Mineral Museum Madness

WHY THE 5C ARIZONA CENTENNIAL MUSEUM FAILED

2012-02-24T08:44:00.001-08:00

Guest post by an anonymous contributor:

The Arizona centennial is now history and there is no centennial museum celebrating Arizona history. Why did the grand plan for the $15 million “centerpiece” of the centennial celebration” fail?

Perhaps because the plan was not really so grand?

In fact, it was not even any good.

The flaws become obvious when the loosely defined plan is compared to recommended practice for establishing a new museum. In the following paragraphs, ten key points for creating a new museum are compared to what actually happened. The numbered recommendations are in normal type, and actual centennial museum planning is summarized in bold italics.

Best 10 Practices for Creating a New Museum *

Recommendation:

WRITE A ONE - PAGE DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEA OF THE NEW MUSEUM.

What Gov. Brewer, AHS, and Centennial 12 Foundation Did!

Announced a 5C Arizona Centennial Museum honoring the 5 C’s (one line description of new museums theme), announced who the sole-source designer (Gallagher) would be and chose the sole-source museum manager (AHS) who is also on the Centennial Foundation 2012 Board.
Done Deal!!!

HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING AND LISTEN!

Planned museum in secret, later announced it as a “Birthday Present” others would have to pay for, and instantly gagged the mining and mineral museum (MMM) staff.

VISIT 20 LIKE (HIGH-TECH) MUSEUMS.

Omitted this step. They could have at least gone to the AHS’s Marley Museum to figure out why a high-tech museum might fail and how expensive it is to maintain one.

FIND A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER.

No need to do this. The clique simply planned to hi-jack an existing building-the Polly Rosenbaum building dedicated to and containing the very successful Mining and Mineral Museum. Oops—they forgot to consider the bad press and anger this would cause.

DO THE NUMBERS: GET A BUSINESS PLAN.

The initial cost estimate used to support the centennial museum bill was on a half-page of paper and was hopelessly incomplete. After the bill became law, the cost ballooned to over $15 million. Since there is still no transparency, the soundness of that estimate is unknown. That’s also without any consideration for maintenance costs and who will agree to pay for them for years and years.

OWN THE WORDS—DESCRIBE THE MUSEUM IN DETAIL

The project was forever changing and never described to the public. After announcing her “birthday gift”, Gov. Brewer, one year later, said we would hear more from her soon. It never happened. Meanwhile the theme somehow morphed from the 5Cs to the Arizona “experience” which was never clearly explained. AHS and the Centennial Foundation made some vague attempts that have proven to be glowing generalizations with no money or concrete plans behind them.

FORM A NON-PROFIT WITH A COMMUNITY BOARD TO PROMOTE.

The Centennial Foundation is a non-profit with community leaders, but they failed to promote the new museum or answer opposition. They made a small number of “public” presentations only to small, select groups such as town councils. They did, however, allow the Governor and AHS to use their 501 (c) 3 status as a way to allow for sole-source contracts rather than open bidding. The Centennial Commission and the AHS’s Board of Directors apparently said nothing.

CREATE A SMALLER SAMPLE FACILITY. TALK TO DESIGNERS.

No need for this step—they already chose the designer first! There was plenty of room (in the mineral museum building) for a pre-view but that never happened—everyone was just supposed to accept whatever the Governor, the AHS, and the Foundation wanted for their expensive “signature” project.

RAISE FUNDS.

Fundraising failed due to a “jam it down your throat” attitude, using pressure from the Gov.’s office and the guise of a “birthday gift” others had to pay for. The “signature” project supplanted other worthy efforts for our Centennial and destroyed the historic, well-respected, popular, and almost self-supporting MMM.

SHARE THE VISION.

The vision was never adequately shared, and for some it was a true nightmare. The public still does not know what the Experience Museum is. Without the funds, the vision is diminished. The reality now being shared is that Arizona lost a valuable and historic museum and had an empty building for our Centennial celebration.

Discussion:

The secrecy surrounding centennial museum planning and the statute to authorize it was inappropriate. It produced angry community opposition and led to a legislative compromise that had the MMM “housed” in the building, sharing it with the Centennial Museum. Then, this legislative action was completely ignored. The centennial museum project proceeded in blatant violation of the new state statutes.

Instead, a strategy of silencing the opposition failed. The MMM was abruptly closed, with the staff laid off (fired) and the doors locked to the 25,000 school students plus 30,000+ visitors each year. Untruthful information about low MMM attendance and serious budget concerns didn’t stand up to the fact that the MMM was self-supporting but for the use of the historic state owned building.

Freeport reportedly began a feasibility study very late in 2011 after it became clear there would be no centennial museum for Arizona’s centennial. Such studies are normally done at the beginning of a project. At this point, a failure analysis would be more appropriate.

After several focus changes and near total failure to raise anywhere near the money estimated (guessed) for the centennial / experience museum, the project is in very serious trouble. Credibility was further damaged because the public was given ever changing amounts that were greatly inflated as fundraising reports for the new museum. At one point supporters claimed they had raised one third of the money. Then, the news media reported only 2 or 3 million had been raised. The latest figure (ABC 15 news report) is even lower than before— $250,000 raised for a guestimated need of #$15.75 M.

Summary:

Recipe for Success: Items (normal type) 1 through 10.

Recipe for Failure: Actions of Governor Brewer, AHS, and the Centennial 2012 Foundation from mid-2009 through the centennial.

Reference:

* Museum Planning http://museumplanner.org

Half million dollar state budget for nonexistent museum?

2012-02-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

The FY 2013 state budget includes some completely inexcusable pork. The executive Budget (page 106) includes $626,900 for the AHS to operate the Arizona Centennial Museum. Senate Bill 1543 (Section 46) includes $441,400, as does House Bill 2852. House and senate bills both identify the nonexistent museum as the Arizona Experience Museum, even though the change from centennial museum to experience museum was never authorized by the legislature.

