Approximately one year ago, Freeport's lobbyist championed the centennial museum bill in the Arizona House and Senate. The lobbying was supplemented by a million dollar grant. Until the ugly and permanent closing of the mineral museum on April 30, 2011, there has been no statement from Freeport concerning their role in the centennial museum fiasco. Now, there is:
email, Kinneberg, Eric to me, 2:45 PM, May 6, 2011
Mr. Zimmerman,
Nicole Turner forwarded your message requesting a comment from Freeport-McMoRan on our support of the Arizona Centennial Museum:
Freeport-McMoRan supports the Arizona Centennial Commission and its efforts to develop the Centennial Museum. One of our objectives is to ensure that the Centennial Museum will continue the legacy of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum providing high-quality education on the significance of mining in Arizona’s history and the importance it continues to have on this great state.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.
Eric E. Kinneberg
Director - External Communications
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
(602) 366-7994
eric_kinneberg@fmi.com
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What a crock! AHS fired all the tour guides. When they reopen the museum with a fraction of the rocks (maybe 1/10th of the present number on display) who will be available to teach about the significance of rocks....or does Freeport think the public will be able to learn all about mining from a few displays allowed them? Remember they will now only have 1/12th of the museum available to them and that will include rocks as part of that scenerio. I doubt any of the tour guides will come back. I hope the new assistant curator, who will have a geology background, wants to teach 1-2 classes a day about rocks and mining. The educational program that Freeport wants is going to be a broken dream. The classroom experience for the 3rd and 5th graders in this new museum will have nothing to do with mining and minerals.
ReplyDeleteApparently there is a centennial museum brochure that shows nothing but a little 500 square foot mineral gallery in the entire 18,000 square foot building. There will be no room for educational mineral displays.
ReplyDeleteLet me get this right......FreportMcMoRan will be donating 1 million dollars of a 15 million dollars needed for a "Centennial Museum" boondoggle. When will they figure that this whole thing will not work. My guess is that they will just move thir money to other Centennial projects. They could do a lot of great things like 20 centennial projects costing $50,000 each. Why waste their money on a failed state agency building a failed and stupid "exhibit" done by an out of state contractor who is a sole source company. If they think that the Arizona Historical Society can pull this off then they have rocks in their head.
ReplyDeleteDo they actually think that the AHS can pull this off. Dows Woosley have the skills? After seeing her on KAET the other day she can't even talk fast enough to get through a couple of questions. She must be in love with the sound of her voice.
ReplyDeleteSo why is she so in love with super-expensive exhibits companies from the east. Do you think that they would come all the way out here to do the exhibit she is suggesting. If you thought the"5"C's was boring try doing the one she dreamed up. So whats the connection with her and the superexpensive exhibits companies?
I am sadden to hear of the closure of the museum. I am from Seattle, and visit Arizona a couple times a year. This has always been one of the main attraction to visit. The staff there was always so helpful to answer questions and always had time to show school kids around. My fellow rock and gem collectors from around the world will truly miss it. One more bit of your history gone.
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