Robbins Report

by Peter Robbins

First of all, when I watched the Fox 25 news last night, and prior to Mary LeClair giving her interview, you could hear her unmistakable voice in the background saying. "It’s a witch hunt."

Mary LeClair is saying "to the best of my knowledge" a lot these days. Click on the image above to hear her on FOX-TV last night.Then the newsreel continued into the story.

I know in my first article, I made a comment referring to Margaret Hamilton and Judy Garland. I was simply referring to the way I, as a writer, was being treated. "It’s a witch hunt" are your words Mary LeClair.

For that Mary, I think you owe George Bryant a sincere apology. His interest generated mine. He has been making inquiries since 1991, and he is finally getting the attention he deserves. I’m sure Mr. Bryant has had moments when he would like to make some sarcastic comments, but he is to much of a gentleman for that.

Additionally, comments were made to give the Fox News team the impression that nothing may have happened or that the paintings may have just been thrown away. That is an outright misrepresentation of the truth in my humble opinion. If the paintings were simply thrown away, why are some of them still here?

Mary, you forgot about the record 

The Standard-Times states that 12 had been delivered and more were on the way, but Mary can only find these today.If it never happened, why is there record of them? The 1941 article in the New Bedford Standard-Times states that 12 paintings had been delivered and more were on the way. Are we to believe that Dr. Julius Kelley, the superintendent of the hospital at the time, or Barbara Landers, secretary at the institution were liars? I don’t think so. The Fox 25 report was done very well. The disturbing part was that the reporter was mislead in a way  that reinforces my opinion that Mr. Bryant is due an apology.

Fox News reported that the three painting shown in the 1941 article were all in the possession of the County Commissioners. This isn’t something a reporter would know. They would have had to have been told that.

So, that is not true. Now, it could be true if paintings were returned since my Monday viewing, or it could also be true if the painting is hanging on a commissioner's wall. The painting being held in Dr. Julius Kelley’s right hand in the Standard-Times photo is a John Whorf painting which is believed to be the Old Colonial Hall in Wellfleet. It is not in the county's possession today, so let's let the "spin stop here."

The painting being held in Dr. Julius Kelley’s right hand in the Standard-Times photo is a John Whorf painting which is believed to be the Old Colonial Hall in Wellfleet. It is not in the county's possession today.What have we learned to date? 
Having said all this, let's examine what we all should have learned. Do you remember the Assembly of Delegates meeting two weeks ago when Mr. Bryant was allowed to address the attending County Commissioners and the County Administrator about his concerns over the county artwork?  It was hard for some of the Assembly members to imagine that artwork would be missing.

After the official meeting, Mr. Ronald Bergstrom the Chatham Delegate said, "You know, Chatham has a lot of artwork, we really are going to have to do something to catalog or record it." He and Mr. Bryant were talking about the need for an art commission.

Let's all learn from this
I know most every town has valuable pieces of art. I can tell you this, only a few of our towns could go to a central location and pull an inventory and a documentation of what art they have. How many towns can show a photograph of what they have? How about condition, age, artist or value ?

Fifteen years ago an inquiry was made of the Orleans Selectmen about some panels painted by Vernon Smith, a famous Orleans artist. At that time they were in the basement of the old Orleans Selectman Building. I’m not picking on Orleans, but if I were a betting man, I bet they could still be there. If not, where are they?

Here is my point. These pieces of art are national treasures. They belong to all of us, the taxpayers. The people we put in charge of these treasures should be held accountable. Whether it is a town, county, city or state government, their performance should be judged and they should be held accountable for how these treasures are cared and accounted for.

I am certain of one thing, because of the reporting on CapeCodToday.com on this issue , if certain towns do not have an inventory documentation program in place, they will have soon. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the towns to combine efforts with the county.

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