Issue # 94     NEWSLETTER          Fall  2004

Plan to Join Your Regional Colleagues on October 12^th for the

LOWER HUDSON CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING

& 19TH ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

Together we take the measure of Keepers' Progress

.  . .  .in this National Heritage Area.  . . .

We'll gather at the new Wallace Center the FDR Library,  National Historic Site Hyde Park (Dutchess County), New York 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Your Registration will include:

Annual Awards for Excellence Presentations

Cultural Heritage Award to Andrew J. Spano

Buffet Luncheon, Regional Field Forum

Annual Meeting & Election of LHC Trustees

Special Speakers, Exhibitors, Sponsors

Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Early Bird Registration: received at LHC by September 12^th:

[    ] $40/ LHC member            [    ] $50/ non-member      [     ] $35 ea. for two or more from member org.

Annual Meeting Registration received at LHC September 13^th to October 12^th,  and/or at the door:

[    ] $45/ LHC member            [    ] $55/ non-member      [     ] $40 ea. for two or more from member org.

Name(s)_______________________________________________________________

Affiliation (org.)___________________________________Position_________________________

Address________________________________________ Town, State, Zip_______________________

E-mail _________________________________________ Phone [       ] _________________________

Please check your LHC member status:

[    ] individual member        [    ] organizational member        [    ] non-member         [   ] joining below

Total # of persons registered: _________       Total registration Fees enclosed: $_________

LHC Raffle: Due to Federal restrictions, raffle tickets cannot be sold on site; however, the drawing will be held at the Annual Meeting. Ticket numbers will be assigned, in your name, upon receipt of check. You needn't be present on Oct. 12^th to win.

Please reserve ___ # raffle tickets @ $ 5 per ticket

Please reserve ___ # raffle books @ $20 per book of five tickets.

Total # of raffle tickets requested:_____        Total raffle ticket purchase enclosed: $_____

Raffle prizes include: *Gift Baskets of books, historic house gifts*  *Gift Certificates for dinners, Inns, Film Center Membership* *Award-Winning Books & Video*  * Textile & Archival storage boxes*  *and so much more…

______________________________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to Lower Hudson Conference and mail to: LHC, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523. Receipts available upon request. E-mail: lowerhudson@msn.com;  www.lowerhudsonconference.org

Fall Calendar_____________________________2004    

September

9 LHC/DHP Grants workshop, at Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz. (914-592-6726).

16 Deadline: NEH Planning Grants & Consultation Grants. www.neh.gov.

29-Oct. 2AASLH Annual Meeting: St. Louis www.aaslh.org

October

1 Deadline: National Trust Preservation Services Fund grants; contact Jenny Warren, Program Assistant, Northeast Office, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 7 Fanueil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA 02109; 617-523-0885.

1 Deadline: Get Set Grants. Upstate History Alliance. www.upstatehistory.org.

1 Deadline: IMLS Conservation Project Support. www.imls.gov.

1 Deadline: NEH Stabilization of Humanities Collections Grants. www.neh.gov.

Symposium: "At Home with the Past: Innovations in Historic House Museums," Boston    Athenaeum. Information: 617-227-6993; www.nicholshousemuseum.org

4 Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Summit, 9 – 4. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Honorary Chair, coordinated by the Public Forum Institute, (www.publicforuminstitute.org), at the Wallace Center, FDR Library, Hyde Park

5 Symposium: "Discovering Your Story: Family History in a New Century," 7–9:30 pm, Good Counsel Academy, White Plains. co-sponsored by NYS Archives Region 9 Advisory Council, Westchester County Archives, Westchester County Historical Society, LHC, Westchester Genealogical Society and Good Counsel Academy. Speaker: A'Lelia Bundles.

12 LHC Annual Meeting & Awards for Excellence Program, 9:30 – 2:30; Wallace Center, FDR Library NHS, Hyde Park, (D) NY. Registration & raffle information in this newsletter (p.1).

Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM ) annual meeting, Philadelphia.  www.midatlanticmuseums.org    

New England Museum Association (NEMA) annual conference: "The Museum, The Baby & The Bathwater: Authenticity in the Information Age." Burlington, Vermont. www.nemanet.org, for program, scholarship & registration information.

November

6 Association for the Study of Connecticut History & Connecticut League of History Organizations' conference: "The African-American Experience in Connecticut," at Manchester Community College. Contact Bruce Stark, CT State Library, 860-757-6512; bstark@cslib.org; www.asch.ccsu.edu/upcomingevents.

15 Deadline: IMLS Museums for America grants. www.imls.gov.

December

1 Deadline: Documentary Heritage Program grants. See guidelines at www.archives.nysed.gov. Contact Ray LaFever, NYS Archives 518-474-6926; rlafever@mail.nysed.gov; or Hudson Valley DHP Coordinator Dianne Macpherson at LHC: 914-592-6726; lowerhudson@msn.com. 

1 Deadline: New York State Library Program for the Conservation & Preservation of Library Research Materials grants. www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev. 

1 Deadline: IMLS/ Heritage Preservation Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) and AAM  Museum Assessment Program (MAP) grants. www.heritagepreservation.org; www.aam-us.org. 

15 Deadline: IMLS 21^st Century Museum Professionals. www.imls.gov

15 Deadline: IMLS Librarians for the 21^st Century. www.imls.gov.

Resources, Meetings & Opportunities____________

Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Summit:

Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey is honorary chair for October 4^th's (9am-4pm) public  regional summit, co-sponsored by the Hudson Valley Congressional Delegation, Hudson River Valley Institute, Scenic Hudson, HRV National Heritage Area and Lower Hudson Conference.

The National Heritage Area, extending from just north of Albany to the northern border of NYC, has been acclaimed by the National Park Service as "the landscape that defined America." Congressman Hinchey sponsored 1993 legislation creating the National Heritage Area program, which was passed into law by Congress in 1996. The law created a federal Heritage Area program; it designated the Hudson River Valley as one of only 24 National Heritage Areas. The Hudson River Valley NHA was established to recognize, preserve, protect and interpret the region's nationally significant historical, cultural and natural resources, representing three primary themes: Freedom & Dignity, Nature & Culture, and Corridor of Commerce.

Freedom & Dignity highlights the Hudson River Valley's key role in the early American colonial period and the military history of the American Revolution. General George Washington hade his headquarters along the Hudson River, and the Valley is home to a large number of encampments and battle sites. The valley was also the backdrop for many of the critical debates involving the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and played a prominent role in the struggle over the adoption of the Bill of Rights. The Heritage Area also recognizes the region's important role in the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement and celebrates the historic contributions made to democracy and human rights by Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Nature & Culture recognizes the Hudson Valley's contributions in the areas of American art, architecture and environmental protection. Thomas Cole, Jasper Cropsey and Frederic Church were part of the Hudson River School of Art, America's first school of art, which contributed to the growing appreciation of the nation's natural landscapes and resources—preceding the movement to create National Parks. The region boasts an impressive array of historic landmarks, parks, mansions and estates, created and designed by renowned architects and designers, including Alexander Jackson Davis, Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. The Hudson Valley is also the birthplace of the modern environmental movement, which began in the 1960's, with the struggle to stop the proposed pumped storage facility at Storm King Mountain along the banks of the river's highlands.

Corridor of Commerce reflects the Valley's significant economic role in the development of trade and commerce. The Hudson River once served as the nation's most important transportation route, providing the first route into the interior of the growing country. The steamboats of the early 19^th century also carried the raw materials, agricultural products and industrial goods to the rapidly growing population of New York City. The Hudson was connected to western New York and Pennsylvania by the Erie Barge Canal and Delaware & Hudson Canal systems, helping to make NYC the economic capital of the nation.

