MindsEye Information Service Radio Reader, July 2009

Listener Lowdown

With the arrival of the dog days of summer, the pace of life is full speed ahead. Vacations keep us busy, the Cardinals are in full swing, and St. Louis’ parks and bike trails are full. Minds Eye’s volunteers add reading to their list of to-do’s but are excited to get to share in their passions--radio broadcasting, reading, current events, sports, or even reading an editorial or two. For thousands of people in our audience, though, Minds Eye is so much more. It is a lifeline.

Evelyn R. is a Minds Eye listener from Swansea, Illinois. A native Illinoisan, Evelyn is one of millions of Americans who lives with macular degeneration. She became a Minds Eye listener just over a year ago. She had spoken to a neighbor whose mother tuned in regularly, and Evelyn was interested. After her doctor signed off on her application, Evelyn joined our audience.

Evelyn listens most often during the morning. She tunes in every day to hear local news from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Belleville News Democrat, with particular interest in the obituaries. She said the programming heard on the station helps keep her informed about the current events in her community. She does not watch much television, so she relies on Minds Eye to relay the newspapers’ in depth coverage to her. She specifically noted a time when a homicide occurred in nearby O’Fallon, and she tuned into Minds Eye to hear the newspapers’ reports on the crime. Evelyn is one of the first to call in if Minds Eye experiences a problem with the radio signal and she makes it very clear that those are not just sounds coming out of her radio, but her link to her friends and her community.

Volunteer Spotlight

“This is meteorologist Andy Kren, for Minds Eye.” If you are a Minds Eye listener, you look forward to hearing that exact line, spoken every day by on-air volunteer meteorologist Andy Kren.

Andy came to Minds Eye two years ago upon the recommendation of his broadcast meteorology professor at Saint Louis University and KSDK meteorologist, Mike Roberts. Since then, he has been waking up early every weekday morning to determine the daily weather forecast and make a recording to be played on-air. Although, like all weather forecasts, Andy’s cannot always be 100 percent accurate, his forecasts are always enthusiastic and engaging.

“I know these individuals [Minds Eye listeners] are no different than everyone else, and so what I strive to do each morning when providing the forecast is to present it in such a way as to be a friend informing them of the weather and what to wear or prepare for during the day, whether it be to carry an umbrella, a jacket or coat, or to simply enjoy the nice weather.”

When he is not recording the weather for Minds Eye, he is learning about it at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Saint Louis University as a second year graduate student working towards a Masters in Meteorology. If he needs a break from the weather, Andy enjoys a variety of sports, including tennis racquetball, ping-pong, bowling, playing catch, and softball.

Minds Eye can always count on Andy to be professional and consistent in his weather forecasts. Additionally, he is always willing to lend a hand at Minds Eye events. It is clear that Andy is passionate about the weather and about serving the community.

“I think my calling in life is to use my kindness and my profession to help those around me.”