1HZFOCUS ON NFB CONVENTION Get your reservations in for our National Convention. Write the Westin Hotel, Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 48243, attention: Reservations or call (313)568-8000. A deposit fee of $45 is required; you may use a credit card. Rates are $38 single, $43 double or twin, $48 quad - all plus tax. Children may stay with their parents at no additional charge if no extra bed is required. Our division will conduct a seminar on Friday, July 1, on Tax Law and Planning for Retirement. The sessions will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. The cost is $30, payable at the door at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, July 3, brings our Division meeting which will begin at 1:00 p.m. with registration and displays. We will start our usual meeting at 2:30 p.m. One of our speakers will be Priscilla Hudson who will give us some ideas about using our public libraries. We will hold the election of officers and some of our board members. Get your tickets and money for our $1,000 drawing to Ben Snow by Friday, June 17. His address is 31 Sherbrooke Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. Try to sell your tickets before you come to the convention, but if you have some left, bring them to Detroit. We will be selling tickets and flowers at our booth. We also hope to be giving away Pepsi products. We are pleased to announce the marriage of Priscilla Simmons and Don Hudson, May 27, 1994, with Homer Page officiating. CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO OUR COLORADO FRIENDS! SUMMARY OF MID-YEAR CONFERENCE by Kevan Worley On a cool, crisp April morning, several groups of blind business people began a walking tour of downtown Louisville vending locations close to the Galt House East. The mid-year conference of the National Federation of the Blind Merchants Division was not officially scheduled to begin until one o'clock Friday afternoon April 8, 1994, this did not stop the early arrivals. Many of the delegates from across the country wanted to start their networking and idea gathering early. There were five to six vending locations within an easy walk of the Galt House East. Kentucky vending managers welcomed their blind colleagues enthusiastically. We exchanged information about everything from fat free snacks to working with building management, to how to end the outdated practice of forced partnerships which still exists in the Kentucky Vending Program. By 1:00 p.m. we were loading into vans for a trip to the American Printing House for the Blind, Kentucky Industries for the Blind and the vending locations. Many said they enjoyed the tour of the American Printing House for the Blind very much. Almost all blind people in this country and many throughout the world benefit from the services of APH. An added treat for many was an opportunity to not only hear live the reading of one of the most popular talking book readers, Mitzi Friedlander, but to meet and speak with her. At Kentucky Industries for the Blind we received a tour of their manufacturing operation. As you can imagine, when Federationists come to call at a workshop there were pointed questions about their system and KIB's participation in that system. According to the workshop managers and what we saw, this seemed to be one of the better shops. They said all workers made more than the minimum wage. When one of our members asked if they were affiliated with NAC the response was a fine one - "I'm sorry, what is NAC?" The plant was neat, clean and industrious. Friday night brought registration for the mid-year conference of blind merchants. It also brought an interesting food and equipment display combined with a reception. As with many business related meetings, some of our most important work was actually done at the reception. We came together to exchange ideas, discuss problems and seek solutions to those common problems. Saturday morning was down to business. The Americans with Disabilities Act affects businesses managed by the blind as much as it does businesses managed by anyone else. We took some time in our agenda to discuss with Ms. Sharon Fields, the Kentucky Governor's ADA Special Advisor how we should be implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act. We heard from blind business people in Kentucky, not only the blind who are in the vending program, but also from those who are in other small businesses. We heard from a fascinating gentleman, Lloyd Agnew, who has run