Comments on: Town and Gown committee weighs in on UA’s $1 million request for A&P funds

By: Cities hypothesize on science museum's future

Cities hypothesize on science museum's future — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:56:44 +0000

Cities hypothesize on science museum’s future

By Jeff Mores Staff Writer

Benton County Daily Record – April 10, 2008

BENTON COUNTY – With the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art being erected in
Bentonville, northwest Arkansas is not only preparing for a world-class art institution
but a completely different economic driver than this area has ever seen. And leaders and
stakeholders in Bentonville and Rogers are determined to make sure Crystal Bridges isn’t
the last museum to establish roots here…

» Story link

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:37:06 +0000

I am watching the Town and Gown Committe replay on the Government Channel. Steve Clark was completely out of order with his extremely long winded diatribe regarding the UofA and A and P Funding. Mr. Clark characteristically comandeered the committee. He monopolized the discussion and confused the issue at hand. What an arrogant jerk! Tommy D? The chairman had no control of the meeting. Who is he and why on earth is a person with no clue of how to run a committee meeting in charge? Furthermore as pointed out by Councilman Kinion the Town an Gown committee needs to look at its purpose established by City Ordinance. Kinion read ithe short and simple ordinance word for word to diplomatically redirect the activity and his point of order was completely disregarded by the Chair of the committee and the members. Dazed and confused committee members went on and on with crazy amendments etc. I have never witnessed a more dysfunctional meeting of a government entity. I suggest the City Council recognize the U of A and Chamber are going to do what they darned well please and not waste further Municiipal resources with this well intentioned but ill fated project. I was really hoping it would work as established by the Fayetteville City Council. What a joke on the naive Fayetteville City Council to think they would not be bullied and disregarded by the University and Chamber. In fact the UofA and Chamber control this committee and it is evident they will use it as their public pulpit only to benefit themselves. Regardless what Steve Clark implied the community is much larger than just the UofA. Indeed, as we are seeing, the UofA is establishing an unplanned (at least publicly undisclosed) growth area destroying well established adjacent neighborhoods by use of eminent domain . I am embarrassed at the overt dismissal my Alma Mater has for the City that worked so hard to bring her, as stated in the School’s Alma Mater (song) , here to the “brow of thy beauty…. The Mountains of God” only to be a disrespectful sibling spewing ugliness and disregard. Joni Mitchell opined this type of environmental and community rape aptly singing, “Don’t it always seem to go, That you don’t know what you’ve got, ‘Til its gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

By: Ted

Ted — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:31:21 +0000

Word is the Children’s Museum is already slated for Bentonville because “the family” has indicated that is where they want it. Money drives most of these decisions and it’s tough to argue when the deep pockets driving the decisions are some of the deepest in the world.

By: Monroe Jesuser, Jr.

Monroe Jesuser, Jr. — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:18:30 +0000

You are citizen where you are registered to vote. You are a resident where you sleep the majority of the time. So, yes, a person can be a citizen of the State of Texas (registered to vote there), and a resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas (their domicile is here).

UA students that live in Fayetteville, whether on campus or off, are counted as Fayetteville residents in the census, because this is where they sleep over 6 months of the year. UA students were counted in the 2010 census as residents of Fayetteville.

By: glutenfree

glutenfree — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 01:42:45 +0000

Enrollment this Fall was over 24k. Enrollment has not been capped at anything. The goal is 28,000 by 2015.

By: Huey

Huey — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 01:40:41 +0000

You’re a resident where you’re registered to vote, thus not all UA students by any means are residents here.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 18:43:12 +0000

The children’s museum sounds great! Why is this not getting out to the public! Fayetteville must start being proactive…if not everything that could draw business to our town will go to Rogers and Bentonville.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 16:09:31 +0000

Just a tad over 21 thousand and enrollment has been capped at 24 thousand for the near term until facilities to house/feed/teach more than that have been constructed.

By: David Franks

David Franks — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:04:04 +0000

RE “but what do I know?”
What a bassoon sounds like, perhaps?

