When the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors proposed shuttering the Mendocino County Museum for one year as a means to save funds, the Willits Chamber of Commerce and The Friends of the Mendocino County Museum decided to sponsor an Open House at the museum.
More than 100 people attended May 20 to show support for keeping the 50-year-old Willits institution open.
According to some estimates, the county, whose annual budget is approximately $300 million, would save about $100,000 by shutting the museum for a year. Some expressed concern that the museum might not reopen if shut for a year. Residents in attendance at the open house clearly stated their support for keeping the museum open, and view it as a valuable asset to the Willits community and county as a whole.
Willits Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Kvasnicka explained that she and Museum Curator Karen Mattson planned the event to inform locals of the possible closure as well as showcase all the museum has to offer. Kvasnicka said, "I absolutely believe that the museum is a viable part of the community."
The Roots of Motive Power Engine House is a popular part of the Mendocino County Museum.
Aside from drawing in locals, the museum is in close proximity to the much loved Roots of Motive Power. The engine house is in fact attached to the museum. The County Museum is a common destination for local schools' field trips and draws in tourists from out of town.
Museum employee Mary Pappadakis sits at the front desk and greets people as they come in. She said, "People that travel around the United States during the summer, they go to museums. It's really interesting to meet them because they come to this museum." Pappadakis stated that visitors from out of town often ask for restaurant recommendations as well.
Cultural Services Agency Director Deb Fader said, "The staff has done such an amazing job of bringing this up to par, and to be closed now would just be a dream dying." Museum staff and volunteers recently finished organizing the vast storage room and have been providing "Behind the Scenes" tours to the public.
Willits Mayor Saprina Rodriguez came to show support for the museum. She stated, "We are fortunate to have it in our community. But, regardless of where it was located in the county I would absolutely be there because the museum is a treasure, it's a catalog of our history and it's an essential service. It's not something that is frivolous and unnecessary…We need to keep track of the past in order to make a better future."
Over 100 people came out to the Mendocino County Museum Open House.
Rodriguez suggested the possibility of the county allocating transient occupancy tax monies to the museum, as well as to the parks. She said, "These are all things that tourists use, why not allocate some of that transient occupancy tax to maintain those tourism type services that the county is offering."
Resident Skylar Schindel attended the event with her family. She said, "It's defiantly important to keep the museum open because without it we don't know our history, we don't know our heritage…It's really important to make sure that everyone has access to some sort of historical reference."
Third District Supervisor John Haschak attended to show support for keeping the museum open as well as local business owners. The evening featured a 50/50 raffle and an impressive display of Covid-safe snack items.
Taurya and Skylar Schindel enjoy the Seabiscuit exhibit.
Residents enjoy the Wonacott Exhibit during the Mendocino County Museum's Open House on May 20.
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