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1978—Winter of the Big Snow

The snow is beautiful and yet, treacherous.

Ice is a common sight for most of the winter.

It is a little difficult for those of us in Appalachia to emphasize the extent of the snow we have received. Daily we see on the television and read in the newspapers accounts of such cities as Buffalo, Boston, New York, etc., that have had as much as twenty-four inches of snow at one time. Certainly, here in the Southern Appala chians we cannot claim that amount of snow. We fully sympathize and pray for the people in the areas that are normally our beneficiaries. The conditions have been so un usual here, however, I think it worthwhile to devote an entire issue of the Soundings to the consequences of the greatest snow in the history of our area. For people in Minnesota and the northlands, snow on the ground all winter long is a normal event; in Appalachia it is an event without precedent. Since the

eighth day of January, snow has been on the ground constantly and most of the time, several inches deep. Our schools in many counties have been closed for seven weeks. The children have not been able to attend one day of school. Driving conditions have been hazardous. The people have been prevented from getting to medical facilities. The old have been stranded at home, frequently without much assistance. These and many more conditions we will describe in the various articles which appear in this issue of Soundings. The winter of 1977 was the coldest we’ve had on record. Although this winter has not been as intensely cold as last year at any one time, low temperatures overall have resulted in rivers being frozen and back roads being closed for longer periods of time than last year.

The people in Appalachia are not used to so much snow.

In addition, the toll on human patience is much greater this year. Every where you go, people complain about being cooped up. Cabin fever is every where. There hasn’t been a week in the last six or seven where we haven’t re ceived at least two fresh snows a week. It seems that there is no end to it. It is our hope that this issue of Soundings may give you at least some insight into the misery that such profound cold and such great amounts of snow cause in an area unaccustomed to it.

Kentucky River Soundings Publisher......................................CAP Editor-in-Chief . . Father Ralph Beiting Editor......................... Debbie Manasse Design A rtist............. Louie Simpson Project C oordinator.......... Bill Begley

Disaster Follows Disaster at Camp Nelson Camp Nelson is CAP’s great effort to preserve a very historical area along the Kentucky River and to create wholesome family recreation. Through historical preservation and recreation, CAP hopes to create many additional jobs for the people of the area. The community of Camp Nelson is located in a deep gorge next to the Ken tucky River as it runs through South Central Kentucky. For some strange reason the Kentucky River seems to be a magnet that attracts bad weather. In this the winter of the great snow, more snow has accumulated in Camp Nelson than any of the surrounding areas. For several

Published monthly by Christian Ap palachian Project (CAP). Entered as third class matter at Camp Nelson Post Office, Camp Nelson, Kentucky 40444. Subscription rate in U.S. is $4.00 per year. Address all correspondence to Kentucky River Soundings, Camp Nelson, Kentucky 40444.

days the community was totally isolated. The snow was too deep and the hills were too steep for the people to get out. After a fourteen inch snowfall that came on snow already accumulated, people were wondering how they would ever dig out. Then, suddenly, the w eather m oderated and the snow changed to rain. For more than twentyfour hours the rains drenched the land. The water from the rain and the melting snow caused the river to rise dramatically; more than fourteen feet in just a day or two’s time. An excursion boat, used at Camp Nelson to take tourists up and down the historic river, had been tied to a barge. The barge got stuck and did not float with the rising waters, holding the ex cursion boat down, causing it to sink. Now it’s covered with several feet of sand and just the top of the boat is sticking out of the water. It was a severe loss. Ice

has hampered the salvage operation and fresh snow has been frequent ever since the sinking occured. During this dramatic rise in the river, the Marina on the other side of the river was also struck with tragedy. The head boat or floating concession stand, there to service the people at the Marina, sank. Once again the water came up rapidly, with little warning, quickly covering the cables that hold the Marina in place. There was no time to let out the cable and the head boat turned over on its side and sank. Now that the waters have receded, it can be seen lying on the bank, sitting on its roof while the pontoons that once supported it are looking at the sky. The harshness of the weather has prevented any effort to correct this situation.

Paddle Wheel Excursion Boat in better days.

Ice on Kentucky River before disaster hit.

Kentucky River way out of its banks.

Both of these are losses that can be ill afforded in this area. Just when we thought the worst was over and we had mastered the situation, another snow storm came. The roof collapsed on one of the buildings that served as a bath house and pavillion. The accumulation of snow on the structure was so great that it caused the beams to crack and the roof to fall in. Meanwhile snow is still everywhere and, although Camp Nelson is not iso lated any longer, it is almost hopeless to begin the work of restoration.

