American  Council  of the  Blind
of
Minnesota

Summer 2008

THE MINNESOTA MEMO

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
P O BOX 7341
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55407

The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. They are the views of the article's author. Product and service information is provided as a resource only and not as an endorsement of a particular product or service.

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Jo Taliaferro, Editor
E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net

Bob Lockwood
E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com

Carolyn Coby, Webmaster
E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com

INFO EXPRESS

ACBM Info Express - (612)-486-5180, our telephone news and information hotline was established by the membership in October 2005. Its purpose is to provide important and relevant information vital to the membership, quickly and efficiently between scheduled business meetings. Please keep yourself informed by calling regularly. You can also contact any board member using the information provided at the end of this issue of the Minnesota Memo.

Next Memo Deadline

The deadline for article submission for the next edition of the Minnesota Memo is 15 September 2008.

Table of Contents

From The President’s Disk
St. Paul Stops Pop Pop Pop In Blind Mans Store
Want An Accessible Pedestrian Signal In Your Neighborhood?
Yard Work -- As Viewed From Heaven
Web-Based Program Gives The Blind Internet Access
Crashing Through Award
Information From The National Office
On The Road, Again
Non-Alcoholic Fruit Punch
Nuts And Bolts
ACBM Board Of Directors

From The President’s Disk

Hello everyone.
The 2008 ACB convention was a huge success. I haven’t seen official figures yet but heard there were around 2,000 in attendance. There were 14 ACBM members in Louisville and 3 guests from Minnesota. I believe I can also speak for Eileen Vasquez in thanking the membership for sending the two of us as delegates to the convention. At all times one (usually both of us) were in attendance at the general sessions. I attended the Nominating Committee and President’s meeting, and both Eileen and I were at the Midwest caucus to listen to the candidates for board of publications and ACB board members. All candidates ran unopposed but there was one nomination for BOP (Board of Publications) from the floor. See below for list of elected officers.

My personal highlights were a trip to Churchill downs, a visit to American Printing House for the blind to see books being produced in Braille and recorded, and participating in a survey for accessible currency. Other ACBM members said they enjoyed Meeting Jean Parker a blind radio journalist working in India, Mitzi Friedlander talking book narrator, and for one member meeting up with old friends whom she hadn’t seen for years. There were seminars on employment, technology, health and a very successful ACB auction. If you’ve never attended a national convention it is well worth it and with the many helpful volunteers I didn’t stay lost long when traversing the hotel.

Our state convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Metrodome January 24th through the 26th. If you have any ideas for speakers or vendors please contact me or leave a message on the Info Express comment line.

Committees:
If you are interested in serving on the following committees also leave a message on Info Express. The committees are: Legislative, bylaws, membership, projects, fund-raising, budget, scholarship, and communications.

I hope to see all of you at our picnic and auction on August 16th and that this year we have sold all 100 daily three tickets and had a winner each day.

As always feel free to get in touch with me with your comments, questions or concerns. You can also leave a message on info express: 612-486-5180.
Email me at: Janet.Dickelman@comcast.net, or call me directly at: (651) 428-5059.
Janet Dickelman, President, ACBM

St. Paul Stops Pop Pop Pop In Blind Mans Store

By NICK COLEMAN, Star Tribune
March 3, 2008

John Zitek is blind. But he is a popcorn man with a nose for business. So when the city of St. Paul told him to stop selling popcorn in the candy shop he operates in a state building, he believed someone was trying to get rid of him. Maybe he's right. There seems to have been a food fight in the Human Services building at 444 Lafayette Road.

Zitek, 43, has been blind since birth. Each weekday, he leaves his Minneapolis home at 5:30 a.m. to take the bus to St. Paul. He works hard, gets home at about 6 p.m., and enjoys a modest living, earning about $40,000 a year from his shop, which is one of half a dozen shops leased by the state's Services for the Blind as part of an effort to give jobs to the blind. But in January, the pop went out of Zitek's sales. Literally. Someone allegedly complained about the popcorn smell wafting from his shop near the building entrance, prompting a visit from a city inspector in December. The inspection turned up no health hazards, but the city told the building manager that Zitek's popcorn and coffee sales were not permitted by his license.

That was strange. A block away, at the Department of Natural Resources, a blind operator with the exact same city license still sells popcorn. But Zitek was ordered to remove his popcorn popper, coffee pots and microwave. He did so at the end of January. He says it is costing $2,000 or $3,000 in sales a month. "I'm just a small guy trying to make a decent living, an honest living," he says. "I just want to sell popcorn and coffee. I don't want that much."

