"I feel good, like I knew that I would"

Way back when, The Lilies Project received approval to resurface the basketball court at London Park and finish it with a mural. I wanted to celebrate the history that James Brown had performed at London School as part of the Chitlin’ Circuit in the Sixties 

As far as I know, there is no physical evidence of Brown’s visit, only local lore. “Celebrating Courage” includes an exciting scene where Tony Hairston recalls his father, John L. Hairston, paying Brown after the show. So I thought a basketball court mural would be a fun way to spruce up a much loved, but dilapidated park in Walnut Cove.

With COVID delays, working with various artists fell through. Secretly, or not so secretly, I longed to design the court mural, but the task felt overwhelming. As the budget shifted, it became clear that we were going to have to figure out how to do create the design simply through the resurfacing contract, which includes a background and three colors.

I had Basketball Mural at the top of my list all week. The contract is signed. The resurfacing is being scheduled. Time for a design. Definitely something more than this:

For several months, I had wanted to use the large golden star found on the James Brown’s 20 All-Time Greatest Hits cover. I thought perhaps we could save money by with one color for the star and stenciling on additional components with the community. But as weeks passed and materials costs increased, I signed a three-color contract and thought I am going to make the most of this. Besides, such a massive amount of stenciling would certainly keep me up at night!

Thursday afternoon, I sat down to watch “Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown” to look for inspiration. Henry is always intrigued by a great music documentary, so he joined me while simultaneously searching for concert poster art. I found a concert poster from 1964 with some bright colors that I thought would be great with the light blue background option for the background: the neon pink, green and yellow for the star.

Within minutes, the documentary cut to Brown’s performance on the Ed Sullivan show. The background props looked exactly like the coal ash hex posts with a light blue back ground. The lighting faded out from pink, green and yellow. Perfect!

Suddenly I knew exactly what I hoped to create that tied together James Brown’s story, the coal ash hex posts and our local landscape of the “Three Sisters” of Sauratown Mountains.

With my attempt to drawn in the white lines….

And adding James Brown’s name and date of his performance at London, which would be stenciled. This is a guesstimate. Anyone know the actual year?

Here’s hoping the contractor will say yes this looks great!

May 2021 Updates

1. Community Garden Days

There are two chances this week where you can dig in on some community gardens (or stand around and watch, if you have a bad back!). I can’t make either, but I hope that you all will take and share pictures! Bring Your Own Tools!

For more information

Sid’s House - Thursday, May 6th at 11 am

Sid Lee is seeking NC native plants if you would like to bring from your garden or donate. If you have any of these in your garden and would like to donate a cutting for Sid's House garden that'd wonderful. Donations of garden tools and monetary donations for the garden projects are also accepted.

Erica’s Garden (Rev. Alfred Warren’s Farm) - Saturday, May 8th at 10 am

We are donating some vegetable plants from Tuttle’s for Erica’s Garden. Rev. Warren is also seeking lumber donations to create the planting boxes. Let’s all come together to help Rev. Warren’s dream of creating a community garden in memory of his daughter, Erica.

We are eventually planning to have a coal ash sculpture art at both locations.

If there are other gardens (and I know that there are), I am happy to include them on this page and help promote your activities on Facebook.

Reality Check from this Week: I am not a gardener. In efforts to scale back and complete this project, I am just focusing on art in multiple locations. Eventually we will have events to celebrate and include supporting materials for the walking tour.

2. Watch "Life in the Sacrifice Zone" May 13-14

The long-awaited "Life in the Sacrifice Zone” is available for viewing next weekend. We are hoping to schedule a screening in Stokes County at some point, as well.

Don't miss the River Run Film Festival's world premiere screening of a new documentary on coal ash in North Carolina!

In his first feature film, Winston-Salem filmmaker Chad Nance highlights an African American community in rural North Carolina who battled systematic racism and one of the world's largest energy companies. A series of environmental disasters, racist actions by local officials and mysterious medical issues spurred the community into action. Tired of sacrificing their land and lives to the pollution created by the largest coal fired electric plant in North Carolina, they join their efforts and voices to force the biggest coal ash clean up in the history of the US.

Watch it on May 13, 8:30 pm ET or at your convenience for 48 hours starting May 14.

