Ronald School - The Truth Will Set You Free!

Monday Night, Truth Will Be Told on the Historic Ronald School and the Shoreline School District's Plans to Engulf It in a Huge New HS Complex

Front Portico of Ronald School
built in 1912

The Hearing will be held to determine whether the Shoreline School District should receive the "Certificate of Appropriateness" to impact a Landmarked Building with the proposed development of the Shorewood HS.  The COA was appealed by the Shoreline Preservation Society.

The scene will be a Shoreline City Council Hearing. The meeting starts at 7pm at Shoreline City Hall.

Shoreline City Hall - Council Chamber17500 Midvale Avenue North
Shoreline, Washington 98133


The Public is welcome to attend the hearing and witness the presentations.

The Hearing is to be a Quasi-Judicial Closed Record matter. This means that no public comment will be taken and councilmembers may NOT speak to each other or anyone else on this matter beforehand, but attorneys for Shoreline School District and the Shoreline Preservation Society will be presenting arguments. The hearing will be televised.

One controversial aspect of this hearing is that as of today, the deliberations of the Council are scheduled to be in "Executive Session". That means IN SECRET for a matter regarding the School District and the oldest building in the community!

You can see the agenda and click on the item, and access the documents in the record here.
http://cosweb.ci.shoreline.wa.us/uploads/attachments/cck/Council/Agendas/Agendas2011/022811.htm

Rear section of Ronald School, part of the oldest section( 1912)
 of the school to be encased by new HS.
These windows will be replaced but "bricked in" and
"encapsulated" by a glass hallway.

The main issues at stake are the following:

This is NOT about whether to build a new High School.
It is about whether a precedent setting plan to "Significantly Alter and Impact" the 1912 Landmarked Ronald School will be approved by the Shoreline City Council.

The Shoreline Preservation Society is an all volunteer non-profit organization whose mission is:

“To foster the preservation of historical heritage, cultural and 

environmental assets throughout the Shoreline Area.”

Shoreline Historical Museum New Site - Volunteer Work Party This Coming Saturday

Volunteers Needed at Shoreline Historical Museum new site!

Message from Shoreline Historical Museum Director Vicki Stiles :

We will have one more big clean up party on Saturday February 5 from 11 to 2, in the basement of the exhibit building.  Then our contractors will be able to get in there and actually see what needs to be done.  Would you be able to put the word out again?  I would greatly appreciate it - anyone is welcome to come and hold a bag or shovel a shovel - we have masks, gloves, bags, and coffee!  The office building is almost done - they start sheetrocking tomorrow, floors and painting next week. 

The New Site of the Shoreline Historical Museum is at 185th and Linden Ave (old James Alan Salon building). All are welcome!

Shoreline Historical Museum New Digs

Shoreline Historical Museum - a new labor of love.  And it's going to take a lot a love for this new site!

So the GOOD NEWS for the Shoreline Historical Museum is they've got a new home.

Museum Director Vicki Stiles in front room of 18511
Linden Ave N.  She's smiling, but looking at the task ahead,
her sweatshirt indicates she might rather be in Maui
(and who could blame her!)

The BAD NEWS is it's like being forced to move into a flop house when you were used to a decent place to live. 

Basement of former James Alan Salon
New Home of Shoreline Historical Museum

To be fair the shot above is the basement of one buliding, which is the worst site. The old little house next door is somewhat better. But it is pretty shabby too.

Front Room of 18511 Linden Ave N
Planned to be the meeting room of new temporary Museum.

The Shoreline Historical Museum was forced to move after being evicted by the Shoreline School District from their 35 year home at the Ronald School. They used some settlement dollars and

bought the property available at 185th and Linden Ave N, which includes about a half acre overgrown lot and two buildings, the former James Alan Salon and small house (40's era) next door. 

Well it is better than being homeless, but it is going to be a huge task to make these buildings habitable. 

