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Karen Cundiff
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
| November 10, 2002--This
is a story of a little bird and a small business owner.
Karen Cundiff and her father own Hearth & Home, a business
that's been around for a long time.
They recently built a new building on north Ridge Road. |
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But as the building was going
up, folks wondered why it was taking so long.
"It
was very stressful."
Her business, Hearth & Home is now open on North Ridge Road.
Inside, the showrooms shine with the smell of new paint and fancy
products.
But getting to this point was a struggle.
One day, as the building was under construction, she had an
unexpected visit from her builder.
"He
said, we've got a problem and he started describing a bird.
He said this bird is on the endangered species list, it's built
a nest behind our building and we're shut down until the bird decides
to move."
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The
bird was a 'Least Tern', on the endangered species list and
federally protected.
"I
couldn't believe it. I thought he was joking. I literally couldn't
believe it. But he wasn't.
We were totally shut down until that bird moved." |
Wildlife
biologists had put a fence with signs warning that the bird was nesting
and to stay away.
"Small businesses face all sorts of problems.
But the last thing they expected here were problems from a
bird."
"Oh yeah, we lost thousands and thousands and thousands on the delays
that we had. It was a major financial loss due to the bird.
Somehow I don't think that bird is going to pay us back any of
that money."
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But there is an ironic twist to this story.
None of the biologists from the federal government or the
biologists from Kansas Wildlife and Parks ever ordered construction on
this building to cease. Apparently
it was just a misunderstanding.
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| "That would be very
upsetting. It was bad enough having the bird, but if we found out we
really didn't need to stop all the construction and we could have been
in here much sooner that would be just very bad."
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It now appears the
bird, while protected, is innocent.
No one from the federal government or Kansas wildlife and parks
ever issued an order to shut down construction.
It appears to be a case of a simple miscommunication.
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"I understand we have to protect
the environment and protect endangered species, but we have to protect
small businesses and we have to be able to function and people have to
have a livelihood." |
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Despite all, Karen has a surprisingly positive attitude
about the little bird causing a big problem.
"It's just one of those things you have to deal with in life.
Bad things come up but hopefully good things come from out of
them in the long run."
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| Have a story idea for Hatteberg's
People? Send Larry an email
with the details. |
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