3. Juneteenth Celebration - Saturday, June 19th, 2021

If you haven’t heard by now, the Walnut Cove Colored School is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. Ephraim has been working with Dana on a short film since last fall. We are excited to see it along with great music from the Allen Boys from Mt. Airy. (Thank you, Eddy McGee and the SCAC for sponsoring the music.) It should be a fun day for the family. Bring your own chair and mask for the celebration. A piece of coal ash art will be unveiled that day!

For more information on the event

4. The Lilies Project Art Installations

We continue to progress with the public art.

The Labyrinth at Cove Square

The concrete has been poured and will be engraved in late May. It will be closed until sometime in June to keep it clean for engraving. We are excited for when it will be open and available to the public. It will be used for a farmer’s market, among many other things, likely after Memorial Day.

Cove Square looks incredible after all of the hard work from the Cove Group over the last three years. I believe they are planning a work day TOMORROW at 6:30! Again bring your tools, as the Cove Group prepares for Spring Fest.

London Park Basketball Courts

I have signed the contract to redo the basketball court at London, so that should be scheduled soon. I hope in June.

Coal Ash Posts

Nathan has cut a number of posts and taken seven with him back to Vermont to cut even more. I am hoping the installations will move quickly. Until then I am planning to focus on painting what I already have on hand.

June 18th Walk-Through Canceled

My original goal was to install most of the art by Juneteenth Celebration and have a walk through the night before. However, I just signed a promise to our church camp that we would be in quarantine during that week before 6/20. So hopefully some of the pieces will be complete on Juneteenth, but we will not be meeting on June 18th. I will just stay far away from everyone on Juneteenth! I am calling it Essential since we have been planning it since early Fall!

I am hoping a new gathering time will become clear in the coming works as I start the art.

5. Marie’s having a baby!
Best wishes to Marie Garlock, who is ten days away from her due date! We can’t wait to meet this new little one!

Visiting the Labyrinth at Medley Meadows

In October 2019, we met at Medley Meadows for a lunch and visit of Vivian’s labyrinth. Vivian had been instrumental in helping us find an artist to construct the labyrinths in Walnut Cove for us. It was a delightful lunch together among friends and discussing what having a labyrinth means for us individually.

Labyrinths evolved out of our community planning discernment process and were very important to two of most consistent members - Tammy Hill and Danielle Bailey-Lash.

Updating London Park

---

We gathered last January for a news story about our plans to redo London Park’s basketball courts with a mural. Six weeks later, COVID hit and all of our plans were put on hold. Including a mural honoring the legacy of James Brown performing at London Elementary way back when.

Today we are dreaming up new ideas that we hope we can implement in 2021 with the help of the Town of Walnut Cove.

Here are a couple of before videos from when we gathered for the news story, which was not archived, unfortunately.

What Remains

Thank you to Alicia Carter and Lucas Pruitt, two UNC Chapel Hill students, for creating this short documentary What Remains.

What Remains looks at the Walnut Cove Community's fight against coal ash pollution and Duke Energy through the lens of activist Caroline Armijo and her grief process after the loss of her close friend in November 2019 to cancer, Danielle Bailey-Lash. Coal ash, a hazardous waste product, has impacted the community for over a decade as they have tirelessly led campaigns, rallies, and environmental clean ups to take ahold of the issue and influence policy. Danielle Bailey-Lash was one of the group's fiercest leaders, and her loss showed just how big her impact was.

A monumental date in history, on January 2nd, 2020 Duke Energy agreed to dig up nearly 80 million tons of ash in North Carolina and move it to lined storage – it will be the largest coal ash cleanup in U.S. history. Armijo wonders what's ahead after and motivates the community to keep fighting, ensuring Duke Energy fulfills their promise.

My Comments for the DEQ Excavation Hearing

Last night, representatives from NC DEQ held a hearing regarding the excavation of the coal ash from Belews Creek. Following are my comments that I shared. It was an emotional speech for me as I recall our press conference last January standing with Danielle, the only other time I had visited Walnut Cove Elementary. Plus it was the eve of ten-year anniversary of coal ash work

Good evening!

My name is Caroline Rutledge Armijo. I am the Director of The Lilies Project and a member of both Residents for Coal ash Clean Up based here at Belews Creek and our statewide coalition ACT against Coal Ash. 

