Dear volunteers:
Wow, it has been 1 1/2 years since I got to write that salutation! It is great to be back!
I am working on transitioning back into the project as quickly as possible. Today I
downloaded the entire site and went through some pages to check coding.
As you know, the image processing script is up and running, but there are some images that
need records created in the database, and others are in pending folders with various
problems. I will get to those as quickly as possible.
Regarding our future, there are a number of considerations. As you know, our current web
host enacted a 50,000 file limit to our site in the Spring. Sherri and I quickly moved
many images to a RootsWeb server to achieve compliance with our host. One reason we did
this was because we had been given information from FamilySearch developers that the
Kentucky death certificate collection from 1911-1954 was to be posted shortly. After a
number of conversations with FamilySearch since then, it seems those records may not be up
right away. I am in regular contact with those who are managing that project, and will let
you know as soon as I know when that will happen. I am pursuing a couple of alternatives,
including a records access program that hosts sites for groups transcribing collections of
records. Again, as soon as something manifests, you will be the first to know.
The records being transcribed now will continue to be linked to images until we get
another notice from our host, at which point we may have to move some images that have
been up the longest. We can't link to the images at RootsWeb as our host did not like
that arrangement either.
Thank you for your patience. We have one of the best GenWeb projects out there and one of
the best volunteer teams around. There is very little contention and a lot of good work
being completed.
For those of you who don't know me, I'll take a minute to introduce myself. My
name is Sheryl Neal Slaughter and I am a native of Campbell County, KY. I worked as a
volunteer on several county projects for GenWeb and then got big eyes when Sherri Hall
Bradley, Nancy Trice, and I started talking about a way to start a vital records project.
With a volunteer army, we launched the site in February 2004 with hand coded html pages,
which we split when they got too large. As the project grew, we had to go to a database
despite a total lack of programming skills. A couple of programming books and a few
friendly helpers later, we were able to get the project into a database where everyone
could transcribe and proof online. It isn't perfect, but few volunteer projects with
no funding are!
In September 2005, my husband and I moved to Arkansas to be near our daughter. My husband
became gravely ill shortly thereafter and died in June of 2006. In 2007, Sherri took over
the project for me so I could focus my energies on finishing a whirlwind college degree,
which I recently finished. Sherri has asked me to take back the project and I am happy to
do so. While I was still helping in the background as I could, I really missed interacting
with everyone.
You are the best group of volunteers I have ever worked with and I am amazed at how many
of you who started with me in 2003 are still with the project. I look forward to renewing
friendships and making new ones.
God bless you for your service,
Sheryl Neal Slaughter