Dear VA-HIST,

I am hoping to put together a panel for the Third Virginia Forum in  
April 2008 on the effects of suburbanization, tourism, and  
development on the culture of Virginia in the second half of the  
twentieth century. My paper would examine the conflict that emerged  
between native and non-native residents of the Northern Neck, as  
outsiders increasingly came to regard water as a place for play and  
aesthetic appreciation over work. Those clashes took the form of  
vocal debates over the possible existence of a sea monster, Chessie.  
I would welcome other papers dealing with similar themes either along  
the Bay or in other geographic fields across the state.

If anyone is interested in joining me or discussing the panel's  
parameters more fully, please send me an email at  
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Best Regards,
Eric Cheezum
University of South Carolina