I would like to thank Asst. Secretary Holman, Secretary Regan, Governor Cooper and all of the DEQ Staff members for listening to our community members and demanding that Duke excavate its coal ash, making it a historical decision for our state and each of you. We are beyond confident that this decision was the right thing to do. Today can be seen as the first step forward in a decade of recovery for Belews Creek. But we all know that each of us in this room have been part of a massive movement leading up to this moment over the last decade. And we are all tired. 

When I heard the news that some form of this decision was coming on Christmas Eve, it was hard for me not to weep when we sang O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant. Because as a community, we have certainly been faithful and persistent and determined to see this day through. 

Today I wish I felt joyful, but instead I feel grief and sorrow for all of those we have lost and will very likely lose prematurely in the decades to come. Our crowd is diminished tonight by those attending friends in the hospital, or resting after funerals or are no longer with us. Period. 

So I do want to thank you. But I also to challenge you to protect the workers who are going to clean up the coal ash. Certainly they are our friends and family, too. 

I also challenge you to stick to the safeguards you put in place and make certain that Duke meets all of their agreements over the coming decade. Continue to push for higher standards and expectations even in a climate where we hear corporations claiming that things are not possible. 

We know that they are. We know that our work is not complete. We know that miracles are possible. And while this feels like one of them, it is certainly not the last. 

We would like to see not the bare minimum as presented here today. But that Belews Creek will be the model of remediation, including solar energy production, bioremediation that includes native pollinators, and opportunities for the community to benefit from wildlife through nature preserves inside the borders of Stokes County.  Duke’s investment has been too little too late. 

But now that this decision has been settled, we expect that our community will be treated on par with Belews Creek’s role within Duke’s fleet. As a premiere facility in a community that deserves the very best. 

In addition, on the way over here tonight, I heard an announcement that Duke plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. In the next story it said that our ice caps melted at a rate that scientists expected to occur in 2070 happened last year. 2050 is far too late.

Thank you. 

Our First Labyrinth

Our first labyrinth was installed last week at Christ Episcopal Church almost historic flooding. Thank you to Neill Caldwell with The Stokes News for covering the story. The labyrinth will be completed in mid-March when Nathan Wiles, the artist, returns to score the concrete labyrinth at the library. More images of the progress to come soon. Also, we are seeking community members to join a labyrinth committee.

Reflecting on Friendship, Faith, Miracles and Advent

Danielle Kara Bailey-Lash

August 13, 1974 - November 30, 2019

The following are my remarks at the funeral for Danielle Bailey-Lash, held on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

This past Sunday, the day Danielle left us, marks the first day of Advent, which is the first day of the new year of the church. We never really know when we are gonna lose people we love. In addition to the heartbreak, I found peace and reassurance by Danielle leaving us at this precise moment. Thanksgiving had just ended and the new church year had just begun. This moment perfectly exemplified all that Danielle prioritized in life. 

First, Danielle loves her family more than anything else. She would always encourage me to prioritize my family when things were busy. Second, within minutes of meeting Danielle, you knew that she wanted nothing more than to be with Jesus in every step of life here on Earth. And as an overachiever, which we used to joke about her overachieving, she was going to be there bright and early on the first day of the new year to celebrate the coming of Jesus. 

“Gray Matter” by Caroline Armijo

Nine years ago on this same first Sunday of Advent, I placed a piece of art on the altar of my church in Washington DC to signify the word Justice. At the time, I had no idea what that word really meant. But it was the word for the week and a piece I had been working on. The art was fashioned out of a small book called “Your God is Too Small.” I had worked on that book as a way to pray for Danielle when she had her second craniotomy in August. I did not believe in my prayers. I was terrified of the heartbreak we all feel now. 

My God was too small. 

Nine years later we can look back on Danielle‘s life and see all of the miracles that happened since then. We are hear today to celebrate  all that she accomplished in that time - and before. The miracles that unfolded around coal ash, something that was basically unknown, but no longer. And how she worked diligently to build community with everyone she met. 

I was beyond ecstatic on August 13, 2018 which was Danielle’s birthday. It was the first time she spoke in public. At the same podium with Reverend Barber and the former Vice President Al Gore. Although she had spoken out for years in national and international press. 

Just a few weeks later, our worst fears resurfaced. Danielle needed a third craniotomy. And in those moments of going to the doctor, SHE was the peaceful presence who calmed the rest of us as she prepared for surgery. 

