[Nfb-editors] QUE PASA December 2014

Sun Dec 14 14:28:46 UTC 2014

QUE PASA

December 2014

Quarterly newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico

(Published in March, June, September, and December)

Adelmo Vigil, President

E-mail:  <mailto:Avigil74 at gmail.com> Avigil74 at gmail.com

(575) 921-5422

James Babb, Editor

E-mail:  <mailto:jim.babb at samobile.net> jim.babb at samobile.net

(505) 291-3112

Tonia Trapp, Assistant Editor

E-mail: Tonialeigh513 at earthlink.net

(505) 856-5346

Table of Contents

PREAMBLE.. 2

EDITOR'S NOTE.. 2

BLIND VOTERS IN NEW MEXICO FORCED TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARD.. 2

OWEN HENRY SHILLINGLAW, ANOTHER FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE NFB OF NM... 5

NEW MEXICO BRAILLE RUNNERS CONTEST. 7

2014 ANNUAL ALBUQUERQUE WHITE CANE BANQUET. 7

MY CANE TRAVELS TO GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS. 8

WHITE CANE ESSAY 1. 9

MY LONG WHITE CANE.. 9

WHITE CANE ESSAY 2. 10

SUPPORT GROUP. 11

GOOD EATING.. 12

ORANGE COFFEE CAKE.. 12

HOLIDAY TEMPTATION SNACK.. 13

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND WEBSITES. 13

MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. 14

PREAMBLE

The National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico (NFBNM) is a 501 (c) 3
consumer organization comprised of blind and sighted people committed to
changing what it means to be blind. Though blindness is still all too often
a tragedy to those who face it, we know from our own personal experience
that with training and opportunity, it can be reduced to the level of a
physical nuisance. We work to see that blind people receive services and
training to which they are entitled and that parents of blind children
receive the advice and support they need to help their youngsters grow up to
be happy, productive adults. We believe that first-class citizenship means
that people have both rights and responsibilities, and we are determined to
see that blind people become first-class citizens of these United States,
enjoying their rights and fulfilling their responsibilities. The most
serious problems we face have less to do with our lack of vision than with
discrimination based on the public's ignorance and misinformation about
blindness. Join us in educating New Mexicans about the abilities and
aspirations of New Mexico's blind citizens.

(Adapted from NFB of Ohio newsletter.) 

EDITOR'S NOTE

by Jim Babb, Editor

Hello everyone, we hope you like this December issue of Que Pasa. Thank you
to everyone who sends in articles, announcements, recipes, etc. Without
these articles there would be no affiliate newsletter called Que Pasa. 

I'm going on a trip soon, and I always take a telescoping white cane as a
backup. One shortcoming of this type of cane is that it can collapse on you.
To reduce this problem, when pulling each section out, tug a little at each
joint and at the same time do a quarter turn twist. 

To get the free U.S. currency reader, call the New Mexico Library for the
Blind now. They will send you one sometime early next year. See below under
USEFUL WEBSITES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS for details. 

Also, check out the November Braille Monitor and read the article by Greg
Trapp about a blind Russian who invented and developed one of the world's
most accurate target pistols.

BLIND VOTERS IN NEW MEXICO
FORCED TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARD
by Curtis Chong

Members of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico will recall
Resolution 2014-04, passed at our 2014 convention, which expressed "extreme
disappointment with Secretary of State Dianna Duran for the failure of her
office to involve and consult with the blind community during the evaluation
and certification of the Dominion ImageCaptureR Evolution (ICE) voting
machine" (this resolution was printed in the June, 2014 issue of Que Pasa).
Some of our members had tried the new Dominion ICE voting machine during a
"mock" election held in Albuquerque in late March, and others had taken
advantage of the opportunity to examine the new machine when representatives
from Bernalillo County brought it to our 2014 convention. For the most part,
as reflected in the resolution, we were unimpressed with what was supposed
to be the latest and greatest in nonvisual voting technology, and we were
extremely displeased by the failure of the Secretary of State to involve the
blind community during the early stages of the evaluation and selection
process.

