Radio Talking Book

May Sampling

Changes made for custom audio transmissions

The Communication Center and the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault are making changes to better service clients. One change is to have just one phone number to call. The new number for custom audio transcriptions is 651-539-1422. The equipment number remains 651-642-0885. Further changes will announced in the future.

Weekend Program Books

Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) by Tammy Strobel, and 8 Habits of Love by Ed Bacon; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Touched by Cyn Balog, and Racing the Moon by Alan Armstrong; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing Everyday People by Albert Goldbarth; The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer.

Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Phone is 1-800-722-

Providers eye payment delays

Personal care attendant (PCA) service providers around Minnesota are dealing with a payment delay for home and community-based services that could have serious consequences for small service providers. The payment delay affects claims submitted and scheduled to be paid for both the June 4 and June 18 payment dates. Some providers note that they will be hard-pressed to even cover a temporary or short delay, by being forced to dip into savings or take other measures to cover a possible shortfall. Some expressed surprise at the measure and what they saw as a lack of notice to plan.

The payment delays apply to services covered under Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medical Assistance. The payment delays also don’t apply to services provided through MinnesotaCare or Medicare crossover claims

The Minnesota Department of Human Services notified providers recently telling them they must plan appropriately for this interruption in payment. The program won’t provide payment advances.

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) is required by law to delay payment for certain Medical Assistance services in June 2013. The law requires MHCP to delay payments normally made in June 2013 (the end of the fiscal year) until the first payment of July 2013. These payment delays apply to inpatient hospital services, non-hospital services, and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS).

To comply with the requirements, MHCP will process payment delays by applying a reduction to feefor-service (FFS) claims. The type of reduction and the payment dates affected depend on the service. It affects a multiple of services ranging from home care services to day training and habilitation.

MHCP will apply the delays to incoming claims only until reaching the required amount of savings, so some providers may not experience delays at all. Claims that are affected will pay zero.

MHCP will apply the delays on the second payment cycle of the month of June, which occurs on June 18, 2013. Providers will receive the delayed payments on the next payment cycle, July 2, 2013.

MHCP will report the reduction as a legislative cutback on the claim and will report Group/Adjustment Reason Code CO 45 on the remittance advice.

Anyone with questions may call the MHCP Provider Call Center at 651-431-2700 or 1-800-366-5411. ■

0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m. Friday. The catalog is online and can be accessed by go- The Malice of Fortune, Fiction by Michael Ennis, 2012. ing to the main website, http://education.state.mn.us, and 18 broadcasts. Begins May 15. Pope Alexander sends then clicking on the link. Persons living outside of Minne- courtesan, Damiata, to Imola to learn the truth about his sota may obtain copies of books by contacting their home son’s murder and he holds her own son hostage. Once state’s Network Library for the National Library Service. there, she becomes a pawn in political intrigues of the pope’s surviving son, the Duke Valentino. V - Read by Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live Neil Bright. or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the staff at 651-642-0500 for Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m. a password to the site. See more information about Penelope, Fiction by Rebecca Harrington, 2012. 10 events on the Facebook site for the Minnesota Radio broadcasts. Begins May 13. When Penelope Talking Book Network. Facebook is a free social net- O’Shaunessy sets off for Harvard, her mother has lots of working web site. Register at www.facebook.com advice. But no amount of advice or coaching will prepare Penelope for the people she meets at school. L - Read Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9 by Licia Swanson. p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference The Deep Zone, Fiction by James M. Tabor, 2012. 15 Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m. broadcasts. Begins May 27. A disease outbreak sends a The Blood of Heroes, Nonfiction by James Donovan, team of scientists on a desperate hunt for a cure –from a 2012. 13 broadcasts. Begins May 29. The last stand at top-secret federal agency to a violence-prone area of the Alamo is recognized as a defining moment in Ameri- Mexico to the bottom of earth’s deepest cave. L - Read can history. But it was only one part in the history of the by Dave Schliep. formation of Texas. Read by John Potts.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m. Show Dog, Nonfiction by Dean Josh, 2012. 15 broadThe Convert, Nonfiction by Deborah Baker, 2012. Eight casts. Begins May 21. The United States has more than broadcasts. Begins May 15. Margaret Marcus was raised two million pedigreed dogs who participate in more than in the postwar New York City area, left and converted to 2,000 dog shows annually. Jack is one of those dogs. Islam, abandoned her country and Jewish faith, and per- Read by Audray Rees. manently embraced a life of exile in Pakistan. Read by June Prange. Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight The Last Warner Woman, Fiction by Kei Miller, 2012. The Dog Lived (and So Will I), Nonfiction by Teresa J. Eight broadcasts. Begins May 22. Adamine was sent Rhyne, 2012. 11 broadcasts. Begins May 27. Shortly from Jamaica to live in England after she discovered she after Teresa got her beagle, she was told of his tumor had the gift of “warning.” There, she was met with fear and the prognosis of one year of life. But she fought it and locked in an institution. As an older woman, she not knowing she would soon have her own cancer diag- wants to tell her story. L – Read by Ann Reed. nosis. Read by Jan Anderson.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m. Drain You, Fiction by Beth Bloom, 2012. 10 broadcasts. The Presidents Club, Nonfiction by Nancy Gibbs and Begins May 22. Quinlan’s life is a predictable mix of Michael Duffy, 2012. 22 broadcasts. Begins May 27. fashion, parties, and boring job. Then she meets James Formed by Eisenhower, the Presidents Club is compli- and finds out that the Los Angeles canyons are crawling cated; its members are bound by Oval Office experience with gangs of the undead. Now her goal is to stay sane, yet are rivals for history’s favor. Read by Charlie Boone. cool, in love, and alive. L - Read by Mitzi Lewellen. ■ Abbreviations: V – violence, L – offensive language, S – sexual situations