After she rang the bell at Forsyth six weeks later, we were granted a tremendous gift. We began gathering together under the guise of planning for The Lilies Project, a grant inspired by Danielle to make art out of coal ash. It was all that I ever wanted. To spend time with Danielle. And to make art with her and others. When I was with Danielle, as I’m sure is the same for all of you, I felt unconditional love. 

Spending time with Danielle was all I ever wanted in PE everyday of middle school when we walked around the track together or made up silly games with the basketball. It was all I ever wanted when we served as statisticians and mat maids together when I cared nothing about sports. And it was all I ever wanted when I came home from DC and we went out to eat with Jennifer. This last year felt amazing to have spent so much time with Danielle.

A few years ago, I read a story of a small group of people who gathered in a church basement in East Germany. They visualized the Berlin Wall falling. As we know, that happened. The faith of those people and my blossoming faith after witnessing a great unfolding of change, alongside Danielle’s steadfast faith, made me certain the our prayers mattered. My prayers matter.

So we gathered at the library each month with a small group of people - Django, Tammy, David, Leslie, Johnny, Christine, Bryan and others. We talked about our vision for what life will be like after coal ash. We also dreamed about where we wanted to place the art that we were planning Danielle’s persistence and diligence was exactly what we needed to keep us focused on our priorities. 

We were also successful in our advocacy. We were part of a larger statewide effort to convince the governor to demand that that all of the coal ash be cleaned up. And when we got the good news, people from across the state came and celebrated with us at Southeastern, the very place our friendship began. 

Danielle, Johnny and I always concluded each meeting with a trip to El Cabo where we split a side of avocado. We would linger together until we did not have any more time before school pick up. In one of those meetings, Danielle shared the most beautiful bit of wisdom. She said “I always expect that every person I interact with is going to treat me exceptionally well. And they always do!” She said it with her beautiful smile and great poise and confidence. I was so moved by her expectations of the best and how she got the best in every interaction in life. I never once heard her complain over the last ten years. Instead I witnessed her persistence in serving others and building community. 

This fall during her last months with us, she took a social work class in Greensboro so that she could help others as others have helped her. She wanted to give back. And then finally she also won a seat on the Walnut Cove Town Council.

North Carolina Coal Ash Advocates

Danielle is not here with us to see the fruition of all of our work together. But I feel her guidance as plans begin to crystallize. I know that her presence will live on through all of her visions for a better future of clean air and clean water. None of us in this room can begin to comprehend the full impact that she had on our community, our state and our world. But may we be so moved to seek justice from a place of kindness and compassion for others, embodying Danielle’s Christ-like spirit who expects the nothing less than the very best. 

Amen

Calling on Full Excavation

This month we wrap on our ongoing push to demand a full excavation for Belews Creek and the additional five sites throughout the state of North Carolina. After a lot of love and labor, I am beyond thrilled to showcase the work of Will Warasila, who has been documenting our community since November when he came for the Coal Ash Healing Service at The Well.

Will is an MFA student at Duke University in the Center for Documentary Studies. He is applying his love for contemporary photography with finding ways to share the stories of those being impacted by coal ash at Belews Creek. While he is creating a wide body of work, these head shots are stunning.

On the evening of the DEQ Hearing in January, Will captured these faces from our community. Michael and Marie worked to capture the stories of the community and put them in a lovely book format.

READ THE COMMENTS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARED IN OUR COMMUNITY BOOTH ON JANUARY 10TH, 2019

The evening was a powerful night. Be sure to watch the press conference and learn the results of our advocacy here.

A Day of Prayer

Woven Play

I am so intrigued by this new play equipment known as the “Crab Trap.” It holds 40 to 50 kids at once. It’s woven format reminds me of local legend Gypsy Hollingsworth, who was a world-class weaver. Perhaps this piece is a great option for an outdoor play opportunity in Walnut Cove.

CRITICAL - Comments Still Being Collected for Duke's Final Closure Plan at Belews Creek

DEQ hosted a Q&A information session at Belews Creek on January 10th, 2019. It was the first of six sessions of the remaining sites with undetermined closure plans. While we had a powerful press conference ahead of the hearing and a great turn-out, many of the community members felt frustrated with DEQ’s format.

