Below:

• Oct. 20, 21 in Huntington: Free Writing Workshops, Mountaintop Removal Focus
• No Excuses: Vote! Early Voting Begins Today.
• News from the Slurry and Well Water Legislative Hearing, and the Writers' Tour
• Nov. 10 and 11: Treehuggers, Mountain Huggers, and Art and Music Lovers Unite!
• Blackwater Canyon Needs Your Help

 Oct. 20, 21 in Huntington: Free Writing Workshop, Mountaintop Removal Focus
If you want to learn--for free--about the craft of writing and interact with professional writers, while learning about mountaintop removal, you'll have a chance this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and 21.

According to a Huntington Herald Dispatch article, "Some of Appalachia's finest writers gather to speak about the environmental and social damage being done by the devastating coal mining practice of Mountaintop Removal." The keynote speaker (time, location below) is novelist Denise Giardina.

The Writers' Symposium on Mountain Culture, Mountaintop Removal, and the Environment is part of the Birke Art Symposium, organized by the  College of Fine Arts at Marshall University in Huntington, W.V.

Tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 19, if you are on the Marshall campus, stop by OVEC's table in the Rotunda of the Memorial Student Center. The West Virginia Coal Association and the WV Department of Environmental Protection will also have tables. 

Friday, Oct. 20 -- Roundtable, Writing for the Environment at 4 p.m. at Smith Hall 154, featuring writers from "Missing Mountains" (Wind Press)

Friday, Oct. 20 -- Readings at 7:30 p.m. at Smith Hall 154, featuring writers from "Missing Mountains" (Wind Press)

Friday, Oct. 20 -- Reception with the "37 Flood" at 9 p.m. at Java Joint, Corner of Hal Greer Blvd., 3rd Avenue

Saturday, Oct. 21 -- Writing Workshops at 9: a.m. to 10:20 a.m. in Smith Hall, featuring Chris Holbrook (Smith Hall 113), Charlie Hughes (Smith Hall 227) and Kristin Johannsen (Smith Hall 263)

Saturday, Oct. 21 -- "Coal: An Anthology of Poetry" from 10:30 a.m. to Noon in Smith Hall 154, Blair Mountain Press Reading.

Saturday, Oct. 21 -- Workshops at 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. Smith Hall, featuring Erik Reece (Smith Hall 113), Anne Shelby (Smith Hall 227), and Mary Ann Taylor-Hall (Smith Hall 263)

Saturday, Oct. 21 -- Keynote Address, Denise Giardina at 3 to 4 p.m. at the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse, Marshall University. 

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 No Excuses: Vote! Early Voting Begins Today.
Early voting begins today. Vote Vote. Vote. Go to the County Clerk's Office and ask to vote early in-person. You will then vote as you would on election day, in a voting booth, just as at the precinct.

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 News from the Slurry and Well Water Legislative Hearing, and the Writers' Tour
Soon, we'll post photos of our two big events this week to OVEC's People in Action web pages. In the meantime, here's some links to news coverage of both the writers' tour of mountaintop removal and the legislative hearing about the underground injection of coal slurry and poisoned well water. Stayed tuned for further advancements in the work to make West Virginia a better place to live that will arise from these two events. 

West Virginia MetroNews: Writing For The Mountains
Beckley Register Herald: Residents want study on coal slurry runoff
Associated Press: Coal waste poisoning water, coalfield residents say 

After she spoke to the legislative subcommittee, Mingo County resident Donetta Blankenship, right, was interviewed by a reporter from the State Journal.  The black water in the jar is straight out of a Mingo County tap.

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 Nov. 10 and 11: TreeHuggers, Mountain Huggers and Art and Music Lovers Unite!
Please spend these two evenings with us!
9 p.m., Friday Nov. 10--It's our 17th annual Treehuggers' Ball! With a new, larger location--Holderby's Landing, 1360 Harris Park Drive, on the Ohio River! at 11th St., Huntington, WV. Have fun and help save the mountains! Please spread the word about this event and help round up items for our silent auction. E-mail vivian@ohvec.org if you would like to help make this event our biggest Treehuggers' Ball yet.  More details soon, including the band line up.

7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11--Opening reception for The Appalachian Landscape: Bob Ross Don't Live Here No More at 949 3rd Avenue in Huntington, across from Pullman Square. This art show to benefit OVEC will run for a week, with evening hours. The reception / party includes bands, food and wine. Admission is free, though donations to offset costs are gladly accepted. At least 30% of the proceeds from art sales go to OVEC.

The Artists' Prospectus and more information is on our MySpace page for this show. Nov. 9 is the deadline to deliver  artwork for potential inclusion in the show. Contact Chris Worth at worth2@marshall.edu for more info.

Here's your personal invitation: Print this PDF document.

The show is already generating a buzz. Here's the Herald Dispatch story and here's a story that ran on Huntington News Network.

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 Blackwater Canyon Needs Your Help
Please visit www.saveblackwater.org to take action to help protect this "Crown Jewel" of West Virginia.

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