Media Contact:

Steve Baldwin

steve@deaftexas.org

June 16, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUSTIN, TX- The 45th Biennial Conference of Texas Association of the

Deaf took place at Holiday Inn’s Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel in San

Antonio from June 11 to 13, 2009. It was TAD’s first visit to Alamo

City since 1977 when Mario Montalvo was the conference chairperson

and Larry D. Evans was elected president. Both Montalvo and Evans

were in attendance and later honored by TAD during the awards

ceremony Saturday night in the Coronado Ballroom.

During the general meeting on Saturday afternoon over 150

registered attendees and about 50 one-day only attendees and

general public witnessed the election of seven new officers and board

directors, especially in view of this difficult economic time. Paul

Rutowski, a regular member of TAD, easily won the election as

president. Chris Kearney remained as vice president while incumbent

treasurer John Mills won his 3rd term. Betty Bounds, an award-winning

educator, won as secretary of TAD. Larry D. Evans, who will enter his 6th

decade as a TAD member or officer next year, has two years left

as Director. Completing the TAD Team as fellow board Directors are

Katherine March,former Miss Deaf Texas, and Steve Baldwin, immediate

past president, for six and four years, respectively.

In his first public statement, Rutowski comments through text

messaging: “Allow me to join everyone in the excitement of the new

TAD board for 2009-2011! As you can see, we have a great dynamic

group! Consisting of seasoned leadership, and enthusiastically

welcome a very young generation in both Chris and Katie whom I

find energetic, fresh and vibrant. Ironically, both are not new to the

TAD. Chris will be entering his 2nd term on the board as VP and

Katie recently completed her Miss Deaf Texas stint and is reinvesting

her time and energy with the TAD for a 6-year board member term.

This is on top of the other well-known and proven Deaf/HH leaders in

Larry Evans, Betty Bounds and John Mills. The sweetest piece of this

package is that President Emeritus Steve Baldwin has agreed to

continue his legacy by cementing his 4-year commitment to the

Board. Truth be told, I could not ask for a better Board to work

with!"

Texas Association of the Deaf is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization

established in 1886 to safeguard the rights of deaf and hard of

hearing Texans. More information about TAD and view the

conference photos please go to wwww.deaftexas.org.

_______________________________________________________

New 2009-2011 TAD Board: John Mills – Treasurer, Chris Kearney – Vice

President, Paul Rutowski – President, Larry Evans – Director, Katherine

Murch – Director, Steve Baldwin – Director, and Betty Bounds – Secretary.

_____________________________________________________________

In less than one week, the 45th Biennial Texas Association of the Deaf Conference will take place at the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel from June 11 to 13. Hence, the countdown has started for TAD and the Texas Deaf Community!

Several updates have been made to make the conference more educational, entertaining and interesting. Replacing Dr. Lon Kuntze and Dr. Genie Gertz are Mike Wynne, Jr. and Mark Gobble who will talk about “Beyond Deafness: A Paradigm Shift.” Replacing Trudy Suggs is Dr. Alan Marcus who will speak about parents and their deaf children. Presenting a variety of high interest topics and presentations are Libby Pollard, Stella Egbert, John Evans, Randi Turner and Laura Davis. There will also be a total of four special panel discussions that should meet the different needs of the conference attendees. More is better!

The City of San Antonio just announced that the extension project and makeover of its famous Riverwalk is completed and our host hotel El Tropicano, original site of the 1979 TAD convention, is right next to river where you can take a riverboat taxi for just $5 going one way instead of walking up and down the steps, navigating the tricky and uneven tunnels or strolling the busy streets or sidewalks. So let the riverboat taxi pilot take care of your transportation needs. What an attractive convenience!

Do not forget to attend the world premiere of “Journey Through Deaf Texas” on Thursday of June 11 at 7:00 PM at UTSA-Downtown Campus. A chartered bus will leave the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel every 15 minutes starting at 6:00 PM. This event is a special fundraiser and a donation of $5 or more is appreciated. The fund-rising efforts are part of the short-term goal of buying DVD copies of the film after special screenings take place across Texas this year. To book your screening, contact Steve Baldwin at steve@deaftexas.org. Don’t miss this show!

The theme of the conference is very relevant, realistic and revealing: “Change, Challenge, Commitment—Moving Forward Together!” We are very fortunate to have three nationally well-known individuals and achievers. TSD Superintendent Claire Bugen will be the first keynoter who will challenge us on Friday morning the 12th. Then we have another Texan Paul Rutowski giving us past and living examples of Deaf Texans during the TAD presidential reception. The third part of the theme falls to NAD vice president Chris Wagner who will get us committed Saturday night! This triple whammy of delightful keynoters will leave you totally entertained, inspired and proactive! Don’t miss these keynoters!