Here's where the popcorn battle gets tricky. Zitek believes the complaint about his popcorn making originated with the company that runs the building's cafeteria. But a spokesperson for the company, Taher Inc., says the firm has no problem with Zitek and that it works in harmony with the blind operator at the DNR building, who is still popping corn. But Zitek says he has had run-ins with building management over competition between him and the cafeteria.

The building manager, Fred Koehler of Meritex Enterprises, says the popcorn problem is mostly a city issue. But he acknowledges some tension between Zitek and the cafeteria: "There's a question as to who gets to do what," he said. We don't need a congressional investigation. But it stands to reason there could be some competitive tension. Zitek doesn't pay rent for his space, which is leased by the state. He does, however, pay a substantial part of his revenues to the state to help support the Business Enterprises Program of the Services to the Blind.

A new license? Not so fast. "The cafeteria would love to get me out of the building because I'm too much competition," says Zitek, who used to have vending machines in the cafeteria, too. All he wants now is to get back to popping corn. He thought it would be easy, until he paid a visit to city offices to get a new license. That's when he ran into a bureaucratic nightmare. Every one of his questions required someone to do research before he could get a response. Every time the city had a question for him, it felt as if he was getting the third-degree.

Not so fast, Mister. You can't just sell popcorn in this town. First, we have to make your life miserable. And make you cough up a thousand bucks. Zitek was told he would have to present a proposal to Zoning and Planning and bring in detailed blueprints and architectural drawings before the city could approve his scheme to put a popcorn popper back where it used to be.

"This is just ridiculous," Zitek says. "There's been a store here for 20 years, making popcorn. But I have to go through a planning process. I'm upset. My customers are upset. No wonder businesses have trouble in this city."

I don't know if Zitek is right about that. But I will say that the DNR building, where the smell of popcorn wafts through the lobby, seems a lot friendlier than the popcorn-free building next door.

St. Paul should get that popper popping again.

"We'll find the appropriate license for him, and I can guarantee it won't involve blueprints or architectural drawings," said a chagrined Mark Kaisersatt, community liaison for the city's Department of Safety and Inspections. Kaisersatt said that plan reviews are "triggered" by applications for new food licenses and that the city "isn't going to let anyone be preparing food" without the proper license. Zitek may need a sink for washing coffee pots and popcorn utensils, Kaisersatt said (Zitek uses a sink across the hall) "but I doubt we're going to have him bring blueprints." The appropriate license, it turns out, costs $75 a year. Zitek has paid a lot more than that in frustration. "Popcorn has been here forever," he says. "But someone got a bug up their back, and I got squashed."

Want An Accessible Pedestrian Signal In Your Neighborhood?
Here Is How To Get Government To Provide What You Need

By: Christopher Bell

An accessible pedestrian signal ("APS") is a pedestrian signal which you activate by pushing a button on a traffic pole. You are able to find the button because it has its own locater tone. When the button is pushed, it activates the APS and informs you when it is safe to cross in audible, understandable English In addition, a metal arrow pointing the pedestrian to walk in the right direction vibrates to inform deaf-blind individuals when it is safe to cross. VLR has eight such signals at the corner of Franklin and Lyndale Avenues, should you wish to see how they work.

The APS makes crossing busy and confusing streets quick and easy. Unfortunately, it is less easy to get them installed to meet your needs. The best way to make it more likely your request for APS will be granted is to use the following letter as a model and address your request to the individuals listed below:
Mr. Philip E. Barnes
Administrative Program Coordinator
Federal Highway Administration Minnesota Division Office
380 Jackson Street
Galtier Plaza, Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55101-4802

Dear Mr. Barnes,

I believe my rights as a person with a disability have been violated by the City of [insert name of your city] and County of [insert name of MN county in which you live] because they have failed to install accessible pedestrian signals at street crossings I use regularly. I am a [senior citizen age [____] and OR am [legally-blind] OR [totally blind]. My poor vision makes it impossible for me to tell when it is safe to cross certain streets. [Insert intersections which you are having difficulty crossing, example, S. 5thStreet and 3rd Avenue S. and explain why you cross these intersections, e.g., to go to the drug store, shop for groceries, take a bus, etc.] I request that your agency conduct an investigation of my complaint immediately. I can be reached at [insert your full phone number].

Sincerely,
[Insert your name and address]

Cc: Bruce Latte
Disability Program Manager MN/DOT
395 John Ireland Blvd.
St. Paul, MN55155

Please save a copy of your letter and the response you receive.

