Walt's Barn Dedication, City Officials

Walt's Barn Dedication
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Ellen Oppenheim, General Manager,
Recreation and LA Parks

Ellen Oppenheim, General Manager Recreation and LA Parks spoke briefly.  Her comments included the following:

"On behalf of the Recreation and Parks Department I would like to personally thank and congratulate the Disney family and the Live Steamers and all the collaborators who helped make this marvelous project come together. It truly is another jewel in the crown of Griffith Park. I know it will be enjoyed by the youth and adults of this community for many generations to come. I want to thank you, congratulate you and invite you all to enjoy."

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John Ferraro, President of the
Los Angeles City Council

John Ferraro, President of the Los Angeles City Council, was next to speak to the gathered crowd, "I had the great, great pleasure of meeting Walt Disney and Mrs. Disney many, many years ago at the Smoketree Ranch in Palm Spring. What they have meant to this city you can't describe and what you have done, Diane, to give this piece of history. Los Angeles is a young city with not a lot of history but this is so important. On behalf of the mayor, the city council and all the people of Los Angeles we want to thank you for this treasure and present you with this certificate of appreciation."

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Tom LaBonge
Special assistant to Mayor Richard Riordan

Tom LaBonge, Special assistant to Mayor Richard Riordan was the final government official to speak. Mr. LaBonge's remarks included, "One afternoon I had a great conversation with Diane Disney. It was a Saturday when we first started talking about this barn. It was one of the highlights of my career because we talked and reminisced about your childhood and growing up in this neighborhood and how Walt Disney used to take you and your sister to the merry-go-round. And you said that you would ride and he'd let you ride and ride and he'd be off to the side kind of looking and dreaming and visualizing Disneyland because that was his dream that one day he'd put that all together and he certainly did... Walt Disney truly is a great man... I'm pleased on behalf of Mayor Dick Riordan and all the gathered folks here to welcome a very special Angeleno Diane Disney Miller."