P.O.

Box 261250
Plano, TX 75023
plano african american972.423.PAAM
museum(7226)
aamplano.com

________________________________________________

July 27, 2010

Via email
Mr. Bill Baumbach
Collin County Observer

Re: Response to July 20, 2010 letter from Justin Nichols to City of Plano Heritage
Commission concerning the Plano African American Museum

Dear Mr. Baumbach:

On Friday, July 24, 2010 you called T.J. Johnson concerning the above-referenced letter
you received for your publication, the Collin County Observer, and you offered an opportunity to
respond. Having reviewed Mr. Nichols’ letter, the Plano African American Museum (PAAM)
Board of Directors (BOD) do appreciate the opportunity to respond to Mr. Nichols’ letter.

To our understanding, as a former member and Chair of the City’s Heritage Preservation
Commission, Mr. Nichols was charged, as is subsequent Heritage Preservation Commissions,
primarily with the mission and responsibility to protect and preserve every aspect of the history
and heritage of the Plano community, including our diverse communities. In our view, Mr.
Nichols’ letter does little, if anything, to serve this mission. If Mr. Nichols truly was concerned
for this mission and, particularly PAAM’s efforts toward the mission, it would seem more logical
for Mr. Nichols to first contact PAAM with his issues and concerns, with his thoughts and
suggestions, including any indication of what he himself was willing to do to help. It would be
more useful for Mr. Nichols to at least have visited the museum and researched his claims and
concerns. Instead, we have only ever personally heard from Mr. Nichols on one occasion
(outside of a formal commission meeting), which will be discussed later and he has not visited
the museum, certainly not within the last four years. And, instead of acknowledging and helping
PAAM to celebrate the efforts and accomplishments which have been made toward the Heritage
Preservation Commission’s mission, Mr. Nichols chose to nitpick and criticize the efforts of
PAAM’s BOD with mistruths (some would say lies), half –truths or distortions of the truth,
inaccuracies, innuendo and negative implications.

Consequently, before we address Mr. Nichols’ broad generalizations and issues and
misinformation, we must put this response and Mr. Nichol’s comments within the proper context
of the facts. Most of these facts are available, as a matter of record in the minutes of the City

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Council or the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission.

1. Around 2002, there were discussions and efforts to move the Thornton House to another
location near 12th street and Avenue I. The Plano Conservancy, a long-time recipient of City
grant funds, sought City funds, $20,000, for this purpose. However, the Thornton House was
not moved and, to PAAM’s knowledge, those funds were never applied to any efforts on or
for the Thornton House nor were any of these funds distributed to or on behalf of PAAM.

2. In 2004, the PAAM BOD included Myrtle Hightower, John Hightower, Ben Thomas and T.J.
Johnson. The Chair of the BOD was Charles Grigsby of Frisco, Texas. The PAAM BOD
appointed T. J. Johnson Chair in the fall of 2004. The current BOD: T.J. Johnson, Dollie
Thomas, Bob Drotman, Angela Fisher, Ron Jones.

3. Between 2004-2007, Ted Peters, then Executive Director of the Heritage Farmstead Museum
(HFM), a long-time recipient of City grant funds, worked closely with PAAM to restore the
Thornton House and, as he had done with the restoration of HFM properties (i.e. The Young
House, the Farrell-Wilson House), he used his experience and preservation knowledge to
guide PAAM’s efforts to restore the Thornton House. Mr. Peters was the project manager for
the restoration project.

4. Between 2004-2007, Ted Peters and HFM included a request for funds for restoration of the
Thornton House, as a line item in its grant applications and Ted Peters (as the project
manager for the Thornton House Restoration Project and until his death), directed the
application of City funds and the restoration efforts. No City funds were requested or
received by HFM for any other PAAM project or program, except for Thornton House plans
or restoration. A total of $88,721 was awarded to HFM and funds were applied for this
purpose.

5. The first City Grant award to PAAM (2008-2009) $159,798 ($98,000 for operations and
maintenance, including salary, utilities and contracts and $56,798 for projects and programs –
building sprinklers, oral history, museum design, Thornton House interior restoration). All
projects funded were completed as planned. No funds were requested for exterior restoration
since the exterior restoration was completed in the previous grant year, as planned with HFM.
This was the first City grant application by the PAAM BOD and the first funds requested or
received for operations and maintenance of the museum.

6. The second City Grant award to PAAM (2009-2010) $145,000 ( $92,800 for operations and
maintenance and $50,000 for projects and programs – museum design and an Underground
Railroad Symposium).

