Jule Collins Smith Museum deserves accolades, not criticism

Jule Collins Smith Museum deserves accolades, not criticism
Having attending the Jule Collins Smith Museum’s sixth anniversary celebration, I was very saddened to see the Oct. 15 letter to the editor criticizing the museum’s celebration.
When there are so many serious problems in the world, it seems such a waste to be negative about an institution and its people who work so hard to provide wonderful art exhibits and public programming.

We love the museum. The professional staff and volunteers, of which there are many dedicated people, work hard to deliver professional, creative programs and exhibits to our community. We are blessed to have such a resource. The museum does an exceptionally good job of balancing their core collections and bringing in a variety of other temporary exhibits, such as the Elvis photographs. Whether you like Elvis or not, and frankly I did not know anyone who did not until this week, he was an icon and tame by today’s standards.

We would be fortunate if today’s media stars expressed the patriotism, generosity and faith of Elvis.

The enthusiasm at the celebration showed that once again the museum found a theme that reached audiences of all ages, even children who weren’t sure who Elvis was. Yes, he shook his hips when he sang.

I happened to think the children drawing some bones and attaching them to their brads and strips was creative. Among the children’s activities, volunteer engineering students from the university helped children make working radios, tying in with the Elvis theme. Where else, other than our community, would such free programming be offered? How many children do you know who can say they made a radio?

Hopefully, the one positive thing that will develop from the letter is publicity so more people can check out the museum and the Elvis exhibit and form their own opinions.

Frances C. Peeples
Auburn

Store selling sex toys in Auburn really shouldn’t be a big deal

Some members of the Auburn City Council are upset that an Auburn store is selling sex toys. Can’t we just be grown up and adult about this? My expertise is that Auburnites are by and large fairly hip and cosmopolitan in their social attitudes. Surely it’s just an old and crusty minority who are upset about this.

Hopefully, the Auburn City Council will just leave this issue alone and move on to more important matters.

John W. Bales
Waverly