T h e iV io u n ta in S p ir it: The Magazine o f the Christian Appalachian Project M arch-A pril 1986
V ol. V , N o. 2
Contents Features
4 Com puters in Appalachia? by G iovanna Burks Godby A high-tech industry in Appalachia? Yes! And doing well, too. Appalachian C om puter Service is in London, Kentucky.
11 Credit U n ion on the M ove by the C A P News Service C entral Appalachian People’s Federal C redit U nion, with its headquarters in Berea, is m aking big changes in Appalachia.
Big Deal, p. 22
16 M iss L izzie Story and Photos by Randolph Jo rd an At the edge of a Field filled with weeds and wild flowers lives a woman who tells us, “ a in ’t too much th a t’s different.’’
22 Big D eal by G arry Barker G arry tells a story about the adventures of V ernon W atts when he wins a state essay contest— and his First trip to C incinnati. Miss Lizzie, p. 16
C A PFC U , p. 11
Departments The M arch-A pril 3 From Our President 7 A round the Project 14 T he CAP C loseup 20 Letters
A ppalachia has always been a land of great contrasts. T his issue of The Mountain Spirit looks a little m ore closely at the contrasts that m ake A ppalachia such an interesting place to live. O n the C O V E R the contrast of a high-tech industry and M iss Lizzie of Lincoln C o u n ty (photos by G odby and Jo rd a n ). O n the B A C K C O V E R , farm ers prepare for p lan tin g (photo by Jo rd a n ).
21 R andom T houghts E d itor-in -C h ief, F ather R alph Beiting; E ditor, M a rg aret G abriel; A ssociate E ditor, G iovanna Burks G odby; A d visory Board, M ike M cL au g h lin , Leslie B. L arsen, Ja c k M o rris, Bill Begley; G raphics C oordinator, D ebbie J . W ilson; C irculation M anager, T eresa Richey The Mountain Spirit is published six tim es a year. T h e an n u al subscription price is $5.00. Subscriptions and o ther correspondance should be sent to The Moun tain Spirit, C h ristian A ppalachian P roject, 322 C rab O rch ard R o ad , L ancaster, K entucky 40446. C opyright 1986. T h e C h ristian A ppalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. M em b er, C atholic Press A ssociation. T h e C h ristian A ppalachian P roject is a non-profit C hristian service organization operating throughout E astern K entucky. T h e project operates on the philosophy th at “ helping people help them selves” is the best approach to A ppalachian poverty.
From Our President This land of Appalachia that I have called home for 36 years, a land into which I was not born, holds a fascination for me that I have never experienced anywhere else. Part of that fascination comes from the contrasts and apparent contradictions presented by the area and its people. When God formed this place, he enriched it with natural resources equaled in only a few places in the world. He raised up mountains and dug out valleys. Beauty marked every expression of His creation. When Daniel Boone came through Cumberland Gap in 1775 and built the wilderness road that opened the west to the rest of the 13 colonies, a more inventive, resourceful people could not be found anywhere in America. They could and did take care of themselves. In the process, they defended the new nation and open ed the doors for westward expan sion. The mountains are still populated with inventive, resourceful people, yet today, Appalachia represents poverty. The (Louisville) CourierJournal recently published a study conducted by Dennis Quillen in which he concluded that the quality of life in Eastern Kentucky falls behind that of the rest of the state. A great percentage of our people on welfare sit patiently waiting for the check to come and for someone to help them through troubled times, rather than relying on themselves. It is difficult to find people more aware of God than here in Ap palachia, but we are the most un churched people in the world. In ad dition, spouse and child abuse run rampant and divorce is more prevalent here than in the rest of America. Senseless land use, along with garbage, junked cars and debris of every kind leave ugly scars on the face of our countryside. I am convinced that we must M arch-A pril 1986
F ather B e itin g v isits w ith a F lo y d C o u n ty fa m ily .
build bridges to minimize these negative contrasts. I don’t mean to say that we are to make everything a bland, homogeneous mass. Not at all. Differences are needed and necessary, but opposition, conflict and hostility are not. We need to build some bridges, level some valleys, straighten some roads in order to eliminate the negative qualities of the contrasts of life in Appalachia. It will not be easy, yet it can be done. The Christian Appalachian Proj ect is building bridges and challeng ing the inequities. You, our readers, are an important part of the CAP family. With your help, we can overcome some of the contrasts. Are you interested in improving education? jobs and economic development? family life and its challenges? health care and its pro hibitive cost? ecological im balances? Your interest helps us establish programs like the Mountain Chris
tian Academy . . . the Infant University . . . day care and child development centers . . . small, locally owned businesses . . . the Family Life Center . . . retreat houses . . . group homes for boys and elderly people . . . preventive health programs . . . You are a part of the solution. By working together, we will make a difference and, in so doing, spread the word—and the love—of God.
*** A few weeks before we sent this issue of The Mountain Spirit to press, the United States experienced a great national tragedy when the space shuttle “ Challenger” explod ed after take-off, killing seven astronauts. We feel a great kinship to those people who gave their lives in the interest of exploration and learning. We thank them for their sacrifices and pray for the comfort of their families and loved ones. 3
Com puters In Appalachia? Story and photos b y G iovanna Burks G odby
L ondon, Kentucky, is nestled in the foothills of Appalachia—a town built around a coal and tobacco economy, and which, until the advent of Interstate 75, was accessible only by mountain roads. Until recently, employment opportunities outside of the coal and tobacco industries were limited to those in two bakeries, a spinning mill and the phone company. Today, even with the development of an industrial park, employment other than assembly line work is still very limited. As a result, many Appalachian natives find it necessary to search for a more desirable livelihood in areas other than Eastern Kentucky, oftentimes in other states.
K e n n eth J a m es, E x e cu tiv e P resid en t o f A C S.
London, like other Appalachian communities, has not traditionally been a desirable location for new business. However, this stereotypical Ap palachian community is home to Appalachian Computer Services (ACS), a multimillion dollar corporation that provides data conversion services for companies throughout the United States. Why locate in London, Kentucky, of all places? “ Why not?” quips Kenneth James, Executive President of ACS. “ We provide employment beyond that which is typical in Appalachia. People are offered an alter native to leaving Appalachia to seek jobs,” proud ly states Mr. James. Peggy Catron, Executive Secretary to Mr. James, can certainly vouch for this statement. Upon graduation from high school, with financial obstacles making college an impossibility, Peggy needed a job. “ The job op portunities were in coal and tobacco, and you know where that leaves a woman,” she states. The only job available to her was as a seamstress at an undergarment factory. She refused the position, explaining, “ I want to be a secretary.” The only other interview granted her was with ACS, where she was hired as a receptionist in 1971. Peggy says, “ If I hadn’t found a job, I guess I would have moved.” Other people in the area 4
The Mountain Spirit
have found themselves in the same situation. “ So many people have left Appalachia to find work in Ohio,” explains Peggy, “ and then when they retire, they return home. ACS is the only major employer that offers work other than assembly work. They [ACS] offer a good clean job in a nice environment.” Mr. James states, “ We recognized that we had an excellent labor force that could adapt itself very well to a ‘high tech’ type environment.” Ninetyeight percent of all employees at ACS and its sub sidiaries come from London, Beattyville, Berea, and surrounding areas. Mr. James is from Ohio County, and the Executive Vice-president is from Owsley County.
