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 The Declaration of Independence is on display in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives building in Washington D.C. It shares a display with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. All are encased in bullet-proof materials, including the glass and protected by armed guards. They are monitored by a computerized camera system that detects the slightest changes in the documents, including ink fading and flaking. At night, the documents are lowered into an underground vault.
Source: Associated Content
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The Declaration of Independence is made of parchment, an animal skin specially prepared with lime. The lettering is engrossed, or written in a large clear script, on the parchment. Timothy Matlack was most likely the engrosser of the document. He was an assistant to Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Congress.
Source: Associated Content |
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 WCA will host "Opportunities and Challenges of an Aging Society Statewide Summit" August 19-20, 2008 at the Marriott Madison West. The two-day conference will take an in-depth look at aging issues and bring together some of the state's leading experts.
In addition to general sessions each of the days, there will be concurrent workshops on issues such as aging and disability resource centers, transportation coordination, and caregiver support. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Applebaum, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Gerontology and Director of the Long-Term Care Project at the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
The WCA Aging Summit has been an initiative spearheaded by WCA President and Oconto County Board Chairman Lee Rymer and promises to be a worthwhile event for county officials around the state. Sign up today, as space is limited.
Click here for a full tentative agenda, including registration and housing information. |
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Local government officials, municipal managers, building regulation supervisors and fire department officials looking to better coordinate delivery of regulatory services for the built environment will want to attend the second annual meeting of the Wisconsin Building Safety Network (WBSN) to be held Wednesday, September 24, 2008, at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee.
"The WBSN meeting will give community officials an opportunity to connect with counterparts and share their knowledge and expertise," said Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Jack L. Fischer, AIA. "Our staff can help communities develop a streamlined approach that furthers economic development while ensuring public safety."
The all-day program includes presentations by several Wisconsin municipalities about building projects that they have successfully implemented. Participants will take home practical information about:
*Effective regulatory management strategies
*Effective coordination of building code programs and local economic development
*Managing storm water runoff
*Innovative and successful building safety programs
In addition, attendees can discuss current issues and future trends with representatives of the Commerce and the Department of Natural Resources.
The event is co-sponsored by Commerce's Safety and Buildings Division and the UW-Madison. For detailed program information, registration and lodging, please visit http://epd.engr.wisc.edu/webK241 or contact Henry Kosarzycki, Commerce, 608-212-0138. Full Story... |
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State Agencies have been told to assume "zero growth" in overall General Purpose Revenue appropriations in each year of the next biennium and to prepare plans "to absorb a ten percent permanent base cut." The directions are included in a letter and major budget policies and budget instructions sent to all agencies on Thursday, June 26, 2008. Agency budget requests are due in the State Budget Office by September 15.
Read the full Wheeler Report article here. |
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Nominations are currently being accepted for the position of Second Vice-President of the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA). The 2008 WCA Nominating Committee, appointed by President Lee Rymer, will meet in September to recommend a slate of officers for 2008-2009. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, July 11, 2008. Editor's Note: This date was incorrectly listed in last week's issue of "WCA eNews" as June 11, 2008.
In addition, if you are interested in serving as a presidential appointment to the WCA Board of Directors, please complete the attached form and submit it to the WCA office by Friday, August 22, 2008.
Finally, to be considered for a steering committee appointment, please complete the attached form and submit it to the WCA office by Friday, August 22, 2008. All nominations must be approved by your county board chair or county executive, whichever is applicable. If you are currently serving on a steering committee, you must reapply.
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On Monday, June 30, the President made additional disaster assistance available to the State of Wisconsin impacted by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on June 5, 2008, and continuing, by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.
The President's major disaster declaration issued for the State on June 14, 2008, initially authorized Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation, and any other forms of assistance under the Stafford Act, subject to the completion of joint Federal, State, and local Preliminary Damage Assessments. Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, and Other Needs Assistance under Section 408 were authorized at 75 percent Federal funding of total eligible costs.
Under the President's order today, the Federal share has been increased to 90 percent of the total eligible costs for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program Full Story... |
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 With the heavy and widespread rains that have hit the state recently, UW-Cooperative Extension faculty and staff have provided information on resources to deal with flooding, crop damage and general disaster assistance.
Information includes general background about flooding, information for homes and households, food and water safety, help for farmers and archived information about previous floods.
Learn more from UW-Extension here. |
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Madison, Wis. - In the confusion following a disaster, rumors, half-truths and misunderstandings about federal and state assistance can cause some storm-struck residents to miss out on much-needed help.
"The last thing you need in a disaster is misinformation," said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont, "and the best way to avoid that problem is to call and ask about assistance yourself." As federal coordinating officer, Diemont heads up the U.S. government's side of the disaster response and recovery efforts in Wisconsin.
Misinformation may deprive eligible individuals, households and business owners of vital aid from the state of Wisconsin and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"Although our neighbors and fellow workers may believe they have the right information regarding disaster recovery, it is incomplete," said Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Johnnie Smith. "Don't rely on the word on the street. Call, go online or visit a Disaster Recovery Center and register for assistance. This is the right source of information on the help that may be available to you." Full Story... |
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 Twenty-five legislators appear poised to cruise to re-election this fall without facing an opposing candidate, the lowest number of unopposed incumbents in more than a decade according to a WisPolitics review of current legislative races.
Candidates have until July 8 to file their declarations of candidacy with the Government Accountability Board for 115 legislative slots up for election this year, but as of Friday, 17 state representatives and eight state senators had no prospective challengers in either the Sept. 9 primary or the Nov. 4 general election.
This year's roster of safe incumbents is already below that of the 2006 election cycle, and it looks to be the lowest number of unopposed incumbents since the 1996 cycle, according to watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. And that number is likely to drop even more before the deadline.
Read the full WisPolitics story here.
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WCA will host "Collective Bargaining and Binding Arbitration" on July 28, 2008 at the Ramada Hotel (formerly Country Springs) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Stevens Point. For more information, including registration forms, click here.
For additional questions on this WCA Educational Seminar, contact WCA Legislative Associate Monica Groves Batiza at 866.404.2700. |
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Mark your calendars for the 2008 WCA Annual Statewide ITBEC Conference (International Trade, Business and Economic Development Councils) will be held Tuesday, August 5 and Wednesday, August 6 at the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino in Lac du Flambeau. The conference will begin with registration at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday and conclude at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
You can register online for the conference here. A block of rooms has been secured at the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino for conference attendees under "Wisconsin Counties Association." If you need overnight accomodations, please contact the hotel directly at 1.888.599.9200. The room block will only be held through July 22, 2008.
For questions, contact WCA Field Services Representative Bill Korrer at 715.356.4472. To see the tenative agenda, along with registration information, click here.
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 In this age of budget deficits and shrinking revenues, county governments and municipalities are constantly looking for ways to provide needed services with fewer resources. Cooperative service initiatives, regionalization of services and other innovative approaches are helping governments do more with less.
As a Wisconsin-based consulting firm working closely with counties and other local governments, Foth believes broader recognition of these efforts will help foster their growth, and improve performance for all stakeholders. In 2003, Foth launched the Wisconsin Good Government Award to recognize the best of these initiatives.
Nominations for the 2008 Wisconsin Good Government Awards are now being accepted through Friday, August 1, 2008 at www.wisgoodgov.com.
Winners will be recognized at the 2008 Wisconsin Counties Association annual conference in October. One winner in each category will receive a $1000 Community Enhancement grant. Full Story... |
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