Since the time of our convention, blind voters in New Mexico have had the
chance to use the Dominion ICE in both the primary and mid-term elections. I
regret to say that with very few exceptions, our experience using the
Dominion ICE in a real election was even worse than anything we might have
imagined when we passed Resolution 2014-04.

Audio Quality

I don't know what speech synthesis engine is being used in the Dominion ICE.
What I do know is that the quality of the voice used on the Dominion Ice is
significantly worse than the voices we hear when we run our computers with
the latest screen reader or our iPhones with VoiceOver. Anyone who has used
the AutoMARK to vote in a previous election will marvel at the consistency
and quality of the speech on that system--especially as compared to the
muffled speech and poorly-pronounced words on the Dominion ICE.

Some voters have reported that the volume of the speech on the Dominion ICE
tends to go up and down even while one happens to be reading a proposed
amendment or bond measure. It has been reported that because of this,
lengthy proposals are very difficult to understand.

Perhaps more significant is the deplorable fashion in which candidate names
are pronounced. The Dominion ICE massacres Hispanic names; this problem was
far less noticeable with the AutoMARK. In many cases, candidate names, as
spoken by the Dominion ICE, sound much different than they do when spoken on
radio or television.

Speed Control Makes Speech Incomprehensible

Since the Dominion ICE is supposed to be the latest and greatest in voting
technology, you would think that it should out-perform older access
technologies that have been used for years by the blind. Not so with the
speaking rate controls.

When speech is first turned on in the Dominion ICE, the speaking rate is
slower than a normal speaking rate. Some blind voters might be tempted to
speed things up. Fortunately, the Dominion ICE does have a button which does
this. Unfortunately, when the speech is made to talk faster, words are
actually chopped off. For example, "party" becomes "part," and "voting"
becomes "vote."

Slowing the speech down presents a different problem. An echo effect seems
to be introduced, and syllables are now long and drawn out, making some
words impossible to understand.

Bad Nonvisual Interface Design

The way in which a blind voter must operate the Dominion ICE today does not
demonstrate an understanding of how we use our computers and iPhones today.
Nor does it reflect any appreciation or awareness of how the nonvisual user
navigates through lists and lengthy passages of text.

The first problem is that when you are navigating through the list of
candidates in a particular contest (often a list with only one entry), you
are thrown out of the contest when you move past the last name in the list.
When this happens, you have to press a left arrow key to move back to the
contest and a down arrow key to get back into the list of candidates for
that contest. This is frustrating, especially if the list is short (i.e.,
contains only one or two names). The problem is even worse when you are
trying to vote the last contest on the ballot. In this case, if you should
move past the last name in the list, you cannot simply press the left arrow
and the down arrow to return to this last contest. No. The software thinks
that you are finished voting and takes you right to the summary function,
which means that you then have to traverse the ballot, contest by contest
(two key presses per contest), until you reach the last one. Good nonvisual
interface design would avoid this problem by keeping you in the contest when
the bottom of the list is reached and enabling you to move back up to the
top of the list so that a selection could be made.

The second problem is that after you have selected one or more candidates
for a particular contest, the Dominion ICE insists on repeating your
selection--not once but twice--before you are permitted to move to the next
contest. Good nonvisual user interface design might repeat your selection
once, but certainly never more than once.

The third problem relates to long passages of text such as the text
contained in a proposed bond issue or constitutional amendment. The blind
user is forced to listen to the entire text of the passage. There is no
opportunity to back up one word, line, sentence, or paragraph. If you miss
something, you have to listen to the entire passage again--all in all, an
unnecessary waste of time.

Failure To Consult With The Blind

As Resolution 2014-04 indicates, Secretary of State Dianna Duran never
reached out to the blind community during the time that her office was
evaluating and selecting a replacement for the AutoMARK. If we, the blind,
had been as involved in the evaluation of the Dominion ICE as we were in the
selection of the AutoMARK, we would have told the Secretary of State in no
uncertain terms that the Dominion ICE was not a good voting system for us.

