Tag Archives: Andrew Cuomo

December 24, 2015 · 1:50 pm

Letter to NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo supports 2017 suffrage centennial funding!

2017-goldDecember 23, 2015

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State, NYS State Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo,

We, the undersigned, write to thank you for signing into law last month the legislation creating the New York State Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration Commission. New York’s accomplishment in 1917, of women winning the franchise three years before ratification of the 19th Amendment, deserves broad celebration, public education, and promotion.

This anniversary can – and must – be our moment to prominently place New York State in the national and international context that our history deserves, while also helping to shape the future of the struggle for full equality that women have still not achieved. We humbly suggest that it is an opportunity to create a legacy that brands New York State as a place where equality and opportunity for all people are truly valued and celebrated.

Therefore, as you prepare your executive budget for the upcoming fiscal year, we ask that this once-in- a-lifetime anniversary be recognized with resources commensurate to the occasion. Moreover, investments during this period can create tourism destinations that will continue to generate income for the state and local communities and create jobs for years to come.

As the Commission will begin its work in 2016, and the celebrations should build toward the national anniversary in 2020, it is essential that multi-year funding be appropriated. Specifically, we request that funding be included, beginning for:

staff support and related expenses for the Commission itself; Centennial events, tourism packages, conferences, and programs during 2016-2020; investment in “the product” – capital investment funds for the more than two dozen historical and cultural resources related to women’s history statewide; and marketing to promote the events and sites, including web development, social media, and other mechanisms, for example through I Love NY.

Females comprise more than 51 per cent of the state’s population. The acknowledged birthplace of the American women’s rights movement – and arguably the international women’s rights movement – is in New York State. This is a legacy opportunity that we are confident will benefit the entire state.

Thank you very much for your consideration

Sincerely,

Martha Robertson  and Susan Zimet, Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park and President, 2020: Project Women.

CC: Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul Mary Beth Labate, Director, Division of the Budget FY2016-2017.

