[FN] Townsend

[mls]

Briefs: Indian group holds up on road work lawsuit Thursday, December 21, 2000
A Native American group that threatened to file a lawsuit to halt highway construction 
at archaeological digs in Townsend withdrew that option Wednesday -- at least
temporarily. Carl ``Two Feathers'' Whitaker, head of the Native American Indian 
Movement, said he decided not to file suit and ask for a temporary restraining order in
federal court, as previously planned. Whitaker said he received assurances Wednesday 
from state officials that work on the project to add lanes to U.S. 321 and
Scenic Tenn. 73 in Townsend would not proceed across the site where archaeologists 
with the University of Tennessee are working to uncover evidence of early
inhabitants of Tuckaleechee Cove. ``We're tickled that they are going to wait until 
April,'' Whitaker said. Luanne Grandinetti, spokeswoman for the Tennessee
Department of Transportation, said there has been no change in TDOT plans for the 
project, which is being lead by the Federal Highway Administration. Grandinetti
said TDOT had a contract with UT for archaeologists to uncover 20 percent of the site 
by Dec. 31. That is the planned extent of the dig. Because of winter weather,
no significant road construction will be done until April or May, she said. TDOT will 
continue to work with the consulting parties on the project to determine what to do
about graves found on the site, Grandinetti said.

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