies link with significantly
increased risks of cancer, heart,
lung and kidney disease, birth
defects and premature death.
Many Sierra Club members
spoke at hearings in both eastern
and western KY to fight General
Permits for mines which give mine
operators blanket approval to
ignore variables such as geography,
hydrology and geology which
would require specific pollution
controls. Unfortunately, the state
again approved the General Permit, so this battle continues.
Advocacy at the State Capitol
Chapter activists marched
with allies from Kentuckians for
the Commonwealth, Kentucky
Waterways and more at the annual
“I Love Mountains” day in Frankfort.
Activists worked at the Lobby
Day for the Clean Energy Opportunity Act, to support a tax credit
for land conservation and (successfully) against the use of eminent
domain for the Bluegrass Pipeline.
Many Sierra Clubbers joined the
50th Anniversary Martin Luther
King, Jr. civil rights march in
Frankfort.
Protecting the Water
Sierra Club’s Environmental
Law Program along with allies is
part of a suit challenging EPA
approval of nonprotective state
water quality standards for selenium and eutrophication (pollution resulting from coal mining),
as well as violation of the endangered species act. Your club also
sued LG&E over continual discharge of polluting wastewater
f rom the Mill Creek plant in
Louisville into the Ohio River.
The Chapter submitted comments,, and urged individuals
members to add their say, on
proposed regulations affecting
the definition of Waters of the
United States, to provide strong
protections under the Clean
Water Act. Celebrations of the
40th Anniversary of the Safe
Drinking Water Act took place
across the state in December.
Supporting Clean Energy and
Job Creation
Chapter activists have been
involved in follow-up of the
SOAR (Saving Our Appalachian Region) conference to work
toward jobs that don’t rely on
dirty energy, and partnered with
the Alliance for Appalachia
regarding economic transition as
well as clean water.
Sierra Club intervened with
the Public Service Commission
on new energy efficiency proposals and is reviewing pros and
cons of LG&E’s proposed new
solar and gas-fired power plants
in central KY.
Coal Ash Battles
2014 was the target year for
EPA to propose regulations
regarding coal-ash storage, and
your chapter has supported
strong protections, hoping to
have this polluting by-product
declared and treated as hazardous waste. At this writing,
the specifics of the regulations
are not known, but will carry
great impact for KY. Your
Chapter has addressed coal ash
across the state, from fighting placement of a Trimble
County coal ash pond that
threatens local water supply,
identifying a massive illegal coal
ash contamination near Herrington Lake, following legal
progress on ongoing air and
water problems f rom the
Louisville Cane Run plant ’s
coal-ash and rallying affected
citizens to speak out at an EPA
hearing on coal ash in
Louisville.
Health and the Environment
2014 saw the 15th Healthy
Foods Local Farms conference
(partially supported by the
Chapter) which has helped lead
the move to getting more locally
The Cumberland January 2015
produced and sustainably raised
food to Kentuckians. Many of
the topics already mentioned
above have addressed health
conditions which are affected by
the quality of our air, water and
surroundings.
Our Youngest Members and
Supporters
The Inspiring Connections
Outdoors (formerly Inner City
Outings) programs in Lexington
and Louisville are outreach
efforts to teach youth about the
values of our natural environment. Chapter leaders took kids
out on several trips—from ice
skating to hiking, camping,
canoeing and more. Dozens of
kids explored the outdoors and
learned about the environment
and some have now grown up in
the program and are becoming
leaders themselves. In addition,
the Pennyrile group held outings
with “Girls Inorporated,” supporting their summer “Healthy
Girls/Healthy Community ”
with picnics, walks and outings.
Outings Activities for Our
Members and for the Lane
Cumberland Chapter volunteers led dozens of outings
across the state, including day
hikes, backpacks, canoe trips and
service outings to maintain trails
or remove nonnative plants, and
an Ohio River sweep. Bluegrass
group leaders led the 22nd
annual Spring Equinox Service
Trip in Apple Valley Glade
State Nature Preserve in Bullitt
Co. Having asked the State
Nature Preserve Commission:
“ W here do you need us and
what do you need?” the hardy
group headed to central KY to
cut, drag and burn cedar trees
that had encroached in the
glade, which is home to several
rare plants including the endangered gladecress. Northern KY
group members joined the
annual ser vice outing in Big
Bone Lick State Historical Site
in Boone County, doing trail
cleanup, sign repair, and clearing
and trimming weeds, bushes and
small trees. The variety of outings offered in 2014 included
page 11
star gazing, wildflower photography, bird watching, fly fishing,
bike/winery/brewery outing, 4th
of July Parade, paddle-the-Licking-River-and-learn-aboutmussels, Louisville Solar Tour,
backpacking in both Red River
Gorge and Big South Fork
National Recreation Area, as
well as monthly social dinners
out with Sierrans in both Lexington and Louisville.
Chapter Support
The Chapter launched a
successful statewide fundraising
effort in 2014. It started with
Kroger gift cards which we purchased and resold to supporters,
then midyear Kroger changed
the program to require only that
shoppers register their Kroger
PLUS cards with the number
assigned to their non-profit.
Once registered, 4% of all purchase amounts (gas as well as
groceries) is paid to the organization. This venture has provided about $300/month for valuable chapter work. See the separate article in this issue to learn
more and help us!
YOU Made This Happen!
We couldn’t have completed
all of this fantastic work without
the support of you, our members. THANK YOU for your
support during 2014 and we
hope to build even more on
these successes in 2015!
Job Announcement
Watershed Watch in Kentucky (WWKY) seeks a part-time contractor to provide fundraising expertise and planning assistance.
Watershed Watch in Kentucky (WWKY) is a statewide organization that supports monitoring and awareness of the health of Kentucky’s waterways, and encourages Kentuckians to improve and protect
the waterways of the Commonwealth. There are eight Watershed
Watch organizations in Kentucky, operating in their respective basins,
and their representatives comprise the majority of the board of
WWKY. Learn more at wwwky.org.
Successful candidates will have experience in recruiting support
and raising funds from diverse sources, producing flyers or pamphlets
for potential funders, speaking to small groups about fundraising and
participating in environmental advocacy, making funding requests in
person, and working independently. This person will be home-based in
Kentucky and will need to do an undetermined amount of traveling to
meetings. Compensation will be at an hourly rate of $23 ($15 while
traveling), with reimbursement of approved expenses.
Apply via a letter of interest, including qualifications, to Dale
Reynolds, Chair, Watershed Watch in Kentucky, 2642 Russellville
Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101. Candidates of interest will be interviewed in person, in Kentucky.
Contractor responsibilities are to:
• Identify diverse funding options for the type of activities undertaken by Watershed Watch, by February 28, 2015.
• Discuss options for generating funds with the WWKY board of
directors and the leadership of eight basin organizations, between February 1 and April 30, 2015. This will require travel to meet with each
basin.
• Develop materials basins can use to communicate with potential
funders, by March 15, 2015.
• Provide leadership and assistance to the eight basins and
WWKY as they each design and implement strategies for fundraising,
between March 1 and September 30, 2015. This will require telephone
and e-mail communications, as well as travel to most basins at least
once.
Contractor will report to Project Director and WWKY Chair.
Expenses reimbursed include travel mileage paid at KY Finance
Cabinet rate (currently 46 cents/mile); meals allowance; overnight
lodging as required; and other pre-approved expenses.
Cumberland Chapter Election Results
Congratulations to all who ran for the Cumberland Chapter and regional group elections. We also wish to
thank everyone who took the time to vote. The Sierra Club is a grassroots organization, so it is important
that our constituents participate in maintaining a grassroots leadership structure.
Results from the elections are as follows:
Cumberland Chapter newly-elected members:
Cara Cooper, Mary Carol Cooper, Mary Miller, Gene Nettles
Bluegrass Group newly-elected members: Diane Spurlock, Margaret Plarr, Jay Taylor, Dick Shore
Great Rivers Group newly-elected members: George Kipphut, Ray Smith, Cheryl Toth
Louisville Group newly-elected members:
Karen Chatham, Joy Henry, Geoffrey Hobin, Wallace McMullen
Mammoth Cave newly-elected members: Ron Whitmore, Tom Morris
Northern KY newly-elected members: Kim Luber, Rich Koster
Pennyrile Group newly-elected members: Burl Hammons
The Cumberland November 2014
page 12
(All outings are open to the public)
Outing Spotlight
Janaury 17-18, 2015 (Saturday-Sunday) Winter Backpack, Big
South Fork, Oneida, TN. Joey will need to fill this in; and
make sure it's in Big South Fork. Rating: Moderate. Leader:
Joey Shadowen, 859-492-6373, [email protected].
January 2015
Janaury 17-18, 2015 (Saturday-Sunday) Winter Backpack, Big South
Fork, Oneida, TN. Joey will need to
fill this in; and make sure it's in Big
South Fork. Rating: Moderate.
Leader: Joey Shadowen, 859-4926373, [email protected].
January 23, 2015 (Friday) Louisville
Sierra Club Dinner, 7:00pm, January's dinner will be at Porcini, 2730
Frankfort Ave. Contact the leader
before noon on Thursday prior to
dinner to allow for accurate reservations. Rating: Easy. Leaders: Gloria
Kemper-O'Neill, 502-458-5253.
