> > ANNOUNCEMENT > Re: Powhatan Historic Records Update > Date: June 18, 2005 10:27PM > > > Thursday night's public meeting was a great success. About 35 local & > national citizens, 5 State Parks Staff, the ASU archivist, and a > reporter met and held open frank and revealing > discussions about the fate of the priceless historic records recently > evicted from the > Powhatan Courthouse after many years. Citizens voiced their concerns > and the regional > state parks official, Marcel Hanzlec from Wynne, gave the parks side. > He says the Parks > Department leaders are now willing to build a "state of the art vault > and research facility" > on the Powhatan Park grounds. They still do not want the records back > in the vaults which > have protected them these past 130 or so years though. They want to use > the former research > room in the Courthouse for a gift shop, visitor center, and offices for > the local Park > Superintendent and her crew. > The catch is it will take months, or years, to get funding and a plan > lined up and still > longer to actually build the research facility so the records will > probably have to remain > in the ASU library for the next 2 or 3 years or more. > LCHS still needs public support. We need folks to send letters to the > Governor asking why > the state spent 1.2 million dollars on the renovation and can't find > time, or space, or > money to protect the records and honor their long standing Memorandum > of Agreement held > with the LCHS. > We will have to hold their feet to the fire. That is best done with a > top down approach. > Letters and phone calls to the Governor, CC"d to the Parks Director, > State Historian and > the local Super get sent to regional legislators and they go to the > Parks Director for answers. > The GOvernor's office then sends "Letters of Concern" to his Department > Directors asking them > to make the problem go away. > Letters to Mr Mike Beebe and Lt. Gov Win Rockefeller will help. Now > that they are running for > Governor they will want to win votes in NE Ark by helping out on a > topic like preserving our > culture and records of our past. > Petetions work well. We'll need to get one started and get as many of > the regions folks to > sign it as possible. > Keep the pressure on folks. > > Some of these State Officals are wanting to be re-elected to office and > one is even wanting to > become Governer. Let them know The Genealogy Communtity doesn't liked > to be walked on like this. > > To email Attoney General Mike Beebe, go to: > > http://www.goflashgo.com/agcontactform.htm > > The city of Powhatan is in Lawrence County which is in the First > Congressional > District of Arkansas. You should contact Representative Marion Berry's > office in > Jonesboro, AR at 800-866-2701 or 870-972-4605. > > For an update on this matter, go to Bill COUCH's webpage at: > > http://www.couchgenweb.com/lawrence/ > > > > At the heart of this controversy is not only the continued protection > of these valuable records but the shabby treatment in which the park > service has treated the Lawrence County Historical Society. This > Society has been the reason why these priceless documents have been so > well preserved over the past 130 years. Because of pressure by > genealogists all over the country, the officials have changed their > plans from 'sticking' the documents in an old unprotected church > building to saying they will BUILD a building with vaults [although it > will takes years for this to be completed] and hiring personnel. The > Historical Society already had personnel in place who had done this for > FREE for many many years. Evelyn Flippo has been a godsend to many > researchers with her knowledge and helpfulness. This researcher feels > for the Arkansas citizens. What they had for FREE with an able facility > and personnel for the records, now will cost. It will take all of us > to continue the pressure upon the government officials. I urge all > genealogists who find their ancestors in Missouri and Arkansas, to get > on board and help any way they can to support the Lawrence County > Society in their fight to keep these records in Lawrence County. > Email, call, or write the officials, DO SOMETHING. Let's make sure that > these officials will take this as seriously as we do. > > > Lanita Sconce Smith > DCGS President > > Genealogists never die, they just loose their roots >