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Flight 93 families ask Bush to OK land seizure

By BOB LENTZ, Associated Press Writer Bob Lentz, Associated Press Writer -Sun Dec 28, 12:20 am ET AP

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Relatives of those who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 want the Bush Administration to seize the land needed for a memorial where the plane crashed in Shanksville, Pa., in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Families of Flight 93 sent a letter earlier this month asking President George W. Bush to empower the Secretary of the Interior to take the land in dispute from a homeowner who had been in negotiations with the National Parks Service, said Patrick White, vice president of the families' organization.

The group says ground must be broken early next year in time for a memorial to be build for the 10th anniversary of the crash in 2011.

Svonavec Inc. owns one of the last large chunks of land needed for the 2,200-acre memorial, including the area where the plane crashed Sept. 11, 2001. Svonavec's treasurer Mike Svonavec has said the park service has not done enough to negotiate a deal.

White said Svonavec has not been willing to negotiate, and called that unacceptable.

"We've certainly sought to do this within in the process, following protocol as much as we possibly can," White said Saturday. "It has gotten to the point where we fear we'll lose significant momentum.

"We have an administration that has been very supportive of this effort. We just wanted to make sure the president is aware of what the circumstances are. ... We just didn't want to get lost in the shuffle."

In October, the National Park Service said it would use an independent appraiser to determine the value of 275 acres of land needed for the memorial. The NPS also said it could use eminent domain to acquire the plot if all else fails.

Construction of a $58 million permanent memorial and national park is scheduled to begin in 2009.

White, whose cousin Louis Nacke II died on Flight 93, said the group would favor Bush giving the interior secretary or director of park services the power to take the necessary steps to acquire the land before the administration leaves office in January.

He said the families understand that the outgoing president has plenty to do in his final weeks in office. But White pledged that the group would carry its fight to the Obama Administration, if needed.

"I think the rest of the family members and I feel there is no point at which we will stop," White said. "Whatever it takes. As long as it takes. Whoever it takes. To do anything less would be doing a disservice to those that we love."

Flight 93 was en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2001, when it was diverted by hijackers. The official 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed the plane as passengers tried to wrest control of the cockpit.

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Ok I have mixed feelings on this. I want thier to be a memorial and all but I dont know if using eminent domain proceedings is appropriate to build a park.

On the other hand I see it is a corporation who owns the land(corporate farm I guess) and they seem like they are trying to hold the government hostage.

The thing that realy struck me was the price tag for the park. $58 million!!?? are you kidding me??! That is ridiculous, epecially in this economy. Holy crap is 2200 acres really necesary? Damn buy the acre of land around the crash site and spend a mill on the memorial itself. Parking,road upgrades, and public facilities, no more than 5 milllion should be getting spent on this.


KING

Spot on ! .... 2200 acres ? How many millions ?? .. Your Govt. at work !

I think thts selfish of the families to ask the gov to spend 58 mill for them.
It's terrible what happend on that day no doubt. But why must u spend ALL that money when u can make something smaller on less land.

Do u really need al that land to remember them? no

I've been ther several times. There is a sign on the land opposite of the crash site thats says owned by the families of flight 93. Most of the land is grass. No crops or cows grazing. There is a Junk Yard right before you get to the site.


The gov't has given out enough money.

I think a small intimate memorial would be appropriate. Not some huge Disney Land attraction that costs millions of dollars. Just a memorial park with visual of where the plane crashed. That's all that's needed, really.

Quote:

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Not to sound crass, but who is going to go there???

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I have a niece that lives about 10 miles from the crash sight.. we visited it the last time I went to her home.

You would be surprised as to the number of visitors they get.., I know I was shocked... to tell the truth, if I hadn't found myself in that area to visit relatives, I woudn't have driven there to see it.

Still, the day I was there, maybe 100 or so other folks were there also. And to be honest, there isn't much to see at this moment..

I'm on board with most others... a memorial is needed but 2200 acres and $58M is extremely excessive.. I don't know how much is pledges but the federal government only contributed $16M to the WWII memorial on the national mall... and it sits on no more than a few acres... and 400,000 people died and 16 million people served in WWII...

You asked the question above, who would go there?

I know I would not. And I live a short driving distance from there.

I don't intend that to disrespect those that lost their lives but I don't know why someone would go there.

Honestly AD,, that wasn't there when we went for a visit...

Can they not just put up some benches and a stone plaque or something? Do they need 2,200 acres? And why ask the Govt to take it? That's selfish.

I wrecked my bike when I was 10, I think I'll ask the government to seize that land so I can put up a marker to commemorate the event.

Yeah maybe people visit, and people will go on the 10th anniversary, but within another 5-10 years it will all but be forgotten by most. When someone says 911, the first image that comes to mind is the WTC, and if you think harder then the Pentagon, then with more thought Flight 93, but never have I given any thought to the field Flight 93 went down in, just that it did, and the poor souls that lost their lives onboard.