Discrimination or Necessary Precaution?

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FARAI CHIDEYA, host:

And now, we're going to a different perspective on the incident at the Wales West RV resort. I'm joined by the owner Ken Zadnichek. Mr. Zadnichek, welcome to NEWS & NOTES.

Mr. KEN ZADNICHEK (Owner, Wales West Light Railway and RV Resort): Hello.

CHIDEYA: So, you have a situation now where people are coming to your resort to specifically protest, many of them HIV positive, even the ones who are not are going to be wearing swimsuits and paraphernalia saying that they are HIV positive. Are you surprised by the firestorm that this has caused?

Mr. ZADNICHEK: Oh, definitely surprised by that. And I have spoken with the gentleman from this organization and apparently, they're sending six RVs with what they call families to our resort for a celebration. And we're fine with that.

CHIDEYA: When you say you're fine with that, you're going to let them come on the property and have what is essentially a peaceful protest. How do you think the other folks who may already be booked into your resort will feel about that?

Mr. ZADNICHEK: I expect they'll be amazed.

CHIDEYA: Amazed in a good way or a more doubting one?

Mr. ZADNICHEK: Oh, you know. The folks in the south are tolerant people and loving people, and we welcome everybody to this place. We always have and we always will. What surprises me is it wasn't any problem at all, and it's not coming from us.

CHIDEYA: So earlier I mentioned the article in the Mobile Press-Register in which you explained your side of the story. And in it, you said, that you were just waiting for some clearance from the health department. Explain to me more about how you feel the whole situation unfolded in, what exactly you wanted in terms of an assurance before you let Caleb into the pool and the common areas.

Mr. ZADNICHEK: Well, as far as we're concerned here, the whole incident would have never happened if the Glovers have been willing to work with us for a few minutes. It was the end of the day. It was a holiday. There was no way to get a hold of anybody in official capacity. We weren't sure how to deal with child-on-child contact, which to us is the real issue here. And the only people that could have helped us at that time was the Glovers. And instead of helping us, they missed the golden opportunity to educate us and they missed the golden opportunity to give their child some normalcy.

They chose to start this media campaign, which has gotten blown all out of proportion there. Sensationalizing the media is what I can see. But the real story to us is child-on-child contact. We weren't sure what we're dealing with. We want to protect Caleb's health as well as every other child's health because he's gotten a suppressed immune system. We didn't know what would happen if a bunch of kids or who are in the same place, sharing things that the infants will do - chewing on toys, running, skipping, diapers, the whole mess. We just weren't sure what we're dealing with. We went to the Glovers in good faith and asked them for some help. We didn't get any. We were not able to help their child have a good time because they wouldn't help us, pretty much the way we will get it.

CHIDEYA: What about the race issue? Mrs. Glover says that...

Mr. ZADNICHEK: No, never ever. We don't care about that stuff. We have colored people, mixed couples, everything else come in here all the time. And we - in the business world, ma'am, the only color is green. And that's why we do it. We've always adhere to all the rules and regulations of ATA and everything else. She's just blowing smoke, trying to diffuse it, trying to, you know, draw attention away from the fact that she had a golden opportunity to help us and to help her child and they didn't.

CHIDEYA: All right. Well, Ken Zadnichek, thanks for sharing your point of view.

Mr. ZADNICHEK: All right. Thanks for asking me.

CHIDEYA: Ken Zadnichek owns the Wales West Light Railway and RV Resort in Silverhill, Alabama.

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