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Trains - from p. 1 collaborative, which includes representatives from several Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods, wants more input from people with disabilities as it works on future connection plans.

The light rail line, which opens in 2014, will connect downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. Not all of the connections to its 16 stations would be in the form of sidewalks. One huge gain could be a $1.4 million elevator in downtown St. Paul, at the Central Station at Fifth and Cedar streets. The so-called “vertical connection” would provide access between the skyway system and the rail line.

Without an elevator those trying to get to and from downtown destinations riders would have to travel several blocks out of the way and outside.

Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. James Carlson, DFL-Eagan, have authored bills to require the City of St. Paul and Metropolitan Council to include the elevator. St. Paul-based Advocating Change Together is among the groups calling for the connection. ACT Co-Director Rick Cardenas has testified before state lawmakers this spring. “I’m more confident of this getting done than I have been,” Cardenas said. He is a downtown resident.

Metropolitan Council, which is building the rail line, has about $800,000 in grant funding available for the elevator. Having the city pay part of the cost has been debated but city officials have no funding for a match. That’s where the state could help.

The connection would be on a vacant lot where the old Bremer Bank stood for years. The area has been eyed for development. In one online discussion group, a commenter described an elevator as “beautification.” Cardenas said it is a need, not an extra.

More input is needed all along the light rail line from people with disabilities. “I don’t walk, I wheel. How’s that going to work?” said Darrell Paulson, a disability rights advocate who is working with ACT.

Paulson said the access to and from stations will not only determine rail ridership by people with disabilities, it will also determine whether people with disabilities can take advantage of new housing and job opportunities along the rail line. He pointed out that obstacles that others can easily step around or over, ranging from outdated curb cuts to overhanging brush and branches are barriers for people in wheelchairs.

Much of the work on the survey was done by volunteers and a Macalester College student intern. In summer 2012 more than 400 people traveled central Corridor to check sidewalk conditions. Surveys were done in neighborhoods and online. More than 2,000 comments were collected. Data was then pulled together to reach a set of conclusions.

Broken and uneven sidewalks, and place where there are no sidewalks are the biggest needs to be addressed, according to the survey. But the biggest obstacle to new or improved sidewalks may be costs. Last month the St. Paul City Council approved sidewalks in the West Midway over the objections of a number of property owners. Owners are assessed for part of the cost of sidewalk installation and are then responsible for keeping sidewalks clear of ice and snow.

Rail cars were towed along the Central Corridor tracks last month in a test run. Passenger service is to begin in 2014. Photo from The Governor's Blog

Another high priority found in the survey is the need to address environments that are challenging, such as narrow sidewalks, sidewalks where there are no buffers between walkers and traffic, and traffic signals that don’t allow enough time for safe crossings. Some of the most dangerous places for walkers are Interstate 94 exit and entrance ramps, and private parking lot curb cuts. Improved crosswalk markings, warning signs, extended signal times and a public safety campaign are suggested as ways to counter the problems.

A third priority identified in the survey is the need for more trees, green space and benches along walking routes.

While all stations had concerns raised about pedestrian safety, lighting issue and sidewalk conditions, some issues are unique to each area. One concern raised in the Snelling area is that there isn’t a comfortable way to get across Interstate 94. The freeway bridge has narrow sidewalks and the Aldine Avenue pedestrian bridge feels deserted and unsafe to some. At Fairview Station, respondents also said they didn’t feel safe going beneath I-94 on the Fairview sidewalks.

