Fountain Square, Photograph by Liz Stratton

Planning on arriving early to the conference? Traveling with others who plan to tour the city? The South Bank Shuttle and ‘One for Fun’ (Metro 1) buses make touring the city’s attractions a snap.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Photograph by Kathy Reed

The Southbank Shuttle makes stops along the riverfront in Cincinnati, Covington and Newport. The shuttle (trolley) runs every 15 minutes during service hours. Pay by the ride ($1), by the day ($3.50) or get a 3-day ($10) or 5-day ($15) pass. A map of the Southbank Shuttle Trolley and attractions along the route can be found online, http://www.tankbus.org/routes-schedules/southbank-shuttle.aspx, and in your syllabus. Attractions along the route include Fountain Square, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Taft Museum of Art, The Banks and Newport on the Levee Entertainment and Dining Centers, Newport Aquarium, Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, MainStrasse Village, Riverboat Row and more.

Newport Aquarium, Photograph by Kathy Reed

Kathy Reed and I, both Cincinnati residents, recently went on a ‘photo tour’ riding the Southbank shuttle with no more advance planning than determining there was a stop near Fountain Square. Leaving our route map behind, we explored with only a rough idea of the attractions we wished to see. The bus drivers and even other passengers helped guide our way. Be certain to let the drivers know you are touring and they will not only alert you to key stops but also tell you where to pick up the shuttle to return to your original boarding location.

Carroll Tower, depicting the tale of the Pied Piper on the Hour. Photography by Kathy Reed.

Another touring option is Cincinnati Metro Rt. 1, ‘The One for Fun.’ Stops on this bus line include the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, downtown Cincinnati, the Taft Museum of Art, The Banks, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and more! A route map can be found in the syllabus or online at www.go-metro.com/uploads/routes/RT1.pdf.

Liz Stratton, Hospitality

Can you believe it? It’s the first day of April and the OGS Conference is less than a month away! Kenny Burck, one of the conference organizers, asked me to share this helpful information on parking for the conference.

Please, If you are attending the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, NO ONE should park in the Millennium hotel parking garage unless you live a pampered life and have plenty of money, or you have a special need that might require this convenience. There are three VERY convenient options that are extremely close and only cost (the last time we checked) either $5.50 or $8.00 per day.

You can unload your belongings at either the north side the south side of the hotel. If you need help with your luggage I would unload at the south side of the hotel on Fifth Street. If you need no help with your luggage I would unload on the north side of the hotel at the Sixth Street entrance. Do NOT let them take your car. After you unload, you can VERY conveniently use the City of Cincinnati parking garage directly and diagonally located across the street for $8.00 a day (see location of all parking garages in the registration brochure.) It is a VERY short walk to the north side entrance of the hotel. In the unlikelihood that this parking garage is full, there is another City of Cincinnati parking garage next to that one (but a little further away) also for $8.00 a day.

If your are German (or prefer a less expensive life style such as myself) you may choose the parking garage one block north of the hotel (at 7th & Elm Streets) at (the last time we checked) $5.50 a day. This is NOT an option if you are staying overnight on Saturday because this garage is closed late Saturday night and not open on Sunday to get your car to go home. Of course you can move you car to one of the other parking garages on Saturday if you choose. This entire area is in a part of town that has much lower traffic (except at rush hour) is not as confusing as you might think. If you have ANY parking questions or issues, phone my cell # at 513-260-0238 and I will assist you now or as you are arriving into downtown Cincinnati. We have a safe and walkable downtown area of the city where the hotel is located.

Submitted by Kenny Burck

My Ryans and Dwyers lived in the same area (County Limerick) and I’m told that you often have to know the family’s “nickname” if you’re going to be successful.

Luckily for those of us facing this challenge, the OGS Conference might help us with our quest. If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Richard Michael Doherty, you should definitely plan on attending one or more of his talks. A link to his website shows that Mr. Doherty has personally led 31 research trips to Ireland.

Check out Richard and the other Irish speakers and break down one of those brick walls!

Lisa Alzo, a well-known genealogist, lecturer and writer to the online community will give two talks: 1) Self-Publishing for the Genealogist: Tips, Trick &Tools, and 2) A Dozen Ways to Use Your iPad for Genealogy and Writing. You can read about Lisa and her many accomplishments by clicking on this link.

Lovers of blogging as a way to share your genealogy are probably very familiar with Thomas MacEntee. He is the founder of geneabloggers, a community of more than 3000 genealogy and family history bloggers. Thomas is not one to rest on his accomplishments. He is going to tell us how we can “pin” our family history, undoubtedly making our research available to an entirely different segment. If you are wondering what a “blog” is and what is involved in creating one, consider coming to the talk by Kathy Reed: Introduction to Family History Blogging.

