Winter 2008 - Colorado Court Reporters Association

CCRA’s Annual Luncheon Sponsored by Freelance Committee 28-Feb-09 see pg.13
What’s Inside?
Advertisers’ Index
18
Advertising Rates
2
Annual CCRA Luncheon ~ 28-Feb-09
3 & 13
Application for Membership
27
Are You A Value-Added Employee? ~ R.Matt
4
Blast From CCRA’s Past
5
Board Nominations
8
Calendar of Events
23
Deadlines to Submit to RAMBLINGS
2
Did You Know?
23
Fall Seminar Report ~ S. Noneff
16-17
Free Computer Classes
10
Job Opportunities
18, 21 & 24
Legislative Committee ~ P. Graves
10
Membership Committee ~ E. Valenti
7
New Member Applicants
19
New Year’s Resolutions
15
Officers & Directors
2
President’s Message ~ J. Martin
3
Pro Bono Volunteer ~ L. Koenig
14
Safety Tip
7
Susie DeWitt Honored in Boulder ~ P. Leroue
20
U.S.S. Wasp Veterans History Project ` J. Martin 11
Wheels of Justice Thank You to CCRA
26
CCRA RAMBLINGS
RAMBLINGS
P.O. Box 271327, Littleton, Co. 80127-0023
303.933.0577 ~ fax 303.933.0588 ~ www.ccra.info
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RAMBLINGS NEWSLETTER
PLEASE NOTE CHANGES:
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
President
EDITOR ~ Lisa Kelly
303/832-5966
[email protected]
Vice- President
ASSISTANT EDITOR ~ Sylvia Noneff
303/751-5688
[email protected]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ~ Judi Ericson
P.O. Box 271327
Littleton, Co. 80127
303/933-0577 ~ fax 303/933-0588
[email protected]
Pat Graves
719/481-9834
[email protected]
Secretary/
Treasurer
Kathy Davis
303/295-3376
[email protected]
Directors:
Linda Koenig
[email protected]
Kirstin O’Malley
[email protected]
Erin Valenti
[email protected]
Debra Zoetewey
[email protected]
Lisa Kelly
[email protected]
Elaine Javernick
[email protected]
Jason Meadors
[email protected]
DEADLINES FOR COPY/ADS FOR UPCOMING ISSUES:
MARCH 5
~
JUNE 5
~
SEPTEMBER 5 ~
SPRING 2009
SUMMER 2009
FALL 2009
Alternate Director
Past President
Are you an author? Submit articles that you write
and would like to have considered for publication in
NCRA Board
RAMBLINGS.
For information regarding Articles, please
contact Lisa Kelly, Editor, at 303/832-5966 or
[email protected].
ADVERTISING RATES
Next Issue ~ Copy / Ads Due: March 5, 2009
For information regarding Advertising, please
contact Judi Ericson at 303/933-0577 or
[email protected].
AD Size
Full Page
Half Page
Half Page
One-Third Page
One-Fourth Page
Business Card
Classified Ads
Members
Classified Ads
Non-Members
Reprints granted to all NCRA-affiliated
publications; all others by written permission of
CCRA.
RAMBLINGS and RAMBLINGS on the Web
reserve the right to edit or reset material
submitted for space or aesthetic considerations.
Letters to Editor may be published anonymously;
writer must so request. All articles express the
opinion of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of CCRA.
Dimensions
7 1/2" X 10"
7 1/2" X 5"
3 5/8" X 10
3 5/8" X 7 1/2"
3 5/8" X 5"
3 1/2 " X 3 15/16
9 Lines max
Pre-pay
9 Lines max
Pre-pay
Rate
$125.00
$75.00
$75.00
$60.00
$50.00
$40.00
$10.00
$20.00
Please Submit your Ad and Check payable to CCRA at:
CCRA RAMBLINGS
P.O. Box 271327
Littleton, Colorado 80127-0023
RAMBLINGS and RAMBLINGS on the Web
does not verify the content of any ads or web links, is not
responsible for any representation made therein, and does
not endorse any vendors, advertisers, etc.
RAMBLINGS
Joyce E. Martin
303/649-6284
[email protected]
2
WINTER 2008
CCRA’s Annual Luncheon sponsored by the Freelance Committee
Kathy Davis, RDR, CRR, CMR
February 28, 2009 - Save The Date for the Annual CCRA Luncheon. As usual, we
will meet at Cinzzetti's Italian Market in Northglenn and enjoy their fabulous
buffet fare. This is a great opportunity to catch up with other reporters, to learn
what's up in CCRA, and to be brought up to date on some issues facing court
reporting in the state of Colorado, such as gift-giving, a hot topic also on the
national front. Betsy Murray, CCRA’s Lobbyist, will be on hand to update us on
legislative issues. Please join us for this engaging and enlightening event. Please
see page 13 for details and registration form! Plan to attend and … invite a
colleague to join you!