;
f , : :i : -
■
In
•Cli--"
.(
■■ ■■■■ 1
-
; '
,
i
i : ÌC
• - :
The company, at first, provided typical com puter services to small businesses—bookkeeping, inventory, payroll, accounts receivable, and so on. In the early 70’s, the decision was made to change the direction of the services offered, since it was apparent that, with the accessibility of desk com puters and affordable equipment, ACS clients would soon be fulfilling their own needs. Today, the majority of services offered by ACS include data conversion and retrieval, and to a certain ex tent, data storage. Employees “ convert” data from forms and records used by businesses to a format that can be read by a computer and, thus, better utilized by clients. Nearly all of this infor mation is “ keyed in” to computers by data con version operators; however, ACS is beginning to capture more and more information through scan ning, a process which bypasses the “ keying in” stage and allows the computer to capture informa tion from the original document. The microfilm department transfers captured information onto microfilm for storage and retrieval purposes. Some clients of ACS include insurance companies, bank and finanacial institutions, health care agen cies, and the United States government. Documentation for every legal foreign visitor, entering the United States through over 300 ports, is processed by ACS for the Department of Im migration. ACS boasts a top-notch training program that allows potential employees, with little or no ex perience, the opportunity to learn keying skills necessary to be data conversion operators. Through its affiliation with the Private Industry Council (PIC), ACS teaches keying skills and helps students develop an understanding of the equipment and the process of data conversion.
U pb eat slogan s, lik e the one a b o v e, appear through out the ACS b u ild in g s; left, D ata C o n v ersio n O perators at w ork in one o f the several com p u ter room s at ACS.
M arch-A pril 1986
S kills d ev elo p ed b y D ata C on version O perators often are transferable to p o sitio n s w ith other co m p a n ies.
Mr. James explains, “ We teach more than mechanics. People do a better job and take pride in their work when they understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.” Students in the training program are paid minimum wage by PIC during the training period of fifteen weeks. Upon completion of the program, students may be hired by ACS (over 90 percent) or may go on to jobs with other companies. Over 400 people have com pleted data conversion training during the past four years. In-house training is also conducted at Third Party Computers where employees learn to service ACS computer equipment. ACS was founded by Bob McReynolds and his brother, Jack, in Harlan, in 1965. After working as engineers in the computer industry for com panies such as IBM and Westinghouse, the two wanted to leave the big corporate environment, bring computerization to a rural area, and return to a small town atmosphere. Their hometown of Harlan was a logical choice. “ It was more the idea of ‘coming home,’ ” explains Mr. James. The business was relocated in London in 1968, to bet ter serve specific clients located in that communi ty. The company was eventually moved to a building that was once a brassiere factory (the one that offered Peggy a job) and then an auto auction barn. The new home of ACS, located on Hwy. 25 in London, was literally a shell with an opening at one end for entering cars and an opening at the other end (now a wall in Mr. James’ office) for the “just-sold” cars to exit. When one visits the site today, it is difficult to believe that the maze of of fices and computer rooms hasn’t always existed. Since 1968, ACS has outgrown that original building and has built two other corporate buildings in London and ACS branches in Beattyville, Berea, Frankfort, and Lexington. In addi tion, ACS owns Third Party Computers and is af filiated with London Rotary Forms. Peggy Catron remembers, “ I can’t think of a time in my four 6
teen years with ACS when we have not been ex panding or renovating.” Physical expansion is not the only growth ex perienced by ACS. Since 1968, ACS has grown from thirty employees to 1200, assuming a payroll of $12 million—a healthy tax base and contribu tion to local revenue. ACS revenues grew from $200,000, in 1968, to 25,000,000, in 1985—$22,000,000 of which came from sources outside of the state of Kentucky. Mr. James, who was recently named Kentucky Business Leader of the Year by Kentucky Business Ledger, worked in data processing for Sears and Roebuck in Louisville before joining ACS in 1968. He expresses no regrets when he reflects on his move to a smaller community and to a smaller company. In fact, he smiles as he says, “ I feel like I really know a lot of people here—not just my next door neighboors and the people I go to church with, but people in the community. I wouldn’t want to move away now.” London is a good home for Kenneth James and ACS. Peggy Catron states, “ People here want to work hard—that’s an Appalachian tradition!” And so, ACS looks toward the future. Mr. James sees the company’s long-term goals as “ keeping up with technology, continuing and revamping training programs as technology advances, and keeping and maintaining complete data bases for clients.” As part of Kentucky’s economic development campaign, an ad was produced which captures the surface irony of high tech in Appalachia. The ad pictures female data conversion operators “ keying in” information at computer terminals. The heading reads, “ Coal Miners’ Daughters.” “ There are those who think that people in Eastern Kentucky mine coal and don’t do much of anything else,” states Mr. James. “ That simply is not true, and we [ACS] recognized it before anyone else.” Why locate a computer service in Appalachia? Why not? cap. The Mountain Spirit
Around the Project
by the CAP News Service
FLC T r a in in g Program M akes Great Progress
The Parent Training Program has been in use for fifteen years, and started, not as a program really, but more as a response to a need. The result was the goal of the home for handicapped children—that each child will return to either his or her natural parents or to adoptive parents. The program provides a non-threatening atmosphere where parents can learn about the day to day care of their profoundly hand icapped child. Parents spend weekends at the Special Education Center with their children; ex perienced support help is only a call away. The parents are given time with their child, and emotional sup port over a period of time until they feel ready to take their child home. “ The program lasts as long as it needs to last . . . in some cases, as long as eight months,” explained Judy Harrison, Manager of the Home for Special Children. The Parent Training Program en joys a near perfect success record. “ In 15 years, only one child has had to be re-placed in a foster home after the parents had completed the program,” said Judy. The program is exemplary and is highly regarded by social workers at the Kentucky Cabinet for Human Resources and by the medical profession. In January, Judy Brooks joined the staff of the Parent Training Pro gram and works specifically with extended fam ilies. The h a n d icapped children are allowed the op portunity to get to know and spend M arch-A pril 1986
i
MT. VERNON—The Special Education Center, located in Rockcastle County at CAP’SFamily Life Center, is more than a school for profoundly and severely han dicapped children. The Special Education Center is also the home of the Parent Training Program, the only program of its kind in the state of Kentucky.
Program s for h a n d icap p ed ch ild ren , w hich h ave b een a ffiliated w ith the F a m ily L ife C en ter for several years, are som e o f the fin est in the state.
time with their grandparents, aunts and uncles. By creating this bond between a child and his or her ex tended family, a support group is developed for the parents when they bring their child home. Judy, a special education teacher from In diana, volunteered at the Family Life Center last summer and chose to return in 1986 as a CAP employee. In addition to the Parent Training Program, the Special Education Center serves as a school for hand icapped children and home of the respite care program. Although the building is owned by CAP, the school is directed by the Rockcastle County School System. The school system and CAP became partners in the training and therapy for hand icapped children three years ago.
The teacher, Ann Abney, and the aide, Lucille Owens, work with five children—three of whom are non ambulatory, non-communicative, and quadraplegic, and two of whom are am bulatory with limited physical skills. The Respite Program is a monthly weekend program where handicap ped children from all over central Kentucky spend time at the Special Education Center, allowing their parents a “ respite” from the demands of day to day care. During the summer, children may stay at the Center for one or two weeks at a time. “ The Special Education Center is the best utilized house on the grounds of the Family Life Center,” said Judy. “ The children thrive there.” 7
around the project . . . continued
School on W heels In mid-January, the Family Life Center School (FLCS) hit the road in an effort to reach more adults in need of basic education. Scott Rucker, Manager of FLCS, explain ed that, for various reasons, students oftentimes find it difficult to reach the school in Mt. Vernon. He stated, “ We, though, can be so flexible as to work around these obstacles.” And so, the School on Wheels program was developed.
attack this problem. When students successfully com plete the program, word about FLCS will surely spread. “ Word of mouth is the strongest advertise ment we’ve got,” said Scott. Hopefully, the School on Wheels will become a topic of conversation among those adults whose lives could be changed through educa tion.
Chuck Pemberton, a FLCS staff teacher, travels to various com munities throughout Rockcastle County and conducts classes in adult basic education. In some cases, several members of a com munity meet at one house, and Chuck actually teaches a class of students. Otherwise, he travels to the homes of individual students. Chuck, a resident of Somerset, can identify with his students since he himself was a high school dropout. He earned his GED in the military, and over a nine year period, he earned his college degree. He, better than most, can empathize with adult students, understand their frustration and develop motivation. Chuck is married and the father of two children, and has taught school in Florida. In addition to his School on Wheels work, he is Pastor of Lake Cumberland Assembly of God. According to a 1983 »state study, 64% of those adults in Rockcastle County 25 years and older, never completed high school. FLCS has reached many of these adults and enjoys a great success record in that 90% of its students pass the GED exam. However, retention seems to be the school’s greatest obstacle at present. Scott Rucker explained that many students enroll and attend classes, only, for one reason or another, to quit after a short while. He feels that by taking the school to the students, FLCS will be able to 8
T h e G roup H o m e serves b oys through out the state o f K e n tu c k y .
