Observatory to sever ties with Schenectady Museum Monday, April 14, 2008 By Michael Lamendola (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — The Dudley Observatory will sever ties with the Schenectady Museum in a dispute involving the museum's proposed $72-million science center on Broadway. Officials of the observatory also said the 156-year-old institution may move out of the county. “We are severing our relationship with the museum, although we will continue to do education programs with them,” said Samuel C. Wait Jr., president of the observatory’s Board of Trustees. “We will not co-locate with them and we did not give them permission to use our name for fund-raising purposes,” he said. The board’s executive committee is reviewing a letter announcing the split, Wait said. The letter will go to Neil Levine, president of the museum’s Board of Trustees. Wait said the board is upset with Levine for suggesting in an April 6 article in The Sunday Gazette that the proposed science center would contain the observatory and the Challenger Learning Center. Levine said the three institutions would make the science center a world-class facility. “Frankly, we were surprised when the article showed up,” Wait said. Levine said he has letters from observatory officials indicating their interest to relocate from Nott Terrace to the proposed facility and granting the museum permission to use the Dudley name for fund-raising purposes. “It is likely a misunderstanding,” he said. Levine and Wait plan to meet Wednesday to discuss the situation. Wait said he does not expect the meeting will change the board’s position, however.
There has to be more to this. I find it hard to believe that the Observatory is leaving over an incorrect advertising article.
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“We will not co-locate with them and we did not give them permission to use our name for fund-raising purposes,” he said.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The decision of the Dudley Observatory board of trustees to abandon the idea of becoming part of a new Schenectady science and technology museum is unfortunate. That’s especially true since it has nothing to do with the merits of such an arrangement, which would benefit both institutions as well as the city and entire region, but with personal pique on the part of the Dudley board. Grow up, people. The Dudley board was upset that Neil Levine, chairman of the museum’s board, suggested in a Gazette story earlier this month that Dudley’s location at the new museum was a done deal. They also said they never authorized the museum to use the Dudley name in its fund raising. Both charges may be technically true, since no formal correspondence was exchanged or official documents signed. But based on a number of discussions, meetings, presentations, etc. they had between the time when Dudley first expressed interest in locating at the museum and now, Levine had every right to characterize the arrangement as a “handshake understanding.” He had made it clear where the museum was going and what it was doing in this matter, and the Dudley people didn’t object. The communication began with a letter from Dudley’s executive director, dated Sept. 19, 2006, that spoke favorably of a partnership and, responding to a request from the museum, listed some of the things the observatory would need to locate at the new museum. These included maintaining its status as an independent, autonomous organization, receiving free office and observatory space, and having the museum provide approximately $450,000 in capital expenses (including a telescope) and an initial operating budget of at least $125,000 for the first year. Levine indicated he had no problem with the conditions, and even agreed to others, such as giving the observatory an ex-officio seat on the board. He says that as recently as last week, the Dudley people were saying they would join the museum if it could raise the necessary money. So why do they now have their knickers in a twist? It’s a mystery. Why sacrifice a good thing for everyone because Levine didn’t formalize the agreement before he spoke, or perhaps pay enough homage to the Dudley board? Samuel C. Wait Jr., chairman of the Dudley board of trustees, says they are still interested in working with the museum on education, but not co-locating with them. This makes no sense, especially if the observatory moves outside the county, something it says it will now explore. Maybe they have some other iron in the fire, like someone who is going to give them half a million dollars to build an observatory with a modern telescope. If so, more power to them, although that would mean they were acting disingenuously by blaming the museum to justify their abandonment of it. And if they don’t have another offer, then they are cutting off their nose to spite their face. The observatory is currently little more than a room with some astronomical records and artifacts. They need the museum even more than the museum needs them. For a bunch of astronomers, they’re showing a serious lack of vision.
SCHENECTADY Dudley to cut ties with museum Observatory cites split over proposed science center BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com
Dudley Observatory officials Monday said they will sever ties with the Schenectady Museum over its proposed $72 million science center on Broadway. “We are severing our relationship with the museum, although we will continue to do education programs with them,” said Samuel C. Wait Jr., president of the observatory’s Board of Trustees. “We will not co-locate with them and we did not give them permission to use our name for fundraising purposes,” he said. The observatory board’s executive committee is reviewing a letter announcing the split, Wait said. The letter will go to Neil Levine, president of the museum’s board. Wait said the board is upset with Levine for suggesting, as reported in an April 6 article in The Sunday Gazette, that the proposed science center would contain the observatory and the Challenger Learning Center. Levine said the three institutions would make the science center a world-class facility. “Frankly, we were surprised when the article showed up; we do not have an agreement with them,” Wait said. He said the observatory contacted museum officials in 2006 and 2007 to form a partnership, outlining its terms, and that the museum never responded. The terms included a guarantee of independence for the Dudley, the promise of space for programs and staff and the commitment of at least $600,000 — to install a working telescope and for program and staff expenses. Levine provided The Daily Gazette with two letters by Dudley Executive Director Janie Schwab from 2006 and 2007, indicating a willingness to work with the museum on the project. Levine said observatory officials attended museum fundraising presentations and visited another science center with museum officials. In both letters, however, Schwab said the Dudley board must give final approval to any agreement. Wait reiterated the board never received any response to its conditions and that, as a result, never agreed to allow the museum use the Dudley name for the science facility project. He said the board believes that under the current situation it is being forced into a partnership with the museum. Levine said “We had an understanding we would work together to have the Dudley co-locate with us. I believe I was perfectly justifi ed in saying that based on written and oral agreements.” MEETING WEDNESDAY Levine and Wait plan to meet Wednesday to discuss the situation. Levine hopes to correct any misunderstandings between the two. Wait said he does not expect the meeting will change the board’s position. “I don’t think so, as least not with the present sense of the board,” he said. Levine said the museum intends to have an observatory in the new science facility whether it is the Dudley or another observatory. “We would prefer to do it with the Dudley because they are local and are another Schenectady entity with a similar mission,” he said. Wait said the 156-year-old observatory could move out of the county. The observatory wants to move from its present location at 107 Nott Terrace, which is has occupied since 1999, to increase its endowment and to install a new telescope for public use. The observatory has been in Schenectady since 1976, when it moved from Albany to Union College. It is one of Union University’s five branches. The observatory was founded in 1852 in North Albany, about a mile from the Capitol. At one point it boasted a staff of 100, including astronomers, lab technicians and clerks. In recent history, the observatory worked with NASA to launch rockets and collect cosmic dust, Wait said. After NASA funding dried up, it reverted to its present status, that of preserving rare books, artifacts and working collections.
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