Rhinebeck Museum trouble

As previously pointed out, having the state shut down the Aerodrome doesn't mean the end of it, just the beginning of a reorganization to make it better. The current situation can't be continued, it's time for a fresh start with a blank sheet. Keep writing letters.

[Curtiss Jenny]

Brian,

What would you do in this scenario: you are sending your children to a great school, it's the only school in town, and the kids love it. Then the administration changes; the best teachers are being dismissed and you see that things are not being run right. You try to communicate with the adminstration; you send letters but they go unanswered, they will not meet with you, and other parents tell you that the administration will say bad things about you and your kids if you complain. Do you:

(1) Take your kids out of school and forego their education

(2) Seek violent measures, or

(3) Consult with professionals, contact State Officials, put together a factual report and encourage the town to write letters to try to solve the problem.

I think you would agree that "3" would be the most logical choice to make. As a parent you would want the public to be made aware of the problems. You would use every avenue available to try to correct the problem and restore the school. You would consult with and seek out the aid of other professionals and authorities. This forum is not out to destroy the Aerodrome, but to help the others in saving it. Please write those letters!

And is there really a problem with too many employees and volunteers being around during the off season? Except for the few full timers it seems like the rest of them are only around mostly on the weekends during the season, and seldom at all during the off season. For the full timers it's their job and you'd expect them to be around like anybody at their job.

And of course the current lock down isn't being justified as some kind of break, the "board" is saying that it's a security issue. Give us a break.

I've written my letters, and I want to see real change at ORA, but I think Brian's point is valid.

The school analogy doesn't fly because the state *has* to educate the children. So, raising a stink will get things changed.... However, is the same true for a museum? Does the state *have* to keep a museum like ORA going? No, I doubt it.

In this day and age, it is much easier for someone in some government office to say "let's can the whole operation" than it is to put work into fixing the problems. I *suspect* that the state has 3 options here..

1 - Do nothing

2 - Overthrow the current board

3 - Dissolve the museum (or take away charters, or similar action which effectively closes the doors)

Now, imagine you are sitting in your office in Albany getting inundated with letters about ORA and that you don't really care a whole lot about airplanes. Option 2 might be my last choice...

Somehow, we need to convince the folks in Albany that Option 2 will be the best option for the government folks in Albany, as well as the best thing for ORA. We should not assume that Albany has ORA's/Cole's dream in mind when they make a decision.

While I am here... My parents recently gave me a bunch of slides that they took during various visits to ORA in the 60's and 70's... Is there any way to post a few of these pictures here so maybe some of you could date the pictures for me?

Cheers,
Jeff

[LibertyV12]

The representatives will try to keep the Aerodrome running because it comes down to dollars for the entire mid-Hudson area. All those people that come spend money for food , lodging, etc. The representatives have to consider the economic impact, which affects not only area merchant jobs, but also theirs.

Brian,
Doing something (now) is better than doing nothing at all. The state is not in the
business of closing down organizations because 'it's too much trouble' for them.
Quite the opposite, they are charged with the responsibility of giving these organizations
the best chance(s) of survival because of the economic, historical, educational and tourism
benefits they provide for the good of the state and vitality of local communities. Sure,
people in Albany are probably impartial to the aerodrome and have no particular personal
interest in antique aviation...that's a given and not the point. The state's interest is not
in the aerodrome itself, but in the benefit & diversity that the aerodrome provides to the state.

Look at the current state of the aerodrome....is that the aerodrome you condone?
What if Cole decided NOT to give you or me or anyone else a chance to participate at the
aerodrome for some specific reason, or even worse, for no reason at all?

Who knows what the state might or might not do, but that's a risk that needs to be taken,
especially if the [facts] point in that direction. If there is no public concern or outcry, the
state is far more likely to make incorrect assumptions about the aerodrome that will ultimately
contribute to it's permanent failure. That's why they have disclosure laws that require non-profit
and/or tax exempt organizations to provide certain information upon request (such as Form 990
Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) for 'public inspection'..... they want public watchdogs.

Option 2 is obviously the best option, but again if the state takes away the charter and even if they close the doors it won't have to be permanent, I think they're more likely to do that as part of a reorganisation than to dissolve the place. Whatever it takes to enact the necessary changes, it has to be done.


Jeff, why don't you start a seperate thread to post the photos and see who can identify them for you?

[Curtiss Jenny]

Option 1 – Doing nothing – has already been tried. The state has known of the problems at ORA for quite some time now, and the situation has only gotten worse. Obviously doing nothing is no longer an option anymore. It is better to blow the whistle now, than to see the complete demise of Cole Palen's legacy.

Don't forget Jeff, those elected officials, or public servants may not like airplanes or may not have heard of Cole Palen, but if a lot of people are sending them letters, they might just start thinking about their political future and re-election. Not that I expect millions of people to be writing them, but if they can have their picture taken at the aerodrome and say that they have saved the place, that might look good on a campaign letter.

Just my opinion.

someone in Albany approved the grant for the Spirit of St. Louis.
And New York State certainly uses the Aerodrome quite a bit in their
'I Love New York' print and TV advertisements. Whether they like airplanes
or not, they certainly seem to be well aware of the Aerodrome and it's value.