[Videolib] how Steve Fesenmaier combines film exhibition with fighting for labor history, etc.

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I thought that readers of this listserv might enjoy seeing how I combine =
my work in several areas including film exhibition - Steve Fesenmaier

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steve Fesenmaier
West Virginia Labor History Association
907 Churchill Circle, Charleston, WV 25314
304-345-5850, mystery12@suddenlink.net
work - 8:45 am- 5 PM 558-3978 ext. 2015

West Virginia Labor History Association Votes Unanimously
to Support Preservation of Blair Mountain at Press Conference

[Charleston, WV April 24, 2007] The West Virginia Labor History =
Association=20
voted unanimously on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at its monthly board =
meeting=20
to support the preservation of the Blair Mountain battle site. There =
will be=20
a press conference in support of the nomination at noon on May 1 in the=20
lower rotunda of the State Capitol. Members of WVLHA will attent the =
press conference in support of preserving Blair Mountain, the site of =
one of America's greatest labor events. Between August 25 and September =
4, 1921 more than 10,000 armed coal miners marched to Blair Mountain to =
fight for their union and their lives.=20
Last year the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Blair =
Mountain as=20
one of the most endangered historic sites in America. =
http://www.nationaltrust.org/11most/blair.html

The Blair Mountain site has been nominated for inclusion on the National =

Register several times since 1980. Due to boundary changes and the Park=20
Service's request for archaeological information, etc., none of these=20
nominations were completed. In May 2004 the WV Archives and History=20
Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the site be included on =
the=20
National Register. The application was sent to National Park Service in =
July=20
2005 and was returned to the State Historic Preservation Office in =
September=20
2005 with a request for additional information. The sponsors have since=20
completed improved mapping and extensive archaeological exploration that =

contributes to our understanding of the battle. The WV State Historic=20
Preservation Office will be completing their review of the nomination =
later=20
this month and will be forwarding the nomination to the National Park =
Service=20
for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

Regina Hendrix will deliver the announcement. Others to speak in support =
of=20
saving Blair Mountain include - Dr. Harvard Ayers, Appalachian State=20
University who will speak about the archaeology work which has been done =

recently; Dr. Barbara Rasmussen, historian from WV University; William =
C.=20
Blizzard, son of Bill Blizzard, the "general" of the miners' army at =
Blair=20
Mountain and recent inductee into the WV Labor Hall of Honor; Wess =
Harris,=20
board member of WVLHA and publisher of William C. Blizzard's book, "When =

Miners March;" and Kenny King, the man who has done more than anyone to =
show=20
the historic value of Blair Mountain and a lifelong resident of Logan =
County.

Websites -

Wikipedia article on Battle of Blair Mountain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain

Sierra Club info on saving Blair Mountain

http://www.sierraclub.org/appalachia/blair.asp

West Virginia Historic Preservation Office -

http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/shpoindex.aspx

People to contact

Randall Reid-Smith
Commissioner of Culture & History,
and State Historic Preservation Officer
randall.reid-smith@wvculture.org
304-558-0220

Erin Riebe Ext 725 erin.riebe@wvculture.org
National Register Coordinator
Responsible for National Register Program
Architectural Survey Coordinator
Responsible for Architectural Survey program

558-0240

Susan Pierce ext 158 susan.pierce@wvculture.org
Director
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer

About The West Virginia Labor History Association- Other News

* Mother Jones was the second person inducted into the WV Labor History =
Hall
of Honor in 1980-after Walter Reuther. WVLHA is presently petitioning =
the US
Stamp Office to create stamps in honor of Mother Jones and Eugene Debs =
(who
is portrayed by Rick Wilson.) =20

* On May 12th, 2007 at 7 PM in conjunction with The South Charleston =
Museum,
WVLHA will present two new films on WV labor history. The first film, =
"The
Battle of Local 5668" directed by Shawn Bennett will have its =
Appalachian
premiere of a new film about the famous 1990 Ravenswood Aluminum =
Lockout.
(WVLHA inducted the entire local into its WV Labor Hall of Honor in =
1993.)
Mr. Bennett is a native of Parkersburg, WV who has been working in film =
for
years. He will be taping the world premiere event at The La Belle =
Theater
for use on the DVD release of the film. "AsturianUS" is a new film by
Spanish filmmaker Luis Argeo. This will be the American premiere of the =
film
that had its world premiere at The Gijon International Film Festival in
November 2006 to a sold-out audience. In 2005 Mr. Argeo traveled to West
Virginia to make a film about the Asturian communities in Harrison =
County at
Spelter and Anmore. WVPBS' Outlook program recently aired a story on the
making of this film. It can be seen at -
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=3DLuis+Argeo.%20%20%20%20.

The film will be presented at The Historic La Belle Theater in South =
Charleston, WV. 311 D Street, across from the public library.

* WVLHA will be a co-sponsor of the "Preservation Works for West =
Virginia"
conference to be held in Wheeling on May 17th-19th. Wess Harris, a board
member, will be one of the speakers. Website =
-http://www.pawv.org/conf07/conf07.htm

* WVLHA will be publishing a new book on ethnic West Virginia called =
"Ethnic
Sampler." Cathy Pleska, a WVLHA board member, is editing the chapter on
Greek West Virginians. WVLHA will be publishing the chapters on the =
Greek
community in WV and showing the film version of Christopher Janus's
autobiographical, "Goodbye, Miss Fourth of July" about growing up Greek =
in
Montgomery, WV.

* WVLHA will also be distributing its WV Labor History map to 8th grade
students throughout the state using funds given to the organization by =
Gov.Wise.

* Dr. Fred Barkey, president emeritus of WVLHA, was chosen to be a WV =
History
Hero by the WV State Archives in 2007. Steve Fesenmaier was chosen to be =
a
WV History Hero in 2006. Website - =
http://www.wvculture.org/history/histhero.html

* Wess Harris, a WVLHA board member, recently planted a Service Berry =
tree at=20
the grave site of Cisco Estep who was murdered by the Bull Moose Special =
in=20
1913 during the WV Mine Wars. He died at Holly Grove on Paint Creek. =
Harris=20
has taken college students from Xavier and St. Louis Universities as =
well as=20
visiting Irish musicians whose music can be heard on the audio book of =
"When=20
Miners March" by William C. Blizzard.

For more info on WVLHA, contact president Gordon Simmons-304-344-2466.

West Virginia Labor History Association
P. O. Box 5156
Charleston, WV 25361

- 30 =
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