January 23-25 (Friday-Sunday)
Activist Weekend, Rough River
Dam State Park. Our goal is to
energize and educate our members
and friends on environmental issues
relevant to Kentucky and the nation.
Registration and more information
can be found in this issue of The
Cumberland. Contact Judy Lyons,
502-585-3806, for more information
(May want to change the Contact
info)
January 24 (Saturday) Contemplative
Dayhike, Jefferson Memorial Forest, Fairdale, KY. A contemplative
hike for those seeking “bird song in
the quiet” (Wendell Berry) Whether
you just want to get outdoors, need a
break from the commotion of life, or
If you are interested in leading
an outing for 2015, please contact Dave Stawicki at
[email protected] or
phone
859-293-0712
are feeling drained and disconnected,
this hike is for you. As a small group,
we’ll walk along oak-shaded dirt
trails that wind through Jefferson
Memorial Forest, the largest urban
forest in the United States. Spending
part of the hike in silence and part in
conversation, we’ll find renewal as
we become more mindful of our
bodies, our thoughts, and the soil
beneath our feet. Limited to 20
people. Rating: Moderate, suitable
for beginners. Leader: Patrick
Heery,
502-381-5029,
[email protected].
suitable for beginners. Leader:
Patrick Heery, 502-381-5029,
[email protected].
February 28 (Saturday) Dayhike, Big
Bone Lick State Park, Boone
County, KY.
This late winter hike will cover all
wooded trails in the park, including
2 trails created by NKY Group volunteers. One trail parallels a pasture
fence where bison may be seen.
Please RSVP to leader by noon on
Friday. Rating: Easy to moderate,
suitable for beginners. Leader: John
Robbins,
859-363-0376,
[email protected]. Assistant
Leader: Chrisula Stone.
March 2015
March 20-22 (Friday-Sunday, includ-
ing travel time) 23rd Annual Spring
Equinox Service Trip: Lucy Braun
State Nature Preserve, Harlan
County, KY. We’ll work in conjunction with Kentucky State Nature
Preserves commission for this wonderful adventure. This project will
involve carrying lumber and supplies
and the construction of a small foot
bridge. Overnight lodging still to
be determined. Relax as the leaders
of the trip prepare a meal Saturday
night for the group for a small fee.
Sign up early for this popular outing.
Rating: Moderate to strenuous; work
at your own comfort/skill level; limit
20 participants. Leaders: Martha &
Darren Payne 859-585-0111 or 859398-3910,
mdpayne5668@
gmail.com. Assistant Leader: Terese
Pierskalla 859-327-5291.
February 2015
February 20 (Friday) Louisville Sierra
Club Dinner, 7:00pm. February's
dinner will be at Vietnam Kitchen,
5339 Mitscher Ave.. Contact the
leader before noon on Thursday
prior to dinner to allow for accurate
reservations. Rating: Easy. Leaders:
Gloria Kemper-O'Neill, 502-4585253, or Judy Lyons, 502-585-3806.
February 28 (Saturday) Contemplative
Dayhike, Charlestown State Park,
Indiana. A contemplative hike for
those seeking “bird song in the
quiet” (Wendell Berry). Whether
you just want to get outdoors, need a
break from the commotion of life, or
are feeling drained and disconnected,
this hike is for you. As a small group,
we’ll walk along a dirt trail that
meanders through forest and rock
outcrops and will enjoy the scenic
views of Charlestown State Park in
southern Indiana along the Ohio
River. Spending part of the hike in
silence and part in conversation, we’ll
find renewal as we become more
mindful of our bodies, our thoughts,
and the soil beneath our feet. Limited to 20 people. Rating: Moderate,
Photo courtesy of Joey Shadowen
Outings
Note to Outings Leaders: Please notify Oscar Geralds ([email protected]) as soon as possible if there are changes that need to be made to your outing.
Ready for 2015 Outings?? Joey Shadowen explores Clifty Wilderness.
The Cumberland Chapter’s Outings Program exists primarily to make participants aware of the natural areas and resources the Sierra Club works so hard to preserve. Outings provide a valuable source of fun and relaxation. The Cumberland Chapter’s Outings Program is managed by the chapter. Any donations to support this program are
appreciated but not required. Each leader serves in a volunteer capacity. Each participant must get permission from the trip leader to attend the trip. Outings will take place
regardless of weather unless otherwise specified. If you are unable to attend an outing which you have signed up for, please have the courtesy to inform the outings leader
as soon as possible. Pets, smoking, radios and guns are not allowed on trips. Guests and children are always welcome. If you have any questions about our outings program,
or publicizing any outings, please contact the Cumberland Chapter Outings Chair Dave Stawicki at 859-293-0712 or [email protected]. Happy Trails!!!