Minneapolis City Council Member Cam Gordon said the survey is “an incredibly proactive step to take.” He wishes Minneapolis neighborhoods had done a similar study before the Hiawatha or Red Line light rail began service. He said sidewalk connections to that light rail line, as well as community development, haven’t worked as envisioned. Gordon said there may have been too much focus on moving cars during the Hiawatha planning and not enough focus on bikes and pedestrians.

The University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs Neighborhood Partnerships for Community Research program and more than 30 community groups were involved in the study. It can be seen at http://dcc-stpaul-mpls.org/special-projects/walk ■

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The Charlie Award Silent Auction is always a hit. File photo

fortable space for the silent auction and raffle, cash bar, pre-dinner music and conversation and the banquet itself. The facility offers plenty of parking and easy front-door drop-off.

Previous winners of the award are: 2012—Charles “Chuck” Van Heuveln, community activist 2011—Jeff Bangsberg, consultant, legislative activist 2010—Steve Kuntz, Minnesota DEED 2009—Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center 2008—Pete Feigal, co-founder of Tilting at Windmills 2007—Jim and Claudia Carlisle, People Enhancing People 2006—John Smith, University of MN 2005—Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) 2004—Rick Cardenas, co-director of Advocating Change Together (ACT) •A free Access Press subscription, a value of $30

2003—Margot Imdieke Cross, Minnesota State Council on Disability

Making the banquet a success means relying on many community members for support. One way to help the banquet is to serve as a sponsor. Three levels of sponsorship are offered, using titles that reflect terms used historically in the newspaper industry.

Keyliners Level - $200. The keyliners pasted up newspaper pages. If you are a keyliner sponsor: •Your logo will be displayed at a table Dawn at 651-644-2133 or at dawn@accesspress.org

•Your organization/company name will be listed in the 2013 Charlie Award Banquet program •Your organization/company will be recognized in our November and December 2013 newspapers •You will have one (1) free website ad (your month of choice), a value of $100

Proofreaders Level - $300. The proofreaders would check newspaper pages for errors. If you are a proofreader sponsor: •Your logo will be displayed at a table •Your organization/company name will be listed in the 2013 Charlie Award Banquet program •Your organization/company will be recognized in our November and December 2013 newspapers •You will have two (2) free rotating website ads (your months of choice), a value of $200 •Your organization/company will be listed on a special banner (on display) during the 2013 Charlie

•Your organization/company will be listed on a special banner, on display during the 2013 Charlie

Award Banquet •Your organization/company will be recognized by our emcee during the 2013 Charlie Award Banquet •A table will be named in your organization/ company’s honor the evening of the event •One (1) Directory of Organizations listing, good for one year, a value of $60

Donations will also be needed for the newspaper’s annual silent auction and “pick your prize” raffle. Past prizes have included theater and sports tickets, gift certificates, art and more.

Access Press Office Manager Dawn Frederick handles the sponsor, silent auction and raffle. Contact Award Banquet

to be a sponsor or to make a donation. ■

Editor-in-Chief Level - $400. This denotes the leader of the newspaper. If you are an editor-in-chief sponsor: •Your logo will be displayed at a table. •Your organization/company name will be listed in the 2013 Charlie Award Banquet program •Your organization/company will be recognized in our November and December 2013 newspapers •You will have two (2) free rotating website ads (your months of choice), a value of $200

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Kelly Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103. 651-644-2133 • FAX 651-644-2136 • Email: access@accesspress.org FOR RENT

Lewis Park Apartments: Barrier-free housing with wheelchair users in mind. Section 8 subsidized. One- and two-bedroom units. For more information on availability call 651-4889923. St. Paul, MN. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Oak Park Village: We are accepting applications for the waiting list for one-bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient St. Louis Park location. Call 952-935-9125 for information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Calvary Center Apts: 7650 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. A Section 8 building now accepting applications for our waiting list. Call 9 am to 4 pm, Mon – Fri 763-546-4988 for an application. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Holmes-Greenway Housing: One- and two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient SE Minneapolis location. Call 612-378-0331 for availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

FOR SALE

1999 FORD E 150 160,000 odometer reading, with free crow river lift & a rare 10-inch drop floor with hand controls and memory shift control. A good vehicle for a quad or those with limited hand functions. This Ford 150 runs well too. Cost $7500 or best offer. Any questions can be directed by phone to Eric at (651) 283-3524.