I am sure that the Secretary of State will maintain that the Dominion ICE is
the best nonvisual voting system on the market and that there is no
competing product which would better meet the needs of blind voters.
However, I have had a chance to examine at least one competing voting
system, and I can say with certainty that blind voters in New Mexico would
have been a lot happier with this competing system had it been selected.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Despite our tremendous unhappiness with the shabby treatment meted out to
the blind community by Secretary of State Dianna Duran and her office, and
regardless of how much we find fault with the Dominion ImageCapture
Evolution (ICE), the bottom line is that New Mexico is not going to abandon
the Dominion ICE voting system any time soon. On the plus side, there is a
very good chance that over time, the Dominion ICE will get better. But the
improvements will surely not happen unless we, the blind, continue our
efforts to identify the problems and offer detailed suggestions for
improvement.

OWEN HENRY SHILLINGLAW, ANOTHER FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE NFB OF NM

by Peggy Chong

Owen was born December 29, 1910 in Las Vegas, New Mexico. He was the second
child born to William and Gertrude Shillinglaw. William and his wife, both
born and raised in Iowa, moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, right after they
were married in 1908 so William could take a job with the Wallace Land
Office.

Owen had an active and social childhood. The Las Vegas community had many
young families with children his age to play with. His family was active in
their local church, and Owen took an active part in church activities.

As a child, it was discovered that he and his brother Morris had a severe
case of arthritis. This impacted Owen for the rest of his life. When he was
a very young man, he became almost totally blind due to the arthritis.
Again, this did not stop him from being an active part in his community and
supporting himself. 

He graduated from the local schools in Las Vegas, graduating from Las Vegas
High School in 1929. He then went to Highlands University for several
classes, but decided to get a job and earn a living. This was the time of
the Great Depression where going to school was a luxury that he may not have
been able to afford.

Owen went to work for "Cokey," Alfredo Coca Sr., at the New Mexico Fuel and
Lumber Company in Las Vegas. Cokey gave him a job as a salesman, all the
while teaching him the entire business for the fuel and lumber yard. The
company still used burro's to transport its firewood to customers, and many
times, Owen would load the burros for customers. There was an old wood
splitter in the back. It is not known if Owen used it or not, but it was
still there when Owen passed away. 

On February 4, 1938, Owen borrowed $1,000 and bought the lumber company. He
changed the name to Owen Shillinglaw Fuel Co. The location of the business
was perfect as it already had a rail spur that ran right up to the building,
making it easy for ordering large rail cars of coal, lumber and equipment.
Shillinglaw's would then sell the coal in the quantity required by the
customer, whether that be by the truck load, or by the sack. 

On December 19, 1950, Owen married Deborah Mills-Gordon, a former resident
of Las Vegas, NM and a teacher, who was living in Claremore, OK. Deborah had
a daughter, Patricia Gordon-Laferty, from a previous marriage. Although Owen
was not sure that he wanted children as he feared he would pass on his
arthritis, he loved her daughter. Deborah did want more children. The couple
did try, however, no children were born to the couple. 

Deborah would drive Owen to work many mornings as it was physically hard for
him to walk. Owen would check his Braille watch and time her from the time
they left their home at 711 Dalby Drive to its intersection with Mills Ave.
He knew how long it should take. Many times, Owen would catch her going just
a little faster than the local speed limit would allow and tell her to slow
down. 

It does not appear that Owen went anywhere for training in the techniques of
blindness. He did not read Braille or use a white cane as we know it today.
His arthritis was actually more of a disability to him than was his
blindness. 

Mr. Shillinglaw took an active role in Las Vegas city council matters and
hearings. He was one of the people who addressed concerns that the city of
Las Vegas was growing too fast, and he lent his voice to the need to extend
the city limits in 1953. As a member of the Jaycee's, he served on many
committees including the Distinguished Service Award Committee. He was
active in the Red Cross and many other charities that helped his community.

In May of 1958, Owen attended the state convention of the National
Federation of the Blind of New Mexico in Albuquerque at the Knights of
Columbus Club. At that meeting, he was elected first Vice President. But his
participation in an organization to better the lives of the blind was to be
short-lived. 

Owen died on September 26, 1958. On September 13, he took a fall at the
office. Owen had gotten out of the passenger door of a truck that he and his
staff would be loading with a display to transport to Albuquerque. Owen
stepped on a brick, lost his balance and struck his head on the bumper of
the truck. He was taken to the Las Vegas hospital. About 12 days later, he
was transported to the Bataan Memorial Hospital in Albuquerque, located at
5400 Gibson Ave. SE for observation. At that time, it was not thought that
his injuries were life-threatening. But Owen died the next day. He was a
short-lived leader with so much promise for our state.