Does the Arizona legislature think they are being financially responsible by only reducing, rather than eliminating, the budget for a museum that does not even exist?

The Arizona centennial is now history. There was not and will not be a centennial museum. When will the Arizona Legislature catch on?

Is the Arizona Centennial Museum obsolete?

2012-02-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

As described in prior posts, the Arizona Centennial Museum morphed into the Arizona Experience Museum. The terms are now synonyms for an embarrassing centennial failure. The nameless buiding at 1502 West Washington Street (Centennial Way) is now an empty shell.

Now, http://www.arizonaexperience.org/ states the following:

To commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime event of Arizona’s hundredth birthday, the Governor and Arizona Historical Society envisioned a museum that would capture the state’s history, celebrate its people, and embrace its future. Working with world-renowned museum designers, Gallagher and Associates, the AHS began to seek ideas from across Arizona to create plans for a true journey of discovery. The museum would feature of immersive, multimedia, and interactive exhibits to introduce visitors to meet some of the people who nurtured the state through its early years and others who are innovating its tomorrows. Showcases would include the natural resources that shaped its history and are transforming its present day, highlighting encounter the ingenuity that tamed the wild frontier and is envisioning Arizona’s next frontiers. Visitors would hear from Arizonans in their own words-- the voice of all of the diverse cultural and ethnic groups that call this state home. The Virtual Arizona Experience was initially intended to serve as the web site for the museum, but it quickly developed an identity of its own, adding content and applications that are better suited to being handled online, and creating a rich, dynamic supplement to the museum experience.

Question: Why build a $15 million dollar museum filled with interactive displays featuring material that can be better presented on the internet?

Analogy: If a new movie appeared on the internet before it was released in theaters, who would go to the theater to see it? If the internet version had added "content and applications", could the theater even give tickets away?

ABC 15 investigates centennial museum mess

2012-02-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

Investigative reporter David Biscobing covered the premature and misguided closure of the historic and top rated Arizona Mineral and Mining Museum. Text and video are available at:
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/abc15-investigates-why-did-governor-brewer-close-arizonas-mining-and-mineral-museum

Centennial boondoggle exposed!

2012-02-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Investigative reporters at ABC 15 TV are putting the finishing touches on a big story about the big boondoggle that destroyed the top rated mineral museum. For a preview, see: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/about_us/news_releases/why-brewers-centennial-project-months-behind-millions-short

Elected leaders insult donors and volunteers

2012-02-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Arizona's elected state leaders chose to celebrate the centennial by insulting the many donors and volunteers that made the top rated and historic Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum possible. The elected leader’s failed "centerpiece of the centennial celebration" displaced the mineral museum and its popular K-12 earth science education program. The doors were literally locked in the faces of children arriving on school busses. Donors and volunteers were shocked by this callous disregard for history and education.

The January 30^th post (A plea to save Arizona history) told the story of one family that donated a major historical artifact. The story of another such family follows:

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In 1958 my Father Lawrence (Shorty) Tozier decided to move to Sedona, Arizona. He had lived most of his life in Southern California. My grandfather had made the trip from Bangor, Maine to Long Beach, California by Model T Ford in 1917-18. By the 1950s my Dad had sold his orange groves and decided California was getting over- crowded. He opened a Laundromat in Sedona but found he did not have much interest in that type of business.

By 1961 he had moved the family to Phoenix. He had been looking for land to buy since leaving Sedona and he found about 300 acres north of Cave Creek/Carefree within the Total National Forest. My dad was familiar with this type of property. He had been an U.S. Forest Ranger in the Angeles National Forest and the San Juancintos during the 1930s. After purchasing the land he discovered that a mine was on the property. It was known as the Red Rover Mine.

The Red Rover Mine was established around 1882 and was the most successful mining operation in the Cave Creek Mining District. Copper carbonates that contained as much as 2000 oz. of silver per ton were found at the surface of the deposit. Major production at the mine occurred from 1882 to 1917 during which $200,000 in copper and silver was recovered. But between 1917 and 1953, it had been operated intermittently.

My Dad found a partner who knew mining and tried to open up the mine. A first they did not have enough money to do under-ground mining. They screened the tailings for high-grade ore and sent it to the Inspiration Smelter at Miami/Globe. But the transportation costs ate up most of the returns from the smelter. By the late 1960s they had found the money to do some under-ground mining. A new drift/tunnel was dug into the hill under an old building which had been the Cooks Shack. In the past Mining Engineers had seen signs that high-grade ore existed there.

As the drift was dug, water and air was piped in and track was put down for the ore car and mucker. My husband Frank was not working in construction at the time so he and my brother Ted worked as miners. They would drill and shoot the rock face and then move the waste outside with the mucker and ore car. Frank always moved carefully when the mucker was running. The heavy steel shovel would jerk up and back to load the ore car. It could have easily broken an arm or someone’s head if one got in the way.

Unfortunately, the money was gone before any ore was found. Under-ground mining is expensive and finding a small vein of ore in the ground is like looking for a needle in a haystack. As the years passed there was less interest in mining and more interest in building homes. My parents lived at the Red Rover some years and in Cave Creek during other years. By 1990 my parents were getting too old to live out by themselves.

At that time Charlie Connell visited the mine. He was building the stamp mill display at the new Mining and Mineral Museum and was looking for some large timbers to complete the head frame. At that time my parents decided to donate the two muckers and ore cars to the Museum. Charlie restored the Muckers and Ore Cars and placed the best looking one in front of the Museum where it still stands today. And for many years there was a picture of it in the Phoenix Yellow Pages phone book.

Today there is a renewed interest in mining. The most popular show on TV right now is “Gold Rush”. It is about placer gold mining in Alaska. This renewed interest means we need to get more stories published about the history of Arizona Mines.

