Discovery Musuem location in the Park debate

Does anyone remember a debate like this back in 2004 on the DM location in Jim Barnett Park?

I sure do not recall any such debate, wonder why or maybe I missed it?

What is a "park" and why was the DM location chosen in Jim Barnett Park?

Not showing any disrespect here, but just wanted to remind everyone that a "park" is:

1. An area of land set aside for public use, as:
a. A piece of land with few or no buildings within or adjoining a town, maintained for recreational and ornamental purposes.
b. A landscaped city square.
c. A large tract of rural land kept in its natural state and usually reserved for the enjoyment and recreation of visitors.

Is not Jim Barnett Park becoming more and more commercialized with more buildings while losing valuable green space?

Times have changed and the lease has expired, why not explore keeping the DM downtown to hopefully keep a draw of visitors on the walking mall to patronize those businesses.

After having dialog with two former Park-n-Rec board members, they basically had NO say in the deal as City Council and DM members worked it out.

Wonder why DM and the 2004 City Council members/Ed Daley were so gung ho about the Park?

Wonder if it will eventually have some connection with SU?

Wonder who will benefit the most with the DM in the Park?

Park perception - Now transitioning into a private club?

If Discovery Museum officials are all about constructing a “green” building, then why would supporters even consider building on basically the last desirable green space in Jim Barnett Park?

Anyone can clearly understand why DM officials wanted the building in Jim Barnett Park with the sweetheart deal that was given on a 40-year lease for $1 annually on the land, but that deal has expired.

Wonder why this green space was even offered up by the prior Parks & Rec board and City Council back in 2004?

Has not Jim Barnett Park already sacrificed enough green space? Most notable, back in 1995, the community lost free use of 7.2446 acres of the former Rouss Park, which was open space that included an unsecured baseball field that is now home to Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. Shenandoah University got the deal of the century when it purchased the Rouss park property for $1.5 million at 0 percent interest on a three-year note for that high-profile green space.

Why would I state “deal of the century”?

- SU paid $8.09 per square foot for the former Exxon station property lot at 710 Millwood Ave., now an SU parking lot beside Bob Evans, on May 14, 1993.

- SU purchased Rouss Park for $4.75 per square foot on Aug. 17, 1995. 

- SU paid $9.71 per square foot for the property at 647 Millwood on April 1, 1996, a former service station property lot that is basically now the parking lot at TV3-Winchester.

As Shelly Lee pointed out in The Star on May 4, the museum is educational, but how is it going to be affordable for all children with the rate of admission jumping from $7 at the present location to $10 if it’s constructed in the park?

Several folks have already shared their thoughts in The Star with alternative possibilities because there are so many vacant and under-utilized buildings in Winchester in or close to the downtown with ample parking.

Kudos to the current Parks & Rec board members who did a heckuva job in drawing up all of those questions on the Discovery Museum that were featured in The Star on April 24.

The vision of WPRD is that it strives to develop, provide, and maintain quality programs and facilities that meet the growing needs of our diverse community.

The perception is that Jim Barnett Park is transitioning into a private club if individuals don’t have necessary funds to participate.

Immigration by the Numbers

November 02, 2006 — This is a MUST SEE video for anyone interested in the immigration debate, whether you are a citizen, an illegal alien or a Congressman.

This video, Immigration by the Numbers, features Roy Beck demonstrating the catastrophe of the huge numbers of both legal and illegal immigration by Third World people into the modern nations. He uses standard statistics and simple gumballs to show this disaster in the making.

Video was done by Roy Beck:
http://www.answers.com/topic/roy-beck

Valley Health meeting deals with growth

First of all, I like to state in my opinion, Mr. Mark Merrill is a very nice individual.  I think he'll be the best thing to happen to VHS.
 
There is no doubt that VHS is feeling the affects of the economy as it was featured in a story today in the Winchester Star ... Valley Health meeting deals with growth

Merrill also noted some challenges Valley Health has been facing, such as a declining demand for elective surgeries and an increase of charity care and bad debt in the last four years.

“We’ve had almost a 1 percent increase, or a $10 to $12 million increase, year-over-year in terms of our charity care and bad debt, as the economy has softened and more people have been added to the roles of the uninsured,” he said. “Hopefully, the health reform will reduce some of those uninsured.”

BUT I have much concern if VHS is doing a better job of pre-qualifying the customers.  Up until last May/June timeframe of 2009, their billing policy was not as detailed as it reads today ... www.valleyhealthlink.com/billing


Valley Health's previous billing policy … Valley Health January 15, 2009 Financial Aid Policy  basically stated the following:

- Please pay us
- If you cannot pay us, make arrangements to pay us
- If you are uninsured, we want a deposit

I was informed of a lady right now that was paying $10 per week on an outstanding bill and VHS elected to garnish her wages.

After a friend of mine inquired with me, the perception is that this lady is a prime candidate for some type of financial assistance.  I asked … did she fill out the FIS form?  My friend stated that from what he understood that she was not aware of any such FIS form.

Currently, the middle-aged lady has the necessary forms in her possession and hopefully the outstanding debt that VHS has elected to garnish her wages for will be written off as bad-debt now since it’s already been billed.

There is a strong suspicion that this lady would have qualified for “charity-care” only IF she would have been pre-qualified.

Now here’s the kicker, if VHS is not doing the best job possible of pre-qualifying the customers, then if it’s done after the fact, after it’s been billed, that will inflate the “bad debt” figure as it’s the “charge figure” that is written off vs. the “cost figure” when “charity care” is predetermined.

Basically, if you sell a widget for $100 but it only costs you $2 to make, then for “charity care” purposes you are only allowed to write-off $2.  Once it’s been billed at the charge of $100, then VHS has to write-off $100 for bad-debt if a customer qualifies for charity-care assistance after the fact of being billed.

Now granted, there are some folks who have the ability to pay but refuse to pay as those would be legitimate bad debt expenses.
 
The evident perception was that if you the customer did not ask or inquire about any type of financial assistance, then VHS did not inform you.  Mr. Merrill told me in person that they are trying to do a better job of pre-qualifying the customers.

So folks, it’s up to you to ask the questions and file the necessary FIS form found in the following link … www.valleyhealthlink.com/billing

To close, don't forget the WMC had been pretty darn profitable.

The Winchester Medical Center's profits alone from 2001-2007 increased 460%.

2001 - $11.8 million (per Quad State Biz Journal)
   '
   '
   '
2005 - $54,346,679 (per IRS990)

2006 - $57,422,678 (per IRS990)

2007 - $66,617,961 (per IRS990)