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Ramblings SEP 2002 ~ NOV 2002 CCRA’S 2002-2003 FREELANCE FIRM OF THE YEAR AWARDED TO MEADORS COURT REPORTING, LLC Top
row left to right: Anne Hansen, Jason Meadors, Carrie Trigg “The epitome of
professionalism.” That’s what
last year’s recipient, Shelly Hunter – along with many, many others - thinks
of Meadors Court Reporting. Jason
Meadors has been a reporter/firm owner/mentor/industry leader for over 20 years.
His wife Sherri has worked side by side with him for many years, managing
their freelance reporting firm. Their
daughter-in-law Emily is now the assistant office manager.
Fellow reporters are Anne Hansen and Carrie Trigg, and their office
support staff is Becca Lasich. Jason and
Sherri’s service to CCRA is legendary. Jason
has served in every position on the CCRA board, including President twice, and
is also a Distinguished Service Award recipient.
Sherri can always be counted on to attend CCRA functions and pitch in
whenever and wherever needed. Both have mentored many students and beginning
reporters. Anne Hansen is currently
serving on the CCRA Board and chairs the Freelance Committee. (cont. p. 9) Page 2 Editor’s Comments:
What an active fall! Many thanks to
Jane Pace, Fall Committee Chair, for an outstanding fall seminar.
Thanks also to the CCRA Board for once again hosting the two happy hours,
and also to Kathy Davis and Margaret Melander, from Attorneys Service Center,
for hosting breakfast Sunday morning!
Thanks also to Anne Hansen, Freelance Committee Chair, for the
informative and entertaining Fall Freelance Meeting. Finally,
another smooth day of RPR testing and grading was conducted at Denver
Academy in November through the efforts of Kara Spitler. Sylvia
Page 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: by Barbara Birger The last few months have been very busy. We had Fall Seminar in Vail, which was a huge success. Almost 100 reporters attended the seminars on the best weekend we could have had for fall colors. The atmosphere of the hotel, the great food, and excellent speakers made for a fun-filled weekend. I would like to thank Jane Pace and Carrie Prins for all their hard work putting on this event. I would also like to remind reporters that when obtaining your CE credits you should try to allow yourself to put aside work for a few hours to concentrate on the seminar you are attending. It’s hard to get the full flavor of the seminar you’re at when you are proofreading or editing during the seminar. The speakers who provide our seminars are usually doing so for little or no remuneration. I think it’s only fair to give them the courtesy of our attention for the short time they are speaking. The annual freelance meeting was held October 26 at the Cool River Café. Again Anne Hansen and Sylvia Noneff did a superb job of setting up the meeting. Along with a tasty lunch, David Herrera talked about the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure that affect court reporters. Sherry Becker filled everyone in on what’s happening at Denver Academy of Court Reporting. And Jeniffer Aloysius gave a brief tour of the CCRA website. I gave an update on the officials’ situation. At this point it’s a matter of hurry up and wait. We still don’t know what is going to happen, and possibly won’t know until after the election in November. The only good news we’ve had is that the original proposal was rejected. Unfortunately, we don’t know what the original proposal was. I want to wish everyone happy holidays and a wonderful New Year as we move into the year 2003. Barbara Birger
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Barbara G. Chamberlain, Esq. Dear Barb: I have been handling a pro bono case for one of our clients. In the course of arbitration proceedings, through the Colorado Court Reporters Association, Hunter & Geist, and in particular, Yvonne Wallace and Christine Marcum, agreed to provide reporting services at depositions at no charge to our client. Angie Baca, head of the pro bono committee for the CCRA who also works for Hunter & Geist, helped coordinate the scheduling. Their willingness to donate their time and services made it possible for us to level the playing field for our client and ultimately to settle the case. Their professionalism, patience and good humor, especially during "down" times during which counsel and the parties negotiated settlement while one of the depositions was supposed to take place, contributed immeasurably to our ability to represent our client and to achieve what we hope is a fair resolution of the dispute. I do not know what records you keep with regard to contributions by court reporters. Their donation of time to our pro bono effort was significant and very much appreciated. They deserve our thanks and some form of recognition, perhaps in the Denver Bar Association's Docket or the Colorado Bar Association's Colorado Lawyer.
