Just heard on our 1100pm news that the governor has announced his decision to keep the Georgia Archives open to the public!!!! Wendell Way Kennesaw GA -----Original Message----- From: orforum-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orforum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of orforum-request@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2012 3:01 AM To: orforum@rootsweb.com Subject: ORFORUM Digest, Vol 7, Issue 112 Today's Topics: 1. FW: [ISOGG] Closing of the Georgia Archives (Emily Aulicino) 2. PAPAFUG meeting change (Leslie Lawson) 3. FW: Nighttime demolition and traffic constraints on Powell next week (Laurel Smith) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:42:31 -0700 From: "Emily Aulicino" <aulicino@hevanet.com> Subject: [GFO] FW: [ISOGG] Closing of the Georgia Archives To: "GFO" <ORFORUM-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <003e01cd9297$efc9cff0$cf5d6fd0$@hevanet.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" This is a follow-up from someone to whom I sent the previous announcement. Please write the representatives below. This is so important. As other states realize they can cut their budgets and it isn't much noticed by the public, more will do so in these difficult times. Think of the genelogists' jobs that will be loss as a result as well as those operating the archives..and the history lost to the public. Please forward this to everyone. The person wrote: I live in Georgia. I use the Archives. They have a new building, just a few years old now, and the folks who work (or who worked there) were most helpful and accommodating. Last year when the hours were so severely restricted and many of the staff were let go, I called my local State Representative and left a message of complaint. He promptly called me back. He explained that, while he had a vote in approving the budget, he along with the majority of the legislators were only given an hour presentation on the budget. Nowhere in the budget papers to which he had access was a line item for the Archives. Nor was the funding for the Archives brought up or mentioned in the presentation. He thought that the more powerful leaders and committee chairmen, who controlled the details of the budget may have been aware of the budget contents, but he was sure that the rank and file legislator had no idea of what was in or not in each budget approval. It is apparent that whoever is controlling the budget in the legislature and the Governor's office can afford many things, but has no idea nor understanding of what the Archives is or does. Thus, to them it is not important. The same was true of my State Representative. He had never been to the Archives, did not know where it was located, nor what its function was. He was sympathetic but had no real ability to change anything as he explained. Perhaps the notoriety and hopefully a national firestorm of criticism will help to raise awareness of the plight of this institution and what it does. I feel confident that most legislators are clueless in this regard. I would hope that the Office of the Governor <http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form> , the Georgia House Budget Chairman, Terry England (englandhomeport2@windstream.net), and the Georgia Senate Budget Appropriations Committee Chairman, Jack Hill, jack.hill@senate.ga.gov are inundated with a public outcry against this draconian measure. Walter Freeman Here is a message I received by way of the Athens Public Library this morning regarding the closing of the Archives: Statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Public Closure of the State Archives Effective November 1, 2012 Closing of the Georgia Archives The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget has instructed the Office of the Secretary of State to further reduce its budget for AFY13 and FY14 by 3% ($732,626). As it has been for the past two years, these cuts do not eliminate excess in the agency, but require the agency to further reduce services to the citizens of Georgia. As an agency that returns over three times what is appropriated back to the general fund, budget cuts present very challenging decisions. We have tried to protect the services that the agency provides in support of putting people to work, starting small businesses, and providing public safety. To meet the required cuts, it is with great remorse that I have to announce, effective November 1, 2012, the Georgia State Archives located in Morrow, GA will be closed to the public. The decision to reduce public access to the historical records of this state was not arrived at without great consternation. To my knowledge, Georgia will be the only state in the country that will not have a central location in which the public can visit to research and review the historical records of their government and state. The staff that currently works to catalog, restore, and provide reference to the state of Georgia's permanent historical records will be reduced. The employees that will be let go through this process are assets to the state of Georgia and will be missed. After November 1st, the public will only be allowed to access the building by appointment; however, the number of appointments could be limited based on the schedule of the remaining employees. Since FY08, the Office of the Secretary of State has been required to absorb many budget reductions, often above the minimum, while being responsible for more work. I believe that transparency and open access to records are necessary for the public to educate themselves on the issues of our government. I will fight during this legislative session to have this cut restored so the people will have a place to meet, research, and review the historical records of Georgia. ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:22:25 -0700 From: Leslie Lawson <Leslie@lawsonresearch.net> Subject: [GFO] PAPAFUG meeting change To: orforum-l@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <505375E1.8090806@LawsonResearch.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > Greetings, > > There is a saying that you can always depend on CHANGE. The PAPAFUG > September meeting is going to change to the Fourth Saturday which is > September 22nd at 9am. This change is for September only. > > Susan LeBlanc is updating her presentation titled "Census Research > with Success" to include data from the newly released 1940 census > records. > > Richard Halliday is presenting "PAF Custom Reports" > > Don't forget to download and print the class notes for the > presentation you are going to attend. Those notes were not posted as > on 9/12/12 but should be posted on the web page by Monday, September > 17th. Put a reminder on your "Things to do" list to get the notes and > attend the Saturday meeting. > > You can reach the web page by doing a Google search for "PAPAGUG" or > using this connection http://home.comcast.net/~papafug/site/ > <http://home.comcast.net/%7Epapafug/site/>. The web page has > information about PAPAFUG, directions to the meeting location, annual > schedule etc. > > Art Henderson ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:33:29 -0700 From: "Laurel Smith" <bearpair@comcast.net> Subject: [GFO] FW: Nighttime demolition and traffic constraints on Powell next week To: "ORFORUM" <orforum@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <003301cd92fb$41d3ab50$c57b01f0$@comcast.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Message from TriMet Hi folks, Please see updated details below about nighttime demolition and traffic constraints on Powell next week. Thanks for your patience! September 17 through 22, SE Powell Boulevard (US 26) will be narrowed to one lane in each direction for several blocks on either side of the 17th Avenue overpass for nighttime demolition of adjacent retaining walls (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.). . All Powell Boulevard traffic will be shifted to the north side of the street between SE 10th and 22nd avenues, with one lane open in each direction. . Several turning restrictions will be in place, including no left turns from Powell Boulevard to Milwaukie Avenue, and no left turns at SE 21st Avenue. Access to businesses will remain open via side street driveways. . Access to southbound 17th Avenue from eastbound Powell Boulevard will remain open. . The pedestrian crossing at Powell Boulevard and 13th Avenue will be closed, but the signalized crossing at Milwaukie will remain open. . Eastbound bus stops at Milwaukie Avenue and Powell Boulevard will be closed. A temporary stop for Line 70 will be added on Powell at 13th Ave. A temporary stop for Line 19 will be added on Milwaukie at Powell. . Demolition activities outside normal construction hours are approved under a noise variance from the City of Portland. . Similar work will take place in October. Jennifer Koozer TriMet Community Affairs Representative Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project 503-962-2116 - office 503-805-2193 - mobile 503-962-2222 - construction emergencies Follow the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project: <http://trimet.org/pm/> trimet.org/pm | <http://twitter.com/#!/pmlrproject> @PMLRProject | <http://www.facebook.com/portlandmilwaukie> facebook.com/portlandmilwaukie ------------------------------ To contact the ORFORUM list administrator, send an email to ORFORUM-admin@rootsweb.com. 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