President’s Message
Joyce E. Martin, RPR
It’s hard to believe it’s the holiday season already
and 2009 is right around the corner.
As I look back over the year, I am reminded of
what a great association we have. Colorado is
fortunate to have such talented, dedicated, and
hard-working professionals in our association.
What a fabulous fall seminar we had in October
at the Inverness. It takes hours and hours of
preparation to plan a seminar, and Sylvia Noneff
did a fantastic job of selecting interesting
speakers, organizing our software breakout
sessions, and finding an absolutely perfect venue
for the seminar. Thank you, Sylvia! And a huge
heartfelt thank you to Shelly Hunter for the
outstanding results she accomplished with the
fundraising. CCRA especially thanks the
sponsors and vendors during our fall seminar.
For those who contributed to our silent auction
items, thank you! We had a fun and successful
silent auction with generous and awesome
donations.
As we bring in 2009, many of us will be thinking
about New Year’s resolutions. It is a time where we
get to start anew, with a clean slate. New Year’s
resolutions are akin to setting goals. While making
your resolutions for 2009, think of not only ways to
improve your personal life, but also ways to
improve your professional life.
Challenge
yourselves in 2009. Resolve to write realtime, get
involved with a committee, sign up a fellow reporter
to join CCRA, or work towards and attain
certification or even a higher level of certification.
It has been a busy but fun-filled year. I hope you
have a wonderful holiday season, enjoying this
special time of year with your families and loved
ones. May you be blessed with health, prosperity,
and happiness in 2009.
Happy New Year!
Joyce E. Martin
Live a good and honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be
able to enjoy it a second time.
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WINTER 2008
Are You a Value-Added Employee?
How many times have you recently been asked, “How is
your 401(k) doing?” In these uncertain economic times, if
you’re like me, it has been a frequent topic of conversation.
My response is always, “I’m more concerned about maintaining
gainful employment than I am my 401(k).”
These times of budgetary uncertainties probably remind most
of us official reporters of the 2002 State budget crisis.
Eliminating official reporters in Colorado was a seriously
discussed topic. Without the efforts of folks like Susie Dewitt
and Barb Birger, along with Jerry Marroney, I assure you, we
would not be working here today and having this discussion.
Most of us will also remember an emergency meeting of official
reporters called by Barb that was held at the Marriott
Southeast on November 30, 2002, at which Mr. Marroney
advised us of the importance of changing the way we do
business, recognizing the importance of realtime reporting. At
that time, you will remember, many of us did not have FTRs in
our courtrooms.
Recalling this history has made me wonder how well we
officials have lived up to the Judicial Department’s
expectations of us. Through our local Court Administrator,
Karen Salaz, I was able to distribute a survey to judicial
districts regarding realtime reporting in Colorado. See
attached spreadsheet. Some districts obviously took Mr.
Marroney’s advice about realtime to heart.
RAMBLINGS
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Richard J. Matt, RPR
What I want to suggest in this article is that if you are not
writing realtime at least to the judge, you are not a valueadded employee and not out-performing the FTR
equipment. It also has been my experience that the judicial
assistants really miss us when the reporter is not providing
realtime reporting to them as well. Full CICs also are the
best way to promote our profession to the folks who visit the
courts, providing them day-in-day-out examples of the
benefit of value-added realtime reporters over the use of
FTRs.
I would also like to suggest that realtime reporting is as
important to each of us personally as Official Colorado
Reporters as it is to our profession in general. Some official
reporters will read this and have all kinds of reasons why
they are not providing realtime to at least the judge. I am
sorry, but there is no good reason (excuse) if we are to truly
be recognized as the value-added employees we can be.
All our jobs may very well depend on it. Utah is just a
stone’s throw away.
If by this article I have ruffled some feathers among our
colleagues, good. That was certainly my intent, but also to
remind us all not to remain complacent, rather to embrace
technology that we can use to the advantage of the Judicial
Department.
WINTER 2008
Reprint from RAMBLINGS November-December 1995
RAMBLINGS
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Don't Fall for Slipping and Tripping Hazards
Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injury. And these aren't necessarily falls from heights such as
ladders or construction scaffolds. Most are falls from the same level, caused by slipping or tripping.
Here are some reminders about preventing falls:
Keep obstructions out of walkways. These items are common causes
of tripping accidents - stored materials, equipment, cables, cords,
hoses and trash
™ Keep doors and drawers of cabinets and workbenches closed
™ Clean up any spills promptly. If this is not possible, make sure
there is a barricade and sign
™ Floor coverings such as carpets, mats and tiles should be secured
to prevent tripping hazards Report any problems you find
™ If you are carrying an item, be sure you can see over it or around it. This is especially important on stairways
™ If you slip or trip - even if you are not injured - take a moment to figure out the cause. Correct or report any
hazards such as wet floors or obstacles in traffic areas
Membership Committee
Erin Valenti, RPR, CRR
We are all aware that there are many concerns facing the field of court reporting here in Colorado. Also, many of you
have probably heard that all of the official reporters in Utah have been notified that their jobs will be cut as of next
June. (Read more about it here: http://www.sltrib.com/technology/ci_10945495.)