G roup H om e R eaches C ap acity
meeting very difficult needs,” ex plains Jeff Whitehead, Director of the Group Home. “ The boys are older, becoming adults, and that brings with it all sorts of legalities,” he continues. “ Plus, we’re dealing with behavior and emotions.” Through a program of educational guidance, work opportunities and counseling, the boys, according to Jeff “develop responsibility in all aspects of life.” With the help of the Family Life Center School and Jessamine County School System, the boys pursue their GED or eighth grade certificate. All residents par ticipate in a 16 week program at Op portunity Workshop of Lexington (OWL), where the boys perform con tract work for companies such as Pro ctor and Gamble, IBM and Telecom munications. Upon completion of the program, the boys are ready to seek jobs in the community or begin voca tional training. Individual and group counseling is conducted at the home as the boys develop their Goal Con tract—what changes they want to ac complish and how they will ac complish them—and then complete their Daily Growth Work—smaller goals accomplished weekly and iden tified in group sessions called Growth Enrichment Time.
CAMP NELSON—In September, 1985, the Camp Nelson Group Home for Boys closed temporarily so that staff could evaluate their goals and objectives and determine the direction of the Group Home’s future. The Group Home reopened in November and is now operating at its capacity of eight boys for the first time since 1984.
“When the boy fulfills his contract, he is ready to graduate from the pro gram,” states Jeff. “A boy’s stay may last eight months to a year or longer, depending on individual needs.” Since the founding of the Group Home in 1975, only 34% of the pro gram graduates have reverted to unac ceptable behavior. This recidivism rate is lower than the national average for like programs.
Thirty acres on the Garrard Coun ty/Jessamine County line is an ideal setting for the Group Home and its mission. Boys, from all over the state of Kentucky who have been in trouble with the law, are eligible to live at Camp Nelson and change the direc tion of their lives. Residents must be 16 to 18 years of age. “ We are
Jeff looks positively toward the future. “We went through a difficult growing time for a while, not unlike most other organizations,” admits Jeff. “We have a wonderful staff, and together, we’ve defined our future direction.” Jeff, his staff and the eight boys at Camp Nelson seem to be off to a great start. The Mountain Spirit
around the project . . . continued
W hat Y ou D o n ’t K n o w A bout W ills C an H urt Y our H eirs . . . Find Out W hy. Request Your Free Copy Of:
S um m er vo lu n teers often w ork at C A P sum m er cam p s. H ere, a sum m er v o lu n tee r and cam pers prepare for a ca n oein g trip .
Form er V olu n teer R eturns As R ecruiter LANCASTER—On February 8, two friends returned to the CAP family. Frank and Barbara Demp sey, former CAP volunteers, moved back to Lancaster after a short stay in Nevada, so that Frank could assume the position of CAP Recruiter of Volunteers. Frank and Barbara were CAP volunteers during 1984-85. Frank worked in maintenance; Barbara worked in the Attics, and together, they worked at Camp Andrew Jackson. Prior to joining CAP, they volunteered with Bishop Arkfeld in Papua, New Guinea. In July, 1985, they “ retired” and moved to Boulder City, Nevada, to be near their family. During Frank’s twenty year ser vice in the Navy, he worked as an aircraft engine mechanic. Then, he worked with the Naval Reserve, Air Force, and the National Park Ser vice. We are pleased that Frank “ came out of retirement” to work as Recruiter of Volunteers—just in time for summer volunteer recruit ment. M arch-A pril 1986
Frank’s responsibilities include gleening volunteers from sources already available as well as develop ing new strategies for recruitment. Presently, CAP volunteers are recruited from college campus con tacts; former volunteer, campus minister, and parish priest recom mendations; diocesan offices, advertisements, college career pro grams, and The Mountain Spirit readers and CAP donors. This summer, volunteers are needed to work in summer camps and Bible schools, home visitation, and summer seed and small farms programs. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and willing to devote from three weeks to three months (depending on the program) of their summer to what is bound to be a very rewarding experience. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in becoming a CAP sum mer volunteer, please contact the Volunteer Admissions Coordinator or the Coordinator of Volunteers at: The Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446 (606)792-3051
Much of what you know about wills may be misinformation that has been floating around for years. If you think, for example, that wills are primarily for rich people, or the elderly, you may be the victim of a common misconception. The helpful booklet offered below will ex plain how your will can save your heirs from costly delays and con fusion. Send for your copy today. CLIP AND MAIL Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 Please send without obligation, your booklet, “ 37 Things People ‘Know’ About Wills That Aren’t Really So.” Name ___________________ Address __________________ C ity______________________ S tate_________ Z ip ________
9
around the project . . . continued
Moving? Please notify us of change of ad dress to make sure you receive every issue of The Mountain Spirit. O LD A D D R ESS nam e
p le a se p rin t
address
city
z ip c o d e
N EW A D D R ESS nam e
p le a s e p r in t
address
city
s ta te
T h e F a m ily L ife C en ter S ch ool, at the F a m ily L ife C en ter in R ock castle C ou n ty , prepares for its n ew lib rary w h ich w ill be u sed b y the stu d en ts from the G roup H om es and R ock castle C o u n ty ch ild ren w h o p a rticip a te in the tu torin g program offered b y the sch ool. A b o v e, a FLC S w ork er catalogs and organ izes n ew lib rary b ook s.
N ew A ttics O pen In E astern K en tu ck y BOONEVILLE AND LIBERTY —The county seats of Owsley and Casey counties are the sites of two new CAP Attics that plan to open the first of March. Both Booneville and Liberty are communities with small populations and predominant ly farm-based economies. “ The Attics provide a service for the people as well as economic development for the community,” states Bill Watson, Director of Economic Development. People are given the opportunity to make pur chases at extremely reasonable prices, and a member of the com munity is given a job as store manager. “ We now have eight At tics, and our long-term goal is to have fifteen to eighteen,” explains Bill. “ That would mean about twen ty jobs at the Attics and five jobs at 10
z ip c o d e
Mail to: The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446.
the warehouse and distribution base.” The new Attics are CAP’s first programs in both Owsley or Casey counties. Bill states, “ We are establishing a catalyst for other outreach programs like home repair, emergency assistance and Christmas baskets. “ In fact, Attics are how Father Beiting started out with CAP,” con tinues Bill. Father Beiting started the first Attic in Berea in 1957. Berea is also the location of the main warehouse and distribution base for stores in all the counties. Thanks to overwhelming dona tions of rummage by CAP sup porters, all eight Attics enjoy an overstocked inventory. Last year, 13,000 people patronized six CAP Attics. With the openings of two new stores, CAP will address the needs of still more people in Ap palachia.
D oris A n g lin sorts through p ro sp ectiv e A ttic m erch a n d ise. D oris has b een a ffilia ted w ith C A P, as eith er a v o lu n teer or an em p lo y ee sin ce the ’6 0 ’s.
The Mountain Spirit
N ew s of O ur Neighb ors
A C redit U n io n T h a t’s R eally O n the M ove
b y the C A P N ew s Service P hotos courtesy o f C A P F C U T h ree years ago, Eddie and Eulis White could not find work in Knott County where they live in the community of Ogden Creek Hollow. They decided to set up a small business of their own—a sawmill where they would produce wedges for mining companies to use in their deep mining operations. They possessed the energy, the desire, the ingenuity necessary to make their venture suc cessful . . . but they didn’t possess the money. The Whites were much too poor to be taken seriously by the bank, since they had no collateral, and a loan from a small lending institution would carry with it an interest rate of 36%. This scenario happens all too frequently to poor people in Appalachia. “ These people are being ripped off by high interest rates on small loans!” exclaims Jack McLanahan, Director of Publica tions at Central Appalachian People’s Federal Credit Union (CAPFCU). “ They pay anywhere from 30-48% interest on small loans that usually average around $800,” he continues. Because of this victimization, a credit union, owned and operated by people living and working in Ap palachia, was founded.