Bottom of 12 foot tall building.

Despite the tragic news of the loss of two major boats and one of the build ings, the enthusiasm of Camp Nelson’s people is still very much in evidence. They have asked for volunteers to aid them in cleaning up the mess in time for the opening of the Spring season. Volun teers from Villanova University in Phila delphia and college students from Epworth, Iowa have responded and are presently using their midwinter break to assist in the cleanup and repair work at Camp Nelson. Mr. Bill Eades and Mrs. Jean Goins, who are in charge of the work at Camp Nelson, hope they will be ble to dig out and recover enough to pen the new season in April.

Coal

Hopefully, when this article appears the coal strike will have ended and the miners will be back to work. As everyone knows, for nearly three months, there has been a severe curtailment in the mining and distribution of coal. This coal strike has resulted in a terrible inconvenience to people everywhere. As I write this article, there is the fear that industry, schools, and many other vital services will have to be dras tically curtailed or perhaps even stopped in many of the states in the midwest. I took the pictures that accompany this arti cle at a local tipple in Rockcastle County. The coal is being brought in from Lee County, primarily, from deep within the Eastern Kentucky coal fields by nonunion miners and drivers. In addition to the difficulties of getting in with the coal, there re other problems to be solves before the oal reaches the unloading terminals. This particular morning, the scales were frozen solid with ice and the coal trucks were backed up, unable to be weighed and sent on their way.

Once the trucks were unloaded, some of them returned to the coal fields to bring in additional loads, while others hauled the coal off to areas such as Louis ville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio as well as cities farther north. Primarily, they are going to utility companies and other major industries. The weather has been a contribu ting factor to the misery of the people because even the limited supply of coal that comes out of the coal fields has a diffi cult time reaching its destination because of the severity of the weather. The frozen roads leading from the mines to the tip ples, frozen equipment, both at the mines and at the tipples, frequently hampers the coal from being handled in an expeditious manner. As the drivers sit huddled in their cabs waiting for the weather to moderate, and for other men to thaw out the scales, they talk about their problems and their worries. I talked to two men who were driving a large tandem truck loaded with coal. They had 23 tons on the truck. One of the things they were complaining bitter ly about was that a year ago they were allowed to carry 3V2 tons a load more than they are today. The government has lowered the weight limit that may be taken on the interstates by 3V2 tons. For many of them, this is a severe curtailment because they are paid by the tonnage they deliver. They cannot understand why it was legal a year ago, but today, illegal. Strangely enough, they can legally run on the secondary roads with 80,000 lbs. gross weight, whereas on the inter states they are only allowed to run with 73,000 lbs. As on man put it, “I can see

where they would cut down the weight on the roads that were not built to carry it, but why do they cut down on the best roads we have and leave us free to carry larger weights on the poorer roads?” As I listened to their worries and anxieties, I became aware of another con sequence the snow and the severity of the winter has created, idle time. Men want ing to work and prevented from doing so because of the weather, gather together and discuss all kinds of things. In an atmo sphere of fear and uncertainty, some items assume a degree of importance that would not ordinarily. The author of this article does not presume to have the wisdom to know the justice or the injustice of all the causes involved in the production and the delivering of coal, but one thing is sure, the severity of the winter has complicated the matter tenfold, maybe more.

Frozen scales warmed with torpedo heater.

Nonunion coal trucks waiting to be weighed.

The Foster Home Our Foster Home for teenage boys is located at Camp Nelson. Hickman Creek enters into the Kentucky River at Camp Nelson and about half a mile up the creek is our Foster Home. At the pres ent time we have ten young men staying there. In Spring, Summer and Fall the home is situated in an almost unbelievably beautiful setting. It is nestled in a deep valley, protected by cliffs on every side. Below the home is the creek, running to the river. During this winter of ’78, the snows have clogged the roads leading back into the Foster Home. At the best of times the roads are only one lane and in bad weather they are very dangerous. On the upper side of the road, the cliff comes right down to the edge of the road and rises straight up to a height of nearly two hundred feet. On the other edge of the one lane road, the bank drops off very sharply to the creek below. One bad turn and you will find yourself in the creek, nearly sixty feet below. During January and February, the boys were stranded on a number of occasions, unable to get the car out of the snow. On three or four occasions, they slipped off the edge of the road and narrowly avoided the car turning over and toppling into the creek. We can only hope that when good weather comes, the county will be able to widen the road and eliminate the dangers the boys have ex perienced all winter.

