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Message |
    
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 811
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 11:04 am: | 
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But to be fair, MHD, Bill never claimed to be a professional pollster. I strongly think that he should be asked to clarify what he meant by that statement, but personally I assume he meant himself and the BOT; had they all voted FOR the project by that date? |
Rob E. Bank
Citizen
Username: Parkingsux
Post Number: 378
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 1:27 pm: |
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....and to all the Perroists in our beloved community, please continue your fine work at the Baird; but as for the statute, you do your organization a great disservice. There are so many other things this money can be spent for, including upgrades at the Baird itself. For crying out loud, speak some sense. |
Jonathan Glasser
Citizen
Username: Zoro
Post Number: 24
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 12:33 am: |
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After having read the many threads on the Tony Smith Sculpture Project, I’m making this last post for those people who are reading this chat room site and who want to learn more about the project.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is a great project for the town. Along with many of my neighbors and friends, I think that the $250,000 in taxpayer money is money well spent. Some people disagree.
Yes, we have high taxes. Yes, there are things that need fixing in town. Yes, many projects in town have been delayed.
However, the Tony Smith Sculpture Project will benefit the town enormously and beautify Sloan Street. Some residents who are fed up with our Village’s government are using this project as their vehicle. I think this is short-sighted and it does more harm than good to our community.
I spoke with Cheryl Arnedt, the Project Director, this week and she informed me that after Tau is installed almost 100% of the foundation’s fundraising will go toward educational programs in our schools. Some of the terrific plans they have include grants for field trips, artists-in-residence and annual special arts projects. Just as we all benefit from the volunteers who stage the Arts in the Park summer concerts and Giants of Jazz (to name a few), so will we benefit from this prestigious addition to our downtown and the enrichment of our arts curriculum.
If you have any questions, you might want to get information straight from the source. Cheryl's email is tonysmithproject@verizonmail.com.
Finally, although I have learned some interesting facts and read well written and intelligent argument on the Tony Smith MOL threads, I have also read what appear to be misstatements of fact and arguments that appear to be sophistry. Some posts are probably the product of sincere overzealous concerns, but are not thought out before they are posted. I may have been guilty of that as well. I guess the key is to get your information from as many sources as possible and not rely just on what people in a chat room say.
Oh, and finally, MHD and Vermontgolfer, the other day I must have gotten punchy. My apologies for being so silly. I hope you did not mind. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 306
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:45 am: |
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Very few people in town want their tax money spent bailing out the board again, and for a copy of a modern work of welding.
Most people don't think the gazebo should be removed, and replaced with a large, black and brooding piece of metallic stuff, copied from an original, or from one of the copies of the original, welded by the little known mid-twentieth century Tony Smith.
jd |
Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 1146
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:08 am: |
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I fail to see how the Tau will "benefit the town enormously and beautify Sloan Street." As for Ms. Arnedt's "terrific plans," they seem to me to be just so much pie in the sky--pure BS. Everything is so airy and vague. "Almost" 100 percent of the fundraising will got toward "special programs in our schools."
What about paying for the tau? They're going to have to do a lot of fund-raising for a good long time to pay for the installation and maintenance of that thing, or are the taxpayers supposed to shoulder that while Ms. Arnedt and her buddies are off on their field trips? |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3824
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:09 am: |
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Quote:the Tony Smith Sculpture Project will benefit the town enormously
The sculpture people have stated this repeatedly, but have yet to produce a single STUDY or FACTUAL reference to support this.
The "opposition" has used numerous FACTS to explain why this project is WRONG, especially at this time.
FACTS trump CONJECTURE every time.
P.S. Chat Room?? Are you related to Trustee Jennings??  |
SOrising
Citizen
Username: Sorising
Post Number: 259
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 9:09 am: |
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The entire process can be described as a self-immured interest group too easily deceiving inept leadership, all the while presuming to have unquestioned access to public funds for their excesses, who are exposed as haughty and defiant when they are called on it.
