Hartford 2007 e-zine #12
Permission to email, copy, and print it in part or whole is granted.
And don't forget to check out our NERGC 2007 blog at http://nergchartford2007.blogspot.com.
The blog will help you to get the most out of the conference and your research trip.
REGISTRATIONS KEEP COMING IN!
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS WORKSHOPS
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
LIBRARIANS’ DAY
HOTEL UPDATE FOR HARTFORD CONFERENCE
CAMPING AND FAMILY RESEARCH GO TOGETHER!
MORE NEWS FROM YOUR HOSPITALITY CHAIR
SOCIETY FAIR TABLES STILL AVAILABLE
NERGC 2007 STILL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
PUBLICIZING THE CONFERENCE
ABOUT THIS EZINE
Registration Chair Mary Choppa reports that conference registrations to date have passed the 420 mark and new registrations continue to keep coming in at a brisk rate.
If you haven’t registered yet, the Registration Brochure is available for download at the Conference website www.nergc.org. Check out the full conference program and the many lectures and special events to choose from
If you or someone you know needs a “hard copy” brochure mailed to them, contact Conference Co-Chair Dick Roberts: Rroberts1861@charter.net.
One of the features of New England CONNECTions is a track called "Federal Records at the National Archives." Three National Archives and Records Administration speakers, Walter V. Hickey, Jean F. Nudd, and Horace H. Waters, will present a total of eight sessions. Visit the program pages on the NERGC website for descriptions of each talk.
1) Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor by Jean Nudd
2) Revolutionary War Records by Walter V. Hickey
3) Beyond the Census by Horace Waters
4) African-American Research
5) Archival Research Strategies and Techniques by Jean Nudd
6) 19th and Early 20th Century Crew Lists by Horace Waters
7) Dear Mr. Secretary... by Walter Hickey
8) Where'd They Go? by Jean Nudd
Jean Nudd has worked for the National Archives and Records Administration since 1994, managing the genealogy reading room in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Walter Hickey has been with NARA since 1990. In great demand as a lecturer, he has entertained New England audiences for more than a decade with his often irreverent and always informative presentations. A ninth-generation New Englander, Horace Waters has 15 years experience with New England genealogical and historical records. He has worked for NARA for four years.
For more information, see the full program at www.nergc.org/2007/program2007.htm
On Thursday, Emery Roth will present a workshop Working With Digital Images from Scanning to Storing & Basic Editing in Photoshop Elements and on Friday he presents Enhancing and Repairing Digital Images in Photoshop Elements. These “hands-on” workshops will teach participants to learn to control size, resolution and format and to work with images, altering them appropriately for different uses, and a wide variety of other Photoshop tools. Note that participants must bring their own USB equipped laptop with CD drive and with a copy of Photoshop Elements installed and working. Though the conference program calls for participants to have Photoshop Elements version 4, Photoshop Elements version 5 will also work. Full conference fee and additional Workshop fees are required.
Here are more of the Special Interest Groups that will be held on the first night of the Conference—Thursday at 7:30 p.m. These get-togethers will provide a great opportunity to meet conference participants and speakers with similar interests.
Patti Locke will lead a discussion of French Canadian genealogy, including available resources and some tips to help you find your ancestors. And enjoy some French Canadian music during the informal discussion period!
Would you like to learn more about the German members of your family tree? If so, then come join this discussion on German Research with Leslie Albrecht Huber. Here, you can ask questions, provide tips, and enjoy the company of others who share your interest.
Learn about and share your experiences doing Irish Research at the session hosted by Donna Moughty. Learn about various records and sources as well as tips and tricks that can help you find your Irish ancestors.
Find out more about other Special Interest Groups. And if you can help with any of the Special Interest Groups that have formed thus far, or if you would like to organize an additional group, please contact Allison Ryall at allison@allisonryall.com.
New England CONNECTions is pleased to offer a special pre-conference program for librarians on Wednesday, 25 April 2007, at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. The program will feature four sessions:
“Building a Core Genealogy Collection for Your Library” by Craig R. Scott, CG. Essential genealogical titles for a strong collection, with additional recommendations for specific regions and areas of interest.
“Posting and Hosting Digital Content Online” by Beau Sharbrough. Options for digitizing and publishing your library’s content on the Internet, including content contributed by your patrons.
“A Sampling of Connecticut Repositories” by Judith Ellen Johnson of the Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Richard C. Roberts of the Connecticut State Library. An inside look at two of Connecticut’s renowned genealogical and historical institutions.
