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TRANSCRIPTION: NOTES – 2009 Fall

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NOTES FROM
THE PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
PINE MOUNTAIN ~ HARLAN COUNTY ~ KENTUCKY

A tradition of education and service since 1913

FALL 2009

[Cover photograph: “Young people who attended the Settlement School’s day camp for teens in June enjoyed a field trip to nearby Kingdom Come State Park. (Photo by Judy Lewis)”]

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November 2009

Dear Friends,

As I reflect on this year, I appreciate how fortunate we have been at the Settlement School. Our calendar is filled with environmental education classes for school groups and adults; historic preservation and arts workshops; workshops and work sessions for those who want to help restore critical habitat in our area and other communities; community meetings to strategize how to bring broadband Internet access to the area; meetings to discuss ways to save energy, grow more food locally, be healthier; potlucks that feature locally grown food or harvested food; day camps; reading camp; traditional community events like Fair Day, the Nativity Play, holiday parties; weddings; family reunions and school reunions.

I know we make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people each year. Because of Pine Mountain Settlement School, people learn new skills that they then apply to worthwhile projects. They learn about the plants and animals that inhabit our environment and carry this knowledge out into the broader world. They meet new people and enjoy the company of longtime friends. Our community is stronger because of the many activities here that bring local residents together.

As I look ahead, I see many indications that dramatic, rapid changes are coming. I know that Pine Mountain will be in a position to help with ways to cope with challenges and to offer, as always, a place for those who seek peace and renewal. The staff and I invite you to visit us in 2010.

In the spirit of Pine Mountain,
[Signed: Nancy Adams]
Executive Director

[Two photographs: “Every summer, Pine Mountain staff members celebrate work well done with a daylong outing to a nearby place. This year’s Fun Day location was Cumberland Gap National Park, where several staff members went on a guided tour of Gap Cave to see stalagmites and flow cascades.”]

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New Faces at PMSS

[Photograph: “Left to right: Eagle Brosie, Kim Kirkbride, Jason Johnson”]

PMSS is pleased to welcome Kim Kirkbride of Fairfax, Virginia; Eagle Brosi of Berea, Kentucky; and Jason Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia, as interns this fall. Kim and Eagle are environmental education interns and Jason is the sustainability initiative intern.

Kim graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 with a B.S. in biology. She has worked as a community organizer and as a substitute teacher in the Blacksburg area.

Eagle has visited Pine Mountain Settlement School since he was a child. His mother, Connie Farrington [sic, Fearington] Brosi, taught at Pine Mountain in the 1960s. Eagle brings an appreciation of the natural world in eastern Kentucky and experience working with children as a camp counselor and environmental education intern at Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University this year with a B.A. in English.

Jason graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering. He is interested in energy and water systems and will continue work on an energy use inventory of PMSS buildings. Jason and the farm staff are building a hoop house and working on insulation projects.

AmeriCorps*VISTA Community Program at Pine Mountain

In June, AmeriCorps* VISTA members Vincent Smith, Elizabeth Sanders, and Stacy Gloss began a year of service at Pine Mountain Settlement School. AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a national program that places full-time 11 volunteers with organizations to help them develop and strengthen programs in underserved communities.

[Photograph: “Left to right: Stacy Gloss, Elizabeth Sanders, Vincent Smith”]

Vincent Smith, of nearby Gilley, Kentucky is working with community members to establish an exercise program for children and adults next year at the School. He is taking a year off from his studies at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Stacy Gloss, of Orlando, Florida, is the energy efficiency and home weatherization coordinator. She recently completed the graduate program in Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University. She is working with several area organizations to help local homeowners find funds for energy conservation measures.

Elizabeth Sanders, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the agriculture initiative coordinator. She attended American University in Washington, DC. Elizabeth is seeking funding to help with community projects and workshops. Her work includes documenting the diversity in community members’ gardens and designing a program for youth/senior citizen garden projects in 2010.

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Sustainability Program

PMSS energy-saving efforts
In early 2008, Pine Mountain staff set a goal of reducing energy consumption by 15 percent for our fiscal year of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. So, how did we do? We reduced total energy use by two percent (measured in British thermal units) and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by six percent. After two years of cost increases of more than 30 percent, we were able to cut costs by 13 percent. While we did reduce our energy use, we know we can do better.