Press Conference hosted before the DEQ Information Session on January 10th, 2019

Read Press Links and Important Information about Duke’s Proposals

In speaking with community members since the meeting, they have used phrases including “staged chaos,” “no sense of order,” and a “shell game.” Community members were directed to visit tables about specific topics related to the coal ash basin. Instead of being able to answer questions, they were directed to another table and numerous questions went unanswered. One resident was so frustrated that she asked to have her name removed from DEQ’s list. The DEQ register apologized for the event “being so brutal.”

A full house despite the cold weather and numerous impacted community members attending a funeral prior to the event.

The format of these sessions at the Marshall Hearing one week later. The gym was at capacity of the Lake Norman school gym and residents were turned away. When Holman directed community members to go to the tables, they refused. The crowd was able to ask questions and have them answered from the floor. Precisely the way that Belews Creek community expected the event to take place. Residents were asked their opinion regarding each of the three formats - cap-in-place, hybrid, or excavation. The excavation received a resounding yes.

So the work is on the community to continue to collect these comments through the February 15th period. It is also important not to overlook the Water Discharge and Special Order of Consent Permit, which closes tomorrow, January 25th.

The Lilies Project is hosting a series of fun events to collect more comments over the next two weeks. Residents for Coal Ash Cleanup is also hosting another information session at the Walnut Cove Public Library so that residents will be able to have their questions answered by Southern Environmental Law Center and Appalachian Voices about the specific plans. We will be collecting comments, as well. A more formalized hearing will be held in early April, which will allow the community to publicly speak to DEQ. But we want to make sure that we are loud and clear before that point that we demand full excavation of the coal ash to safe, lined landfills that already exist on Duke’s property.

---

Following are points concerning Duke’s Final Closure Plan at Belews Creek provided by SELC.

 DEQ: PLEASE REQUIRE DUKE ENERGY TO MOVE ITS COAL ASH AT BELEWS CREEK TO DRY, LINED STORAGE AWAY FROM OUR WATERWAYS 

• DEQ should require Duke Energy to remove its coal ash from its leaking, unlined pit and move it to dry lined storage away from our Belews Lake and the Dan River and out of our groundwater. 

• Duke Energy plans to leave its coal ash sitting in the groundwater at Belews Creek, where it will keep polluting our groundwater, lakes, and rivers. Recent monitoring shows Duke Energy is polluting the groundwater surrounding Belews Creek with toxic and radioactive materials. We need cleanup—not coverup! 

• The community has come out time after time over the last several years, making clear that we’re concerned about pollution from Duke Energy’s coal ash and want Duke Energy to get its coal ash out of its unlined, leaking pits. It is long past time for DEQ and Duke Energy to listen. 

• Duke Energy is already required to remove its coal ash at eight other sites in North Carolina and all of its sites in South Carolina, and the governor of Virginia recently called for all the coal ash to be removed from Dominion’s unlined sites—our families and our community deserve the same protections. 

• Duke Energy already has dry, lined ash storage on its property, or has said it could build a new landfill to hold ash removed from its leaking pond. Ash will not travel through the Walnut Cove community or to other communities. 

• Duke Energy can excavate all the ash from its leaking Belews Creek pond and move it to dry, lined storage on its property without one truck carrying ash through the community. 

• Duke cannot exaggerate traffic concerns while downplaying the community’s real concern: Duke Energy’s water pollution. 

• Duke Energy’s own experts know that even cap in place will involve trucking construction materials to the site—just like any other construction project. But even under their estimates, cap in place would have the biggest impact to daily average truck traffic on community roads—a 12% increase compared to 11% for the “hybrid” option and 9% for excavation. 

• It is past time for DEQ to listen to the community—not Duke Energy’s consultants— about what our community needs. We need Duke to clean up its coal ash and stop the water pollution. 

 TELL DEQ WHAT YOU THINK IN WRITING 

E-mail DEQ at belewscomments@ncdenr.gov or submit your feedback online at https://selc.link/2GQOp4U. 

Prepared by the Southern Environmental Law Center 

State seeks public feedback on Belews Creek Steam Station draft consent order and permit

 DEQ is seeking public feedback on a proposed draft special order by consent for Duke Energy’s Belews Creek Steam Station, as well as a draft wastewater permit modification for the Stokes County facility. The public comment period will run through Jan. 25, 2019.
 
The draft order, draft modified permit and related documents are available online at: https://bit.ly/2LkIF4K. This DEQ document talks about submitting comments.