The Colorado Court Reporters Association is committed to serving the reporting community in Colorado by providing
a lobbyist to monitor issues with our State legislature, providing a means for CEU points, and providing networking
opportunities. Yet to continue serving all of you talented, hard-working reporters out there, we must have a strong
membership in the CCRA.
For $8.33 a month you are helping our state association in innumerable ways. So please remember to join or renew
your membership for 2009.
I wish you all a Happy New Year, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Spring Symposium in April!
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
2009-2010 CCRA BOARD NOMINATIONS NEEDED!
Nominate your fellow professional . . .
We are now accepting nominations for positions on the CCRA board.
There are exciting challenges ahead for all of us in the court reporting
profession. CCRA needs competent and energetic leaders to lead the way.
Do your part – get involved. Take this opportunity to consider a fellow
court reporting professional who you think has the skills and talent to lead CCRA
into the future and nominate them for a position on the CCRA Board of
Directors. Nominees must be a CCRA member in good standing and hold a
valid RPR or CSR certification in order to be considered for a CCRA board
position.
Submit your nominee(s) in writing to:
CCRA Nominating Committee
C/O Elaine K. Javernick
3131 South Vaughn Way, Suite 224
Aurora, CO 80014
Or Fax to:
DUE DATE:
720-449-0334
We must have the nominations by January
30, 2009.
Nominations:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Supportive comments:
RAMBLINGS
(you may attach a separate sheet)
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WINTER 2008
Legislative Committee Report
Pat Graves, RDR, CRR, CCP, CSR-Il.
The legislative committee has been in discussion with
our Lobbyist, Betsy Murray, over the last few months.
It was great to have Betsy attend and speak at the fall
conference. She spoke about the great American
privilege called “voting.” She gave us information on
where to find explanations for all the amendments
that were voted on in November in Colorado. Betsy
was also enthusiastic in her message of: Exercise
your power to vote!
In talking with Betsy after the elections, she informed
me there were twenty-seven new legislators elected
this fall. Her plan is to spend time with each of them
to let them know about the wonderful and versatile
profession of court reporting. Betsy will also be
working to set up a realtime demonstration at one of
the public sessions held during the 2009 Legislative
Session.
Speaking of realtime, embracing and improving
realtime writing skills is imperative for every court
reporter in the State of Colorado. For the officials in
the state, realtime certification is mandatory. The
ability for the judge and all other participants to see
the realtime text and to use that text as a reference in
making decisions is an invaluable tool. It sets the
officials apart from other technologies and reinforces
the fact that live realtime court reporters are integral
to the efficiency and accuracy of the judicial process.
For the freelance reporters in the state, realtime skills
set them apart. Realtime skills add that extra layer of
value and support to all attorneys as they navigate
skillfully through depositions, arbitrations and public
meetings. For the CART providers and captioners in
the state, improving and honing realtime skills for
communication access is essential. It is a grave
responsibility to catch every word and present them
clearly in an effort to ensure complete comprehension
and equal access for people with any degree of
hearing loss.
Betsy encourages us all during the next few months
to take time and meet with your legislators. Let them
know about the wonderful court reporting profession.
Tell them how you are integral to the entire judicial
process, from deposition to trial. Tell them how
integral you are to ensuring that there is equal access
for all. You are the experts and they are interested in
you as a constituent. Offer to be a resource if they
have any questions. It is always a team effort, and
the more we work together, the better we can
educate.
If you don't know your legislators’ contact information,
you can go to www.leg.state.co.us and look them up.
Or contact our lobbyist directly: Betsy Murray,
303-478-1207.
CCRA is building a new website.
The address remains the same ~ www.ccra.info, check it out!
Free Computer Classes
The Fort Collins Regional Library District offers several free computer classes to
the public to promote information literacy. The classes cover computer basics,
electronic communication, the Library website, Internet searching, and Microsoft
Office.
For more information go to http://www.fcgov.com/library/classes.php
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
U.S.S. Wasp Veterans History Project
By Joyce E. Martin
Denise Truax’s father, Robert Truax, was aboard the U.S.S. Wasp, an aircraft carrier, on September 15,
1942, when it was attacked by the Japanese.
In order to prevent unnecessary loss of life, the Captain ordered the ship abandoned and approximately
2,000 men were lowered into the sea and remained in the water for hours before being rescued. The
aircraft carrier remained afloat but was literally floating in a burning pool of gasoline and oil.
