2011 Ark Encounter news

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Notes

  • Article titles in italic indicate the story appeared in the print edition.

2011

February

  • February 6. Salon. San Francisco, California. USA. Places that prove Darwin was right by Megan Cytron.
    "Back in early December, Kentucky's governor, Democrat Steve Beshear, offered his support (and $37 million in tax breaks) for the development of "Ark Encounter," a $150-million biblical theme park. What's in the works is another production by Answers in Genesis, the controversial group behind the absurdly pseudo-scientific Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., best known for its depictions of humans and dinosaurs frolicking together in kitschy dioramas."
  • February 2. Cincinnati/Kentucky Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Ark Encounter presents no risk to taxpayers by Mark Looy.
    "Taxpayers will not help pay for the construction and operation of the Ark. The only people to pay taxes related to operating the Ark will be the visitors who pay state sales tax at the attraction (e.g., on tickets and food). A portion of that sales tax would rebated to the Ark."
  • February 2. American Humanist Association. Washington, D.C. USA. Noah and the Tax Incentives by Sarah Ameigh.
    "The recent announcement of plans for a Biblical-oriented theme park in northern Kentucky has brought the church-state separation question to the job creation front. In a struggling economy fraught with dwindling profits and rampant unemployment, how far can constitutionality be pushed in favor of economic growth?"

January

  • January 2011 Featured Stories

  • Boone Community Recorder. January 20.
    Tax breaks to build an ark?

  • Cincinnati Enquirer. January 17.
    Would you visit Ark park?

