POPULAR FERNDALE MUSEUM IN JEOPARDY

It may be deja vu for some — the cry for help from a place that holds some of Humboldt’s most popular history.
 
"We are at the line like they would say," Kinetic Universe Board President Kati Texas said.
 
Texas said funds are running dry to keep Ferndale’s Kinetic museum open.
 
"The museum has always relied on the fundraising of the Rutabaga queens," Texas said.
 
But that fundraiser isn’t until May — the week before the famous Kinetic Grand Championship. Treasurer Emma Breacain said they need help now.
 
"We pay $500 a month in rent, there's insurance and incidentals, so I ballpark it at about $8,000 a year to keep the museum running."
 
Previously, the museum faced a possible closure in fall of 2011.
 
"We were running out of money— desperately wanting to keep the museum open,” Breacain sais. “We reached out to the community and we got the help."
 
Her hope is to get that help again.
 
"We really don't have a ‘Plan B,’ there's no attractive option," Breacain said.
 
The museum is ran by volunteers and is free to the public.
 
 
Ferndale chamber of Commerce President Karen Pingitore said just like the race, the museum is part of the tradition. 
 
"Yeah, can you find out all kinds of information by “Google-ing” things now on the internet,” Pingitore said. “But there's nothing like seeing it first hand, either in the museum or in the race."
 
If worse comes to worse — and the museum is forced to close, Breacain said the show will go on.
 
"Our first focus is always the race, the race has to keep going,” Breacain said. “We want the museum to keep going too."