Museum Board reflects on successful reopening

The H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board met Monday and discussed last Saturday's museum reopening, which board members considered a great success.

In addition to the board members, Museum Manager Emily Mayer and H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Chair Elaine Morse said they're very pleased with the reopening and the turnout it brought.

The latter said she was disappointed that the Clacks couldn't have been there, but she was otherwise very happy.

"I was very pleased with the turnout," Morse said.

Board Chair Lela Patera said the reopening made $150 in donations, $118 through a raffle, sold nine $25 memberships, and earned $316 in admission fees, making for a very successful weekend.

On the subject of the recently implemented entrance fee, Morse said, she only received one negative comment, but she was concerned that one person was apparently told the fee was $16 due to a rumor.

Admission to the museum is $3 for people 13 and older, $2 for people 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and younger, Morse said, and when the person in question was told the price they were relieved and said that was a perfectly reasonable fee.

Mayer said the museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. and Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As for ongoing improvements and expansions to the museum, Morse said the door to the back room of the ground floor arrived that day. She said it was later than expected and for a while it looked like it would need to be reordered, but due to a fortuitous quirk of timing when she called to have that done, they got the door for free, saving the museum between $800 and $900.

On a less positive note, she said, the company that did the new building's asbestos and lead-based paint abatement still has not returned to finish painting and putting in storm windows.

She said that should have been done in fall of last year but the company kept putting it off, and she thinks that at this point the board needs to demand that they come and do the work or demand a partial refund.

The board also discussed the possibility of county employees getting a 5 percent raise in their base pay, and Morse said between the newly implemented admission fee, and the fact that they can start doing more fundraisers because the pandemic is waning, means they might be able to cover such an increase.

On the subject of the county, Patera said she has not heard back from the Hill County Commission regarding the board's requested bylaw changes and she hopes to follow up with them soon to see where things stand.

The board also discussed their involvement, in local summer events like the 2022 Great Northern Fair.

Patera also said the caboose on the fairgrounds will be repainted, but not in time for this year's fair.

She said the caboose also won't be opened to the public anytime in the near future due to possible liability issues related to its stairs.

After some discussion, the board also agreed that they would not open the Faber Schoolhouse this year because they want to focus on keeping their newly relocated museum open and to do both would strain their staff.

Board members also discussed a number of possible donations to the museum.

Patera said they were offered an old baby crib and baby buggy from a family that recently bought an old homestead shack and found the items, along with a toolbox with the name H. Earl Clack on the side.

Patera said they'd look at them all, but the last one is one they are certainly interested in, for obvious reasons.

The board also elected new officers for the coming year, to take effect at the next meeting.

Alison Hecker will be taking over as vice-chair and David Sageser will become chair.

Val Hickman and Judi Dritshulas will remain the board's treasurer and secretary, respectively.