Author: ayanoh

Southwest Museum will no longer merge with Autry

Merger of Western museums fall apart.
(From the San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, August 14, 2009):

“The merger between cowboys and Indians was supposed to enhance two Los Angeles museums of the American West.

But the dust-up between the Autry National Center and defenders of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian has left a $175 million museum expansion dead and the city’s oldest museum gravely wounded.

After negotiations with the city to safeguard the Southwest Museum in Mount Washington failed, the Autry this week shelved plans for its grand expansion in Griffith Park.”

Click here to read the full article.

Save California State Parks

The state budget cuts will close state parks.

From the California State Parks Foundation:

The Governor signed a revised Fiscal Year 2009-2010 state budget, based on the package of bills sent to him by the Legislature on July 24. In using his blue-pencil veto authority, the Governor exacted an additional $6.2 million cut to the state park system, bringing the total General Fund cut to $14.2 million. It is expected that this will result in the closure of more than 100 of California’s 279 state parks, more than 1/3 of the state park system!

Take action now to help stop these closures!

The Department of Parks and Recreation has not yet released a list of which parks will be included on this closure list or when exactly park closures will start taking place. We will provide you with updates as details are released.

The news of park closures is not only devastating to park users, but also to local economies. Please take a moment to send a message to your legislators urging them to take action to stop these closures. Our state parks need your support now more than ever before!

Ukiah Railroad Station: City gets a 50-year lease

Ukiah RR Depot
The Ukiah RR Depot

The Ukiah Daily Journal last week reported that the Ukiah City Council approved a lease contract with the North Coast Railroad Authority. This allows the project to move forward to restore the depot to its 1929 condition.

Garavaglia Architecture, Inc. is currently underway designing the upgrades recommended in our original Resource Rehabilitation Report. The depot retains a high level of integrity and strongly conveys the association of railroad development in northern California and the economic growth of the City of Ukiah. The railroad development made Ukiah important for shipping of agricultural products. The depot also serviced excursion day-trips from San Francisco for tourists escaping the city life. It is significant for the Southern Pacific passenger operations from 1929 to 1942 and is the only intact building in the Ukiah railroad yard of this area. For more information on the project click on the year 1929 on the timeline.

Click here to read the full article.