[meteorite-list] The "Old Woman" Meteorite, updates III, IV, and V ;-)

From: Adam Hupe <adamhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:53 2004
Message-ID: <06a401c4121d$91c3db20$ad971018_at_attbi.com>

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Dear List,

We are looking for some advice. Say a pairing was found to the Old =
Woman iron meteorite. What would be the best course of action?

1.) Donate it to the BLM Desert Discovery Center.
2.) Donate it to the Smithsonian.
3.) Withhold it from the BLM.
4.) Try to prove a point by taking the BLM to court and risk loosing.
5.) Keep it and not say a word.
6.) Announce it the press and see what happens.
7.) None of the above.

All the best,

Adam



=20

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Sharkkb8_at_aol.com=20
  To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 4:30 PM
  Subject: [meteorite-list] The "Old Woman" Meteorite, updates III, IV, =
and V ;-)


  A few times over the years I've posted bits and pieces regarding the =
saga of the "Old Woman", the wonderful large (2,750 kg!) IIAB iron =
meteorite from the mountains of San Bernardino County, which has had a =
colorful legal history, and which has mostly recently resided at the =
Desert Discovery Center in Barstow, CA. =20

  http://members.aol.com/sharkkb8/oldwoman.jpg

  Every time I would drive through the Mojave desert to-or-from Las =
Vegas or wherever, I would stop and check up on it, usually speaking =
with either a very sweet, older woman or her son, the two of whom seemed =
to be single-handedly (and on an essentially volunteer-basis) trying to =
keep the Center afloat. They both expressed unconcealed frustration at =
getting the cooperation, funding, and staffing necessary to keep the =
Center going. A few visits ago, the woman had died, and her son's =
frustration level had greatly increased, to the point where he was =
pacing and muttering and seemed really quite agitated at the subject of =
dealing with (according to him) the bureaucracy and noncooperation of =
the BLM. =20

  On my next trip some months later, the Center's doors were padlocked, =
no operating hours were posted, and the surrounding area had clearly not =
even been swept up recently. Looking through the glass, I could see =
that the meteorite was still within, but obviously no attention was =
being paid to the building.

  In a pleasantly-surprising reversal, when I just stopped by yesterday =
afternoon, the Center was not only open, but the displays had been =
updated and spruced up considerably. Schoolchildren's posters and =
drawings of the meteorite adorned the walls. I wandered around for a =
while and never did run into anyone who appeared to be in charge of the =
premises, perhaps it was a moment when they were "in the back" at lunch =
or something.

  So this is the view from an "outsider"....I'm wondering if anyone has =
any news from within, about the status of the building, the meteorite, =
or who's now running the show, regarding this California treasure. =20

  Bob V.? (You've been the Old Woman "Answer-Man" for these posts in =
the past....;-)

  Gregory

  J. Gregory Wilson
  2118 Wilshire Blvd. #918
  Santa Monica, CA 90403
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: =
#ffffff"=20
bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Dear List,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We are looking for some advice.&nbsp; Say a pairing was found to =
the Old=20
Woman iron meteorite.&nbsp; What would be the best course of =
action?</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>1.) Donate it to the BLM Desert Discovery Center.</DIV>
<DIV>2.) Donate it to the Smithsonian.</DIV>
<DIV>3.) Withhold it from the BLM.</DIV>
<DIV>4.) Try to prove a point by taking the BLM to court=20
and&nbsp;risk&nbsp;loosing.</DIV>
<DIV>5.) Keep it&nbsp;and not say a word.</DIV>
<DIV>6.) Announce it the press and see what happens.</DIV>
<DIV>7.)&nbsp;None of the above.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>All the best,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Adam</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DSharkkb8_at_aol.com =
href=3D"mailto:Sharkkb8_at_aol.com">Sharkkb8@aol.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor=
itecentral.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 24, 2004 =
4:30=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] The =
"Old Woman"=20
  Meteorite, updates III, IV, and V ;-)</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV>A few times over the years I've posted bits and pieces regarding =
the saga=20
  of the "Old Woman", the wonderful large (2,750 kg!) IIAB iron =
meteorite from=20
  the mountains of San Bernardino County,&nbsp;which has had a colorful =
legal=20
  history, and which has mostly recently&nbsp;resided at the =
<STRONG>Desert=20
  Discovery Center</STRONG> in Barstow, CA.&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://members.aol.com/sharkkb8/oldwoman.jpg">http://members.aol.=
com/sharkkb8/oldwoman.jpg</A></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>Every time I would drive through the Mojave desert to-or-from Las =
Vegas=20
  or wherever, I would stop and check up on it, usually speaking with =
either a=20
  very sweet, older woman or her son,&nbsp;the two of whom&nbsp;seemed =
to be=20
  single-handedly (and on an essentially volunteer-basis) trying to keep =
the=20
  Center afloat.&nbsp;&nbsp;They both expressed unconcealed frustration =
at=20
  getting the cooperation, funding, and staffing necessary&nbsp;to keep =
the=20
  Center going.&nbsp;&nbsp;A few&nbsp;visits ago, the woman had died, =
and her=20
  son's frustration level had greatly increased, to the point where he =
was=20
  pacing and muttering and seemed really quite agitated at the subject =
of=20
  dealing with (according to him) the bureaucracy and =
noncooperation&nbsp;of the=20
  BLM.&nbsp;&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>On my next trip some months later, the Center's&nbsp;doors=20
  were&nbsp;padlocked, no operating hours were posted, and the =
surrounding area=20
  had clearly not even been swept up recently.&nbsp; Looking through the =
glass,=20
  I could see that the meteorite was still within, but obviously no =
attention=20
  was being paid to the building.</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>In a pleasantly-surprising reversal,&nbsp;when I just stopped=20
  by&nbsp;yesterday afternoon, the Center was not only open, but the =
displays=20
  had been updated and spruced up&nbsp;considerably.&nbsp; =
Schoolchildren's=20
  posters and drawings of the meteorite adorned the walls.&nbsp; I =
wandered=20
  around for a while and never did run into anyone who appeared to =
be&nbsp;in=20
  charge of&nbsp;the premises, perhaps&nbsp;it was a moment&nbsp;when =
they=20
  were&nbsp;"in the back" at&nbsp;lunch or something.</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>So this is the view from an "outsider"....I'm wondering if anyone =
has any=20
  news from within, about the status of the building, the meteorite, or =
who's=20
  now running the show, regarding this California treasure.&nbsp; </DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>Bob V.?&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;(You've been the Old Woman "Answer-Man" =
for=20
  these posts in the past....;-)</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#ff0000 =
size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT lang=3D0 face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#ff0000 size=3D3 =
FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT"=20
  PTSIZE=3D"12">Gregory</FONT><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial =
color=3D#000000 size=3D2=20
  FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10"><BR><BR>J. Gregory Wilson<BR>2118 =
Wilshire=20
  Blvd. #918<BR>Santa Monica, CA =
90403</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Wed 24 Mar 2004 10:59:27 PM PST


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