Friends of the Zeiss

P.O. Box 1041

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

Telephone: 412-561-7876

Electronic Mail: < friendsofthezeiss@planetarium.cc >

Internet Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc >

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release: 2006 August 28

For more information -- Glenn A. Walsh:

Daytime: E-Mail < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >

Evening: Telephone 412-561-7876

Children’s Museum Ignores Roof Needs in 2002, During Capital Campaign;

Now Seeks Taxpayer Funds for Old Post Office Roof Replacement

Pittsburgh, August 28 – Despite the recommendation of a roofing contractor in 2002 that the roof of the Old Allegheny Post Office building needed replaced, at the

same time the Children’s Museum was raising $29 million for building expansion, the Children’s Museum management waited until now, asking State and County taxpayers

to pay for this roof replacement. “This clearly demonstrates the extremely misguided priorities of Children’s Museum management,” according to Glenn A. Walsh, Project

Director of Friends of the Zeiss.

In capital budget requests for Fiscal Year 2007, the Children’s Museum is asking that the $90,000 roof replacement for the Children’s Museum-owned former post office

building be paid for by the State Government and the Allegheny Regional Asset District, each paying half of the cost. No private funds would be involved.

“The Children’s Museum knew the Post Office roof was a priority and ignored it until the capital project funding was depleted. Now they expect $90,000 of taxpayers’ money

to fix the roof in their privately-owned building,“ Mr. Walsh said, in prepared comments before the Board of Directors of the Allegheny Regional Asset District on Monday

afternoon. He added, “Such a large capital campaign could have easily been reprogrammed to include a $90,000 roof replacement project.”

Mr. Walsh went on to say, “It is the position of Friends of the Zeiss that no public funds should be used for this roof replacement project, or for general subsidy of the

Children’s Museum, until the Children’s Museum presents a plan to truly restore important Pittsburgh history with the return of the historic Buhl Planetarium artifacts,

particularly the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, to be used to teach Science to children visiting the Children’s Museum.”

Established in 2002, Friends of the Zeiss is a non-profit organization working to preserve the history, heritage, and functionality of the building, equipment, and artifacts

of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

--30 –

NEWS: Planetarium, Astronomy, Space, Science:

< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >

To read the complete public statement –

Board of Directors, Allegheny Regional Asset District – 2006 August 28 –

Prepared Text:

< http://venustransit.pghfree.net/fotz/statements/ST-RAD-CMP2006828.htm >

Large-Print Version:

< http://venustransit.pghfree.net/fotz/statements/ST-RAD-CMP2006828LP.htm >

gaw
 
Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
NEWS - Astronomy, Space, Science:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
 < http://www.planetarium.cc > 
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: 
 < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer & Optician John A. Brashear: 
 < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com > 
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
 < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
 < http://www.incline.cc >