By Cynthia Buckner, 2/6/2012

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The following pictures show family members playing and working at the mine in 1968 and 1970. The last picture shows one of the muckers that was donated to the mineral museum.

Mining deleted from Arizona story

2012-02-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

A letter in the Febuary 9th Arizona Republic reads in part:

In reading the schedule of "Storytellers" for the Arizona Best Fest this weekend, I didn't see any mention of anyone telling a story about mining in Arizona ("A stage of storytellers," Tuesday).

There were miners here, building this state, long before there were rock stars, winemakers, Intel and most of the others who will be telling their stories.

Arizona Centennial celebration letter

2012-02-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Guest Post:

Dear Governor Brewer,

Thank you for your invitation to attend events held near the capitol celebrating Arizona's 100Th birthday. However, I will have to pass on attending those celebrations because it makes me sad to be in that area. Just looking at the empty and silent building on the northwest corner of 15Th Avenue and Washington Street breaks my heart.

For the past 20 years I have been an inner city classroom volunteer, and the Arizona Mines and Mineral Museum was a favorite field trip of mine. A visit to the AMMM, a walk through Westley Bolin Park, and a visit to the Arizona Capitol were more fun for our students than you can even imagine.

We planned that very trip last spring but we were greeted by LOCKED doors at the AMMM. The building was silent and sad, just like our students when they heard that the AMMM was no more.

I love Arizona and will celebrate her 100Th birthday at my school with birthday cake and a pinata.

I wish you all the best,

Judy Ambelang

Public school volunteer

Recommended budget increase for non-existent Arizona Centennial Museum (AKA Arizona Experience Museum)

2012-02-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pages 106 and 107 of Governor Brewer’s FY 2013 budget show FY 2012 appropriations and FY 2013 recommendations for the Arizona Historical Society. In FY 2012, the AHS received a separate line item appropriation of $589,700 for a centennial museum even though there is no centennial museum and the mineral museum (prior occupant of the building) was closed before the beginning of FY 2012.

Incredibly, the executive budget recommends an increase in the centennial museum separate line item appropriation for FY 2013. The recommended appropriation is $626,900.

Hint to the Arizona Legislature:

Take a look at the building with no name at 1502 West Washington Street (AKA Centennial Way).

Note the locked doors and closed signs.

Peek through the windows and see the emptiness inside.

Reference:

The Executive Budget FY 2013

http://www.azospb.gov/documents/2012/FY2013-ExecutiveBudget-AgencyDetail.pdf

Bad Press for Arizona Centennial Museum

2012-02-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

The chickens are finally coming home to roost. The now notorious 5C Arizona Centennial Museum (AKA Arizona Experience Museum) is finally receiving recognition for what it is: a miserable failure that seriously damaged Arizona’s centennial celebration.

A recent front page article in the Arizona Republic included the following paragraphs:

Brewer added a complication when she announced plans to convert the Mining and Mineral Museum into a centennial museum. That led to the mining museum's abrupt closure last year, angering volunteers and staffers.

"It's been a challenge to have the negativity surrounding it," said Churchard, the only commission staffer on the state payroll.

Meanwhile, conversion of the building at 15th Avenue and Washington Street into the Arizona Experience Museum is on hold. So far, there's $950,000 pledged toward the $12.75 million effort.

A subsequent letter to the editor commenting on the article and the centennial fiasco included the following:

The planning of our state's 100th birthday party has been fraught with bickering and haphazard fundraising.

Our Mining and Mineral Museum was abruptly closed last year to make way for Brewer's "centennial museum," where it remains shuttered for lack of funding.

References:

Arizona centennial events reined in by funding woes, by Mary Jo Pitzl - Jan. 30, 2012 11:49 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/01/26/20120126arizona-centennial-events-reined-by-funding-woes.html#ixzz1lLhYilj7

Arizona deserves better than this party, letter to the editor by Bob Ellis, Arizona Republic, Feb. 3, 2012 12:00 AM

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/02/03/20120203-arizona-deserves-better-than-this-party.html

A plea to save Arizona History

2012-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Guest Post:

My uncle, Charlie Brown, was born in Arizona on May 6, 1911…before Arizona became a state.

Charlie’s father was a bit of a dreamer and bought land and claims for the Swallow mine (17 miles outside of Wickenburg) with the idea that he would become rich. That did not happen but it provided him with years of hard work and dreams. Charlie inherited the mine and it became his hobby. While he lived in Long Beach, CA, he would drive over for weekends to work around the mine….like some people golf, ski, etc. For many years, he had men living on the property to protect the assets…their pay was the gold and copper that they could recover and an occasional meal when my aunt and uncle would visit. The original “cabin” at the mine was the original one room schoolhouse serving the families of the area working all the mines.

While the Swallow Mine (and later the Moonlight) was his hobby, Charlie believed in the hard work and dedication of the people who settled the area and mined for many years. These small mines and the people are as much a part of Arizona’s history as the large mines we know today.

Visiting the mine was a favorite activity of many of my friends and my cousins from Canada. Charlie was a wealth of knowledge and to see the mine and equipment in person and hear his stories provided many hours of pleasure. They still think of those visits fondly.

In 1996, Charlie was proud to donate the then unused equipment (stamp mill, pumps, jack hammers, rail, etc.) to the Mining Museum. At the time of the donation, this equipment itself was estimated to be worth $9,000. APS and numerous volunteer spent many hours over a five month period relocating the equipment to the current location. Volunteers spent many more hours making the equipment operational and training on the operation thereof. No value was attached to this time and effort but it is considerable.

The Stamp Mill (in particular) provides an educational opportunity for all that view it. People seeing the actual size, hearing the noise, and feeling the power of the equipment provides much more than some simulation can ever provide. They can see the tremendous effort it took to get the metals out of the ground and processed. What a great educational opportunity! (See attached letter)

This equipment is already in place and operational….why spend money to move it or change it? Don’t we have better things on which to spend our dollars (tax dollars and donations alike)?

