*MON SEP 08** 4750 N Sheridan, Chicago to East Side UMC, East Chicago, IL* After Circle-up I got on my bike and rode down the lakeshore trail. The March route said 16 miles. Riding from 4750 I probably added another 5 miles to the route! The March was resuming in Buckingham Fountain so the Marchers took public transportation to Buckingham. The map shows E. Chicago as being in Indiana. I’m not sure we crossed the state line to get to E. Side UMC. I got there early and they were expecting to host us after 3pm. So I ate my lunch and went to the local library. At 5pm we marched to a site in the downtown area for a Rally. The press and the TV knew we would be there. There were 4 or 5 local residents that had documented the enormous negative effects that the Petcoke industry is on community health. (A community health nurse and a mother who lives here spoke at the Chicago Rally on Sat.) After 45 minutes of presentations we marched to the yard where the coal is being burned. Just after we arrived an engine for railroad cars came down the tracks. There were some Marchers laying across the tracks at the RR crossing. When the engine arrived they got up and stood in the way. The engine blasted its horn and edged forward. Those standing in the way did not move. The engine continued to blast its horn. After 5 minutes of blockage the police arrived and cleared the tracks. No one was arrested! I do not take part in protests, but obviously some in our group do. Later we had a potluck hosted by members of the church and local activists. At the close of dinner the local activists continued making presentations. They have an ‘army’ of well informed demonstrators. It really is a polluted area so it must be changed. -- Peace, David