I likewise sent the following letter: Dear Mr. Lyman, I was shocked and saddened to learn of the pending layoff of Barbara Dix, Oswego County Historian. While I recognize the difficult decisions that must be made in hard economic times, I'm concerned that you underestimate the incredible value and service Ms. Dix provides for the county. She is truly an amazing person, known far and wide as a wonderful resource for county history and genealogy. While you may perceive this to be of lesser importance than the layoffs to health care and social service workers that are also looming, I would like to point out an aspect of Ms. Dix's position that you may not have considered - the positive economic impact to the county. I live in the mountains of western North Carolina, however, I was born in Auburn and most of my ancestry centers around Oswego and Jefferson counties. Last month I made the 839 mile drive from my home to Pulaski, New York, where I stayed in the Super 8 Hotel from July 19-27th. Most of my planned research was in Jefferson County and the northern Oswego towns of Richland and Sandy Creek. However, because of my keen interest in first visiting the Oswego County Historian's office, I chose to stay at a hotel in Oswego County in order to be more centrally located. As it turned out, the incredible help and support that Barbara Dix gave to me led me to spend two entire days (July 21-22nd) in her office doing research. Needless to say, I took all my meals in the city on those days. Barbara then provided me with a number of key contacts to Town Historians and other county resources. I wound up spending about 1 1/2 days more than I initially planned to in Oswego County, almost solely due to Barbara Dix's wonderful help and expertise. In all, between meals, hotel, gasoline, book purchases and photocopying materials, I estimate that I spent between $800-900 in Oswego County alone. I might also point out that I had never met Barbara before this trip. My knowledge of her and her office came from a very wide range of genealogical researchers spread across the United States. While my story is but a single anecdote, there are many similar stories out there. Barbara is an amazing resource. Please consider your decisions carefully, as I'm sure you will. Losing Barbara will hurt the county in ways you can't begin to imagine. Best Regards, Mike Curtis Pisgah Forest, NC