The 18511 Linden house is relatively easier to fix up to be of use. According to Director Vicki Stiles, they expect to have an office set up there next week sometime. 

Volunteers have to wear masks to deal with the nasty dust

But the James Alan site is another story. After the business moved out, a pipe broke and water ran into the building for three days before anyone knew about it. All the ceiling tiles are rotten and have to be hauled out. Their is some mold and huge amounts of dust and crud everywhere. 

Museum Boardmembers and volunteers have been working for
many weeks already to clear out the mess, but it is
going to take a lot of "sweat equity" to get this place
ready for any kind of museum

Vicki Stiles is very grateful to the incredible work of so many Museum Boardmembers and volunteers. Lorne Day has been there nearly every day clearing the brush and overgrowth that was even growing through the roof of the little house!

Loren Day, Hal Schlegel, and Kevin Sill confer about the tasks at hand

Volunteer Extraordinaire Loren Day gets grateful hug
from Director Vicki Stiles

A WHOLE lot a love is what it's gonna take. But the Museum supporters seem to 

have a lot to give!

A Year Ago Today - Shoreline Historical Museum WAS in Ronald School

Do You Remember? 


Last year on MLK's Birthday an incredible Rally was held in front of the Shoreline Historical Museum. Ninety people showed up to support the Museum and Ronald School and sent a message to the Shoreline School District.

2010 MLK Day Rally at Ronald School

Now, sadly even though the public thought the problem was solved and history would be preserved, it wasn't. The Shoreline School District evicted the Museum and their new home will be here -

Cottage next door to former James Alan Salon

and here!

Former James Alan Salon building at 185th and Lynden

So while we are happy for the Museum finding a new home, which will eventually be built into something much better, we wonder "how could this have happened?" 

And still the Ronald School is threatened by the new Shorewood HS development. SSD says they'll be "restoring it", when actually they'll be gutting the insides of this nearly 100 year old building and slapping it onto the front of a 150,000 sq ft building and calling it a "landmark", even though it will only be the front porch of the humongous new HS. 

The "Landmarked" 1912 Ronald School is unique as a stand alone,
semi-rural schoolhouse in the Classic Revival Style

The "Shoreline" Landmarks Commission (which interestingly contained no one representing Shoreline)

issued a decision on a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow Shoreline School District to impact the building it had landmarked just 2 years before.

Now, the Shoreline Preservation Society has appealed that decision. The appeal will be heard by the Shoreline City Council on February 28th at the regular council meeting. It is a "closed record, quasi-judicial" matter. This means no new evidence or testimony will be taken and the Councilmembers are not permitted ANY exparte communications with anyone, including each other. 

The public is welcome to attend the hearing and witness this decision, which will finally be made by someone representing Shoreline.

New Date Set for Landmarks Commission Hearing for Ronald School

Last week the Shoreline/KC Landmarks Commission Hearing for "Certificate of Appropriateness" for the Ronald School proposal was postponed.

Now the new Hearing date has been set for:
• When - Wednesday, November 17, 7pm
• Where - Richmond Masonic Center, N 185th and Linden Ave N
(parking available at Fred Meyer)
                  753 N. 185^th in Shoreline
• Why Should You Attend? 
     • It is a Landmarked Historic Building
     • Ronald School is the oldest public building in Shoreline, built in 1912
     • It is a unique and rare freestanding structure that represents a semi-rural school building
           that is a fine example of the "classical revival" style of that period
     • It is in the City's Community Vision and was proposed as an element of our 
         Town Center Subarea
     • It is a vital part of the fabric of our community 
     • The Shoreline Historical Museum has been the steward of this building since the 1976
           Bicentennial, when the museum was created

Ronald School-
photo credit- Vicki Westberg
If you have questions or comments on this matter please contact: 
J. Todd Scott, AIA ,Preservation Architect

King County Historic Preservation Program

400 Yesler Way, Suite 510

Seattle, WA   98104

206.296.8636

todd.scott@kingcounty.gov

Shoreline Preservation Society is heading up an effort to save this unique building. Stay tuned for more information about ways to help. If you wish to be involved or have information please call 

206-734-5545.

