Doug Stern
PROGRESS REPORT
Job:
Faith-group legislative initiative
For period ending:
July 31, 2006
Submitted to:
Ms. Kaye Gallagher
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 3092
Louisville, Kentucky 40201-3092
Tasks:
1.
Composed and distributed a July 13% e-mail 2600 Landor Avenue
networking “update” to the people with louisville, Kentucky
whom I’ve met or established some other 40205
kind of connection. 5024459-2966 (bh)
502-599-6624
Corresponded July 13%, 14 and 18" with Ceres ile
Kathy Krug via e-mail. We advanced the
agenda and related issues around the
November 16** meeting of the Southern Kentucky Mission
to which we’ve been invited.
Wrote JoAnn Schwartz on July 13*¢ asking about her
friend Nancy Sullivan. According to JoAnn, Nancy had
offered to approach Katie Stine, a fellow
Episcopalian, regarding the senator’s position on the
death penalty. I also prompted her the same day
regarding her pastor, Fr. Stef Bankemper, St.
Catherine of Siena, Ft. Thomas, and his willingness to
approach Rep. Joe Fischer.
Solicited Lee Thomas for a donation to KCADP on July
16".
PROGRESS REPORT
KCADP, Faith-group legislative initiative
For period ending July 31, 2006
Page 2
10.
11.
12.
Followed up July 17* with Fr. Jay at Jesus Our Savior,
Morehead, regarding the Newman Center contact at MSU
and plans for a possible “prayer rally” in
coordination with the upcoming Amnesty International
Faith in Action weekend.
Wrote Ron Taylor in Morehead, July 17, enlisting his
help. This is what Fr. Jay suggested doing. Ron is
convener of the parish’s social concerns committee at
Jesus Our Savior, Morehead.
Wrote Pam Ryan, Morehead, on July 17**, enlisting her
help. This is what Fr. Jay suggested doing.
Wrote and called Jean and John Rosenberg on July 17%
in preparation for my upcoming travel to Floyd and
Pike counties. We’ve since spoken.
Called and left a message July 17* with Trudy Walters,
Pikeville. I have not gotten a reply.
Corresponded July 19* with Rev. Johnnie Ross, Floyd
Co., Canon to the Bishop of the Lexington Episcopal
Diocese. This was a name provided by Ruslyn Case-
Compton, and I wrote him in anticipation of being in
Floyd County.
Spoke July 20% with Rev. Mickey Anders, pastor at
First Christian Church, Pikeville, in preparation for
my travel to Pike County. E-mailed a follow-up note.
This is a person to whom I was referred by Andy
Dinsmore.
Spoke July 20% with Rev. Steve Hecky, pastor of St.
John's United Church of Christ, Newport, in
preparation for travel July 24° to Northern Kentucky.
Wrote a follow-up e-mail note to him the same day.
This is a name I got from Nancy Jo Kemper, as I
believe he’s on the board of the Council of Churches.
PROGRESS REPORT
KCADP, Faith-group legislative initiative
For period ending July 31, 2006
Page 3
13.
14.
15.
Traveled to Pikeville and Floyd County, July 21°t. Met
in Pikeville with Andy Dinsmore, Larry Webster and
John Baker. (I wrote Andy Dinsmore on July 20* in
preparation for our meeting. His name was given to me
by Ruslyn Case-Compton.) Stopped in David, Ky., to
meet Sister Kathleen at the Benedictine Mission store
located there. (I just missed her but spoke instead
with a woman who works with her at the shop.) She’s
someone to whom I was referred by Andy Dinsmore. The
community of Benedictine Sisters, Martin, Ky., is a
member of the Mission of Religious Communities Against
the Death Penalty.
Got a report July 21° from JoAnn Schwartz regarding a
meeting with Rep. Joe Fischer engineered by Fr. Stef
Bankemper, the priest at St. Catherine of Siena, Ft.
Thomas. Followed up with her via e-mail July 22",
including recommendations for a possible agenda.
Met with Nancy Rowles and Bob Schulenberg in Northern
Kentucky on July 24*,
Evaluation of tasks:
1.
The grassroots network is getting bigger and stronger
every day. The work that JoAnn Schwartz and Nancy
Rowles are doing with Rep. Joe Fischer is an example
showing that, once organized, people in the group are
clearly capable of making progress.
The network is spinning off a variety of activities;
e.g.
° Aug. 13, peace and justice picnic, Lexington
Catholic Diocese, Berea
° Aug. 24, social concerns committee, Jesus Our
Savior, Morehead
e Sept. 6, Ministerial Association, Morehead
PROGRESS REPORT
KCADP, Faith-group legislative initiative
For period ending July 31, 2006
Page 4
e Sept. 13, Floyd Co. Ministerial Association,
Prestonsburg
° Oct. 21, “prayer rally,” Morehead
e Nov. 16, Southern Kentucky Mission, Greensburg
These require close oversight and coordinated planning in
order to take full advantage of these opportunities and to
use them to leverage others.
Plans for next reporting period
1.
Keep in touch with the grassroots network, probably
with a couple of messages via e-mail. I’ll send the
first shortly after traveling to Northern Kentucky on
July 24%,
Meet Fr. John Rausch at the August 13** Lexington
Diocese peace and justice picnic in Berea.
Follow up again with JoAnn Schwartz regarding Nancy
Sullivan, a friend from Ft. Thomas who knows Katie
Stine and knows that Stine is an Episcopalian. Nancy
offered to approach Stine..or, to have her son approach
Stine’s son.
Keep in touch with JoAnn Schwartz and Fr. Stef
Bankemper regarding their meeting with Rep. Joe
Fischer.
Make a trip to Berea. Sr. Robbie recommended spending
time with Ben Poage (Richmond), Kent Gilbert (Union
Church in Berea) and Loyal Jones (former director of
the Appalachian Center at Berea College).
PROGRESS REPORT
KCADP, Faith-group legislative initiative
For period ending July 31, 2006
Page 5
6. Continue to work with Fr. Jay and others on a planned
“prayer rally” on October 21°t in Morehead. He has
identified two preparatory steps: Aug. 24, social
concerns committee, Jesus Our Savior, Morehead, and
Sept. 6, Ministerial Association, Morehead.
7: Work with Fr. Jay to meet with the head of the Newman
Center at Morehead State University. Leverage
whatever progress we make into connections with other
Newman Centers in key locations (e.g., NKU).
8. Stay in touch with the members of the network in Pike
and Floyd counties with an eye toward the September
13** meeting with the Floyd Co. Ministerial Association
and generating some activity around the Faith in
Action weekend and communications with Sen. Ray Jones.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0