Delay sparks many problems for TH residents, businesses
By Sue Loughlin
Tribune-Star
The delayed execution of Timothy McVeigh is causing all kinds of headaches for all kinds of people, from parents who don't know if school is on or off Wednesday to hotels and caterers that stand to lose revenue.
City and county officials must decide whether to re-open those offices Wednesday, and the Vigo County School Corp. must decide whether to conduct school. No decisions had been made as of Friday, and none are expected until Monday.
Now, the community faces the prospect of a repeat performance leading up to June 11, the new execution date for McVeigh -- if it comes to pass.
The execution delay was a major topic of discussion at Crossroads Cafe, said owner Boo Lloyd, who has been interviewed by several media representatives in recent weeks.
The consensus is, "It's something we all want to get through and put behind us and carry on with our normal everyday lives," Lloyd said.
The delay means lost revenue for the Fairfield Inn, which was booked up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Now, the media and others who planned to stay there for the execution are canceling, said Daniela Peck, Fairfield Inn acting manager.
The hotel had ordered extra food and linens and planned to have extra staff working next week. She estimated the hotel will lose several thousand dollars in revenue.
"I understand it has to happen, but I'm not really happy about it," Peck said. It's causing hardships for her personally as she tries to plan for the care of her two children. "People have to move their lives around for this -- it's ridiculous."
On a more positive note, the hotel already is booked up for several days leading up to the new June 11 execution date, so it should recoup some of those lost revenues, Peck said.
The Holiday Inn also is losing a lot of business as the result of cancellations by media and Bureau of Prison staff who would have stayed at the hotel, said hotel manager Bill Burdine.
Law enforcement agencies that planned for all-hands-on-board to deal with security issues and traffic now must re-evaluate those plans.
The Vigo County Sheriff's Department was prepared for the possibility of a delay in the execution, but the delay will take a toll on everyone involved, said chief deputy Jon Marvel. "It's just another 30 days of media blitz and media hype on this thing it does drag people down."
Indiana State Police will continue patrolling near the U.S. Penitentiary until news media have left and the patrol is no longer needed, said spokesman Herb Jones.
Rod Henry, executive director of the Greater Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, has major concerns about a June 11 execution date and believes the U.S. Department of Justice should consult with the community before establishing execution dates.
The Miss Indiana Scholarship program is scheduled the week of June 10, as well as Hoosier Boys State at Indiana State University. The following week is the Junior Beef Show.
All those events mean there will be fewer hotel rooms available and more demands on security, Henry said.
"I think it's totally irresponsible of the U.S. Department of Justice to set a date without first considering what is going on in the community," Henry said.
The Vigo County School Corp. won't decide until Monday whether to conduct school Wednesday, said Ray Azar, school services assistant. Schools were scheduled to be closed the day of the execution.
School officials want to talk with law enforcement before making a decision, Azar said.
"We never closed schools because of the execution. We closed them because of the disruption the execution would cause and that potential is still there."
Representatives of city and county governments probably won't decide until Monday whether to open those offices on Wednesday, officials said. But state government offices in Vigo County will be open that day, said Thad Nation, spokesman for the governor.
Nancy Dowell, director of the Vigo County Public Library, expects the library will decide to reopen. That decision is expected on Monday.
Vigo County judges also will assess the new developments on Monday, said chief Judge Jerry Kearns. Initial plans had called for the courthouse to close.
Terre Haute residents had a variety of reactions to the latest development.
"It's too bad they delayed it. For what he did, he should be executed -- post-haste," said Clinton Roberts, 56.
Marissa Tyler, a Vigo County high school senior, views the delay as a good thing enabling McVeigh's defense attorneys to review the files they hadn't previously seen. "I believe they should go over that. But I don't necessarily think it will change the outcome in anyway."
Pat Burns, 39, of Terre Haute, doesn't see any good reason for the delay. In the end, McVeigh will be executed anyway, so a delay "is just a waste of time."
She empathizes with businesses that will lose money and other groups that have put time and money into preparation for the execution. Many lives are being disrupted, she said.
Darnell Dawson's attitude: "Just do it [execution] and get it over with. It's crazy" and causing too much disruption for the community.
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