The survivors of the U.S.S. Wasp held their 36th Reunion at
the Stapleton Radisson Hotel on Saturday, September 13,
2008. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Pat
Newton, Deb and Ken Zoetewey, Stephanie Ostdahl, Denise
Truax, Kathy Davis, Robin Osmond, Erika Yglesias, Lisa
Vilpando, Kay Uhles, Sherry Becker, Sean Simpson, Anthony
Martin, Shirley Wommack, Carly Cisneros, Karla Siewert,
Katie Smith, Dave Lierman, Mariella Gonzalez, Jana Garcia,
and Heather Sepulveda, all reporter/student volunteers, who
came to the Radisson to interview and write the stories of
these U.S.S. Wasp survivors. Heidi McGuire from Channel 9
News did a marvelous and compassionate job covering the
story of the reunion, as well as filming part of a veteran’s
interview. If you are interested in seeing Channel 9’s
coverage of this story, go to the Channel 9’s Website and
type in “sharing war stories.”
Because of the commitment of these volunteers to the
Veterans History Project, the stories of these veterans will be
forever preserved at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. This is surely a small token of our
appreciation for their dedicated service to our country.
Sponsors for the Colorado Court Reporters Association 2008 Fall Convention
Thank You Sponsors!
Agren Blando Court Reporting & Video
Co-Sponsors of the Friday Night Hospitality Suite
Resling Reporting Services
Co-Sponsors of the Friday Night Hospitality Suite
Attorneys Service Center
Saturday’s Sodas and Snacks
Stormo Reporting
Saturday’s Sodas and Snacks
Patterson Reporting & Video
Saturday’s Sodas and Snacks
Wilson George Court Reporters, Inc.
Sunday’s Drinks and Snacks
Hunter + Geist, Inc.
Sunday’s Drinks and Snacks
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
uncheo
Is Februar n Reservations
y 18, 2009
Mail or Fa
.
x your Re
gistration
today!
Deadline fo
rL
_____ $60 Non-Member
Street Address _____________________________________________________________
CANCELLATION POLICY: Minus $10 processing fee, refund will be given provided written notice of cancellation is given 7 days
prior to the event. Please NOTE: No refunds will be given due to weather/road conditions.
Acct # _____________________________________________________Exp. Date_________
VISA / MASTERCHARGE Accepted Only
City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________
_____ $40 CCRA Member
NAME ____________________________________________Phone _________________
To register please mail this form to CCRA, P.O. Box 271327, Littleton, Co. 80127-0023 or FAX 303-933-0588.
CCRA phone: 303-933-0577. Checks should be made payable to CCRA. For charges please use the lines provided below.
Questions/concerns ~ please call Kathy Davis @ 303-257-9778
Everyone is invited to join us!
Fee includes a “market place” of wonderful Italian food
and great dialogue! A variety of court reporting issues will
be discussed.
at Cinzzetti’s Italian Market
281 West 104th Avenue
Northglenn, CO
303-451-7300
Sponsored by the Freelance Committee
Saturday ~ February 28, 2009, 11:30-2:00
CCRA’s ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Thank you, Silent Auction Contributors, for making the
Colorado Court Reporters Association Silent Auction a success!
*
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*
*
*
*
*
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Denver Academy of Court Reporting
Clark & Mayfield 15.4-inch Stafford Laptop Tote
18th Judicial District Court Reporters
Miscellaneous Gift Basket
“The New York” Basket
Relaxation Basket
4th Judicial District Court Reporters
$60.00 Gift Certificate for Bed, Bath & Beyond
Myers Legal Video
What Every Court Reporter Needs!
Ketel One Vodka (1.75 Liter)
Jose Cuervo Especial (1.75 Liter)
Chivas Regal 12-year-old Scotch (1 Liter)
Impact Legal Technologies
$50.00 Gift Certificate to Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Attorneys Service Center
Wine Rack and Collection of Spanish & Portuguese Red Wines
Christie Thakur – Premier Designs Jewelry
$50.00 Premier Designs Jewelry Gift Certificate
Beautiful Set of Jewelry
Ken Zoetewey – Steno Right
$100.00 Gift Certificate towards a Full-Service Steno Machine Cleaning
Hunter + Geist, Inc.
Two Bottles of Cabernet
Two Bottles of Merlot
$50.00 Gift Certificate to PF Chang’s
Would You like the Experience of
Volunteering for Pro Bono Projects?
If so, please contact Linda Koenig,
at 303/484-0571 or [email protected]
Thanks for your continued support of this valuable program!
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FROM YOUR BOARD MEMBERS
Joyce E. Martin, President
Kathy Davis: Positive thoughts have positive reactions and enhance relationships,
work life, and health. Resolve to smile, and make it your goal to get at least one
person every day to smile back at you.
Linda Koenig: Convince someone who has never been to a CCRA seminar before to
attend a seminar in 2009.
Erin Valenti: Think kinder thoughts towards everyone, but mostly attorneys. Give
one compliment every day.
Pat Graves: Make a difference in people’s lives when interacting with them. It
could be mentoring, teaching, or while providing services.
