Can city, Indian church work it out?

As a Reader Views letter says on our Opinion pages today, the city of Wichita’s preferred property for a south-side fire station is now owned and occupied by the Indian Southern Baptist Church at 1550 Denker St. “We’re trying our best to make an agreement,” City Council member Jim Skelton (in photo) told The Eagle editorial board, stressing that he hopes to avoid court action. Why not accept Cornejo & Sons’ offer to donate land for the fire station a few blocks away? To ensure quick response times, Skelton said, “east-west access is critical.” He also said, “It’s more important to have it at a proper location than putting it at a free site.”
Let’s hope some sort of accord is reached. City officials’ concerns are understandable, but the symbolism — City Hall trying to displace an American Indian church — is terrible.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

10 Comments

  1. Kev
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 6:13 am | Permalink

    Would having the station on the free site really slow response time? If so, why not give the Indians the free site and some cash for the inconvenience and then they give the city the faster response time site?

  2. MRS SKELTON
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 6:49 am | Permalink

    SKELTON YOU ARE A COCKY BAS—- YOU WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT TRY AND USE POWER PUT THE STATION IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE SEE IF YOU LIKE IT

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 7:11 am | Permalink

    Take the free site.

  4. J R
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    Agree with Kev. Give the free site to the church and include some cash. Build the fire station for best response time.

  5. Just build it.
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:07 am | Permalink

    Response time in relation to who? If you build it where Skelton wants it, response time is improved North but degraded South. Build it on the free site. East-West access is still only a couple blocks further away on Pawnee and closer to East-West access on MacArthur.

  6. time for change
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:27 am | Permalink

    Skelton has been consumed with power as a city council member.

    If it was his home the city wanted to take he would be screaming bloody murder.

  7. Rox
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 11:17 am | Permalink

    I thought a thumbs down had been given on a new south fire station?

  8. time for change
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

    Skelton you are about as worthless as a city councilman as your wife was a wichita school board member.

    You don’t talk but do nothing.

  9. JWink
    Posted October 27, 2007 at 8:42 pm | Permalink

    IT’S COWARDLY FOR BLOGGERS WHO DON’T IDENTIFY THEMSELVES on the WE Blog and/or use false names, to criticize others by name as is being done on this thread.

    I think an apology should be given to Jim and Mrs. Skelton for blog criticism of Jim’s public service as city councilman and his wife as an unpaid USD 259 school board member. Councilman Skelton has been among the few public representatives on the Wichita city council from whom I can obtain truthful, factual information.

    When we do have honorable public service representatives … let’s not run them off by casting untruthful personal inuendo and slurs for bloggers personal detached enjoyment.

  10. J R
    Posted October 27, 2007 at 9:17 pm | Permalink

    Good luck Jwink.

    I happen to agree with you. But do not expect mannerly behavior from that particular troll any time soon.

    Feel better though. If you knew what he really was you’d lend his opinion not even a notice.