Talking points from Southern Environmental Law Center:

1. Send one email to publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with Subject Line “Belews Creek Permit” 

• The draft Belews Creek NPDES Permit fails to adequately protect the surrounding lake and rivers.

• Despite the history of pollution at this plant, the permit’s limits on toxic water pollution are in many cases weaker than in previous drafts.

• The permit does not require a “physical/chemical treatment system” for ash pond dewatering, unlike the systems already being used at Duke’s Riverbend and Sutton plants.

• The permit delays compliance with stricter federal pollution limits, which should be imposed later this year but the draft permit delays until late 2020.

• The permit fails to minimize the harm to fish and aquatic life in Belews Lake as a result of its outdated water intake structure and its discharge of superheated wastewater.

• The permit should be improved to fully limit pollution from the Belews Creek facility, as required by the Clean Water Act. 

2. Send second email to publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with Subject Line “Belews Creek SOC.” 

• The SOC acknowledges that Duke’s discharge into Little Belews Creek violates the Clean Water Act, but would allow the discharge to continue until Duke builds a new pipeline to discharge directly into the Dan River. 

  • The proposed SOC admits that the plant has been polluting Little Belews Creek for over three decades.  

  • Despite this fact, the SOC concludes that neither DEQ nor Duke has done anything wrong.

  • DEQ should rectify over 30 years of unlawful pollution of Little Belews Creek by stopping it, not allowing it to continue.

Extraterrestrial Press Coverage from 1983

Without the aid of Wikipedia, I am going to guess the ET came out in the Summer of 1982. The reason for my guess is because The 1983 Gymnastics Show made that a central theme to the May performance.

Thanks to the Walnut Cove Public Library for keeping bound editions of all the past Danbury Reporters available with easy access. I only made it through a couple of years during my last visit to the library. There was no coverage for 1987, the final year of the show. But I intend to go through the complete archives before the Reunion Event.

See you there!

Bouncing Towards The Gymnastics Show

The Christmas Holidays are quickly approaching and we are getting read for a celebration. We have several videos from the 8os that we are hoping to share with everyone at the reunion. If you have a video, it is not too late to copy them. We would love as thorough collection as possible.

As part of the reunion, we will be selecting a date for a Spring Performance and recruiting for the event. Would you like to recreate your skit from 1983? Do you believe your child can do it better? Are you a fan of a local dance team or gymnastics troupe that will perform?

We will also be filming stories shared at the reunion and creating a mini-documentary that we will share at the Spring Event. Plus we will have dancing, art and fun! Can’t wait to see you after the all of the chaos of Christmas is complete.

Check Out Event Details and Printable Materials

Build Community Build - New Workshop Series

This month, The Lilies Project is launching new monthly series at the Walnut Cove Public Library. The purpose of the workshops are two fold: to build community and to figure out what we are going to build. The main art concept I’ve worked on this fall gave me literal sticker shock. So we are starting over and figuring out what we would like to create into art out of coal ash together.

Each month we will do a different activity, but around the same theme of visioning and a community build.

The events will be held mid-month on Mondays at 11 am. This allows a pop-in with the preschoolers at 10 am and a chance to eat lunch with anyone open after the event. And you don’t even have to make anything if you don’t want. Come join in on a time of uplifting community.

December Event - Monday, December 17th, 2018 at 11 am

December will focus on using sheet music to create some Christmas Creations. This ties in with the window display of Jester Hairston’s Christmas Spirituals in the Rutledge & Rutledge office windows. We will have hymnals to repurpose and models of different paper sculptures you can create.

2018’s Vision Board had lots of layers, too heavy to hang. Guess what… I won’t be doing that again.

January Event - Monday, January 14th, 2019 at 11 am

I am a huge fan of creating vision boards and make a year-long vision board for the last several years. You can check out videos for 2018 and 2017 here. And 2016 and 2015 on my blog, which I have failed to update since 2017. We will be creating a smaller vision board on anything you want. I will have heavy boards, magazines, glue sticks, and scissors on hand. Bring images you want to include on your own.

February Event - Monday, February 18th, 2018 at 11 am

Stemming off the Celebrating Courage event, we will explore John L. Hairston’s contribution to building Walnut Cove and the area through his efforts with the Yadkin Valley Economic Development District, Inc. The art activity is not yet determined, but we will remember others who have helped develop our community and brainstorm new ideas.