his own tire retail outlet in Henderson, KY for fifteen years. Dr. T.V. Cranmer, Chairman, Research and Development Committee, NFB, spoke with us at length about the activities of the R & D Committee and with particular emphasis on how technology can be and should be used by blind business people. We spent part of the day discussing the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) Conference. At that conference vendors and agency people came together from throughout the country to discuss the problems and plan a course of action to reform and rejuvenate our Business Enterprise Program. James Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs for the National Federation of the Blind, gave us an update on the many cases that the NFB is directly involved in to defend the rights of blind vendors. One of the most interesting presentations of the day was given by Dr. Betsy Zaborowski. Dr. Zaborowski a blind clinical psychologist from Baltimore, discussed ways to reduce stress when dealing with authority figures. Role playing was used to demonstrate the relevance of stress reduction for blind vendors. Don Morris played an obnoxious, overbearing BEP supervisor and Dr. Zaborowski took the role of a blind vendor. It was at the same time humorous and all too real for many of us. As with most NFB Conventions, the banquet was the highlight of the weekend. The food was delicious! Our Kentucky hosts had arranged with the Galt House to serve a Kentucky country feast, buffet style. James Gashel gave a stirring and informative banquet address. He spoke of how important it was for all blind people and particularly those who are protecting their rights under the Randolph-Sheppard Act to be informed, to be active and to be organized. From time to time the NFB Merchants Division presents awards to those who have led with distinction. This year was particularly special. Both recipients who were honored were surprised and deserving. Larry Posont who is currently our treasurer and was a long-time president of our division was given an award for his singular effort on our behalf. Shirley Morris, who, in this writer's opinion, is an unsung heroine of our Division, was also honored. This night we did sing her praises for her work on newsletters, registration, correspondence and so much more that she has brought to our group. Sunday morning our agenda was packed with the business of the division: Discussion of NFB Coffee Day on October 15, raffle ticket sales for the drawing to be held in Detroit at the National Convention, our newsletter and its funding, and flower sales which we will do again at the convention. Donna Posont requested HELP with flower sales. This activity is a big help with funding in the Merchants Division. Please, please, see Donna to sell flowers in Detroit! In upcoming newsletters you will read about many of the activities and plans from this year's mid-year conference. I can only urge all of you to attend our conference at the National Convention in Detroit. FROM THE EDITOR by Kevan Worley The past few months have seen the retirement of two NFB Merchants Division leaders. Ben Snow of Connecticut and Andy Virden of Minnesota have retired from their businesses but not from our movement. These two stalwarts have been members of our Division for many years. They have toiled for years, not only to make their businesses the best they could be, but also to increase opportunities for blind people all across this nation. Last week at the annual meeting of the licensed blind vendors of Colorado I thought of Andy and Ben. I listened around the room to the discussions of our long-time Colorado vendors. I noticed the lack of participation and enthusiasm from many of those who were new in our program. I wondered, without vendors like Ben and Andy and others, where our program would be today. Even though Ben and Andy are no longer directly dependent on the Randolph-Sheppard program they still remain as active as ever. But I wonder who will carry the torch? How can we give some of the spirit and fortitude that Andy and Ben have displayed for years to these young blind men and women who are directly benefitting from the work and the vision of men like Ben and Andy? In the thirties, forties, fifties and sixties blind vendors had little. But they took what they had and they created much opportunity for people like me and those of my generation. We should thank them and their colleagues and we must take what they have given us and make more