Soiree Pour La Vue
is a GREAT Success!
 Perhaps it was the wealth of flowing,
sparkling wine varieties, or maybe the
wonderful variety of auction items
covering a long wall of tables. Then
again, it could have been the beautiful
marionette puppets dancing from the
ceiling or the elegant ambiance
created by the piano.
No matter what the highlight of the
evening was for each guest, one thing
is certain – the Soiree Pour La Vue
was a night to remember!
The fifth annual Soiree Pour La Vue: An Evening for Sight, took
place on January 31, 2008 at Moulin Meetings and Events and
proved to be an enjoyable evening for all. From the first glass of
wine poured by Wines for Humanity to the drinking of the final
drop at the Premium Wine Tasting, everyone had an unforgettable
evening.
 Minds Eye would like to thank the Soiree
committee and event volunteers for their hard
work in planning and implementing the
event and all of the sponsors and donors
who made the evening possible through
their generous donations. And of course a
huge thanks goes out to all guests who attended
the Soiree. Minds Eye is grateful
to all who supported the Soiree. Your contributions
of over $21,000 placed Minds Eye on the path to another wonderful year for our programming and listeners!
ProgramSpotlight:
The Saint Louis American
In addition to our daily readings fromthe St. Louis Post-Dispatch
and the Belleville News Democrat, Minds Eye listeners also have access
to weekly local newspapers. One of those, is
our programspotlight for this issue of the newsletter.
The St. Louis American, published in St. Louis since 1928, offers"African-American news, entertainment, business, religion, sports,
and community news for the St. Louis region.” It is Missouri's
largest andmost widely read weekly newspaper targeted to
African-Americans and has been recognized as one of the top
African-American newspapers in the country. It often contains news
stories that have gotten little or no coverage in the daily newspapers as well as columnists who bring a unique perspective on local and
national events.
The St. Louis American is heard every Friday at 4:00 p.m. and again
on Sunday at 5:00 a.m. Cynthia Todd, an excellent reader, who also
serves on our committee that is developing new written program
standards, brings this newspaper to life
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In the last edition of the Radio Reader, three new
Advisory Board members were introduced. In this issue,
we would like to introduce you to threemore wonderful new
members of the advisory board: Maria Amann, Sue Bolen, and Tom Shea.
 Maria Amann is a native of Belleville and can be heard on Minds Eye
every Sunday reading the Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy ads. She is also a
member of the Soiree committee and serves as cochair of the
Beepball committee. Maria has worked for Allsup Inc. as an Account
Manager for almost 14 years, traveling to many locations in the United
States to offer professional services that help people maneuver through
the difficult disability claims process when filing for Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Last summer, Maria led two Allsup Beepball teams in
the Inaugural Beepball Tournament. Maria enjoys her work at Allsup and feels that “Listening to our customers and knowing that we are doing a lot to help the disabled community
is very rewarding.” While working full time at Allsup, Maria earned a Bachelor’s of
Business Administration in Management from McKendree College and a Master’s degree in
Management from Webster University. When Maria is not traveling for work, she loves
spending time at home with her nephew, Luke (11), and niece, Claire (9). Maria joined the
Minds Eye family in 2006, bringing with her much enthusiasm and
endless resources that have helped Minds Eye to grow.
 Sue Bolen worked as a Speech Instructor at Southwestern Illinois College
from 1990 – 2006 where she had the opportunity to help students learn
the value of communication. She shaped many young lives during her
time at SWIC, serving as the Faculty Advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, the Honor
Society, and coordinated the Freshman Seminar classes offered at the college.
In 2006, Sue was named Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member of the
Year. Sue has a great deal of experience working with and assisting people
with visual impairments. She has been an audio describer at The Repertory Theatre and
the Muny Opera for eight years where she describes visual aspects of performances.
Sue reads the St. Louis Hour on Minds Eye and also serves as co-chair of the Soiree committee.
Sue currently resides in Fairview Heights, Illinois with her husband of 29 years,
Jerry. Sue and Jerry have two grown children, one of which serves on the Minds Eye Soiree
committee alongside Sue.
 Dr. Tom Shea is a retired Emeritus Professor and Chairperson for the Department
of Special Education and Communication at the School of Education
at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Prior to working at SIUE,
Tom instructed at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and the University of
Connecticut. He specializes in educating children and youth with emotional
and behavioral disorders. Tom is the author of several texts on behavior
management, parenting of children with exceptionalities and several other
related topics. Prior to his time as an instructor, Tom received a Bachelor of Arts and Master
of Arts degrees from St. Michael’s College in Vermont and a Doctorate of Education from
Boston University. Although Tom has lived in the St. Louis region for more than 40 years, he
is a native of New England. Tom has a son, Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Jane, who reside in
California with his two grandchildren, Emma (6) and Owen (3). His wife, Dolores, died in
2000 and other son, Keith Michael, died in 2005. At Minds Eye, Tom reads USA Today and is
the chair of the Program Standards Committee. Tom has been an integral part of the Minds
Eye family since 2002.
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