By: vandelay

vandelay — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:58:08 +0000

I don’t think the university has an interest in running such a museum. Ironically, the Field House was home to the university’s natural science museum for years, until they mismanaged it into non-existence. I’ve seen the university’s collection, it is massive and awe-inspiring…and languishing in a warehouse. So sad. Personally I think the public would be much better served by bringing the state-owned natural history and archaeological collection into public view than by creating yet another venue for bassoon recitals, but what do I know?.

By: David Franks

David Franks — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:57:37 +0000

Excellent.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:53:11 +0000

I believe you mean depth perception perhaps? And too many people are forgetting 25,000 of Fayetteville’s residents are UA students, so it’s not just your tax dollars. It’s a huge HMR tax income driver for the city, so why shouldn’t money be given back to the UA for projects that will only bring more students and in return more tax income.

By: The Ethicist

The Ethicist — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:42:40 +0000

Don said: “Why not use that $1,000,000.00 to start a museum owned by the city of fayetteville”

How about using A&P money for the proposed Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas. They’re actively looking for a site. Why can’t it be in Fayetteville?

http://www.nwachildrensmuseum.org/

“Amazing Facts” from their website
* 143,000 children will live within a 90-minute drive of the children’s museum
* 160,000 annual visitors are projected for the new children’s museum
* 60,000 visitors will be admiLed to the children’s museum free of charge
* $18.7 million is the projected cost of museum construction, exhibits, furnishings, land acquisition, and landscaping
* $4.5 million is the goal for endowment, which will provide a steady, perpetual income of approximately
* $225,000 to support museum operations
* $1.4 million is the projected annual operating budget for the museum
35,000 square feet will be the size of the new museum, with an additional 45,000 of outdoor exhibits and activities

By: Don

Don — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:16:15 +0000

I under stand the need for more improvements, but giving $1,000,000.00 to the University seems over the top. Why not use that $1,000,000.00 to start a museum owned by the city of fayetteville…that would help generate revenue and promote the city. It seems that the University could team with the city to build and create a wonderful museum that would benefit all of NWA… The U of A has enough items in storage to create a wonderful natural science and hitory museum….Might even be a draw for tourists coming to see Crystal Bridges. Wouldn’t this be better then a concert hall? If the city put up $1,000,000.00 and the U of A agreed to provide pieces from its stored collection, together they could build something great. I imagine that if a joint venture like this were created there would be many other non-profits out there willing to donate money to get the job done!

There are plenty of great locations in fayetteville right off of 540 to build a project like this! Lets invest taxpayer dollars in such a way that it builds something that brings business, tourists, and job opportunities to Fayetteville….

Lets move Fayetteville forward with using Fayetteville money to help the entire community.

By: vandelay

vandelay — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:23:15 +0000

I was thinking they should rename this the ” crown and clown” committee. the university is king and the city is his jester.

By: UA-Spongers

UA-Spongers — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:34:31 +0000

good name, huh, for the admin team? this is exactly what the town&gown committee was set up to accomplish and Clark is big money’s go-fer. watch those credit card receipts now….

By: Grinch

Grinch — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:20:02 +0000

So much for the town and gown committee providing some “real world” perspective. Fayettevilles local politics come across as so incestuous at times. Good old boys supporting their fellas. Kind of like how the mayoral choices were the incumbent and the mayor before him? Come on. Growth and diversity takes new voices that are strong and independent. But I think Fayetteville will just keep spinning its tires.

By: mmueller

mmueller — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:41:47 +0000

I see two tower cranes presently at the University. The sports complex is growing by leaps and bounds from SEC football bowl winnings sharing. The University charges for their own parking, purchasing landall over and lastly but not least they are raising tuition constantly. Now why do they want money from the A&P?

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:42:32 +0000

Isn’t there already a music hall within a quarter mile of campus? Why do we need another?

By: barney

barney — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:46:13 +0000

The difference between ass kissing and brown nosing is dept -perception.. MR CLARK ..how deep do u go..SAY NO to the UofA taking our tax dollars..