Be Sure to Visit my new 1900 Galveston Storm Website at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootseb.com/~barnette 

NARA PROPOSES PRICE INCREASE

 NARA, the National Archives and Records Administration, as required by law, has invited public comment on their proposed reproduction fee schedule. The complete text of the proposal was published in the April 25 Federal Register and is available on NARA's Internet website at http://nara.gov/nara/fees-pro.html.

 The proposed fee schedule includes a number of items, but, the Military Service Records, Pension and Bounty Land Warrant applications are of most concern to genealogists and historians. Under the proposed schedule, the reproduction price for all three types of files will be raised. The Military Service Records would be $17.00, the Bounty Land Warrant fee would be $17.25 and  Pension files would be $40 regardless of the number of pages.

With the price increase NARA would send the complete file for each record rather than selected records as currently practiced.

 Readers wishing to submit comments should do so by mail or fax. The mailing address is NARA Regulation Comment Desk, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 and the fax number is 301-713-7270. The deadline for the comment period is June 26. If approved the new schedule will take effect September 1, 2000.

 AMERICAN LAND RECORDS CLASS

 One of the most important methods of locating ancestors is through the land they owned. Mic Barnette will offer a two hour course, American Land Records for Historians and Genealogists. This course will explain the land granting process and how property was transferred from one person to another. The course will explain the land distribution systems prevalent in the colonial lands of the original colonies, Georgia, Texas and the Federal public land systems in the states west of the Appalachian Mountains.

 This one time class will be held from 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. Wednesday, May 10 at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Campus. For more information and to enroll, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

GENEALOGY ON THE INTERNET

Sponsored by Houston Community College, Mic Barnette will present a one time three hour course, Surfing the Internet- For Genealogy. The course will be held on Wednesday May 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the HCC campus 1681 Cartwright in Missouri City. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 281-835-5539.

CLAYTON LIBRARY FRIENDS MEET

 Robert de Berardinis will address the quarterly meeting of Clayton Library Friends. de Berardinis will offer suggested methods, sources, strategies and tips on conducting French Research at Clayton Library.

 The meeting will be held at 10 AM, Saturday May 13 at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonett in Southwest Houston. For more information, contact John Dorroh at 281-498-2603.

BRAZOSPORT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY MEETS

 The last seasonal meeting of the Brazosport Genealogical Society will be held at 7:30 P.M. May 9 at the Brazoria Community Library in Brazoria. Dr. Don Pugh will conduct "Who Dun It?" an audience participation exercise regarding the evaluation of evidence in genealogy.

 The Brazosport Genealogy Society meets the second Tuesday of each month from September to May. Visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Dave Coslett at 409-297-2975.

NEWS FROM THE BOOKSHELF

 Researchers interested in Kentucky have a wonderful CD-ROM to help in their research. Genealogical Publishing Company and Broderbund have teamed together to produce  LAND RECORDS: KENTUCKY 1774-1924. The CD-ROM  contains scanned images of five volumes of Kentucky books on land records previously published by Genealogical Publishing Company.

 The CD-ROM is available for $33.45, postpaid, from The Genealogical Publishing Company, 1001 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.

 The five scanned volumes on the CD-ROM include: THE KENTUCKY  LAND GRANTS: A Systematic Index to all Land Grants Recorded in the State of Kentucky Land Office at Frankfort, Kentucky, 1782-1924 ; EARLY KENTUCKY LANDHOLDERS 1787-1811; A CALENDAR OF THE WARRANTS FOR LAND IN KENTUCKY GRANTED FOR SERVICE IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR: and OLD KENTUCKY ENTRIES AND DEEDS.

 The CD-ROM includes information on the landholdings of approximately 100,000 individuals prior to and after statehood. The information usually consists of the number of acres held, entry date of the record, landholder's residence and the nearest water course to the landholding. There may be military service information when land was granted for service in the Revolutionary War or the French and Indian War.