It should be stopped immediately. Enough damage has been done already. People who love art have little reason to trust Ms. Arnedt, her backers at the Pierro Foundation, or several other supporters, whether they are Jonathan Glasser who thinks if he asserts his viewpoint enough it will somehow make it true, or whether it is people like Sitoyan who reveal the depths to which they will go to to ignore corrupt means that have corrupted their goal and damaged the entire town.
One can only hope that new leadership will emerge to represent and promote the visual arts in South Orange. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 3204
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 9:33 am: |
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Interesting. When I met with Ms. Arnedt, she said that fundraising efforts would go toward establishing a fund for the care and upkeep of TAU. To be fair, she also mentioned educational programs, but I don't recall that they were to be funded by the foundation.
Here's a question - has anyone done some due diligence to determine what the cost of upkeep and perpetual repainting (every 4- years) might be? |
jayjay
Citizen
Username: Jayjayp
Post Number: 566
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 10:39 am: |
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This project is so absurd on so many levels. If this sculpture is as grand as the sculpture people hold that it is, then it should be given to an institution who knows how to display and maintain it. The logical institution would be a museum, like Storm King Art Center which displays these kinds of things on acres of land in NY state, or a univeristy with a fine arts or architecture department. If the Tony Smith people really are concerned about its upkeep as they state in the contract, then they never should have "given" this to South Orange. All they had to do was look around and see how this government has let our assets deteriorate.
On another thread about the paint in the train station, why don't the sculpture people gang up on NJ Transit. Won't that hideous green color they painted the inside of the station detract from Tau? Maybe Tau should be installed inside the station. It will really show up against that neon green. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 310
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 10:58 am: |
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Read the gift document, which specifies the type of sponges and cleansers to be used four times a year to clean the metal blob, or else.
And, heaven forfend if anyone bumps into it when skateboarding, or, oh my, what if a car driver, smitten by the beauty of the metal copy, loses control and drives into it, crushing an admiring New Yorker who travelled by NJT to gaze upon the black blob?
What then.
How much will mandated insurance and maintenance cost us?
Don't expect the BOT, including the newly elected one who is the arbiter of good taste, to know.
jd |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 3211
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 11:05 am: |
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joel - I'd find you posts much easier to accept if you didn't keep disparaging the artwork. You don't like it. We get it. But some of us happen to think it's great. I love it. You don't have to though. It's ok. But you show me and those who like it, a lack of respect in your continued attacks on TAU.
Under other circumstances, I would welcome such a piece of art - but if you've read my posts, or were present at the last BOT meeting when I spoke, you know I no longer support it. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 314
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 12:21 pm: |
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And I think it is ugly.
I viewed it at Hunter.
It is ugly.
What is wrong with free speech?
Who thinks it is beautiful?
Speak up, please.
jd |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2801
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 1:06 pm: |
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It being pretty or ugly is not going to be a deciding factor in whether the sculpture is installed. I personally don't like the way it looks, but would support it in another location, without taxpayers funding the majority of it.
Commenting on it's aesthetics only serves to alienate people who might be on your side about other aspects of the project. |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 1484
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 1:53 pm: |
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I'm with Rastro on this one. I think we are better off to separate art criticism from BOT criticism. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 316
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 2:20 pm: |
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O.K.
But, when you buy art with taxpayer monies, perhaps you should have a consensus, and the monies.
jd |
jeep
Citizen
Username: Jeep
Post Number: 80
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 2:25 pm: |
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Hey Joel beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't like your black hat. But I am sure you do.
Joel I have a question for you? What is your opinion on the tax payers burden for SOPAC? |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 317
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 3:38 pm: |
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SOPAC, the largest sinkhole in town.
Which black hat, by the way?
jd |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 318
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 3:43 pm: |
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What is your opinion on downtown development in the last five years?
jd |
Mustafah U. Laughfah
Citizen
Username: Parkingsux
Post Number: 381
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 3:56 pm: |
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I think it's going a little slower than I expected. Afterall, I needed dirt, gave a phone call and there it was. I wonder who's going to pay for the remediation. Let's put the village attorney on that task. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9151
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 4:14 pm: |
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undevelopment?
dedevelopment?
legalized vandalism?
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