NEW MEXICO BRAILLE RUNNERS CONTEST

by Daphne Mitchell

The Albuquerque Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of New
Mexico is excited to announce the kick-off of our 2015 Braille Readers are
Leaders contest/fundraiser, which is called New Mexico Braille Runners. The
contest will begin Sunday, January 4, 2015, and run through Saturday, March
7, 2015. All entries must be received no later than Saturday, March 14,
2015. Winners will be announced the morning of Sunday, April 12 at the 2015
New Mexico state convention.

Here in Albuquerque we are passionate about Braille and believe that reading
is fun! Whether you are new to reading Braille, or a seasoned reader, this
contest is for you! Every dot counts! Whether you are a fan of children's
classics such as Green Eggs and Ham or Good Night Moon, trilogies such as
The Hunger Games or 50 Shades of Grey, or even if magazines and newspapers
are more your speed, we encourage you to enter!

The official rules, reading logs, and both registration and pledge forms can
be found on the affiliate website at  <http://www.nfbnm.org> www.nfbnm.org
by December 31, 2014. If you are a member of a chapter and a division, you
will be able to enter for both. Information on how to do that will be coming
soon. Sponsors may make pledges based on every ten pages read, and all
donations and pledge forms are due no later than Sunday, April 12. 

2014 ANNUAL ALBUQUERQUE WHITE CANE BANQUET

by Peggy Chong

On Saturday, October 18, 2014, Federationists gathered at the Uptown
Sheraton Hotel in Albuquerque to celebrate the passage of the White Cane Law
here in New Mexico. The White Cane Law is much more than a law that allows
us access to travel independently on our city and country roads. It is the
Civil Rights legislation here in New Mexico that guarantees us as blind
people access to all buildings, streets, activities and employment
opportunities. Our banquet was sponsored by the NFB of NM Albuquerque
Chapter, the Parents of Blind Children Division, and the West Mesa Chapter.

Caroline Benavidez, President of the West Mesa Chapter, was our emcee. On
the first part of the agenda was a history of white cane laws in New Mexico
presented by Peggy Chong. Francine Garcia read the 2014 White Cane
Proclamation, signed by Governor Susana Martinez earlier in the month. 

Our guest speaker was Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, whose topic was
quiet cars and how it affects us all. He related his personal experience
being hit by a quiet car at his own home by a family member. It was
refreshing to have a police representative to identify with our issues as a
fellow Albuquerquian and not think of us as amazing, brave or leading lives
too scary for him to imagine. He offered to have our chapters come and
videotape a message concerning the White Cane Law that all the police
officers of Albuquerque will view as part of their daily updates. We agreed
to take him up on his offer later in November. All agreed that Chief Eden
did a great job and is a friend to the blind of our city.

Again this year, we hosted the White Cane Essay Contest. Gail Wagner
presented the winners with their cash prizes and read the winning entries to
the audience. This year's essay contest winners were as follows: first place
in the adult category, Veronica Smith; second place was Monica Martinez. In
the student category, Faith Switzer took first place, and Ari Bennaly won
second place.

All left the banquet with renewed energy in the National Federation of the
Blind. 

MY CANE TRAVELS TO GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS 

by Faith Switzer 

Note: This essay won first prize in the student category of the 2014 White
Cane Essay Contest.