  • Louisville Courier-Journal. January 16. Experts challenge vision for Ark park

  • Louisville Courier-Journal. January 16. Experts challenge vision for Ark park

  • Washington Post, January 6.
    Green architecture: It's officially a flood

  • January ??. GoGreen.ae. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Ark Encounter - Eco-friendly amusement park.
    "More than just the Ark, the project will include a large complex of associated attractions, theaters, amenities, event venues, and ample parking to properly accommodate the expected crowds. It is designed to be family oriented, historically authentic, and environmentally friendly."
  • January 30. Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. USA. Kentucky ark funding will not come from grants by Mark Looy.
    "After reading Allan Powell's "Kentucky Edutainment" op-ed piece, we found it remarkable that a professor (albeit retired) simply did not do his homework."
    "He appeared to write knowledgeably about our future full-size Noah's Ark in northern Kentucky, but his starting point was wrong. We hope he was more careful when imparting knowledge to his students."
    "Powell evidently based his column on second-hand information (i.e., using other newspaper columnists, bloggers, etc.) rather than confirming with original sources. Many newspapers are falsely reporting that the Ark project will be a drain on Kentucky's revenues."
  • January 28. Examiner.com. USA. Creationism Examiner. National anti-faith group enters Ark Encounter dispute by Terry Hurlbut.
    " The project to build a themed attraction in Kentucky, centered on a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark and the civilization to which Noah might have belonged, has now attracted anti-Christian opposition from out-of-State."
  • January 27. Hamilton Journal News. Hamilton, Ohio. USA. Opinion. Geology shows Noah’s flood just didn’t happen by Peter Lask.
    "Is the Earth really 6,000 years old? Are all living humans truly direct descendents of the crew of Noah’s Ark? Why is it a bad idea for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to become involved in supporting Answers in Genesis (AIG) through tax abatements and infrastructure improvements related to the proposed Noah’s Ark park?"
  • January 27. Anderson Cooper 360° - CNN. Atlanta, Georgia. USA. Tax incentives for Biblical theme park? with Anderson Cooper.
    Ken Ham versus Barry Lynn (American United for Separation of Church and State).
  • January 24. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Letter to the editor. Fairness has been lost in C-J coverage of Ark Encounter by Mark Looy. Page A4. Fairness has been lost in C-J coverage of Ark Encounter
    "The Courier-Journal seems determined to move the Ark Encounter out of state even before construction begins. In its latest two broadsides against the full-size Noah's Ark, the paper quoted theme park representatives who are skeptical about its success, and Tuesday's editorial suggested that the project is a “white elephant.” These opinions are not based on any relevant studies or hard data."
  • January 20. Boone County Recorder. Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. USA. Editorial. Tax breaks to build an ark? 'Noah' way, brother by Jim Waters. Page A13. Re-publication of Bluegrass Beacon article.
  • January 20. Boone Community Recorder. Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. USA. Editorial. Tax breaks to build an ark? 'Noah' way, brother by Jim Waters. Page A13. Re-publication of Bluegrass Beacon article.
  • January 18. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Editorial. Ark's prospects. Page A6. Ark's prospects.
    "The more that's learned about Ark Encounter — the creationist theme park planned for Northern Kentucky — the less it seems like something state government should be engaging."
  • January 17. Northern Kentucky Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. "Would you visit Ark park? by Andrew Wolfson, Louisville Courier-Journal. Pages A1 and A9.
  • January 17. Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. "Would you visit Ark park? by Andrew Wolfson, Louisville Courier-Journal. Pages A1 and A9.
  • January 17. Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Would you visit Ark Encounter park? by Andrew Wolfson, Louisville Courier-Journal.
    "Projections that 1.6 million people a year would visit Ark Encounter - the proposed Biblical theme park in Grant County to be financed in part with Kentucky tax incentives - are wildly optimistic, according to a half-dozen theme-park experts."
  • January 16. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Experts challenge vision for Ark park by Andrew Wolfson. Pages A1 and A10. Letter to the editor on page H2.
    "Projections that 1.6 million people a year will visit Ark Encounter — the proposed biblical theme park in Northern Kentucky to be financed in part with Kentucky tax incentives—are wildly optimistic, according to a half-dozen theme-park experts."
    "The experts, who include a former Disney executive and a consultant who helped start King’s Island near Cincinnati, said the project’s embrace of a literal interpretation of the Bible—that the world was created in six days and that humans co-existed with dinosaurs — likely will alienate a large part of the theme-park market, including some Christians."
  • January 15. Kentucky Academy of Science Newsletter. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Guest editorials. A Boatload of Trouble for Kentucky? by Robert Kingsolver. Page 12. Guest Editorial by Daniel Phelps. Page 13. .pdf of January newsletter
  • January 14. National Center for Science Education - NCSE. Oakland, California. USA. Kentucky Academy of Science on the ark park. Petition started by Kentucky Equality Federation, a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender advocacy group.
    "If the Commonwealth provides tax incentives to the Ark project, we will attempt to form a coalition to challenge it as government sponsored religion," stated Richard T. Jones, Kentucky Equality Federation's Chairman of the Board. "By adopting the Manhattan Declaration, and lawmakers filing 'friend of the court briefs' to uphold the law to 'Publicize the findings of the General Assembly stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth by including the provisions of KRS 39A.285(3) in its agency training and educational materials' the Commonwealth is creating a religious state and forcing a specific religion on the Commonwealth's citizens."
  • January 13. Phnom Penh Post. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Going green, just like Noah. Page 11. Washington Post article.
  • January 11. The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. USA. Reader contributed web news content. The Ark park question.
