from The Lebanon Democrat::March 3, 2009
KY. exec. says he's met with Bible Park
by: J.R. LIND

March 3, 2009 – The executive of a Kentucky county on the border with Tennessee said he met with Bible Park officials.

Jim Henderson is the Simpson County Judge/Executive, the equivalent to a county mayor in Tennessee. Simpson County, the home of Franklin, is just north of the state line.

An official with the commonwealth's Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet told The Lebanon Democrat last week that state officials had met with Bible Park backers, but there were no offers or incentives on the table. Former Mayor Don Fox has repeatedly insisted that high-level Kentucky officials have been working to lure the park to the Bluegrass State.

Henderson said he had "a lot of conversation" with park representatives, but that those meetings never became public and that he has had only "cursory" discussions since the park tapped Lebanon as its home last fall.

"I met with [Rob Wyatt] a couple of times. We met mostly with Armon Bar-Tur and with his dad [Amnon Bar-Tur] a couple of times as well and some other members of that original team and that was back in the fall," he said.

Henderson should the park fail to get the financial foothold it is seeking in Wilson County, he "personally" would be happy for it to go north of the border.

"I like the concept very much and I liked the principals. I really enjoyed their company. I believed they were willing to build a first-class project and as long as that were still the issue, I'd be happy to have them here," he said.

Henderson said the discussions with park officials were not public knowledge.

"Our community as a community never knew. We were very careful about that. Unlike some other places, we didnt have any comments out in the public about it," he said.

Henderson declined to detail what incentives had been offered the park and noted that discussions never got to the point of being introduced to the Franklin City Council or the county's fiscal court, the equivalent of a county commission.

Simpson County has a population of around 17,000, with roughly half living in the county seat of Franklin, which is located on Interstate 65. The county is the home to Kentucky Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack.