To bring you up to date, I've had to delete quite a bit to add all this information.
Due to the wide interest in the restoration of the historical Triangle Motel in Amarillo, TX, we'd like to bring you up to date on some of the recent events. Alan McNeil, owner, and Pat Kenney, Superintendent, are bustin' their buttons with eagerness to get started. Me, too.
Architect Gregg Bliss reports that the 65 page Historic Structure Report for the Triangle Motel on Rt 66 in Amarillo, TX, has been finished. He has forwarded it to Kaisa Barthuli, Deputy Director of the National Park Service in Santa Fe, NM at the National Park Service for their comments and approval, so we are waiting for that.
Upon its approval, we will submit forms to NPS for reimbursement. In 4-6 weeks NPS will send their first payment, which will be $13,056. We're hoping that as soon as the HSR is approved, we'll be able to start replacing the roof. But we will need help.
The Ft Worth National Trust grant of $2,000 to help on the architect's bill for the $10,000 HS Report was channeled through the Old Route 66 Association of Texas.
President Bob Lile, or 'Croc', has been such a help on this project, and his constant encouragement was badly needed at times. As soon as Architect Bliss has the contract ready, and it too has been approved, we'll be able to pay the $2,000 on their $10,000 bill.
Our quarter page ad "Adopt a Brick on Route 66" will appear regularly in the Old Route 66 Assoc. of TX Newsletter. An article on the Triangle's progress will be in the colorful Route 66 PULSE Newspaper that will be delivered soon. Jim Conkle, Editor, and Jason Bernhardt, Associate Publisher, have been tremendous boosters of the restoration of this once highly prized Route 66 landmark. Mr. Bernhardt has bid $500 on the no. 66 brick. No one has topped it yet.
We hope donations will start pouring in again as they did before Christmas. They were such a help. And we've gotten some wonderful comments on the certificates we've mailed out. People have started ordering them now for children and grand-
children, so family members can also experience the pride of helping restore a once vital vibrant icon right in the middle of an American heritage, Route 66.
State's Race on Adoptions
This is fun, keeping track of the generous people who truly want to be a part of the Triangle restoration. We now have 16 states, and all eight states on Route 66 are helping.
Texas is galloping away in the lead, Oklahoma is picking up speed with two more entries. South Dakota (my home state) is now tied with California, Idaho (Alan's Dad's home state) is just one length behind. Colorado, Ohio and Illinois are still running in a bunch. The three M's, Minnesota, Michigan and Missouri were close, but just had another entry from the Show Me State to pull them out in front. Arkansas, Arizona, Mississippi are trailing along, and New Mexico is bringing up the rear. And we now have an entry from Pennsylvania! Special attention is given to the enthusiastic entries from Canada, Belgium and Australia. Isn't that great? Some wonderful people out there! Thank you!
We received a bid of $500 on Brick 66 from Jason Bernhardt/Route 66 PULSE Newspaper. Wow!
Bad News
My sister Marilyn, the one whose heart is not synchronizing well, was hit Saturday night April 12 by a 16 yr old red light runner in Rapid City, SD going 70 mph. Broken right shoulder, broken left ankle, may also require surgery on collar bone.
It is still immobilized and they're hoping it will heal without surgery. We are so pleased, and she is too) that she is at the nursing home where Mother had been.
She's already friends with all the nurses and other patients from all the time she spent with Mother, helping her to eat and so on. They do think she is already showing some improvement.
Mother died in her sleep early Monday morning, April 14th, not long after the wreck. We were lucky to have her for so long, but ooooh, it hurts. She was such wonderful person. She would have been 100 in August. She was such a special lady, sweet, never ruffled, so thoughtful and helpful, friendly, and such a tease.
She always wanted to write, or paint, but never had time. She had a beautiful alto voice, and sang all over the Black Hills with the Rapid City Sr. Citizens Choir. She could also just about whistle the birds out of the trees. I started the Senior Citizens Writing Group at the Amarillo Senior Center in her honor, moderated it for twenty years, and 56 beginning writers were published.
We could not go to the Black Hills because my cold is so bad, and then Claude caught it. We couldn't risk exposing my family and people along the way.
Marietta couldn't get airline tickets, and her husband wouldn't have been able to go with her. A special Memorial Service will be held July 19, the day before the Black Hills Pioneer Celebration. so we hope there will be many McFarland's there.
For those of you who haven't yet received your certificates, I will send them as soon as my hands are more under control. I am evidently in shock, as they are still trembling badly. I'm pretty well caught up now.
Special Thanks!!!
I want to take this opportunity to extend many many thanks to Crocodile Lile, President of Old Route 66 Association of Texas, who has helped so much on the Triangle Motel restoration project. If it weren't for his unfailing efforts, we wouldn't be as far as we are. He worked so hard on the paperwork required when a non-profit organization donates funds to a for-profit enterprise, which is the way it has to be done.
The application he carefully prepared for funding by the Ft. Worth National Trust to pay for the Historic Structure Report was accepted. They will give $2,000 to help pay the historical architect for preparation of the $10,000 report. That $2,000 will certainly help.
What a thrill to share the pride of the man, Alan McNeil, who has the dream, drive and dedication to want to save the Triangle Motel from being demolished, and restore it to a fine classic motel, a treasured icon once again for Route 66ers. And I'm so proud that he's my son.
When Alan and Pat get the project finished sometime in 2009, it's going to be as marvelous as the old Triangle Motel was in its glory days. We used to drive by it all the time going to the Amarillo Air Force Base where Alan's Dad was stationed.
Just a Thought
--It's a pity we aren't a wealthy family, or haven't won the lottery--
then we wouldn't be having these money worries.
Marianne McNeil Logan
