The ice storm on January 12 and 13 caused so much disruption in all of our lives, that even the few of us who attended the Membership Meeting didn’t think to bring our usable stuff with us–or maybe we just couldn’t see well enough to "Clean out Our Closets," so we’ll repeat this annual event during the February meeting. As we all recover from the destruction, we have some great programs coming up.

February 17 at Brentwood Branch Library:

• Join Nancy Preffitt in the "Beginners’ Corner" at 12:15 p.m. for help with anything you have a question about! Whether you are a beginner with computers, new to ICON, or just unsure about how to get the help you need, Nancy will answer your questions or find someone who can.
• The regular Membership Meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. and our program will feature Dan McNeil, owner of Cartridge World on South Campbell. Dan will share with us "How to Save Money and Help Protect the Environment" by using refilled ink and toner cartridges.
• As I mentioned above, we will hold our annual "Clean out Your Closet" at this meeting as well. Bring your used (but still usable), unneeded software, hardware, peripherals, books, magazines, etc. with you for someone who wants/needs them.

March 17 at Brentwood Branch Library:

In the eight years that I have been associated with ICON, we have never had this type of program. ICON’s leaders will share their insight on how you can utilize the resources we have available to get the help you need. This will be an open discussion covering any topic related to how we provide the support we do and how we can improve. We want to do our best for you, so PLEASE join us!

March 24 at the Library Center:

The 2007 March of Technology, featuring "Technology Unwired and on the Move," will be the largest computer and technology expo ever held in Springfield! Of course, the vendors, educators, and user groups will show off their offerings, we will again provide the "PC health clinic and tech support stations," and we will have a "Hospitality Area" (with less food than last year), but the featured exhibits will include "Wireless Connective Devices" available from Sprint PCS, and a "Gaming Center" with several of the latest and greatest devices in game technology.

We have four top-notch presentations lined up, including: New Horizons Computer Learning Center, OTC, Microsoft Mindshare, and Google Earth (yes, THAT Google), along with LOTS of door prizes. For more details and schedule, check ICON’s Web site at:

www.iconusersgroup.org

We will need some help from quite a few of you, but we are reducing the number of people it will take to staff the event so everyone will have more time to enjoy the expo.

Clear everything else off your calendar for this day! You don’t want to miss a thing!

See you soon,

Terry