Just when these young men were getting used to the snow, the ice, and the dangerous condition of the road, the river made a sudden rise. One of the natural avenues for the high water to follow is the Hickman Creek valleys; so, when the backwaters of the river came up and cov ered the road that led to the Foster Home, the boys were completely iso lated. Consequently, they had to leave their vehicle parked about three quarters of a mile away from the home. They hack to climb up over a rather steep hill and go down the other side and, in this fashion, they were able to bypass the high water which had covered the road at that point. They then were able to go to their schools and their various training centers. All in all, it has been a very difficult winter. I visited with them the other even ing, enjoying their company, sharing their meal with them, and talking to them about things we have planned for the future. When I asked them what they would really like for us to get for them, the answer came back spontaneously from all, “A new road!” Yet, despite the very adverse conditions that the winter has brought, the boys are still enthusiastic about their training programs and about the spring. They are looking forward to raising a garden and crops. I would hope that we might be able to assist them in a number of other ways. One of the things that I would like to get for them is some woodworking equip ment. Several of them are showing ten dencies in this regard and I would like to be able to get them three or four pieces of equipment. They could use the equip ment to make small items they could sell

and thereby help finance their schooling and their future. We would also like to get a video tape recorder for them with a camera. Many things they need to leam^jkN could be taped and shown over their television set. In addition, they would have many opportunities to film materials themselves which would be very helpful to the new boys coming to the home. These things are expensive, how ever! costing nearly $1,000., but it is one of the dreams we have for the future as we con tinue to assist these young men in their progress to make a full and productive life for themselves. So, depsite the rigors of winter and the difficulties imposed by the snow, enthusiasm is still very much alive at our Foster Home on Hickman Creek in the Camp Nelson Valley.

Old People and the Snow by Barbara Witte On a loom she and her deceased husband made over 40 years ago, a ^ | \ woman wove 50 some odd rugs out o ™ corduroy strippings pulled by hand from old coats and dresses. She is happy that she still can work, for the extra income is needed, but like she says, “It’s been a long, lonely, shut-in winter, few visitors have stopped and my loom can’t talk to m e.” One 85 year old man had to move to Louisville: lock, stock, and barrel. With all the snow, it was impossible to find someone to regularly get his groceries and do his laundry. Getting to his doctor was equally difficult. In Louisville he’ll live near his daughter who can help him out. Deep in a holler, an old couple had to pack what they could and move into town. They could not get fuel delivered because of the snow and ice. “It took all our strength to get into town, but we had to have food and heat,” the woman com mented. Generally, most comments made by the old folks went like this: “It’s been a long winter and I’m tired of being shut-in. People don’t come in to check on me, I get very lonesome and depressed. Every^fth body needs a friend and someone to talk^^ to. Living all alone can be rough.” Our great consolation out of this try ing winter is that we were usually the only visitors the old folks had.

transportation service for Partial Hospital of the Bluegrass Comprehensive Care in Garrard County was on January 6th, and it has been impossible to resume the service, even now. However, two medi cal runs were made recently, but they were within the town. I am looking for ward to the time when the conditions improve and medical transportation can be resumed. During the period in which we were snow-bound, we provided lodging for stranded motorists at a local motel. We also gave people gasoline who were pass ing through and had run out of funds and distributed food to people in Rock castle County who were in need until they received their food stamps. The Depart ment of Human Resources-Social Ser vices Division referred people needing food to our center and we furnished food to a family who was burned out and had lost all of their possessions.

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Monday is washday.

Monday Morning in a Washline of # Clothes It was Monday morning and I was driving on a back road in Rockcastle County. The landscape was covered with snow and beauty was present on every side. I had seen many things so far this day, burnt out homes, wrecked automo biles, poor cabins frozen in the snow, and cattle trying desperately to break through the ice on a pond to drink. My mind was full of the thoughts of the winter and what it does to people. Suddenly I came over the rise of a hill and off to the right was a small home. There was a line stretched from the house out to a little outhouse. The line was full of clothing. At the other corner of the outhouse a wire fence ran up the hill. On the top of the wire fence hung other clothes. This line of clothes surrounded by a field of snow made such an unusual sight standing there in the bright sunlight of a Monday morning. I could tell that they had been put out that morning for they were not yet frozen stiff. I made my way down to the little house and knocked; a young woman I came to the door. I told her that I was writing stories about the winter and had noticed her clothesline out in the midst of the snow. I wondered if I might take a picture of it and put it with the article. Her face lit up and I could tell she was pleased

that someone had noticed her wash and had complimented her efforts to keep things clean even in the midst of such a winter. She said that she would be proud if I would take a picture of her wash. After the pictures were taken and I had returned to the car, I could see her busily washing the window that apparent ly looked out from her living room. As I drove off, I could not help but think, “Where are the good people with Tide, Duz, or brand X? Wouldn’t this make a shot for their television commercials: a lady doing her wash on a Monday morn ing and hanging it out on a fenceline to dry even though there was snow on all sides?” Despite the winter, the human determination to get the job done is still there.

