We have held this press conference, in part, as our commemoration for Miner's Day, 2007.

In this year of the centennial of the 1907 tragedy, which occurred on December sixth of that year.

Could we observe a moment of silence, in respect to that.

We all are familiar with the role of mining in West Virginia's past, and present; over the course of more than one hundred and forty four years of it’s existence.

During those many years, thousands of miners have been extracting the rich resources of our state, and with no doubt, there will be many thousands of miners in it’s future.

Mining will always be one of the fundamental activities in which humans engage.

We think of ourselves as miners, too, in this endeavor which has just been presented to you.

Miner’s not unlike those of the past and present, in many respects.

We hope to be miners who extract the greatest resources of all.

Using the talents and ingenuity of another great resource, the human mind.

We will be miner’s of hopes, and of dreams, and of visions.

We plan on being part of a new "Golden Age of Mining", in this new century, here, in Marion County, West Virginia.