Month: October 2012

More things to do on St. Simons

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Fort Frederica
Fort Frederica, courtesy of the Atlanta History Center

Are you still searching for something to do before the annual meeting? Do you need an excuse to linger in the Golden Isles before heading back to work? Here are some attractions and activities to enjoy around the annual meeting.

Ghost tours: It’s Halloween, so celebrate the season with a tour of St. Simons’ haunted sites!

Enjoy the outdoors: St. Simons Island and the rest of the Golden Isles offer a variety of outdoor activities, so get moving!

Day trips: The Golden Isles and coastal cities of Georgia offer lots of attractions and activities to enjoy. Check out Brunswick, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island.

Pamper yourself: The Golden Isles have several day spas and health clubs, so pump some iron or get your facial on.

Rise & shine: It’s a conference, so you might need some caffeine to get you started.

Don’t forget the weather:  In light of Frankenstorm, check the weather before you start packing.

We’ll see you in a week!

Advocacy workshop at annual meeting

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Sign up now to take part in the advocacy workshop sponsored by Friends of the Georgia Archives (FOGAH) at the SGA Annual Meeting. Training will be conducted by Joe Tanner of Tanner and Associates and will cover how to contact your representative so that your voice will be heard!

The training is free and is open to both members of SGA and anyone in the SE Georgia area who wants to participate. It will be on Thursday, November 8 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at the conference venue, Sea Palms Resort on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Registration is required because of the limited space. Please visit http://soga.org/events?eventId=574216&EventViewMode=2&CalendarViewType=0&SelectedDate=10/30/2012 to register. 

Questions about the training? Contact Dianne Cannestra at diannebc@bellsouth.net
Questions about registration? Contact Renna Tuten at rtuten@uga.edu

Annual Meeting Registration deadline

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Online registration for the 2012 SGA Annual Meeting will end on Monday, October 29. For those who do not register online by this date, you may register onsite at the conference on November 8 by check only. We will not be able to take registration by credit card at the conference site. If you plan on registering by mail before the conference, please make sure the Administrative Assistant receives your check by Friday, November 2 at the latest. Send any checks to the following address:
Society of Georgia Archivists
c/o Rebecca Landel-Hernandez
P.O. Box 688
Decatur, Georgia 30031-0688
For questions, please contact Local Arrangments Chair Paul Crater at pcrater@atlantahistorycenter.com

Who wants to trolley?

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Opening of Coastal Highway, St. Simon's Island, Ga. 1928. Foltz Photography Studio Photographs, MS 1360. Courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society
Opening of Coastal Highway, Motorcade, St. Simon’s Island, Ga.,
1928. Foltz Photography Studio Photographs, MS 1360.
Courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society.

Are you interested in taking a trolley tour of St. Simons as part of your annual meeting experience? If so, the Local Arrangements Committee wants to hear from you!

We have the opportunity to schedule a group tour of the island by St. Simons Island Trolley Company, but we need a minimum number of people to sign up. So, please take a minute (seriously) to take our Trolley poll and indicate your preferred date and time. If we have sufficient interest by the end of this week (10/28), we’ll offer a sign-up sheet.

The trolley tour is $23/adult and $10/child and includes the Lighthouse, Bloody Marsh, Fort Frederica, Retreat Plantation, and Christ Church.

Get Ready for St. Simons!

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Hi everyone! If you’re looking forward to this year’s annual meeting in St. Simons as much as we (the local arrangements committee) are, you’ll want to know in advance what the island has to offer outside of our excellent roster of speakers. Below you’ll find links about dining, shopping, and tourism on the island. If you happen to be a St. Simons insider, please leave additional recommendations in the comments section!

HISTORY
New Georgia Encyclopedia entry on St. Simons Island
(This entry provides links to related articles and information about the island.)

DINING
Urban Spoon’s list of St. Simons restaurants, rated
Ditto for Trip Advisor

SHOPPING
List of local shops

GROCERY STORES
Winn-Dixie (220 Retreat Vlg)
Harris Teeter (600 Sea Island Rd, #23)

DRUG STORES
St Simons Drug Co (209 Longview Plaza Driveway)
CVS (1650 Frederica Road and 30 Market Street)

SIGHTSEEING/TOURS/RECREATION
St. Simons Lighthouse

Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum

Wheel Fun Rentals (bike rentals)

Left Bank Art Gallery

St. Simons Island Trolley Tours

Fort Frederica National Monument

Salt Marsh Nature Tours

 Shrimping Excursions aboard the Lady Jane

Calendar of events, November 5-11

Explore St. Simons Island and Visit St. Simons Island both have lots of suggestions for visitors, too.