I believe in progress. I believe the people should be exposed to the future of Arizona ….but not at the expense of minimizing or eliminating the past. In the year of 2012, we are recognizing Arizona’s Centennial and celebrating 100 years of history. What better way than to have actual items from that past that people can see, hear, feel, etc. This may the age of technology but many people still strive for personal experience and this is one that should be there for them and for the future.

Karen Bagwell

Historical Society Absurdity

2012-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Although provided with a generous budget by taxpayers, the Arizona Historical Society has never produced a top rated history museum. Incredibly, they now seem to envision operating a science education program.

A prior post described the “Arizona Mineral Education” link that was added to the AHS website in 2011. Now, the AHS website has an EDUCATION tab on the left. Clicking on it opens a menu with a SCIENCE EDUCATION icon on the very top. Under that icon, there is an INTERNET RESOURCES tab that provides links to many existing internet sites on rocks and minerals (and also women in mining). There are tabs for kid’s science projects, and teacher’s science kits. To the right of those tabs is a table with downloadable information on not only rocks, minerals, and geology, but also CLIMATE!

This nonsense on the AHS website raises a number of questions:

1. What right minded teacher would search for science education material on a historical society website?

2. Why should Arizona taxpayers support AHS staff that is assembling science education links on the AHS website where no one would look for it?

3. Does the AHS really think that science fluff on a historical society website could compensate for depriving tens of thousands (per school year) of students from the earth science education programs formerly provided by the mineral museum which they acquired and destroyed?

Mineral Museum Hearing Cancelled

2012-01-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

The Monday hearing on House Bill 2086 (mineral museum restoration) has been cancelled by the committee chairman.

There is no information available on the reason why.

Restoration of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum?

2012-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

There will be a hearing on a bill to restore the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum on Monday, January 23. The hearing will be held in room HHR 4 at 2:00 PM.

Arizona House of Representatives

Capitol Complex

1700 West Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890

Info Desk (602) 926-4221

Toll Free: 1-800-352-8404

Individuals intending to participate in or observe the hearing should expect delays. There are four bills on the agenda, and the order in which the bills will be heard in not determined until the hearing begins.

Requests to speak must be made in advance, either online or at the kiosk in the lobby. The committee usually allows each speaker 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon how many people request to speak.

The bill will be heard by the COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Members of that committee are:

Mrs. Barton Mr. Patterson Mr. Wheeler

Ms. Fann Miss Reeve Mrs. Brophy McGee

Mrs. Judd Mr. Saldate Mr. Pratt, Chairman

Reference:

HB 2086 Introduced by Representative Ableser

AN ACT, Amending sections 27-102, 27-152.02, 28-2448, 41-821, 41-827 and 41-827.01, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the mining and mineral museum.

http://www.azleg.gov//FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/50leg/2r/bills/hb2086p.htm&Session_ID=107

Freeport continues to push Arizona Experience Museum

2012-01-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

The paragraph below indicates that as of last November, Freeport McMoran was still strongly supporting the failed Arizona Centennial (AKA Experience) Museum which has displaced the top rated and historic Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum.

Why?

Arizona Centennial Museum – is on hold in Phase II fundraising component. We need another $800,000 to get us through February 14, 2012. We are encouraging more cooperation to step up. Once the February 14, 2012 event is done, we can reenergize the museum. Based on the feasibility study that Freeport McMoRan is doing at the present time, we will be able to access moving forward. We have not been able to enlist more corporations to help fund the museum. We need $15,000,000 and at this point we could count on approx $3,000,000. Since the museum is basically on hold at this point, the Governor’s office has asked us to do another project, which is the Arizona Experience website. We are working with the Arizona Geological Survey and the Arizona Historical Society to build a website portal set to K – 12 curriculum standards and will be based on the concept of the “Arizona Experience Museum”. We are working with STEM group. Everyone has been very forthcoming, including the Arizona Office in Tourism, in helping us develop this website. Our goal is to kick this off on February 14, 2012 and add more components monthly to the site.

Reference:
Governor’s Tourism Advisory Council Meeting (TAC)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Audubon Arizona

3131 South Central Avenue

Phoenix, Arizona

Meeting Minutes, Page 4

Arizona Centennial – Karen Churchard

Signature Failure featured at Arizona Best Fest

2012-01-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

The Arizona Centennial Best Fest Phoenix, a Signature Event of the Arizona Centennial Commission, is described as follows:

It's the Arizona party of the century! --- It's Arizona Best Fest Phoenix. The 'Best of Arizona' showcase is a traveling museum and mini 'Arizona world's fair'. --- Discover Arizona as you've never seen it: History Pavilion; Military Pavilion; the Resolution Copper Natural Resources Pavilion; the APS display of Renewable Energy; the U of A Science & Future Pavilion; Shamrock Farms Family Fun Zone; a Hispanic Village with Zumba and traditional equestrian dancers; Giant's Native American Village ---; and the Discount Tire Western Town. --- Also a concert-sized Mainstage featuring --- big-name entertainers. Feb. 11 & 12, on Centennial Way from 8th Avenue to 17th Avenue.

The former, top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum was at 15^th Avenue and Centennial Way, right in the midst of Best Fest. The Arizona Historical Society and the Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation promised to replace it with their “number one signature project” and the “centerpiece” of the centennial celebration. The $15.7 million 5C Arizona Centennial Museum was to be “unlike anything in Arizona”.

Indeed it is.

Stripped of its name and contents, the empty mineral museum building will reek with the stench of failure right in the midst of Arizona’s centennial celebration. The AHS not only failed to produce the promised “centerpiece” of the centennial celebration, but managed to destroy a piece of Arizona’s unique mining heritage that traced its roots back to the 1884 territorial fair.

This is not just a failure. It is a 100 year failure, a true “signature failure”.

