Penny Wise, But
Pound Foolish

I am writing in regard to the proposal by Kevin Dorn, secretary of the Vt. Agency of Commerce and Community Development, to reduce the hours of operation at the Morrill Homestead in Strafford. The state has just spent over $600,000 to build a new Visitor/Education Center on the property which was opened last June.

We are told that the state budget can no longer support paying a docent $61.25 per day to keep the Homestead open five days per week as it has been. The house has been open Wednesday–Sunday, Memorial Day–Columbus Day, a total of 24 weeks. The current budget restrictions will reduce those hours to only Saturday and Sunday.

I am a director with the Friends of the Morrill Homestead. Our data show that 60% of visitation to the site has traditionally occurred on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Let's take a look at the math: $61.25/day three days/week for 24 weeks equals $4410 in proposed savings.

However, the site would lose an estimated $2250 in revenue from visitors at $5 a head.

If we subtract these numbers we get a proposed savings of $2160.

All of the signage and publicity materials are printed with the hours of operation: Wed-Sun Memorial Day—Columbus Day. There are at least seven cases of door cards that the state has generously printed for the site. These will be incorrect if the hours are changed and will need to be reprinted. I suspect that the cost of replacing those door cards will exceed any proposed savings of $2000.

This partial closing of Vermont's first National Historic Landmark is not only shameful but there is no cost savings from it. It will likely end up costing more in new signage and printing.

This is penny wise and pound foolish economics! I strongly urge Secretary Dorn to rearrange his budget and find a way to fully fund the operation at The Morrill Homestead.

Marie Ricketts

Friends of Morrill Homestead

South Strafford