During a recent blizzard we received a call from a lady CB operator asking if we could furnish a place for two young men to stay for the night. After making arrangements for their lodging, I received a telephone call from one of the young men thanking us for what we had done and asking if there was any work they could do to repay us. This is the first time we have received such a call.

Human Development Near Standstill by Anna Delosier Bad weather . . . two years in a row! Last winter we had extremely cold weather with not much snow. This year we had a lot of snow but the weather hasn’t been as cold. Medical transportation was at a standstill here in Rockcastle County. It was impossible to get back into the hollers unless you had a four wheel drive vehicle, which we do not. The last

Medical transportation at standstill

During this bad weather period, Junior Overbay, who is in charge of the Home Repair Program, and his helpers were busy working on the interior of homes making them warmer and more comfortable. When the weather clears up we will be able to resume our normal services and we will all be thankful for that.

Remodeling to be finished when the weather moderates.

One Stove Instead of Two After the miseries we encountered last winter, the Christian Appalachian Project decided to try and make the lives of at least a few people in Appalachia a little more comfortable before another winter came. The outcome of this deci sion was the formation of a crew of men employed to go about and remodel the homes and cabins of poor people. Since the days of last spring, we have been busily involved in this project. Presently, four men are employed who devote their full time to this remodeling work. This past week I went with the foreman, Junior Overbay, and we visited about four or five of the homes he and his crew have completed. I wanted to see what differ ence the remodeling had made and how the people were faring in this, the winter of the great snow. The first place we went to visit was out beyond Pine Hill in Rockcastle Coun ty. The road was still completely covered with snow and there must have been a packed depth of at least six inches on the roadway as we wound our way back through the hills where this particular house was located. A considerable amount of work had been done on it.

Spring project for CAP’s remodeling crew’s fine work

The gentleman who lived there was crip pled and could only get about in a wheel chair. He had been severely handicapped in getting wood and coal in order to keep his stove burning. The morning we ar rived was quite cold and the gentleman; was still in bed. He had not been feeling very well. As I sat beside his bed and talked to him, the gentleman told me how secure he felt going to sleep at night since the CAP crew had remodeled his home. Before the remodeling, his flue was in such terrible condition that if a large fire was built, it could easily catch the rest of the house on fire and burn it down. Be cause of the work that we had done re building and replastering the flue, he now felt a sense of security that he had not possessed all last winter. He felt more at ease in going to bed and being able to sleep. He didn’t have to keep waking himself up to check to see if the fire had gotten out of hand. This was something that simply had never occurred to me. I had thought about the temperature in the house, and how he would be warmer, but I had never really thought about the peace of mind a safe cabin would give him. It was, of course, much warmer than it had been before. He tells me that he has used only half as much coal as he did last year. It is a savings, as well as a comfort, to him. There is still exterior

work to be done, but that will have to wajBKv until the weather moderates. We went out to visit another family, with nine or ten children, who had lived in a one room school house last year, all huddled into one large room. In an effort to keep warm, the father had secured a second stove made out of a metal barrel. The barrel was cut in half and hinged so that when you wanted to put more wood into it, you lifted the ¡lid and put in the wood. This helped to heat the house. The wood on the floor of the old school house was pine and one of the ways pine was maintained was to soak it with oil and periodically run an oily mop over the floor. They told me the fire in this particular barrel stove had gotten so hot the year before that the oil had bub bled up out of the floor. They had lived in mortal fear that the house was going to catch on fire. They had to estimate what they feared most . . . freezing from the cold or burning up with a fire. B utlthis year we remodeled and enlarged their home, by weather-proofing and adding an addition that was half again as large as the original home. Even with half again as_ much space p they were now heating th ^ B j house with one stove whereas last y e a ^ ^ they needed two stoves for even less space. In addition, they, like the first man, had peace of mind that they had not

known for quite some time. The children were not sick as often and they had not suffered as much from cold as they had the year before. Again, you could see a profound difference from CAP’s remodel ing efforts. We visited other locations along the way. One was the home of a widow living by herself. The styrofoam insulation and the roof patching we had done made her home much more endurable. Our crew was working at still an other house. The interior of the house was in a tragic disarray. They had to prop up some underpinnings of the house be cause it had sagged and several beams had cracked. The ceiling had leaked in two of the four rooms, the children were sick, a little baby was crying, the house was without water, and they had no outhouse. Yet, in spite of the misery they were undergoing, the hope that the remodeling would be finished in another week or so was a great deal of comfort to them. They knew that comfort and relief was coming. It was only a matter of days now. Next week I shall visit more of the families whose homes we have remod eled. I could not get to them all in one day. It does make everything worthshile when you can see such concrete and practical results.

