Heartland meets second Mondays
The MnSF Heartland Region office is open 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, staffed by Barbara Walton (aMetro Region volunteer), Eileen Iverson and Iva Zanker, both members of Heartland Region. The phone number is 218/828-8457.
We are fortunate to have Eileen (MnSF vice president for programs and immediate past president) as a member. She keeps us up to date on issues of the Federation. She also serves Heartland as secretary/treasurer.
Heartland Region is represented on the MnSF Health Action Council by Betty Waldron and on the membership committee by Iva Zanker. These meetings are by teleconference. There are several other committees asking for more participation by Greater Minnesota.
We continue to meet the second Monday of the month at 10 a.m. in the third floor conference room at Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, 803 Kingwood St., Brainerd. All members are welcome.
Most of our meetings are centered on proposed reorganization. Some of us still have questions and we know it will take a major “leap of faith” to vote for it, but what else can we do?
You have received your raffle tickets. Now all you have to do is sell them. Remember, Heartland gets back 75 percent of every ticket sold!
Iva Zanker, president

Legislators joined South Central at July 25 meeting
On July 25, State Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL Mankato), along with the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce, the St. Peter Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Minnesota Advocates, hosted a unique event in Mankato featuring State Sen. Tom Bakk, chair of the Senate tax committee, and State Sen. Larry Pogemiller, Senate Majority Leader and former tax chair.
Several South Central members along with Director Lynn VanDervort attended the meeting. This allowed Becky Sandon, MnSF tax committee member, to ask about the homestead tax in addition to other tax-related issues. Most agreed it would have been better to have had leaders from both parties to discuss and hear citizens' concerns.
South Central Region distributed MnSF materials at 13 county fairs and regional celebrations within south central and southeastern Minnesota, the latter being a new area. Thanks to the region's Vista Worker, Marianne Zerbe, information was disseminated at five of these fairs and community events. She has become a valuable resource for outreach in the southeast area.
Members are soliciting ads for the holiday newspaper supplement. If you could contact businesses in your town, call South Central's office.
South Central's annual raffle drawing will be held, Monday, Sept. 24, at the general assembly at our office, 413 N. 4th St., Mankato, at 9:30 a.m. I hope you've sold your tickets and returned the stubs to the office. 
Another important event is the MnSF state convention at Little Falls Oct. 10. The statewide merger will be discussed and voted on. Everyone's input is necessary for the future of the organization. For information, call South Central's office at 507/345-7814. Plan to attend! 
Dee Jones, president

North Star hosts legislative day at August meeting
Activities in North Star Region have been quiet with no meeting in July. By the time this is published we will have had our August meeting, which was held in Hibbing. This was our annual Legislative Day meeting at which time we invite our elected officials including county commissioners to attend. This being a non-election year, we were not anticipating a large turn out of elected officials, but it will give us a chance to meet and greet those that attend.
We have all received our raffle tickets and will be urging members to get out and sell them or write a check and return them as soon as possible.
We are gearing up for our ad campaign for the Christmas supplement. We hope to find some more people to push these ads as it is one of our best money makers each year. We hope to find people to canvas Grand Rapids and the west end of our region. If you're from Grand Rapids or vicinity and read this, why not give the office in Virginia a call.
Our September meeting will be held on the 14th and will be hosted by Cook Area Seniors. Since this is a nutrition site, a $3 lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. providing you have a reservation. The meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Cook Seniors meet in the Pioneer Building at 131 5th St. SE.
I thank Lois, Muriel and Dexter for all their help during my period of being disabled.
Tom Wagner, president