It's A Matter of Pride - the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Library
One of the thoughts that kept
passing through my mind as I did research on the landfill expansion issue was
whenever I mention where I live, people always comment, "Oh, that's where the
Ronald Reagan Library is". Simi Valley is extremely well known as the home
to this significant national treasure, and not 'just the city where the Rodney
King trial was held'. Just how many people are granted the pride in their
city by being the home of this historical spot?
I moved to Simi Valley from the
Alexandria, Virginia area which sits right outside Washington, DC. I've
given countless tours of DC for every time someone came into my area, they
wanted to tour our nation's capitol. Initially, there was a sharp contrast
in my mind (and cultural shock) when I moved to this area -- especially
since I came from a part of the country where just about every street corner has
some historical value --- to an area of the country which cannot boast it has
universities, schools and landmarks 200+ years old. The Ronald Reagan
Library is personally a great source of pride in my city and community.
And no, I'm not a registered Republican nor even a Democrat, but a registered
Independent (although I have one of each of the other two in my home and
family!).
Imagine my shock when I started
looking at maps and saw the Library's close proximity to the Simi Valley
Landfill! Then I realized that the beautiful Air Force One Pavilion looks
over the landfill! Exactly what kind of respect and honor are we, as a
community, rendering to this important part of our nation's history?
There are only 12 Presidential
Libraries in our nation - California is one of ONLY two states with libraries of
two different Presidents (Richard Nixon's is located in Yorba Linda, CA; Texas
is home to both the LBJ and George Bush Libraries) - and there are ONLY eight
(in total) west of the Mississippi River! While Michigan is home to two
libraries for Gerald R. Ford, the only other states gifted with a Presidential
Library are Kansas (Eisenhower), Missouri (Truman, Iowa (Hoover) and Arkansas
(Clinton). The remaining three are in Georgia (Carter), New York
(Roosevelt) and Massachusetts (JFK). What an esteemed and elite group of
cities who have been blessed with being home to a Presidential Library!!! (source)
This fact ALONE should arouse civic pride and concern when we realize (and
allowed) the landfill to be in full view of our Presidential Library!
Or contemplate the extent of
history and archives housed at the Library's 100+ acre hilltop...
 50 million
pages of Presidential papers and records
1.5 million
photographs
Documents
from 8 years as the Governor of California
20,500
video tapes
25,500
audio recordings
10,000
volumes of books and other publications
Over 1/2 a
million feet of motion picture film
One only has to look at the
Library's
list of upcoming events to realize just how important this area of our city
is. For example, the Emancipation Proclamation will be on exhibit
this upcoming September (9/19/08 - 9/22/08). For preservation purposes, this
original document is only allowed to be on display for four days each calendar
year. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the Southern California community
to view this national treasure. And it will be on exhibit at the
Library in our little ole city of Simi Valley!
I wondered as I researched the
landfill issue if the President and First Lady considered way back in 1988 that
one day their love, hard work and dedication to providing the state of
California with an additional National Archives location would be overshadowed
by 70' of trash in a landfill? (timeline)
The Library was a source of
personal pride to the President and a life-long dedication of hard work and
energy by Mrs. Reagan. Once Air Force One was decommissioned, it was
dismantled and brought to the Library to fullfill it's intended destiny so
strongly desired by the President... that the everyday common man, woman and
child would be able to tour the 'Whitehouse of the Skies'. A gorgeous
building was constructed at the Presidential Library simply to house Air Force
One (now Air Force 27000).
And the view you can see from
this building? The Simi Valley Landfill.
These photos below were taken
with my little ole camera on Saturday, June 1st, 2008 standing on the grounds of
the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - the wing of the fighter jet 'frames'
the landfill as it stands currently. We could see the garbage trucks going
up and down the road in the landfill from the grounds in fact!
And if approved to grow by a
height of 157' (or the equivalent of almost a 16 story building) and double in
size across, what else will attract the attention of the visitors and tourists
that come from around the world to see the final resting place of the 'Great
Communicator'???
 
Would one ever imagine that you
could stand at the piece of the Berlin Wall we were gifted with at the Library,
have President Reagan's final resting spot to our left and the largest landfill
in Ventura County over our shoulder, less than 2 miles as the crow flies,
readily available and seen with the naked eye??!!
Better yet, what do the
worldwide tourists think about our residents and community when they come to
tour and visit the Library, then realize what we have already allowed to happen
in regards to this landfill? Ask yourself if you'd travel somewhere to see
something of great historical importance and then realized the local residents
didn't think enough of the location to protect it and safeguard it from a
mountain of trash...
 What's
wrong with this picture(s)?
At a time in our history when
we should be saying, "Tear DOWN that landfill and find alternate options for our
trash instead of filling up Simi Valley's canyons with it," we are discussing
increasing the size of the landfill by 50%
At a time in our history when
we finally realize global warming is not some 'urban legend' but a fact which
will impact not only our lives, but our children's and our grandchildren's, we
are not discussing ways to 'go green', recycle more and use less and alternative
options to the massive problem and land use we approved for a landfill over 30
years ago!
Because "it's there" or because
the land has been bought by a waste management company is not a valid reason to
fill up the land with trash. We should be looking for better ways to get
rid of the mountain(s) of trash that are already at the landfill... not doubling
it!
President Reagan left a
reminder to all of us in the inscription of his tombstone which is located at
his final resting place at the Library:
"I know in my heart that man is
good. That what is right will always eventually triumph and there is
purpose and worth to each and every life".
NOW is the time when what is right needs to triumph - we as Simi
Valley residents need to stop this expansion of the Simi Valley Landfill!
Keeping it real (always),
Linda
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