Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Update on Turner Airport Runway Site

By Geophile

A meeting was held last evening to decide what was to be done in the case of the site threatened by an airport runway in the town of Montague, Mass, originally mentioned in this blog here. A good outcome so far: an article in the Reporter today states "Construction on a new runway at the Turners Falls Municipal Airport will be put off until next spring to resolve whether a hill topped by stones in the path of the proposed runway is a sacred American Indian site that must be protected." Well done, all who spoke up for the site!

Click here for the full article.

4 comments :

pwax said...

It doesn't look as if Doug Harris is giving the airport much of an alternative. I am afraid that the people in Washington will do the predictable thing.

Even as a rock pile partisan, I can see the risk implied by setting precedent of Ceremonial sites trumping development. Cuz there are one heck of a lot of ceremonial sites.

Geophile said...

pwax--you know that and I know that but do they know that? Right now many people probably think there are just a few.

It's time we started honoring the sacred sites in our midst. In other countries like England and France they always have to take these things into account when they plan to build. Maybe we could become that kind of gracious thoughtful nation, too.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one . . .
;^)

pwax said...

That is why we are here Geophile.

Geophile said...

Today I had a look around the web and it seems the airport expansion was at least somewhat controversial in the area before all of this came up. Not everyone there wants the runway extended. The ceremonial site may be only part of the story.