MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

It may seem like we’ve just unpacked our suitcases from the 2011 Convention in Niagara Falls, but our attention has quickly turned to 2012 and our upcoming host city of POUGHKEEPSIE! 

• Convention Hotel: The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel*
• Tradeshow Location: Mid-Hudson Civic Center*

*Convention, exhibitor, and hotel rate information will be posted here in the coming weeks.

February 2012 DIRECTIONS Highlights:

Feature Story:  Catholic Mass: Funerals and Changes
No doubt funeral directors encounter families who want to have a Funeral Mass for their loved ones, but the surviving family members may have not been to Mass since the changes were implemented in November 2011.

Important EDRS Update
NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo has included the necessary legislation to kick-start the development of a NYS Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) as part of his proposed 2012-13 State Budget.

New Yorker’s Are Living Longer
NYC Mayor Bloomberg says NYC health interventions contribute to all-time high life expectancy of 80.6 years.

Caring for the Executed
For six decades, the Huntsville Funeral Home has cared for the remains of inmates housed in the Texas prison system, in Huntsville, TX and around their state.

TRANSITIONS -- Uncertainty about income tax issues can add to the stress experienced from the death of a spouse. You should meet with your family attorney and/or tax advisor as soon as possible to review your particular tax and estate circumstances. Before this meeting, it's a good idea to order and read the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publications that are listed at the end of this article. Bring a detailed list of your questions to the meeting. If you do not have an attorney or tax advisor, call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 for answers to specific tax questions.