Panel Discussion. Comments from the day’s speakers on a timely topic, followed by questions from attendees.
All librarians who work with family history patrons or genealogy-related research materials will benefit from this special event. The cost is $35 per librarian and includes lunch compliments of ProQuest Information and Learning. See the schedule at www.nergc.org/2007/program/page2.htm.
HOTEL UPDATE FOR HARTFORD CONFERENCE
“If your genealogical knowledge and experience are not becoming to you; you should be coming to Hartford!”
All in all, it is always best to stay at the Conference Hotel – Hartford Marriott Downtown – and partake in all of our festivities offered at the Hotel and the Convention Center. In that vein, please be aware: there still may be some confusion on the part of Marriott Reservations when you are trying to book several nights at the NERGC Group Code Rate (using NGCNGCA). Wednesday night, the hotel is completely filled (between NERGC and another departing group). Although we had negotiated additions to the NERGC room block for Thursday and Friday nights, latest figures from the hotel indicate there are less than 25 rooms remaining in our latest expanded block for those nights, at $155 per night (rooms outside the NERGC block are available, but significantly higher). If you have not yet booked your room, don’t delay! Make your reservations either on-line or by telephone today!
Cut through the confusion:
Hartford Marriott Downtown
200 Columbus Blvd.
Hartford, CT 06103-2807
Phone: 1-860-249-8000
Toll-free reservations: 1-866-373-9806
Hotel Web site: http://www.hartfordmarriott.com
Group code: NGCNGCA New England Regional Genealogical Conference
Please be patient, and persevere with the reservations assistant -- they are not situated in Hartford at the hotel. You may have to state the exact nights you wish to stay, then ask them to study one night at a time for availability. Then apply your conference code. You may find you’re actually paying different rates for different nights, according to our block of guaranteed rates – but you won’t have to move to another room!
Be mindful also: we would like to suggest that if you don’t get what you want for rooms, ask Reservations to be put on the waiting list for conference rates. People who are now on the list may cancel because of a personal change in schedule. We want all of our contracted rooms to be reserved for us. It helps your Conference, since $10 of each room rental comes back to NERGC to cover Convention Center costs.
Other hotels in Hartford and environs:
The Hospitality Committee has garnered the following additional listings from the AAA Tour Book. You may wish to use this data for your Wednesday night stay, until you can move into the Marriott Downtown.
Please use this information at your own discretion, after searching their individual web sites as to current prices and amenities, along with location, location, location. You will discover on your own that there are more hotels/motels in the area than may be mentioned herein, but our selected locations are places where your Hospitality chair might suggest to personal friends.
Some may wish to book their entire conference stay off-site. But, consider also, that to be a little way out of downtown Hartford, while perhaps saving a few dollars on a room, may pose more of a drive-time than you wish to conquer at the morning rush hour in order to arrive in a timely fashion for our first lectures of the day. Add to this, the potential parking time, when your vehicle could already be snuggled in the Convention Center Garage!
To the North of Hartford (in the Bradley Airport area). Note: many of these chains have multiple hotels in a given area, and you should take note of the exact name of the hotel when referencing its location on a map. On State Route 75, near Rte 20, about 1.5 mi east of the airport, you will find clustered the following (arranged alphabetically, not by style, or price range):
Baymont Inn & Suites Hartford-Airport, 64 Ella Grasso Tpke., Windsor Locks, CT 06096 800-531-5900
Days Inn Bradley International, 185 Ella Grasso Tpke., Windsor Locks, CT 06096, 860-623-9417 or 800-894-1475 Fax 860-623-5268
Doubletree Hotel Bradley International, 16 Ella Grasso Tpke., Windsor Locks, CT, 06096-0020, Tel: 860-627-5171 Fax: 860-627-7029
Fairfield Inn Hartford Airport
Hampton Inn Hartford/Airport
Ramada Inn Bradley International Airport, 5 Ella Grasso Tpke., Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Tel: 860-623-9494, Fax: 860-627 7462
Also, the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International
In downtown Hartford itself, you may wish to consider:
The Hilton Hartford Hotel, at the Hartford Civic Center (not to be confused with our Hartford Convention Center) is across town a bit, but the city’s free shuttle buses
Also in the area, but not downtown: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hartford
Please refer also to NERGC E-Zine #11 for other hotels within Hartford, and to the South of the city.
