Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Do Not Forget":
"OK. What am I missing here ? ... the Town owns the historical collection"
That's what you're missing. The collection is the property of the Aurora Historical Society NOT the Town.
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Ownership of the collection is a canard that keeps being tossed out from the shadows into the melee.
I have heard numerous references; Nobody knows where it is. It's just a bunch of junk picked up at yard sales and donated because it might be part of town history.
At one point, the town received a financial report from the Historical Society,noting town responsibility to pay $12,000 for a year for storage of the collection.
The town was not pursued for payment. Probably because the town was providing a grant of $50,000 a year while there was no museum and no collection to curate and display.
We were angrily informed once, the curator had nothing to do with the town either being entirely the employee of the historical Society.The Society's curator now has the title of manager/curator.
The claim of ownership always comes up with the question of the missing museum.
No name is attached to the claim. The statement is never challenged.Therefore in the absence, it would appear to be accord with the Society's position.
There is never a point made with the claim.
Does it mean, if the collection is not owned by the town, it's not the town's business.
If the town doesn't own the collection does the town (Councillor Buck) have the right to speak about its stewardship?
We hear about talks going on between the Historical Society and the Culture Centre Board .... for two years already. The Historical Society is represented on the board. What is that about?
Still the collection is in storage. A sort of limbo. Bearing the stigma no doubt. of absent parentage. Destined to be seen only in glimpses in the facility built to receive it. Brought out of boxes on certain days, to be dusted off and given a number for a purpose yet to be identified.
Out of the depths and shadows comes the regular rumble."Butt out of our business.Buck,the collection is ours "
I reply.....Who are you sir? Are you spokesperson for the Historical Society?
Reveal yourself and your intention.
Are you friend of the museum?
Or just foe of the Church Street School museum?
Hands have been stretched out these many years to receive largesse straight from the pockets of ye old town taxpayers?
There was never an argument about ownership of the collection when the town provided millions to build a state of the art museum and over almost thirty years, a cool million and a half, towards the salary of a curator and free space for the museum as well.
No sepulchral voice cried out from the wilderness, the museum is none of the town's business while money fell like manna from heaven to feed the multitude that which they desired.
When all's said and done, it would be helpful to know the Historical Society is a friend of the Church Street School museum ?
Could they therefore be persuaded to disassociate from the spurious claim of ownership of artifacts that clearly belong to the community and not to some puffed- up anonymity hidden in the hedge making scary noises.
But the Historical Society is always in flux,
ReplyDeletesubject to various whims as people join and leave.But it is the AURORA Historical Society, not an offshoot of
Cultural Society unless they take that one over too and
load the membership list with their puppets. Which is
highly likely. They do seem to have excess time on
their hands.
Councillor Humphreys spoke of the 'bulk' of the
ReplyDeletematerial which does not sound like a bunch of bits &
pieces. Plus there are other donors who are
reluctant to send material when they don't know who
should receive it or even where to send it Nor is
there any assurance that proper care will be taken to
preserve the various items here in Aurora for the
benefit of the town and its taxpayers. History in a
Museum does not mean dead history; there are a lot
of cool artifacts that need to be inventoried and then
displayed throughout the year.
Is there a prospective floor plan for the Museum
ReplyDeletemouldering away in some drawer that someone like
Christopher Watts could play with and bring up to
standards that would utilize all the light and space?
David Heard has been busting his butt for years on this issue and raising awareness to our great history.He gets no mention and would be an amazing anchor to the museum.He has great pieces he has collected which he shares at the market on occassion.
ReplyDeleteWhat other "causes" are you going to embrace instad of doing Town business that is more important?
ReplyDeleteI mean really, we are surrounded ny other issues that are more significant - is this the only battle that you stand a chance winning?
Anonymous 12:44
ReplyDeleteFeeling the heat ? What other issues do you feel
are more important ?
What does your critic think is more important town business , perhaps the critic could be more specific , Nothing better than a list from the know it all's of the world , I t would be interesting to see what the critic has to say , then you can proceed to blow'em out of the water with more facts on virtually any town business
ReplyDelete"not to some puffed- up anonymity hidden in the hedge making scary noises"
ReplyDeleteGood Point Councilor Buck , no doubt you’re dealing with some recent implant to our fair hamlet was not around to follow the lengthy history of the museum and the Towns steadfast involvement, since the old police station days and even before , Just another Johnny come Lately who thinks culture precedes history
There's only one direction to point the finger of blame for the murky history and ongoing petty gamesmanship of this Museum/Cultural Centre fiasco.
ReplyDeleteAurora Town Council (past and present)
Why?
Because they forgot/forget that they are entrusted with taxpayers' money.
They are responsible for where the money goes and what happens to it when it gets there.
It is clear that in this regard the Town has FAILED SPECTACULARLY.
Our money has gone out the door with no strings attached.
Just vague and ambiguous "understandings" and "interpretations" of what was intended. Of course the debate is endless because each interested party is "clear" about what was supposed to happen.
Weak and ineffectual councils have repeatedly side-stepped their responsibilities, all the while maneuvering themselves so as to be seen as being on the popular side of the issue depending of course on which way the wind is blowing.
They forgot that it has nothing to do being for or against a museum.
Nothing to do with being for or against a cultural centre.
It does however, have everything to do with living up to the one and only responsibility that matters - to the one and only stakeholder that matters - the Taxpayer.
I couldn't care less about the laughably amateur Napoleonic empire-building that obviously is at play in this issue but I am EXTREMELY disappointed that council hasn't put an end to it.
How?
Simple.
Remember where your responsibility lies.
Greet every request for funding with the phrase - "when we cut the cheque - we call the shots"
What's that you say?
The town doesn't own the artifacts?
Good.
Then we don't have to pay to store them and taxpayers obviously won't be paying for a museum to house what amounts to someone's private collection.
You don't want the town sticking their oar in at the Culture Club?
The Town doesn't have the right to insist that space be set aside for a museum at the Church Street School?
Fine.
Go get your money somewhere else.
Oh, and Have a Nice Day!
Great blogpost if you ask me. Thanks for sharing that info.
ReplyDeleteBrand Writeman
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I just read your article on Blogger: Our Town and Its Business - Post a Comment and want to thank you for it.
ReplyDelete