Schools For years the Kentucky mountain scene was dotted with one and two room schools. These schools were located in the neighborhoods where the children lived and everyone was expected to walk to school, which they did. Rarely was a day of school missed because of bad weather. But with the coming of progress the one and two room schools have been, by and large, eliminated and the consoli dated school has taken their place. These are large school buildings, normally lo cated in the county seat or some other more populated spot in the country. School buses go out each day and gather the children, bringing them to their respective schools. Many of the families, of course, live in the more isolated areas of the county and poor roads, frequently steep and winding, are the only way to get from the main thoroughfare to their homes. When a winter such as this descends and the snow stays on these roads constantly, it is impossible for the school buses to go over these roads with any degree of

School buses idle most of the time.

safety. Frequently, the steepness of the terrain causes shadows which, in turn, prevent the sun from ever touching many parts of the road. In counties that are in our immedi: ate area, such as Jackson and Rockcastle, the children have been completely with out schools since the sixth of January. Rockcastle resumed classes one day this past week and, although several of the buses had minor accidents, sliding off the road into the ditches, some buses were able to get the children to the school. A new snow storm hit the area at noon, causing classes to be dismissed and the children taken home early. It used to be a common sight to see school houses with cars parked all around and people coming and going. Now, however, they are solitary structures standing quietly and peacefully, the snow completely cutting them off from the rest of the world. The school buses can be seen standing on the side of the roads, usually in the yards of the men who drive them. The snow around them plainly indicating they have not moved for quite some time. It is not known what the school sys tem will do. How they will ever be able to make up the lost time is anyone’s guess. If the school year is extended and runs on into the summer, it will cause serious economic difficulties for many of the fami lies who depend on their children for help with the gardens, the tobacco crop, caring for livestock, and many other things their

small farms demand. Many of the stui dents in high school have missed their examinations and are in danger of not having completed their required test for college admittance. They are extremely worried. While the plight of the teachers and students is great, the patience of the mothers is almost at a breaking point. Since all the children are home, large families are frequently cooped up in very small homes which is trying on the mothers’ patience. The children have nothing to do. They cannot get out. They are bored with the situation and quarrel ing and fighting becomes the normal means of recreation. This frequently leads to much contention between the father and the mother and the whole family is on edge. At times some very tragic results occur. Two brothers in Madison County got into an argument just this past week in front of one of our Attic stores. The argument became so heated that one of the brothers took a rifle and shot the other in the chest. Gratefully, he is going to survive, however, the damage was seriS ous and the consequences profound. The difficulty that the winter has caused with the great snow and inability of the schools to operate is having its effect all through the family structure. I don’t suppose anyone is more concerned and anxious for the weather to modify and the schools to open than the parents.

IP Crippling Winter Storm Paralyzes Child Development Center

The Attic closed several times because of bad Iweather.

by Liz Burroughs and Ann'Bauer The winter weather had a very big effect on the Berea Child Development Center. We planned to reopen after Christmas vacation on January 9th, but due to snow and ice, we remained closed until February 9th. Our major problem, in coping with such adverse weather, was transportation. Getting our thirty children into the center from their homes in the southern half of Madison County involves 1 to IV2 hours of driving time by two of the three teachers. Driving conditions become very hazardous when you leave the main roads and it would have been too dangerous picking up the children, particularly those who live up in the hollers. Since opening the center was im possible, the teachers kept busy by mak ing equipment for the children, cleaning, and organizing the center, and catching up on odds and ends. There were several days when the weather prevented even the teachers from getting to the center. Work was then carried on at home. The weather also created problems for the school building. At one point, melting snow and ice leaked into the classrooms through the concrete block walls, soaking half the carpet and flooding the bathrooms. Even when the roads became passable, near zero temperatures froze the sewage treatment plant and pre vented the center from opening. The first day of school was greeted enthusiastically by teachers, children, and parents. Being snowbound for over a month had been trying for everyone. January, the most valuable month for teaching, had been lost. For some fami lies, parent-child relationships had be come strained with the intense living con ditions. Children had quickly become bored with the snow and parents soon ran out of things to keep children busy. So it was with great joy and anticipation that the children returned to school.