Sincerely, Alan C. Friedberg
cc: Charles C. Turner, Esq. Page 8 THE NCRA NATIONAL CONVENTION “Orlando, here I come,” I mumbled under my breath as I surfed the Web for cheap airfare. I was (and still am) a student at Denver Academy of Court Reporting, and I was determined to go to the NCRA National Convention in Orlando in August. The program for the 2002 annual convention was packed with interesting seminars such as Steno Swap, Medical Terminology, and Effective Internet Research. I liked the idea of being able to attend any concurrent seminar on my two-day student pass for $79. There were also seminars specifically geared toward students. Two student seminars I attended were the Speed seminar and the Knowledge seminar. The Knowledge seminar was aimed at preparing a reporter for the Written Knowledge Test portion of the RPR. The Opening Reception brought tears to my eyes. I admit that sounds corny; but, honestly, when I walked into that ballroom alive with chatter and filled with reporters, NCRA officials, friends, and, yes, other students, a sense of pride and belonging welled up inside of me. I knew all the hard work I had put into reporting school during the past two and a half years was going to be worth it. Let me tell you, NCRA puts on a great convention. My nametag identified me as a student, and fellow reporters applauded my student status and welcomed me. At the Premier Session, NCRA acknowledged all the RDRs, RMRs, RPRs, and the STUDENTS. Everyone clapped, and once again I felt proud to be a student. The keynote speaker was hilarious. He also talked VERY fast, and the entire presentation was being captioned on a huge screen in front for the entire audience to see. At the President’s Luncheon on Friday, (also included in my ticket for $79) the students were seated at reserved tables near the front of the stage. I was so close I could see Deanna Nichols’ fingers flying as she captioned the awards ceremony. Deanna placed third in the Realtime Contest. Mark Kislingbury repeated last year’s sweep of the Speed and Realtime Contests. I got to meet him, shake his hand, and even got his autograph! He’s so cute and such a nice man. He made a surprise guest appearance at one of the student seminars and wrote for us on his writer. In preparation for the Speed Contest, Mark said he practiced at 400 wpm. Holy Cow! Now, that’s FAST! Anita Paul gave an inspiring session entitled “Realtime – Overcoming Your Fear.” I learned that everybody has the same fears. In addition, I came away with a good plan for overcoming those fears. At each seminar I received informative and valuable handouts, which I have put in a binder for reference. (Cont. p. 9) (cont. from p. 8) I was overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and motivation I came away with. I met reporters from California to New York, and boy, did we swap stories! I can’t neglect to mention the private party sponsored by Esquire Deposition Services on Friday night. They provided food, drink, and bus transportation to City Centre, which is a boardwalk of shops, eateries, and entertainment near the Marriott. The entire Motown Cafe was our exclusive hot spot as we danced to great music with a Michael Jackson look-a-like.
The NCRA National Convention was a wonderful morale booster for me.
By the end of the convention, I felt a metamorphosis had taken place; I
felt as though I were a real court reporter.
I can’t wait for my last 225! ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jason and Sherri Meadors are also active members of NCRA, and Jason is a frequent contributor to both the Journal of Court Reporting and Ramblings. He also chairs a Stenocat users’ group and keeps a keen eye on developing technology in our industry. Meadors Court Reporting can always be counted on to help other firms fill jobs, give advice, or simply to listen to concerns and ideas. Our profession and our state association have been truly enriched by their professionalism, integrity, intelligence and willingness to help. CCRA offers you our heartfelt congratulations! _______________________________________________________ Bruno
Reporting Company needs a full-time court reporter capable of taking at Page 10 STUDENTS
OF THE MONTH Sharon Carroll is the July Student of the Month at DACR. Sharon is in the 120/140 class at DACR and started school in 2001. She has a passion for the legal field and a background of proofing and editing. How perfect! Sharon plans to stay in the Denver area, and she is torn on just what kind of court reporter she wants to be. Why is she student of the month? She says it’s the standard answer: good attendance, daily transcription work, and attitude. Sounds like she’ll make a great addition to our profession! The night school student of the month all the way back in May was Julie Ball. Julie also started school in 2001 and is making good progress at 120/140. Julie prefers a structured life, so she’s leaning towards being an official, most likely in the metro area. Great news! Julie’s “day” job is working for Wells Fargo where she was selected as Wells Fargo Employee of the Year. Her favorite classes so far have been the machines because she loves writing. Heidi Halverson, the October day student of the month, will be returning to Wyoming upon graduation. It’s not that far off! She’s working on just a couple tests. She’s only been in school since late 2000. Heidi says