Signers: New  York State Cultural Heritage Network, Lynn Herzig, Coordinator, 63 members; Philip P. Arnold, Ph.D., Director, Skänoñh—Great Law of Peace Center Syracuse University Syracuse, NY; Heidi Bamford, Western New York Library Resources Council Buffalo, NY; Dr. Betty M. Bayer, Professor, Women’s Studies Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY; Louise Bernikow, Gotham Center for New York History, New York, NY; Tara Bloyd, “Spirit of 1776” Suffrage Wagon, Santa Fe, NM; Sandi Brewster-Walker, Chair and Executive Director, Long Island Indigenous People Museum; David Bruinix, Macedon, NY; Bonnie Callaghan, South Bristol, NY; Menzo Case, Generations Bank and Right to Run 19K, Seneca Falls, NY; Billye Chabot, Executive Director, Seward House Museum Auburn, NY; Dik Cool, Publisher, Syracuse Cultural Workers Syracuse, NY; Robert P. J. Cooney, Jr., National Women’s History Project Half Moon Bay, CA; Julia Corrice, Chair, New York Heritage Digital Collections’ Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee South Central Regional Library Council Ithaca, NY; Sarah Craig, Executive Director, Caffe Lena Saratoga Springs, NY; William G. Dolback, President, Ticonderoga Historical Society, Ticonderoga, NY; Patricia F. Dolton, Historian for Town of Greenwich Washington County, NY; Kevin S. Douglas, Advisor, World War One Centennial Commission New York, NY; Adriene Emmo, Treasurer, Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park Founding member, Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning Seneca Falls, NY; Dr. Peter Feinman, Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education Purchase, NY; Susan Goodier, Ph.D., Editor, New York History Journal Public Scholar, New York Council for the Humanities SUNY Oneonta Department of History, Oneonta, NY and Hamilton College, Clinton, NY; Alice Graves, MLIS, Hospital Library Services Program Manager Southeastern NY Library Resources Council Highland, NY;  Melinda E. Grube, Ph.D., Cayuga Community College, Phelps, NY; Kimberly Harvish, Educator, Chapman Historical Museum Glens Falls, NY; Robert Hest, Director, New York Cultural Heritage Tourism Network Mountain View, NY; Linda Hoffmann, Ithaca, NY; Andrea Holroyd, Old Songs, Inc. Voorheesville, NY; Barbara Howard, Yonkers, NY Women on the 20s Campaign; Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House Rochester, NY; Lyle Jenks, President, Board of Trustees 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum Ontario County, NY; Marguerite Kearns, Co-Chair, Inez Milholland Centennial, National Women’s History Project; Susan Lesser, Ithaca, NY; Bruce Levy, Plainview, NY; Mary-Carol Lindbloom, Executive Director, South Central Regional Library Council Dryden, NY; Kerry Lippincott, Executive Director, Geneva Historical Society Geneva, NY; Judith A. Lonnquist, Esq., Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park Seneca Falls, NY; James G. Loperfido, Cayuga County Arts Council Auburn, NY; Jody Luce, Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark Peterboro NY; Katie MacIntyre, Generations Bank and Right to Run 19K, Seneca Falls, NY; Nancy Mion, Bayport, NY; Ilka Morse; Capital District Library Council Albany, NY; Ann Morton, Morton Archaeological Research Services Macedon, NY; Reginald Neale, 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum Executive Committee Ontario County, NY; Carmen Negron, Wesley Hills, NY; Brian C. O’Connor, MA, MSLS, North Country Community College Saranac Lake, NY; Diane O’Connor, Ticonderoga Historical Society Ticonderoga, NY; Laura Osterhout, M.L.S., Rochester Regional Library Council Fairport, NY; Valerie Paley, Ph.D., Vice President, Chief Historian and Dean of Scholarly Programs, Director, Center for the Study of Women’s History New-York Historical Society New York, NY; Jennifer Palmentiero, Southeastern NY Library Resources Council Highland, NY; Antonia Petrash, Long Island Woman Suffrage Association Glen Cove, NY; Jane Plitt, Campaign Coordinator Friends of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park Seneca Falls, NY; Kathy Rand, Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, NY; Diane Robinson, former Farmington Town Historian Farmington, NY; Joan E. Seaman, Long Island Library Resources Council Long Island, New York; Andy Spence, Old Songs, Inc. Voorheesville, NY; Kay Spence, Old Songs, Inc. Voorheesville, NY; Martha Swan, Executive Director, John Brown Lives! Westport, NY; Olivia Twine, Historical Society of Woodstock, Woodstock, NY; Dr. Sara B. Varhus, Vice President for Academic Affairs Nazareth College Rochester, NY; Edward Varno, Executive Director Ontario County Historical Society Canandaigua, NY; Sally Roesch Wagner, Ph.D.; Founding Director, The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, Adjunct Faculty, The Renée Crown University Honors Program, Syracuse University Public Scholar, New York Council for the Humanities; Cassie Ward, Executive Director, New Castle Historical Society, Horace Greeley House Chappaqua, NY; Dr. Marie Watkins, Canandaigua, NY; Judith M. Wellman, Director, Historical New York Research Associates Professor Emerita, State University of New York at Oswego; Kerri Willette, Metropolitan NY Library Council New York, NY; Doris Wolf, Third great granddaughter of Susan B Anthony’s grandmother Waterloo, NY; Carol Ritter Wright, Fairport, NY.

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow SuffrageCentennials.com on Facebook page, Twitter, email subscription, and the Quarterly Newsletter. Sign up for email on this web page. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos. Plan for your suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

Comments Off on Letter to NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo supports 2017 suffrage centennial funding!

Filed under Blog

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 23, 2015 · 12:34 pm

“Equal Means Equal” film upcoming, plus lots of suffrage centennial news notes

"Equal means Equal" film“Equal Means Equal” is a documentary film about the status of women in America that will put suffrage centennial celebrations into perspective. It’s expected to be released in 2016. We’ll be featuring efforts to push for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by 2020, the nation’s suffrage centennial celebration of 100 years of American women voting.