The following chart compares energy use in fiscal years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

Energy Comparison between 2007-08 and 2008-09
	2007-2008	2008-2009	Change #	Change %
Electricity (kilowatt hours)	219,548	175,563	-43,985	-20%
Propane (gallons)	18,345	21437	3,092	17%
Coal (tons)	16	17	1	6%
Diesel (gallons)	3771	3186	-585	-16%
Gasoline (gallons)	2001	1512	-489	-24%

In 2009, Pine Mountain replaced its last coal-fired boiler with a propane-fired boiler.

The reductions were the result of public and staff conservation measures and energy efficiency upgrades. To raise awareness at Pine Mountain, we discussed energy use and reduction goals at staff meetings and asked for ideas about how to save energy. We posted signs to encourage visitors to use less water and to turn off lights when leaving a room.

Pine Mountain staff and interns carried out a number of targeted energy efficiency upgrades on campus: insulated 10 hot water heaters; insulated radiator and hot water pipes; insulated the attic at Farm House; cleaned refrigerator coils; turned off heaters at the Pump House; turned off the hot water heater in Old Log; replaced the refrigerator at Big Log with an Energy Star model; and replaced more than 140 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs across campus. All of these measures contributed to the decrease in energy use on campus. Since June, we have insulated the attic of the administrative office, applied caulk to exterior siding at Draper, installed five rain barrels at campus buildings, repaired all windows in Jubilee Cottage, replaced three inefficient propane-fired furnaces with more efficient models, and replaced the ice machine with a much smaller model.

We celebrate the decrease in energy costs, total energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to work on projects that will make Pine Mountain a leader in energy efficiency and environmental education.

P. 5

Sustainability Projects

Food preservation projects and buildings survey
This year, the Sustainability Initiative has made progress in campus gardens, energy conservation projects and a comprehensive campus survey of equipment and buildings. The two summer interns were Amanda Hawkins, a University of Kentucky graduate; and Eric Elrod, a student at Appalachian State University. Amanda worked in the School’s gardens and created a new garden near Country Cottage, the house for interns. She worked with Eric and Sustainability Initiative Director Randal Phleger to install rain barrels outside five campus buildings and to build a solar food dehydrator.

Eric created an energy source inventory and helped draft campuswide maintenance plans. He also conducted research into the feasibility of growing rapeseed to create a biofuel that would replace petroleum- based diesel and heating oil.

[Photograph: “Eric Elrod and Amanda Hawkins helped to construct a solar food dehydrator”]

Pine Mountain Settlement School Sustainability Symposium
On May 14-16, 2010, the Settlement School will host a Sustainability Symposium designed to bring together specialists, educators, and community organizers to share their experiences and learn about model projects throughout southeastern Kentucky. These projects and initiatives build on local knowledge and experience and point to the potential for a healthy and prosperous future. We will celebrate the greatest regional assets: the people, mountains, water, forests, farms and gardens, and clean energy. The participatory, interactive, solutions-oriented, and fun symposium will include hands-on training, workshops, hikes, and garden tours with local and regional experts working on food, energy, and forest issues. The Symposium has been endorsed by the Appalachian Centers at University of Kentucky, Berea College, and Southeast Community and Technical College; the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development; Highlander Research and Education Center; and Harlan County Cooperative Extension Service. When the schedule of events is complete, we will post information and registration forms on the School’s web site: www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

[Photograph: “Randal Pfleger and Eric Elrod install a rain barrel”]

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Community

Fair Day
A large crowd turned out for the annual Fair Day celebration on August 29th. Nolen Lodge’s pig roast dinner was a big draw, as were the many informational booths, crafts exhibits, and book sale. Terry and Gene Harris performed mountain gospel music while children explored the Bledsoe Fire Department truck and enjoyed games on the playground. The cake walk and horse-drawn wagon rides offered fun for all ages. Community members competed for blue ribbons for their handmade crafts, baked goods, fresh produce, canned goods, photographs and flowers.

[Photograph: “Jeremy Jones and David Smith of J Bar S Out- fitters provided wagon rides around campus.”]

Local artisans Johnnie and Louis Lewis, Valerie Smith, Cindy and Rodney Mott, Jennifer McDaniels, Jeanette McDaniels, and David Lewis displayed quilts, wood carvings, brooms, handmade furniture, corn shuck flowers, jams and jellies, and pottery. Etta Turner won the Pine Mountain Homemakers Club quilt raffle. Raffle proceeds will be used to buy tents for the School and to fund the homemakers club.

