Letters to the editor from the Aug. 27-28, 2016 weekend edition.
History needs to be part of our lives
Dear Editor,
Having been born and raised in Scurry County, I do realize the importance of the Scurry County Museum and how it sustains the history of our hometown and county. I would desperately urge the county judge and the commissioners’ court to reconsider the budget cuts to the museum.
Even though I no longer reside in Snyder, social media has kept me in touch with many people there. And one only has to observe some of the topics of discussion on Facebook, for example, to understand that we all long to keep history a part of our lives.
Dorthy “Dot” Beaty
Midland
Pack the courtroom
Dear Editor,
I am alarmed and disheartened to hear of a proposal to slash all county funding to the Scurry County Museum. The staff is already working with less budgeted money than in years past. A 100 percent cut in funding is very drastic, especially when compared to cuts in other departments.
The Scurry County Museum offers programs and events to the citizens of Scurry County year round. The museum is one of the few establishments in Scurry County which still provides historic, artistic and social outlets for youth and adults alike. School children have exciting, informative field trips during the school year. Summer camps provide children experiences outside the norm, such as this summer’s paleo dig.
Imagine the county being able to support unique opportunities, often reserved for larger cities. Artistic expressions are featured in summer camps and the 1818 Arthouse. Interesting talks, given by Scurry County residents and well-known speakers, provide ongoing education to adults.
Generations are joined together as they work on projects or tour the permanent gallery and rotating exhibits.
The events listed here are but a small portion of what is offered by the museum each year. Without the county’s financial contribution, these offerings will be severely limited or eliminated. What a shame.
I ask the county to please reconsider the budgeting for the Scurry County Museum. I can’t imagine the county not supporting, in some way, the county museum.
While I may not currently reside in Scurry County, I am a county taxpayer and my roots run deep. My parents, G.A. and Aline Parks, were pioneers in helping establish the museum. I helped clean and tag many of the first artifacts donated to the museum. I am a member of the museum and continue to support their offerings as I can. I ask Scurry County to do the same.
Scurry County residents, remember to pack the courthouse on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 10 a.m.
Paula Parks Fulford
Sugar Land
Museum cut not wanted
Dear Editor,
The proposed Scurry County budget totally eliminates funding for the Scurry County Museum. I noticed the average cuts to each department were around 7 percent (based on the numbers published by the Snyder Daily News), while Judge Ricky Fritz reported that 1 percent was cut from his own department.
The Scurry County Museum was established through a bond passed by the Scurry County voters and is an institution, not simply a “project.” The museum has been entrusted to house and care for over 19,000 artifacts and heirlooms. It draws over 10,000 visitors per year and over 1,000 in attendance at its free community events, classical music performances, speakers and art shows. Over 1,500 youth have enjoyed hands-on experiences through summer camps and campus visits.
We must preserve the museum.
Judge Fritz said that he “hopes” funding can be restored next year. I don’t think he would be able to survive one year of not drawing a salary. Heck, if that sounds OK with you Judge Fritz, I’m sure the museum would welcome your salary in place of the funding cut.
The Scurry County Museum, our museum, will not survive without funding. I understand there need to be cuts — we are all making adjustments during these tough times — but we cannot stand by and let 100 percent of the museum’s funding be cut.
Please take the time to voice your opinion to your commissioner and Judge Fritz that cutting 100 percent of the museum’s funding is not what the people of Scurry County want.
Barbara Leatherwood
Museum cut is shameful
Dear Editor,
Well folks the county judge evidently believes the museum is not important.
The golf course is important, the library is important, the senior center is important and his office is important as he only cut 1 percent from his budget.
If you add up all the departments, the total money adds up to $14,482,405. That leaves $1,917,595 budgeted for “other things” if the total budget is $16,400,000. Surely $45,000 can be found in a $16.4 million budget.
Think about it, $45,000 is only .0027439 percent of $16.4 million. Surely removing this small percentage from each department would not be insurmountable.
Another idea is that the Scurry County Board of County Development (BCD) could allocate money to the museum since it has a reserve account of $70,000. Maybe the BCD could give $22,500 to the museum and the county could give $22,500. This would allow each entity to survive until conditions change.
It is, after all, taxpayer money.
I would think that all entities better come up with some long-range plans to keep operating if the economy does not change. There is certainly no guarantee that it will. Yes, there has been a small uptick recently, but not anything major.
I believe the museum is a very important asset to the community. To arbitrarily cut all of its expected subsidy as is proposed is shameful.
Frank Toland
Don’t take away memories
Dear Editor,
My name is Ronnie Watkins. I live in Hurst and have since 1970, the year I left Snyder. I’ve been gone 46 years, but I still call Snyder my home. It is and will always be. And I’m proud when I tell someone that Snyder is my home. I’m writing in support of the Scurry County Museum.
Living halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, and having the opportunity to enjoy Six Flags Over Texas anytime I want, it has become over time just another amusement park. What has happened is I have forgotten what it means to other people. People who can’t go anytime they want. So, when they get to go, it’s a treat, a wonderful experience, such as the wonderful experience I had in 1961, when my parents took me there.
When I think of it in those terms, and remember those days, I become 10 years old again. And that is a wonderful feeling for a 65-year-old man.
When I’m fortunate enough to get to Snyder, I always try to find time to stop by the museum. When I do, and I get to take a trip down memory lane, I become a teenager again for a short while. I get to reminisce and remember the greatest years of my life, growing up in Snyder, Texas.
That also is a wonderful feeling for a 65-year-old man.
And I know I am not alone. Please do not take that away from me and everyone else that loves Snyder.
Ronnie Watkins
Hurst