Save the Mineral Museum

2012-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Lee Allison (Arizona State Geologist) has a blog. Go to www.arizonageology.blogspot.com. You can make comments, hopefully in a positive manner, supporting the transfer of the mineral museum from the AHS to the AZGS.

You should also contact your state representatives and senators and ask them to support HB2086.

The Saturday, January 07, 2012 AZGS blog post reads as follows:

Legislation calls for AZGS to create mining & mineral museum

State Rep. Eddie Ableser (D-Tempe) introduced legislation [HB2086] directing the Arizona Geological Survey to establish a mineral and mining museum. It would also remove the mining and mineral components of the currently proposed Arizona Centennial Museum that was planned for the former Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum building in Phoenix.

We have had no conversations with Rep. Ableser about his bill and were not aware it was being drafted.

The key language to be added to the AZGS state statutes is:

The department [AZGS] shall maintain a mining and mineral museum as the state depository for collecting, and cataloging and displaying mining artifacts and specimens, of various ores, gemstones, lapidary material and equipment and other valuable documents relating to mining and minerals mineral specimens. In connection with the museum, the state geologist may:

1. Establish and collect entrance fees to the museum for persons who are at least eighteen years of age.

2. Operate a retail gift shop, including the acquisition, purchase and resale of mineral specimens and mineral-related items.

3. Employ a curator for the museum.

4. Pay the necessary maintenance and operation expenses of the museum.

Arizona’s Botched Centennial Celebration

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Arizona Best Fest events were to be the major centennial celebrations. They were to be held in Prescott in September, Tucson in November, and Phoenix in February. The Prescott event was held as scheduled, but the Tucson one was not.

The Arizona Centennial Commission & Foundation spent their funds designing the Arizona Historical Society’s $15 million 5C Arizona Centennial Museum instead. Like their $80 million History Museum at Rio Nuevo in Tucson, it will never be built because the AHS did not raise the funds for construction.

This is strike three for the AHS. They spend millions designing things they cannot build. Their resume of failure now includes the Marley Center Museum in Tempe, the History Museum at Rio Nuevo in Tucson, and the 5C Arizona Centennial Museum in Phoenix. The Marley was unique because it was actually built (but shouldn’t have been). The state provided funds for the building, but the AHS then failed to raise the funds for the displays. The state then raised more money for the displays, but the AHS then failed to maintain them. The interactive displays in the Marley are now a pile of junk.

Why did the Arizona Centennial Commission fund another AHS failure rather than the Centennial Best Fest celebrations?

Reference:

Weary of waiting for the state, Tucsonans plan centennial bash

Veronica M. Cruz, Arizona Daily Star

Friday, December 30, 2011 12:00 am

Historical Society’s War of Words

2011-12-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Guest post by a mineral museum supporter who participated in Senate negotiations over HB 2251

During the fight over HB 2251 (the bill to authorize using the Polly Rosenbaum building for the 5C Arizona Centennial Museum rather than for only the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum), the fate of the mineral museum was the focus of contentious argument before a senate hearing. The words used by each side show very different intents and make a good third grade AIMS question:

Question: Which word(s) does not belong in the following group?

A. repurpose

B. transform

C. house

D. fundamentally change

Alternate Question: Which phrase does not mean the same as the other two?

A. repurpose and transform

B. fundamentally change

C. house and maintain

Correct answer: C for both questions.

“House” and “maintain” were the words used by the Arizona Legislature in the amended bill which passed. The Arizona statutes now clearly state that the mineral museum shall be “housed” in the centennial museum. Repurpose, transform, and fundamentally change were words used by the Governor, the AZ Historical Society and the Centennial 2012 Foundation. They wanted to eliminate the mineral museum to make the entire building available for the centennial museum.

Incredibly, having destroyed the mineral museum anyway, the AHS is now arguing that they are “repurposing” the building but that it will still “house” both the mineral museum and the centennial museum in accordance with the statutes.

Except for the outdoor mining equipment, the mineral museum is gone! The AHS is even attempting to remove the equipment.

The AHS is playing games with words.

Simulated History?

2011-12-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

The December 21, 2011 Arizona Republic includes an editorial about the Arizona Historical Society’s plan to remove the restored, historic mining equipment currently on display outside the former Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The link to the editorial is:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/12/20/20111220editorial1221-keep-mining-equipment-exactly-where.html

According to the editorial, the AHS wants to remove the mining equipment because the experience museum to be built inside the building will include a “mining simulator”. So, a historical society wants to remove operating historical artifacts because they will be replaced with a simulator? How misguided is that?

Why spend money on any history museum? Why not just haul all the old junk to the dump and save millions? Generations to come can simply look into a simulator to learn about the past.

Perhaps this is also compatible with the new AHS mission of “imagining the future” rather than preserving the past (see Channel 8 Horizon interview under the video tab). The same simulator can be programmed to go both backwards and forwards in time.

Simple. And stupid.

Back to basics?

2011-12-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

The minutes of the January 11, 2011 work study session of the Town of Fountain Hills town council includes the following:

Ms. Churchard discussed the Signature projects and noted that the main projects they are working on include the Arizona Centennial Museum (name might change) and it is currently the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. She stated that the concept is to transform that Museum into more of the Arizona experience (talk about Arizona in a meaningful way and showcase the State's geography, the five "C's" that formed the State and the history. She stressed the importance of having a place where children can go and learn about bioscience and solar energy in an interactive manner.

The centennial museum authorized by Arizona statutes was to feature the 5Cs. As the project came under attack because a science museum (mineral museum) was being displaced by a history museum featuring a trivial concept, fluff was added. Bioscience and solar energy are such fluff.

