JVP Papers etc.

[Tompaleo@aol.com]

Hi All,

First off I would like to publically thank Bruce Shillinglaw for his 
determined advocacy in my drive to save the ; lst Arundel vertebrate site and 
my life's research. I would also like to thank all those who have already 
written or emailed in support of me over the past couple of months. I cannot 
be sure if I've properly thanked everyone due to email problems but I 
reiterate my thanks here.

And while I generally don't toot my own horn, under the circumstances,  I 
would also point out near the very back of the latest JVP a small paper on 
another triconodont jaw from MY SITE (see Rose, Cifelli and Lipka) . Since it 
is a mammal paper I will not say anything further on the DML about it. I 
merely wish to point out that important material continues to be had but with 
great difficulty. I have enough data and material for at least,  4-6 more 
papers, possibly more plus one on another very important find. If the state 
of Md/DNR "saves" this site in their typical bureacratic-ramrod way, kiss it 
all goodbye. There will not likely be any more discoveries of note and the 
Arundel will fade from memory as it did over 50 years ago. But this time 
forever! Can you hear the crunching and crumbling to pieces of those 
microverts by the expected crowds and unexperienced "park rangers" meandering 
around at this kiddie park? I can. It scares the hell out of me too!

What this means for me, according to the time table I have from the quarry is 
that they will close their gates for good this December! While I have a key 
to those gates, and _permission_ from the current owner,  it may be pointless 
if the State/DNR "aquires" my site. It appears that I will then be shown the 
door (or gate for this matter) and don't let it hit me in the ass on the way 
out. My tenure at this site ends when the ownership changes hands.

As an aside, the Paleobiological Fund has been actively trying to contact the 
owner to facilitate conserving this site in a manner befitting a 
scientifically important site such as this one but to no avail. Big Brother,  
seems to have all the attention.

I know I am a bit outspoken and have ticked some listmembers off at times so 
I don't ask your help for me per se, but help to preseve this last 1-2 acres 
of Aptian age  paludal-lacustrine -vertebrate bearing "rock" on the entire 
East Coast of North America! Do the math! Help save it for the next 
generation of researchers. Save it for it's historical significance! 

 The Arundel fills a taxonomic gap as it sits directly opposite the famous 
Isle of Wight Wealden fauna to the east, and the equally famous 
contemporaneous units of the American West! No Early Cretaceous puzzle could 
be completed without the Arundel fauna!

Finally, as my luck would have it, the local grad school situation does not 
appear to be happening for me (there goes all my student discounts for 
journals and membershsips). I cannot just quit my job or just move elsewhere. 
I'm stuck in the Baltimore area for the forseeable future, seemingly forever. 
But even with this setback it  will not stop me from pursuing  an  
understanding of the the Arundel in a _systematic and a _scientific manner_ 
and with my own funds.. As I have always done.  -- Always will do.

As I told the governor's office and his minions, I cannot and will not just 
walk away from this site or the research! 

Well I've bored you all enough. Thanks for your time and help! Please bear 
with me if I don't reply in a timely manner. It's been frenetically crazy 
around here and there's just not enought time in a day for me to attend to 
everything that needs attending to! But I will reply eventually!

Tom

Thomas R. Lipka
Geobiological  Research
2733 Kildaire Drive
Baltimore, Md. 21234 USA