- Janet Wallace, NERGC Hospitality Chair
CAMPING AND FAMILY RESEARCH GO TOGETHER!
Looking for an alternative place to stay for New England CONNECTions? Make your family camping plans today for the third and fourth weeks in April 2007! There is much to see and do and great repositories in Connecticut in which to research your roots while getting the most out of spring in Connecticut.
Visit the Connecticut Campground Owners Association website at www.campconn.com/listings.htm
Make NERGC Hartford 2007 a family outing and let your roots grow!
WATCH THIS SPACE! (MORE NEWS FROM YOUR HOSPITALITY CHAIR)
In future issues of the E-Zine we’ll suggest “Things to Do” around Connecticut for those family members traveling with a genealogist but not attending the conference. Our Trips & Tours Chair is planning something special along these lines.
We’ll also point out some favorite and noted restaurants for your dining pleasure, should you wish to eat off-site.
And we’ll have an update on parking options.
It’s almost time to start packing your suitcase – and be preparing for your trip to Hartford!
See you “here”!
- Janet Wallace, NERGC Hospitality Chair
SOCIETY FAIR TABLES STILL AVAILABLE
Attention genealogical and historical societies, libraries, and other organizations! Be a part of the Society Fair - Thursday, April 26, 2007. 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Display brochures, publications, membership information, take orders but no on-site sales. We provide signage, table/chair. The deadline for societies to register has been extended on a space available basis until March 1, 2007. Just download the Society Fair invitation and form from http://www.nergc.org/images/societyfair.pdf
NERGC 2007 STILL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
With many thanks to those of you who have let us know you ability to help out, here are some high priority areas for which we still have high needs.
Registration Booth Volunteers: We badly need to get assignments for the 6-8 volunteers needed to "man" the Registration area to assure that no long lines occur and all of our registrants efficiently receive the information they need. Wed 3 - 7 pm, Thursday 10-1:30 and 5-6:30 as well as starting at 7 on both Friday and Saturday are PRIME TIMES when we will need volunteers to efficiently manage those arriving. Mary Choppa, Chairperson of Registration will have all well organized for you to help out comfortably.
Ancestry Road Show: Triage Volunteers are needed 8 - 12 and 1:30 - 6 on Friday and 7:30 to 11:30 on Friday. Ancestry Road Show Timers/Hosts are needed 9-12 and 2-5 in hourly slots on both Friday and Saturday. Don't forget if you wish to volunteer as an expert, the Ancestry Road Show chairpersons Fred Hart hartfc@aol.com and Christine Sweet-Hart massroots@comcast.net would love to hear directly from you.
Special Interest Group Session Hosts: Are you going to one of the Thursday Special Interest Groups? Would you be willing to assist with some logistics at the group session? We'd like to identify one volunteer for each of the approximately 10 sessions.
Many other volunteer opportunities exist. Contact the Volunteer Committee Co-Chairs with your preferences for assignments in the above high need areas as well as in helping with AV/Signage, Hospitality, meal ticket takers, and many other tasks. Session Hosts introduce speakers and wrap up the session on time letting you volunteer without sacrificing your program priorities. Get your requests for assignments in now. You will receive confirmation ahead of time and packets with all the specific instructions and resources you need to carry out your tasks when you arrive at the conference.
Contact:
Cheryl Willis Patten: cwpatten@localnet.com
Tel. (207) 634-2156 Address: 1161 East Pond Road, Smithfield, ME 04978
Pam Roberts: pamela.roberts@uconn.edu
Tel. (860) 429-8751 Address: 596 Gurleyville Rd., Storrs, CT 06268-1408
PUBLICIZING THE CONFERENCE
We have a continuing need for volunteers to help distribute publicity material to local libraries, archives and Family History Centers – and to check back at these facilities periodically to re-stock them if necessary. Please send an e-mail to ksb832@verizon.net or harold.odiorne@the-spa.com and include “NERGC Publicity” in the subject line.
AND: Can you help us gain a wider circulation for the Conference e-zines by forwarding each issue to friends, family, members of your Society, and to any others who you think will be interested in attending the Conference?
ABOUT THIS E-ZINE
This e-zine is sent to you at your request or because of your involvement in NERGC 2007.We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for items to appear in future issues. Please send them to Michael Spellmon, at rootsearcher@email.com.
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© 2007 New England Regional Genealogical Conference