Welcome to the new museum blog

As you may have noticed, the website is undergoing major changes for the 2011 Operating Season.  We invite you to visit this page periodically for news and updates on current events and work performed at the museum.  Please check back periodically too, to see what has been added and changed, as the site is very much under construction.  Websites, especially one as large and complex as this one, take a huge amount of time and work to construct.  It’s not as simple and straight forward as, say, typing a document in MS Word.  As with every other task at the museum, the website is maintained by a volunteer with a regular job and family in my spare time.  However, this website is my responsibility, and mine alone, so if you have any questions, comments, gripes or concerns, please, contact me.  Even if you have a gripe and feel the need to chew on someone over it, call or email me.  I am easy to contact, you can do so at: info@wplives.org .  I am responsible for the site, so the buck stops with me, and I fully accept the responsibility that comes with it, good or bad.  I’m always willing to talk to any of our members about the site (or any other museum issues) and appreciate all input, good or bad.

Also, you’ll notice that the museum’s message board has been removed.  Please do not email any of the board or myself about it; it is gone and not coming back, at least not in the format it was in.  Please understand it was a big liability for the society and a constant source of headaches and black eyes.  It was a constant source of spam and was, in my opinion, underutilized anyway.  It was not a comfortable place for the museums visitors to visit, so we felt that this was the best way to reach out to them, give them a day to day insight into the museum, as well as keeping our members informed on what is happening with their museum.  As the website grows and progresses over the next few weeks, we might bring something back in the “Members Lounge” section for members only, so that only members have access to it. 

As we prepare for the upcoming season, please consider a tax deductible donation to the museum, whether it be to the General Fund, the “WP165 Project” or the “Zephyr Project”, or a combination thereof, as the museum relies on your support to function and keep the spirit of the Western Pacific Railroad alive and well in Portola.

Have a great off season and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you here soon!

Tom