It's interesting that this subject is being brought up now; I just saw a news story on it about two days ago. In Wisconsin, I've seen a handful of small, plain, white crosses dotting highways where accidents have resulted in fatalities. There was a major car accident, one of the worst in state history, not too long ago. Friends and relatives of the 30+ people killed in the accident were trying to leave memorials at the site. The police and Dept. of Transportation in the state keep removing the memorials and are trying to discourage people from leaving items. The authorities' concern- the friends and relatives are stopping on a major interstate in the Milwaukee area where cars are flying past at 65 or 70 miles per hour. The authorities are concerned that the memorials will result in more accidents, or fatalities. As far as leaving memorials in museums, I understand and agree with the MSI's policy of not allowing the memorials to remain. Yes, people need to grieve, and yes, it was the spot of a terrible accident, but the museum also needs to look after its own interests and protect itself, especially since public opinion can be so important to a museum's success. I also agree that it would be a better policy to forward items to the parents of the girl who died than for the museum to retain them. They will need support and comfort. Also, I doubt the MSI would have the space to collect and maintain all the items left behind. What would they do with everything? This is also an issue that the National Museum of American History (I believe that's the museum) is dealing with in regards to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. If I'm remembering correctly, they keep all non-perishable items that are left at the Wall. Melissa Wraalstad Special Events Coordinator Old World Wisconsin Eagle, WI 53119 On Wisconsin! Get your free University of Wisconsin alumni e-mail at http://uwalumni.com ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).