Ohio History Matters

Funeral Procession for Ohio History at Comfest

Host: Concerned friends of the Ohio Historical Society
Type: Causes - Rally
Network: Global
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009
Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Procession will be through Comfest
Street: Goodale Park
City/Town: Columbus, OH

Ohio History and culture is under attack through draconian budget cuts suggested by the Governor. Do you want to live in a state devoid of arts and culture? Heck no!

Join us as we hold a New Orleans-style Jazz Funeral for Ohio History.

We will meet at the Giant Eagle on the corner of Neil Avenue and Buttles Avenue, and will begin the procession at 3PM. We will travel east on Buttles Avenue and enter Goodale Park at the corner of Dennison and Buttles. Feel free to join up with us along the way!

Accept event through facebook at: http://tinyurl.com/l5glfo

Do you want Ohio to be a cultural wasteland?

The latest budget news from the state of Ohio would have irreparable damage to Ohio's arts and culture. It includes drastic cuts to the Ohio Historical Society (45%), Ohio's Libraries (50%), and other arts organizations (like the arts council). While there were and are tough decisions to make, these important entities only make up a very tiny percent of the budget. With $1.5 million more than the Governor's level, the Ohio Historical Society would be able to still function with most program functions. At the Governor's level, it is hard to even imagine what will happen.

Support Ohio's history: www.saveohiohistory.org
Support Ohio's libraries: http://saveohiolibraries.com/

An Urgent Message from the Ohio Historical Society's Director

The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.
Chernobyl.
Iran-Contra.

These were all in the news in 1986. The cost of a U.S. postal stamp was .22 cents, half of what it is today. It was also the last time the state of Ohio invested less than $8 million in the Ohio Historical Society. Nevertheless, Governor Strickland's new FY 2010-11 budget framework, unveiled late Friday, would reduce the state budget for the Society from $13.5 million in 2008 to as little as $7.5 million annually each of the next two years, a reduction of 45 percent.

This would be a disinvestment of truly historic proportions in Ohio's history. We simply cannot allow one of Ohio's greatest strengths - its history - take a giant leap in the wrong direction. Click here to see how you can help. The Governor and state lawmakers have very difficult decisions to make between now and June 30. The economy and state budget are the worst in a generation and the Ohio Historical Society fully expects that some level of state budget cuts are unavoidable. The state's general revenue figures have dipped to 2002 levels, yet the state is prepared to shrink funding for its history to1986 levels? Is this acceptable to you, Ohio?

We've been told that education is being protected in this budget. But the Governor's proposal would slash the budget of the Ohio Historical Society - charged with helping to educate Ohio's school children about history, train social studies teachers, maintaining dozens of the state's authentic historical sites and many other educational efforts - to unprecedented lows.

It is important to realize that there is still time to change this outcome. We've asked for your help these past several weeks and we thank the roughly 1,000 of you who responded. But we are down to the last week before the next two-year state budget is enacted. We ask that you call your state legislator and tell them to restore funding for historic sites, local history and education.

Click here to make your voice heard. Then follow up with an e-mail reiterating your budget message. Encourage your friends, neighbors, relatives and family to do the same. Go online at www.saveohiohistory.org or click here to send a message to your legislator today.

Ohio's history, and its future, will thank you.

Sincerely,

Bill Laidlaw

Executive Director and CEO
Ohio Historical Society

National History Day Wrap Up



Last week, 55 Ohio students with 32 projects competed at National History Day at the University of Maryland in College Park. This week was a culmination of a year's worth of research, discovery, and analysis for these students. This year's theme was "The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies" and the Ohio projects ranged from papers on Christopher Wren's architecture in London to a documentary on Mayor Tom Johnson's progressive reforms in Cleveland. I am very proud of all the Ohio students. They represented our state well, both in their actions and their scholarship.

Out of the 32 projects, 6 projects placed in the top 15 in the country.

