Post by Joanne on Aug 3, 2005 20:57:57 GMT -5
Hi, my name is Joanne Hague and I was a lead preservationist in the efforts that persued the historic preservation of the original Woodstock site in Bethel NY.
It’s been almost a year since a core group of preservation activists, under the banner of the Woodstock Preservation Alliance, wrapped up their challenge to the development plans of the Bethel Woods - Center for the Arts, to place permanent structures on and around the original historic site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, in the small Catskills town of Bethel, New York. The challenge to the project managers - the Gerry Foundation, took many forms - from petitions to formal advocacy at State and Federal levels. The persistent lobbying for a public voice in the planning of this world-class performing arts center realized a 90 percent reduction in the proposed Core Complex on the plateau above the famed festival bowl amphitheatre. With such a reduction, and given that compromises are more often the rule than the exception in contemporary historic preservation battles, we preservationists were satisfied that within the Bethel Woods complex the original 38-acre Woodstock Festival site has largely been left as it was in 1969 for future generations to appreciate. Opposed to the original vision for Bethel Woods, the revised plans for the festival site ensured that the former "Yasgur’s Farm" - known worldwide from the 1970 Academy Award winning documentary WOODSTOCK - would remain in its original state as much as possible, for generations to come.
As testimony to the efforts made to preserve this piece of global history, a new website has been constructed that chronicles several years of a tireless labor of love. This premier website may be one of the best sources of Woodstock information for the interested public and students alike. The website is not only about Woodstock 1969, it’s about Woodstock: then and now. The facts, fiction, legend, mythology, and general power of what is "Woodstock" will continue through our youth and our generations to come and a unique page is being developed as a place for our students to share their works; their projects and essays, with others, to enjoy and learn from. In addition, our website also serves as a template for other grassroots historic preservation movements. A multitude of information, photos, video, audio and more, abound on this website. Unlike other Woodstock ‘tribute’ websites, the Woodstock Preservation Archives serves to ensure that the struggle to preserve the festival site is not lost as Bethel Woods rises in the Catskills, and also to inspire others to speak up for what they believe in, regardless of the barriers that face them. Although truthful in our struggle to impact the development plans by the Gerry Foundation, it is respectful of the Bethel Woods’ desire to bring back music and the arts to this land, and allows visitors to make up their own minds as to whether Bethel Woods serves as an "End or New Beginning" for the original Woodstock Festival site.
This website is fun, interesting, educational and informative, and in the spirit of the original Woodstock advertisement catchphrase, the Woodstock Preservation Archives provides "Hundreds of Acres to Roam On."
I invite you to stop by and visit, and welcome any comments you may have. With respect to this forum, I hope that you will find our website worthy information to pass along. We can be found at:
Woodstock - Preservation Archives
woodstockpreservation.org
Thank you for your time and attention.
Respectfully,
Joanne
From: (Former) Woodstock Preservation Alliance
"Dedicated to the Historic Preservation of the Site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair"
Joanne Hague (Blakely PA), Brad Littleproud (Pickering, Ontario Canada), Michael Wm. Doyle, Ph.D. (Muncie, Indiana), Martie Malaker (Scranton, PA) Melissa Sue Lapointe (Stanbridge East, Quebec, Canada), Timothy Dicks (Norwich, New York )
WOODSTOCK - PRESERVATION ARCHIVES
woodstockpreservation.org
It’s been almost a year since a core group of preservation activists, under the banner of the Woodstock Preservation Alliance, wrapped up their challenge to the development plans of the Bethel Woods - Center for the Arts, to place permanent structures on and around the original historic site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, in the small Catskills town of Bethel, New York. The challenge to the project managers - the Gerry Foundation, took many forms - from petitions to formal advocacy at State and Federal levels. The persistent lobbying for a public voice in the planning of this world-class performing arts center realized a 90 percent reduction in the proposed Core Complex on the plateau above the famed festival bowl amphitheatre. With such a reduction, and given that compromises are more often the rule than the exception in contemporary historic preservation battles, we preservationists were satisfied that within the Bethel Woods complex the original 38-acre Woodstock Festival site has largely been left as it was in 1969 for future generations to appreciate. Opposed to the original vision for Bethel Woods, the revised plans for the festival site ensured that the former "Yasgur’s Farm" - known worldwide from the 1970 Academy Award winning documentary WOODSTOCK - would remain in its original state as much as possible, for generations to come.
As testimony to the efforts made to preserve this piece of global history, a new website has been constructed that chronicles several years of a tireless labor of love. This premier website may be one of the best sources of Woodstock information for the interested public and students alike. The website is not only about Woodstock 1969, it’s about Woodstock: then and now. The facts, fiction, legend, mythology, and general power of what is "Woodstock" will continue through our youth and our generations to come and a unique page is being developed as a place for our students to share their works; their projects and essays, with others, to enjoy and learn from. In addition, our website also serves as a template for other grassroots historic preservation movements. A multitude of information, photos, video, audio and more, abound on this website. Unlike other Woodstock ‘tribute’ websites, the Woodstock Preservation Archives serves to ensure that the struggle to preserve the festival site is not lost as Bethel Woods rises in the Catskills, and also to inspire others to speak up for what they believe in, regardless of the barriers that face them. Although truthful in our struggle to impact the development plans by the Gerry Foundation, it is respectful of the Bethel Woods’ desire to bring back music and the arts to this land, and allows visitors to make up their own minds as to whether Bethel Woods serves as an "End or New Beginning" for the original Woodstock Festival site.
This website is fun, interesting, educational and informative, and in the spirit of the original Woodstock advertisement catchphrase, the Woodstock Preservation Archives provides "Hundreds of Acres to Roam On."
I invite you to stop by and visit, and welcome any comments you may have. With respect to this forum, I hope that you will find our website worthy information to pass along. We can be found at:
Woodstock - Preservation Archives
woodstockpreservation.org
Thank you for your time and attention.
Respectfully,
Joanne
From: (Former) Woodstock Preservation Alliance
"Dedicated to the Historic Preservation of the Site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair"
Joanne Hague (Blakely PA), Brad Littleproud (Pickering, Ontario Canada), Michael Wm. Doyle, Ph.D. (Muncie, Indiana), Martie Malaker (Scranton, PA) Melissa Sue Lapointe (Stanbridge East, Quebec, Canada), Timothy Dicks (Norwich, New York )
WOODSTOCK - PRESERVATION ARCHIVES
woodstockpreservation.org