From the Sep 17, 2015 draft AHS Board Meeting Minutes
Woosley stated that AHS has been contacted by the University of Arizona with plans relating to an expanded UA/AHS mineral museum. Objectives of this collaborative effort include exhibitions, education, and outreach programming around the state. Woosley will work closely with key members of the University to draft a letter to define respective roles for the project.Does the U of A realize that they are proposing a violation of Arizona statutes (Allen amendment to centennial musuem bill)?
Is the U of A really comfortable stealing a mineral museum from K-12 students in Phoenix, especially since Tucson already has one?
Reference: The Allen amendment to Arizona Revised Statute 41-827 was specifically passed to preserve the mineral museum and K-12 education programs in Phoenix.
What the heck is the University of Arizona thinking? Does the President of the U of A know this is going on? Why would they become allied with the AHS on this?
ReplyDeleteAnd what is Ann Woosley trying to do? When does this mess end. I hope the U of A sees through this crap.
The Uof A Mineral Museum is thinking about getting control of the State Mineral Collection and since AHS has it, it's a slick move. However, SB1200 which was corrective legislation that passed overwhelmingly in the legislature but was vetoed by Ducey, would have returned the collection and Mining and Mineral Museum under the AZ Geological Survey. This issue needs to be resolved legislatively and will be re-introduced during the next legislative session. All of the talk of putting everything down in Tucson does not solve the problem that AHS shut down a successful MMM without explanation and with statutes that mandated they keep it operating. After four years they have not even attempted to comply with their statutes. Why? AHS does not have the scientific expertise to do it, and drove those who did away. Newsflash-working with U of A will not solve the problem of what they did to the MMM in Phoenix!!!
ReplyDeleteThe next legislative session should prove to be most interesting.The big issues will be who should control and have responsibility for the valuable state mineral collection, and who can best reinstate the Mining and Mineral Museum and again serve the many students and teachers who were the victims of the AHS closure.
ReplyDeleteThe legislature has spoken and their answer is the AZ Geological Survey! This time around there is another wrinkle--a Tucson faction building a new mineral museum with high end collectors wanting to keep the MMM from opening--they think it will compete with them. The MMM was a super student's earth science education museum serving the large Phoenix population center. This kind of thinking by some big-wigs in the mineral group is disturbing and greedy, with kids as the victims. The active and talented people who helped build the MMM really want to work with the AGS, and their anger over their negative treatment by AHS needs to be respected. The Allen
amendment is still in effect and being violated by AHS.
Senator Allen was influential in getting the legislature to address it and take needed corrective action.
The choice of the Director of the Historical Society to headup a new super earth sciebnce outreach program defies reason. The big question is why did ASU Mineral Museum choose someone with almost no earth science background or outreach experience. She
ReplyDeletedoes not have a stellar record of running successful history museums, and failed miserably in her last big project--the ever changing and costing more Centennial Museum. A big negative crediit is the failure to follow AHS statutes in closing down a very reputable earth science museum and educational program. U of A used persons who knew both parties to choose her, rather than looking for a super qualified person with appropriate earth science experience. If this is how the big mineral expansion in Tucson is going to be handled, it is not going to be nearly as impressive as touted!
Given AHS' track record of mismanaged projects in Tucson, it is extremely surprising that the U of A wants to collaborate with this corrupt, inept, and morally bankrupt organization. Haven't the U of A decision makers learned from the millions of dollars squandered on the Rio Nuevo project; the misuse of the C. O. Brown House; or the retaliatory firing of whistle blower/director Felipe Jacome. The U of A officials are apparently ignorant of this sorted history or are simply willing to overlook such a pattern of misbehavior. Either way it doesn't reflect well on the university which wants to partner with AHS in violating Arizona statutes and depriving Phoenix area students access to a museum dedicated to earth science education.
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