12th Place: Junior Paper by Rachel Clarke from Clarke Home school titled: "Thomas Edison: Dimming the Lights of a Nation." Rachel also received the Outstanding State Entry prize in the Junior Division for Ohio.
11th Place: Senior Group Documentary by Gabe Gordon and Kayla Pincus titled: "Introducing American to Americans: Roy Stryker and the FSA Photographs." Gabe and Kayla are from Shaker Heights High School.
9th Place: Senior Group Exhibit by Ilana Polster and Michelle Scarfstein titled: "Kim Phuc: The Pain that Seared American." Ilana and Michelle are from Shaker Heights High School.
8th Place: Senior Paper by Emily Nosse-Leirer titled: "Tomorrow Will Be a Great Struggle." Emily is from Shaker Heights High School.
6th Place: Senior Individual Exhibit by Heidi Reis titled: "Her Cry for Nature: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement." Heidi also received the Outstanding State Entry prize in the Senior Division for Ohio and is from Shaker Heights High School.
3rd Place- Bronze Medal Winners: Senior Web Site by Anirudh Jayanti and Ayush Sood titled: "Simon Wiesenthal: One Man's Search for Justice." This is the second year Anirudh and Ayush attending NHD with a web site.


Also an Ohio student won a special prize:
Outstanding Entry on the History of the Federal Government: Danielle Swales for her Senior Individual Documentary "Harry Hopkins: Social Revolutionary of the Great Depression as Seen Through the WPA." Danielle is from Shaker Heights High School


We had one very special prize. Harper Sutherland from Shaker Heights won a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Minnesota. This is Harper's second year at NHD and this year she was part of a Senior Group Performance that she created with her partner Robin Meiksins titled: "Larger Than Any of Us Alone: A Story of Norwegian Resistance." This was especially exciting for the Ohio group to see one of our own win one of the biggest prizes of the ceremony.

Days 3 and 4 at NHD

Yesterday all the Senior students had their projects evaluated. One group from Shaker Heights High School, Gabe Gordon and Kayla Pincus, moved on to second round for their project about Roy Stryker and the FSA photographs.


Today, a large group of Ohioans traveled into D.C. to meet with Senators Brown and Voinovich, visit the Capitol, Union Station, the Library of Congress, and also the National Postal Museum.





Tonight we dine on pizza, make signs, and enjoy one last night in the dorm. Tommorrow is the big awards ceremony where we find out all the results!

Another NHD almost over...

Day 2 at National History Day

Yesterday the Junior projects had their judging times. Everyone did an excellent job! I got to see several of the performances, a documentary, and check out the exhibits. While we didn't have any documentary or performances move on to 2nd Round, the Ohio group made a really great showing.

National History Day- Day 1

I am currently waiting the arrival of the Ohio bus here at the University of Maryland. I was in the ballroom when the doors opened at 9am to let in the flux of students waiting to start registration. Everyone is really excited and thrilled to be a part of this event. I sold t-shirts and met people from as close as Michigan and Indiana and as far away as Department of Defense schools from Germany. There's also a delegation from Guam!

Ohio at National History Day

Today the History Day expert hits the road for the 2009 Kenneth Behring National History Day contest at the University of Maryland. Over 50 Ohio students will compete with students from across the nation, Guam, and America Samoa.

Stayed tuned for updates about what happens, who we meet, and see how History Matters to students in this amazing program.

History Matters




www.saveohiohistory.org

Activities in Cleveland

Save Ohio History Campaign

We're off to Cleveland today for a Flash Mob in Public Square at 12:15 by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Here's what we were up to yesterday:

Today in Cincinnati, Perrysburg. Tomorrow Cleveland

As part of the the Ohio Historical Society's Save Ohio History campaign, there are several events going on this week.

Flash Mobs:
Cincinnati and Perrysburg today at noon.
Cleveland tomorrow at noon by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
go to www.saveohiohistory.org for more details.

Rally For History:
Noon at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus at 17th Ave right off I-71.
The rally will be an event to come together and show that history matters to us!

Marking Mourning:
To represent what a state without history would look like, OHS is inviting people to drape Ohio Historic Markers in black from Tuesday evening through Thursday morning. Take a digital picture and send it to saveohiohistory@gmail.com

Other things:
Take pictures and video of things or reasons that history matters to you. Upload them to Youtube and email the link to saveohiohistory@gmail.com or email pictures.

As always: write, call and visit your state Senators and Representatives at: http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/

Save Ohio History

Check out our public awareness campaign at saveohiohistory.org

There's video, opportunties to flash mob and rally.

There is also an opportunity to join our "Mourn the Markers" program.

Rally for History on Thursday, June 11th, 12pm @ OHS in Columbus

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, June 11 from noon – 1 p.m. to Rally for History! at the Ohio Historical Center, located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus.