Should you have any questions, please contact Board Member Chris Bell at 612-859-4938.

Yard Work -- As Viewed From Heaven

Used by permission, from the "Blind Gardener mailing list"

(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):
God: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are patches of green.
St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
God: Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut sometimes two times a week.
God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
God: Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes, sir.
God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
God: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
God: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie ab...
God: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!.

Web-Based Program Gives The Blind Internet Access

USA TODAY
By Donna Gordon Blankinship, Associated Press

SEATTLE (APOnline) -- Blind people generally use computers with the help of screen-reader software, but those products can cost more than $1,000, so they're not exactly common on public PCs at libraries or Internet cafes. Now a free new Web-based program for the blind aims to improve the situation.

It's called WebAnywhere, and it was developed by a computer science graduate student at the University of Washington. Unlike software that has to be installed on PCs, WebAnywhere is an Internet application that can make Web surfing accessible to the blind on most any computer.

The developer, Jeffrey Bigham, hopes it lets blind people check a flight time on a public computer at the airport, plan a bus route at the library or type up a quick e-mail at an Internet cafe.

To get WebAnywhere running, a blind person has to manage to get online, which can be complicated on a computer not already set up to give verbal feedback. But Bigham's research found that Web-savvy blind people often know plenty of keyboard tricks and when to ask for help.

Once online, a blind Web surfer can use the WebAnywhere browser, which can link to and then read out loud any page as long as the computer has speakers or a headphone jack. The program can skip around the section titles, tab through charts or read the page from top to bottom.

Crashing Through Award

A portion of every Sendero GPS sale will go into an annual scholarship fund to be awarded to a student with the most impressive travel adventure for the year. We will begin accepting applications September 1, 2008 with a $2500 scholarship for one student. The scholarship will be announced in mid March.

Interested parties should think about adventure travel already taken in 2008 or about future possibilities. Here is what we will be looking for.

The focus is on independent travel. In other words, a cruise would not be rated highly in terms of independence. Travel with sighted friends, colleagues or family is fine as long as the blind student is demonstrating independent travel, a leader rather than a follower.

We want to hear how the student's orientation and mobility tools and techniques are used. It doesn't matter if one is using a cane or a dog but more about what one is doing, sailing, hiking, exploring a big city and the like. Use of GPS is not required but will weigh in the applicants favor if used.

Independence, innovation and uniqueness are the qualities we will be looking for when we evaluate applications. Documenting the travel through photos and/or audio recordings will be very helpful. This documentation along with the written travel story will be the bulk of the scholarship submission. More details about the application will be published by early September. Recommendation letters will be requested. The funds can be used for, school, technology, travel or whatever the winner chooses.

Please spread the word to other students and teachers so photos, audio and a journal can be captured on any upcoming trips. If a trip isn't planned before the February 2009 deadline, start planning for next summer.

Michael G. May
CEO Sendero Group
"The GPS company:" Sendero Featuring GPS on the mPower, PK and Voice Sense and coming soon, Mobile Geo. . Also distributing Trekker, Victor Stream, KNFB Mobile Reader, Talks,, Mobile Speak, Tiger embossers, Miniguide and ID Mate

Crashing Through by Robert Kurson available at http://www.CrashingThrough.com

MikeMay@SenderoGroup.com
http://www.SenderoGroup.com
1-888-757-6810, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007
Sendero Group, LLC
429 F Street, Davis, CA 95616, USA

Information From The National Office

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2008 -- Leaders of the American Council of the Blind, the nation's leading organization of people who are blind and visually impaired, today commended a vote by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch to increase funding for the talking book program. The proposed amount is $34,500,000.00.

The National Library Service operates this program for the blind and physically handicapped (NLS). The NLS makes public library services available to people across the country who are unable to read the print books contained in traditional public libraries.

Organizations of the blind have been encouraging Congress to increase appropriations for this program in order to enable the Library of Congress to update its book production technology. The current talking book collection is produced on obsolete cassette tapes, which are played on obsolete machines that are no longer being manufactured. Increased funding will enable the Library of Congress to convert its antiquated talking book collection into a contemporary digital format and to produce players that will be much more versatile for the increasing number of patrons throughout the country. It is anticipated that this conversion will result in better book circulation because the equipment will last longer and the number of books that can be made available to library users will increase substantially.