Just “make a
difference.”
Deb Zoetewey: Take the time this year to mentor a student and/or a recent
graduate. The results of mentoring and knowledge imparted can be valuable to the
students/recent graduates as well as to the reporters.
Lisa Kelly: Start a “Scrap Paper Drive”; collect paper scraps from reporters and
drop paper off at DACR twice a year during the NCRA testing.
Joyce Martin: Work towards attaining a higher certification; do something this
year you’ve always wanted to do but were too afraid to do it.
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
RAMBLINGS
15
Booker T. Washington
WINTER 2008
Fall Seminar Report
Sylvia Noneff, RPR
Our hard-working CCRA Board tried something new this fall to enrich our seminar experience: an upscale, high-tech,
state-of-the art facility. We were also concerned about gas prices (remember the four bucks a gallon we were paying
last summer?) so we chose a local site. What a great choice! The Inverness was everything we hoped for – great
food, great service, and truly excellent meeting and guest rooms.
Attending seminars gives us a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones, get pampered with great food
and service and – best of all! – learn something new. And we certainly learned a lot during the seminar. We started
out Saturday morning bright and early with Attorney Bernard Poskus, who did a truly wonderful job of educating us
about estate planning. Mr. Poskus’s father had Alzheimer’s, and because of having to deal with that, he became
very active with the Denver Alzheimer’s Board. We learned so many helpful ways to deal with aging and disabled
family members from him.
Bernard Poskus, Esq.
Next, we were privileged to have Thomas W. Hanson, CPA, share his knowledge of tax-preparation tips, financial
planning, and how to deal with many different types of paperwork associated with our profession, from mileage logs
to IRS forms. Thom has worked with reporters and reporting firms for many years, and he was so informative,
knowledgeable and entertaining!
After a wonderful lunch buffet, we started off the afternoon on Saturday with a look at reporting at the national level,
taught by Jason Meadors. Jason just completed serving as an NCRA Director, and he shared with us what’s going
on currently, as well as plans for the future, with our national association. He certainly gave us a lot to think about!
Betsy Clark Murray
RAMBLINGS
Pat Graves
16
Joyce Martin
WINTER 2008
We wrapped up Saturday with a CCRA Town Hall Meeting, hosted by CCRA President Joyce Martin and Vice
President Pat Graves. This gave us all an opportunity to look at our profession at the state level, and also to catch
up on what our board is currently working on. The audience participation was wonderful! CCRA’s Lobbyist, Betsy
Clark Murray, was also there to fill us in on her efforts on our behalf. (pictured on page 16)
Sunday morning we had two choices for classes. There were four CAT breakout sessions: Stenograph, taught by
Katherine Hermosillo and Kerry Rink; Advantage Software, taught by Paul Zuckerman; StenoCAT, taught by
Jason Meadors; and ProCAT, taught by Deby Owens. The feedback we received from these classes was
tremendous. These folks worked hard and prepared well for us!
Breakout sessions Sunday morning
The other choice Sunday morning was to attend a Stenoswap, taught by Kathy Davis. As usual, Kathy did a great
job of researching and teaching an informative, fact-filled class! Kathy’s class was followed by Teresa Coogle
teaching for us a great class about the Realities of Realtime, filled with funny realtime stories, helpful hints, and
encouragement for all. We ended the morning with my class on how to excel at NCRA testing, complete with mock
exams.
A special thank you to Shelly Hunter for her truly amazing fundraising efforts, and to all of you who contributed silent
auction items or sponsored food and happy hour costs for us. Your generosity during these tough economic times
was especially touching.
Silent Auction Items
Visiting Vendors!
And the winner is . . .
And last, but certainly not least, I would like to personally thank the CCRA Board for all of their help and
encouragement, CCRA Executive Director Judi Ericson for all of her hard work, and CCRA Unofficial Photographer
Jason Meadors for all the great pictures he took. It was a pleasure working with you all!
The CCRA Board of Directors would like to extend a special Thank You to Sylvia Noneff for again
chairing a wonderfully successful seminar! Sylvia has a heart for our association and a special knack for
hosting these events and making them Fun! Well Done, Sylvia.
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
We have world-class Advertisers!
We want to extend our sincere thanks to each of our
Advertisers for their continued support!
Take a look at opportunities inside this issue!
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Attorneys Service Center
Caption Colorado
Denver/Boulder Couriers
Hunter & Geist, Inc.
pg. 9
pg. 12
pg. 19
pg. 6
Meadors Court Reporting, LLC
pg. 7
ProCAT Stylus
pgs. 22 & 25
Reporters Paper and Mfg. Co. pg. 28
The Ninth Judicial District Court located in Lander Wyoming is seeking a certified shorthand
reporter who is proficient in computer-aided transcription and is real time capable. Official
court reporters must be competent in the making, preserving, transcribing, and delivery of
verbatim record of trial and other proceedings. Other duties may be assigned by the Judge.