The Ohio Senate voted yesterday to approve the next two-year state budget, which includes significant budget cuts that would reduce the state’s investment in the Ohio Historical Society to the lowest level since 1994. Now the budget goes to a conference committee made up of a small number of House and Senate members as well as Strickland Administration officials.

There is still time to make an impact and help restore funding for historic sites and the Society’s Outreach programs that affect students, teachers, local history organizations and Ohio communities. It’s time to Rally For History! Please join us on Thursday, June 11. FREE parking and admission to the Ohio Historical Center for participating in the rally

Senate Passed Budget Without Restoring History Day Funding

This is actually a good news/bad news scenario.

The bad news: line 509 in the OHS budget (which funds History Day and other important outreach activities) was not restored before the budget vote.

The good news: Our state Senators and Reps are hearing our message! We've had some encouraging communications that we can get the funding back (at least partially) in conference. After a budget is passed by the House and Senate, it goes to a conference committee to settle differences. This includes players from the House, Senate and Governor's office.

What's next?

We will continue to communicate next steps in the coming days. In the meantime, if you haven't done so, write your State Representative, Senator and Governor Strickland. Our Legislative Action page makes it very easy:

Go to: http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/

- Click Act Now

- Type in your address

- Change the message or leave it as is

- Sign your name

- SEND

Stayed tuned for more updates!

Vote to support Ohio History

Help us in our PR campaign to help restore 509 line to the Ohio Historical Society budget line.

Go to http://tinyurl.com/njmlrs and vote YES!

URGENT: HISTORY DAY IN DANGER, CONTACT YOUR SENATORS

My thanks to anyone who has already called or emailed their state Senators to tell them to restore funding to the Ohio Historical Societies 509 line to the Governor's recommended levels. All state Senators in Ohio need to understand the program that will potentially disappear including:

Local History Programs
Ohio History Day
Historic Markers Program
Civil War 150 Anniversary
Support for teacher training programs

These are important programs, but they all also use the state dollars to leverage other private and federal dollars to serve Ohioans.

If you have already called, please email; if you have already emailed, please call. Also, tell the people in your family or co-workers to also make the calls and emails.

Here's how you can help:


Email:
Use this link to the OHS Legislative Update website that will provide you with all the information you need to communicate with your Senator (as well as the Governor and your state representative): http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/ (after landing on this page, click on the Take Action button and scroll down)

Call:
Use this link to find your State Senator's phone number: http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/directory/statedir.tt?state=OH&lvl=state
Calling is easy. An aide will answer the phone. Tell him/her that you are a constituent and would like to leave a message about the Finance Committee's decision to eliminate line 509. Let the aide know why the activities 509 funds (History Day!) for the Ohio Historical Society are important to you and it is unacceptable that this cut has taken place.

Visit:
If you have time, consider visiting your state senator’s local district office as this would have the biggest impact.

Together, we can right this injustice.

URGENT: SENATE MAY END FUNDING FOR OHS LOCAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION

Senate action removes funding for local history, other educational activities
On Friday, May 29 the Ohio Senate made big budget cuts that once again targeted the Ohio Historical Society. More than $700,000 was eliminated from the Society's budget that serves teachers, students, local history organizations and Ohio communities. The Senate changes reduced the Society's Outreach and Partnerships line item (Line 509 in the Society's state budget) from $703,638 to $0.

• Teacher training and educational programs that leverage federal funding - Zeroed out!
• National History Day in Ohio (national program that originated in Ohio) - Zeroed out!
• The Local History Office that serves 400 local history organizations - Zeroed out!
• Coordination of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015) initiative - Zeroed out!
• Local historical markers program - Zeroed out!
Here is a link to the OHS Legislative Update website that will provide you with all the information you need to communicate with your Senator (as well as the Governor and your state representative): http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/ (After landing on this page, click on the Take Action button or scroll down for information on how to contact your legislator.)

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR TODAY!

At a minimum, please email and phone your State Senator immediately. If you have time, consider visiting your state senator’s local district office as this would have the biggest impact. The offices count the number of email and phone communications they receive on an issue. If we act together, we can make sure that funding for these important activities is restored. Please forward this email on to friends, colleagues or anyone else that would be willing to help us to protect community-based history programs in Ohio.

We at OHS will be working hard to communicate directly with the members of the Senate Finance Committee and others to change this action, but they also need to hear loud and clear from their constituents. If you’d like more information on this, please feel free to contact Todd Kleismit, our Government Relations Director at (614) 297-2355; tkleismit@ohiohistory.org.