opportunities for those who will follow. SOUP IN A BUN by Wendy Bybee [Wendy Bybee is the treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah. She is a long-time Federationist and is active on her state's elected committee of blind vendors. Wendy manages a cafeteria in downtown Salt Lake City. She has sent along the following special which she says works well for her.] At J and Kay's Place we have always done a good business with our soups whether we make them from scratch or use a quality frozen soup. One of our most popular daily specials is Soup in a Bun. We run this every two to three weeks. You take a five ounce sour- dough bun and cut about a half inch lid off of the top. Then you carve out the bun and pour in six to seven ounces of soup. Put the lid back on the bun and serve on a seven by nine platter with the bread that has been carved out on the side with butter. A thick soup works best: corn chowder, potato bacon, black bean and rice work well for us. The five ounce sour-dough bun is available at most bakeries. Sisco now sells a par-baked bun. All you do is thaw and heat for four to five minutes for that fresh baked taste. Give it a try and let me know how it works at your place. VICTORY IN MINNESOTA!!!!! Dennis Groshel, supported by the NFB, has won a seven-year battle to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to award a Randolph- Sheppard vending permit at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota and to prevent the VA from collecting any commission from him. This is the first case to establish that the Randolph-Sheppard Act applies to VA Hospitals. To its shame, the VA has fought hard to keep the Randolph-Sheppard Program out of its hundreds of facilities. The medical center in St. Cloud will be the first, but we hope not the last, in which the VA is required to issue a permit for a Randolph-Sheppard vending facility. The case turned on a seemingly obvious interpretation of the law. The Randolph-Sheppard Act states that its priority for blind vendors applies to any and all federal agencies. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) nonetheless argued that the Randolph-Sheppard Act did not apply to them. They were wrong, and first an arbitration panel, then a federal district court judge, and now the United States Court of appeals for the Eighth Circuit all found that the Randolph-Sheppard Act means what it says and applies to VA hospitals along with all other federal facilities. Since 1977, the Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training (DJT) has run a vending facility consisting of numerous vending machines throughout the multi-building medical center in St. Cloud. Mr. Groshel has operated the facility since 1985. Although operated under the auspices of the minnesota Randolph-Sheppard program, in past years the VA and VCS required the program to bid on a contract and required payment of 17.5% commissions, commissions so large that in some years the vendor paid more in commissions than he earned in net income. In 1986, Minnesota rightly insisted that the vending facility was covered by the Randolph-Sheppard Act. The VA refused to issue a permit, and the State filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education and obtained an injunction to allow it to keep operating the facility. The Department of Education convened an arbitration panel, which held hearings and issued a series of decisions in September 1988, November 1989, and July 1991. While the panel held that the Randolph-Sheppard Act applied to the VCS and that the VCS could not install its own vending machines, it wrongly held that the VCS could require a five-year contract (rather than a permit terminable only for cause) and could charge a 17% commission. In 1991, the State of minnesota and Mr. Groshel, for whom the National Federation of the Blind retained lawyers from the Baltimore law firm of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, appealed to the United States District Court for Minnesota, challenging the requirements of a contract and a commission as violating the Randolph-Sheppard Act. In a lengthy and thoughtful opinion, Judge MacLaughlin of that court agreed with us in every respect and ordered the VA and VCS to follow the Randolph-Sheppard Act and issue a permit with no commission charges at all. But the VA and VCS refused to abide by Judge MacLaughlin's decision and appealed to the Eighth Circuit. again, the NFB funded Mr. Groshel's defense of this appeal. And