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"The world needed John Brown and John Brown came, and time will do him justice." Frederick Douglass (1886)

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Thursday, March 04, 2010

"A Delightful Surprise": New York State Senator's Resolution to save John Brown Farm as Historic Site

State Sen. Kevin Parker of Brooklyn introduced a resolution Wednesday opposing closing the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.

"We didn't lobby for or ask for that resolution," said Naj Wikoff of Keene Valley, who went to Albany Wednesday to advocate for keeping the historic site open. "It came as a delightful surprise to see it." Wikoff was one of the principal organizers of the series of events last year marking the 150th anniversary of Brown's death.

Wikoff went with Martha Swan, director of John Brown Lives!, and Caroline Thompson, executive director of the Arts Council of the Northern Adirondacks.

"We spoke to how (the farm) represented an excellent collaboration between an historic site, local arts and historic organizations, and community government," Wikoff said in an e-mail.

Another resolution is being developed for the Assembly.

The state has proposed closing the historic site, which costs the state $40,000 a year to run, as part of the 2010-11 budget. The town of North Elba has expressed interest in taking over its operation if the state closes it.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

If this doesn't happen, I would like to know how to donate and organize to help keep it open.

Louis A. DeCaro, Jr. . . said...

Thanks. If you're a NY State resident, you can write to state senators and assembly people. Some of them are listed in my previous postings. We're hoping for the best and we have reason to be optimistic.--LD

Unknown said...

Louis,
I'm not in NY State but, I will write anyway.

Thank you for keeping this hero's memory alive.