This is a full time position in a busy district with occasional travel. Supplies are provided by the
State of Wyoming, reporters are responsible for their own writers, computers, printer, and
software. The reporter must live in the District.
Position Location: Ninth Judicial District Court Lander, WY
Salary: Base of $53,000.00 per year, plus $3.25 per original page for transcripts of criminal
hearings and civil matters upon request of litigants.
Benefits: Competitive Package Including: Holidays, Health, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance,
Retirement Plan, Vacation, Sick days as approved by the District Judge.
Closing Date: Open until filled
Start Date: On or before April 15, 2009.
Submit Application, Resume and copy or proof of RPR to:
Rachelle Fontaine
Administrator
Courthouse
450 N. Second Street, Rm 260
Lander, WY 82520
(307) 332-4592
The State of Wyoming is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This is an At Will position.
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
Welcome
New Member Applicants
KAREN CLARK, PARKER
SUSAN FALZONE, WESTMINSTER
CHRISTINA MINER, PINE
DEBORAH MOORE, PUEBLO WEST
MICHAEL PACE, DENVER
LEANNE PITTENGER, LITTLETON
NANCY RHOADES, MONUMENT
JESSICA SIMPSON, COLORADO SPRINGS
RENEE VALENTINO, CENTENNIAL
RAMBLINGS
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FREELANCE/OFFICIAL
ASSOCIATE
STUDENT
STUDENT
ASSOCIATE
STUDENT
FREELANCE
STUDENT
STUDENT
WINTER 2008
Thank You to all of our 2008 CCRA Fall Convention Vendors
The Colorado Court Reporters Association greatly appreciates your Support!
Beijo Bags
Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing / Caption First
Denver Academy of Court Reporting
Lacey Naturals
Premier Designs Jewelry
ProCAT
Stenograph
Susie DeWitt Honored in Boulder
by Penny Leroue
On Friday, November 14, a celebration of the all-too-short life of fellow court reporter and friend Susie DeWitt was
held at the Boulder County Justice Center.
A large group, including many court reporters from around the state, gathered while Judge Carol Glowinsky shared
many wonderfully fun memories of Susie in a ceremony to dedicate a bench displayed in the Justice Center courtyard.
This bench was funded, in part, by contributions made by court reporters.
RAMBLINGS
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WINTER 2008
Denver Academy of Court Reporting
Instructor Wanted
Job Responsibilities:
Working collaboratively with a team of long-term Instructors, an Instructor for DACR
will serve the student needs for instruction, education, mentoring, coaching and
guidance as needed to assist them to graduate from this skill-based program.
Instructors support both the didactic and skill-training portions of the program of Court
Reporting.
The full-time Instructor with DACR will work 40 hours per week, with a 30 hour-perweek teaching load. There will occasionally be other duties as assigned to assist the
team to the highest level of success for our students. A full-time position requires
evening work (3 evenings a week 5:30 pm until 10:30 PM) and morning work (4 days
per week 8:30 am until 2:30 pm).
The part-time Instructor with DACR will work either mornings (30 hours per week with
a 22 hour teaching load) or evenings (15 hours week teaching).
The full-time and part-time 30-hour positions include benefits.
Required Education/Experience/Skills (Minimum Qualifications):
1) Candidates must possess a Court Reporting degree or certificate and must be
certified with the state (home state accepted if not Colorado) as a Court Reporter.
2) Candidate must also have a minimum of one year full-time experience in the field
of Court Reporting.
Desired Qualifications the Successful Candidate will Possess:
1) A solid understanding and appreciation of the court reporting field, and of the
skill-based nature of this career.
2) Experience in leading or supervising skill-oriented groups
3) Experience working with CART, Captioning, Real-Time recording systems,
Transcription, Scopist, or other paths in the court reporting field.
4) Skill at assisting, teaching, training, or educating people.
Salary is commensurate with skills and experience. The Denver Academy of Court
Reporting offers a comprehensive benefits package.
If Interested, Please Contact:
Kay Uhles, Director of Education, Denver Academy of Court Reporting
9051 Harlan Street, Suite 20, Westminster, Co. 80031
Phone: 303/427-5292 ext.114
Fax: 303/427-5383
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Importing Personal Dictionary/ Jobs
from the Stylus using Stylus Sync
Whether you are on Case Catalyst, Eclipse, StenoCAT, DigitalCAT, etc, following goes
through the steps you use to import RTF jobs from the Stylus, or if you just want to
update your dictionary from your software to the writer.
1. Connect to ActiveSync (see chapter “Connecting to ActiveSync”).
2. Double-click the Stylus Sync Icon.
3. Select the Production menu, and then select Import Jobs.
4. Below the words “Look In:” click on the down arrow and select the
folder that contains the job to be imported. These folder locations
are named by year and month.