With less severe weather, the Attic soon became the place to socialize and visit with the neighbors and kinfolks. Cabin fever had been a hard burden for all to bear. At times you would think you are back in the days of the good old fashioned general store as news, gossip, and visiting go on in addition to the buy ing of clothes.

A Burnout People congregated and there was a general store atmosphere during less severe weather.

Bad Winter Weather Affects Mt. Vernon Attic by Barbara Jenkins Business at the Mt. Vernon Attic the past several months has suffered greatly due to the harsh winter weather. For several days, the store was not able to open for business because the employees could not make it in to work. On days when the store was opened, our only customers lived within walking distance. Boots, coats, and items essential for coping with the severe winter weather were in great demand by the few who were able to get into the store. When the weather finally broke and people were able to get to the store again, we heard many sad stories. The money they have saved for clothes had to be spent for extra coal and wood in order to keep their homes warm. One family of seven had the hardest blow fall on them. In the midst of the worst snow, their home burned down and they lost all their belongings. The store assisted by providing them with food, clothing, and bedding.

I know of no sadder sight in all the world than to see a home burnt out. The last couple of days, as I have travelled around the area, I have noticed several homes that were recently burnt to the ground. The snow stands so pure and white around them. Yet the blackened, charred remains speak of human misery and loss. I stopped to photograph one home in particular. I suppose I have passed this house a thousand times over the years. In the summertime, you saw a flock of children playing around, engaged in all kinds of games. During the year, the family always had items out in the yard for sale. At times vegetables from their garden were displayed, or, later on, apples, then bittersweet and holly. They always impressed me as a family that had it all together. They seemed to be able to play and work together, and, though their house was poor and their resources ap parently were few, they always waved when you passed and had a smile on their face. This day I saw no traces of the fam ily. Undoubtedly, they had to move elsewhere. Usually neighbors take them in first, then relatives make room for them as they try to plan their future. The remains of a refrigerator and a stove were there, as well as the charred remains of bedsprings. A burnt car stood in the side yard beside the house. If a stranger came by and saw what was lost,

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Christmas baskets waiting to be delivered.

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he might be tempted to say, “Well, it wasn’t much!” He might be accurate by the standards of the world, but for these people it was all they had and therein lies the tragedy. We try desperately to bandage the hurt; we offer clothing and furniture when we have it, we give food as well, but how does a box of groceries or a sack of clothing or an old chair compensate for a home? For the place where you were born and where you grew up? The place where you played and where you ate and slept? Now, all that is gone. Only the charred remains on a field of white snow remind us that this has once been a happy place.

the gratitude and the appreciation of the people who had received these gifts. I don’t suppose there is anything quite as welcomed as a word of thanks. We felt very pleased that those who had received these expressions of Christmas joy did let us know how much they ap preciated them. Because of the heavy snows, the inability of many people to work, or get to the stores, we have had unusually high demands for food during January and February. The other morning I was in my office and five separate families came in

The Christmas Basket Program Although the Christmas season has long since passed, the memory of what we were able to do through the generosity of our benefactors still remains with us and with the people who were helped. Food, clothing, and toys were once again distributed to nearly 400 families in the four counties surrounding our main head quarters in Lancaster. In the days before Christmas every available space we had was taken up with the baskets that were being prepared. The two days before Christmas were used to distribute these important items to the families who were in need. During the weeks following Christmas, we received a number of visitors and callers expressing

Beautiful wreaths mailed all over the country.

CAP Makes Plans to Expand the Christmas Wreath Program One of the oldest CAP programs helping create jobs in Appalachia is the Christmas W reath Program. During November and December nearly 70 people are employed making beautiful

needing food. I’m sure +hat the word gets out and people know that im0 organiza tion will listen to their human needs and help them in whatever way we can. Con sequently, we are always being asked. I am sure that at times we are taken ad vantage of, but there is satisfaction in knowing that frequently the needs are genuine and the help given has immeas urable value in assisting these people over their real crisis. As long as we have some thing to share with others, we will con tinue this program whether it is Christmas or some other time of the year.