  • January 10. The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. USA. Free Ride for the ark? Noah way! Page A4. Louisville Courier-Journal editorial.
  • January 10. Guardian. London, England. Putting the fun in US fundamentalism by Theo Hobson.
    "Last month, the state of Kentucky gave the go-ahead for a new Christian theme park, whose centrepiece will be a reconstruction of Noah's ark. The megaboat will, of course, be built to biblical specs – why tamper with God's foray into ship design? It will be about 500ft long, and house large live animals including giraffes, and (non-live) dinosaurs. Ark Encounter will be open for business in 2014, global weather permitting."
  • January 10. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Letter to the editor. Some scientists also embrace creationism by David Menton, Andrew Snelling and Georgia Purdom. Page A7. Some scientists also embrace creationism.
    "For one, the guest columnist, Roger Guffey, claimed there were no "serious" scientists who are creationists. We are full-time Ph.D. researchers with the Creation Museum and Answers in Genesis in Northern Kentucky, and we will be helping to design the full-scale Noah's Ark and other attractions to be built north of Lexington."
  • January 10. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Tennessee, Kentucky have different approach to biblical parks by Linda B. Blackford.
    "WILLIAMSTOWN — Residents of this small Grant County town are preparing to welcome a new amusement park in 2014 featuring a life-size Noah's Ark, which some believe will transform the area's economic landscape with hotels, restaurants and tourists."
  • January 9. Denver Post. Denver, Colorado. USA. Biblical attractions R us by Ed Quillen.
    "States compete viciously for tourism dollars, so I started to worry about Colorado's economic future when I read about a planned tourist attraction in Kentucky that will get some state tax breaks. It's a theme park called "Ark Encounter," which will feature, among other things, a replica of Noah's Ark built to biblical specifications, complete with animals."
  • January 9. Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. USA. Create this by Charles P. Pierce, author of Idiot America.
    "Dear Steve Beshear: As you may or may not know, a while back I paid a visit to the Creation Museum, which was built in that part of Kentucky that we occasional visitors like to call “up by Cincinnati.” I enjoyed the dinosaur with the saddle. I also enjoyed the animatronic Moses who spoke in a dialect that I believe was concocted for a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof staged by a Christian academy somewhere in South Dakota. Now, though, I see, as governor, you’ve given your blessing – and some fat tax incentives – to those same people so they can build a Noah’s Ark theme park. (I particularly like the proposed 100-foot Tower of Babel. Will there be a restaurant? Will the waiter understand my order?) I have to say I’m not surprised, since Kentucky is not unfamiliar with acts of public devotion. After all, your state already has Churchill Downs and Keeneland, where the name of the Deity is frequently invoked, particularly at the quarter-pole, albeit often in vain. Well, now, one loopy religious entertainment complex is a fluke. Two is a development strategy. So don’t stop here. Go full-metal Scripture: the Walls of Jericho Casino, where, every time a player hits a jackpot at the slots, somebody blows a trumpet and a wall falls down. Out along the highway would be a good place for the Sodom and Gomorrah Adult Entertainment Complex. Brimstone falls every day at 6, just like the volcano eruptions out at the Mirage."
  • January 9. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Will it float? It's difficult to fathom by Linda B. Blackford. Pages A1 & A7.
  • January 8. The Guardian. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Canada. Noah's Ark theme park has preliminary approval. Page C4. Associated Press.
  • January 8. TreeHugger.com. New York City, New York. USA. With a Super Green Noah's Ark Theme Park, Conservative Christians Embrace Environmentalism by Alex Davies.
    "Conservative religion and environmentalism are often seen as mutually exclusive. They're filed under right wing and left wing, along with issues such as evolution, creationism and birth control. But as more and more religious leaders are calling on their followers to protect the environment, a new biblical theme park is challenging those categories by using a wide range of sustainable technologies to make itself one of the greenest new attractions in the US."
  • January 7. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Ark Encounter to build 'green' from ground up by Philip Kennicott, Washington Post. Page A1 and A2. Support ark park by Pat Moran. Page A10. Letter to the editor.
  • January 7. Hamilton Journal News. Hamilton, Ohio. USA. Noah’s Ark park will mislead our schoolchildren by J.K. Bhattacharjee, G.R. Janssen and T.G. Gregg.
    "Ark Encounter, a planned theme park of Answers in Genesis (the Creation Museum) of Northern Kentucky and Ark Encounter LLC of Louisville, will hijack science. The centerpiece of their effort is an attack on evolution itself. Here we go again."
  • January 6. The Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. USA. Ark won’t float on tax dollars by Mark Looy.
    "While the Vindicator can’t be expected to fact check editorials that appear in other newspapers and later show up in The Vindicator, it can lead to a major problem."
  • January 6. Age of Engagement blog. New York City, New York. USA. The Rise of Innovation Conservatives and Energy Conscious Creationists by Matthew C. Nisbet.
    "As Kennicott profiles, the Christian fundamentalist group behind the Creationist Museum in Kentucky have plans to build a LEED certified "Ark Encounter" theme park that will feature geothermal heating, rainwater capture, active and passive solar heating and specialized window glazing. Even the 500-foot-long ark, the largest timber-framed structure in America, will use sustainable heating, cooling, and lighting designed to reduce energy use, reports Kennicott."
    "Ark Encounter represents the outcome of a shift in how Christians think of two basic biblical ideas: dominion and stewardship, notes Kennicott. This theological shift along with the perceived economic advantages of innovation constitute new common ground for engaging organizations and communities dismissive of climate change on the problem of energy insecurity."
  • January 6. Mother Nature Network blog. USA. Environmental and social responsibility news site. LEED for arks? by Melissa Hincha-Owenby.
