November 2005 President’s Report

By Ira Pollack

Hope all is well with you. I’m very proud and excited to announce that our turntable and the site of our former roundhouse facility have been deemed historic, and have been placed on the National Historic Register as of September 15, 2005! I’d like to sincerely thank DRM member Bruce Clouette for his persistence in this project, and all of the work that made this possible. Nine months ago Bruce and I toured the turntable, measuring and photographing the structure, with the hope of someday having it preserved and acknowledged by the U.S. National Park Service by placing it on the National Historic Register. This has long been a dream of mine, and now has become a reality. I have always felt that the turntable is the heart or center of the yard, and definitely one of the main attractions at the Museum. We are very lucky to have been able to use this artifact over the years allowing the public to see its operation, and even ride on it. I’m hoping that new windows of opportunity will open now for funding to fully restore the turntable and pit to its original condition. It is a unique, one of a kind artifact. As I learn more information about this project, I will certainly keep you updated.

In other news, our Strategic Planning Commit-tee has been busy working on a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual. We have reached a point in our growth pattern where we need policy for what we do and how it is done. It’s very intriguing how vast our Museum is, how it has grown over the years, and how many procedures are needed to run it smoothly. The past several weeks have been spent writing and refining procedures involving the Front Desk operations. I’d like to thank Patty Osmer and Don Konen for their hard work in putting together an outline, as well as many of the procedures for this area. Eventually the Strategic Planning Committee will work its way through each of our departments, putting procedures into writing for inclusion in a master policy book or SOP manual. Once finished and presented to our staff, it should be clear what procedures need to be followed and how to do them. It also can be used as a training guide for new volunteers.

Now that the seasons have changed once again, I’d like to take the time to thank all of our volunteers for their dedicated service to the Museum. Looking back on the summer season of 2005, I feel we were very successful in accomplishing many of the projects we had as goals. Although not all have been completed, I’m still very happy with the many compliments received from our guests. This shows me that we’re moving forward, making a difference, continuing to grow!

In closing, I’d like to wish all who read this letter a pleasant and safe holiday season, which is approaching quickly. As always, I look forward to meeting you and exchanging ideas with you.