The National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota is an organization focused on consumer advocacy for blind people and promoting a positive philosophy of blindness.  We are also a family.  Here is a column that we print from time to time, containing items that would not normally be sent out on our membership listserv but which are noteworthy and of interest to members.  Did you or a Federationist you know get a new job?  Go on a major trip?  Win an award?  Have a child?  Something else important to you?  If you have news you would like shared in this column, send it to the Bulletin editor, Tom Scanlan, and he will pass it along. Here’s the news since our last issue:

There's lots of good job-related news to share this time: 

• May Spooner is now working at Ta's hair salon, providing massages on weekends.
• Lori Brown now works as an office specialist for the Minnesota Health Licensing Boards.
• Matthias Niska has accepted a position at the Brown, Goldstein & Levy law firm in Baltimore; he and Corinne will be moving there at the end of October (he also just passed the Minnesota Bar Exam.)
• Steve Decker is working as an accessibility consultant at Target.

Congratulations to all, and to the companies who have wisely taken on these capable folks as employees.

It was 20 years ago this year that Anne Naber arrived in the United states from South Korea.  We are glad you are here, Anne!

Michele Denise Michaels, better known to us as Michele Gittens, has a new CD coming out entitled "Altar Call."  You can listen to the gorgeous first single from the CD on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss1R0TdkbUI

This summer, Jean Rauschenbach left Minnesota to seek her fortune in Moline, Illinois.  Jean served as president of our student division for a time, and she also helped out in all sorts of other behind-the-scenes capacities to get things done.  She has been a dependable and capable worker who brought a sense of humor to all that she did.  We will miss Jean here, but we know she's still part of the Federation and will be around at national conventions and other activities.

Joyce and Tom Scanlan have sold their lovely house on Queen Avenue and will soon be moving to an apartment closer to uptown Minneapolis.  For 22 years, many a gathering of Federationists was held in that house, from St. Patrick's Day celebrations to fancy dinners for six sold at our convention auction, and all manner of other wonderful festivities.  All the best to the Scanlans with their new residential adventure.

If we have missed any noteworthy news here, please send it along for the next column!