Two Important Upcoming Processes for Shoreline Historical Museum/Ronald School

Your Input Matters: 
Two Upcoming Public Process Opportunities to Help 

"Get the Truth Out" about the 

Shoreline Historical Museum

Ronald School vintage photo

Finally! Citizens will have a chance to speak out in public on the matter of the Shoreline Historical Museum and the Shoreline School District's "takeover" of  the Ronald School.

Shoreline Conditional Use Permit for Shorewood HS 

Project # 201828 17300 Fremont Ave N - 

 Comments MUST BE IN BY October 9th to Shoreline Planning and Development Services

   send to - pcohen@shorelinewa.gov  (206) 801-2551

You can send a comment letter on concerns about impacts to the Landmarked Ronald School and impacts to the Shorewood Neighborhood on many issues, including but not limited to Traffic, Parking, Scale of project, Environmental Issues, Lighting, Town Center, etc.

Shoreline Historical Museum
photo credit-Vicki Westberg

King County Landmarks Commission - "Certificate of Appropriateness" Process

  Public Hearing, October 14th at Richmond Masonic Lodge

   7pm  185th St and Linden Ave N (across from Fred Meyer store, 

                    parking available at Fred Meyer parking lot)

    The King County Landmarks Commission will take public comment and probably make a decision on the Certificate matter that evening.  This "certificate" is a requirement for the Shoreline School District to get their Conditional Use Permit.

      YOU can make a difference by attending this hearing, and making substantive comments on the value of the Ronald School to our community. You can express concerns about the Shoreline School District's plans to gut the building and remove the rear wall to "incorporate" the old school into their massive new HS design. You can discuss the shoddy process the Shoreline School District put this community through and the impact that removing the Ronald School as a "stand alone" building will have. 

        The KC Landmarks Commission formally designated the Ronald School as a Historic Landmark for the City of Shoreline in 2008.  So now, in order for the SSD to "incorporate" this building into their HS design they must get the Certificate of Appropriateness. YOU can have your say finally in public about what the Shoreline School District's actions     have done to our community.  You can also write to the King County Landmarks Commission and comment on this application. 

Write to: Todd Scott ;  Todd.Scott@kingcounty.gov
 refer to COA (Certificate of Appropriateness) No 1021
Business Relations and Economic Development
400 Yesler Way, Suite 510
Seattle, WA 98104

     You may call or email me (Janet Way) if you have any questions or would like to participate.
      206-734-5545,  janetway@yahoo.com


Thank you for your interest and for caring about your community!


Stay tuned for more information! 

Best Regards,

Janet

Ronald School Historic Photo -
Shoreline Historical Museum Collection

2007 - Reviewing the Record on Shoreline Historical Museum

In King County an agency called 4Culture oversees
 funding to historical and cultural assets.

In 2007 the following article was published which shows some of the public investment made in the Shoreline Historical Museum and the "intent" of the Museum to keep faith with the public to restore the Ronald School. This was always the underlying intent and Landmarking the building was also always the long term goal.

Shoreline Historical Museum in the Landmarked Ronald School

Restoration of Ronald School Takes

 Another Step Forward- (2007 report)

January 25, 2007 - The Shoreline Historical Museum in Shoreline has taken the next step in a quarter-century effort to restore the historic Ronald School, the oldest public structure in northwestern King County. The museum has completed work on the original wood cornice of the building's west side, which will bring the structure closer to a full restoration by the school's centenary in 2012.

Though the cornice work by itself seems minor, it is important to the long-term plan for listing as an historic landmark. The Museum, which owns the former elementary school, first proposed the building as a King County landmark in 1988. But major modifications in the 1950s and 1960s prevented its listing, so supporters embarked on a restoration effort. The first work was completed in 1994, and the project reached a milestone when the exterior portico and a balustrade were restored in 1998. Other work has included safety upgrades and disabled access improvements. The cornice work, funded in part with a $9,000 4Culture Landmark Rehabilitation Program grant in 2006, was finished in the summer of 2006.