T o p , E d d ie W h ite and h is b rother o u tsid e their shop in O gd en C reek H o llo w ; cen ter, E d d ie W h ite at the saw in the sa w m ill shop; b o tto m , logs ready to be cut in to m in e w ed ges.
M arch-A pril 1986
11
very little money, if any. Tom Del Savio, Manager of CAPFCU, states, “ We provide the service of low cost loans, while at the same time provide a credit union that these people own and control.” The seed for the credit union was planted when the Commission on Religion in Appalachia (CORA) developed a Task Force for Economic Development. “ It got so busy, and there was so much need, that they spun it off and formed the HEAD Corporation. Human Economic Ap palachian Development came into being twelve years ago,” explains Jack. One of the many func tions that HEAD has traditionally fulfilled is to unite cooperatives in Appalachia. Jack explains, “ People get together to deal with a problem that they feel they can solve better by working together than by themselves.” MATCH (Marketing Ap palachian Traditional Community Handicrafts) spun off of HEAD as a means to market crafts created by mountain people, as did FAHE (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprise) to help provide housing for people in need. In the same fashion, HEAD developed a financial co op—CAPFCU. CAPFCU consists of its Berea headquarters and twenty-two branches in Central Appalachia. Until recently, the credit union served only organiza tions that belonged to HEAD. When credit unions were deregulated by the US Government, CAPFCU
CAPFCU, headquartered in Berea, proved to be invaluable to the White family. Before losing their jobs, Eddie and Eulis worked for an organization that was a member of CAPFCU, so they had access to a loan at a more reasonable in terest rate. With their CAPFCU loan, the Whites bought a truck to pick up wood that they would turn into wedges and deliver to the mines. Eddie and Eulis, their two brothers and their father, a disabled miner, all work in the new family business. The Whites look forward to success in 1986. They defined their market, and they recently fattened a pig and traded it for an electric motor to replace the outdated gas motor that used to run the sawmill. Given the finances, this family was able to secure their livelihood and maintain their pride—the staple of Appalachian life. So many people in Appalachia find themselves in need of small loans, whether to begin a business, make home repairs, pay bills, or buy food and clothing. Most of these people have no experience with payroll deductions, so they save 12
T h e D u n g a n n o n S ew in g C o-op in D u n g a n n o n , V ir g in ia , w as form ed b y w orkers w h en the fac tory in w h ich th ey w ork ed w as on the verge o f collap se. T h ey m anu factu re b lo u ses.
was allowed to serve any group with a common in tent in its service area. Membership is open to every employee of these organizations and their relatives. “ This deregulation allows for unlimited means of expansion and growth,” smiles Jack. The Christian Appalachian Project joined the credit union in 1984, and now boasts 125 members. As of December 31, 1985, the total membership of CAPFCU numbered 726. The Mountain Spirit
Even though CAPFCU was born out of human need, it is a business and must be conducted as a business. Insuring that the human element and the business element are not mutually exclusive is the job of the manager, Tom Del Savio. Prior to his move to Appalachia, Tom describes himself as a “ typical New York accountant.” In fact, one may be amused by the incongruity of his thick New York accent in an Appalachian setting. It takes no time though, to realize the magnitude of his work at CAPFCU and the direction toward success that it is taking. “ Loans are made from the pool of money developed from the savings of members,” Tom explains. “ When a loan is not repaid, it hurts every member of the credit union.” In 1984, the delinquency rate was 34%; in November of 1985, near the end of Tom’s first year as manager, the delinquency rate was 9%. This decrease places CAPFCU just at the national average for delin quency rates of like institutions. “ We are here to help people, but at the same time, we cannot violate the laws of economics,” states Tom. “ Sometimes that means repossessing cars and being tough with people. People must make payments on their loans.” Tom credits this decrease in the delinquency rate to closer scrutiny of loan applications and better follow-up. Branch committees accept and review all loan applications submitted at the twenty-two branch locations. The Central Credit Committee is made up of three people who make still a second judgment of loan applications. “ Our membership is better served now than ever,” states Tom. However, he realizes a poten tial for improvement. Tom hopes to increase his
C A P w ork er, L y n n e B la n k en sh ip , w as recen tly h on ored as the 7 0 0th m em ber o f the cred it u n io n
operational staff, which now consists of himself, Jack, and Pauline Oliver, Field Desk Coor dinator, who works three-quarter time. “ I’d like to have a staff of three fulltime people and a field worker,” ponders Tom. Increased staff and a much-needed computer will allow for the develop ment of more analytical data. “ We need to know more basic information like demographics, who our membership really is, and for instance, would our membership like to have IRAs,” Tom ex plains. This information would certainly prove helpful in long range planning. A major issue that faces CAPFCU in the up coming year is the evaluation of interest rates on small loans. Presently, members may secure an in sured, revolving loan (with a $10 minimum balance in the credit union) at a 12% interest rate. From a business standpoint, CAPFCU must decide if it can continue to function without rais ing the interest rate to 15 or 16%. Tom states, “ We expect to make cooperative business loans ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 next year.”
C O A P (C h ristia n O u treach w ith A p p alach ian P eo p le ), located in H arlan is a m em ber o rg a n iza tio n o f C A P F C U . T h e y also b elo n g to F A H E .
M arch-A pril 1986
Confronting issues such as lending and interest rates, delinquency, and staffing will help lay the groundwork for growth in the upcoming year. Tom smiles as he says, “ Last year, we doubled in size and look forward to continued growth in 1986.” In its five years of existence, the credit union has been blessed with success in both finan cial and human terms. CAP. 13
The C A P Closeup
A Vital Link in the Chain
Godby
Regis M en y
O n e of CAP’Sgreatest success stories is that of the lettershop in Lancaster. The operation employs 34 people, many of whom would other wise have to work outside of Garrard County. The economic benefits are many faceted. The folks who work in the lettershop benefit directly, of course. But, economic development of this magnitide also benefits the county because of the money which circulates in the local region. A big part of this success is due to the lettershop supervisor, Regis Meny. Regis, a Pittsburgh native, began working for CAP in 1978. “ When I came they were putting out 300,000 pieces of mail a month. Now we put out 300,000 a week. All I did was come in and coordinate and with less peo ple I got more work.” At the time that Regis came into the organiza tional structure, CAP was going through one of its times of greatest change. “ Father Beiting walked into the house on a Sunday. He’d never been in the house, never as long as we had been there.”
R egis M e n y , C A P L ettersh op S u p ervisor.
by the C A P N ew s Service 14
Regis, his wife, Blanche, and their three daughters, Geralyn, Christine and Michele, moved to Garrard County for the first time in 1965. Regis moved his family to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, then back to Lancaster in 1973 to take a job with the National Casket Company. “ I played the wrong politics and got fired,” Regis laughed. “ But everything happens for the best. At the time, Geralyn was in college and Chris was about to go to college and I thought the world had come to an end.” The Sunday that Father Beiting visited he had arrived to bless their house. “ Seriously, but jokingly, I said ‘I lost my job. Do you have a job?’ And after that the ball rolled, and here I am. “ Fd never seen a lettershop before I came to work here, but the basics for production are the same, whether it be for caskets or mail or The Mountain Spirit
toothbrushes or anything like that. It’s coordina tion. You have to keep one person working and make sure that the other person doesn’t run out of work. That’s all it amounts to .” Regis makes it sound sound so easy, but the departments which make up the other links in the chain know that it’s anything but. The writers, who produce the copy, the department of publica tions, which takes care of the printing prepara tion, the printshop and on down the line know that each step is vital for fruition of the end result—the fund raising operation which under writes 85% of CAP’S operating expenses. As impressive as these numbers are, Regis con siders the operation to be a far less impressive suc cess story than the one that involves his family. ‘‘Shelley’s a senior, now [at the University of Ken tucky], Chris just graduated yesterday with a bachelors’ degree in nursing, and Geralyn is work ing on a double doctorate at the University of Texas in Dallas. ‘‘She’s pursuing a Ph.D in Allied Health and she works in Parkland Memorial Hospital. She had an interview last Friday for admission to medical school. That must be a grueling thing. It started at 9:00 in the morning and didn’t finish un til 9:00 that night. It’s culminated by cocktails and dinner. I guess they want to know everything. We expect the results around the 15th of the month.’’[The Mountain Spirit takes this oppor tunity to congratulate Geri on her acceptance to medical school, which she learned o f just before this issue went to press.]
