Program Fall 2003:
Shiela Pardee and Bill Mallonee

October 11/12: Hike and canoe trip to Upper Meramec River with Ozark Society.

The plan is to hike on Saturday (11^th), camp at Meramec State Park overnight, and float Sunday 12^th.  We’ll shuttle upstream at 10:00 a.m. and float 9.5 miles back to the park.  Contact Pat Hill for information at 243-2287.

Thursday October 16: Houseconcert

Wisconsin environmental singer-songwriter Christine Petterson will visit Cape on a cross-country bicycling tour to promote her latest CD. She will perform in concert at the home of local Sierrans and Southeast Missouri Peace and Justice Coalition stalwarts Bob Polack and Joy Bell at 326 N. Middle in Cape starting at 8:00 p.m.  This will be preceded by a pot-luck social at 7:00 at the same address and the customary war protest at West End and Broadway at 6: 00 p.m.  If you would like to meet members of the Peace and Justice Coalition, an environmental justice advocacy group as well as anti-war group, this would be a great opportunity.  For more information contact Bob or Joy at 339-9580

November 13: Slide Program on Australia 7:00 p.m.

Missouri Department of Conservation Regional H.Q.  Bob Zeller will deliver an illustrated talk about his extended trips to Australia.

December:  Early in the Month:

Seasonal Solstice Social.  Watch the Web Site for an announcement of this irregular annual event.  We will also try to get another newsletter out in time for this with election materials.

 

Program Updates:
If you have internet access, you might like to check out our web site (address on masthead). If any program changes, additions, or updates occur, they are usually posted there first, so you can keep apprised of any late-breaking changes.
 
ToT Money-Saving:

If you would like to receive instant reminders of events and updates, or save us postage by receiving an electronic notification that the newsletter has been posted to the web site, please send your email address to Alan Journet (address below).

 

Letter from the Chair:

Bob Zeller

Dear Fellow Sierrans:

   After the meetings of the Ozark Chapter Conservation and Executive Committees here a few weeks ago, we received a number of compliments about the quality of the arrangements and the turnout of members at the potluck dinner on Saturday evening.  Thanks again to all who helped make the meeting a success.

   Speaking of participation, I have noticed that the same few people have been showing up at our group outings.  I would like to invite those of you who have not participated, or who have not participated in a while, to take the time to join us at one of our upcoming activities.  If you have a favorite trail or stream you might like to share with others in the group, or an activity you would like to propose, contact our outings co-chairs Bill Mallonee and Shiela Pardee (addresses at the end of the newsletter).

   Also, please attend our meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Missouri Conservation Department, North County Park, where I will be showing slides from my trips to Australia.

   Finally, I ask that you consider nominating someone—perhaps

yourself—for one of the vacant positions on the Board.

Robert Zeller

 

The meeting	Dining at the social

 

Treasurer’s Report:

Brian Alworth

   The Trail of Tears Group continues to be solvent.  Actually our current checking account balance is a healthy $1300 or so, although we have just ordered about $500 worth of calendars.

 Sierra Club calendars continue to be our biggest fund-raising effort of the year.  We’ve ordered about 60 this year, consisting of the classic wall calendars and the “popular among the jet set” engagement calendars.   They really do make handy gifts, especially as they come in ready-to-mail boxes.  If you buy more than one you get a discount!  Contact Brian at 334-7978, and leave a message if he’s not home.  

 
Conservation Report:

Alan Journet

   As readers of the chapter newsletter, The Ozark Sierran, will know, I have been actively involved in opposing the St. Johns Basin – New Madrid Floodway Project.  As you will read in Part II of that series, it is not currently clear where we stand.  The agreement reached between the Corp and our state Department of Natural Resources pre-empted and rendered moot the hearing by the Clean Water Commission of the appeal by the Corps against DNR refusal to certify. The Environmental Defense and the Missouri Coalition for the environment filed an appeal against certification. We are still awaiting word on the disposition of this appeal.

   On a political note I would like to urge you as strongly as possible to become involved in whatever way you deem appropriate in the movement to unseat George Bush and replace him with someone more sensitive to environmental issues.    The non-partisan League of Conservation Voters (http://lcv.org) has dedicated itself to giving “Bush the Boot.”  There is no doubt that there are many Republicans at the local level who are not as anti-environmental as this President has been (and no doubt will continue to be).  However none of these will be on the Republican ticket next November.  Considering reality, it is hard to imagine that the Democrats can nominate anyone (at least not among the current candidates) as consistently committed to exerting the raw power of the presidency to promote environmental destruction in the single-minded service of polluting industries and corporate America as is George W. Bush.

 
Trail of Tears Executive Committee Elections:
Our Executive Committee is currently composed of four elected members: Bob Zeller, Tom Draper, Brian Alworth, and Frank Dietiker together with several appointed member serving as committee chairs.  The four elected members serve for staggered two year terms being elected during November for their two-year terms.  This year, Bob Zeller and Brian Alworth will be cycling off the Executive Committee.  Bob has agreed to run as a candidate for re-election, but Brian has decided that his many years of Executive Committee service should come to an end.  We thank him for his years of dedication to the local, state, national, and international Sierran cause of protecting the environment.  Although he has generously offered to provide considerable help to whoever replaces him as Treasurer, this means that we are seeking new candidates to run for the Executive Committee.  If you or anyone you know would like to be a candidate, please volunteer to run by contacting any one of the Executive committee members listed at the end of this letter.  We will include a ballot with brief sketches of the candidates in the next newsletter.   

 

Well-Wishes:

Members who have been with us for a while will know or recognize the name of Gloria Kiehne. Gloria has been and continues to be an active Trail of Tears member since our inception following Earth Day 1990 and has served in many capacities on our Executive Committee.  With regret I report that Gloria was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment.  Naturally, our thoughts are with Gloria at this time, as we wish her all the very best in this battle. We look forward to seeing her back in our midst fighting the good fight for environmental issues in the not-too-distant future. I recall from my contest with cancer several years ago how valuable the support of friends is. I am sure, therefore, that Gloria would be happy to hear from members: she can be reached at 609 W Adams, Jackson 63755 or (573) 243-5084.

Alan Journet.

TRAIL OF TEAR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

 

                                          

COMMITTEE CHAIRS: