By Jennifer Dunnam

Happy New Year to all.  As I put the final touches on this article, winter is well and truly upon us — temperatures in the Twin Cities are at 22º below zero (not to mention the wind chill of minus 45), and it's much colder in the Twin Ports area.  Yes, we Minnesotans are hardy souls to get through winters such as these.  Our hardiness comes into play right now for other reasons, too.  There is much transition underway in our community and field, from which we will learn and grow stronger.

Volume 80, Number 1

Quarterly Publication of the

National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.

100 East 22nd Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Voice:  (612) 872-9363

Website:  www.nfbmn.org

Tom Scanlan, Editor

E-mail tom.scanlan@earthlink.net

WE ARE CHANGING

Metro Chapter — Twin Cities area; meets at 2:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at NFB of MN Headquarters, 100 East 22nd Street in Minneapolis

Riverbend Chapter — New Ulm area; meets at 9:00 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month in New Ulm; contact Charlene Childrey at 507-354-2250 for meeting location

Rochester Chapter — Rochester area; meets at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Peace Church in Rochester

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions.  Keep these in mind as you plan your activities throughout the coming year.

By Judy Sanders, Secretary

This year's semiannual convention on April 21, 2007 was hosted by our Metro Chapter and held at our building in Minneapolis.  Thanks to Al Spooner and his crew for rearranging the furniture to make room for the crowd.

By Richard Strong, Director, Communication Center and Senior Services Unit, State Services for the Blind (SSB).

(Editor’s Note:  This presentation was made at the Semiannual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota on April 21, 2007.)

Good morning!! Joyce, I appreciate the opportunity to be here and to share with you comments concerning the future directions, efforts, and aspirations of SSB.

I especially appreciate the chance to share with you SSB’s vision and plans for the future.

By Patrick A. Barrett

(Editor’s Note:  Pat is the newly elected president of our Metro Chapter and a member of the NFB of Minnesota board of directors.  He is employed as a Systems Change Administrator at Express Scripts, Inc., and is another example of the strong connection between Braille literacy and employment.)

By Joyce Scanlan, President

(Editor’s Note:  This address was delivered at the membership seminar for chapter representatives held on March 31, 2007.)

Volume 73, Number 2

Quarterly Publication of the

National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.

100 East 22nd Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Voice:  (612) 872-9363

Website:  www.nfbmn.org

Tom Scanlan, Editor

E-mail tom.scanlan@earthlink.net

WE ARE CHANGING

Many people are involved in getting this issue to you.  The writers can write and the editor can edit, but until the material is printed, brailled, recorded, and distributed, it is just a computer file.  Therefore, we owe great thanks to the following people for the work they do in producing this publication.