Spotlight on city dims following media event
The day after
Mayor: We stepped up to the plate and hit a home run
By Matt Miller
Tribune-Star
The execution of Timothy McVeigh in the U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute, boosted the local economy and gave the city valuable exposure, Mayor Judy Anderson said Tuesday.
The mayor thinks Terre Haute emerged with a positive reputation after an estimated 1,300 members of the media visited, projecting images of the city to places across the world.
"I think we stepped up to the plate and hit a home run," Anderson said.
The execution could have given the world an opportunity to look down upon, or feel sorry for Terre Haute, but instead the city seized the chance to display its character, she said.
"If we drew attention to [the execution], Timothy McVeigh would win again," she said.
The city also gained financially. "The economic impact was very positive," she said. "We don't want to dwell upon it but that's part of it."
The Sunoco gas station at Honey Creek Drive and Indiana 63 found itself a major thoroughfare for out-of-town media. Its regular gasoline at $1.39 per gallon, much less than most gas stations in the nation, sold quickly, manager Brenda Burns said.
"A lot of people couldn't believe we were this low," she said, still restocking candy more than a day after McVeigh died.
Burns and her staff will prepare for another increase in business around June 19, when the government executes Juan Raul Garza inside the prison. Burns is stocking up on popular products such as bottled water, but doesn't have any other special plans.
The family of Larry Taylor, who resides across the street from the penitentiary, appeared to have profited from the execution.
The Taylors rented spaces for 325 vehicles for media outlets such as television station WTHI, ABC and CNN.
Christy Taylor, Larry Taylor's daughter-in-law, wouldn't say how much money the family earned, citing contract agreements.
"I'm glad it's over," she said.
No accidents occurred and parkers cooperated, she said.
Other businessmen expressed disappointment with their results.
Raoul David, owner of David's Food Center Plaza across Indiana 63 from the prison, said customer turnout was low.
David kept his grocery, along with Little Cee's Pizza and Subs and Cafe 63, which he also owns, open on Sunday, something he never does. His extra staff included two security guards to shoo away those seeking free parking.
"It was a flop," he said. "I wish we never opened on Sunday."
He filled his shelves with extra products before McVeigh's first execution date, May 16, but was more conservative in ordering before the second date.
Water and other drinks were the most popular items, David said. The biggest disappointment was sale of his special -- shish kabobs, promoted Tuesday by a sign by the highway bearing the words "Tim who?"
Out of 800 prepared shish kabobs, David sold only 80. He plans to donate most of the rest to the Lighthouse Mission, he said.
David did benefit from free publicity. He estimated giving more than 80 interviews to journalists from Indianapolis to Italy.
The execution gave the Terre Haute Police Department a chance to prove itself, and it passed superbly, Chief Jim Horrall said.
The McVeigh execution gave the department an opportunity to set procedures in place for further executions. Using parks to situate protesters before taking them to the prison worked well, he said.
Horrall will examine ways to improve the process of busing protesters to the penitentiary, he said. Because no one knew how many protesters would show, planning was difficult, he said.
Next week, the entire police operation will be critiqued to streamline procedures, Horrall said. He also will discuss procedures with prison officials at the end of the week.
Although most of the people and a majority of satellite trucks had exited penitentiary grounds Tuesday afternoon, the media area still bustled with activity. Workers disassembled platforms, coiled power cords and loaded equipment. Network trailers still sat side by side in rows Tuesday afternoon.
Broadcast media stopped reporting at noon Tuesday, but Jim Cross, executive assistant for the prison, said he expected most crews to exit the grounds by Thursday, with everyone gone by Friday.
All events tied to the execution went smoothly, he said.
"Advanced planning definitely paid off," he said.
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