Jun 7, 2007 11:25 am US/Eastern
Donation Box Causes Uproar At 9/11 Crash Site
Flight 93 Families, Park Service Face Off At Temporary Memorial
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (CBS/AP) ―
The National Park Service on Wednesday covered a cash donation box at the Flight 93 crash site that caused consternation among families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, crash.
"The bottom line is we feel the National Park Service can't effectively carry out our mission without exercising the exclusive use and control of the site as provided for in our agreement with the property owners," Flight 93 Memorial Superintendent Joanne Hanley said.
A black plastic trash bag was placed over the cash box the property owner, Mike Svonavec, installed near a temporary memorial to cover security costs. Security has been handled by a private firm at a monthly cost of about $10,000 since federal funding ran out in February, and Svonavec said the site has also incurred other costs.
"I don't understand what their basis is," Svonavec said of the decision to cover the box. "I've cooperated with everyone. Obviously, they are exercising the power the National Park Service feels it has."
Victims' families did not like the box, calling it an insult to the 40 passengers and crew members who died when the hijacked Newark, N.J., to San Francisco flight crashed in the field near Shanksville.
Relatives also were angry because they said Svonavec had sought $10 million for his 273 acres, though Svonavec denied asking $10 million and said he was not negotiating with the Families of Flight 93. He said he had discussed the property with the National Park Service, "but the NPS hasn't made an offer and I haven't asked."
Flight 93 RecordingsTrace the events on Flight 93 through the recorded tapes from 9/11.
9-11 Operator Recalls United Flight 93 (Apr. 28, 2006)
Flight 93 Recordings: Passengers' Heroic Behavior (Apr. 27, 2006)
Flight 93 Recordings: Passengers Storm Cockpit (Apr. 27, 2006)
New Details Released About Flight 93 (Jul. 23, 2004)
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