We thank the volunteers who helped make Fair Day a wonderful community event. Al Cornett from Tri-City Funeral Home in Harlan provided tents and Harold Lewis of Flav-O-Rich Inc. donated ice cream. Competition judges were Raymond and Donna Cox, Theresa Howard, and Jeremy Williams from the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Office. Alpha Sigma Tau, Epsilon Zeta chapter of the University of Virginia at Wise, helped PMSS staff throughout the day.

Day Camps
Twenty-four children and ten teenagers from Big Laurel, Bledsoe, Gordon, Line Fork, and Northside attended the two weeklong day camps for community children this summer. The camps provide an opportunity for local children to take environmental education classes and learn more about eastern Kentucky culture and history. The teen campers took field trips to Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, Kingdom Come State Park, and the Pine Mountain Trail State Park.

This year, the younger campers made dream catchers and learned about Native Americans in Kentucky from Tressa Brown, the Native American heritage coordinator at the Kentucky Heritage Council.

[Photograph: “Tressa Brown demonstrates how Native Americans used an atlatl or spear thrower.”]

We thank the many community volunteers who helped out with day camp activities.

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Sustainability Program

Local Foods Potluck Suppers
[Photograph: “Chow chow, elk meatloaf, and autumn olive berry cobbler are just a few of the tasty offerings that community members brought to the three 100-mile potluck dinners at Pine Mountain this year. These events showcase food that is grown locally and encourage people to grow more of their own food and to buy more local produce and meat.”]

Community Garden
Pine Mountain staff and community members spent many afternoons and evenings working together in the community garden this season. Gardeners tended their own plots but also helped trellis beans, plant crops, and turn the compost pile. All crops were cultivated without the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or non-organic fertilizer.

The PMSS community garden was started in 2008 to provide local residents with a place to raise produce and to share knowledge of gardening with others. Community members interested in participating in the 2010 Pine Mountain Community Garden can contact PMSS AmeriCorps* VISTA member Elizabeth Sanders at esanders VISTA@pinemountainsettlementschool.com or at (606) 558-3416.

[Photograph: “Community members planted a variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers.”]

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Workshops

[Photograph: “Above: Students from University of Kentucky, College of Architecture, School of Design, spent a weekend in October learning how to make bricks and mortar during a workshop with Miles Miller, a master mason. Below: Participants in the dry stone construction workshop in October complete the final section of the wall between the office and Draper Building. For five years, the wall was the hands-on project for the dry stone classes. During this time 75 people worked on the project. Below right: Students in the July log structure preservation workshop apply mortar between replacement logs at Big Log, the School’s first original building.”]

[Photograph: “Left foreground: Andrew Roeper, master wood window and door restorer from New Hampshire, taught students about wood window repair during the Historic Window Restoration workshop in August.”]

[Photograph: “People from five states enrolled in the Digital Darkroom workshop in October. The instructor was Malcolm Wilson, center front.”]

P. 9

Community

Broadband Initiative
This summer, members of the newly formed Pine Mountain Residents for Broadband began working on a campaign to bring broadband service to area residents. They have circulated petitions, written letters to elected officials, and produced public service announcements about the need for broadband Internet access on the north side of Pine Mountain.

At present, area residents must use the outdated and slow dial-up connection to gain access to the Internet. The faster broadband access would open up personal, educational, social, and economic opportunities for community members. Most on-line programs and web sites are designed for high-speed Internet service. Residents in communities without broadband service are unable to use many of these Internet sites. In the Pine Mountain area, for example, local community college students often cannot complete on-line class assignments or take on-line exams that require broadband Internet.

The group has identified several types of broadband service that would work in this area; all will require significant investment. Possibilities include: extension of existing DSL (digital subscriber line) service from telephone companies from Bledsoe and/or Gilley; wireless broadband broadcast by cellular tower; utility service adoption of BPL (broadband through power lines) technology on existing utilities infrastructure; and extension of cable-based Internet service from the local cable television company.

Reading Camp
[Photograph: “Thirty third- and fourth-graders from Bell and Harlan counties attended Reading Camp in July. An equal number of teenagers and adults volunteered during the weeklong residential camp. As in past years, Kentucky author George Ella Lyon donated her time to give a presentation on how books are made. Students worked to sharpen reading skills in the mornings. In the afternoons and evenings, they took environmental education classes, worked on crafts, and played games. The camp is a partnership between the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington and Pine Mountain Settlement School.”]

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Volunteers

[Photograph: “In June, sixty-five high school students and recent graduates from across Kentucky volunteered for a half day at PMSS with the Kentucky Y-Corps Service Program. The youth repaired fences, spread mulch around apple trees, cleared brush, washed windows and chairs, and pulled up seven truckloads of the exotic, invasive plant, Asian bittersweet.”]