In his letter Mr. Nichols first alleges: Repeated Failure to Abide by Heritage
Preservation Ordinances. He describes two instances involving applications for certificates of
appropriateness (CA) “after the fact,” one in November 2004 for the new roof for Thornton
House and one in 2009 for approval of the granite museum sign. However, he does not mention
the number of other PAAM applications for CA’s or the fact that in 2004 the request he
describes was made to the Commission by Ted Peters on behalf of PAAM where PAAM BOD
members were present in support and Mr. Peters was specifically chastised for the “after the
fact” CA because of his experience with the commission as a long-time representative for HFM
and because of Mr. Peter’s experiences with “after the fact” CA applications (a fact which Mr.
Nichols knows because he was at the meeting). In October 2009, concerning the granite sign,

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PAAM board members did attend a commission meeting and offered their explanation for the
“after the fact” request. The Heritage Commission approved the granite sign as appropriate.

Mr. Nichols’ next allegation was: Failure to Meet the Objective of Promoting Heritage
Tourism. He alleges that PAAM fails to meet the primary goal “to increase heritage tourism in
the city of Plano.” He specifically points to the PAAM website and states that PAAM has not
carried out a non-Thornton House event. First, Mr. Nichols has never visited the museum or
Thornton House and has no clue as to what has been accomplished by PAAM or how PAAM
promotes tourism. For example, in the past year Thornton House has enjoyed a number of
visitors, including youth groups, teacher groups, small and large groups. PAAM has had a
number of requests from groups to tour, such as family reunions and youth groups. For further
example, last year PAAM hosted a Holiday FunRun and Family Fest on November 21, 2009 at
the Oak Point Park in Plano. This was also advertised on the DART public transportation
system, inviting surrounding areas to come to Plano on November 21. We have also been told
repeatedly that part of the interest in Plano by the National Underground Railroad Freedom
Center in Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service’s Underground
Railroad Program is PAAM’s enthusiasm and promotion for Plano “as the place to visit.”
PAAM has been selected by both organizations as affiliates, an honor and significant
accomplishment, to say the least, for PAAM’s small and dynamic BOD.

Next, Mr. Nichols alleges: PAAM Continues to Increase Funding Requests Without
Increasing Return. Mr. Nichols expresses concerns that PAAM’s funding requests rivals the
HFM and the Plano Conservancy (we assume this reference is to the Interurban Museum), that
PAAM does not have the presence or the reputation as the “big boys” and that PAAM does not
have the concrete, established or functioning programs as HFM or the Plano Conservancy. As a
former member of the Commission, Mr. Nichols knows this comparison is inappropriate. First,
2010 is only the third year that PAAM has requested City funds for operations and maintenance
to help PAAM establish the museum at the Thornton House and only the second year that
PAAM has received funds for operations and maintenance. Mr. Nichols distorts the truth as he
compares PAAM to the (25+ year old) HFM and the (15+ year old) Interurban Museum since, as
he is aware, the “big boys” (as Mr. Nichols describes) have very different developmental
histories than PAAM. For example, the City owns the land under the HFM properties and owns
land and buildings at the Interurban Museum (which is only managed and operated by the Plano
Conservancy). Both organizations, under appropriate staff including Executive Directors, were
primarily concerned at start-up only with maintenance, displays, exhibits, programs and projects.
Unlike these organizations, PAAM, at start up (with a small volunteer BOD and no Executive
Director) has had to concern itself with securing the land and buildings, including financial,
structural, historical preservation and restoration, before it could focus more heavily on programs
and projects. As Mr. Nichols is also aware, all City funds requested prior to 2008 by HFM for
PAAM were for the Thornton House only, particularly for restoration but no funds for operations
and maintenance. Mr. Nichols distorts the truth, knowing that PAAM is not “only a year younger
than the Interurban Railway Museum.” Over fifteen years ago, the Interurban Museum opened
its doors for business, with two fulltime staff and HFM with even more staff. Initially, for a
number of years (for operations, maintenance and programs) HFM received all of the City funds
earmarked for heritage preservation and subsequently Interurban shared those funds and now, for
the last two years, PAAM has shared those funds but all three organizations, even today, depend

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on City funds for more than 85% of their operations and maintenance budgets. PAAM opened
its doors with a part-time administrator, in 2008, without an Executive Director. The basic
premise is this: If there had been a way to acquire sufficient funds or resources in the beginning,
as the other organizations, to secure the property, in all aspects, and to hire full time personnel to
recruit volunteers and seek other funding, PAAM would be further along in its development.
Instead, with limited funding and resources PAAM has taken an incremental approach designed
to methodically and carefully lay a solid and long-lasting foundation for PAAM to get the
museum fully operational, i.e. facility first. No doubt both HFM and the Interurban Museum
built their programs and offerings over time, much the same as PAAM.

