Place matters

To the editor:

May is National Wetlands Month. In his last State of the Union address George W. Bush claimed that saving wetlands was an environmental priority of his administration. Now his Federal Highway Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers have decided that paving the Wakarusa Wetlands is the best way to save it! That reminds me of the logic some of our military tacticians used when I served in Vietnam 40 years ago.

The only shooting I do these days is with a camera. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has asked us to celebrate National Preservation Month (also in May) by participating in their latest national preservation campaign.

Trafficway opponents have been invited to submit a photo and YouTube video of community members gathered on the wetlands boardwalk holding a NTHP “THIS PLACE MATTERS” sign, which will be posted to their new Web site. This event is certain to draw attention from across the country.

A diverse gathering of community members, including infants and many elders, will be assembled at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. You can help ensure the wetlands will not be in the middle of 10 lanes of truck traffic when our great grandchildren come to stand in this same spot, midway between Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue off 31st Street on the boardwalk.

This place does matter, not only to Native Americans and nature lovers, but to anyone who has taken the time to learn its true history.

Michael Caron,

Lawrence