Image courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society.

Today’s update from FOGAH and GA in the news

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From FOGAH President Dianne Cannestra:

As of yesterday, five of the 10 remaining employees will still be losing their jobs October 31.  We are continuing to work through our consultant, Joe Tanner and Associates, to decrease that number.  He shares our opinion that all 10 of the employees are essential to the Archives operation.  

Unless more surprises are coming our way, it does appear that the Archives will remain in Morrow, even after the Archives operation in transferred to the University System.  Just in case, the FOGAH Board is providing rational to the consultants regarding the benefit to not physically moving the Archives from its current location.

We still need to identify volunteers around the state who will personally make contact with their state legislators after receiving training and “talking points” from our consulting firm.  If you would be willing to volunteer, please email me at diannebc@bellsouth.net with either your district number or your nine digit zip code and I will add you to the list.  The first training session will be November 8 in St. Simons Island from 4:00 pm to 5:30 so we are especially interested in volunteers from South Georgia right now.

Because the consultant contract fee was not anticipated and thus not in the FOGAH budget, you can also assist in saving the Archives by making a donation to FOGAH for the “Consultant Fee” fund.  You can send a check to FOGAH, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow GA 30260 or by PayPal at www.FOGAH.org.  Please check that web site frequently for additional updates.


Links to news items after the jump:


October 21

Walter C. Jones  http://romenews-tribune.com/bookmark/20562548/article-ANALYSIS-+Gov-+Deal+set+to+put+his+stamp+on+higher+education
(Not about the Archives but an interesting analysis of Gov. Deal and the Univ. System)
Waldo Lydecker  http://waldolydeckersjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/governor-deals-deal.html(Interesting read!)
Marvin Arrington  http://marvinarringtonjr.com/deal-kemp-to-keep-georgias-archives-open.html
No bylinehttp://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19868657/5-employees-to-be-laid-off-at-ga-state-archives   (Minneapolis St. Paul, MN)
Associated Press  http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/oct/21/us-georgia-state-archives/
No  byline  http://archiv.twoday.net/  (Sweden Archivists – Scroll down for entry)
October 20 

Dangdatkat   http://atlanta.localme.me/jobs/5-georgia-archives-employees-will-still-lose-jobs
Associated Press  http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=254311&c=10
Associated Press  http://www.times-Herald.com/local/20121019AP_GaStateArchives1stwritethru-MOS  (Newnan, GA)
Associated Press   http://valdostadailytimes.com/national-international/x1400188140/5-employees-to-be-laid-off-at-Ga-state-archives
Dianne Cannestra  http://georgiaarchivists.blogspot.com/

Update from FOGAH

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From FOGAH President Dianne Cannestra:

“After reading the October 18, 2012 Press Release from Governor Deal’s office, the FOGAH Legislative Affairs Committee had a conference call with our Legislative Affairs Consultant.  It is unclear how the latest news will impact on the termination of the 7 employees.  The consultant will attempt to get more information on that question as soon as possible.  He shares our opinion that all 7 of the employees are essential to the Archives operation.  It was also not clearly stated that the Archives will remain in Morrow.  We will be working on that clarification as well.

We are all very appreciative of the Governor’s intervention and are especially excited about the move to the University System.  Please write letters to the Governor thanking him for his intervention as soon as possible.
Our fight for restoration of the budget is not over.  The $125,000 is obviously not nearly enough.  No matter where the Archives resides organizationally,  we need to convince our senators and representatives that the Archives needs $5.4 million to get back to the model Archives it once was and be open 5 days a week. 

The first task in the consultants work plan is to identify volunteers around the state who will personally make contact with their state legislators after receiving training and “talking points” from our consulting firm.  If you would be willing to volunteer, please email me at diannebc@bellsouth.net and I will add you to the list.

Because the consultant contract fee of $3,000 per month for 6 months was not anticipated and thus not in the FOGAH budget, you can also assist in saving the Archives by making a donation to FOGAH for the “Consultant Fee” fund.  You can send a check to FOGAH, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow GA 30260 or by PayPal at www.FOGAH.org.  Please check that web site frequently for additional updates.”

Links to news coverage below the jump.