Congressman Hinchey will lead a collaborative summit to highlight and bring attention to the region's important historic legacy and develop strategies for promoting this rich heritage to foster economic development. Community, cultural and business leaders, historians, elected officials, educators and citizens will come together to identify options and define actions for future economic growth in a manner that respects the region's history and its natural and cultural resources. Plan to join in! The summit will be coordinated by the Public Forum Institute, an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has considerable experience with similar efforts. (www.publicforuminstitute.org)

LHC History Keepers' Companion Data Update Underway

By now organizations, museums, historical societies, historic sites, municipal historians and public libraries & archives throughout the Hudson Valley and Metropolitan New York have received forms with which to update the web version of History Keepers' Companion, LHC's regional guide. The award-winning History Keepers' Companion has been a widely acclaimed resource for the last 5 years. Both in paper and electronically, the LHC Guide is the first place to turn to when looking for information about regional heritage sites and sources. Included in the expanded 2005 web edition are the counties of the Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester), western Connecticut and the metro New York City area. The updated web version will include URLs and e-mail addresses to help visitors and colleagues identify interesting and educational sites and sources. Your entry in the LHC Guide is free!

Please take the time to see if your organization, site or historian is currently listed by going to the LHC website (www.lowerhudsonconference.org) and clicking on History Keepers' Companion. The information is arranged by counties; municipal historians and libraries are listed at the end of each county. If your organization is not listed and would like to be included, please fill out an update form; if you are already in the Guide, use the form to make any corrections, additions, etc. We have expanded the entries for libraries and municipal historians, so please be as complete as possible. You can e-mail the information in the requested format, to lowerhudson@msn.com, or mail the form to Lower Hudson Conference, Attn: HKC Update, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523.

Stone Strategies Events and Resources:

LHC and the HVDHP are planning more workshops for 2005 in the very popular and well-attended Stone Strategies series on Documentation and Conservation of Historic Cemeteries (last held July 04 in Churchtown, Columbia County). We hope to be in Dutchess, next. And we anticipate a parallel series on interpretation & signage design to be in the offing for Spring. In the meantime, here are regional cemetery walks and programs of interest to all:

Municipal Art Society (MAS) walking tours, Saturday, October 2 (2pm), "Three Cemeteries and an Avenue": New York Marble Cemetery and New York City Marble Cemetery are separate yet related cemeteries within a block of one another. The continued existence of these early 19^th century cemeteries lying behind locked gates calls for explanation. How did they stay intact for over 150 years? What can they tell us about how the city has changed in that time? Who is buried there, and who cares for these spaces?  $25/pp tour begins at St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery Church, Second Avenue & East 10^th Street, (which has its own graveyard, where Peter Stuyvesant is buried). For information & reservations, tel: 212/439-1049; lynnr@mas.org.

Weekend Long Island Gravestone Studies Conference, October 15-17,co-sponsored by Southold Historical Society and the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS). Speakers: conservator C.R. Jones & author Richard F. Welch. Host site: Soundview Inn Hotel, Greenport.  $50 registration fee. E-mail AGS: info@gravestonestudies.org.

October 31 (11:00 am) is the date and time, Trinity Cemetery in Manhattan is the place for another MAS walking tour $15/pp. Trinity is Manhattan's only active burial ground, surrounding the Chapel of the Intercession, and laid out on part of the 19^th century farm of naturalist John James Audubon. The tour will be led by Eric K. Washington, author, Manhattanville: Old Heart of West Harlem. This Municipal Art Society tour will meet at the Audubon Terrace entrance gate at the N.W. corner of Broadway and 155^th St. Telephone MAS: 212/439-1049; lynnr@mas.org.

