Interview with James E. Scott, September 18, 2006

Partial Transcript: I tried to find my pictures at home.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses McRoberts' cleanup efforts. Johnson introduces Scott and the interview.

Keywords: Cleanup; Garbage; McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Solid waste; Trash

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Uh, did you grow up in Letcher County?

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses being born in McRoberts, Kentucky in Letcher County and how he moved to the Dayton, Ohio area shortly after graduating high school. He briefly describes what brought him back to live in Letcher County after 44 years.

Keywords: Careers; Coal communities; Coal companies; Coal mining; Coal towns; Communities; McRoberts (Ky.); Mountains; Retirement; Small towns; Towns; Work

Subjects: Childhood; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Dayton (Ohio); Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well that's good, I'm just kind of curious about your relationship to the--

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the different coal companies that operated in Letcher County and how the companies were in charge of the communities they were in. He also discusses the community as a whole and how it has changed through the years.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal companies; Coal mining; Coal towns; Communities; McRoberts (Ky.); Small towns; Towns

Subjects: Coal mines and mining.; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: From what you can remember when you were growing up here, how was the, the trash situation and the water quality and all that?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the water quality and trash collection system that operated when the coal companies had more control in Letcher County. He describes how they got--and now get--their water and how the companies used to deal with solid waste.

Keywords: Cleanup; Coal companies; Coal mining; Communities; Garbage; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Neon (Ky.); Solid waste

Subjects: Coal mines and mining.; Letcher County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Sewerage.; Water quality.

Partial Transcript: Yeah, it was pretty n, it was pretty neat back then.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses his feelings about how life was when coal companies had more control of the communities. He also describes the community and where things were within McRoberts.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal companies; Coal mining; Coal towns; Communities; McRoberts (Ky.); Small towns; Stores; Towns

Subjects: Coal mines and mining.; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So this was the town center.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes efforts within McRoberts to build the community, including buying a building for a community center and efforts to incorporate the community. He also describes the efforts to build a youth center to help combat the drug issues in the area.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal companies; Coal mines; Coal mining; Coal towns; Communities; Drug addiction; Historical societies; History; McRoberts (Ky.); Small towns; Towns

Subjects: Community centers.; Drug abuse; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Uh, well when I came here in, uh--we moved here in February of 2002.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes McRoberts' first efforts to clean up the area with the help of Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE).

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal towns; Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Small towns; Solid waste; Stores; Towns

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Um, so, when you were growing up, you didn't have--you had good, clean water.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes a dump in the area that was used to collect the community's trash. He also describes how the community has changed since the coal companies left in regard to solid waste. He describes his confusion with people's littering and dumping when Letcher County has recycling efforts and county-wide garbage pickup.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal companies; Coal towns; Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Small towns; Solid waste; Stores; Towns

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: I, uh, I've been meaning to send PRIDE this article I got.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the people who illegally dump in the area and how surveillance might affect dumping and its enforcement.

Keywords: Cameras; Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Solid waste; Surveillance

Subjects: Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Law enforcement.; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Um, so 2002 you started your first PRIDE cleanup?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the cleanup efforts with PRIDE in McRoberts. He discusses the community involvement in the cleanups and the route they take to clean up the entire McRoberts community.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal towns; Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Small towns; Solid waste; Stores; Towns

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Oh, I can see, that's the proble--because you're trying to work in to somebody else's--

Segment Synopsis: Scott and Johnson have a personal conversation about local politics and PRIDE coordinators in the area.

Keywords: Cleanup; County officials; Dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter; Local politics; PRIDE coordinators; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Pollution; Solid waste; State politics

Subjects: Letcher County (Ky.); Politics and government; Politics, Practical

Partial Transcript: So have you used PRIDE money for anything else besides the cleanups?

Segment Synopsis: Scott and Johnson discuss the various grant programs that PRIDE has. Scott discusses how McRoberts hasn't applied for other kinds of grants because he was only aware of the litter-cleanup grants.

Keywords: Coal communities; Coal towns; Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Septic systems; Sewer systems; Small towns; Solid waste; Straight pipes; Towns

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Letcher County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Sewerage.; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: I was look--they gave me a little sheet here of, um, of what PRIDE has spent money for in Letcher County.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson and Scott describe the various efforts with PRIDE that have occurred in Letcher County.

Keywords: Communities; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Solid waste; Volunteers

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: But what I, what I would like--really like to do if, you know, they talk about cleanup...

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the issues surrounding old houses in McRoberts that are vacant. He describes the danger involved with not demolishing these old homes and he discusses his hope to gain funding in order to demolish these old houses.

Keywords: Buildings; Coal communities; Coal towns; Communities; Fire hazards; Funding; Grants; Houses; Insurance; McRoberts (Ky.); Old homes; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Small towns; Towns

Subjects: Dwellings; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Yeah, we were supposed to get--you may be involved in this too, um, you know, leases straightened out for all of these community centers.

Segment Synopsis: Scott and Johnson have a conversation about Letcher County politics and financial issues within the county. Scott also discusses his campaign for magistrate in Letcher County.

Keywords: Community centers; County attorneys; County officials; Finances; Local politics; Magistrates; Minimum wage; Political campaigns; State politics

Subjects: Community centers.; Letcher County (Ky.); Politics and government; Politics, Practical

Partial Transcript: Um, now, now PRIDE does have that program where people can get grants to get septic tanks.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the PRIDE's septic tank grants and how involved people in the area have been in that program, as well as financial constraints on wastewater systems in the area.

Keywords: Funding; Garbage; Grants; Illegal dumps; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Septic systems; Sewer systems; Solid waste; Straight pipes

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Letcher County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Septic tanks; Sewerage.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Can you think of anything else we should talk about, then, about...

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses his goal of having a PRIDE coordinator for the McRoberts community, and the issues with having a coordinator for a community that isn't incorporated.

Keywords: Funding; Grants; Jenkins (Ky.); McRoberts (Ky.); PRIDE coordinators; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Volunteers

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, yeah, h, have you--has anything ha--um, any kind of good stories happened on any of these cleanups?

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the McRoberts cleanups that have occurred and how the community uses the funds raised through cleanups.

Keywords: Cleanup; Communities; Community centers; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE)

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: I like the stage, too.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses efforts in McRoberts to get more involvement with the community center. Scott and Johnson also have a lengthy discussion about square dancing and how Scott would like to get a square dancing night started at the community center.

Keywords: Bluegrass music; Cleanup; Communities; Community involvement; Funding; Garbage; Grants; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Parks and recreation; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Square dances; Square dancing; Volunteers

Subjects: Community centers.; Letcher County (Ky.); Square dancing.

Partial Transcript: Well I, uh, sure do appreciate it.

Segment Synopsis: Scott and Johnson have a conversation regarding how McRoberts could more effectively use PRIDE funding in the future, and what part of the community needs to be helped the most.

Keywords: Cleanup; Communities; Dayton (Ohio); Funding; Garbage; Grants; Litter (Trash); McRoberts (Ky.); Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Tourism

Subjects: Community centers.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Letcher County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Waste disposal sites