Mining talk at library

Jefferson Township — The Jefferson Township Public Library will present "A Hard Rock Life: Experiences of a Mining Geologist" on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The speaker is Jefferson Township resident Ron Mishkin, a geologist with extensive experience working underground in zinc, copper and iron mines. He also assisted with the writing of, and is featured in, the book "Trapped" by Marc Aronson, about the mining accident in Chile that trapped 33 miners for 68 days. Mishkin will describe his experiences as a miner and geologist, from the hot depths of the Magma Copper Mine in Arizona to the black chambers of New Jersey's Scrub Oaks Mine, Richard Ore Mine and world-famous Franklin Mine. He will describe the dangers that miners face underground, the measures taken to protect miners from harm and how sometimes these measures fail. He will also discuss the damp, dark, dirty, dangerous and claustrophobic conditions that are confronted daily, thousands of feet beneath the surface of the earth. His talk will include the history of North Jersey mines, such as the Hurd Mine in Jefferson, along with their importance to the Revolutionary War. And, he will speak about the famous Sterling Hill Zinc Mine, where he worked and is now a tour guide for the mine's museum. The Jefferson Township Public Library is located at 1031 Weldon Road in the Oak Ridge section of Jefferson. The library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p;.m. Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.