[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2009-02-25

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Preservation assistance grant applications available
2.  OHS to curtail services
3.  Events scheduled in Astoria, North Bend, Salem
4.  Pittock Mansion has two job openings


PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE GRANT APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering preservation
assistance grants of up to $6,000 to help institutions*particularly
small and mid-sized institutions*improve their ability to preserve and
care for their humanities collections. These collections can include
books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs,
moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records,
decorative and fine arts, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic
artifacts, furniture, and historical objects.

Institutions such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival
repositories, arts and cultural organizations, and town and county
records offices may apply.

Preservation Assistance Grants may be used for general preservation
assessments; consultations with professionals to address a specific
preservation issue, need, or problem; purchase of storage furniture and
preservation supplies; purchase of environmental monitoring equipment
for humanities collections; education and training; and other
activities. 
 
Any U.S. nonprofit organization is eligible, as are state and local
governmental agencies and tribal governments. Grants are not awarded to
individuals. NEH will give priority to small and mid-sized institutions
and to institutions that have not previously received an NEH grant. For
more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html


OHS TO CURTAIL SERVICES

The Oregon Historical Society announced today substantial budget
reductions and layoffs, which will hit the research library hard.  OHS
is looking at the likelihood of a 25 percent reduction in revenue for
the coming year, and its Trustees decided to act now rather than bank on
the Legislature doing something unexpectedly good, said executive
director George Vogt.

The current proposal before the Legislature in its 2009-11 biennium
budget is a 65 percent reduction in state funding ($800,000 less per
year) for OHS and a rescission of $350,000 from the current biennial
budget.  In addition, OHS expects it will lose about $400,000 in
endowment revenue and is already experiencing a drop in annual fund
giving, he said.

The board decided to continue support, with some reductions, for its
museum and its traveling exhibits and outreach programs, said Vogt. 
Last year, attendance rose almost 40 percent.  The library will continue
to support photo research and photo orders, but access to most other
collections will be severely limited.  New hours of operation will be
posted on the OHS website at www.ohs.org  in the next two weeks.


EVENTS SCHEDULED IN ASTORIA, NORTH BEND, SALEM

ASTORIA:  The Columbia River Maritime Museum will host Newport author
Michele Longo Eder and her book  *Salt in our Blood:  The Memoir of a
Fisherman*s Wife* from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 27. Written in journal form,
Eder combines emails, letters, and newspaper clippings that add depth
and understanding of what it takes to get seafood from the ocean to the
plate. At 1 p.m. Feb. 28,  author Bert Bender will be present with  
*Catching the Ebb,*  the book in which he traces the fishery*s
path of change, from shifts in the market and the demise of canneries,
to the effects of the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989, to the rise of the
farmed salmon industry.  His humorous chapter on Desdemona Sands will
particularly charm local readers and fellow fishermen.  The Columbia
River Maritime Museum is located at 1792 Marine Drive.  For more
information, contact 503-325-2323 or www.crmm.org 

NORTH BEND:  Author Andie Jensen will speak at the Coos Historical &
Maritime Museum at 5 p.m. Feb. 26 on local crimes of greed, passion, and
revenge as recounted in his new book "Hangman's Call: The Executions &
Lynchings of Coos County, Oregon, 1864-1925."   The event is free to the
public. 	The Coos Historical & Maritime Museum is located at 1220
Sherman Ave. For more information, call 541-756-6320, or visit
www.cooshistory.org .

SALEM:  "Record Your Family Stories and Heritage" is a free workshop
that teaches participants to document family stories. The Marion County
Historical Society and Mission Mill Museum are co-sponsoring the
workshop presented by the Friends of Historic Champoeg from 10:30
a.m.-noon March 14. The workshop begins with first-person
dramatizations. During the second part, participants will share story
ideas and memories with each other to help them begin their own memory
process. The last part will teach how to preserve your heritage through
telling, writing and recording stories. For more information, contact
Amy A. Vandegrift at the Marion County Historical Society, 260 12th St.
SE, at 503-364-2128 or director at marionhistory.org 


PITTOCK MANSION HAS TWO JOB OPENINGS

Pittock Mansion seeks an experienced Operations Manager to manage
day-to-day financial operations, payroll, benefits administration and
facilities maintenance and usage, including rental for business events.
It also seeks an experienced Program and Collection Manager to oversee
the development, coordination and administration of programs, exhibits
and collection management activities. Go to www.pittockmansion.org,
under Recent News for full job descriptions. Email resume and cover
letter to jobs at pittockmansion.org  or fax to 503.823.3626. Application
deadlines for both positions is March 4. No phone calls please.
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which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us