Gabriel
Regis enjoys spending time with his daughters, as well as gardening, singing (“ I’ve got a great
R egis w as on ce a fin a list for m em b ersh ip in the C iv ic L ig h t O pera A sso cia tio n o f P ittsb u rg h .
tenor voice!” ) and sports. A Pittsburgh Steelers fan would spot a kindred spirit just by looking at Regis’ office, which has several bits of memorabilia from the Steelers’ Superbowl vic tories. And one knows he’s a real fan, too, as his allegiance hasn’t faltered in the years that the Steelers have fallen on leaner times. Regis has passed this love for sports along to his girls. “ When they started emphasizing girls’ sports, they were on the first basketball team. Chris has dropped now, to about fifteenth or six teenth in scoring, but at one time she was right up at the top. They play basketball and softball and golf. Geralyn was the first girl at Garrard County High School to get in the state final in golf. Chris doesn’t get out on the course much, but she plays a pretty good game. And she was good in tennis.” Geri and Shelley are among the recipients of CAP’s Community Service Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded each year to a high school senior who is judged by a group of school and county officials to have contributed the most to the community. Regis recalls that he once shared a classic barometer of success with his 98-year-old mother. “ One time we were talking on the phone, talking about getting these kids through college. I said, ‘when I get these kids through college, the first thing I’m gonna do is buy myself two pairs shoes. Not one pair; two pairs. ”’
A w ork er in the C A P L ettersh op .
M arch-A pril 1986
In May, Shelley will finish her work at the University of Kentucky, with a degree in account ing, and CAP’s lettershop will be supervised by a particularly well-heeled father of three college graduates. c a p. 15
M iss L izzie ‘A i n ’t That M uch T h a t’s Different’
Story an d Photos by R a n d o lp h J o rd a n
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. ”
they come in . . . they’s jus’ babies—they never done like they do now.”
Freedom is something which many of us, who are too young to remember the second World War, take for granted. We aren’t aware of the struggles to be free and to stay free. In a small log cabin at the edge of a field, filled with weeds and wild flowers, lives a woman who knows the strug gles of freedom. One reason that Mary Elizabeth McAfee knows the fight for freedom is because of the color of her skin. Mary Elizabeth McAfee is black. Born Mary Elizabeth Allen in a small log cabin in rural Lincoln County, Kentucky, Miss Lizzie has seen society change. Some changes have been drastic—others more subtle. Miss Lizzie’s father was a slave. She doesn’t recall the year that he died; it was sometime in the first quarter of this century. “ I just don’t know,” says Miss Lizzie when asked about the age of her father, “ he’s got some nieces down here, but they didn’t know either. He come from Bourbon County . . . he and his mother. He was a wagoner in slavery times . . . he drove a wagon. But my mother . . . I heared her say that she was a little girl when her mother got free.” Miss Lizzie is not sure about the birth dates of either parent. “ You know way back in them times, they never had no writin’ on babies when.
Even though Miss Lizzie isn’t sure about the dates of her parents’ births, she remembers vividly the life that they all shared in the small log cabin that is now home to only her. Times were hard in the post-Civil War period. In many cases, even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed black people from the bonds of slavery, they were still bound by the chains of poverty.
M arch-A pril 1986
Even though the days were hard for the Allen family, Miss Lizzie remembers them with a fond ness that often accompanies days long forgotten. “ I got to go to school,” Miss Lizzie remembers with pride. “ I still got my books over there,” she motions with a finger, bent with age. “ I went from six years old to the fourth grade. Git on this road out here and go down to the first lane you come to and on down that lane and go on back in thar over a mile or about a mile and a quarter—that’s where the school was—I know well where that’s at! The school house used to be in there in the bottom . . . facin’ the river like.” Today, that curving road looks the same as it did when Lizzie Allen and the other children played there. But, the days of school and youth were all too quickly replaced by the years of hard work that were soon to come. 17
gle as did countless other black Americans of their time. Miss Lizzie’s mother, the daughter of a slave and a slave herself until she was ten years old and the Emancipation came, died in 1933. Miss Lizzie’s father acquired a house after he was freed; that same house is the place of Miss Lizzie’s birth and her marriage in 1934 to Charles McAfee. They made their home in that small log cabin at the edge of the field filled with weeds and wild flowers. Charles McAfee—Miss Lizzie calls him Charlie—was from Mercer County, Kentucky. He was a farmer, and, when that work didn’t give them enough of an income, he hired himself out to work on larger estates. “ I remember one time when he went way back over there in Goshen stackin’ hay cuttin’ it and stackin’ it; he’d stay over there for week. They stacked wheat and hay then. Some white folks, they called them Miller brothers, they had a big farm . . . he’d go there and work for them . . . work a week and come home a week.”
M iss L iz z ie at her h om e in L in c o ln C ou n ty .
