Did you know that most members of the Colorado Assembly don’t even know genealogists exist?

This Saturday, November 7, join fellow genealogists to hear Colorado Representative Sara Gagliardi speak on “How to Effectively Communicate with Your Legislator.” Sara looks forward to meeting members of the genealogical community and advising us on how to achieve effective communication with our representatives.

With the Colorado Assembly scheduled to convene in January, we need to prepare to monitor bills introduced that will limit or restrict our access to vital records, or any records of historical significance to our research, and be prepared to offer opinion and advice on these matters. With thousands of genealogists in Colorado, and the several genealogy societies which serve througout the state, we can marshal our voices to offer our expert opinions to try to influence and bring about a balanced view on records of important to us.

Join the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists, who invite all Colorado genealogists to this public event, on the 7th floor of the Denver Public Library, at 10:30 am.

Please RSVP to Bobbi King at Rking24600@aol.com, in order to prepare handout materials, and for further information.

See you there!

Kathy Hettinga began taking gravestone photographs in 1994 after her husband died. Ms. Hettinga grew up in Alamosa and now lives in Pennsylvania, returning to the San Luis Valley each summer where she maintains a studio. She has taken over 9000 photographs memorializing the departed, but still remembered as their unique and personal markers are beautifully documented in her photographs.

The full story is in the Denver Post, Sunday November 1, 2009, edition on page 5B.

The Black Genealogy Search Group is hosting guest speaker Reginald Washington in the lower conference level of DPL, celebrating their 8th Annual Heritage Festival. Reginal Washington is an archivist from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. He’s lecturing on Freedmen’s Bureau records, but don’t let that one specific ethnic-based lecture deter you, because I’m sure he’ll take a question or two from the audience, and his National Archives knowledge is broad. In the afternoon, Lisa Arnold, from Ancestry, will have a session about African-American records on Ancestry, plus “Getting The Most from Your Ancestry Collection.” Don’t let this Ancestry opportunity pass you by! The event begins at 9 AM.

Upstairs in the Gates Conference Room on the Fifth Floor, the Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society will have, beginning at 1 PM, a program called “Accents and Dialects of the British Isles” where native speakers from each area will speak in their dialects. They’re going to read the same paragraph, each in his or her own dialect, demonstrating the differences. Discussion will take place about the difference between accent and dialect. This sounds like a terrific afternoon, and if you’re hungry, light refreshments will be served to stave off your afternoon slump.

Corinne Knasinski has been appointed to the position of Colorado state liaison to the Records and Preservation Access Committee (RPAC).

The RPAC is a joint committee of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the National Genealogical Society (NGS) which depends upon the state liaisons across the United States to notify them and the genealogical community when state legislation threatens to close public records.

RPAC has drafted and published a position paper which describes recommendations to genealogical societies and individuals on effective courses of action on legislative matters. You may read more about RPAC at http://www.fgs.org/rpac/index.php and http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/the_records_preservation_access_committee.

Corinne’s role will be to monitor Colorado legislation as it’s introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate that affects open access or closure of public records important to genealogists. As an example of the effectiveness of coordinated effort, a few years ago the legislature was considering a bill to close the public records of Colorado marriages. Several members of the leadership within Colorado genealogical organizations quickly organized an email movement, and testified before a hearing committee in opposition to the closing of the records. As a result of the genealogists’ hue and cry, the bill was modified. With thousands of genealogists in Colorado, and the many organized societies within the state, the organized voice of the Colorado genealogists can be an effective method of conveying our ideas, opinions and experience to members of the legislature in effecting bills which serve the public good while maintaining open access.

Corinne has served on the board of the Colorado Genealogical Society, and is a member of the National Genealogical Society as well as the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Corinne says, “I’m excited to serve in this role because, as a genealogist under the age of 40, I’m worried my peers won’t have any records to search in the future. I’ve had the chance to participate in the political process before, but never with something so near and dear to me. I’m honored to serve in the role.”

Corinne lives in Parker with her husband and their family dog. She is employed fulltime as a meeting and conference planner for the Financial Planning Association. Her other hobbies include volleyball, photography, and golf. She’s embracing a whole new group of genealogical research possibilities. “We married just two years ago, so I gained a whole new family I haven’t yet had time to research.”

We welcome Corinne’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on this important task. Please make a personal pledge to support her efforts in monitoring legislative activities and support your genealogical community’s activist endeavors.