[Four photographs: “In 2009, more than fifty women from Alpha Sigma Tau donated 840 hours of service to PMSS. Volunteers cleaned books, cleared brush, dug new garden beds, built a wheelchair ramp for a local resident, planted vegetable seeds in the School’s gardens, sanded floors, treated hemlocks against infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid, turned compost, washed windows, helped with Fair Day, and weeded flower and vegetable gardens on campus. Pictured are volunteers from Alpha Lambda Chapter from Radford University in Radford, Virginia (upper left); Beta Chapter from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (upper right); Omicron Chapter from Concord University in Athens, West Virginia (lower left); and Epsilon Zeta Chapter from the University of Virginia at Wise (lower right).”]

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How You Can Help

Income to operate the programs and maintain Pine Mountain’s physical plant comes from three sources: interest income from the School’s endowment fund, earned income, and contributions. From time to time, we seek grant funding to help with particular projects, equipment and building repair needs.

We appreciate all contributions and are prudent in our use of financial resources. Your financial contributions make it possible for Pine Mountain to carry out its mission and to continue to be a strong institution in an underserved area.

Pine Mountain Settlement School exists to serve people in the local community and beyond. To accomplish this, we strive to

• • • Teach others about the natural environment and promote protection of ecosystems
    • Incorporate into our operation energy conservation, renewable energy sources, local materials and healthy food, and share this knowledge with others
    • Provide supplemental educational experiences for local students which strengthen, enrich, and extend their academic education
    • Protect and maintain the natural lands and historic structures at the Settlement School
    • Celebrate, interpret, and promote the cultural heritage of central and southern Appalachia
    • Serve as a center for recreation, fellowship, and lifelong learning, welcoming all who come

Pine Mountain is a private, 501(c) (3), non-profit corporation. Contributions to Pine Mountain are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Pine Mountain accepts online contributions through Network for Good. Please see our website for more details.

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NEEDS LIST

Those interested in helping with any of these items may donate part or all of the cost.

Copy machine – $4000
Software for GPS – $150
Disc harrows – $1500
Chainsaw – $350
Asparagus crowns – $100
Twin-sized sheet sets – $20 each
Backhoe tires – $500
Dryer – $500
Strawberry plants – $100
Blueberry bushes – $30 each
Building materials for outdoor classroom shelter – $700

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P. 12

Events Calendar

Pine Mountain Wildflower Weekend    April 16-18, 2010
Black Mountain Wildflower Weekend    April 30-May 2, 2010
Sustainability Symposium    May 14-16, 2010
In the Footsteps of Lucy Braun    June 9-13, 2010
Community Youth Day Camp (K-6th grades)    June 14-18, 2010
Community Youth Day Camp (7-12th grades)    June 21-25, 2010
Reading Camp    July 11-17, 2010
Creech Family Reunion    August 8, 2010
In the Footsteps of Lucy Braun    August 11-15, 2010
Fair Day     August 28, 2010
Community School Reunion    September 4, 2010
Fall Arts Weekend    October 8-10, 2010
The Art of Building Dry Stone Walls Workshop    October 8-10, 2010
Fall Color Weekend     October 15-17, 2010
Nativity Play    December 12, 2010
Historic Preservation Workshops    To be announced

For more information or to make an on-line reservation, please visit our website at www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com or call (606) 558-3571 or 558-3542 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You may also write to: Operations Manager, Pine Mountain Settlement School, 36 HWY 510, Pine Mountain, KY 40810-8289 or e-mail: office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

Save America’s Treasures Grant
[Photograph: “The west roof section on Draper Building is nearly completed.”]

G. F. Bessinger Construction, of Lockport, Kentucky, is replacing the roof and gutters on Draper Building. The project is funded in part by a Save America’s Treasures grant, administered by the National Park Service. The new gutters and roof will replicate the original materials on Draper, which was constructed in 1936.

We are raising funds for seven more building projects under the SAT grant. Next on our list are Laurel House II roof repair and new windows for West Wind. We need to raise $8,000 for the Laurel House project and $30,000 for the Westwind project. The SAT grant will match every dollar we raise toward these projects.

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Previous:
NOTES – 2008

Next:
NOTES – 2010 Summer
NOTES – 2010 Fall

See Also:
FARM COMMUNITY 2009 Fair Day

Return To:
NOTES Index