5. Select all the files to be imported by placing checkmarks in them.
6. Select Steno to import just the steno file to be translated later, or select
Text to import the RTF steno/textfile.
7. The “Save In” location will indicate where the files will be saved.
Typically this should be the user folder for your CAT software. You can change
this location by clicking on Browse, and then navigate to your user folder.
a. If you have ProCAT Winner software, you can click the “Winner User ID”
button to set the save in location to our user ID folder.
b. If you have Windows XP operating system, you can click “CD-Write Folder”
to set the save in location to the Windows CD burning folder. You can then
follow the on-screen instructions to burn the files directly to a CD. See
chapter “Burning Files to CD” for more information.
8. Select the Import button to retrieve your files.
9. If you selected to import a Text file, you may need to use your CAT software’s RTF
conversion program to convert the RTF/CRE file to a transcript file.
ActiveSync must be connected to use this feature.
See chapter “Connecting to ActiveSync” for more
details.
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WINTER 2008
January 30 CCRA Board Nominations Due to Elaine Javernick
February 28 CCRA Annual Luncheon Sponsored by Freelance
Committee (pg.3 & 13)at Cinzetti’s in NorthGlenn, Co.
March 1
CCRA Annual Dues for 2009-2010
March 1
Distinguished Service Award Nominations Due for 2009
March 5
RAMBLINGS Deadline to submit Articles & Ads
April 25
CCRA Spring Symposium in Denver, Co.
April 25
CCRA Annual Business Meeting in Denver, Co.
April 25
CCRA Executive Board Meeting following Spring Symposium, Denver, Co.
May 2
NCRA ~ Testing Day at Denver Academy of Court Reporting, Westminster, Co.
Did You Know …?
¾ … That Utah Reporters Face Replacement? The Utah state court administrator's office has informed all 18 of the
state's official reporters that their jobs will end next June. Utah for years has used a combination of video and
stenographic reporters to cover different types of proceedings. After June 30, the courts will rely solely on video
recording. The Utah reporters were not included in discussions leading up to the decision and are investigating
options. (Reprinted from NCRA’s Website, 08-Dec-08)
¾ … Michelle Goodbee, Adams County District Court, won the Realtime Speed Contest at the United States Court
Reporting Association National Convention in Denver? Michelle won the Q & A at 230 words per minute at 98.69
percent accuracy. What a wonderful accomplishment, Michelle! Congratulations!
¾ … That it costs merely $8.33 a month to reap the many benefits of being a CCRA member? Contact Erin Valenti,
Membership Chairperson, for more. [email protected]
¾ … Now is Your Chance to Nominate a deserving person for a Distinguished Service Award (DSA)? Look
around …this could be anyone working in concert with CCRA either internally or externally … someone who is
consistently there, supporting the association behind the scenes or way out in front … someone that you rely on? Who
is that person you depend on to “get the job done right”, the person that is always there with whatever support is
required to make court reporters in Colorado more effective? Watch your mailbox for the DSA Nomination Guidelines
and nomination form to submit your candidate. Make a difference in someone’s 2009! You’ll be glad you took the time.
¾ … The Legislative Session starts January 7, 2009? This year Justice Mullarkey will be giving her Judicial to State
speech to the legislature.
¾ … Sylvia Noneff is the NCRA Chief Examiner in Colorado? Any questions or concerns may be directed to Sylvia at
[email protected]. The next NCRA Test Day is May 2nd at DACR. Did you know that?
¾ … The number of Student members in our association is growing?
Contact Kirstin O’Malley at
[email protected] or Sherri Meadors at [email protected] to ask how you can be involved as a
Student Mentor … or … if you wish to be a Student Mentee! Pay it Forward!
¾ … CCRA Dues are “Due” by March 1st of each year? Soon you’ll be receiving your notice to renew for 2009-2010. Erin
Valenti is our Membership Chairperson. Contact Erin at 970/498-6246 or [email protected] if you have any
questions – she’s planning her membership campaign now!
¾ … The Susie DeWitt foundation continues? Susie worked to establish a foundation to warn young people that even
casual smoking can cause lung cancer. If you would like to aide in the continuation of Susie’s important work,
Contributions may be made to the Susan L. DeWitt Foundation for Extended Breath, P.O. Box 270201,
Louisville, CO 80027. Please visit her website: www.susanldewitt.com. Thank You!
¾ … Erin Valenti is trying to figure out How to Celebrate her 30th birthday next year? Let us know what you decide, Erin!
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WINTER 2008
Denver Academy of Court Reporting
is seeking a goal-oriented individual to join our team!
Director of Education
Job Summary
The Director of Education (DOE) reports to and works with the Campus Director to meet the educational mission of the
College. As a member of the College’s management team the DOE contributes to the College’s strategic and operational
plans and supplies general leadership to assure quality education and services to the College’s clientele.