on March 11, 1994, the Eighth Circuit affirmed Judge MacLaughlin's opinion in all respects, holding that "the [Randolph-Sheppard] Act clearly applies to the VCS" and that "the VCS must comply with the regulatory scheme for implementing blind vendor operations on VA property. Neither the Act nor the regulations permit the VCS to pick and choose which of the Act's governing regulations to follow." Although the time for asking the Supreme Court to review the case has not passed, there is little chance that the Supreme Court will review it and even less that the supreme Court will reverse it. Dennis Groshel continues to operate the Vending facility at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud, but he no longer has to pay any commission to the VA, and the VA will soon have to issue a proper Randolph-Sheppard permit for the facility. RANDOLPH SHEPPARD/NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE AGENCIES FOR THE BLIND CONFERENCE UPDATE This first national meeting of vendors, state agency personnel and federal agency personnel from the U.S. Department of Education attracted the participation of 252 participants from 46 states. Ninety-six of those participants were vendors. The NFB Merchants Division was well represented. When we broke up into our seventeen discussion groups, many of us served as a facilitator or a reporter. Our voice was clearly heard in general sessions. Of extreme importance was our united presentation of ten issues affecting vendors in the 90's. We delivered print copies of our issues to all discussion groups. We left copies (in Braille, print and on cassette tape) of our position paper on a table in the primary meeting room so that all participants could have access to our information. Sixteen of the seventeen discussion groups reported one or more of our issues stated in some way. The final report which was sent out included four issues agreed upon in the general session by general consensus or by majority vote. they are: a) That a formal training plan be established on a national basis for SLA staff and operators/managers of the Randolph-Sheppard program. b) That it be recommended to all states that active vendor committee participation be the norm to resolve program disputes with SLA's. c) That an ad hoc interim implementation committee be established immediately. The makeup will be three NCSAB, three ACB, and three NFB and its chair shall be elected by that group. The committee shall serve as a strong national voice for the Randolph- Sheppard Program and will serve to facilitate programs which will improve the overall operation and expand it. d) That forced partnerships and salary caps on vendor earnings in the Randolph Sheppard Program be eliminated. The final report listed a fifth item although no consensus or vote approved its inclusion. In fact, some strong positions against it were expressed. We have protested its inclusion. It is: e) That a national central non-profit program be developed for the purpose of representing the private development of new employment opportunities and purchasing involvement, as well as insurance and national programs which would be adaptable for all state licensing agencies. This program would not take the place of current systems. The results of the conference will be reported to the entire National Council of State Agencies for the Blind meeting in May, 1994. NFB President, Marc Maurer appointed Charles Allen, Wayne Shevlin and Don Morris to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee . Following are the issues we took to the conference. MONETARY MUSINGS by Charles Allen Van Den Bergh Foods offers Mrs. Butterworth's Muffins in three flavors: lemon poppyseed, banana walnut and blueberry. They have KRUMFINS (flat, round muffins with a crumb topping) in cream cheese and blueberry. All five pastries are 4.5 oz. The cream cheese KRUMFIN and the blueberry muffin can be ordered with Country Crock. All are packed 24 to a case and are shipped frozen. To their wonderful line of pastries, Haas has added 99% fat free pastries in three flavors - cheese, apple and cherry. They are also packed 24 to a case and arrive frozen. Both the Van den Bergh and the Haas items are good for sale in vending machines or in cafeterias. Nelson Candy, from Canada, has four excellent bars: Mr. Big, Sweet Marie, Crispy Crunch and Malted Milk. Each bar's wrapper has a maple leaf pictured on it. It is appropriate for us to visit Windsor Canada, in July. M & M/Mars has changed