On Wednesday, September 21, 2016, Orlando Remembered, Inc., held its Annual Meeting in the Grand Jury Room on the second floor of the 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
Joe Baker
Ann Bennett
John Canichos
Sandy/Shelia Dann
Joy Dickinson
Leon Handley
Ron Jaffe
Rodney Kincaid
Bill Leach
Emmett O’Dell
Bunny Parish
Vic Ratliff
Claude Wolfe
Richard Forbes
Susan Omoto
John Olin
1. MINUTES – The June 15 minutes were approved as written on motion of E. O’Dell, seconded by V. Ratliff and vote carried.
2. TREASURER’S REPORT – $26,855.45 as of 8-31.
3. PROJECT PRIORITIES
A] Ron Jaffe provided an informative AND exciting preview of our OR website at orlandoremembered.org features of which include: printable Downtown Walking Tour Map; 1960s downtown aerial map with legend; vintage video scrapbook, current member bios/photos; minutes from Jan. 2015; event calendar of meetings/related events; “Join” and “About” pages; Contact Form; Orlando History Timeline; search functionality. A large-screen visual presentation is tentatively set for our November 16th meeting. Following some discussion, it was moved by M. Line, seconded by G. Chewning and vote carried that appreciation to Ron for his professional dedication to this important project be more tangibly expressed with a $500 check!
B] Claude Wolfe advised that a location has been determined for reinstallation of the San Juan display.
C] Per J. Tracy and Mark Line, the Orlando Public Library exhibit is tentatively scheduled for relocation to the 4th floor in December.
4. OLD BUSINESS: [a] Strategic Initiatives/5-year Plan/2017-2021 [ad hoc committee: Bob Serros, Shirley Cannon, Mark Line, Emmett O’Dell and Tiffany Rivera].
5. NEW BUSINESS: [a] Mark Line, representing the Nominating Committee, presented the following slate of Officers for 3-year terms pursuant to the Bylaws: Claude Wolfe, President; Victor Ratliff, Vice President; Grace Chewning, Secretary-Treasurer. There being no nominations from the floor, it was moved by A. Bennett, seconded by R. Kincaid and vote carried unanimously that the foregoing slate be elected by acclamation. [b] M. Line commented on contacts with representatives of the Aloft Orlando Downtown Hotel expressing interest in a commemorative display at 500 S. Orange Ave.
6. ON-GOING ACTIVITIES: () Mike Perkins provided an update on staff efforts addressing the mammoth preservation project memorializing the June 12th shooting tragedy at the Pulse Club. He also noted various activities at the History Center, such as “Searching for the Seventies: The Documerica Photography Project” exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution through 10-30; tomorrow evening’s fundraiser hosted by the Historical Society, “Through the Ages: Celebrating the Seventies in Central Florida”; and the 10-13 Donald A. Cheney Historical Award event honoring Don Price, Greenwood Cemetery Sexton. () Shirley Cannon distributed invitations to the 10-15 “BBQ-Beer & Barn Dancing” in Bagshaw Park benefitting the Pine Castle History Center, noting the Pine Castle Retired Fire Fighters Assn. have donated $57,000 toward this project! () Joy Dickinson commented on “Open House” by Orange Preservation Trust for input from Holden Heights area.
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS/GOOD OF THE ORDER: Richard Forbes indicated the 1924 Marsh/Eola House, 512 E. Washington St., the Mayor Bob Carr Performing Arts Center/Municipal Auditorium and the Davis Armory have been granted City Landmark designation and that such status for the Carl Dann residence at 3206 Greens Ave. was approved this month by the Orlando Historic Preservation Board. Bunny Parrish advised that the three names proposed for Robert E. Lee Middle School are: Lee Middle, East Middle or College Park Middle. REMINDER: “Member Bios” [and photos!] are requested for the OR Website.
8. 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: Sally Shearouse Downs; Lilian Kannermann Sills; David Scanlon Smyth; Earl L. Pfantz; Gary Ralph Hamilton; Stephen Eddy Slack; Joerg Friedrich Krafft Jaeger, Esq.; Wayne Thos. Hardy; Lee Daniel Fulford; Mary Martha Houston Webb; Randall R. Tuten; Mary Gertrude Barnello Campbell Donley; Robert Leland Murrah, Sr.; Robert L. McWilliams, Sr.; Chas. Kenneth “Pete” Cross; George R. Crimmings, Jr.; Charles Rouse Crittenden, Sr.; Ruth Brender; LeRoy Runge Gilbert; Philip Z. Leighton; Pinka McEwan Septer; Charles Wilson Rex. Jr.; Frank Holt; Diane Heller Gay; Mattie Lois Stapleton Rouse; Ray Garfield Love; Richard W. Lassiter, Esq.; Lawrence Sands, Esq.; Fr. John McCormick; Ralph Yacobian.
9. ADJOURNMENT – There being no further business, VP Cannon declared the meeting adjourned – at 10:15 a.m. Next OR gathering is Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 9 a.m., at the Orange County Regional History Center.
Grace Ann Chewning, Secretary-Treasurer
Orlando Remembered, Inc., Loves “The City Beautiful!”
RICHes
• MOSAIC 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