TAD Conference in San Antonio!

Airport Information
For those of you flying into San Antonio, you have a variety of options.

Car Rental
San Antonio International has nine car rental companies available to passengers with counter space in each of the terminals.

Taxi Cab Service to/from Airport
Taxi cabs are available at the lower level curbside, outside of baggage claim, at Terminal 1 and at the front curbside of Terminal 2 just outside baggage claim. For assistance, please contact the Airport Ground Transportation Agent wearing an airport badge. Fare to San Antonio downtown areas are approximately $20 to $23 (U.S.) per taxicab. (Up to 4 may share a cab.)

Shared-Ride Shuttle Service to/from Airport
Authorized Service Provider: SATRANS Airport Express. SATRANS Phone # 210-281-9900. Online Reservations: http://ltd10.hudsonltd.net/cgi-bin/sat1/res?USERIDENTRY=SAT&LOGON=GO For more information, visit: www.saairportshuttle.com. Charges: $18.00 ticket per person to downtown hotels or $32.00 for a round trip ticket. Service to other areas charged by zone. Major credit cards are accepted.

City Bus Service
VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT- The City’s VIA bus company offers rides to downtown for about $1 Monday through Sunday. See Ground Transportation Agents at the curbsides of each terminal for transportation schedules and bus pick-up area and drop off area. For more information: Call 210-362-2020 or visit http://www.viainfo.net/Ride/Default.aspx. Note: Exact change recommended

Hotel Information
For directions to the hotel, go to the hotel’s website at www.eltropicanohotel.com. Southbound traffic may go IH-35 South toward Laredo. Take the Lexington Street exit and turn left. Go 4 blocks and the hotel is on the right.

Parking at the hotel is available. The daily Self Parking fee is $14.00 per night with in/out privileges. City Parking Lot across the street is $5.00 per day.

Things to Do

Dine on the River Walk
Many cafes, bistros and elegant restaurants line the River Walk, with riverside patios, heaters in the colder months and mists in the warmer months. Take a Rio Taxi or drive a short distance to one of these yummy locations for lunch or dinner!

Step Through Time at the Missions and the Alamo
San Antonio began as a community of five Spanish colonial missions built along the spring-fed San Antonio River. Today, all five missions are open to the public, including the Alamo. Also stop by the Espada Acequia at Mission Espada—this irrigation system is one of the oldest of its kind and was originally constructed to irrigate the mission’s surrounding farmlands. For easy access from mission to mission, San Antonio’s 12-mile Mission Trail is perfect and welcomes hiking and biking.

Browse through El Mercado
The rich culture of San Antonio abounds throughout the plazas of Market Square with family-owned cafes, working artists and the largest Mexican market north of the Rio Grande also known as El Mercado.Visitors browse through 32 shops at "El Mercado," and 80 specialty shops in the Farmers Market Plaza. Market Square is also the scene of many Hispanic festivals where food and beverage booths spring up alongside Guadalajara lamps while the sounds of mariachi music blends with the excitement of Mexican dances.

Getting Around Downtown

Rio Taxi Service
Looking for a cool ride along the River Walk? Try our Rio Taxi service. Stopping continuously at over 39 stops along our beautiful River Walk, the taxi gives you the opportunity to relax on your way to your favorite restaurant or River Walk hotspot.

The Rio Taxi drivers have tickets on board that you may purchase. Request a Taxi pick up via the El Tropicano Concierge. Rates are $5 one way and they are available from 9am to 9pm!

Streetcars
If you need to get around downtown, the VIA historic streetcars are the way to go. Four different streetcar routes travel throughout downtown carrying visitors, shoppers, sightseers, and downtown residents. Streetcars come by each stop about every 10 minutes so there’s never a long wait. Take the streetcar from the hotel to the River Walk Streetcar Station (blue route) to explore the River Walk or connect to another streetcar to Market Square. Hours are 7am to 9pm on Friday and 9am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday. Fare is $1.10 each way.

May 11, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FILM ON TEXAS DEAF HISTORY TO PREMIERE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN JUNE

AUSTIN, TX- The Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD) and Davideo Productions will host its world premiere of a documentary film about TAD on June 11, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.

JOURNEY THROUGH DEAF TEXAS chronicles the history of TAD since its inception in 1886 and its historic accomplishments that have had an impact on deaf and hard of hearing Texans. This film will kick off the 45th biennial TAD conference at the El Tropicana Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio on June 12 & 13, 2009.