24-inch natural, native pine wreaths. For nearly ten years, this program has economically helped the people of our area and CAP hopes to double the size of this operation during 1978. This will mean more jobs for a longer period of time for our people. Our facilities are adequate for this expansion and the people need the work. Our major problem at this time is an adequate m eans of distributing the wreaths. It is our hope that many schools, church groups, and fraternal organiza tions may come to our assistance in this matter. It is a very practical means of help ing others help themselves. For more than four years Central Catholic High School of Bloomington, Illinois has sold over 1,600 wreaths each year. The school has an enrollment of less than 400 students. They have demon strated how effective a group effort can be. Anyone interested in participating in the distribution of these wreaths is asked to write to the Soundings, 224 Lexington St., Lancaster, kentucky 40444. You and your group could mean a great deal to the people of our area. 9

Clothing From New Jersey Helps Warm Appalachia As a result of an article appearing in an earlier issue of Soundings (the article described the great floods and resulting losses suffered in many counties of Appa lachia last spring), a truckload of clothing was sent to the flood victims by the Romaine Sinniger, VFW Post 3484 from Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Mr. Angelo Pedevillano served as the coordinator between the people of Saddle Brook and CAP. The clothing arrived in Lexington, Kentucky where it was picked up by one of CAP’s trucks and taken to Pineville, Kentucky. At Pineville, the clothing was distributed by one of the Baptist churches that has been very instru mental in assisting the flood victims last spring. The clothing arrived just as the worst part of our winter struck. The flood of ’77 had at least one good result, warm clothing was delivered to the area in time for the winter of the great snow. Mr. Pedevillano said that although the VFW Post took the initial responsibility for getting the clothing drive started, it was truly a community operation. Support was sought by a local radio station and the newspaper, and the people re sponded. From all of us here at CAP, a great big THANK YOU goes out to the good people of the Romaine Sinniger, VFW Post 3484 and the people of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Clothing is one of our constant needs. Shipments of clothing, household items, food, and toys are always welcomed.

Cattle One of the sources of income for the Appalachian family is raising cattle. It is not done on as grand a scale as out west, however, a family may have a milk cow or two and perhaps, if they are fortu nate, a couple of beef cattle they are raising to sell in the fall to acquire the money they need. The snows of this winter have been particularly hard on the cattle. Normally in wintertime the cattle are able to get some food off the grass in the pastures. This year, the hillsides have been covered with snow since the eighth of January. It

has been impossible for the cattle to feed in their accustomed manner. The supply of hay and other grains has already dwindled almost to the point of extinction and it is costing the people now far more to keep the cattle alive than they can ever hope to recover by the sale of these cattle in the fall. In addition, those that have cows have seen milk production drop dras tically. Without sufficient food and some times without sufficient water due to the ponds being frozen, the cows simply can not give the quantity of milk they norm ally do. These are the hardships that plague the people. One can only surmise what misery; the cattle endure as the winter retains its vice-like grip on the countryside.

Livestock have trouble finding food.

Looking for collectables.

home, “What a frightful thing to see human beings digging in the garbage, trying to find something they could use.” I don’t suppose I had gone more than three or four miles along the high way when I saw another old gentleman with a burlap sack at his side. He was walking along the roadside searching for whatever he could find. Once again the sun had thawed the snow in this area and he was apparently hoping to find soft drink bottles or hub caps off of cars or whatever else he could convert into cash. When the weather began to moder ate and the snow disappeared, the people once more had to resort to scrounging through the debris left by others to help provide things they needed for their own survival.

They Dig For Treasure This past Sunday as I was driving between Mt. Vernon and Lancaster, I passed through the small community of Brodhead. For the last day and a half the weather had moderated considerably and there had been much thawing of the snow. As I passed the location where sev eral of the dempster-dumpsters had been placed for garbage collection, I noticed an old gentleman standing in the midst of a large pile of rubbish. I slowed down and saw that he was sorting through the gar bage apparently looking for something that he could use. After having passed the scene, I turned around and came back to see from a closer vantage point what was going on. The old gentleman had a plastic garbage sack and was going through all the gar bage that had been cleared of the thawing snow. He would find an item here and there and put it into his own bag. I thought to myself as I got back into the car and started on my way back

Persistent kitten needs affection and warmth.

A Kitten I had noticed an old log cabin, plas tered over with cement in recent years, sitting desolate in a snow covered field. There were some tire tracks that led down to the creek running in front of the cabin. From there footprints went up a slight hill to the building itself. I decided to park my car and walk down the lane to capture this picturesque scene on film. As I drew