Grants Available—New Deadlines & New Requirements to Meet

Charities Registration/ the 501(c)3 and Form 990 : MANY reports (via the August 04 ArtsMarket, Inc. newsletter) that the US Senate Finance Committee is considering some major reforms and code requirements for nonprofits, reflecting best practices and proposals from practitioners, nonprofit directors, academics and field leaders and indicating a strong national sentiment afoot. These considerations imply that on every 5-year anniversary of nonprofit status, a 501(c)3 would need to file for re-determination, to ensure that it has not moved into the for-profit arena. A big focus is an improvement on the Form 990 filing requirements, and a requirement that every tax-exempt organization file on time, signed by the chief executive officer, and that each filing include board approval performance goals and measurements for the year. The Feds also want to see more outsider review of annual financials, including new independent auditors every five years- no more allowing the same auditor for years and years- with particular emphasis on review of unrelated business income (ubit) and operating expense management policies. Finally, the Feds are proposing that all Form 990s be more visible to the public, including a requirement that they be posted on each organization's website, along with a tax determination letter from the IRS and the organization's financial statements for the five most recent years!. The theory is that a nonprofit should be totally visible to funders and to the public. ArtsMarket Inc. suggests contacting Montana Senator Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, with your concerns over these recommendations. Your organization will only benefit from meeting or exceeding the basic requirements and becoming transparent, since funders and government agencies alike will increasingly tile funding towards organizations that have disclosed everything, have outstanding governance practices and well-tracked annual strategic plans.

Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Please check the calendar for FY2005 new deadline dates and new IMLS grant program categories. See www.imls.gov.  Remember, all applicants for federal grants or cooperative agreements are now required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying. To learn how to obtain a DUNS number, see www.dnb.com/US/duns_update

Call for Proposals:

The Museum Association of New York (MANY), Upstate History Alliance (UHA) and the New York Folklore Society announce a call for proposals for their joint April 24-26, 2005 annual conference: "The Next Generation," to take place at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Rochester, NY. The world did not come to an end at the new millennium, but did the 20^th century museum? There have been many changes in the world over the last few years, and many organizations are struggling to find a new path in it. Is attendance still the best measure of success? How do museums find their place in busy family schedules? What role does tradition play in changing museums and communities? How will new technologies change our exhibitions and programs? How do we encourage diversity in museum staff, volunteers and visitors? As the world changes at an even faster pace, so will museums. At this year's conference we will be examining how museums are keeping pace with changes in society, and what the future may hold for museums and the communities they serve.

The deadline for session proposals is November 1, 2004. Find a session proposal form on the UHA website, www.upstatehistory.org. E-mail proposals to: info@upstatehistory.org, or mail to UHA, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta, NY 13820. Questions? Contact Linda Norris or Jenny Rosenzweig at UHA, (800-895-1648; info@upstatehistory.org); Anne Ackerson at MANY (518-273-3400; info@manyonline.org); or Ellen McHale at the New York Folklore Society (518-346-7008; emchale@nyfolklore.org). 

National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Services Fund

provides nonprofit organizations and public agencies matching grants from $500 to $5,000 (awards typically average $1,000-$1,500) for preservation planning and education efforts. Funds may be used to obtain professional expertise in architecture, archeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, fund raising, organizational development and law, as well as preservation activities to educate the public. Funds are not available to support bricks and mortar restoration costs. Applications must be postmarked October 1^st. Contact Jenny Warren, Program Assistant, Northeast Office, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Seven Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA 02109; 617-523-0885; www.nthp.org.

New York State Library Program for the Conservation & Preservation of Library Research Materials- This discretionary grant program encourages the proper care and accessibility of research materials in the state, promotes the use and development of guidelines and standards for conservation/preservation practices, and supports the growth of local and cooperative preservation programs. This grant program provides modest support for projects that contribute to the preservation of significant research materials in libraries, archives, historical societies and other agencies within NYS, whether by conducting surveys, improving collection storage environments, or reformatting or treating collections. A series of free workshops will review the grant application; those nearest to LHC members will be held at METRO (NYC) Sept. 27, and at the Sanford Town Library (Albany), in Colonie October 22. www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/cp/regform.htm, to register on-line.

NYSCA Get Ready, Get Set, Go! Grants from Upstate History Alliance

800-895-1648; info@upstatehistory.org will help your organization support planning consultants and help individuals register or travel to many professional development opportunities in New York State. www.upstatehistory.org.