A qualified candidate will have at least three years experience as a student-centered, retention focused educator. This
person will be responsible for planning all the academic and technical instruction; curriculum and program development,
fiscal and personnel management of the instructional unit, instructional staff development, technology initiatives, measuring
the outcome of the educational processes, maintain the accuracy of student records, coordinating the Advisory Board, and
new student orientation.
Essential Job Functions:
1. Provides day-to-day supervision of both on-ground and online instructional staff.
2. Provides day-to-day supervision of both on-ground and online classroom methodologies to ensure delivery of a level of
instruction that maintains our educational standards and is in compliance with accrediting agencies, corporate policies
and state or federal regulations.
3. Meets regularly with instructional staff to allocate resources, develop short and long term strategic plans for the
educational process, and to implement policies and procedures.
4. Ensures that campus curriculum and schedules are appropriate to maintain effective and efficient use of academic
supplies, personnel, and facility.
5. Assist in the development of academic partnerships with community.
6. Evaluate student inquiries and issues such as course withdrawals, grade appeals, academic concerns and academic
standing, and resolve through appropriate action and to the satisfaction of the student, company and/or regulatory
agencies in compliance with policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
7. Serves as a full-time faculty member with all rights and responsibilities, when necessary.
8. Recruitment, selection, orientation, supervision, development and evaluation of faculty.
9. Be involved in the authorization and accreditation processes of the institution.
10. Assist in the development and Implement of new educational programs appropriate to the mission of the institution.
11. Maintain an acceptable retention rate of students in accordance with institution, accreditation and company guidelines.
12. Perform academic progress evaluations quarterly and counsel students as applicable regarding CGPA, completion
rate, failed courses.
13. Evaluate transfer student transcripts for possible transfer credit and determine student academic plan.
14. Assist with student placement efforts.
15. Plan, organize, and conduct Graduation and Awards ceremonies.
16. Other duties as assigned.
Minimum requirements:
Educational Requirements:
¾ Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience:
¾ Minimum of 3 years school education experience
¾ Experience in delivering an online education program
¾ Experience working with accreditation agencies
Preferred requirements:
¾ 2 years experience in educational management (proprietary preferred)
¾ Experience with or in the court reporting or legal field
¾ Ability to hire, train and supervise instructors
¾ Strong and successful student retention experience
¾ Ability to interact with all levels of individuals; excellent communication, interpersonal and problem solving
skills
¾ Computer skills including MS Office Suite
¾ Strong attention to detail
¾ Outstanding multi-tasking abilities
Clear understanding and appreciation for the for-profit education system.
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APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
I, _____________________________________________________________
hereby apply for membership in the Colorado Court Reporters Association.
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________
CITY: ____________________________________ STATE: ____________ ZIP: _________________
Business Phone: ________________________________ Fax: __________________________________
Home Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________
Home phone will be printed in the CCRA Membership Directory. If you do not want your home phone listed, leave space blank.
CATEGORY:
Professional Shorthand Reporter/
Participating Member-- $100.00
Associate Member -- $75.00
_____ Official
_____ Freelancer
_____ Teacher/Instructor
_____ Scopist/Proofreader
_____ Vendor
Student/Retired Member -- $25.00
_____ Student
_____ Retired
_____ CART Provider
_____ Captioner
_____ Videographer
_____ Stenomasker
_____ Voice Writer
_____ Other
Current Speed: _______
CERTIFICATIONS HELD
CSR: State ______ Date _____________
RMR: Date__________________________
CRR: Date __________________________
RPR: Date ____________________
RDR: Date ____________________
Other: _______________________
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
____ I would like to volunteer for pro bono projects.
____ I would like to serve on a committee.
____ I am available for substitution in court.
____ I would like to be a mentor (or would like to be assigned one if a student).
____ I would rather be notified by e-mail that a mailing has occurred and check for the postings on the
Internet myself than receive mailings, i.e. , Ramblings, membership directory.
METHOD OF PAYMENT: ____ Check enclosed
____ Charge my Visa or MasterCard
Card # ______________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________________
Signature of Cardholder: ___________________________________________________________________
In submitting this application, and if I am accepted for membership, I hereby swear or affirm that I will uphold all
of the provisions of the Constitutions and Bylaws of the Colorado Court Reporters Association and the Code of
Professional Responsibility.
My application includes my check payable to CCRA or my Visa/MasterCard authorization for the appropriate dues
and is endorsed by a current CCRA member.
Signature of Applicant: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________
Endorsed by: ________________________________________________________ Date: ________________
PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION AND PAYMENT TO:
Colorado Court Reporters Association, 6751 Independence Street, Littleton, Colorado 80128-4047
Dues payments to CCRA are NOT deductible as charity deductions for federal tax purposes; amounts may be deductible as a necessary business expense.
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WINTER 2008
CCRA RAMBLINGS
P.O. Box 271327
Littleton, Co. 80127-0023
Return Service Requested