No matter how interactive the displays, children cannot truly comprehend advanced subjects such as bioscience and solar energy (a niche technology) without first learning basic science. The mineral museum used raw materials from the earth’s crust along with processed materials and manufactured products to teach basic science including physics, chemistry, and geology. Twenty five thousand 3rd and 4^th graders per year received such instruction on structured school field trips. Another 20,000 per year received informal basic science education when brought to the museum by parents.

The centennial museum, the experience museum, or whatever it is eventually called, will help firm Arizona’s grip on the embarrassing and shameful last place in science education.

Note: Karen Churchard is the director or of the Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation which is placing sole source centennial museum contracts for the Arizona Historical Society. The AHS gained control of and eliminated the mineral museum. The schedule for the centennial museum is unknown.

Perpetuating the myth

2011-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

An Arizona Centennial Commission representative was recently speaking at a Phoenix woman's group and someone asked why the mineral museum was eliminated to make room for the 5C Arizona Centennial Museum? He asked how many actually went to the mineral museum and about 7 women raised their hands out of 80. He then said that was why.....no one ever went to the mineral museum. Someone else asked why the name was changed from the 5C Arizona Centennial Museum to the Arizona Experience Museum, and he just ignored the question.

The mineral museum did not have enough visitors?

The mineral museum had over 50,000 visitors per year, including 25,000 students on class field trips that supported the state mandated earth science curriculum. The top rated mineral museum’s attendance, was increasing each year, and was approaching the total statewide attendance for all Arizona Historical Society museums. AHS attendance, in contrast, is declining year by year. So, why would converting the mineral museum to a history museum increase attendance?

Seven out of eighty Arizona residents have never been to the AHS Marley Center Museum, and it was once a high dollar, highly interactive museum, just like the proposed centennial museum. Today, it is an electronic ghost town, still eating millions of tax dollars per year but serving no useful purpose. If the Marley did not and does not draw visitors, why would a similarly designed “centennial” or “experience” museum draw visitors, especially when the schedule missed the centennial?

The Governor’s office initially claimed that the building would draw many more visitors if it were transferred to the AHS and converted into a Marley like interactive museum. The myth has been debunked many times. The real motivation for the centennial museum was documented in last month’s AHS board meeting minutes.

It is to “honor” Jan Brewer’s legacy, and to bury the legacies of Polly Rosenbaum and Rose Mofford.

Note: Except for the use of the state owned building, the mineral museum was self supporting. The AHS has dozens of state paid employees to serve fewer visitors.

Self-inflicted failure

2011-12-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Arizona Historical Society’s newest museum, the 5C Arizona Centennial Museum, is a flop. Like their History Museum at Rio Nuevo, it failed before construction began, but not before a lot of money was paid to high priced out of state designers. The Rio Nuevo museum may have been doomed from the beginning as a part of the larger Rio Nuevo fiasco. The centennial museum failure however, was self-inflicted.

The Arizona legislature authorized the AHS to prepare a 5C Museum for Arizona’s centennial. They also mandated that the building continue to house the top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The funds that were available for the centennial museum were sufficient to design and construct some excellent displays commemorating the 5Cs that could have augmented the Mineral Museum displays. That action would have complied with the law, and would have supported the centennial celebration.

Instead, the AHS eliminated the Mineral Museum displays, even the brand new ones. Then, just as at Rio Nuevo, the AHS had their sole source contractor design an exhibit for the whole interior of the building that was so expensive it could not be built. If funds had been available to build it, it would not have complied with the 5C theme mandated by the legislature.

In the case of the Centennial Museum, failure was not easy. It required, extraordinarily bad planning and contempt for instructions from the legislature as documented in the Arizona statutes.

Thanks to the AHS, Arizona will celebrate its centennial with a large empty building on the new (but completely unnecessary) Centennial Way. Trying to hide the fact that they blew the “centerpiece” of Arizona’s centennial celebration, the AHS has renamed their new non museum the Arizona Experience Museum.

An experience yes, but not a good one.

Mineral Museum Debacle

2011-12-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

Guest Post: The following is the text of an email message provided to Phoenix investigative reporters by Bill Hawes of Dewey, Arizona.

Last year, I served as the President of the Mining Foundation of the Southwest, and in this capacity, spent much time in trying to get input into the planned remodel of the museum. All attempts were in vain- it appeared that the Director of the Arizona Historical Society had decided to follow her selection of architect to the letter.

The Mining Foundation felt that the original objectives of the Centennial Museum, which was to feature the "5 C's" could be achieved within the original $5 million budget, and keep the best parts of the mineral museum and its mining displays. These displays were first class in every respect, and were invaluable in teaching the many school children about Arizona's mining industry. However, as stated earlier, it was a wasted effort.

Outside the museum is (or maybe by now should be past tense) a display of Mining equipment, ranging from a large tire and bucket from a shovel from today's open pits, to the historic displays of a headframe, mucking machine, crusher and one of the few operating stamp mills in the country. This is apparently to be removed. The back exterior wall of the museum had a full size scene from an open pit, which cost $28,000 several years ago. I understand this too has to go.

In January of 2011, the Arizona Republic published as one of it's "My Turn" series an article by Charles E. Jones, retired Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, and co chairman of the Arizona Centennial Commission. In it, he said that "existing mining and mineral exhibits will find home in new Centennial Museum". Apparently, he either lied, or has no control what the Arizona Historical Society does.

As one blatant example: A scale model of an ultra modern open pit mine, along with the related facilities one might find at a large copper mine, such as a concentrator, smelter, SX-EW operations and reclamation efforts were portrayed. The cost to the donor was in the neighborhood of $75,000. The Historical Society said it didn't meet their requirements, so this expensive educational gift had to be relocated- it is now at a technical school.

As with most projects that the museum's architect has been involved with, the estimated cost is now several times over the original. No mention is made of operating costs, should the museum be completed.

Perhaps an unfinished museum will be Governor's Brewers legacy.