Welcome this weekend to delegates attending the AAUW state summer convention on July 24-26, 2015 at Cazenovia College.  The AAUW state organization in New York is a long-time friend of women’s suffrage centennial events and celebrations. A big thank you to the NYC Department of Records & Information Services for mentioning SuffrageCentennials.com on Facebook and Instagram. The city records department has committed to planning five years of programs featuring women’s history topics and special events associated with the upcoming 2017 New York suffrage centennial. Check our Twitter feed for ongoing announcements. To sign up for news about the 2016 suffrage centennial observance honoring America’s suffrage martyr Inez Milholland, check out this link. We’re featuring women’s history and suffrage events from a variety of organizations as a regular feature on our Twitter feed.

Celebrate the 95th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 2015, Women’s Equality Day, by downloading a file with pertinent information from the National Women’s History Project.

IN OTHER NEWS: Women’s Equality Party formed in UK to bring women’s issues out into the public. Save the Sewall-Belmont House says the National Park Service. There’s a list of possibilities as to how this important historic site can be operated in order to keep its doors open. Women’s history artifacts in the collection of the New York State Museum publicized. Story of the July 4th co-conspirators in 1876. If you missed Convention Days in Seneca Falls, NY this summer, set aside some time for a pilgrimage to the Finger lakes region of NYS this coming fall. Another “save the date” reminder for the October 1 conference promoting cultural heritage tourism and suffrage through the NYS Cultural Heritage Tourism Network. A recent press release from NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York is the most visited state by overseas travelers for 14th year in a row. Will New York be ready for its 2017 suffrage centennial? Funding sought for recently-passed New York suffrage centennial commission, but the observance is approaching quickly. Stay tuned!

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow SuffrageCentennials.com on Facebook page, Twitter, email subscription, and the Quarterly Newsletter. Sign up for email on this web page. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos. Plan for your suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

Comments Off on “Equal Means Equal” film upcoming, plus lots of suffrage centennial news notes

Filed under Blog

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

January 5, 2015 · 3:31 pm

Bad news on January 12, 1915: “100 Years Ago” video, plus updates on NYC statue project, 1915 photo collection & other news notes

NEW VIDEO: “100 Years Ago” is a new feature on SuffrageCentennials.com

All during 2014 Montana carved out an ambitious path in order to celebrate its suffrage centennial. A recent feature highlights how married women couldn’t teach school in Montana 100 years ago and they used the electoral process to do something about it. Here’s Montana’s web feature atory about married women teachers 100 years ago.

100 years ago: Highlights of women’s rights on Vimeo.

UPDATE ON CENTRAL PARK STATUE PROJECT: There’s a new web site for the Central Park statue project featuring Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Check it out. What a grand idea. The paperwork is in the pipeline.

There’s a lot still to discover about the “Suffragette” film starring Meryl Streep and others that’s due for release in the fall of 2015. And we’ll continue to follow New York State’s official plans in terms of celebrating its 2017 state centennial suffrage celebration and the 2020 suffrage centennial nationwide.

A fascinating photo collection is up for auction and just in time for Pennsylvania’s centennial observance of its referendum in 1915. Pennsylvania women lost, as did their sisters in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts that year. But the accomplishment laid a base for the eventual win. This collection features images of the the Equality Bell that toured Pennsylvania and other states in 1915. You’ll be hearing more about 2015 as an important suffrage centennial year on this web site.

SuffrageCentennials.com has two countdown clocks: One for the NYS suffrage centennial in 2017 and the other, a countdown clock for the national suffrage centennial in 2020. “Suffrage Centennial” isn’t a household reference at the moment, but public awareness is increasing day by day. That’s why we’re starting early. There’s a lot of catching up to do. And for this reason, SuffrageCentennials has a Facebook page, in addition to Twitter, email subscription and a quarterly newsletter. See links below.

RECENT NEWS: Women’s suffrage highlighted in 2015 NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo inaugural address. Meryl Streep gives interviews about upcoming “Suffragette” film from the UK expected to be released in fall of 2015. Highlights from SuffrageCentennials.com in 2014.

imagesSuffrageCentennials.com has a Facebook page, in addition to Twitter, email subscription, and a Quarterly Newsletter. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos.