New York State Archives Documentary Heritage Program grants :

The Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) is a statewide program administered by the New York State Archives to ensure the identification, sound administration and accessibility of New York's historical records. Thanks to funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), for FY 2005/06, it is anticipated that $250,000 in grant funds will be made available.

Five priority documentation areas have been targeted for DHP attention: Mental Health Activities in New York; Environmental Affairs; Latino/Latina-Hispanic communities; Education Policy, and the World Trade Center- Attack, Response, Recovery. Two secondary priority areas have also been identified: Deindustrialization and Economic revitalization in 20^th century New York; and New Population Groups in 20^th century New York.  Projects focusing on these areas will be given very high priority and applications in these areas are strongly invited. Applications focusing on other underdocumented groups and subjects, however, may also be submitted.

Funding is available for four types of projects:

• Projects to identify, survey and plan for the systematic collection of records
• Projects to arrange, describe and make available historical records
• Historical records strategic planning projects
• Regional documentation planning projects

The Work We Do______________________________

State Ed. Department Proposes Draft Regents Standards & Practices be met, to merit Absolute Charter for Museums & Historical Societies in NY

Most of LHC's newsletter readers and all of our members have received the proposed new draft set of Regents Rules regarding the standards and practices for obtaining an Absolute Charter for a chartered museum or historical society this past summer, from David Palmquist, Head of the Chartering Program, State Education Department, at the New York State Museum. Many attended regional meetings on these drafts at locations all around the state in July and August. LHC attended the meeting in New Paltz, held at the Huguenot Historical Society. The effort to draft new Standards & Practices for chartering is a collaboration between the State Education Department (NYSED), the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The museum and historical agency community has been vocal and active in its response to the drafts—and the state is pleased to have generated the thoughtful debate on this important issue to new and venerable museum institutions, alike.

LHC member George H. Vollmuth, President of the all-volunteer North Chatham Historical Society (Columbia Co.) forwarded his comments to Albany, and allows us to share some excerpted words with you:

"Differentiating Historical Societies and Museums by Size and Scope. First, I wholeheartedly support the notion that the proposed new regulations distinguish between small historical societies and much larger organizations; we are significantly different from these larger institutions in just about everything we do (e.g. size of budget, number of members, paid staffing, nature and extent of collections, events, exhibitions and impact beyond the borders of the communities in which we operate), except perhaps in our mutual passion for history! It makes eminent good sense for the State to hold larger, more substantial organizations to a different standard, not only because of…size but also because of the impact they may have on a far larger number of New York State residents. If the often-quoted "80-20 rule" applies here, the vast majority of resources and societal impact are generated by a small percentage of the largest historical societies and museums within the State.

"Is the Existence of a Collection the Most Effective Basis on Which to Differentiate Historical Societies and Set New Standards? It seems to me, however, that the standard for differentiation that the proposed regulations suggest—whether or not the organization holds a collection—is the wrong one. …It is hard for me to understand how any historical society, no matter how small, is not tempted, and, in fact, compelled to create a collection. It is after all these documents and artifacts of history that are critical to our understanding and celebrating of history, and without them we have a much less complete and far less exciting story to tell! Our constituents and our members wouldn't want it any other way! As a result, using the existence of a collection as a means of establishing different requirements seems to suggest that virtually all organizations will face the new, more extensive requirements that the proposed regulations request. In my view this places an undue burden on the smallest historical societies and perhaps even deters the future formation of such small organizations. Here's my thinking:

"All historical societies, whether small or large, would support, I suspect, the high standards these regulations set forth for maintaining and caring for a collection of historical materials for the benefit of the public. We all know how important proper preservation and conservation are, … [but] small historical societies may simply not have the resources available to provide this standard of care.