    "The new project is just part of a growing trend of environmentalism among religious groups, including evangelical Christians, despite the fact that some are self-proclaimed climate change skeptics. Mike Zovath, senior vice president of Answers in Genesis, is one such skeptic. In an article for The Washington Post, Zovath discusses his views on green building."
  • January 6. World Interior Design Network. London, England. Ark Encounter in US to flaunt green design elements.
    "Answers in Genesis has announced that The Ark Encounter, a giant model of Noah’s Ark in a Christian-themed amusement park in Northern Kentucky, will be designed to be one of the largest green construction projects in the US."
    "Answers in Genesis, the organization behind the construction of the massive full-scale Noah’s Ark, has stated that the project will take full advantage of the latest environmental technologies to be good stewards of creation. The 500ft-long wooden ark is expected to become the largest timber-frame structure in the US."
  • January 6. Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. USA. Letters to the editor. Taxpayers won't pay for ark by Mark Looy.
    "Your Jan. 3 editorial "Biblical outrage" incorrectly stated that Kentucky taxpayers would subsidize the operation of the Ark Encounter, a themed attraction featuring a full-size Noah's Ark in northern Kentucky."
    "The only people to pay for the ark's operation will be Ark Encounter visitors, who will pay sales tax as they purchase tickets and food at the attraction. If the ark's application is approved, Kentucky will rebate a portion of the sales tax to the for-profit Ark Encounter LLC, based on attendance performance."
  • January 6. Washington Post. Washington, D.C. USA. Style section. Green architecture: It's officially a flood. by Philip Kennicott. Page 1, C1, & C8.
  • January 5. Grant County News. Dry Ridge, Kentucky. USA. WHAT 2 WATCH 4 by The Staff.
    "It may be weeks or even months before dirt is moved on a 800-acre site off Ky. 36 in Williamstown, but a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark is in the works."
    "In 2009, the Grant County Industrial Development Authority began working with developers on the $150 million project which is expected to bring 900 full and part-time jobs to Grant County when the tourist attractions opens in 2014."
  • January 5. Scripturosity blog. USA. Biblical Relevance in Today’s World: The “Ark Encounter” Theme Park by Marc Jacobs.
    "The recent unveiling of development plans for a new theme park in Kentucky has sent the media ticker-tape screaming off the reel. The December 1, 2010 project announcement was attended by the Governor of Kentucky along with representatives from the Christian organization and architectural brain-trust, Answers in Genesis."
  • January 5. Washington Post. Washington, D.C. USA. Noah's Ark replica shows conservative Christians are embracing green building by Philip Kennicott.
    "When the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., opened on Memorial Day 2007, temperatures inside the 100,000-square-foot complex began to spike. Huge crowds of warm bodies will do that to an HVAC system, and it took months of tweaking through the museum's first hot summer to get the system working properly."
    "Mike Zovath, senior vice president of Answers in Genesis, the organization that built the Creation Museum, says he has learned his lesson. As a consortium that includes his group prepares to break ground this spring on a biblical theme park called Ark Encounter, which will include a replication of Noah's Ark built according to the dimensions given in the Book of Genesis, it is turning to the latest trends in "green" architecture. Scheduled to open in 2014, Ark Encounter will include environmentally sustainable technology "from Day One," Zovath said, and will be built by a firm that specializes in LEED-certified construction and design, the industry standard for environmentally efficient buildings."
  • January 4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. USA. Letter to the editor. Re: Ark Encounter by Mark Looy. Page B6.
  • January 4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. USA. Letter to the editor. Re: Ark Encounter by Mark Looy.
    "Some basic research by the Post-Gazette would have revealed that its Dec. 29 editorial was incorrect in stating that Kentucky taxpayers would be subsidizing the operation of the Ark Encounter, a themed attraction featuring a full-size Noah's Ark in northern Kentucky."
  • January 4. The Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. USA. Tea party should be outraged. Reprint of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.
    "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: If ever there was a boondoggle worthy of tea party outrage, it would be the public dollars that might go into subsidies for a creationist theme park."
    "On Dec. 20 the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority gave preliminary approval for up to $43 million in tax incentives to help fund an attraction in Grant County based on the Genesis story of Noah’s ark."
  • January 3. Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. USA. Biblical outrage. Page A6. Reprint of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial. Biblical outrage.
    "IF EVER a boondoggle was worthy of Tea Partiers' pitchforks and torches, millions of dollars in possible taxpayer subsidies for a creationist theme park in Kentucky should be at the top of the list."
  • January 3. Neue Zuercher Zeitung. Zurich, Switzerland. Kentucky baut eine Arche Noah by Roman Elsener. Page 16.
    "Nicht nur im Gebirge Ararat, wo Noah mit seiner Familie und den Tieren der Welt nach einem Jahr und zehn Tagen Sintflut endlich aufgesetzt haben soll, kann heute seine Arche gesucht werden. In Kentucky wurden im Dezember Pläne bekannt, wonach eine 150 Meter lange Replik von Noahs Schiff Kernattraktion eines Erlebnisparks werden soll. Umgeben wird das Schiff gemäss den Plänen des Unternehmens Arkencounter («Archenbegegnung») mit einem Bibelpark, inklusive des Turmes zu Babel, einem Spezialeffekt-Kino und einem Zoo."
  • January 1. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Letter to the editor. Ark story universal by Rev. Leroy Hammond. Page A11.
  • January 1. Odessa American. Odessa, Texas. USA. Odessan helps rebuild Noah's Ark by Lyxan Toledanes.
    "Amongst the rolling hills of northern Kentucky, the age-old tale of Noah and the ark will soon come to life. In a new venture by 1968 Permian graduate Cary Summers, the legendary ark will be recreated for the new Bible-based theme park, Ark Encounter."
    "In development for five years, Ark Encounter’s primary feature will be the 500-foot-long and 45-foot-tall all-wood ark rising high above the landscape and the surrounding ancient Middle-Eastern-inspired village."
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