The Lake Havasu News Herald published the following letter on Feb 28
The mineral museum in Phoenix began at the 1884 territorial
fair and was one of Arizona’s top rated museums. It was a tourist destination
and resource for scientific research. Most importantly, it offered free K-12 earth
science education programs for both students and teachers. Over 40,000 children
visited the mineral museum each year. Of those 25,000 came on school field
trips and over another 15,000 were brought by parents, grandparents, or scout
leaders.
In 2010, the Arizona Historical Society gained control of
the museum. In 2011, the AHS locked the doors, even though it continued to
receive the full museum budget every year since. Apparently, the reason for the
closure has never been determined.
SB1200 will facilitate restoration of the mineral museum and
its K-12 education programs by transferring all of its assets to the Arizona
Geological Survey. The bill, sponsored by Senator Gail Griffin, unanimously
passed a committee vote on February 17th. The bill is budget
neutral, so there is absolutely no reason not to support it. Arizona residents
need to contact their state senators and representative as well as their new
Governor to assure that this bill becomes law.
Dick Zimmermann, Tempe, AZ
I would also hate to be on the board of directors of the Arizona Historical Society. Just think you did your job so bad that the Governor of Arizona and the State Legislature is about to destroy your board!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of bad job do you need to do to have that happen?
Hiring directots like Ann Woosley, Mike Weber, Jim Moss etc.....Thinking that the AHS could actually raise the money to move to the Rio Nuevo Complex near Downtown Tucson. That cost the Arizona taxpayers $230,000,000 and got nothing. Or maybe it was the destructiion of the Mineral Museum? Or the concept of a Centennial Museum..Or.maybe it was the "5"C's Museum Concept...or maybe the Arizona Experience Museum? Those ideas would have cost $15,000,000.
Or maybe it was your board hired a director who never left the office or maybe it was because your board never raised any money,
Goodbye Board. You will not be missed.
I would also hate to be a current staff member of the AHS. They must be ashamed of the current administration. Hopefully they don't have to defend the Woosley/Ponder admin to the public too often. Remember the public does read the news. A once proud museum driven to such depths. And for what.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what te membership thinks too. The ones that are left at least. And if I was an artifact donor I would be very wary of giving my heirlooms to the agency. I don't have to worry about anybody from the AHS asking for money. Nobody probably does.