Forwarding the following message from Joe Cutshall-King, Washington County Historian, a frequent contributor to NYHIST-L (he also sent the message to the listserv for the Association of Public Historians of New York State--APHNYS).

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Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 21:51:03 -0500
From: Joseph Cutshall-King <[log in to unmask]>
To: "A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State history."
 <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: On to new things

02-17-03

To all my fellow Historians,
Recently I wrote APHNYS President Dee Robinson to let her know that I
have accepted a new position in Middletown, NY, at Orange County
Community College and have submitted my resignation to Washington
County. It's been my great pleasure to serve as Washington County
Historian for nearly five years. My last day in office is Feb. 28. I
told Dee that it has been a privilege to serve with her, with the
members of APHNYS and with all Municipal Historians in our State. I have
told Dee I would like to maintain my APHNYS membership.

Of the many projects I will not see to completion while Historian, among
my greatest disappointments is that I will not see our common goal
achieved of having a State Historian reinstated. I know that this issue
is not considered a priority among some at the state level, and has even
been a source of annoyance, humor and occasional derision among some who consider the State Historian's position anachronistic, something
vestigial, equal in uselessness to the human appendix. My view, I'm
afraid, is rather simplistic. There is a law requiring a State Historian
and, among hundreds of us appointed as Municipal Historians, there is a
need.

Be that as it may, there is a need for the 1,605 Municipal Historians in
our state and for the work they do. With the very best wishes to every
one of you,

Joe Cutshall-King
Washington County Historian