Society opposes request for animal display
A request by a Martinez man to have Columbia County officials consider building a museum for his mounted wildlife collection drew fire Thursday from the Columbia County Humane Society.
Soudy Golabchi's collection includes a Marco Polo sheep. The county is considering a request for assistance in building a museum to house his collection.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Donna Evans, the president of the Columbia County Humane Society, told members of the county's community and emergency services committee that she and the society are against spending county money on such a venture.
"We think it's totally against what Columbia County stands for,'' she said.
Evans said such a museum would be "just a ludicrous way of teaching our children how to take care of their community.''
Evans suggested an alternative to county commissioners for how she thinks county money could be better spent - on a low-cost spay and neuter clinic that the society is now planning.
The mounted wildlife collection in question is owned by Soudy Golabchi. The collection includes 400 mounted animals and is considered to be valued at $10 million. At the Nov. 16 Columbia County Commission meeting, Golabchi offered to donate his collection to the county if a museum is constructed to house the collection. Economic development officials told commissioners such a museum could be positive for the county because schools could go there for educational field trips and it could be used as a tourist attraction.
Members of the community and emergency services committee accepted Evans' comments on Thursday as information only.
In other action, committtee members also agreed on a formula to develop a Columbia County Arena/Entertainment Facility Committee.
The committee, which will consist of 15 people, will include two appointments made by each of the county's five commissioners, two at-large positions, and County Administrator Steve Szablewski, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gordon Renshaw and Development Authority Executive Director Zack Daffin.
Members of the county commission's community and emergency services committee also agreed Thursday that commissioners will make their appointments by Dec. 15.