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Park Perspectives: A lot to celebrate: Hoover site closing in on 50 years in August
by Pete Swisher, Hoover Park Superintendent · Op-Ed · April 02, 2015


The park is celebrating 50 years since being formally authorized by President Lyndon Johnson in August 1965.
Let’s take a minute to look at a few of the opportunities planned for the coming months for everyone to reconnect with this park and possibly considering getting involved.

You’ve read recently about the Making of the Great Humanitarian exhibit sponsored by the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum and the Hoover Presidential Foundation. That exhibit opens in April.

Coming on May 28th in the park Visitor Center, the Superintendent of Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Dr. John O. Anfinson, will provide a talk which examines Herbert Hoover’s role in shaping the upper Mississippi River. This is a great chance to learn both about Herbert Hoover and about another of our National Park units within a day’s drive from here.

Once again on Thursday evenings in June, our annual Music on the Village Green concert series will highlight Iowa musicians performing various genres of music for all to enjoy. This program is made possible through a collaborative partnership with the City of West Branch and the Main Street West Branch groups.

You may choose to join a ranger in July for a traditional campfire talk as they discuss topics relevant to our National Parks.

And of course in August, our annual Hoover’s Hometown Days celebration which commemorates the birthday of the park’s namesake and this year in particular highlights the anniversary of the park itself. Our partner, the City of West Branch, will soon be making information available regarding the details of this great event, including introducing the Web site and media opportunities available to keep informed of all of the latest news.

Details about these programs, dates and times, and more can be found on the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Web site at www.nps.gov/heho, or you can choose to listen to our am690 radio station for current information. Our Visitor Center also has flyers available to the public, and while you are there have a look at the exhibits installed over the last year.

Interest is what drives these programs, and considering the park’s anniversary, it is a great time to think about what this, along with all of the other National Parks around the country, mean to you. These are your parks; they are benchmarks of our past that tell a story that remains relevant today.

In 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th anniversary. How timely following this park’s 50th, and what a fantastic opportunity to consider how this park contributes both nationally and locally to telling a story about heritage and natural wonder.

Soon, I will announce a date and time for you to voice your opinion about what activities you would like to see this park undertake, what programs are you most interested in, or how would you like to participate in the future of this park. Ask yourself, “How can this park, and the National Parks, remain a relevant and vibrant part of the American experience?”

It will be a listening session; a chance for you to speak to me directly about the future programming you would like to participate in or believe would make the Hoover story more compelling.

As an agency, the National Park Service celebrates its first 100 years and we are looking forward to the next century of relevance to the public.

All of this work is made possible through the help of our great partner organizations and volunteers of the park.

If you believe you might be interested in helping in any capacity, I would invite you to contact the park or speak with a ranger about how you can become involved, or find out information about other parks within reasonable distances from here to visit.

Your participation, whether it be through volunteerism or by attendance to our programs, is vital to the future of our parks.