Welcome to the February 2012 News4U Email Blast!
• Interactive Map for mocra.org
• Nicholas J. Gore
• Vickie Huelsman in Her Own Words
• Committee on Judicial Reform
• ER/DAR “Court Recorder” Arrested
• Dinosaurs to Digital
• Annual Cookie Blast – March 7, 2012
• MCRA – PAC
• MCRA 2012 Conference – InterContintental Hotel
• Region I Trivia Night
Interactive Map for MCRA Website – MCRA web designer, Debbie Tolstoi, is currently working on implementing an interactive map for the mocra.org website. This will be a map of the State of Missouri broken down by counties. By clicking on a county on the map will bring up a list of Certified Court Reporters and their contact information. This will be helpful to attorneys from out of town in locating qualified court reporters. For a nominal rate court reporters will be able to advertise their services on the Interactive Map.
Nicholas J. Gore 20 year-old son of Bob Gore, grandson of Ron Gore, of Gore Perry Reporting and Video in St. Louis passed away unexpectedly on January 16, 2012. Our condolences to the Gore family for their tragic loss. Our prayers are with you.
Vickie Huelsman in Her Own Words – When I was in high school, I was an avid Perry Mason fan. I was in awe of the court reporter. I fondly remember one scene where Mr. Mason walked over to the court reporter and ripped her notes off her machine and read back from the notes to the witness. That TV series was my first introduction to court reporting. After leaving nurses training in the ‘60s to get married (back then you couldn’t be married and go to school), I checked into schools for court reporting and discovered Mr. Schimel, who ran the Shorthand Institute and taught machine shorthand. He was the only show in town. I then went to work at Gore Reporting in April of 1970. I have stayed with Gore for 42 years. In those years, I have covered every kind of job imaginable and could write a book about it. When I started, I typed my own transcripts on parchment paper called onionskin. If I tried to make an erasure, it would rip a hole in the paper and I would have to start the page over. We used carbon paper, and if I was lucky to sell extra copies, I would have to type the page twice. There was no Google back in those days. I had memorized the City Library’s reference room telephone number, and they knew my name. I had shelves and shelves of expensive reference books. On a travel job, I would have to arrive early to find a service station to ask where such-and-such street was. There were no cell phones, so once leaving home, if a job cancelled in route, my bad luck. I remember the advent of the fax machine. I was at a hotel in a depo and a New York attorney called and had a document faxed to be marked as an exhibit. Gore Reporting got on the first computers with Baron in June, 1979. That revolutionized the reporting profession. Now I work from home and send my transcripts by Internet. I am happy that I lived and witnessed the amazing changes in technology. Back in the early ‘70s, the MCRA was a handful of reporters, and today, it is this impressive network of reporters working in the reporters’ best interests. I have made many friends over the years attending the conventions. Now that my husband is retired, we are traveling more, and I hope to be able to stay in this wonderful profession for many more years to come.
Committee on Judicial Reform – A Special Committee has been formed to look at judicial reform. Below is a link to an article that details some of the Committee Chair’s thoughts on the matter.
www.missourinet.com/2012/01/24/house-committee-to-consider-redrawing-of-circuit-courts/
Miami-Dade ER/DAR “Court Recorder” Arrested Over Missing Transcripts – A ER/DAR recorder has been arrested due to her inability to transcribe several depositions. Over a dozen cases have had to be delayed, including two murder trials. Click on the link to read more about it. www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/01/2619810/a-miami-dade-court-reporter-was.html. The President of the Florida Court Reporters Association was interviewed about this matter by the local CBS news station in Florida. Click on the link to watch the interview http://miami.cbslocal.com/video/6701754-missing-broward-court-reporter-may-affect-pending-cases/. The ER/DAR recorder shows up in court to explain her disappearance. Click on the link to read more. http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/02/06/missing-court-reporter-explains-disappearance-to-judge/.
Dinosaurs to Digital – Digital audio recording equipment has been installed in a courtroom in the Lucas County Courthouse in Ohio. You can click on the link below to read more.
www.toledoblade.com/Technology/2012/02/07/Court-reporting-goes-digital.html.
Annual Cookie Blast – MCRA will be traveling to the capitol in Jefferson City on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, to distribute cookies to our legislators. We’d love to have volunteers join us at the capitol to help us pass out cookies. What a wonderful opportunity for the court reporters of Missouri to present a united front to those who control the purse strings in Missouri and also to meet your Senators and Representatives. We are in need of cookies, lots and lots of cookies, about 100 dozen. They can either be baked or bought. You can contact Dawn McTeer at verb8m@sbcglobal.net for information on where you can drop your cookies off and when and where we will be meeting in Jefferson City on March 7.
MCRA – PAC - Please consider making a donation to the Missouri Court Reporters Association PAC. We have a strong legislative representative, David Klarich, who is working hard to protect our interests in the Missouri Legislature and with the Missouri Judiciary, and having a strong well-funded PAC helps support those efforts. Thank you. Please send donations to: Linda Dattilo, PAC Secretary, 2270 Buttercup Drive, Florissant, Mo 63033.
MCRA 2012 Conference at the InterContinental, Kansas City at the Plaza, 401 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64112 – October 19, 20, 21, 2012. You can make your hotel reservations at 1-866-856-9717 or book via the internet at http://www.kansascityic.com/. Click on “reservations” on the left-hand side towards the top of the page. Enter the arrival and departure dates. Our three letter “group booking code” is MSC. We’ve been able to negotiate a wonderful room rate of $99 for rooms that typically go for $269. The InterContinental is located in the beautiful Country Club Plaza entertainment district. The Convention Committee is currently working on an outstanding agenda. Call and make your reservations early to take advantage of the great room rate for this fabulous hotel.
Region I Trivia Night – Region I is hosting their annual trivia night on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at the Shrewsbury Community Center, 5200 Shrewsbury Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119. Laurie Bennett, Shana Crane, Sue Moody, and Reagan Fiorino will be hosting this fun-filled evening. You don’t want to miss it. Please mark your calendars early.
Dawn McTeer
MCRA President
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