Vicki Stiles, executive director of the Shoreline Historical Museum, says the project has reached a critical point. In 2007, the museum board plans to apply for status as a King County landmark, a state landmark, and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. "The building is as close to its original condition as it's been in the past 40 years," she says.

And the project won't end there. Stiles says the next restoration phases include seismic upgrades, rebuilding the bell cupola, and replacing aluminum-framed windows with wood-framed windows. The estimated total cost of the project is approximately $3 million. Once completed, the Ronald School will be a centerpiece of the Shoreline community, Stile says.

For more information on the Ronald School and the Shoreline Historical Museum, contact Vicki Stiles at 206.542.7111.

1912- What Happened the Year that the Ronald School Was Built?

Shoreline's Historically Landmarked Ronald School was built in 1912.  It was a significant year in many ways. 

Arts Service Station, Richmond Highlands Neighborhood - circa 1945

Now that the Shoreline Historical Museum is being uprooted and the Ronald School buildings integrity is threatened, let's look at the era it was built in, and think about its uniqueness in relation to our history and that era. Let's look at the year 1912 to get a better context on why this place matters.

In 1912 Judge JT Ronald, former Seattle Mayor donated the land that the current Ronald School and Shoreline Historical Museum occupies to build a grade school. It was on the western edge of his property, and near the soon to be developed Highway 99, now Aurora Ave North. Judge Ronald believed in education, but he also believed in commerce and opportunity.

The Ronald Interurban Depot at North 175th and Midvale, ca. 1915
Courtesy Shoreline Historical Museum

History Link has the story:


A Stop Called Ronald
An early resident in the Shoreline community around the turn of the century was Judge James Ronald. Ronald purchased five acres of land for $100 from a friend who owed him money. Working on the weekends, he cleared his tract and planted cherry and apple trees. Improving the land came naturally to him, he claimed, having been raised in the Deep South.
Judge Ronald was a friend of Fred Sander, the man who built the Interurban. Ronald gave right-of-way through his property for Sander's rail line and offered to build a small station house if he could name it. Sander agreed, and after the station was built, Ronald gave him a sign reading "Evanor," named for Ronald’s daughters, Eva and Norma.
Shortly thereafter, Judge Ronald was riding the train. He got off at his station and was shocked to see that its name had been changed to Ronald. Not wanting to see his name in a public place, he confronted Sander. Sander informed Ronald that he'd promised to name the station "Evanor" but not to keep the name.
Said Sander, "This is my railway and I change names of stations when I please. I have changed it to Ronald and if you don’t like that name you can stay away and not see it!" The name further ingrained itself into the community a few years later when Ronald donated land for a school building. The name of the building? Ronald School, now (1999) home to the Shoreline Historical Museum.

.....................

Rogers General Store, Richmond Highlands -1912
courtesy of Shoreline Historical Museum

Not the Scenic Route
By the 1930s, the Interurban had outlived its usefulness. America was turning automotive, and cars were the preferred method of travel. By 1939, the Interurban rails were sold for scrap metal and paved roads crisscrossed the community.
Aurora Avenue, or Highway 99, was originally a bumpy wagon-trail that closely paralleled the rail line. By 1912, it was paved with brick all the way to the county line. As the Interurban faded away, Aurora Avenue became the most heavily trafficked road in the community. Evidence of this can be seen today in the old motels and gas stations still located along the sides.


What else was go'in on in the world in 1912?

