What is it that we're supposed to have done that warrants the kind of hostility I'm reading about the planetarium?
I do not speak for SLAS, but will pass on my personal comments and experiences. If there are some points I making out of ignorance, Seth, please correct and educate me. 1) Clark is no longer a planetarium - it is a movie theater. As you have mentioned, that is by design in order to make the facility more financially self-supporting. The facility does not seem to engage the types of activities normally associated with public astronomy education - outside of elementary school slide shows and public movies. To my knowledge, it has no significant telescopes. Sales of movie tickets to IMAX NASCAR movies do not count as public astronomy education. The help at the sales desk are, for the most part, movie ushers, and have no knowledge or experience regarding astronomy or telescopes. There is one young man who works on Saturdays or Sundays who is quite knowledgable. Otherwise my experiences in buying basic telescope parts at the sales counter are: a) sales clerk did not know what a "red-dot" finder is. b) sales clerk did not know what the focal length of a telescope or eyepiece was. c) sales clerk did not know what a white-light solar filter was. d) sales clerk, when asked about scopes for sale in the lobbying, stated "I don't really know anything about those." e) all questions beyond "my I take your credit card number" are referred by telephone to your marketing director, who gives marketing-type answers and who seems uneducated in telescopes or astronomy in general. There is no staff presence on the general public floor that appears to have any knowledge of amateur astronomy. How can Clark fulfill its mission if people that the public has the most contact with are unknowledgable about telescopes or the night sky? 2) Clark does not appear to involve the local astronomy community in its operations and oversight. One SLAS member at a recent meeting commented that they went to the planetarium to volunteer. They had a college-level science education and are an intermediate or expert-level observer. The theatre's answer, as related to me by that member, was that they were "unsuitable" for the mission of the planetarium. Such a response is consistent, if the mission of the planetarium is simply be a movie theater and not a planetarium. As mentioned in this newsgroup, when the planetarium surplused one of its significant scopes, SLAS was not informed or allowed to bid. 3) What do you, as the Clark director, Clark's board or trustee's and/or citizens's advisory board, view as the proper roll of local astronomy clubs in the facility? Is there any official policy statement, board minutes or planning documents along these lines? What would be Clark's preferences for participation by local astronomy clubs, if any? 4) There are some areas of planetarium operations that I would appreciate being educated on in follow-up to your facility's presentation at the Nov. 2004 SLAS meeting. I understand that you have a county appointed of trustees and/or an advisory board. a) Who are the trustees and/or advisory board members? b) What are their backgrounds and education, particularly in science or astronomy? c) Are any of the SLAS members on the board(s)? d) How can I obtain a copy of your last annual report? e) How can I, or another SLAS member, place their name in line to be appointed to the board(s), when current members' terms expire? Seth, please do not take the above as overly harsh criticism. Some expression does not translate well through the media of email. Overall, everyone in the community, and myself personally, are proud of the facility. Again, my comments are made as an individual, and are not made on the behalf of and do not relfect the views of SLAS. Please feel free to contact via this group email setting or by direct email. Since, many SLAS members follow this newsgroup, a public response here would be appreciated. Kurt A. Fisher Salt Lake City, Utah __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com