"Them Bones", Rep. Matthew Hill: ETSU Gray Fossil Museum To Open 2007

The Jonesborough Herald-Tribune is reporting that the ETSU fossil museum in Gray, Tennessee is on schedule to be opened to the public in 2007 --- talk about possibly causing Rep. Matthew Hill some major discomfort (i.e.: if Rep. Hill manages to get re-elected in 2006) as the former WPWT 870 AM "Good Morning Tri-Cities" talk show host was once a strict creationist (well, at least prior to his 2004 election bid for the 7th District House seat) who had, in late 2003, conducted a lengthly, on-air WPWT interview with Kent Hovind (d.b.a. "Dr. Dino" of the Creation Science Evangelism (CSE) organization.

Fossil museum on schedule for 2007 opening
[...]

Construction began in October 2005 on the 33,000-square-foot visitor's center, which will be located on State Route 75 in an area that does not interfere with the dig site. In September 2002, ETSU received an $8 million federal grant for a visitor's center at the site. The fossil site was discovered in 2000 by highway contractors who were working on State Route 75 in Gray.

According to fossil site website information, the recovery of the rhino Teleoceras and the short-faced bear Plionarctos dates the time of deposition to between 4.5 and 7 million years ago which is Miocene or early Pliocene. Current interpretations suggest that the site formed as a result of a cave collapsing, which formed a sinkhole into which the plants and animals fell and eventually became fossilized.

Dr. Wallace says he sees great things ahead for the Fossil Site. "It will have a pretty nice impact on the area," he said. "People who are traveling will stop by because of curiosity and people from the area will visit often. It will bring a lot of traffic into the area."

He also sees the educational benefits of the museum. "I see [the site] as a nice hub for educational programs. It will serve as a springboard to other things. There will be a lot of classes and demonstrations. I’d like it to be it a hub where people discuss geology, paleontology and natural history in general."

4.5 to 7 million years ago? This measurement of scientific dating will certainly pose a tough sell for the future curators at the ETSU fossil center to somehow convince the home-schooled scientist and chronologically-challenged Rep. Matthew Hill (who places the age of these fossils as being somewhat less tham 6,000 years old) of the science involved with dating these Gray fossils...I am just wondering if Rep. Hill will attempt to pass commerative license plate legislation for the ETSU Gray Fossil Museum (with plate numbering starting after 6,000)?

Hovind and his Creation Science Evangelism money mill fell out of favor with the Southern Poverty Law Center following the discovery that Hovind's CSE was selling (among many other items) anti-Semitic books.


Southern Poverty Law Center (Kent Hovind)
Summer 2001 Intelligence Report
Radical Religion - Creationism gets a dash of anti-Semitism

Dr. Dino (Kent Hovind) - Creation Science Evangelism

Talk.Origins Archie -Kent Hovind FAQs Examining "Dr. Dino"

Analysis of Kent Hovind