This film took more than two years to produce and was made possible through a grant from the Travis County Council of the Deaf and subsequent funding from TAD. The film was co-produced, directed, and edited by David H. Pierce who has worked in the television industry for 24 years.

Stephen C. Baldwin, Ph.D., president of TAD, co-producer, writer, and researcher of the film, says that "the film is not all about politics and legislative endeavors, but it has sentimental moments about leadership, failures, triumphs, ignorance, apathy and the need to continue to work on making lives better for the Texas Deaf Community."

It will be screened at 7pm at the Buena Vista Theatre located at the University of Texas-San Antonio downtown campus on 501 W. Durango in San Antonio. General admission for this fundraiser is $5. Funds raised will be used for further distribution of the film as well as the production of a book to accompany the film.

Texas Association of the Deaf is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 1886 to safeguard the rights of deaf and hard of hearing Texans. More information can be found at wwww.deaftexas.org

Davideo Productions is a motion picture film & broadcast television production, syndication and consulting firm based in Seguin, Texas and is owned by deaf broadcast/cable veteran David H. Pierce. More information can be found at www.davideo.tv

Davideo Productions and Texas Association of the Deaf
Proudly presents the world premiere of

JOURNEY THROUGH DEAF TEXAS

June 11, 2009

7:00 PM (Doors Open at 6:00 PM)

University of Texas – San Antonio
Buena Vista Theatre
501 West Durango
San Antonio, Texas 78207

Fundraiser Admission $5.00

For updates about all screenings,
visit http://www.deaftexas.org

Download TAD Film Front – PDF format

Download TAD Film Back – PDF format

 

In about one month the 45th biennial conference will take place from June 11 to 13 at the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel. You save $25 by registering early by May 15. Attached above is a copy of the early bird registration. You can find more information about the conference by going to our website www.deaftexas.org. The sooner you register and book your room at the incredible rate of $85 a night, the better it will be for you and TAD!

Past TAD conferences have always included awards and recognition ceremonies. The tradition will continue at the upcoming conference in San Antonio on Saturday night on June 13. Chris Hamilton of Austin is the chairperson and you may email him your nominations at chris.hamilton@tsd.state.tx.us. Here is the primary list of awards with a brief criterion for each:

Education Award: This teacher, administrator or educator from the regional day school programs and TSD may qualify for this special award. This person must inspire her or his students, staff and parents as a good role model. The nominee must truly be dedicated, innovative and professional. 2007 winners were Rakia Musa of Laredo and Laura Kowalik of San Antonio.

Volunteer Award: This TAD member is a true volunteer in every sense of the word. His or her dedication is very conspicuous to the board and other TAD members. Unselfish hours are spent on behalf of TAD and the Texas Deaf Community. 2007 winner was Fred Newberry of Austin.

Distinguished Service Award: For a TAD member who has done vital work for the association by volunteering substantial time for the Deaf Community for many years. 2007 winner was Kathy Walters of Rockwall.

TAD/NAD Golden Hand Award: This person has served the Texas Deaf Community for many unselfish years as a true volunteer and many lives have improved because of her or his contributions in Texas. 2007 winner was Grant Laird, Jr.

Hendricks Arnold Award: For an outstanding African-American and Deaf person who contributed significantly to his culture, community, and work place. Last two winners were Larry Smith of Austin and Dr. Glenn Anderson of Arkansas.

Senator Gonzales Barrientos Award: For an outstanding Hispanic and Deaf person who has done substantial social and advocacy work for his culture, community and work place. Last two winners were Rogelio Fernandez of Austin and Alma Bebee of El Paso. Deadline is May 25, 2009.

The elections for officers and board directors will take place on June 13 after the business meeting at 3:00 PM. There will be some vacancies and we hope to have many interested persons who have been a member of TAD for at least two years. Please send your nomination or even nominate yourself to chair of the nominations committee Bill Eckstein at bill.eckstein@tsd.state.tx.us. Please make sure the nominee you have in mind has agreed to your action. Yes, members can be nominated or withdrawn from the floor before the elections. Deadline for the nominations is May 25.

TAD is a non-profit 501 (3) C organization that was established in 1886. There are about 650 members, including online E-newsletter subscribers. TAD is an advocacy state association and many laws like ASL, Relay Texas, TSD 51% board make-up, commission for the deaf and other legislative mandates have benefited Deaf Texans. TAD is affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf. For those who wish to join TAD, there is a membership form at www.deaftexas.org.

TAD board truly looks forward to seeing y’all!