Of course keeping your readers coming back for more requires skill. Warren Bittner will discuss how to transform dry documents into an engaging narrative. Mr. Bittner is a nationally-recognized lecturer and has served on the faculty of the Samford Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research.

One talk will discuss how to publish and place your family book or article. Another will discuss how RootsMagic can be used as a tool to publish your family history. With all of these offerings, there is no excuse for not taking that next step and sharing your work.

Submitted by: Kathy Reed

F. Warren Bittner Is giving three presentations. I had the opportunity to read Mr. Bittner’s bio, and I can’t wait to hear him speak. He is a nationally-recognized speaker who has presented at numerous genealogical conferences. I’m particularly intrigued by his talk on illegitimacy. He chose this topic for his master’s thesis, and I promise you he discovered that this topic is not as cut and dried as you might think.

Ernest Thode is also scheduled for three presentations — and what a bio he has. Mr. Thode has been manager of the Local History & Genealogy Department of the Washington County Public Library in Marietta, Ohio, since 1992. Mr. Thode has taught German, translated German documents for family researchers, authored books including German-English Genealogical Dictionary, and written an award-winning newspaper genealogy column.

Michel Lacopo returns to Cincinnati after presenting for the NGS Conference in 2012. His specialty is identifying and locating German records, including lesser-known records. Should you attend his presentation on identifying the German origins of American immigrants, you can expect to hear about the following:

• Overview of German immigration history and geography
• Utilization of lesser known published sources
• How to mine primary records for place names and hints of places of origin
• Indirect research to locate German origin
• Case studies

James M. Biedler, whose credits include serving as President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors,writes regularly for newspapers, magazines, and journals. He also serves as an Instructor for Family Tree University. His talks will include “Zigzagging through German Church Records” and “What’s a Palantine Anyways?”

Finally, Thomas Jones will present a case study on how to plan and execute efficient and effective research. Elissa Powell will help participants learn how to make use of passenger lists. Barbara Bell, who specializes in northern German resources, will highlight the use of familysearch. If you have Eastern European ancestors, Lisa Alzo will discuss online resources that increasingly becoming available for researchers.

So get your calendars out. There’s so much to do with so little time.

The Co-Chairs for this conference, Kenny Burck and Dana Palmer, made every effort to identify speakers who would appeal to a variety of ethnic groups. Fortunately, for those interested in African American genealogy, the sessions do not overlap. All but one of the presentations are on Friday, so if you can only attend one day of the conference, Friday might be your day.

Looking over the wide range of topics, there should be something for everyone. The talk scheduled for 4:30 on the use of Heritage Quest Online will include a discussion of the Freedman Bank Records. At 5:45. there will be an African American Roundtable. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their research and ways to get past their brick walls.

For more details, check the conference brochure posted at ogs.org.

Kathy Reed

In keeping with the theme of this conference, the planners included a track on DNA and genealogy.

Colleen Fitzpatrick is leading half of the sessions in this track. As I was not familiar with her, I was led to do a little research. Colleen is the author of Genetic Genealogy and DNA and Genealogy, two best-sellers in genetic genealogy. Despite her expertise, she lists her talks as appropriate for “all levels.”  Her talks are “appropriate for you whether you are having trouble spelling DNA or are an old hand at genetic genealogy.” She has been involved in the ID of an unknown child on the Titanic, and work related  to Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln. To quote her bio, she has done “extensive professional work on DNA identification with the military, law enforcement, the Center for Human Identification, Harvard University, and many other well-known organizations.”

Ugo Allesandro Perego is presenting two sessions. I was able to find a link to his site.   A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He, too, has an extensive resume. Nora Galvin will discuss DNA testing for genealogical purposes, the testing process, what the results look like and what they mean.

There will also be a DNA Roundtable sponsored by Family Tree DNA. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn which DNA test to take, decide how many markers to test and determine how to best utilize the results.

All for the price of one conference admission!  Hope to see you there.

Kathy Reed

Comments? I encourage you to leave a question or comment. I will do my best to find the answer.

You can easily review the listings and determine what may be of interest to you. In addition, you can refer to the program to see if the presentation is appropriate for beginner, intermediate or advanced users of the technology.

Numerous tracks have been identified. Over the next several weeks, I hope to feature each one of the tracks to assist you in planning. If you’ve not yet seen a copy of the conference booklet, click on this link and download a copy.

Do you have friends and family asking you for a gift suggestion? Maybe a conference registration is just the ticket.

Hope to see you there.

Kathy Reed