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Re: The Fight for Truth, Justice & the American Way, in Monahans!

>Apparently
>the course of action taken by the City Manager of Monahans was partly
>attributed to the fact that "The Federal Government Official from NASA" had
>misinformed the media and the City Council that the meteorite was only worth
>about $1,000.  This was reflected when the Mayor of Monahans told me
>personally and again to one of the TV reporters after the council meeting,
>that now that they know it is worth so much more, "This really changes
>things!"  I think they thought that since it supposedly was worth so LITTLE,
>that they could sway public opinion and let them get away with keeping it.

Actually, this calculates to a little under a $1/gram for the Monahans 
meteorite.  This is well within the price range for a common chondrite 
meteorite - Monahans is an H5.  I've paid less for common chondrites.   
The $1,000 estimate is not an unreasonable one, and definitely not 
"misinformation" on what was known of the meteorite at the time.
 
>The rock is very unique with these most beautiful blue salt crystals in it,
>the likes of which have never been found in a meteorite before, therefore it
>is NOT common at all!

The blue crystals were only discovered after analysis was performed by the NASA
scientist.  If the meteorite was held onto to by city or the boys
who discovered the meteorite, chances are the blue crystals would not
have been discovered at all.  Note that the blue crystals were discovered
after-the-fact, so the initial $1,000 price estimate is still not 
"misinformation".  The blue crystals are unique, at least I've never heard 
of any other meteorite having them before, and they do increase
the value of the meteorite.  A search through the records
may uncover other meteorites with blue crystals, and I don't know if
anyone has done such a search yet.

>Which this brings up a real interesting question, If the meteorite hit first
>on private land but then bounced onto public land (or for argument sakes lets
>say it bounced onto on another piece of private property owned by someone
>else) who should get to own it?  

An very interesting question.  
My vote would go to the property that the meteorite came to rest in, after
it had stopped bouncing around.

Ron Baalke