SuffrageCentennials.com is a multi-media public platform for announcements and feature articles about local, state, national and international suffrage celebrations, programs, performances, events, news and views. Regular postings, video and audio highlights. Submit announcements and events to OwlMountainProductions at gmail.com.

Comments Off on Bad news on January 12, 1915: “100 Years Ago” video, plus updates on NYC statue project, 1915 photo collection & other news notes

Filed under Blog

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

January 2, 2015 · 1:54 pm

Women’s suffrage highlighted in Andrew Cuomo inaugural address on New Year’s Day

It was a bittersweet moment in New York history on New Year’s Day with the second-term inauguration of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the death of his father, Mario M. Cuomo, three-term governor of New York on the same day. Cuomo’s highlighting of the woman’s suffrage movement in his inaugural address is a good sign as far as the State of New York coming to terms with its upcoming 2017 suffrage centennial. And the NYS Governor reinforced a mindset that hopefully will be repeated in the weeks and months to come and result in action.

From Andrew Cuomo’s inaugural speech:

“… When they were talking about a dream of women’s rights and women’s suffrage, where did they go? They went to New York. And Elizabeth Cady Stanton said, ‘Yes, we can do this,’ and it is the New York women who came together and organized and got women the right to vote. When they stood up and said in the ’60s, gays deserve equal rights, it was us, at Stonewall, who stood up and said, ‘That’s right, gay people deserve equal rights.’ New York was there first. When a big state had to pass marriage equality because we were discriminating against gay people, and not letting them marry was just another source of discrimination, and you needed a big state to stand up and pass it — and it was hard — it was New York that passed marriage equality. And it resonated all across the country.”

imagesSuffrageCentennials.com has a Facebook page, in addition to Twitter, email subscription, and a Quarterly Newsletter. Sign up for email on this web page. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos.

Comments Off on Women’s suffrage highlighted in Andrew Cuomo inaugural address on New Year’s Day

Filed under Blog

Tagged as , , , , , ,

May 26, 2014 · 4:52 pm

Does Andrew Cuomo choice of Kathy Hochul for lt. gov. on ticket raise hopes for 2017 suffrage centennial?

The question of improved chances for New York State celebrating its 2017 suffrage centennial was raised recently with the nomination of Kathy Hochul who has a spot as Lieutenant Governor for Andrew Cuomo’s reelection ticket. Of course NYS voters still must decide in November 2014, but there’s a possibility with Hochul’s focus on upstate economic development and tourism. Keep a sharp look at the prospects. If you’re a New Yorker, ask the hard question about 2017 of both candidates on the campaign trail.

While you’re at it, why fret over how you and your organization will celebrate an upcoming suffrage centennial? Start now before the rush and consider all options. Suff buffs in the UK are smack in the middle of production on a suffrage movement major motion picture to be released in January 2015. This will push the topic of the suffrage movement far out into the public domain. By comparison, suff sit-com “Up the Women” in the UK has been pleasing audiences over the past year. And what about your local community –your friends and associates who are itching to get started with the 2017 planning in NYS and everyone else who can put the national 2020 suffrage centennial on their “to do” list. Check out the Bloomsbury book on suffrage plays.

A theatrical production, “The Stone that Started the Ripple,” is a fascinating angle on the suffrage movement, as evidenced by the recent production by Patricia A. Nugent that features a modern-day reunion of suffrage activists: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojoufrner Turth and Lucretia Mott. It would be an excellent candidate for any upcoming centennial celebration. The one-act play has been performed to sold-out audiences on four occasions. The appeal, perhaps, is the way in which the four women comment on today’s political climate using their quotes from history. The play was underwritten by a grant from Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, and proceeds benefitted the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County in upstate New York.

SuffrageCentennials.com celebrates its first birthday in June 2014. We’ve been setting the table for the birthday celebration party the last few weeks. Check out the video and follow us on Twitter and email subscription. Video is posted on YouTube with about 40 educational videos highlighting the suffrage movement.

Comments Off on Does Andrew Cuomo choice of Kathy Hochul for lt. gov. on ticket raise hopes for 2017 suffrage centennial?

Filed under Blog

Tagged as , , , , ,