NOTE: Please scroll down past meeting minutes for letter from Dr. Connie Lester, UCF:
On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Orlando Remembered, Inc., met on the second floor, Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando FL. Meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. Attending were:
Shirley Cannon, Vice President
Grace Chewning, Secretary/Treas.
Mark Line, Past Chairman
Daniel Assael
Joe Baker
Ann Bennett
John Canichos
Sandy/Shelia Dann
Joy Dickinson
Charlie Gray
Ron Jaffe
Rodney Kincaid
Bill Leach
Tana Porter
Tiffany Rivera
Jane Tracy
Peggy Jo van den Berg
Claude Wolfe
Heather Bonds
Susan Omoto
Pam Schwartz
Jonathan Sebastian Blount
Jim Stoddard
- MINUTES – The May 18 minutes were approved as written on motion of R. Kincaid, seconded by A. Bennett and vote carried.
- TREASURER’S REPORT – OR/$18,862.70; Andrew Serros Legacy Endowment/$9,544.00.
- PROJECT PRIORITIES
A] Check out the OR website at orlandoremembered.org developed by Matt Higgs/HardcoreDev.com and our “in-house” guru, Ron Jaffe, who plans on including additional information, such as the Walking Tour and member bio info. Installation should now proceed of approved prototype display panels with the new design/branding concept and Logo for initial locations considered at 1 S. Orange Ave., 20 N. Orange Ave./San Juan, 390 N. Orange Ave./Bank of America, Autrey Arcade/Jefferson Court block. As to 1 S. Orange Ave., Mark Line continues to interface with Hank Katzen, property owner, for signage on the building and his verbal pledge of $1,000 therefor.
B] Claude Wolfe and Mark Line are pursuing reinstallation of the San Juan display at 20 N. Orange Ave. or at possible alternative sites.
C] Pam Schwartz advised that items in the Orlando Public Library display have been removed for preservation/storage pending relocation of the exhibit to the 4th floor of the Library.
- OLD BUSINESS: [a] Updated Strategic Initiatives/5-year Plan: In hands of volunteer ad hoc committee [Bob Serros, Shirley Cannon, Mark Line, Emmett O’Dell and Tiffany Rivera]. [b] As to removal of our display from the lobby of Regions Bank, 111 N. Orange Ave., Pam Schwartz indicated the case is in storage waiting relocation, which Claude Wolfe is helping to accomplish.
- NEW BUSINESS: [a] General consensus was expressed by members present to approve the concept of a proposed display for the Volos Relief Effort/Orlando Plan with Camichos’ Family Archives. Jane Tracy reported that: Lisa Camichos is presenting the Plan to the Volos Museum TODAY!, and John Camichos’ Oral History Interview is now on “Orlando Memory” at: http://www.orlandomemory.info/memory/person/oral-history-interview-pano-john-camichos.
- ON-GOING ACTIVITIES: () Tiffany Rivera read a letter to OR from Dr. Connie Lester, UCF RICHES [copy attached]. () Pam Schwartz commented on the planning process underway initiated by the Historical Society to address capital and infrastructure needs of revitalizing/modernizing the History Center’s exhibits and space. She also announced the gigantic undertaking by the History Center to memorialize the June 12th shooting tragedy at the Pulse Club. () John Olin directed attention to website he is developing on the Beacham Theater at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacham_Theater. Also, check out: http://www.laweekly.com/music/before-la-orlando-was-a-club-culture-capital-7023952. () Shirley Cannon reviewed various events and activities sponsored by the Pinecastle Woman’s Club and Historical Society.
- ANNOUNCEMENTS/GOOD OF THE ORDER: Heather Bonds, Orlando Historic Preservation Office, related that Tinker Field and the John Mott structure have received State History Markers. She solicited information on the Holden Street School. Jonathan Sebastian Blount offered remarks about topics of interest. REMINDER: “Member Bios” [and photos!] are requested for the OR Website.
- ORLANDOANS REMEMBERED: People whose lives were so important to so many, who helped make Orlando a great City and whose passing represents a significant loss to our community: Harry Chandler Luff, Jr.; Delbert K. Kieffner; Dr. Gregory “Greg” O. Munson; Wallace Earl Downs; Jacqueline Joiner Denton; Barbara Patterson Gilbert; Dr. Michael E. Schoeffel; Richard Albert Bazzo, Past Chairman of Orlando Remembered.
- ADJOURNMENT – There being no further business, VP Cannon declared the meeting adjourned – at 10 a.m. Next OR gathering is Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 9 a.m., at the Orange County Regional History Center.
Grace Ann Chewning, Secretary-Treasurer
LETTER FROM CONNIE LESTER
RE: Riches Interface
Dear Members of Orlando Remembered,
I just wanted to take the opportunity at the last meeting of the year to thank Orlando Remembered for your partnership and your support of RICHES. You “took me in” and encouraged me when the project was little more than words on paper and a website under construction. You have opened doors for me and for the project that were not possible on my own. You have shown me the richness of this community and opened my eyes to research possibilities that I might not have seen without you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunities and friendships you have provided.
My thanks go beyond what I have received as result of the partnership between RICHES and Orlando Remembered. I also thank you for what you have done for so many history students at UCF When we first decided to digitize the Orlando Remembered exhibits, I wasn’t sure how we would ever accomplish this in a timely way. At the beginning of the partnership we relied on interns. However, for the last few semesters Orlando Remembered has become a class project in Rose Beiler’s “History and Historians” class. A number of you have met with the classes and talked about the organization and the city’s history. You have mentored students and answered questions. You have attended the end-of-the semester presentations and heard the students reflect on their experiences and their new interest in local history. I think you could see that history suddenly became vibrant and “real” for them. They recognized the need for context, both through the secondary literature and in compiling the primary evidence, in ways that textbook reading could not convey. They learned to interact with the community, the literature, and the digital tools in ways that will serve them well regardless of their future work. Several students have gone on to undertake internships because they enjoyed the class. Thank you for assisting us in the teaching of history. I look forward to working with you to complete the digitization of the exhibits.
Finally, the association with Orlando Remembered has produced other rewards as well. Most recently Grace Chewning and Joy Dickinson have provided background for another project on Parramore. Their knowledge about events and their introductions to people associated with that community enabled students in history and film to collect oral histories for RICHES and for the making of a forthcoming documentary film.
With best regards,
Connie L. Lester