I'd like to take a moment to thank you, the municipal historians and members of the historical community in Orange County, for the excellent service you provide. You regularly go above and beyond the expectations of your respective offices, and I'm honored to have had your support at the State of the Historical Community presentation. The program was warmly received by members of the Orange County Legislature and Orange County employees who attended and it will be uploaded to the County website so that it can be shared with those who could not attend. At a time when the County Historian's office and the Orange County Genealogical Society are displaced from 1841 Courthouse and funding for community programming through public budgets state-wide are at a low, it's increasingly important to share our experiences with our local officials. We are a group of professionals who, when faced with scarcity, do the best we can to garner our own resources. Yet we provide such a valuable service to the community that we should not be so hesitant to ask for support. I hope that Thursday's program was seen as a beginning point to opening many new discussions with County and Regional partners. |