“ I remember one day when we was plantin’ corn and cane [sugar cane]. My father had laid it off, and me and my mother was goin’ along and droppin’ it . . . sowin’ it along . . . and there was some [white] folks that lived up the road, and she come down and wanted me to come down and help her with her babies and do little jobs ’round there, and so I left and went down there . . . backwards and forth and helped her . . . stayin’ in, you know, two or three days maybe. They claimed to pay you for that,” she continues with a grin. “ Back then, fifty cents a day is what they paid the old folkses . . . and they had worked all day long.” “ Back then,” as Miss Lizzie refers to it, was the turn of the century. “ Fifty cents wasn’t much. The older folks were paid that . . . young black girls made much less. It ain’t been easy,” Miss Lizzie finally admits. The struggle that Miss Lizzie experienced because of the color of her skin is not a journey that she made alone. Her parents knew the strug 18
Charlie and Miss Lizzie never had children. “ In a way I wished I’d had some children,” Miss Liz zie says with a wrinkle in her brow, “ but then I’d seed things out of ’em—the children—and I said I didn’t care and that I didn’t miss nothin’ that I didn’t have none. They could have been like that. Children is awful mean to they daddy and mother; now—some of them—they treats ’em awful bad . . . and some of ’em treats ’em good. Some of ’em does all they can but some of ’ems mean to ’em.” Miss Lizzie reminds a visitor of a time when children and parents spent the two most important times of their lives together—youth and old age. But, the simple wisdom of Miss Lizzie is of an age soon to be forgotten. The age that is soon to be America’s history was a time when people raised their own vegetables and whatever else was needed to feed the family. It was a time when people walked to a well or a near by spring to collect drinking water. It was a time when people waited for the rainwater to pour off of their rooftops so that they might have a bath in that “ good water.” It was a time when squeaking wagon wheels and the banging of buckboards an nounced the arrival of friends and neighbors. Miss Lizzie has seen these things come and go—at least in other people’s lives. “ It’s a whole lot different now than what it used to be . . . use to didn’t be nothin’ but wagons and buggies go along out there,” she recalls as she motions with a wave of her hand. “ Old broken down spring wagons and old buggies and things. Of course now it’s great big cars and trucks . . . that’s the difference—ain’t too much else that’s different.” For Miss Lizzie, there isn’t too much else that’s different. She still grows things when her arthritis The Mountain Spirit
allows. She still walks out to the nearby spring to collect her drinking water. And, whenever the rains begin to fall softly on the tin roof, the water gently trickles into an old tattered pot or two that sit at each corner of her house. “ I catch my water off the house,” states Miss Lizzie with matter-offact pride, “ that good rainwater . . . that’s the best water there ever was to wash in . . . that’s real good water.” Her praises continue, “ Rainwater is good water for anything!” Miss Lizzie’s gratitude for the free things of this world, such as rainwater, is understandable. Her life has not been one filled with a lot of expensive treasures. She has no savings accounts or IRAs. She doesn’t even qualify for Social Security. When you’re a young black woman in rural Ken tucky, paid with the pocket change from white folks, nobody ever tells you that there is such a thing as Social Security. Miss Lizzie does draw a Supplemental Security Income check each month. She uses it to buy coal to heat her cabin, to pay her electric bill and to buy food. Still, Miss Lizzie doesn’t consider herself poor. “ I’ve had people tell me they wouldn’t no more live here than nothin’, but I wouldn’t want live where they live for nothin’. This one woman had this seven room house, and I didn’t have nothin’ but this little old room, one up here,” she con tinues as she points her finger toward the ceiling, “ and another piece of one out there . . . but I’d rather live here than live with her. A seven room house—I care nothin’ about it.” Miss Lizzie con tinues, “ Just like it is about the television, I wouldn’t give you a nickel for a television . . . I don’t know nothin’ ’bout it ’n I don’t care nothin’ about it! A radio is a fer as I git!” These days Miss Lizzie is content to live as she has for 94 years. There was a time, however, when she was eager to have things that other people had. With a sparkle in her eye, she recalls the days of her youth and a wonderful time of the year—even for a poor family. “ We had Christmas . . . Sanny Claus would come . . . we had candy ’n ap ples—maybe ’nannas—a few of ’em . . . just enough to last all day or some th ’ next day. And that was all; we didn’t have candy ever’ day—never thought nothin’ ’bout that. One time I did get a little doll . . . and then the next time I got a little doll bed—and my mother made little bed clothes to go on it. Nothin’ like what goes on now was ever thought of.” There are a lot of things that go on nowadays that were never thought of then: big fast cars, noisy trucks, television and even the convenience of electricity (Miss Lizzie lived for 92 years without that convenience). One thing, however, that people knew would not change is that there M arch-A pril 1986
M iss L iz z ie stands in the d oo rw a y o f her h om e. T h e h o m e, on ce a sla v eh o u se, co n sists o f tw o room s. H er seld o m -u sed k itch en is separate from the rest o f the h ou se.
would still be the rich and the poor and those who fell somewhere in between. As long as Miss Lizzie lives and is able to relate her story to those who ask, she will be a memorial to a time in history when people were forced to be poor—forced because of the color of their skin or because of some other characteristic that made them obvious ly different from the crowd. For Miss Lizzie, pre judice and the poverty that it promotes are the ways of the world . . . a world that is filled with technological advances and the stagnation of hatred and bigotry. It’s interesting to note that when Miss Lizzie spoke of change, she talked about scientific ad vancements. Perhaps, if we listen to what she isn’t saying, we can hear the message that Miss Lizzie brings before us: “ It use a didn’t be nothin’ but wagons and buggies. . . now it’s great big cars and trucks . . . ain’t too much else that’s different.” And life goes on . . . in that small log cabin at the edge of the field filled with weeds and wild flowers. 19
Letters I believe that you were unfair to the electronic church in your November-December issue of The Mountain Spirit. You showed only the negative side of it, and not the positive side. I attend a local church regular and also listen to Christian TV and radio and you can find faults in all of them if you want to. The real conflict is mostly bet ween the liberal church and the fun damental church. The fundamental churches are mostly growing. The liberal church doesn’t have a strong Christ centered message to keep their congregations strong and growing. I believe God is using both the electronic church and the local church to get His message to people. We need both and maybe the com petition will keep us from getting apathetic and falling asleep. Victor A. Viard Stillwell, KS
I appreciate the great work that you are doing through CAP. Thank God for all the wonderful volunteer workers as well as salaried. It thrills my heart to “ see” all that’s being done! Mary Louise Pimental Bel Air, MD
Can just sit and gaze at some of the pictures in The Mountain Spirit. Brings back so many memories. You named the magazine correctly. The pictures and stories capture you with that heart-pulling tug that we all need. That we may realize that ser vice to others is what life’s all about. Charles E. Newhouse Shreveport, LA
20
I cannot begin to tell you just how very much I look forward to receiv ing my Mountain Spirit (l reread each copy). So many places and memories I have of the Appalachian region. I was born in Harlan Coun ty, Kentucky, and lived there for many years. I have seen so much of the poverty there. I love the mountian people so very much. Your Mountain Spirit is to me a letter from home. I pray for your wonder ful work each day, and wish I could give more. Thank you and God bless you. Renee Hughes Pueblo, CO
The Mountain Spirit is a fine magazine, and my husband and I enjoy the articles very much. Especially those that tell what the Christian Appalachian Project is doing to relieve the poverty, lack of education, and sense of isolation that the fine people of Appalachia have been enduring for many years. May God continue to bless your work. Mr. and Mrs. H.S. Vanderwarker Steilacoom, WA
Just a note with my renewal to The Mountain Spirit. My sister’s son-in-law, a young man of Jewish faith, would always pick up my magazine and enjoyed it every time he’d come. If he didn’t see it on a table, he’d ask for it. One day he said, “ I’ve taken a paper out of your magazine so I can write in for it myself.” It is a very unusual magazine and so enjoyable from beginning to end. Some people here don’t know about Appalachia, but need to. Ruth Denham Miami, FL
When my copy of The Mountain Spirit arrives, I make it a point to read it that evening, cover to cover. I’m taken to another world in the reading and cannot but help to marvel at the courage, inner strength and selflessness of Father Beiting in undertaking the very wor thy Christian Appalachian Project. Elizabeth McPartland Maspeth, LI, N Y
Last August, my daughter and I traveled south by car. We enjoyed the beauty of Kentucky and stopped at Cumberland Gap. Near there, we bought souvenirs in a lovely arts and crafts store. We spent the night in Corbin, Kentucky, shopped more at Dog Patch Trading Post and lunched in Old Fort restaurant in Glasgow. Then on to Nashville, and other parts of our great country. I enjoy The Mountain Spirit. Happy New Year and God bless you all. Mrs. Irene Kiernan Holmdel, N J
I enjoy reading The Mountain Spirit very much. I wish it came out each month. It has stories of real people that is a real part of our great country. Please keep up the good work. Mr. Carl P. McNeal Caribon, ME
Letters to the editor are welcome.
They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them for space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Kentucky 40446.
The Mountain Spirit
Random Thoughts Jack Morris, C AP’S Coordinator o f Church Relations and Grants and Ellen Burke, Director o f Human Development, recently attended a conference entitled “Rural Women and the Economics o f Hunger. ” The conference was sponsored by In Our Own Way, a private non-profit organization in Washington, DC. The facilitators included women who work with groups in small mountain communities in Ken tucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Presented here are Jack’s and Ellen’s impressions o f the con ference. Jack: We spent the first three days of the conference in the com munities being housed by lowincome families. Then everyone ad journed to Knoxville to take a look at the experiences and to plan follow-up activities. What attracted me was the idea of bringing people who had resources into first-hand experience with peo ple in the area. People who are, like ly, sitting in boardrooms making decisions about something they don’t have any emotional feel for. On a personal level I was attracted by the opportunity to stay with a family. Ellen: The issue of women and hunger and emergency assistance at tracted me. I felt I needed to know more of what is going on and what other people are doing. I looked at it more from a program aspect, not a personal aspect. I haven’t been in administration long enough to lose my sensitivity to people. Five years from now, maybe a conference like that can serve as a reawakening for me. But I’m still very involved with people. Jack: For me there was the theological part of it, too. I believe that from a Christian point of view we’re called to some personal in volvement with the poor. The ques tion becomes “ how involved do I personally want to get?” It’s one M arch-A pril 1986
thing to contribute. It’s quite another thing to become personally involved. Ellen: That also brings up the issue of risk taking. The local people who were there, those who live in those communities day in and day out, took a risk by just going to the con ference and making a decision or sharing a story or opening up. I think the idea of bringing people from Washington and other places to come and share folks’ experiences is a terrific idea. That’s why our management team has done home repair and Christmas baskets. It’s not because we have nothing to do. It’s to keep us in touch. My concern is that the people who needed to be staying with folks in their homes were not there. Some people met us in Knoxville, but not really enough of them. I think we need to bring together funding people and bureaucrats from all different agen cies. There are so many agencies that deal with hunger and the dif ferent aspects of the issue of hunger in America. Jack: A lot these agencies need first hand experiences of what hunger in America means. Things like the poor quality of a high starch diet; children who get their only nutritious meal of the day through a federal food program; running out of food stamps before you run out of month.