near the house and was taking some shots, a little kitten came out from under neath the house and ran down to the ^ ^ r e e k where I was. The sight of the kitten A t the field of snow had a great deal of ^ n u m a n interest about it. I had to take some pictures of this kitten. When the kitten got close enough to get a good close-up photograph, I found it impossible to take a shot. Everytime I tried to get the kitten in focus, she would run underneath my legs and huddle up against me. I thought, “Darn you cat; you’re standing in the way of creativity and artistic development!” Finally, in desperation, I picked the kitten up. I thought, “If I toss it a foot or two away, perhaps I can get a picture.” Then as I held the kitten I realized the reason she was so affectionate. She was very, very cold. Her little body was trembling all over and she immediately nestled against my arm and the jacket I was wearing. I put the kitten back down again and once more endeavored to get some pictures. But each time I stooped down to get the best angle, the kitten would dart between my legs and once again huddle next to me trying to keep warm. At last I realized I had to stop trying ^ ^ o take a picture of the kitten because I ^ A a s only exposing her to more of the cold. The snow was so deep that, as she ran, the underneath of her stomach was dragging in the snow. As I walked away from the house, the kitten followed me, but when I got more than a hundred feet away, she sensed that there was more hope for shelter underneath this old house than I could afford her, so she left. The last I saw her, she was darting under neath the old house. I can only hope she found a warm place where the snow would not cause her so much pain.

Wrecked Cars The great snows, with no respect for anyone, came at expected as well as unexpected times. Frequently, people were caught on the roads without a warn ing that snowstorms were coming. Con sequently, many of them were ill-pre pared to cope with the ice and the snow they found on the highways. Many acci dents occurred and cars were d e molished. k Frequently, the people in Appala chia do not have insurance. This means that if the car is severely damaged, they frequently are unable to have it repaired

Many more accidents because of the snow

and the accident results in a total loss for them. The damaged cars are then pulled to the side of the road and just left to sit there until something can be done. Frequently, nothing is done and the cars remain along the side of the roads for months and even years. This winter has caused far more

accidents than normally occur and the loss to the people through transportation has been extreme. Many new graveyards for wrecked cars have been made along side our highways. Even when spring gives way to summer, their rusting car casses will be a powerful reminder of the great winter of ’78.

Service trucks unable to remove garbage

other effect of the winter storms. It is garbage. With much effort on the part of many people over a period of several years, some of our counties have received the service of dempster-dumpsters. These are garbage receptacles that are placed in strategic locations throughout the county. Here people may come and place their garbage and unwanted materials. This is the only means that the county has of disposing of all the rubbish that accumu lates. Because of the snow, the trucks that service these dumpsters have been unable to function. Consequently, garbage has been heaped and piled over the dump ster. They have been filled to overflowing. When no more space is available within them, the garbage is simply piled on the ground around them. It is difficult to know the amount of disease that is generated in this fashion. Certainly, it is an eyesore that plagues the countryside and causes much concern. While this unsightly mess is not one of the major stories of the snows that have come in unprecedented ferocity to our Appalachian scene this year, it is an unpleasant sidelight frequently over looked. Even the garbage had nowhere to go when the snows sealed us in, in Appalachia.

Garbage When the tales of this winter are told, men will remember the traffic, the delays in travelling, and the privations suffered as people were stranded in auto mobiles. They will remember the difficulty they had in getting food, clothing, and ob taining medical attention. It will be right that they will remember these things be cause they touch so vitally upon human life. But as I travel the highways and byways of our area, I have noticed an

CAP headquarters for more than seven years

CAP Moves from the Yellow House More than seven years ago the Christian Appalachian Project purchased a residence on Lexington Street in Lan caster, which was changed to office space. Previously we used office space donated by St. William Church in Lan caster, but the new offices were CAP’s

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first headquarters. For the first time CAP owned its own property, its own building, and provided a place for its staff to work. Over the last seven years the growth of the Christian Appalachian Project has been such that the facilities on Lexington St. were no longer adequate to hold the number of people who were employed. Last year CAP purchased a large metal Butler building from the Cowden Corporation, which had previously been used as a warehouse. After an extensive remodeling program, our new head quarters was nearly ready for occupancy by Christmas.

Several of CAP’s activities moved in at this time, such as the Attic store and the Lancaster Mail Service. Then after the first of the year, the Kentucky Valley press, our printing operation, moved in^ During the latter part of February, the office staff was able to move into the new quarters. Although not yet complete, much activity goes on in our new build ing. The transfer to the new facilities was extremely difficult this winter because of the snow and bad weather. Many a moving date had to be postponed. The frame building that previously served as CAP’s headquarters for seven years was known as the Yellow House. The reason for this name is quite simple. When we acquired the property the house needed a paint job and so, since someone had donated yellow paint, this is what we used to paint our new building. It then became known simply as the Yellow House. Many fond memories are associated with this humble, but very important, structure in CAP’s history. It was the beginning of much that was good and it has seen the growth of many noble works under CAP’s guidance. While the new quarters were desperately needed and offer added possibilities for employment, the contributions made by the Yellow. House will not soon be forgotteri!|