Lanita, Is it ok to post your message to the Izard, Baxter, Indp., Marion, and Fulton Co. sites? These records covered these area also, it might help. This look's like more of our "Government At Work". You have a controlled and safe site for Historical records, but you use it for a gift shop. Then you build another controlled site that will cost many more tax payer's dollars to build than it would cost to build a gift shop. Then you hire staff, that have no first hand knowledge of the records, to oversee of the new controlled site and records, and get rid of the volunteers that had been doing the same job for no cost to the tax payers. It make since to me. Spend more of our tax dollars so we can have another tax hike or have less money for other park systems for people to enjoy. Looks like we might need to consider getting new State Park Staff. Betty BB ----- Original Message ----- From: Lanita Sconce Smith <ozarkn@grm.net> To: <ARSHARP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 9:01 AM Subject: [ARSHARP] Powhatan Historic Records Update > > > > 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 > > > ==== ARSHARP Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >

Absolutely, post whereever you can think of.. .they need all the help they can get!!! Thanks for getting involved!! Lanita Sconce Smith DCGS President Genealogists never die, they just loose their roots