their M & M Peanut Butter. Their representatives told me they were "new and improved." My customers agree. Skinny Snacks are low in fat and calories, 1 gram and 60 calories per serving, 1 1/2 servings per bag. They come in four flavors - Original, Nacho, BBQ, and Sour Cream and Onion. They have an interesting cup shape and are crunchy. Frito-Lay has added to their cracker snacks. They offer a Golden Toast and Cheddar Cracker, a Graham Vanilla Creme and a Graham Peanut Butter. Those attending our mid-year conference got to sample these in person. From Brownie Pop, Inc., are three items for your customers on the move. There's the Brownie Pop Chocolate - their original item on a stick. New are the Brownie Poppers, with either raspberry or peanut butter centers. Carefree is now offering a new 5-stick gum, Alpine Mint Sugarless Gum. Cool! From Breath Savers is a new flavor - Vanilla Mint. It's a sugar- free peppermint with a taste of vanilla. Life Savers has super holes in Red Hot Cinnamon and Sour and Sweet. Each pouch has 130 tiny candies with a pouch weight of 1.4 oz. Do you know of a new item? Do you know of equipment? We welcome contributions of information helpful to vending facility or cafeteria operations. Contact Kevan Worley or me. DO YOU WISH YOU WERE READING THIS ON CASSETTE TAPE? WRITE D.J. MORRIS 16547 OLD EMMITSBURG ROAD, EMMITSBURG, MD 21727-8927 AND TELL HIM! CALL HIM AT - 301/447-6380 (home) or 301/447-2795 (work). LOST AND FOUND [We have LOST the following people due to an incorrect address. The last MERCHANTS MESSENGER was returned as "Undeliverable". If you know the correct address for any of these people, or if you have a change of address, please write to D.J. Morris, 16547 Old Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg, MD 21727-8927.] ALABAMA Dominic Kountz, Mobile ARIZONA Edwin Wilde, Phoenix Clif Bigelow, Phoenix Fran Davis, Phoenix Edward Valenzuela, Tucson COLORADO Michael Rush, Denver Paul Pichardo, Colorado Spgs. CONNECTICUT Victor Lopez, New Haven IOWA Kevin Slayton, Des Moines IDAHO Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Navarro, Boise INDIANA Donald Edwards, Gary Joe Higdom, Indianapolis Carolyn Roe, Indianapolis Tab Roehrs, South Bend LOUISIANA David Morris, Baton Rouge Stephanie Norwood, Baton Rouge Danna Tyronne, Denham Spring Kerry Mendel, Gretna Paul Hebert, Lake Charles Dwayne Zuppardo, Metairie Robert Shafer, Morgan City Evelina Boudreaux, Morse Donald Ellis, Shreveport MASSACHUSETTS Harold Carver, Boston Frank Masone, Boston Basileous Montsios, Watertown Helen Curtis, Waltham MICHIGAN Larry Keeler, Ann Arbor Allen Robbins, Ann Arbor Rouger Houghtaling, Ann Arbor Geraldine Ford, Detroit Lloyd Gregg, Grand Rapids Robert Spear, Lansing Ruth Johnson, Lansing Virginia Hamlet, Lansing Terry Eagle, Lansing Douglas Bacon, Lansing John Wyatt, Lansing Darrell Sylvester,Muskegon Ht Mary & Larry Ball, Troy MINNESOTA Eleanor Cloutier, Minneapolis Jean Kempainen, Minneapolis Donald Kazar, St. Paul Larry Robertson, St. Paul NEBRASKA Douglas Elliott, Sparks NORTH CAROLINA Wayne Yelton, Concord Linda Campbell, Greensboro Barbara Batton, Fayetteville Wayne Elder, Hickory Mark Smith, Raleigh Wayne Davis, Winston-Salem Lucy Brantley, Zebulon NORTH DAKOTA Janet Holtz, Fargo NEW MEXICO Tony Castillo, Albuquerque ___?___ Bean, Albuquerque Judy Anderson, Albuquerque New York Dorothy Beyer, Albany Simeon Drits, Forest Hills OHIO Kay Bowen, Cincinnati Walter Bassett, Cincinnati Charles Case, Cleveland Jerry Rose, Cleveland OHIO Stephen Vincke, Columbus Paul & Grace Ingram, Loveland Debra Preble, Toledo Edward Parr, Toledo Charlotte Kenst, Willoughby OREGON David Hyde, Salem SOUTH CAROLINA Jerry Bryant, Florence Padgett McKenzie, Greenville TENNESSEE Steve Baker, Memphis James Broadnax, Memphis Milton Weaver, Memphis John McAmis, Morristown VIRGINIA Susan Cook, Roanoke S.L. Witt, Dublin WASHINGTON James Fischer, Olympia WISCONSIN Nick Slevert, Oshkosh WEST VIRGINIA Bill Radcliff, Parkersburg Ron Custer, Martinsburg p Chocolate - their original item on a stick. New are HZw%Y7e4YMe4 /0Y ZlZ0gp`𒏏Z3o+i4 i+Z HGZ_$B]$&k  O^`bb0oJLZ" b $ 8 :   I  W Y  & h -o"eZ`L+p!f`5x=!bqss@wy=@~!f)n;z>} = = w @!!! "J"""#]###%$i$$$$$$$$%%h%%% &"&g&&&.'q''';((()G)G))))))**j*****=+{++,0,2,x,,,,9-}---D.....-/n///80y00001Y1Y1111172z222=3333354u44445s55555&6k666/7n777.8q8888;9|999991:=:E:G::: ;P;;;<<S<<<=]=====>Y>k>>>>>:?{????@J@@@AAHAyAyA{AAAQGQ_Q{QQQQQQQQR6RSRpRRRRRRRS)SBSDSNSiSSSSSSST,TDT^TuTTTTTTTU5U7UAU\U^U^UnUUUUUUV,V.V