Kelly in Kansas

New Archives Facility for
National Archives – Central Plains Region

The National Archives Central Plains Region in Kansas City will move to a new facility in the Union Station complex. The move is expected to take place in late 2008.

“This new facility offers easy public access in the heart of Kansas City. It is also an opportunity for the National Archives, working in partnership with the community, to highlight our extensive research services,” said Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein. “We will be able to feature innovative outreach efforts through student training programs, civic education, special events, and other learning experiences that invite broad public participation and promote civic literacy.”

The new Central Plains Regional Archives facility will be located in the former Adams Express building, a part of the Union Station complex. Under the supervision of the General Services Administration, the historic building will be renovated and then leased to the National Archives. Upon completion, the Central Plains Region will then move from its present facility at the Bannister Road Federal Complex, where it has been since 1969.

Treasures of the Central Plains Region include records relating to the milestone Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, Wild West showman “Buffalo Bill” Cody, President Ulysses S. Grant, and Walt Disney which are among the 50,000 cubic feet of records in its holdings. In commenting on the move, Professor Weinstein said, “The Central Plains Region will serve as a focal point for promoting greater appreciation of the region’s role in American History. The new facility will allow us to better showcase the treasures that we hold in trust for our citizens.”

Labels: Kansas City, NARA, National Archives, Project Primary Sources, research, Union Station

These are two of our Project eHIKES graduates who are continuing to incorporate history into their classrooms:

Constitutional scholars
Constitutional scholars

By Colleen Surridge

Parsons Sun

Most people can tell you when Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter is, but many don't know what holiday occurred Monday.

Monday was the day the National Archives and Records Administration celebrated the 220th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.

Sept. 17 is known as Constitution Day. The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. The holiday also mandates that all publicly funded schools provide programming on the history of the Constitution on that day.

While some high school students may say their First Amendment rights are being infringed upon by schools not letting them say what they want or wear T-shirts that express what they want, Associated Press reported Monday, "A study being released Monday by a foundation that focuses on journalism and the First Amendment (John S. and James L. Knight Foundation) found that 51 percent of high school students questioned had not heard of the day when they are required by law to learn about the Constitution."

Throughout Parsons schools, no special activities were reported in classrooms to celebrate Constitution Day, except in Debbie Shaffer and Mary Colvin's fifth-grade classrooms at Guthridge Elementary School.

Students were given dice and paper clips and were asked to make a game with them.

The students were initially befuddled at what they could do with the two items, but after some time developed games with rules to play by.

"It was to represent the delegates of the 12 colonies when they gathered together and tried to figure out what they were supposed to do and how they had to come up with ideas that made up the Constitution," Shaffer said. "I think it is really important kids start to learn about community and government early, and this is just one step in their education. We keep it fairly basic, but we give them the understanding they can build on."

By afternoon the fifth-graders were learning about the Electoral College.

In fact, while Shaffer and Colvin start a weeklong study of the Constitution with Constitution Day, the two consider the Constitution so important it is incorporated into their students' lessons throughout the year.

Labels: constitution, Constitution Day, elemenary, history, Project eHIKES, Project Primary Sources, teaching

Just like right before we went to Kansas City, I need one more day in my week. The trip to DC was well worth making on a variety of fronts but it took several days to recover.

I made more progress than I expected working in the yard last night despite the high humidity. I tried to wait until it cooled off a bit -both for me and for Shadow. I woke up about 5:30am this morning with all that was going on the next week running through my brain - again, not an unusual occurrence.

Think I'll skip the farmers' market this morning. My favorite farmer hasn't been coming given that his berry crops mostly froze and I will be gone all week and I'll be here next week to go. I'm going to wash the car and finish the lawn and get the sprinklers ready given that there is no guaranteed rain - unlike the last two months. My friend's husband is going to come check on the roof leak - I caulked what appeared to be the loose shingle causing the problem.

Most importantly, I cleared out the gutters yesterday. There wasn't much in them, so I was puzzled given how they seemed to be full based on how the water was overflowing. However, it was primarily the drainspouts being totally clogged - which doesn't take much - so now that that is taken care of, I should be set. Which makes me realize I did forget to doublecheck the back downspout. I guess there's always something to add to the joys of home ownership!

I'm mentally ready to be in Boston - especially since Rich will be in charge of the tour tomorrow and the logistics on Monday when we go to the Archives and to Lowell Mills. And it looks like there's not much chance of rain and that the cool weather has subsided. I would love the cool weather - I just hate packing for such big ranges.

Labels: Boston, home, Project Primary Sources, Shadow, travel, yard