Dutchess County has been without its COUNTY HISTORIAN during this important Quadricentennial Year. The public was never notified! That is NOT acceptable public service to the people. A person in the position of COUNTY HISTORIAN should have been advocating for local historic preservation during this commemorative year. The County Executive must appoint a County Historian NOW.

We do not know WHAT condition our county records have been in since longtime County Historian Joyce C. Ghee left the office back in the early days of this current county administration (1991). Public Access to the County Records Center has been denied. There needs to be accountability IMMEDIATELY.

It's time for Dutchess County to comply with our County Charter
http://www.ginnyflies.com/dccharter.html  

and Local Law No. 3 of 1986
http://www.ginnyflies.com/dclocallaw1986_3.html ,

as well as NY Arts and Cultural Affairs Law
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_laws_acal57A.shtml  

And what about this

Inventory and Planning: The First Steps in Records Management
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_pub76.shtml

and this

Dutchess County Historical Needs Assessment 2002 -
http://www.ginnyflies.com/histrecs_needsassess2002.pdf

Storage and Preservation - http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_storage.shtml

Whoever the next county historian AND county executive is, they MUST put accessibility and proper preservation of these records AT THE TOP of their agendas! After 23 years the RECORDS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD MUST BECOME
ACTIVE. 

Several of us will be watching this closely and will be publicly advocating for this to take place. We are no longer turning a blind eye. The party is over!