Here's a selection of events that took place in that year from
History Orb.com
http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1912

Jan 17th - Robert Scott expedition arrives at South Pole, 1 month after Amundsen
Jan 18th - English explorer Robert F Scott & his expedition reach South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had gotten there before
Feb 8th - 1st eastbound US transcontinental flight lands in Jacksonville, Fla
Mar 12th - Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) forms in Savannah, by Juliette Gordon Low
Mar 29th - Capt Robert Scott, storm-bound in a tent near South Pole, makes last entry in his diary "the end cannot be far"
Apr 15th - Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as band plays on
Apr 16th - Harriet Quimby becomes 1st woman pilot to cross English Channel
Apr 20th - Fenway Park officially opens, Red Sox beat NY Highlanders 7-6 in 11
Jun 4th - Massachusetts passes 1st US minimum wage law
Jun 5th - US marines invade Cuba (3rd time)
Aug 7th - Progressive (Bull Moose) Party nominates Theodore Roosevelt for pres
Aug 24th - NYC ticker tape parade for Jim Thorpe and victorious US olympians
Aug 24th - Territory of Alaska organizes
Aug 27th - Edgar Rice Burroughs' publishes "Tarzan of the Apes"
Sep 27th - W C Handy publishes "Memphis Blues" 1st Blues Song, 1912
Oct 14th - Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt shot while campaigning in Milwaukee
Oct 16th - Boston beats NY Giants, 4 games to 3 with a tie in 9th World Series
Nov 5th - Arizona, Kansas & Wisconsin vote for female suffrage
Nov 5th - Woodrow Wilson (D) defeats Theodore Roosevelt (Prog) and Pres Taft (R)
Dec 6th - China votes for universal human rights
Dec 7th - Bust of Queen Nefertete found in El-Amarna, Egypt


Meanwhile in a place that would become Shoreline, just north of Seattle, Judge JT Ronald kept working on making his home city a place for education, commerce and continued his service as a King County Superior Court Judge.

King County Superior Court Judge J.T. Ronald

"Shoreline School District is a Cult of Deception" said a Shoreline SESPA Worker.

SESPA Workers Demonstrate for Workplace Fairness

Tonite's Shoreline School Board meeting was attended by approximately 100 Shoreline Education Support Professionals, teachers and other community members. They held a demonstration outside beforehand. About a dozen spoke to the School Board. Many told their personal stories, but many expressed exasperation at the delay tactics displayed by Shoreline School District Administration and no leadership from the School Board who sat stone faced throughout.
http://sespaunion.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

One worker admonished the SSD and Board stating that "The Shoreline School District IS a Cult of Deception!" There was a huge ovation from the crowd.

SESPA Workers demonstrate and are joined by WEA reps

It is sad to say that this has been the attitude of the District on many issues in the last few years.

The newest outrage is of course the process now underway about the hostile eviction of the Shoreline Historical Museum and proposal to gut the 100 year old Landmarked Ronald School. The District has now succeeded apparently in strong arming the Shoreline Historical Museum Board and will evict them in the next few months.

SSD is Planning to "Gut" this Landmarked building to create their new facade

The latest chapter begins this week. We were shocked to find out tonite that the the King County Landmarks Commission has already been meeting with Basetti Achitects. (Apparently, it's a cozy little relationship, between them and the "Architects Review Committee" of the Commission) and there is a full meeting of the Commission this Thursday. This is rather shocking, since there has been absolutely no
Legal Notice to anyone who is a "Party Of Record".

The School District is required to get a "Certificate of Appropriateness" to undertake changes in the Landmarked building.  One would think that "gutting the building" would be seen as a significant change to require the Commission to have some pause before rubber stamping approval.

But since no one was made aware that this process was underway, how would they know anything other than what the Basetti Architects and Shoreline School District Administration want them to know?

Again, the Shoreline School District has shown they cannot be trusted with our tax dollars or our children.

Another chapter in the "Cult of Deception" Chronicles unfolds. 

Open Letter to Shoreline School District-You are WAY out of line

My comments from Monday's, August 24th at the Shoreline School Board Meeting.

The unthinkable is about to happen. Please notice your community is about to lose its history!

