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  • 1.  Bad News for the Illinois State Museum

    Posted 09-25-2015 07:38 PM

    Hope they can figure out a way to make this work. Sometimes these "temporary" closures have a bad history of becoming permanent in Illinois. 

    Illinois State Museum System, Shooting Sports at World Shooting and Recreational Complex Scheduled to Close Sept. 30 SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced today that the Illinois State Museum system and World Shooting and Recreational Complex near Sparta will close as scheduled Sept. 30 and will remain closed while the court case regarding the associated layoffs is arbitrated. Due to the lack of a balanced budget, IDNR was set to lay off 107 bargaining unit employees effective Sept. 30. Those layoffs have been suspended indefinitely due to an agreement between the State of Illinois and labor unions representing employees affected. While employees will return to work, the facilities will remain closed to the public during the suspension. Closure at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex is limited to shooting sports events. The main event center, restaurant, Amateur Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame and access to boat ramps for fishing will remain open.

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    Pacifico Perea
    Museum Director
    Wild Turkey Center Museum - National Wild Turkey Federation
    Edgefield SC
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  • 2.  RE: Bad News for the Illinois State Museum

    Posted 09-25-2015 07:43 PM

    More details

    http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150925/NEWS/150929680


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    Pacifico Perea
    Museum Director
    Wild Turkey Center Museum - National Wild Turkey Federation
    Edgefield SC
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Bad News for the Illinois State Museum

    Posted 09-26-2015 02:03 PM

    I hope the collection will continue to be cared for. 

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    Shannon Dutra
    Exhibit Curator/Education Programs
    Campbell Historical Museum
    Campbell, CA 95008
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Bad News for the Illinois State Museum

    Posted 09-28-2015 08:57 AM

    The following comes from the Society for American Archaeology:

    Update on the Illinois State Museum Closure

    Dear SAA Member:

    As many of you are aware, the Illinois State Museum, which includes the Dickson Mounds Archaeological Site, is scheduled to close September 30. The museum will lay off all but three employees, and there will be no access to any of its collections. SAA has been working with preservationists and museum groups to oppose the closure, and we would like to update you on our efforts.

    On July 9, SAA submitted written testimony opposing the closure to the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. You can read our testimony here. We shared that testimony on both the SAA Facebook page (see the post here) and Twitter account (see the tweet here).

    Prior to submitting our testimony, we alerted membership to the potential closure via a Facebook post that outlined where to find news and how to add your voice to the opposition. To add your support, please "like" the Save the Illinois State Museum Facebook page and sign the MoveOn petition. The old adage stills holds true: there is strength in numbers.

    SAA members based in Illinois received an update from Government Affairs encouraging them to write to Governor Rauner to oppose the closing and providing a sample letter for their use. In addition, I wrote a Letter to the Editor opposing the closure that appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Illinois' top daily newspaper, on September 8.

    We will continue to work with our Illinois membership and cultural resources partners until all avenues have been exhausted. We are also continuing to track Illinois State Bill 0317, which would prevent Governor Rauner from closing the museum and its satellite sites. Look for more updates as events unfold.

    Yours truly,

    Diane Gifford-Gonzalez
    President 



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    Kevin Coffee
    Chicago IL
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  • 5.  RE: Bad News for the Illinois State Museum

    Posted 09-28-2015 09:45 AM

    This is the latest. The Museum will be closed as planned October 1, but the union employees are to report to work. 

    http://www.rebootillinois.com/2015/09/27/editors-picks/mark-fitton/illinois-state-museum-system-sparta-shooting-complex-will-close-wednesday-staff-will-still-be-working/46468/

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    Elizabeth Bazan
    Assistant Curator of Education
    Illinois State Museum
    Springfield IL
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