I'll offer this response once in this forum, and then I recommend that any additional comments anyone would care to exchange should probably go off-list through private emails to avoid cluttering up what should be a forum for astronomy-related messages. Quoting Chuck Hards: "Many of us are old enough to remember when Hansen opened it's doors, and that it was a much more freindly and open environment than Clark, or the final phases of Hansen." How so? Customer service drives this place. If we're being less friendly now than in years gone by (I was on the Hansen Planetarium staff under both Mark Littmann and Von Del Chamberlain), I'd like to know about it so I can correct the problem. "I certainly felt that any tax dollars of mine going into the old institution were much better spent." I don't see how you can make that claim. We have four times the public attendance, more and better exhibits, and three times the number of school kids seeing educational programs than we had at Hansen and nobody's taxes have gone up to pay for it. "Any county rules that on the surface seem to forbid an association between an astronomical society and the planetarium can be undone, they are just words on paper and not physical barriers." Words on paper are the basis of our government. The "Short Rule" was a 1999 decision by the Utah Supreme Court. Public employees may not give public assets (use of this building is considered a public asset) to private persons or organizations without fair market compensation and approval by elected representatives. SLAS is not being unfairly discriminated against. The rules apply to _all_ private groups wishing to use the planetarium. It's your tax dollars that are protected by this policy. "For the planetarium to now shrug it's shoulders, point to questionable polices and rental fees, and grin sheepishly seems like a cop-out to many of us." I'm never sheepish, and I'm certainly not grinning. You and others have criticized the planetarium for being unfair to SLAS, and I'm explaining to you that the county policy, and the Utah laws on which it is based, is far from "questionable." It is strict and unambiguous. "Remember that we are not "tin-foil hat" types standing around looking at the night sky hoping for UFOs to land." Who ever said you were? The accomplishments of amateur astronomers are well known and respected by the planetarium staff. "It's pretty much up to you, sir, to change the environment at this point." I hope I've made it clear that it is most certainly _not_ up to me. If SLAS doesn't want to associate with the planetarium, that's SLAS's decision to make. The Clark Planetarium has at no time, nor ever will, act in any arbitrary manner to diminish our interest in cooperating with SLAS to promote astronomy education in our community. Best regards, Seth Jarvis, Director Clark Planetarium