Smith says controversial mound was put at top of hill by natural forces
Jul 29, 2009 | 6529 views | 42 
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Oxford's City Project Manager Fred Denny stands on top of Signal Mountain behind the Oxford Exchange. Photo: Jay Reeves/Associated Press
In addition, Smith and City Project Manager Fred Denney now say the hill's dirt is not being used as fill for a Sam's Club. Denney said he never said it was, even though he had confirmed it in multiple previous interviews.
Public documents also show this is the city's plan for the hill underneath the mound.
Located behind the Oxford Exchange, the hill has been the object of protest by American Indians upset by the city's actions. When a story about the hill's origins was first printed in late June, Smith and Denney said it had been used for smoke signals and said the site was insigificant.
The mound could be 1,000 years old or older, and some preservation officials are concerned it could contain human remains or burial artifacts. The city-commissioned University of Alabama report on the mound found no evidence of such remains, but recommended the city keep an expert on hand in case funerary artifacts are found.
"The chance that a stone mound of the size found at (the site) occurring by natural phenomena is not likely," the report said.
Smith's office e-mailed a press release with his most recent comments to The Star Tuesday afternoon before Oxford's City Council meeting. In it, he says the city will keep an expert on hand as recommended by the report's authors, even though he insists the mound is the result of "natural phenomena."
He also says none of the rocks and soil associated with the mound will be used as fill for the Sam's project. He also said "no construction activities are planned for the hill and associated stone mound," a statement contradicted by another part of the letter, which says the city needs the expert on hand "during the course of development activities."
After Tuesday's meeting Smith could not provide a clear answer about why work crews have been seen on top of the mound, but he said they were not getting dirt from it.
"Not one spoonful of dirt has been carried down," he said.
When Denney was first asked about the hill, he said it would be used as fill for Sam's. In a subsequent interview, Denney further confirmed this. He said a proposal by Oxford-based Taylor Corp., the company hired to do the prep work for Sam's, referred to the hill.
"This item includes undercutting two building pad footprints ..." the proposal reads. "The City has agreed to let us spoil the undercut material on their property across the new bridge."
Denney said at the time the city had made an agreement to furnish soil from the site.
The UA report also confirms Denney's earlier statements.
"The city of Oxford is proposing to use the underlying materials for the purpose of filling and grading areas that will be potentially developed for commercial and residential properties in the future," the UA report said.
The Associated Press also reported the city would use the dirt beneath the mound as fill for Sam's.
Denney now says he never said this, or, if he did, he "misspoke." He said there's no equipment on or near the hill, though for weeks heavy equipment could be seen on the site. The city has refused to let local media on the hill to figure it out one way or the other though it did give an AP reporter access.
Taylor Corp. is getting the Sam's fill dirt from the actual Sam's site and not from the hill, Denney said Tuesday.
Smith's written statement said no construction activities were planned for the hill, but Smith and Denney told the AP and Denney has told the Star the hill will be used for commercial purposes. Smith told the AP he envisions a motel or restaurant on top of the hill.
Harry Holstein, a Jacksonville State University professor of archaeology and anthropology in favor of saving the mound, called Smith's e-mailed statement "bizarre."
"The actual pile of rocks has nothing to do with erosion," Holstein said. "That is asinine, obviously."
Kelly Gregg, a geology professor at JSU, said there is no way nature made the structure on top of the hill. Gregg has visited the site.
"I don't know who transported that rock up there, but definitely at some point that rock was carried up," he said.
Related Documents
• Letter from Oxford Mayor Leon Smith
• Letter from Gov. Riley
• Letter from Sams Club
• University of Alabama report on stone mound
http://files.usgwarchives.org/al/randolph/cemeteries/mccormick.txt
Mitaka oyasin
i just pray that the corrupt mayor of oxford learns to respect the dead and non white people one day. profits may make him live comfortably in this life but it won't help him escape hellfire and brimstone.
for anyone who wants to use the "this is good for our economy" argument, this could've been built on non-burial grounds. the mound is not the only area where a new store can be constructed.
You really don't read these posts very thoroughly do you?
Its not just at the Exchange. Its at the Mall and, to some extent, Wal-Mart. At the Mall, there are empty store fronts. At least two of them was because those companies went out of business. If the Mall loses one of the anchor stores, they won't have a very large window of opportunity to fill that space. One of the anchores goes, that will be the death of the Mall.
Smith, obviously, beleives that retail is the answer to everything. He has made no real effort to recruit industry. And Oxford may have reached a point of no return. Having the city and the county jack up sales tax rates may have made the problem worse.
I have no intension of running for any office. The only reason I brought it up was someone had suggested that, perhaps, I should run for mayor again. As I said, I may not be living in Oxford in the next three years.
Correction - the deed to my house shows ten dollars.
I think the deed to your property, not the home which sits on it, shows ten dollars.
It is the land that you hold title to, not the "house." Houses are temporary, the land is permanent. Well, maybe not in the case of the dirt that is being moved from the sacred Indian Mound, but still, eventually, that lattitude/longitude has an owner.
I apologize! And, I DO like and read your comments! You see to be well educated and interesting.
That said, I still think the star SHOULD do better and in depth investigative reporting, not opines on silt. Reporting is an art, not a small task.
Half empty parking lots do leave the perception that things are not so good in a city. However, the exchange has a HUGE parking area and I think that increases the perception. Look no further than Wal Mart or the mall to see what the economy is doing in Oxford.
Politically,I disagree with you 99% of the time, but I have no doubts that your love for Oxford is every bit as deep mine. I think you might fair better if you were to run for a seat on the council nstead of trying to unseat Smith as mayor.
As for my running for mayor again, I have better things to do with my time. I may not be living here in three years. If I can take a transfer with my company, I may consider it. If my wife and I stay here, we are looking for a house. And we're not specifically looking for one in Oxford.
"If you all are so concerned, call the Attorney General's office and get them to investigate. While you are at it, ask how Leon can hire his son, Gary to be over the maintenance crew at the Civic Center (park and rec). There were other men at the Civic center that had a lot more experience and years in when the job became vacant. Isn't there a clause about hiring family members for such positions? His other son, is over the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Oxford.
So, while the State's Attorney General is looking into all of this other corruption, get him to check into this as well. Plus all of the other jobs not posted and given to his friends or family members."
Quite interesting............ Maybe this would be enough to get him out of office...........I know the Water Dept. has nothing to do with the City. (in saying this, I mean, they have their own board so they can hire who they want.) But isn't there something about the Mayor hiring family members that are in direct contact with him? Just something else for you folks to talk about.................
Last time I was home it looked like Oxford was still booming....The only place I saw empty was the Food Max building and that was the result of bad business decisions....
How do you figure the economy there is shot????