On Saturday, July 3, the Joplin Globe spoke with City Manager, Mark Rohr, about an announcement he will give on Tuesday, July 6. Rohr was responsible for the planning behind the revitalization of the Sunshine Lamp district in 2005. It was implied in the article that remaining elements of the 2005 plan may be addressed, those being the restoration and use of the neglected Union Depot, the currently privately owned Carnegie Library, and the Rains building. It was in that plan that the Museum Complex was to theoretically be moved to the depot.
Historic Joplin supported this solution to the museum problem back in April and certainly continue to support it. The depot is one of the city’s last remaining architectural beauties and there need not be any further Connor travesties by allowing it to fall to pieces or purposely tear it down.
For a two part history of Joplin’s Carnegie Library, click here and here.
Brad Belk is a a few clowns short of a circus. $87,000 for a presidential memorabilia collection? How does that fit into the Joplin Museum Complex’s mission? It doesn’t. He should focus on Joplin’s history. Instead of whining about not having money and not having enough room in the current museum, Brad should not buy some worthless private collection with money that should be spent on a new museum facility.