This monthly series will be held at the Walnut Cove Public Library. The purpose is to make art, discuss what you would like for the final installation of The Lilies Project and to hang out with our neighbors. Maybe even make new friends.

This is a very free flow event that will focus on both building community and what we will build as a community.

Materials provided. All events are free and open to the public.

Comments for the CCR Rules

This week NC Department of Environmental Quality accepted comments on the updating of the state’s CCR Rules. Many members of our ACT group shared their own stories with the state agency. Following are the comments that I submitted:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in regards to preventing potential changes of the CCR Rules. 

I am an advocate for coal ash, specifically related to my home community of Belews Creek. However I stand united with all fourteen locations in North Carolina who house coal ash, including the site of coal ash landfills in Lee and Chatham Counties. Belews Creek is the home of 20 million tons of coal ash. Over eight million tons are in a capped-in-place mountain that has already been proven to have failed and created a large arsenic plume off of Old Plantation Road. We know that capping-in-place does not work. It should not be considered by DEQ as a solution that serves anyone other than Duke Energy. 

After Florence, we all see the future for coal ash in landfills in our state. Three different types of landfills failed. At Sutton, we witnessed the failure of a new lined landfill. At Lee, we saw the failure of a classic, unlined landfill awaiting closure. And at Brickhaven, we saw the failure of a mine reclamation landfill. None of these solutions are viable as we face climate change and can expect more frequent storms with greater strength. Yet we know that in South Carolina, the state was able to clean up all of the sites under budget and under timeframes. The groundwater immediately improved. 

Therefore, I am asking for the following:

• Do not allow Duke to Cap-In-Place
• Keep the coal ash on Duke-owned property, and not dumped on other communities
• Support storing ash in a dry, lined system that can be reused in encapsulated products to rebuild our failing infrastructure
• Do not interfere with citizens’ rights to hold Duke legally accountable for its coal ash pollution.

Through the work of NC A&T State University, we have technology available to that will encapsulate the coal ash in a solid form so that we no longer have to worry about getting the ash into our bodies through the air and water. We need to use these storms as reason to push forward on this strategy. By reconsidering the coal ash as a valuable raw material instead of a waste that DEQ and Duke continues to ignore, we can use the encapsulated coal ash for rebuilding our much needed infrastructure. 

https://theliliesproject.org/aandt-project/

The UN’s report on Climate Change presents a dire urgency to actually address this issues and move beyond the political pressure of Duke and focusing on their bottom line. All of our lives are at stake. North Carolina has the opportunity to holistically solve this problem that plagues not only our state, but the entire country. 

By using a crop like hemp, we can plant in impacted areas that will draw the heavy metals out of the ground. That plant can then be used to create the polymer binding agent for encapsulation. Therefore the remains of the plants containing the heavy metals will be encapsulated in with the loose ash. It provides a new crop for local farmers and additional jobs for coal ash impacted communities. While the ash needs to be dried, it does not need to be reburned with a lower discharge than the STAR system by SEFA. This technology is much more environmentally sound than solutions currently being put forth. 

Instead of denying claims of coal ash failure at every storm, let’s imagine a near future where these sites are cleaned up and technology surpassed expectations. In the end, Duke will continue to profit off of this solution as well. But it requires having DEQ demand that they choose a different way. The current landfill options fail and will continue to fail time and time again. Why would you professionally subject yourselves to ongoing pressure? Now is the time to clean it up and ensure a better tomorrow by upholding our CCR Rules to the highest of standards that can serve as a model throughout the country. 

Thank you.

Sincerely, 

Caroline Armijo

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Visits Belews Creek

This past May, Dr. Sanjay Gupta visited some of our community members to discuss the health impacts they have been facing over the last several decades. We were eager to see the report.

---

Concerns are rising for residents living near coal ash ponds after Andrew Wheeler, the acting administrator of the EPA, rolled back regulations on the storage of the toxic waste. CNN's Sanjay Gupta reports.

---

The video was released in late July after the announcement of Trump's new head of the EPA and Scott Pruitt's replacement, Andrew Wheeler. Wheeler was a coal lobbyist and has already put in place new federal rules that remove groundwater monitoring around any coal ash ponds that do not have off-site contamination. Groundwater causes the pollutants to continuously move. Even if there is no contamination at this point in time, the toxins will likely spread in the near future. 

