Patricia Ann Hunter Blakey, 73, urged community members at a public meeting to volunteer at the Cleveland History Museum and described items and local stories the museum preserves. "History is important, and that's why I'm here," she said.
Blakey said the Cleveland Historical Society began in 2003 and recently marked its 20th year. She said the society moved into the museum's current building around 2009, with organizational help from the EDC. She cited the Austin Memorial furniture and exhibits about servicemen as items of particular public interest.
Blakey recounted a locally remembered bank robbery at First National Bank in which, she said, a man in a red truck forced a teller to put money into a bag but then could not restart his vehicle and was arrested after running from the scene; she presented the story as a piece of local history the museum preserves. "I just wanted to, tell you a little history about the Cleveland History Museum and the society," she said.
She invited residents to visit and volunteer: "We're open on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 2. We're looking for volunteers though who can be a docent and can stay there and show people around," Blakey said.
The remarks were made during public comment; no board action or vote on museum funding or operations was recorded in the provided transcript.