By Mike Keithley
Welcome to the winter, 2019 issue of the Blind Californian.
Fasten your seatbelts as major changes are coming. Beginning with the spring, 2019 BC, production of large print, CD, and braille formats will be suspended to save costs. The audio option will migrate to NFB Newsline. The email format will remain available for anyone who wishes to subscribe. We also plan to have each new issue of the BC immediately available on the CCB website home page. Back issues for the last few years are already available on our site.
This decision is a hard one. It is solely based on CCB's current financial crisis. It costs on average $2400 per quarterly issue to produce the large print, braille, and CD formats. This means that the average yearly production cost for four issues of the BC is $9600
What You Can Do
1. Contact Linda Porelle, Publications Committee chair with your questions.
2. Read Linda's article on choosing a new subscription option in this issue and act accordingly.
My one-time dog King says: "Gosh master, it's the holiday season, don ya know? Here, have some Optimist, the favorite soda in the dog park." Yes, it is the holidays, and these changes are a bummer for sure, but I believe we're at the nadir, and CCB will rise from the ashes.
And we do have a great issue right here and now to entertain you. We'll have President Wilkinson's message plus a farewell article from Paul Shane, who is leaving us very soon. Cristy crespin writes about the people chosen for the upcoming CCB scholarships that will be presented at the 2019 convention banquet--inspiring! Wana do some horseback riding? Read Susan Glass's adventure. And the last batch of Ken Metz memorials is here. There's more!
"You see, I thought Optimist would help." It did, King, thank you very much.
The Publications Committee wants to extend a fond farewell to Dr. Catherine Schmitt Whitaker, who is leaving the committee to venture into other pursuits for CCB. She has been involved with the BC for a long time, particularly her long-running column on developing careers in the workplace. Lots of luck, Cathy!
Enjoy your BC!