Ellen: Then there’s the issue of just getting food. Some communities are very far away from a really good store, one who’s prices aren’t so high. And then other people have limited facilities. They might have stoves, but no ovens. Jack: And in food preparation, water quality becomes a crucial issue, too. Ellen: The women who were organizers really impressed me. They’re facilitators or encouragers; they’re not the doers. Without them I don’t think it would happen, but they don’t do it. They allow it to happen. They want their people to start programs. They pull people together, but they don’t make deci sions. The must feel frustrated, sometimes, but it’s community organization, getting people to be responsible. The style is a lot dif ferent from CAP’S. We’ve started to do more of that, and hopefully we’ll have a nice blend. There’s a place for both kinds of organiza tions. We can facilitate some of those things just by our dollars and our support of programs. Jack: The involvement of people from many different walks very was good. Like Ellen said, there could have been more, but it was a start, anyway. To get people to start working together, first you have to get them to start talking together. 21
Bie Deal
22
O
W h e n Vernon’s essay on the new statewide school funding program won first place for Finch County, Elsie Watts took the tinted photograph of her Aunt Marilla out of the ornate frame and hung Vernon’s certificate on the wall behind the big Warm Morning heat stove. “ There,” Elsie said proudly. “ Now everbody can see how Vernon beat out all of them sixth graders from town.” “ That old thing ain’t nothin’,” scoffed Roy. “ When does he get the ten dollars?” “ After they judge the state contest,” said Elsie. “ Vernon’s paper is over in Frankfort right now.” She smiled. “ He might win that one, too.” “ For the whole of Kentucky?” Roy snickered. “ Don’t you laugh,” warned Elsie. “ Miss Cook, she said Vernon’s got a good chance.” Vernon and his old dog Rex were asleep in the sunshine, stretched across the warm boards over the cistern, when Liza Cook drove up to bring the good news. Rex yelped and almost bit Vernon when Liza yelled. “ You did it, Vernon!” she shrieked. “ You won!” Vernon rubbed his eyes and hugged the dog. “ Won what?” he mumbled. “ The essay contest,” said Liza. “ A hundred dollars.” Papers fluttered from her hands. “ A trip to Cincinnati. First place in the whole state!” Vernon stared. “ I won a hundred dollars?” “ More than that,” Liza said happily. “ They want you to come to Cincinnati, next week, to get your award.” “ By myself?” Vernon tried to wake up. “ No, silly,” laughed Liza. “ I’ll go, and the president of the bank that sponsored the contest, and his wife. We’ll go to a hotel in Cincinnati, and there will be a thousand people there.” She stopped, puzzled. “ Aren’t you excited, Vernon?” “ I guess,” he said slowly. “ But I told Ovie Gulley I’d haul hay next week.” “ You ain’t going to pitch hay next Wednesday,” Elsie said firmly. “ He’ll be ready 23
“ You get a whole hundred dollars, ” whispered Reba. “I never seen nobody that had a hundred dollars before. 99
to go, Miss Cook.” “ I’ll pick him up at about 10:00,” said Vernon’s teacher. She stooped to pet Rex, who was sniffing at her ankles, hugged Vernon and made him blush, and almost danced back to her car. Vernon looked around him at the seven Watts children who were staring curiously. “ What’re you all gawking at?” he demanded. “ You get a whole hundred dollars,” whispered Reba. “ I never seen nobody that had a hundred dollars before.” “ I ain’t got nothing yet,” grunted Vernon. Harper, at supper, grinned happily. “ How come you to know so much about school money, anyhow?” he asked Vernon. Vernon shrugged. “ It was all in the stuff they give me. I just wrote it down.” “ Must have wrote it down awful good,” Harper said proudly. “ Elsie, you got to give this youngen a haircut before he goes off to hobnob with them bankers.” “ I got to do more than that,” said Elsie. “ I got to find him new shoes and a suit and a necktie.” “ A necktie?” wailed Vernon. “ Why?” “ A body just don’t go to a fancy Cincinnati hotel in work clothes,” snorted Elsie. She sighed. “ I wonder if that suit coat Jimmy give Roy would be too big?” The faded maroon corduroy jacket was only a few sizes too large. “ I’ll burn up,” protested Vernon. “ Set still,” ordered Elsie. She squeezed the handles of the clippers and Vernon jerked. “ I could do lots better,” grumbled Elsie, “ if you’d stop squirming and sweating so much.” Vernon’s haircut, from the back, was a choppy series of steps. “ Looks pretty good,” said Elsie. “ It’d look better if his head wasn’t lopsided,” said Roy. “ That big old hump, that’s where Vernon’s brains is,” giggled Priscilla. “ You two hush up,” admonished Elsie. “ Now we got to find him some shoes.” At Watson’s Dry Goods & Grocery, the only shoes Vernon’s size were a pair of lowcut work 24
oxfords, riveted at the seams. “ I can order some dress shoes,” offered Bill Watson. “ Have ’em here in a week.” “ These’ll have to do,” decided Elsie. She found a red clip-on bow tie, Roy’s new crinkled yellow nylon shirt, and Harper’s pleated dress pants. Vernon sweated through a dress rehearsal. “ Don’t you look fine,” gushed Elsie. After supper, the night before the trip, Harper slipped Vernon two limp dollar bills. “ Man’s got to have his own spending money,” he grinned. “ Law, Vernon, Cincinnati sure is one big place.” Vernon was up before dawn, dressed by nine, squirming nervously until Liza Cook arrived. He stood and waited for her comments. Liza’s eyes moistened, and she smiled softly. “ You’re a fine looking young man, Vernon,” she whispered. Elsie stood in the doorway, twisting her apron. “ We done the best we could with what we had,” she said. “ Vernon looks great,” Liza said firmly. “ Now, it’ll be awfully late when we get back, Elsie. But don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of Vernon.” “ I know you will,” said Elsie. “ You behave, Vernon.” Vernon was already in Liza’s car. In Finchburg, he marveled at banker Ken Wolfe’s new 1954 Ford. “ Got a V-8, automatic transmission, and pushbutton radio,” said the banker. Mrs. Wolfe, small and blonde and elegant, was equally impressive, and Vernon was tongue-tied. Ken Wolfe drove from Finchburg, crossed over the Ohio River at Maysville, and followed the riverbank to Cincinnati. He pulled into the Coney Island parking lot. “ My treat,” announced Ken as they shared hot dogs and soft drinks. “ Ride anything you want to, Vernon.” “ We don’t want him to get sick,” warned Liza. “ Just the easy rides today.” She rode with Vernon through a half dozen of the amusement park’s tamer attractions. Then they drove through Cincinnati, past Crosley Field where The Mountain Spirit
Vernon’s hero Ted Kluszewski played first base for the Reds, past Fountain Square, finally into the parking garage of a downtown hotel. In the lobby Ken pushed a button and doors slid open. “ What’s that thing?” asked Vernon. “ An elevator,” said Liza. “ We studied them in our history class. Remember?” Vernon held his breath as the doors slid shut and the elevator lurched upwards. By the time it stopped he was gagging. In the hallway his stomach finally settled down. “ That was fun,” Vernon said. Mrs. Wolfe laughed. “ He likes the elevator better than Coney Island,” she said. “ Just wait until we go down, Vernon.” A chattering crowd moved around a dimly lit room, glasses clinking. Vernon sniffed. “ Smells like varnish,” he said. “ Can I get a Pepsi, Miss Cook?” Vernon gulped down three glasses of cola while the others sipped at their drinks. A half hour before dinner Liza pulled Vernon aside and pointed to the speakers table, elevated above the others. “ You’ll sit up there,” she said. “ I’ll be at a table with the Wolfes.” Vernon nodded. “ And,” continued Liza, opening her large purse and taking out papers, “ there’s one more thing. Vernon, out of all the winners, they chose your essay to be read tonight.” Vernon paled. “ Who’s going to read it?” Liza beamed. “ You!” Vernon, dazed, sat in the corner and read his essay aloud, twice, while Liza and the Wolfes listened. Liza smiled wistfully at Vernon’s soft accent. “ They’ll love you,” she finally announced. Vernon was introduced to the older winners, sleek and sophisticated teenagers from Louisville and Bowling Green and Paducah. The girl from Louisville inspected Vernon. “ You must be some brain,” she said. “ Just in the sixth grade, and your essay was the one they picked to be read.” Vernon blushed and said nothing, but listened to the others talk about movies and records and dates. A hostess led him to the speakers table to a seat beside a tall, grayhaired man in a business M arch-A pril 1986