Centennial Museum Schedule Kaput

2011-12-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sep 23, 2011 AHS Board Minutes: Executive Director’s Report

Woosley commented that since the last meeting, much time has been devoted to the Arizona Experience Museum project. Phase one is complete, which includes the architectural schematic and exhibit design. The build-out cost has been provided by WRL Architects, Mortenson Construction, and Gallagher & Associates. She reminded the board that the leadership for this project is in close collaboration with the Governor’s office. In 2010, AHS was legislatively mandated to take responsibility for the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum and create what is now called the Arizona Experience Museum. Woosley commented that the Governor is highly supportive of this project but given the economic environment, required planning, and construction schedule, the project will not be completed in 2012. The Governor has stated that the Arizona Experience Museum will be a legacy of her term in office. Woosley said Kevin Kinsall, the Governor’s Natural Resources Advisor, is now the official policy advisor for AHS. She explained that although the bricks and mortar museum would not open in 2012, the AHS on-line learning center called “Arizona Experience” will be introduced. Staff is working on a variety of ways to provide on-line educational programming. The February 14 Centennial celebration presentation will unveil this project to the public. The content follows the exhibit design of the Arizona Experience Museum and, in addition to being fun and dynamic, will meet educational state standards. There is already new material on the AHS website that includes an historical component. Additional museum exhibition themes, that are expected to be available on-line in February, include mining/geosciences; solar; and water/natural resources. Woosley said staff is working with a team including Kevin Kinsall, educators, and others. A suite of on-line educational programming will continue to be developed throughout 2012. Discussion followed.

Centennial Museum connection to Rio Nuevo

2011-11-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Rio Nuevo scandal in Tucson is becoming infamous for government waste and corruption. The FBI is currently investigating how $230 million of state funds vanished with little progress.

The AHS was a part of the Rio Nuevo debacle. They spent $1.4 million to design a new history museum that is so expensive it will probably never be built. Eventual construction is especially unlikely since the AHS failed to raise any funds.

The AHS contractors for Rio Nuevo were Mortenson Construction of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Gallagher & Associates of Bethesda, Md.. Those are the same sole source contractors AHS selected (via the Centennial 2012 Foundation) for their 5C Arizona Centennial Museum in Phoenix.

With just a few months to go before the centennial, no construction work has been done on the centennial museum and the fundraising effort has failed. Once again, money spent on expensive plans will produce nothing.

Once again, history is repeating itself.

Reference:
Fentress Architects to Design New Arizona Museum

The Daily Journal

12/24/08

ENR Mountain States serves Colorado

Publish Post

, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming

Prominent Arizona Historical Society?

2011-11-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

An introductory letter in the Arizona Historical Society’s 2011 annual report contains the following paragraph:

Like other prominent historical societies across the United States, AHS has added what may be described as a natural history component to its programming, as the state entrusted us with one of the finest mineral collections anywhere. Staff is currently developing public programming that will utilize this remarkable resource to provide geosciences-based learning opportunities.

Why, in well over a century, has the self-proclaimed “prominent” AHS not produced a top rated history museum?

Why does their deca million dollar Marley Center Museum draw so few visitors?

Whatever, other than delusions of competence, gives them the idea that they are qualified to present natural history and geoscience “learning opportunities”?

Is the AHS prominent or notorious?

Note: The state did not “entrust “the AHS with the mineral collection. Using lobbyists and secret meetings, the AHS hijacked the top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources. They subsequently destroyed it and its K-12 earth science education programs

Centennial Way project receives recognition

2011-11-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Like the Arizona Centennial Museum, Centennial Way is a Signature Project of the Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation. These two projects account for over two thirds of the original $30 million centennial budget.

ABC 15 news recently covered progress on Centennial Way and revealed that taxpayers are getting a double whammy. Not only is the project completely unnecessary, they are apparently paying too much for the work that is actually being done.

Bureaucrats use every possible way to waste federal stimulus money.

Reference (article and video):

$7M sidewalk irks some Valley taxpayers: ABC15 Investigation reveals how $7M sidewalk project cost taxpayers over $1M more than expected

By: Dave Biscobing, November 17, 2011

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/abc15-investigation-uncovers-%247-mil-sidewalk-project-cost-taxpayers-more-than-originally-planned

Governor Brewer’s hollow words

2011-11-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

On October 16, 2012, the Arizona Science Center hosted the kickoff for the first annual Arizona SciTech Festival. The festival is being organized by the Arizona Technology Council and will be begin in February 2012, Arizona’s centennial month. Who of all people presented the opening remarks? Governor Jan Brewer, who is certainly no friend of science education. Three excerpts from the Governors remarks (in no particular order) follow:

Education is one of my highest priorities ---- Arizona’s leadership in science and technology education is important for our state, and for our children ---- A key goal of the SciTech Festival is to interest students of all ages and cultures in future career opportunities around science, engineering and technology. But career opportunities require a strong education.

Imagine that.

Following the Governor’s capricious (no money was saved) closing of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum and the abrupt termination of the K-12 earth science education programs, tens of thousands (per year) of children are being deprived of a lifetime learning experience. How many science and engineering careers will never be inspired because of her selfish* and irresponsible action?

(* she wanted the building for her failed Arizona 5Cs Centennial Museum project)

Arizona’s centennial specialty plate

2011-11-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Arizona Republic, letters to the editor, Nov. 15 2011:

The Arizona Centennial Foundation’s specialty license plate is finally available. According to the Arizona Republic, $17 of each $25 for the plate will go to the Foundation for its events and projects. The Republics October 30th story was half correct about the funds. Up thru June 2012, the funds do support centennial events and projects as stated. However, after that (per 2011 Senate Bill 1262) they go to the Arizona Historical Society for their already failed Arizona Centennial Museum project. Donors should know what is actually happening to their money.

Like the Foundations' logo, the plate is simply a scrambled Arizona flag. Ironically, it prominently features the copper star representing Arizona’s copper industry. Since funds from the plate will ultimately go to the AHS, they will help finance the destruction of the mineral museum and Arizona’s copper legacy.

