HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Hamilton, Poling,
Stalnaker, Boggs, Hartman, Proudfoot, Stevens, Talbott, Tansill,
Williams, Amores, Anderson, Argento, Armstead, Ashley, Azinger,
Barker, Beach, Beane, Blair, Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher,
Campbell, Cann, Canterbury, Caputo, Carmicheal, Craig, Crosier,
DeLong, Doyle, Duke, Eldridge, Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Fragale,
Frederick, Frich, Hall, Hatfield, Houston, Howard, Hrutkay, Hunt,
Iaquinta, Kominar, Lane, Leach, Leggett, Long, Longstreth,
Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Marshall, Martin, Michael, Miley, Moore,
Morgan, Overington, Palumbo, Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethtel,
Pino, Porter, Roberts, Romine, Rowan, Schadler, Schoen, Sobonya,
Spencer, Staton, Stemple, Stephens, Sumner, Susman, Swartzmiller,
Tabb, Rick Thompson, Ron Thompson, Trump, Tucker, Varner, Wakim,
Walters, Webster, Wells, G. White, H. White, Wysong and Yost)
Requesting the Division of Highways to name that portion of Sago
Road in Upshur County, beginning at the intersection of Sago
Road and State Route 20 and ending at the mine cleaning plant
at Sago, the "Coal Miner's Memorial Roadway" in honor of the
twelve miners who died as a result of the explosion in the
Sago mine on January 2, 2006.
Whereas, The twelve miners who did not survive the disaster at
Sago Mine and the thirteenth miner who was seriously injured were
fathers, sons and husbands - some of them had been in the coal
mining business all their adult lives and were close to retirement
and some of them were in their twenties - all of them were engaged
in work that is inherently dangerous but which offers a chance for
a better future; and
Whereas, The messages left for their families and friends by the men who lost their lives in the Sago mine disaster remind us of
the strength that faith in God gives us and the courage it takes to
engage in inherently dangerous work for benefit of the country; and
Whereas, Every household and business in this country relies to
some degree on coal generated electric power which is essential to
the economic viability of this country; and
Whereas, West Virginians are familiar with loss of life from
mining disasters, but the death of these miners is especially
difficult since mine safety had been significantly improved in
recent years and the early reports of rescue efforts indicated that
they had survived as a result of a miracle; and
Whereas, Thomas "Tom" Paul Anderson, Alva Martin "Marty"
Bennett, Jim Bennett, Jerry Lee Groves, George Junior Hamner, Terry
Michael Helms, Jesse Jones, David Lewis, Martin Toler Jr., Fred G.
"Bear" Ware Jr., Jackie Lynn Weaver and Marshall Winnans died
while engaged in an honorable and difficult occupation, died in
dignity and with grace, and died as the result of a terrible mine
explosion before their time; and
Whereas, We should remember and honor these men not only for
their fellow miner Randal McCloy Jr., who survived the explosion,
not only for the wives, sons and daughters, parents and family
members who survive now without them, not only for their friends
and neighbors but for all West Virginians; and
Whereas, We should remember and honor these men by making sure that the disaster that took their lives does not occur again in any
coal mine in this state and by naming a roadway in their honor as
a marker for this state and the country to begin the process of
making coal mining a less dangerous occupation; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name that
portion of Sago Road in Upshur County, beginning at the
intersection of Sago Road and State Route 20 and ending at the mine
cleaning plant at Sago, the "Coal Miner's Memorial Roadway" and
post signs thereon with words, printed in bold and prominent
fashion, designating the road as the "Coal Miner's Memorial
Roadway" and listing the names of the twelve men who died in the
Sago mine disaster on January 2, 2006; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is
hereby requested to provide a certified copy of this resolution to
the families of the victims of the Sago mine disaster and to the
Commissioner of Highways.