Green Festival Overcomes Weather Woes

     Vendors and participants dodged spotty rain showers and started the day off with warm jackets, later discarded as the sun peeked through.  The weather kept us on our toes, but in spite of it all, the Green Festival attracted a good crowd of folks committed to and interested in local sustainability issues.  Locally raised beef and pork provided the essential ingredients for delicious lunches by the County Cattlemen and Get Ur Smoke On; good local beer and hot coffee washed it down; and great baked goods from a number of organizations furnished homemade desserts for all. Again this year, local crafts, preserves, art pieces, wines, fudge, plants, blueberry bushes, beef, candles, soaps, cleaning products, and hand crafted jewelry were offered along with face painting, art projects, seed growing instruction, and more to make the day full of learning and fun.   A new and exciting feature was the ASPI solar trailer all the way from Lancaster, KY. 
     We can hardly wait for the Third Annual           Green Festival on April 30, 2016!
 

 Feeding America –
Volunteer Opportunity 

     The monthly Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry/Community Action Commodity food distribution will take place on May 14th from 11:30-1:30 at the WC Recycling Center, 190 Industry Drive, Springfield. New Pioneers has volunteered to staff this month's distribution.  If you can spare a few hours between 10 am and 1:30, we'd love to have you join us to help provide food to seniors and other community members in need of assistance. Call New Pioneers at           859-336-5070 or email newpioneerssf@aol.com if you can be there.
 

New Pioneers Tenth Anniversary Celebration

      We have been looking forward to our 
Tenth celebration since March, when a major snow storm forced us to reschedule.  Dust off those tickets you bought for this event and get ready for a great evening of locally sourced, delicious food, a silent auction of sustainable items, and time for connecting with old and new friends! 
      The first New Pioneers awards will be presented to Arthur and Martha Young by Kentucky author Fenton Johnson, and to Mary Berry, director of the Berry Center in Newcastle, by her Kentucky poet father Wendell Berry.
      We, at New Pioneers, are deeply grateful for your support over these ten years!  Hope to see you at Spalding Hall, St. Catharine College, on Thursday, May 21 at 5:30pm! 
 

Energy Issues Continue to Challenge   our Region

     More than 100 citizens from several counties gathered in Danville last evening to hear attorney Tom Fitzgerald address issues related to the proposed  "re-purposing" of the Tennessee gas pipeline from carrying natural gas to carrying hazardous natural gas liquids.  This 70-year-old pipeline runs through Marion, Boyle, Madison, and a dozen more Kentucky counties, often dangerously close to schools, businesses, and primary water supplies. 
     The primary points of leverage against such dangerous projects seem to be two: 1) sending large volumes of public comments to influence the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require an Environmental Assessment before approving the project, and 2) working with your county Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt regulations to limit the siting of NGL pipelines in the county. 
     The point repeatedly made by speakers last night is that we will not be protected from the dangers of new energy techniques by the federal government, lawyers, or others.  Only active citizen involvement at the local and state levels will enable us to preserve a healthy and safe environment for those who come after us. For more information about the status of the proposed pipeline click here and here! If you would like to file a ecomment on FERC's website, click here.  Be sure to refer to project docket number CP15-88-00 in your comment! These comments must be in the FERC office before May 18th!
 
     On another front, Fitz excellently defended our case against pipeline companies using eminent domain before the Kentucky Court of Appeals last week.  Chief Justice Janet Stumbo said the court will respond within 60 days to Bluegrass Pipeline LLC's appeal of the decision by Franklin Court Judge Philip Shepherd last year prohibiting the use of eminent domain in such cases.
 
     And -  after much citizen opposition, the    Kentucky Public Service Commission recently ruled against LG&E/Kentucky Utilities' proposal to raise base electric rates by 67%!  This clear victory impedes efforts by many utility companies across the nation to reduce financial incentives for customer transitions to solar or wind energy, which in the end is the only viable alternative to spending the rest of our lives fighting pipelines and fracking our own back yards!