suit. Vernon panicked at the array of spoons and forks and dishes. The man beside him chuckled, then leaned across and whispered. “ Son, I don’t have any idea of how to eat with all this hardware, but I’ve figured out how to keep the two of us from looking ignorant. I’ll watch this woman over here, you watch me, and we won’t get all these forks and knives mixed up. Okay?” Vernon nodded gratefully. But he balked at the tall cup of raw fish and ketchup placed before him. From the corner of his eye he watched the grayheaded man take a shrimp by the tail, dip it in cocktail sauce, and bite off all but the end. Vernon tried. It was cold, fishy, and slick. He pushed the cup away. “ A little nervous, son?” The tall man smiled. “ I know how you feel. You’re the boy from Finch County, aren’t you? The one with eight brothers and sisters?” “ Yes sir,” mumbled Vernon. “ Don’t you worry about a thing,” the man said. “ I’ll help you make it through all this foolishness.” Vernon toyed with a plate of salad, papery roast beef, and cold peas, then gulped down a little dish of ice cream. The speeches started. Vernon didn’t hear a word. He was too busy reading over his essay, trying to calm his stomach. “ You’re up next,” the man whispered. He winked. “ When you get up there, Vernon, just look out yonder and pretend all of those people are sitting there in their underwear.” Vernon giggled. He didn’t hear a word of his introduction, stumbled as he walked to the podium, looked out and was suddenly relieved. Linder the glare of the podium lights in the dim banquet hall, Vernon couldn’t even see the audience. He took a deep breath and read. “ The foundation program gives a guaranteed level of educational opportunities to every child. The program is, frankly, for better schools for the children of Kentucky.” In the audience, Wanda Wolfe leaned to whisper to Liza. “ It’s amazing, Liza. To see 25
“H e’s a regular little Abe Lincoln . My friend Vernon Watts will make his mark. Just you watch. ”
Vernon, and hear him talking, you’d never believe he could write a paper like that.” ‘‘A lot of people make the mistake of judging our rural students by their appearance and speech,” Liza said grimly. ‘‘Vernon Watts is one child who will do a lot, in the next few years, to change that way of thinking.” She smiled. “ I just wish Elsie could be here.” Vernon finished, said “ thank you” like Liza had said to, and listened wonderingly to the applause. He stood again, dazed, to accept a certificate and an envelope, then was led to the side for a barrage of flashbulbs and questions. Vernon’s dinner partner posed with him. “ He’s a regular little Abe Lincoln,” the tall man said happily. “ My friend Vernon Watts will make his mark. Just you watch.” Back in the car Liza hugged Vernon again. “ Have you opened your envelope?” she asked. Vernon fumbled and pulled out a strange certificate. “ What is this?” he asked. “ I was supposed to get a hundred dollars.” “ It’s a US savings bond,” Liza explained. “ Is it the same as money?” Vernon asked anxiously. “ It don’t look like money.” “ It’s good as gold,” chuckled Ken Wolfe. “ You can keep it seven years and get $100, or bring it to the bank and I’ll give you about $85 right now.” “ It says a hundred dollars,” protested Vernon. “ They cheated me.” “ No they didn’t,” laughed Ken. “ Hey, Vernon, the senator sure took a liking to you, didn’t he?” “ What senator?” asked Venron. “ Didn’t he tell you? The man who sat beside you?” “ Nope,” said Vernon. “ But he never knowed how to eat with all them forks neither, so he watched the woman on the other side and told me to watch him.” Ken burst out laughing, shook his head, and steered the car through thinning traffic. “ What’s so funny?” Vernon asked Liza. “ That man beside you,” Liza said gently, “ was US Senator John Sherman Cooper.” “ It was?” Vernon’s jaw dropped. “ But . . . 26
he didn’t talk like no senator.” Liza smiled. “ That’s part of why everybody in Kentucky loves him so much, Vernon. Senator Cooper is a great man.” “ A United States Senator.” Vernon sat, pondering. “ I bet that’s why they took his picture so much.” “ You got it, Vernon,” chuckled Ken. Ten miles out of Cincinnati Vernon was sound asleep, snug in Liza Cook’s arms. “ That’s some boy,” Ken said softly. “ And I guarantee you this is one day he’ll remember for the rest of his life.” “ So,” whispered Liza, “ will I.” Vernon stumbled to Liza’s car in Finchburg, and couldn’t wake up when they got to the house and found Elsie awake and waiting. Vernon handed her his certificates and went to bed. Elsie stood with Liza on the porch. “ You would have been so proud, Elsie,” said Liza. “ Vernon read his paper to a thousana people and didn’t make one mistake. And he sat next to Senator Cooper the whole time.” “ I reckon you get the credit,” said Elsie. “ Vernon thinks you’re the grandest thing they ever was.” “ I feel the same way about him,” smiled Liza. “ I can’t wait to hear Vernon’s version of the trip.” “ You’ll likely wait a long while,” smiled Elsie. “ He don’t talk a whole lot.” Vernon did, the next afternoon, describe his trip in exacting detail. His audience, Rex, wagged his tail and licked Vernon’s hand. The rest got only short answers to their questions. On Saturday, Vernon rode into Finchburg with a neighbor, cashed in his bond for $86, and bought himself a new Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. For Elsie, he bought a foot long black glass cat with firey red eyes. He gave her the rest of the money and never did remember to ask what she used it for. Liza Cook brought clippings from newspapers, pictures of Vernon and the senator which Elsie stored safely away. And, a week later, Bill Watson let Elsie swap back Vernon’s new shoes, still in their original box, for a bag of flour and ten pounds of sugar. The Mountain Spirit
Is your family planning a reunion this year? Why not consider the Family Life Center, in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, as the site of your family event? There are two picnic shelters available as well as a winterized activity building, complete with kitchen. Each shelter measures 40’ x 45’, includes twelve tables and holds 150 people. The activity building houses 150 people, and tables and chairs are available. Recreational facilities include a basketball court, softball field, volleyball and horseshoe standards, hiking, and open fields for open play. Rental fees are $35 per shelter per day, and $35-$75 for the activity building, depending on group size. Last year, fifty families held reunions at the Center, ten of whom were residents of other states. The Family Life Center is located on Hwy. 25, north of 1-75 and the Renfro Valley/Mt. Vernon exit. You will surely enjoy your family celebration in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Make plans early; the spring and summer calander is already beginning to fill! For more information, call or write: Program Coordinator, Family Life Community Recreation Center, Rt. 3, Box 37, Mt. Vernon, KY 40456, (606)256-9612.