There were four of our Save Our Shoreline Historical Museum Committee's members who spoke and two others attended. We were also present with about 100 members of the SESPA Union, who are engaged in contract talks with the District and had held an informational picket just before the meeting. Many of their members spoke of their situation, their dedication to their jobs and the students, and their need for decent hourly wages and work days to make ends meet.

The Ronald School was built in 1912 on land donated by Judge JT Ronald. The Shoreline Historical Musuem was created in 1976 by a group of dedicated preservationists, educators and historians in celebration of our Nation's Bicentennial. It has been supported in its work by funding from local, county and state governments and private and public grant funding. The building was Landmarked by King County Historical Preservation board in 2008. It is the oldest public building in Shoreline.

Judge JT Ronald

photo credit-Janet Way

If you would like to contact the School Board click on this link.

http://www.shorelineschools.org/school_board/contact.php

__________________________________________________

I'm Janet Way from Shoreline and I'm representing the Committee to Save Our Shoreline Historical Museum. I'm here to speak about YOUR actions. We speak in solidarity with the SESPA Union who is here today.

Today, we submitted a repeat FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request, on documents related to Design of Shorewood HS. We were greeted by Superintendent Sue Walker who ultimately told us we could not have these records (as required by State Law) today or tomorrow (even though the original request was on July 8th) because.....

"We have more important things to do today."

We told her we'd be back tomorrow (Wednesday and it turned out we were rebuffed again).

Last time we attended one of your meetings, the Shoreline School Distirct was celebrating an "Agreement in Principle" with the Shoreline Historical Museum. Unfortunately that was premature apparently because, it has become clear that it was not offered in good faith (by the District). It was a very bad joke on the voters because now we see that bullying is now the new normal at SSD.

 The District has gone back on its promise to help the Museum and is now all about CRUSHING it!

Is this the new educational policy for the District? Take a community asset, a Landmarked building that houses our history and CRUSH IT?

Well, when you go to sell your Bonds (for the HS Rebuild projects), this community will be asking why we should invest in such a reprehensible organization, that treats its home community this way.

How can we support an organization that is all about destroying an irreplaceable asset?

We are not going away and will let the community and taxpayers know what you are doing with 23% of local tax dollars and what you are doing with their trust.

Credit- Shoreline Historical Museum

Ronald School built in 1912

Concerned Citizen Expresses Reservation About LAST Shoreline Election

This is a letter from a citizen who needs to remain nameless.  He expresses regrets about the "promises made" in the last election in Shoreline for Schools funding.

photo credit-Greg

As we all look forward to tomorrow's election, it may be an appropriate point to look back at the last time we went to the polls here in Shoreline.  One of the most controversial issues on the ballot was passing a school bond/levy increase to fund creation of two rebuilds of our existing high schools. At issue to many of the citizens in the district was the preservation of the existing Shoreline Historical Museum. With the assurances of the Shoreline School Board, the voters were confident that the museum would remain a part of the existing high school site. The bond issued passed by the barest of margins, as voters looked to the future and agreed to preserve the past as a solution to the need for new high schools.

It is easy to feel deceived by the events of the past few months. The so called "agreement in principal" collapsed amidst finger pointing and continued acrimony. Voters who supported the bond levy with the belief the museum would be preserved may feel deceived. 

As we cast our ballots tomorrow, voters are being reminded of excesses in pay scale for small town administrators in parts of California. There were $800,000 pay salaries for city managers in towns the size of Shoreline, which raise voters objections and beg for closer scrutiny of local municipal politics. 

Does Shoreline have a similar issue? Please consider these facts and questions about our local School District.

The Superintendent of the Shoreline School District is slated for an $8000.00 pay increase. All the administrative positions in the district are slated to receive 4% pay increases. Why have monies for these pay increases been funded into the budget and many of the other real needs of the school district been marginalized? (see SESPA Blog) Should pay increases for administrators be something that receives the approval of the voters? 