Arizonans should boycott this specialty plate.

Reference:

Elvina Nawagunda Clemente, Cronkite news

Specialty plates to raise money for the centennial

Arizona Republic, October 30th, 2011, page B5

Is history in the way of Centennial Way?

2011-11-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

An October enews letter from the Arizona Centennial 2012 Commission proclaims “Centennial Way is Looking Good”. The announcement describing progress on this “highly anticipated project” continues as follows:

Construction for our Signature Project, Centennial Way, began in May and is still underway! A combined effort between the Arizona Department of Transportation, the city of Phoenix and the Arizona Centennial Commission, this project will re-work this entire street into a beautiful gateway to our State Capitol.

Work has progressed from 7^th Avenue to the former mineral museum building. Progress is illustrated with the following before and after photos.

Do Centennial Way planners now intend to remove the “ugly” historic mining equipment still at the former mineral museum to make room for their “beautiful gateway”?

Is this a good use of $7 million in public funds?

More Historical Society hypocrisy

2011-10-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Following a hostile takeover of the top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum, the AHS destroyed the museum and its popular K-12 education programs. Given this recent AHS assault on Arizona mining history and mineral education, it is quite incredible that someone in the AHS was so insensitive as to prepare the cover for the AHS 2011 annual report shown below. The cover displays the AHS logo, the alchemist’s symbol for copper. The text explains that the AHS adopted it 50 years ago because “copper plays such a prominent role in Arizona’s development.”

The newest and featured gallery in the displaced mineral museum was the Copper Gallery. Tens of thousands of dollars of private donations were pouring in each year to improve this new gallery. When completed, it would have documented and displayed Arizona’s geological, historical, and economic connections to copper like nothing else in the state.

Having destroyed that, and planning to replace it with “smells and vibrations” the AHS now boldly cloaks itself in the historic symbol for copper.

Shameless hypocrisy!

Appendix: Exhibits included in AMMM Copper Gallery plan prior to AHS takeover

Formation of copper deposits

Copper exploration techniques

Maps of Arizona copper deposits

History of copper mining in Arizona

Mining and processing of different ores

Uses for copper in daily life

Beauty and diversity of copper minerals

Applications of copper in art

Historical Society Hypocrisy

2011-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

In the center of the Arizona Historical Society’s website (http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/) there is currently a link to Arizona Mineral Education (http://www.azmineraleducation.org). That site claims the historical societies new but thus far nonexistent Arizona Experience Museum is a “prominent resource” for mineral education.

On May 8, 2010, the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum had a grand opening for a new copper mine and plant diorama. The 29’ by 20’ HO scale display showed and explained the operation of a modern copper mine, including the extraction of copper from ore and the processing of copper into wire. The impressive, interactive exhibit was made possible by a $60,000 private grant to the popular and rapidly improving mineral museum and was designed and constructed by Sustainable Engineering, LLC.

Later in 2010, the AHS executed a hostile, political takeover of the mineral museum because they wanted the building for their new museum. In 2011, they fired the self-supporting staff and volunteers, terminated the education programs, and closed the mineral museum.

What did they do with the new $60,000 interactive copper mine diorama?

They refused to allow it to remain in the building.

Exactly what kind of exhibits does the AHS consider appropriate for a “prominent resource” in mineral education?

Chance to fix mineral collection mess

2011-10-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

The following excerpts are from a Monday, October 17, 2011 post on http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/

The Arizona Legislature's Committee of Reference voted unanimously this afternoon to endorse continuation of the Arizona Geological Survey for 10 years, the maximum allowed by law. The recommendation will be drafted into legislation that will be presented to the full Legislature in January.

AZGS's statutory authority expires on June 30, 2012, and the public hearing today was to decide whether to renew, terminate, or merge the Survey.

Senator Jack Jackson commented that the large outpouring of support for the Survey made it easier for the Committee to come to their decision. He noted that no other agencies going through their own Sunset Reviews had this kind of public support from their constituencies.

The upcoming legislation presents an opportunity to fix part of the mess the Legislature made previously with the Arizona Centennial Museum bill. The new AZGS bill should include a provision transferring the Arizona mineral collection from the Arizona Historical Society to the AZGS. That would preserve the scientific value of the collection by reuniting it with the supporting data consisting of over a hundred years of mine and mineral records.

Will Arizona’s historic stamp mill be scrapped?

2011-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Following their hostile takeover of the top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum, the Arizona Historical Society closed it and disposed of the contents. At this time, the historic mining artifacts outside the building remain in place. That includes the restored stamp mill. All the AHS has ever said about these mining artifacts is that they will be “relocated”.

Relocated to where? The Maricopa County landfill?

In the 1890s, the 19 foot tall mill crushed ore at the Swallow Mine 17 miles north of Wickenburg, Arizona. Driven by a 50 horse power, single cylinder, Western States engine, it was capable of processing 8 tons of rock a day. It then remained intact but unused at that site until 1996 when the owner of the mine donated it to the AMMM. Volunteers then moved the huge mill, piece by piece, from the mine to the museum. In 2000, the volunteers began restoring the mill. Finally, in 2007, after thousands of hours of labor, it was again capable of processing ore, just as it had in the 1890s. It was then one only a few stamp mills in the USA capable of operating just as it did a century ago. Visitors could watch the 1000 pounds stamps dropping 60 times a minute as they again crushed gold bearing ore. The photos below show the restored stamp mill, and the mill in full operational mode with a catwalk around it.

Today, the AHS will not even allow the volunteers access to the mill to maintain it in operating order. The AHS is demonstrating complete disregard for Arizona’s mining heritage, and a total lack of respect for the volunteer restoration effort. Yet they still display an obviously insincere motto on their website; Saving Arizona's History since 1864.