A more detailed story including the voices of additional Belews Creek residents is also found online. 

Memories of the London Alumni Song

Remembering The Last Time I Heard And Sang The London High School Song

Written By David E. Hairston, Jr. 

It was 1968. I was in the third grade and Principal John L. Hairston called for all classes to report to the gym. It was close to the end of the school year and the last year of what we all knew as London High School. Yes, this was the end of segregated schools in Stokes County. Principal Hairston informed each age group the new school they would be attending the next year and answered any question. In closing, Principal Hairston asked all of the cheerleaders to come forward and lead us all in the school song one last time. We all stood and sang at the top of our lungs one last time the song of a school we dearly loved.

London School Song

O Dear London High School,
we love thy dear name, and to all the world,
we sing of thy fame,
How dear to our hearts are the days we spent here,
Oh Dear Alma Mater, we give thee a cheer.

High above the green valley our walls ever stand,
Ever true to our school, we will walk hand and hand,
O Dear London High,
Our Praises we sing, and to All the world,
let our honor now ring.

London High School Cheer

Everywhere we go, people want to know who we are, so we tell them:
We are the Mighty, Mighty Lions, The mighty, Mighty Lions!
King of the Jungle, The Mighty, Mighty Jungle!

Biography of John L. Hairston

Research from Henry Wiencek & Curated by Jennifer Martin
 

We will honor John L. Hairston during the Celebrating Courage Weekend August 11th & 12th. 

John L. was the seventh generation from the original Hairston settlers in the Walnut Cove/Pine Hall area. He went to great lengths to receive an education, even repeating the same grade a few times in the local school because it was the highest grade there and even as a young man Mr. Hairston had a passion for education.  

His education was interrupted for 12 years while he worked in the Brickyard to help take care of his family and John L. Hairston would go on to honorably serve his country in the United States Army in the 372nd Infantry Regiment of the United States Army for forty-four months.

During his service in World War II, Mr. Hairston married his childhood sweetheart, Ms. Ruth Anderson in 1942.  Mrs. Ruth Anderson herself was the Valedictorian of her high school class and they both would go on to earn college degrees:  Mr. Hairston from North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina [NCAT] and Mrs. Ruth Hairston from Winston-Salem State University.

Mr. Hairston earned an engineering degree from NCAT with a minor in Math Education in 1951.   Although he was offered a job in New Jersey as an engineer where he would make much more money than he could in the segregated South the death of his grandmother kept Mr. Hairston in Pine Hall helping his family. 

This well-educated man ended up bagging groceries at the A & P in Greensboro. An offer came to him to teach math at the all-black London School in Walnut Cove. John L. took the job and taught for a while before being offered the engineering position in N.J. once more.

It would have paid twice as much money as he was making as a teacher but John L. Hairston remained dedicated to the development of educational opportunities for the children of African – American families including his three children; Ted, Tony, and Mona Lisa. Before long, John L. was principal of London School. Their three children would all go on to be college graduates and serve their communities in the spirit of their father. 

Although the nation had already passed desegregation laws, Stokes County schools were still segregated while Mr. Hairston was the principal of London High School. History was made when students from London School marched in protest down Main Street of Walnut Cove in 1968 when there was a push to close the London School. The march ended up fully integrating Walnut Cove and London High School became an elementary school; it became a grammar school, serving fifth through eighth graders of all races. Stokes County Schools became integrated.

John L. Hairston remained principal and served the State of North Carolina over the course of a forty-five-year career in education. While leading the way in education Mr. Hairston remained an active member of Pine Hall Baptist Church where he served as the head of the Deacon Board for thirty-five years, Building Fund Treasurer, Sunday School teacher, and the Sunday School Superintendent. As with their marriage and careers in education, his wife was by his side as the church pianist for four decades. John L. Hairston’s belief in service extended to his community where he was on the Board of Directors of the Yadkin Valley Economic Development District.  Among Mr. Hairston’s many charitable efforts was his fifteen years of service with the Stokes-Rockingham V.F.D. that he helped organize. Mr. Hairston was a member of the first County Planning Board and served on the Board of Directors of the East Stokes Outreach Ministry. Mr. Hairston received many awards, citations, and honors over his life; he remained most proud of The National Alumni Association of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University for outstanding contributions to the desegregation of Stokes County Schools.