Hello, My name is Faith. This is a story about my cane that I took with me
to the ocean. This weekend my family & I drove to Galveston Island, Texas.
My cane took me all over the island. I walked on the side of the road to a
souvenir shop & a kite store where my sister & I each bought a wind spinner.
After we left the kite shop my cane & I traveled across the street to the
61st pier where I walked across and felt a bumpy wooden bumpy bridge. Then I
climbed the stairs to the restaurant up on top. I climbed two big sets of
stairs & a mini set of stairs. Next to me I could hear the waves of the
ocean & it was very loud. My cane & I ate at the restaurant which was
outside. When we finished eating we walked back downstairs & traveled to the
beach. While at the beach my cane helped me find seashells, rocks & water.
The sand was very wet & very muddy. My cane & I went back to the hotel &
went swimming in the pool. I sat my cane on the steps of the pool so I knew
where it was. We went back to the beach to look for seashells and go
swimming. I took my cane into the ocean with me so I could hit a shark with
it if one tried to bite me. I only got half of my body into the ocean & a
shark never came to bite me. I should have given Scott my cane because while
he was in the ocean a crab bit his toe and he needed to hit the crab with.
After we got out of the ocean my mom wanted pictures of my sister and I, so
my cane & I climbed up a lot of rocks so we could sit at the top for a
picture. When we climbed down we dug for more seashells & found some. We dug
holes in the beach sand & made little sand castles in the beach sand. Then
my cane & I walked all over the sand castles and smushed them. Then I walked
into the water again to rinse the sand off of myself and my cane and my
sister. When we were leaving the beach I climbed up the stairs all by myself
while everyone else walked the ramp. I waited for my family at the top of
the stairs. When we left the beach we got into the truck and drove to Joe's
crabshack. We ate crab and got bibs. Then we drove to the Ferry. I used my
cane to walk across the loading dock and climbed onto the Ferry. My cane & I
climbed up the Ferry stairs and we rode on the top deck of the Ferry. Then
we climbed down the stairs and stood at the bow of the Ferry, I could hear
the waves and felt them splash up on me. Me & my cane have lots of fun
everywhere we go. It was a fun vacation. 

WHITE CANE ESSAY 1

by Ari Bennaly 

Note: This essay won second prize in the student category of the 2014 White
Cane Essay Contest.

When I went to Louisiana I took my cane and I had my cane with me all that
time in Louisiana. I took my cane to the stores, pools, bakeries, and other
places that I went to. I also took my cane to all the classes too. All the
counselors had canes. Also, the kids in the Buddy Program had canes too.
Sighted people had no canes at all. What is cool about blind people is that
we can read in the dark and we have a cane because it helps us not bump into
stuff. If I did not have my cane or take it to Louisiana I would have been
bumping into stuff. I love my cane very, very, very much.

MY LONG WHITE CANE 

by Veronica Smith

Note: This essay won first prize in the adult category of the 2014 White
Cane Essay Contest.

Many people use their long white canes for many things and over the years I
have been known to do the same. For example, it makes a perfect hanger
grabber. You know how it is, some stores must for whatever reason they feel,
hang that perfect item way up high so no one under 9 feet tall can buy it.
Well, you know it, all you have to do is grab the handle of your long white
cane and tap the bottom of the hanger and voila, down comes that perfect
piece of clothing.

I have been known to use my long white cane to whack icicles down from the
edges of our roof.

I have been known to use my cane to corral small young children, keeping
them out of harm's way.

I have been known to use my cane as a sweeper. Putting it flat on the floor
and sweeping across the area until I find what I lost.

I have been known to reach up into tall trees with it to pull down branches
that are just too high.

It has also been used as a poker, a fishing pole, a weapon, but most of all
she is a very good friend.

She stands patiently with me while I wait for the bus, she finds dangerous
obstacles ahead of me, she taps on doors or walls or windows as I approach
them. She is patient and never talks back. She stands at attention waiting
near our front door and is always willing to go on any adventure. She is
always there for me and I just couldn't imagine a day without her. Her name
is Estrella which means star. 

My long white cane is the perfect piece of adaptive equipment, it does
everything.

WHITE CANE ESSAY 2

by Monica Martinez

Note: This essay won second prize in the adult category of the 2014 White
Cane Essay Contest.