that perseverance is her key -- to not give up, manage her time, and keep positive. Heidi’s got a realistic background for court reporting as she worked in a district court up in Wyoming before coming to CR school. Next is Cheryl Robinson. She’s the June night school student of the month. Cheryl got intrigued by CR’ing one time while she was in management, and here she is moving quickly through school -- in 180/200 and started school in mid-2000. Cheryl’s favorite class so far is her speed building. This is another person planning to stay in the metro area, but she wants to be a freelancer at this point. Erin Valenti is the August night school student of the month. Erin’s in 180 and has only been in school for a year and a half! Way to go! Erin isn’t sure what type of court reporter she wants to be -- she was leaning to freelancing but now she isn’t sure. Geographically, Erin lives in between Denver and Fort Collins, so she has a wide area to choose from. October night school student of the month is Terri Welsh Gould, who is making her second attempt at court reporting school. Another student going through the program quickly as she’s in 180/200 and started school in early 2001. Spectacular! Terri says her favorite class was theory because she was “hooked from the very first day.” At this point, Terri’s preference is to work in court. And Terri wanted to specifically mention a thank you to her teachers for what a wonderful job they do. Again, several people were unavailable for
comments. They are Robert Allen,
Matt Valdez, Anne Lamborn, Janine Julson, Beth Chaff, and Mary Bradley, who just
graduated. Page 11
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*Contact your account manager for information and quotes on industry related services or items not listed. CALL 720.956.1775 FOR MORE INFOEditor’s Note: Many thanks to Document Services Unlimited for donating the beautiful brochures for our fall seminar! Page 12
See – I got your attention!!! Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about something just as important as chocolate, well, maybe not as important... ... DSA – Distinguished Service Award Darned Special Associate Devoted Shorthand Academician Ditsy Stenographic Accommodator . . . and the list goes on and on! It’s that time of year again! Get out your thinking caps and think of that special someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for our profession, for our jobs, for our livelihood. There is that one person out there that made a difference to our association, their contributions adding up to immeasurable worth. Nominate that person for the DSA award this year. Let’s make sure that person is recognized and honored. Submit their name(s) for consideration for this award. Please complete this form (click here for printer-friendly form) and send your nomination to: Lisa Knight Page 13 2002 ANNUAL FALL FREELANCE MEETING The 2002 Annual Fall Freelance meeting was held on Saturday, October 26, 2000, at the Cool River Café in Greenwood Village. There were approximately 21 people in attendance. Thank you all for coming. The food and service were wonderful. The speakers were very informative. Personally, I’d like to thank Sylvia for all the wonderful help she has been to me. Barb Birger, CCRA President, spoke to us concerning the FTR that is currently being put to use at Arapahoe County. She also spoke on the current state budget crisis and what this perhaps might mean for court officials. Barb Birger, Susie DeWitt, and Richard Matt have worked and are currently working hard on behalf of our officials. David Herrera, Attorney, was present to speak to us regarding the Rules of Civil Procedure. He was very helpful in addressing many questions the freelancers had. He spoke on Rules 28, 29, 30, 32, and 56. One thing in particular he did stress, if you are in an unusual jurisdiction, check with the taking attorney regarding any special requirements for the job. Sherry Becker, Director of Education, DACR, updated us on the current move of the school. There are currently almost 300 students. There were approximately 20 graduates in 2001. Currently, there is no more medical transcription program. They all have graduated. She informed us of the strict guidelines used for testing. Jeniffer Aloysius, CCRA Webmaster, updated us on the current CCRA website. Jeniffer has put a lot of time and hard work into this website. If you have not been there, just take a minute and go to ccra.info. Thank you all for coming. I had a wonderful time. Anne Hansen _______________________________________________________
Page 14 REQUEST
FOR NOMINATIONS
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January 18, 2003 |
CCRA Board Meeting |
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April 26 |
Radisson Hotel (before seminar) |
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April 26 |
Spring Symposium at Radisson Hotel ~ Aurora |
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April 26 |
CCRA Board Meeting |
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| May 3 | NCRA testing at DACR | |
NEW MEMBER APPLICATIONS |
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| Melanie
Colletti ~ Co. Springs Jenny Helms ~ Littleton Tina Long ~ Broomfield Linda McKenzie ~ Lone Tree |
Cory
Powl ~ Aurora Natalie Thompson ~ Aurora Patty White ~ Denver |
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