It makes me sick that McKinney and the rest of the board are now trying to take credit for “saving” Fleetwood Hill. It is one thing to have good relations with the local landowners, but it is something else entirely when the president of the BSF, who is charged with protecting the battlefield, has a personal friendship with the landowner and is looking the other way when this landowner is wantonly destroying or buying up historic property.

McKinney, you are a disgrace to historic preservation and your duplicity is a disgrace to the memory of those who died on that hill.

Once ACE was involved, BSF did little to facilitate the discussion. In fact, by issuing a “we will not oppose landowner’s improvements” statement, they actually worked against ACE and state agencies doing their legally defined duties.

Given BSF’s lack of action, subsequent policy statements, and the publicly known financial issues, I would ask if the organization is the right custodian for those three acres. Perhaps it would be better to bring in another, properly oriented, preservation organization. I say let such an organization hold the land in trust until BSF’s leaders have demonstrated the maturity, knowledge, and ability to perform the role safeguarding such historic treasures.