Comments on: Friday roundup, May 22, 2009

By: Mike Connell

Mike Connell — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:46:11 +0000

Ken,

Just wanted to thank you for your reporting. It’s good to know that serious journalism is still being practiced in West Virginia. I only wish my old friend, Chuck Haden, could have lived to see the tide begin to turn on the rape of southern West Virginia.

By: civil joe

civil joe — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:30:03 +0000

Ken,

Thanks for acknowledging flood relief volunteers on both sides who gave their time to help those who lost everything. The National Guard, Red Cross and Salvation Army have also been helping greatly. There’s still a huge need for volunteers, if you want to help, CONTACT: Jenny Hudson, 770-891-9048, jennysuehudson@gmail.com, or Eric Mathis, 304-784-0864, thejobsproject@gmail.com. BRING: Working boots, rubber gloves, work clothes, food & water, sleeping bag & pillow (if staying overnight).

By: howie branham

howie branham — Mon, 25 May 2009 04:16:42 +0000

Yes go look at the flood yourself. then look up at the top, or whats left of the top of the mountains, and put two and two together for yourself. true that much rain would have caused some flooding, but the fact is never in the history of the places flooded, have the flood’s been so bad. look it up in the area history. MTR has happened all up and down pigeon creek, and the bad flooding started in 2004 and now in 2009 look at what has happened. yes come and see!. the man is right I am a combat vet. and tricia Feeney is my hero!

By: Dave Cooper

Dave Cooper — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:23:05 +0000

Ken, I want to thank you for pointing out that environmental activists with Mountain Justice, SEAC and other environmental groups have helped with the flood cleanup all last week – we had work crews leave from camp on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as well as Saturday. I read Vic Sprouse’s comment in the Record and so I called and emailed him to invite him to work with Mountain Justice volunteers on the cleanup. I looked at the signup sheet last Saturday at Varney Community Center and I didnt see the name Vic Sprouse anywhere.

Tricia Feeney with OVEC has been working hard for 2 weeks now coordinating volunteers.

By: Mingo

Mingo — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:42:41 +0000

Brad, that was actually 2 tons of innuendo attempting to relate the 5-9 flooding with the coal industry. There were many culverts stopped up which forced water over the road causing much “water cutting” damage without any blame being attached. Massey had two culverts blocked and they were fined and it was worthy of two weeks of headlines/mention by Ward.

Go look at the flooded area and any reasonable person will see where excessive water rolled off stripped and non-stripped mountains. If flooding came from only the stripped area, Ward’s suggestions would definitly have basis. But…that is simply not near factual. The facts are that there was too much rain that fell in a short period of time for anything short of a dam in each hollow to restrict the rush of water into the flooded basin/s.

Ward and Rag have attacked coal in too agressive a style for too long to give either any credibility in the subject.

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:51:07 +0000

That was a ton of info. Thanks.