Concerning the 2007 presentation before the Heritage Commission and the City Council,
once again, Mr. Nichols, distorts the truth. In June 2007, just after Mr. Peters had passed away,
Chuck Laenger, then Interim Executive Director for HFM and T.J. Johnson for PAAM appeared
before the Heritage Commission concerning the HFM City grant application. Appearing for the
presentation, were PAAM and HFM board members and Jerry Kolesiack, Habitat for
Humanity/Project Manager for the Thornton House restoration project. Prior to the presentation,
Mr. Nichols sent a number of messages (through others including Chuck Laenger and Dollie
Thomas) to T.J. Johnson that “Ms. Johnson had better call [him] immediately or he would make
sure that PAAM got nothing.” He did not directly call Ms. Johnson. When Ms. Johnson reached
him and inquired of the “urgency” Ms. Nichols indicated that he wanted to visit about the
presentation. There was no mention of “frustration with the history of slow progress…” Mr.
Nichols did indicate that he was running for City Council and wanted to know if Ms. Johnson
would support him. Ms. Johnson congratulated him on his decision to run without comment or
commitment concerning any support. At Mr. Nichols’ presentation to the City Council, there
was also no mention of “frustration with a history of slow progress…” and the City Council did
award additional funds for the only project which HFM/PAAM had requested, the restoration of
the Thornton House. Following the presentations, Mr. Nichols approached Ms. Johnson and Ms.
Thomas, again reminding them that he was running for City council and hoped for their support.
The ladies again congratulated Mr. Nichols without further comment or commitment to his
campaign. Mr. Nichols lost his bid for City Council.

Next, Mr. Nichols alleges: PAAM’s Historical and Continued Lack of Fiscal
Responsibility. He explains this claim by asserting that PAAM “typically fails to meet quarterly
reporting deadlines…,” fails to timely complete funded projects, PAAM “failed to provide the
Commission with a certified audit” as required of other grant applicants and PAAM has not
procured non-city funding. PAAM has missed two deadlines in the two years it has received
City grants, hardly typical. Instead of this broad generalization, Mr. Nichols should have
identified the specific projects to which he refers. As of this date, except for the Underground
Symposium I, every project for which PAAM has received City funding has been timely
completed. PAAM could not host the symposium which was previously scheduled for February
2010 because PAAM did not receive City funding until February 2010 and, therefore, could not
commit funds for the symposium which had not yet been received. Again, a mistruth: the City
does not require a certified audit for grant applications. An applicant has the option of
submitting documentation certified by a CPA, which PAAM has submitted, just as other grant
applicants. Unlike other organizations which have had financial issues, PAAM has been
subjected to a number of city audits resulting in memorandums of no findings. Furthermore, as

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of December 31, 2009, PAAM had acquired significant non-city funding and enough non-city
funding to pay-off the debt for the block of property from the corner of 13th Street and Ave H to
the corner of 13th Street and H Place.

We are perplexed with Mr. Nichols’ letter and the unsubstantiated claims he makes,
including his suggestion that PAAM seeks some exception. We are at a loss to explain his mean-
spirited, negative and, seemingly vindictive and angry approach. We cannot understand why he
seems so angry with PAAM, except perhaps he felt unsupported by PAAM board members in his
failed attempt at the City Council. And while we applaud and admire any citizen who seeks
public office and public service, we still believe that one had nothing to do with the other. The
fact is that PAAM seeks no exceptions. To the contrary, PAAM simply seeks to be treated fairly,
reasonably and consistently with other organizations. PAAM’s “well-intentioned and ambitious
mission” to help support heritage preservation in Plano and the surrounding area should be
supported, as with other organizations. PAAM’s goal is to complement the efforts of our
community of museums by encouraging the research, review, preservation and appreciation of
the heritage of the diverse communities and cultures in Plano, the All-American City. At the
very least, PAAM’s efforts should be applauded and encouraged and should not be disparaged as
with Mr. Nichols’ mistruths, inaccuracies, half-truths and negative implications, which certainly
do not serve the heritage preservation mission which Mr. Nichols, as least on one occasion,
swore to uphold. PAAM serves a significant and important role in the preservation of heritage in
this area and has already proven its ability to bring attention and interest in the Plano community.
Certainly, it is irresponsible to base his urgings to the Commission to refrain from full support
and funding for PAAM on little more than mean-spirited and negative implications, not based on
fact or firsthand knowledge of PAAM or the Thornton House.

We invite you to visit the Thornton House at 900 13th street (open from 10:30 am to 1:30
pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), visit the website at www.aamplano.com and judge
for yourself. Like other organizations, you will not see perfection but you will see the results of
the efforts and accomplishments thus far of a small but strong and dynamic board of directors
and the volunteers and staff that support them. We are always open to constructive feedback,
ideas and volunteer assistance and we appreciate the opportunity to serve Plano in this very
special way.

Best regards,

Board of Directors
Plano African American Museum