"For example, the North Chatham Historical Society, as it approaches its 7^th anniversary has developed a …significant membership, given that the hamlet has only 250 post office box-holders and occupies a beautiful but small piece of geography. Over those seven years our net revenue from memberships has ranged from $2,480 to $3,355, averaging $2,855. Fortunately… our trustees have donated [a good deal of] our operating expenses. …We… do not own a facility (although we have undertaken the renovation of our old library and post office for the benefit of the community), but those small organizations who do also have the added expense of operating, maintenance and capital expenses for those structures. There is precious little left for other expenditures.

"Are There Other More Suitable Standards for Differentiation? Might membership size, total assets, annual operating budget or revenues (e.g. whether an organization files Form 990 because it anticipates routinely receiving $25,000 or more in revenue each year) be a better way of distinguishing among organizations for the purpose of setting new standards? This is not to say that we would all still not strive for the best conditions we could provide for our collections, in keeping with our fiduciary responsibilities to do so, but it would simply recognize that some organizations are in a position to do so more than others.

"1000 Hour Accessibility Requirement: …even if we had a facility, I would be hard-pressed to ever see the day when we would be able to open it 1000 hours a year (19 hours a week, or more than 2 full days) (Section 3.27 (8) (1) (iv)).

"Summary: I doubt there will ever be a day when the North Chatham Historical Society has paid staff. It might not even have a home it can call its own. But I would hate to see the day when an organization like this wasn't created because it did not believe it could meet these standards. In their own much more limited way, small historical societies champion the local history of their areas, hoping to stimulate their communities to research, celebrate and  enjoy the history that has created their communities, and in doing so, with the help of fascinating examples of objects and photographs and documents from the past, it reminds everyone of what it takes to sustain such a community. Hold us to high standards. Make sure that we are communicating with our community and satisfying our mission to identify and educate and foster the valuable lessons of history, but also recognize how fragile we are as organizations, as you establish these standards.

"In conclusion, thank you once again for all that you do for history in New York State, despite limited resources of your own; and thank you for undertaking the important work of updating the standards to which we should all aspire; and thank you for the opportunity to offer these few thoughts from the vantage point of one small, but passionate, beneficiary of your work.

"Historically yours, George H. Vollmuth, President, North Chatham Historical Society."

Traveling History Exhibit Resources Through AASLH

The American Association for State & Local History (AASLH) announces a new service for members- a history traveling exhibit clearinghouse. Although you must be a member to look and see what history traveling exhibits are available, you do not have to be a member to list your exhibit(s) on this national database. Exhibits must be history-based. See www.aaslh.org and look under "Programs" for the Traveling Exhibits Clearinghouse; contact Harry Klinkhamer or Gina Sawyer, sawyer@aaslh.org, or membership@aaslh.org; 615-320-3203.

The Work We Do__________________________________

Collaborative Partnership Between Fordham University and the Bronx County Historical Society Initiates Bronx African-American History Project

There are now over a half million people of African descent living in the Bronx, well over a third of the Bronx's population. Blacks have been an integral part of the history of the Bronx since colonial times,  have contributed greatly to the borough's cultural and political history, and have recently played a major role in the borough's revitalization-- but there has been almost nothing written about this large, diverse population. Many African-Americans who grew up in the Bronx are deeply distressed that their experience has been overlooked or seen exclusively through the lens of crime and urban decay.

According to the Historical Society, one of the major reasons for absence of writing about Bronx African-American history is an absence of primary source material. There has been no systematic collection of the records of black churches, business, community groups, political and civic leaders, or of the publications of community organizations in the borough's black neighborhoods. As a result, powerful and important stories have been overlooked- among them the migration of upwardly mobile black families from Harlem to the Bronx in the 1930's and 40's, the development of a diverse Bronx musical culture fusing jazz, rhythm & blues, Latin music and calypso; the rise of a Black political leadership in the Bronx; the migration of West Indians and West Africans to the borough.