Democracy thrives when public scrutiny and accountability are demanded by participating citizens. 

At the coming School Board meeting at the end of this month a motion will be reviewed to approve the budget for the district. Please attend and share your comments.

A concerned Shoreline citizen.

Think Heritage Tourism!

Comment Submitted by 

Shoreline citizen Jan Stewart,

to Planning Commission on Importance of Preserving our Shoreline Museum and Heritage as Part of our Town Center Planning

July 15, 2010

To the Planning Commission

In the materials staff prepared for this evening, I appreciate seeing things like “the integration with economic development and other strategies, the historical context, the vision of a cultural heart of the city, citizens proud of an inviting place that exemplifies the best of Shoreline – past, present and future. “

This sounds great, but the vision created by our community will end up being nothing more than fantasy, given that the School District now, once again, plans to eliminate the Museum, which basically undermines and diminishes the potential of the Town Center.

It’s an unbelievably bad idea to allow the building’s interior to be disfigured, essentially leaving a façade, in order for the school to use it.  Experiencing the building fully preserved as the Historical Museum for our city and region is what gives it such value to the Town Center:  Think Heritage Tourism (see attached).

Policy should reflect our values, so the Planning Commission needs to be very clear as to whether you support what the community envisions, given the current circumstances.  If you don’t, you should just strike out all the “feel good” language in the vision, the historical context, and eliminate altogether any reference to historical landmarks in Policy TC-19.  Nobody will care to seek out a remnant of the red brick road somewhere under a car in a parking lot.

As part of the Planning Commission’s responsibility in establishing priorities for the Town Center sub area, you have it in your power to hold a public hearing on the museum issue as you deem necessary.  There’s a lot you can do, but at the least I would urge you to speak out forcefully to help save the Museum in the Ronald School Building in the Town Center and direct staff to look for any and all solutions. 

Otherwise, the history you are writing for Shoreline will be simply that “we used to have a great museum in a historical landmark building right in our Town Center, but we just didn’t care enough about it to fight to keep it.”  We will have lost the most valuable link to our past and some important opportunities for future economic growth.

Jan Stewart

Shoreline Resident

Facts to Keep in Mind for Shoreline’s Town Center Planning

Museums and heritage organizations are everywhere and are popular.

Museums are critical partners in K-12 education.

Museums are good business.

Museums protect our natural and cultural heritage.

Citizens recognize all that museums and heritage organizations do for their communities and want to help.

L

Heritage tourism

·      is one the fastest growing segments of the travel and tourism industry

·       supports jobs and businesses

·      supports sustainable economic growth

·      assists with diversifying and stabilizing local communities

·      sustains domestic tourism

·      provides valuable community amenities and attracts businesses

·      protects fragile cultural resources

·      improves the quality of life for both visitors and residents

Investment in BLM heritage tourism programs will help support sustainable economic growthM lands is estimated to run

 A SNAPSHOT OF CULTURAL & HERITAGE TOURISM

Domestic

Eighty-one percent of the 146.4 million U.S. adults who took a trip of 50 miles or more away from home in the past year can be considered cultural and heritage tourists.

Compared to other travelers, cultural and heritage tourists:

• Spend more: $623 vs. $457

• Use a hotel, motel or B&B: 62 percent vs. 55 percent

• Are more likely to spend $1,000+/-: 19 percent vs. 12 percent

• Travel longer: 5.2 nights vs. 3.4 nights

Historic/cultural travel volume is up 13 percent from 1996, increasing from 192.4 million person-trips to 216.8 million person-trips in 2002.

The demographic profile le of the cultural heritage travel segment today is younger, wealthier, more educated and more technologically savvy when compared to those surveyed in 1996.

35.3 million adults say that a specific arts, cultural or heritage event or activity influenced their choice of destination.

Source: Travel Industry Association of America and Smithsonian Magazine, The  Historic/Cultural Traveler, 2003 Edition.