Help save mountain streams!

I received this email about how mining is polluting mountain streams, and I encourage anyone who reads this to follow the link and stop this before it gets any worse!

KFTC ACTION ALERT: October 26, 2007ADD YOUR VOICE TO A GREAT SHOWING IN HAZARDKFTC members made a great showing at the public hearing in Hazard on Wednesday night. They spoke in a loud, unified voice: "Protect Kentucky's streams. Don't eliminate the buffer zone rule that prevents coal mining in streams. Just enforce the law!"Now it is your turn to add your voice to theirs.The coal industry wants to eliminate the rule that prohibits them from mining within 100 feet of a stream, and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining is working to push this change through. In fact, the way OSM is proposing to re-write the rule it would actually encourage mining in streams! All of this is designed to remove any legal or environmental impediment to uncontrolled mountaintop removal mining.At least 135 people attended the hearing in Hazard, the majority to oppose this giveaway to industry. Thirty-four people publicly spoke on the rule change, with 29 supporting KFTC's position that our streams should receive a high level of protection. Our allies in other Appalachian coal states made similar impressive showings at simultaneous hearings in their respective states.

Visit http://www.kftc.org/blog and http://www.kftc.org/streams to read more about the hearing and learn about the issue.Would you submit written comments calling on OSM to abandon this proposed rule change and instead enforce the law to protect our streams? This is an issue that has national implications and we need thousands of comments from Kentucky and the United States.1.

You can go directly to http://www.700mountains.org to send a prepared letter to OSM as well as to your members of Congress. There are also links to this site through the KFTC web pages listed above if you want to learn more about the issue first.2. You can send your comments directly to OSM by regular mail.Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and EnforcementAdministrative RecordRoom 252-SIB1951 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20240Reference Docket # 1029-AC04.Comments must be submitted by November 23, 4:30 p.m.

But please don't wait!Thanks for all those who came from across the state to the Hazard hearing. And thank you for helping that call for justice grow louder by submitting your written comments.

----------------------------------------------------------PLAN AHEADPlease plan to come to Frankfort on Thursday, February 14, 2008 for KFTC's "I Love Mountains Rally and Lobby Day." We need a large turnout to convey a strong message that we demand that our mountains, streams, people and heritage be protected.

----------------------------------------------------------MAKE THIS WORK HAPPENWe are in the middle of KFTC's Fall Fundraising Campaign, our most important fundraising drive of the year. Please consider becoming a KFTC member, renewing your membership or making a donation today. You can do so online at: http://www.kftc.org/join-buy-donate. Thanks!Jerry HardtKFTC Communications Director

New York---October 2007

Just a quick recommendation on the Julie Heffernan exhibit currently on view at PPOW in Chelsea. In some ways, it's more of the same...there aren't any real surprises, but since I get a kick out of her work, I'm okay with that. There is some variation on the background---in one a figure looms behind the "self-portrait", which created an interesting juxtipostion. And dang, the girl can paint!

If I remember correctly, this one is titled "Men in Power" and one of the "men" in the little portraits is Condalezza Rice. I got a little chuckle there---in part because I wasn't expecting it.

Mary and I finally took the time, and the long, bumpy bus ride to visit the Cloisters at Fort Thomas Park....and I'm pleased to say it was worth it! The Unicorn Tapestries....just delicious.

The Merode Altarpiece is in a small room, and lordy, what an impact! I think it could hold a room 5 times the size. The color is so intensely beautiful...it's one of those paintings that give you a lump in your throat, and you feel yourself being drawn back to it when you try to move on.

The Age of Rembrandt at the Met was crowded, and a bit of a yawn, as it was primarily work from the Met's own collection. Though it's always a treat to see Vermeer, and I do like Rembrandt, you just couldn't get close to them for the crowds. The new Greek and Roman galleries are very nice, and I'd never gone through the Etruscan gallery before. There was an Ab Ex show that was kind of nice to see, though it was primarily from the permanent collection...but after years of looking at them, I've been taking a break for a few years, and I'm pleased to say I was able to look with fresh eyes. The Neo Rauch (sp?) show---you know, it was charming in it's way, but kind of slip shod in other ways---and I can't remember it very well now that it's been a week ago. But, boy that Merode Altarpiece is probably drowning out those images anyway....

Figure Study; Conte on grey canson paper

This one is about 30x22"...another quick study---about an hour.