As I make the monthly trip from my rural hamlet of Cloverton, tucked up in the northeast corner of Pine County, to the quaint little town of Mora for the Seven County Federation Board meeting, I never cease to be amazed by the quiet beauty of our region. Having been born and raised on a farm in northern Wisconsin, then living in a city for most of my adult life, I find it heartwarming to see the farmhouses, white and shuttered with a dog or two in front of them, barns, some new, some dilapidated, tall, elegant silos, and cows and horses munching in the fields. Nestled every so often among this serene avenue of farms are the little communities of Askov, Brook Park, and Quamba. It is a pleasant trip to say the least.

The scene I just tried to describe could, I am sure, be played out by any one of us Seven County seniors as we travel from place to place here in central Minnesota. We live in a predominantly rural area and we live here by choice. It feeds our souls.

The downside to this pristine dynamic is that many of the decisions regarding our lives – healthcare, education, transportation, clean air and water to name a few, are largely decided by the powers that be in the METRO area – the large population densities of St. Paul and Minneapolis and their surrounding suburbs. We who live in “greater Minnesota” – a term for the rural parts of the state – do not have the clout those in the Cities have.

The best and biggest voice we DO have is that of this organization we belong to – the Seven County Senior Federation. Putting aside for a moment all of the excellent work done by our group right here in our area – advice and help with Medicare, Prescription Part D, tax filing, reverse mortgages, Senior Partners Care, Defensive Driving and others – a primary roll played by Seven County Seniors is done in St Paul working with and lobbying the state legislature on programs beneficial to seniors.

On our own and as part of the Greater Minnesota Health Care Coalition, we have captured the attention of legislators. I thank you again for your support of our organization and I urge you to renew your membership each and every year. Continue working for seniors, wherever you are.

Fran Levings-Baker
Vice-President, 7 County Seniors