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.