To fill this gap in the historical record, and respond to growing community demand for information, the Bronx County Historical Society and Fordham's Department of African and African-American Studies decided to launch the Bronx African-American History Project. The goal of the project is to create and collect the resources necessary to tell the story, and then get it out to the public through lectures, media appearances, books, public exhibitions and documentary films. The partnership began a little more than a year ago with an oral history project.

Oral history is an effective way of telling the story of an undocumented population, gradually creating a documentary record on which historical research can be based. By recording and transcribing the recollections of educators, politicians, athletes, musicians, business people and leaders of church and community organizations who settled or grew up in Morrisania, Mott Haven and Wakefield, the first large African-American neighborhoods in the Bronx, they will begin to put on record a story that has been told no where else. The transcripts of interviews will be a source for historical writing, and the video and audio versions can be edited for radio broadcast, exhibition and documentary films.

The five-year project has a goal of recording and transcribing 300 interviews, and placing the tapes and transcripts in public archives at the Bronx County Historical Society and Fordham's Walsh Library. Interview subjects will be recommended by a team of community research advisors. The project plans to span three historical periods: 1929-65/ Years of Settlement; 1965-85/ Years of Turbulence and 1985-present/ Years of Immigration.

The collaborative documentation project hopes to spur individuals and organizations to donate collections of documents to the Bronx African-American History Archives created at the Bronx County Historical Society. The project research team includes Dr Mark Naison, Principal Investigator, Brian Purnell, Research Director, Dr. Mark Chapman, Professor Arthur Hayes, Esq. and Dr. Claude Mangum, Fordham University; Dr. Peter Derrick, Project Archivist, and Dr. Gary Hermalyn, Exec. Director, Bronx County Historical Society. For information: 718-881-4827.

Lower Hudson Conference Announces Trustee-Nominee Slate for election to the Board at the Annual Meeting October 12, 2004

Please join LHC in welcoming eight colleagues from throughout the Hudson Valley and metropolitan region who are joining the Lower Hudson Conference Board of Trustees this fall:

Charles A. Bradley     Attorney; Kykuit and RAC volunteer Briarcliff Manor  (W)

Amy Campanaro      Director, Southeast Museum  Brewster (P)

Laura Correa-Carpenter Director, Van Cortlandt House Museum Bronx   (Bx)

Diane DeChillo     Prog. Mgr, Ellenville Public Library/Mus. Ellenville (U)

Richard de Koster      Director, Constitution Island Association West Point  (O/P)

Rosemary Keegan      Program Assoc., National Heritage Area Poughkeepsie (D)

Susie Kilpatrick     Devel. Officer,  Huguenot Historical Soc. New Paltz  (U)

Kathryn Slocum     Independent Development Consultant Dobbs Ferry  (W)

________________________________________________________________

Congratulations to Awards for Excellence Winners: 2004

Applause for the fall awards season about to take the stage at the Lower Hudson Conference Annual Meeting October 12^th. Lower Hudson Conference's Annual Awards for Excellence Program seeks to recognize and commend exceptional efforts among LHC members. Awards are made to projects and organizations that exemplify creativity and professional vision resulting in a contribution to the preservation and interpretation of the historic scene, material culture and diversity of the Hudson Valley and greater metropolitan region.

We think you'll see that the 2004 awards recognize the publicly accessible, educational, often innovative work undertaken by museums and heritage organizations pursuing missions that embrace and enhance the 21^st century communities in which they reside. They connect their stewardship of the past to communities as narrow as a single Hudson Valley Main Street, and as broad as the world wide web. They provide the public with tools for deeper investigation and inquiry into the carefully collected objects and archival volumes residing in any one institution. As a group, the 2004 awardees exhibit excellence and professionalism in exhibits, public programs, publications, preservation and collaborative efforts between organizations and newly identified community audiences. On every level, the educational value of our cultural heritage products is clear, and their content widely accessible. We encourage you to call your peers at these award-winning institutions, speak to their staffs, ask about how the projects and collaborations worked, and how they were funded. Network through their good work, to inform your missions and improve your own Keepers' Progress.