Kristina Torres  http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/5-georgia-archives-employees-will-still-lose-jobs/nShnm/
Vivian Price Saffold  http://georgiaarchivesmatters.org/
No byline  http://glanews.blogspot.com/2012/10/looking-for-ways-to-help-georgia.html
http://georgiaarchivists.blogspot.com/2012/10/georgia-archives-announcement-in-news.html
No byline  http://www.news-daily.com/news/2012/oct/19/georgia-archives-funding-fight-still-looms/
Norman Gomlak , AP  http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/uproar-ga-officials-back-off-archives-plan-17511947 
[Norman Gomlak] Associated Press  http://valdostadailytimes.com/todays-top-stories/x1200637139/After-uproar-Ga-officials-back-off-archives-plan
[Norman Gomlak] Associated Press  http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/259212/After-uproar–Ga–officials-back-off-archives-plan-.html?isap=1&nav=5014  (Central Iowa Daily News)
Brandon Howell  http://georgiatipsheet.com/tag/georgia-archives/
Joseph M Alderman  http://www.common-place.org/pasley/?m=20121019
Michelle Wirth  http://wabe.org/post/five-georgia-archives-employees-lose-their-jobs
Kathleen Baydala Joyner  http://www.atlawblog.com/2012/10/deal-and-kemp-will-keep-state-archives-open/  (last paragraph ???)
Dick Eastman  http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2012/10/georgias-archives-to-remain-open.html#more
Jennifer Hunt Johnson  http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/wordpress/2012/10/georgia-archives-still-threatened-with-cutbacks/
No byline  http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/74365/
Associated Press  http://hnn.us/roundup/41.html#148858
No Byline  http://norcross.patch.com/articles/deal-announces-reprieve-for-georgia-archives
Norman Gomlak, AP  http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/uproar-ga-officials-back-off-archives-plan-17511947#.UII36W_ypKg
No byline  http://www.wjhnews.com/filesforweb/pageone/friday.pdf  (bottom left)
Editorial Board  http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/oct/18/state-archives-survive-budget-cuts/?opinion

Georgia Archives announcement in the News

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Links:

Statement from FOGAH on the Georgia Archives remaining open

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Although the Governor’s press release raises a number of questions,
it’s fundamentally good news.  Archives is in a better place today
than it was yesterday.  With continued efforts, things may improve
further.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, FOGAH encourages EVERYONE to send an email or
letter to the Governor thanking him for his support.  Without his
efforts, we wouldn’t have this victory.

Everyone is concerned about the staff — one of the unanswered
questions.  Please remember that staffing decisions are ultimately the
Secretary of State’s, not the Governor’s.  It’s one thing to ask the
Governor to continue efforts to support the Archives and the Staff,
but please avoid language that sounds demanding.

We still have lots of work to do.  We need to make sure that the
Archives has adequate support when transferred to the Board of
Regents.  That means meeting with members of the Assembly —
preferably in their district before the beginning of session, rather
than at the Capitol.  We’re planning an advocacy training session at
the SGA meeting so that we can all work together as effectively as
possible.  Stay tuned for details.

Again, please use all available channels to say “thanks” to the Governor!

Georgia Archives link round-up

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*More in the news about the Georgia Archives new appointment schedule:

No byline  http://valdostadailytimes.com/todays-top-stories/x699438934/Archives-visitors-limited-to-2-hour-appointments
Staff Reports.  http://www.times-herald.com/local/20121015WEBStateArchivesAccesss-MOS(Newnan, GA)
http://www.sos.ga.gov/pressrel/2012_releases/October/20121015Secretary of State Kemp Releases Plan on Archives Access.htm
Associated Press  http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/story/InState–10-16  (Last entry on 10/16/2012)
Judy G. Russell  http://legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/10/16/georgia-archives-by-appointment-only/
Associated Press  http://www.11alive.com/news/article/260776/3/Archives-visitors-limited-to-2-hour-appointments
Vivian Price Saffold  http://georgiaarchivesmatters.org/
No byline  http://valdostadailytimes.com/todays-top-stories/x699438934/Archives-visitors-limited-to-2-hour-appointments
Associated Press  http://www.wsbtv.com/ap/ap/education/archives-visitors-limited-to-2-hour-appointments/nSdHX/
Valerie Craft  http://beginwithcraft.blogspot.com/2012/10/do-you-have-appointment.html
Sarah Roberts  http://miarchivists.wordpress.com/
*Link list courtesy of SGA member P.S., who wonderfully posts them to the SGA list!