USITT is accepting nominations from members for several of its highest honors. This is an important way that members can get involved in the national and international interests and mission of the Institute. Nominations will be accepted through August 15 for awards given by the Institute for distinguished achievement and outstanding service to USITT or a specific specialization.

All nominations should include the specific award for which a person or organization is being considered, a brief biography of the nominee, justification for the award, plus information on how to contact both the nominee and the person making the nomination. That information must include telephone numbers, complete mailing addresses, and e-mail addresses.

Nominations must be sent by August 15 to Dick Devin, Awards Committee Chair, at devinr@colorado.edu, or mail to Mr. Devin at 1515 7th St., Boulder, CO 80302. If you have any questions or need help with the process, e-mail devinr@colorado.edu or call 303-931-3400.

The Committee on Awards & Resolutions, after deliberation, will vote on the award nominees and make its recommendations to the USITT Board of Directors for final action at its October meeting. Awards that the committee considers are: The USITT Award, The Joel E. Rubin Founders Award, The Thomas G. DeGaetani Award, Special Citations, and Distinguished Achievement Awards.

Refer to the USITT Membership Directory and Resource Guide or the awards portion of the USITT web site here for the names of all past honorees as well as the criteria for each award.

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The ESTA Foundation announced it will sell holiday greeting cards to benefit Behind the Scenes. Three designs are being offered -- two are by industry luminaries Eugene Lee and Tony Walton and the third by KSA Plus.

Orders for holiday cards will be taken until September 28 and will be shipped in early November. All proceeds will benefit the Behind the Scenes program. To view or order visit www.estafoundation.org/bts/holidaycards.htm. or call 212-244-1421.

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Several people have been recognized as certification trainers, a group of exam candidates have received certification, and an exam is scheduled in November as part of the Entertainment Technicians Certification Program (ETCP).

The ETCP Council instituted a new program for individual instructors who have met specific criteria to become ETCP Recognized Trainers. The Certification Council worked closely with leading trainers in the industry to craft a program that recognizes experienced trainers while allowing them the flexibility to adjust each class to the needs and skills of their attendees.

The following individuals have ETCP Recognized Trainer status:

Rigging Trainers: Harry Donovan, Jay Glerum, Jerry Gorrell, Rocky Paulson, Eddie Raymond, and Bill Sapsis

Electrical Trainers: Jerry Gorrell and Ken Vannice

Information about these trainers and details about the application process are available at: www.etcp.esta.org/cert_recognized/trainers.htm.

Twenty-eight certifications were awarded to members of IATSE Local 873. On May 12, both the Arena and Theatre Rigging exams were administered at the union hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Of the certifications granted, 11 individuals hold both certifications.

Local 873 made a commitment to becoming the IATSE Local with the most certified technicians in North America, and it has achieved this goal. Bob Daprato, who sits on the Executive Board of Local 873, arranged for the paper and pencil exams.

Paper and pencil administrations of any of the ETCP exams may be arranged locally for groups of 10 or more. Computer-based exams are available at 190 testing centers across the United States and Canada. For more information, contacting Meredith Moseley-Bennett, ETCP Certification Coordinator, at 212-244-1505 or certification@esta.org.

An Entertainment Electrical Exam will be held 2 p.m. November 16, Arena Rigging 9 a.m. November 17, and Theatre Rigging 2 p.m. November 17 at LDI in Orlando, Florida.

Interested applicants must submit an application, along with supporting materials and fee, postmarked by October 1. Go to etcp.esta.org, or call or write Ms. Moseley-Bennett for more information.

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BSR E1.6-2, Entertainment Technology-Serial Manufactured Electric Chain Hoists, is available for public review through August 27. It is a continuation of the BSR E1.6 powered rigging system project, which has been split into parts dealing with different aspects of powered rigging systems and their use. This document, BSR E1.6-2, covers the design, inspection, and maintenance of serially manufactured electric chain hoists having capacities of two tons or less and used in the entertainment industry as part of a performance or in preparation for a performance. The public review response form and the draft standard, which is free, are available here.

In addition to being asked to review the document to see if they offer adequate advice, reviewers are asked to look for protected intellectual property in the draft standards. Any protected intellectual property in the document should be pointed out in the comments.

For more information, contact: Karl G. Ruling at standards@esta.org.

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