Hello my name is Monica Martinez and I have been legally blind since birth.
The first ten years of my life, I was treated as if I was mentally
incompetent. I was given half the homework of other students, mocked by
peers because I couldn't read the blackboard, and ran into everything in my
path. I believed what my peers told me. That I was a freak. I couldn't see
large staircases going down in front of me and fell down entire flights as a
result. I hated my life. Then I moved on to middle school and everything
changed. I found out I was blind when I was 11 years old after I was put in
a special education class in sixth grade after failing algebra. The teacher
was also a teacher for the visually impaired. I did not know it at the time
but she would change my life forever for the better. Her name is Gail
Wagner. I convinced my father I had to go to the school for the visually
impaired in Alamogordo. I knew by then I was different from the other
children. I got frequent migraines, couldn't tell a curb from the sidewalk
and fell constantly. One of the first things I learned at the school was how
to use a white cane. It felt awkward in my hands and I resisted it at first.
I felt stupid and felt people staring at me while I was in public. As time
went on, I learned to accept my disability and therefore, my cane. I stopped
falling as much, bumping into walls and walking into the street when I
thought it was part of the sidewalk. Soon I was off to college, traveling
independently on the bus and trusting my cane to tell me about changes in
the terrain. I graduated with a double Master's in Mental Health Counseling
and School Counseling with honors. Today I work with children ranging from
kindergarten to fifth grade. I am living and working at my dream job. I
still use my cane and teach the children, staff and others in Albuquerque
Public Schools what it means to be a person who is visually impaired. I am
working full time and live independently. I take my cane everywhere and am
no longer ashamed of being legally blind. I am proud of all that I have
accomplished and grateful that I failed that math class so many years ago so
I could meet Gail and learn what it means to be not only blind but
independent as well. Thank you. 

SUPPORT GROUP

by Coby Livingstone

I run a support group, Santa Fe View, that meets once a month at Capitol
Grill next to Connie's Market on Old Santa Fe Trail. We meet on the third
Wednesday of each month at 9:30 AM. People who are interested in attending
should contact me at the phone or email below.

Coby Livingstone, OTR/L, CVRT, CPSE

Low Vision Rehabilitation in New Mexico LLC

505.259.3672

 <mailto:visionlossrehab at gmail.com> visionlossrehab at gmail.com

GOOD EATING

ORANGE COFFEE CAKE

(From The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library: Gala Menus)

Submitted by Veronica Smith

We all love a big glass of orange juice to kick off a perfect breakfast, but
how about if we change it up a bit. Instead of having a glass of that
refreshing wet stuff, we're gonna feed our faces with something just as
good, but not as wet. In fact, instead of having a glass of it, let's have a
cup of coffee and still enjoy that tasty morning kicker.

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

3 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup orange juice

1 egg

2 tablespoons salad oil

Orange Topping (see below)

Orange Topping:

Mix 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2
tablespoons soft butter, and 1 tablespoon grated orange peel.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease round layer pan, 9 by 1 1/2 inches. Mix all
ingredients, except topping; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Spread in pan;
sprinkle with topping. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

HOLIDAY TEMPTATION SNACK

Submitted by Sue Garnanez

4 cups Spoon-size Shredded Wheat

10-ounce Can Planter's Nut Mix, Sesame flavor

2 cups Mr. Salty Ber-Thin Pretzel Stix

1/2 cups Blue Bonnet Spread

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Basil

1/2 teaspoon Garlic

(You can add your favorites to this recipe)

Mix all ingredients. Place mixture in a food storage bag and shake to mix.

Enjoy!

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND WEBSITES

1-800-456-5515 

New Mexico Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Call this
number and ask to be put on the list for a free U.S. currency identifier
(value $115.) It will be sent to you early in 2015.

 <http://www.creditKarma.com> www.creditKarma.com 

Go here and register for free, skip the paid version. Get your free credit
score and even free credit monitoring. 

 <http://www.decide.com> www.decide.com 

A great site for buying technology products, great deals. 

 <http://www.missingmoney.com> www.missingmoney.com 

If you have moved here from another state or even within New Mexico, you may
have money in an old bank account or utility deposits. 

 <http://www.optoutprescreen.com> www.optoutprescreen.com 

Go here and register to stop unwanted credit card solicitations. 

MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Washington Seminar will be held at the Holliday Inn Capitol from January
26-29, 2015. The Great Gathering will be held on Monday January 26. 

Announcement of annual College Scholarships: Scholarships from $3,000 to
$12,000 will be awarded to winners at the National Federation of the Blind
Annual Convention next July in Orlando, Florida. Go to the website
<http://www.nfb.org/scholarships> www.nfb.org/scholarships for details. 

The New Mexico NFB Annual Convention will be held April 8-10, 2015 at the
Sheraton Uptown Hotel in Albuquerque. 