On Friday, June 27, the Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held its quarterly meeting. This was the first meeting that ACB participated in as a voting member of the committee. Prior to becoming a member of the committee, ACB actively participated in the Disability Access Working Group, which handles access issues pertaining to digital television and broadcast programming. Over the past nine months, ACB has worked diligently to bring emergency information to the forefront of the committee's list of critical issues to consider. I am very pleased to report that the working group's proposed resolution, a draft of which is pasted below, was adopted by the full committee during this meeting. This resolution will now be sent to the Commissioners and Chairman Martin for further consideration. As the new co-chair of the Disability Access Working Group, I will be participating in meetings with FCC commissioners and eventually Chairman Martin later this year regarding emergency information access.

I. FCC Action on Access to Televised Emergency Programming by People who are Blind or Have Low Vision.

A. The Problem
Currently, FCC rules (47 CFR Part 79.2) on emergency programming only require an audio tone that alerts blind people of the need to access emergency information when emergency text is provided on televised programming. Once the tone is heard, it is expected that such individuals will then turn to a second source (e.g., a radio) to obtain additional information about the emergency. This is not considered an effective means of providing emergency information to people who cannot see television.

B. Request for CAC Action
The Disability Access Working Group requests that the Consumer Advisory Committee adopt the following:
The Consumer Advisory Committee respectfully requests that the FCC take action to ensure that individuals who are blind or have low vision have access to televised emergency programming. To accomplish this, the FCC needs to identify methods to make such on-screen-displayed text - which includes written or other non-verbal information (whether scrolled or displayed as characters or images) that appears on a television screen – accessible to this population.
Such text should include information provided:

IF YOU CURRENTLY USE AVAILABLE VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS TO ACCESS TELEVISION PROGRAMMING, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING REGARDING THE DIGITAL TELEVISION (DTV) TRANSITION:

National election results:

Board of publications:
Ken Stewart, NY, (unopposed)
Judy Jackson, TX, (unopposed)
Marcia Dresser, MA, (beating Charlie Hodge)

Board of Directors:
Michael Garret, TX, (unopposed)
Beryl Colley, WA, (unopposed)
Billie Jean Keith, VA, (unopposed)
David Trott, AL, (unopposed)
Marcia Farrow, GA, (unopposed)

On The Road, Again

By: Bob Lockwood

It was a bright and sunny day as we sped south on I-35 – off on another adventure. We were heading for Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was an uneventful trip until we were heading south toward Roswell, New Mexico.

Just south of Portales, New Mexico, we ran into a prairie fire and had to search our maps for an alternate route south. After finding an alternate route – and several hours later - we decided to spend a night in Roswell so that we could look for alien spacecraft. Sadly, none were to be found except in the various shops along Main Street in Roswell. After leaving Roswell, we went to Carlsbad Caverns.

I had been there before, but Peggy had not. Needless to say, she was very impressed by the size of the caverns and all of the stalactites and stalagmites that were to be seen. A unique feature in the caverns is what is called drapery stone. Imagine your living room draperies but made entirely from stone. As we left Carlsbad Caverns, we started to look at our maps to see what other adventures could be had along our route to the Grand Canyon.

We decided to take a tour through the Saguaro National Park in south eastern Arizona on our way to Phoenix. For those of you who don’t know what a Saguaro is, it is a very tall cactus with up-raised arms – sort of like we used to see in the old-time western movies. The Saguaro National park is packed with the cactus of all sizes. We were lucky to see some the cacti blooming and birds building nests in their trunks. We also got to see some Road Runners out collecting their mid-day meal. Our next stop was the Grand Canyon, but there were more things to see along the way.

We headed off the interstate on our way north so that we could go through Jerome and Sedona. Jerome is a small mining village built on the side of a very, very, steep mountain side. The front brakes on our car were smoking when we stopped at a scenic overlook outside of Jerome. Sedona was exceptionally beautiful. The mountain sides there are a bright rust color that cannot be adequately described. The rock formations were also unique from any others we had seen so far on this trip. Kind of like you would see in a Road runner and Wyle E. Coyote cartoon.

As we approached the Grand Canyon from the south, the barren country side sets you up for what I believe is one of the greatest sights in the world. Approaching the canyon, all you see is a low line of scrub pine trees. As you walk through the trees, laid out before you is the Grand Canyon. The depth is amazing (over a mile deep) and the width is also amazing (up to 17 miles in some spots). The colors on the canyon walls are constantly changing as the sun moves throughout the day. Our two goals for the trip had been met, but we still had other things to see on our trip home.

The first place we stopped after the Grand Canyon was the Petrified Forest National Park. We saw huge and small tree trunks that had be turned to stone. Each tree trunk had different coloring and some of them looked like you could count the tree rings. Our next stop was the surprise of our trip.

