Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 22, 1990 TAG: 9003222541
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The truth is ASV has never invited anyone from Explore to its meetings. In one instance, on the Hofauger property, Moldenhauer and his people were permitted to dig and neglected to finish the job, leaving the site in disarray and many artifacts missing, including a promised written summary of the dig which has never been submitted.
The purpose of the various advisory committees is to involve a full range of people, rather than just academics and specialists.
Explore is committed to research and archaeological documentation to the extent possible. There are always financial constraints on any program, and this is no exception. Given its financial situation, Explore does an excellent job in allocating its resources to many important projects, including the ones discussed here.
While we all strive for a flawless effort in historical research and archaeological study, the compelling consideration is the viability of the overall concept and not just only one facet of it. This is simply a question of the allocation of precious resources among a number of important programs. After all, Explore is designed for the enjoyment of the public, and not as the exclusive domain of ASV members.
Finally, I would like to express may dismay at Moldenhauer's trick of mailing his letter to Explore while hand-delivering it to the newspaper reporter. It is both unprofessional and mean-spirited, leaving the staff of Explore at a disadvantage when asked to respond to the letter by the reporter before receiving it in the mail.
GILBERT E. BUTLER JR.\ Member, Explore History and Geography Advisory Committee ROANOKE
by CNB