I want to announce my support of the Allegheny Regional Asset District's(ARAD) preliminary allocation determinations for the Fiscal Year 2002 ARAD Budget. I particularly support the decision to provide no capital funding for construction of a proposed Pittsburgh Children's Museum and Center.

On August 27, a dozen citizens, including me, asked the ARAD Board of Directors to provide no capital funding for the proposed Children's Museum project, until the Children's Museum agrees to retain the functionality in the Buhl Planetarium building of two historic pieces of scientific apparatus: the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector--now the oldest operable, major planetarium projector in the world, and the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope---the second largest Siderostat-type telescope in the world !

I am sure that there were many factors, taken into consideration, when determining funding for the Children's Museum for next year. It seems probable that the testimony from a dozen citizens on August 27 was one of the factors taken into consideration. I am grateful for your consideration of our plea.

gaw

Mr. Radzilowicz questioned the historic value of the original Buhl Planetarium artifacts and stated that they only had nostalgic value to people in the Pittsburgh region. He also stated that others were disseminating factually incorrect information. He stated that the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector is not the oldest operable, major planetarium projector in the world. Although he did not give specifics, he stated that he would provide the Board of Directors of the Allegheny Regional Asset District with documentation of his assertion.

Mr. Walsh's Response: Mr. Walsh stated that the older projector Mr. Radzilowicz referred to is a projector in Springfield, Massachusetts. He stated that this projector is one year older than Buhl's Zeiss II projector. However, the projector is smaller and cannot show all stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Further, this projector is, technically, NOT a "planetarium." This projector is a stellarium, which only shows the stars; other projectors are needed to show the planets. Hence, Buhl Planetarium's Zeiss II Planetarium Projector IS the oldest operable, major planetarium projector in the world!

gaw

NOTE; Glenn A. Walsh was speaker number 15 of 40 presenters at this public hearing before the Allegheny Regional Asset District, on 2001 October 22. John G. Radzilowicz, Director of the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory at The Carnegie Science Center was speaker number 14. Judy Horgan, on the staff of The Pittsburgh Children's Museum, was speaker number 12.