Peggy had been to a place called Sky City west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and wanted to show me what it was like. Sky City is the common name for a pueblo that has been continuously occupied by the Acoma people for longer than any other city in the United States. The pueblo sits on top of a rock mesa that is 700 feet above the surrounding land. Our tour guide was an Acoma native and gave a very moving description of how his people found the pueblo site and kept it occupied for so many centuries, despite the actions of European and American settlers.

Our next stop was at the Petroglyph National Monument on the west side of Albuquerque. A petroglyph is a marking that is chiseled into stone. Most of the petroglyphs were very hard to see and we had seen better ones near the Petrified Forest, so we cut our stay there short and headed for home. We made one last stop at the Capulin Volcano in northeastern New Mexico. We drove to the top of the volcano and were able to walk into the crater. The volcano is not active, of course, and is one of the best preserved specimens of a cone volcano in the United States. No more stops were made on our way home, but we did see some other places on the maps that we would like to visit. The southwestern United States is a place with a very rich history and lots of exciting things to see.

Non-Alcoholic Fruit Punch

Used at Chris and Jo's wedding
From the Bell and Taliaferro kitchen

1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
2 qts. ginger ale
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries (optional)
Hint: Pink lemonade makes this beverage look like bad-tasting medicine!

Mix frozen juices per instructions on cans. Use 3 or 4 cans of water with concentrated juices), Add pineapple juice. Stir in strawberries. Add ginger ale at time of serving. Makes 37 (6 ounce) servings. To add to appearance, a ring can be made using the above juices and frozen in a Jell-O mold.
Make other additions at your own punch bowl!!

Nuts And Bolts

By: Jo Taliaferro

Letters Needed for BRAILLE Postage Stamp
Your assistance is needed in an attempt to get the U.S. Postal Service to insure a Louis Braille Commemorative stamp in 2009. This stamp would be issued in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. The U.S. Postal Service indicated that they would consider the issuance of a stamp; so, since the stamp would have to be approved and produced in 2008 for release in 2009, we need to ask them to finalize the decision and issue a Louis Braille Stamp in honor of the man who brought literacy to all people who are blind around the world. Please add your voice to the request by sending your letter to:
U.S. Postal Service
Citizen's Stamp Committee
Stamp Development
475 L'Enfant Plaza,SW, room 5670
Washington, DC 20260-2436

Adaptive technology classes at the Hennepin county Library will be held from August through December 2008. There will be classes on Jaws, open book, Magic, Internet, and email. Contact Jennifer at (612) 630-6469 for additional information about class details.

AIRS-LA is a website that provides information and entertainment specifically to those with low or no vision. Get the latest on health, finance, science, product information, and more by clicking on www.airsla.org

SSA finalizes changes to Ticket to Work program - The Social Security Administration is revising its regulations governing "The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program," which encourages Social Security disability beneficiaries to return to work. "These rules outline a new and improved Ticket to Work program and are based on learning from our experiences, listening to input from interested parties, and responding to their suggestions," said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. "Beneficiaries with disabilities will have greater flexibility and expanded choices in obtaining the services they need to attain their employment goals." Essentially, the changes add an educational and technical training option to supplement the work requirement for Ticket to Work eligibility, and would tighten up the progress requirements for continued participation in the program. The final regulations are effective July 21, 2008. Details of the changes appear in the SSA's notice of proposed rulemaking are published in the May 20, 2008, Federal Register (73 Fed. Reg. 29324).

ACBM Board Of Directors

Janet Dickelman, President
St. Paul, MN
Phone: (651) 428-5059
E-mail: Janet.Dickelman@comcast.net

Michael Malver, Vice-President
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 673-0664
E-mail: mmalver@visi.com

Sue Lindgren, Secretary
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 605-4526
E-mail: slindgren@mindspring.com

Juliette Silvers, Treasurer
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 824-2131
E-mail: jsilvers03@comcast.net

Chris Bell, Director
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 859-4938
E-mail: christophergbell@comcast.net

Carolyn Coby, Director
Forest Lake, MN
Phone: (651) 464-5935
E-mail: cs_coby@hotmail.com

Bob Lockwood, Director
Minnetonka, MN
Phone: (952) 938-7190
E-mail: peggy_bob@msn.com

Catalina Roisum, Director
Brooklyn Center, MN
Phone: (763) 566-4464
E-mail: catroi@msn.com

Jo Taliaferro, Director
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 722-1195
E-mail: soaringeagle7@comcast.net

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