Fargo the lead dog is the official mascot for Sun Sounds of Arizona. Check out the upcoming Sun Sounds fundraiser and wine auction, "First Press," at this link: http://firstpressarizona.com.

Do you know someone who is visually impaired and could benefit from audio access to printed information? Sun Sounds of Arizona, a community outreach project of Rio Salado College, provides this service through a team of more than 450 volunteers who read newspapers, magazines, advertisements and other text 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is disseminated through radio broadcasting, audio streaming, and telephonically.

For information on how to access the site through audio streaming, visit Sun Sounds at http://sunsounds.rio.maricopa.edu.

Sun Sounds, which is the state's only radio reading service for the visually impaired, recently won three international awards at the 25th annual International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) conference. Over the years, Sun Sounds has won more international awards from this organization than any other radio reading service in the world. Bill Pasco is the station manager.

Sun Sounds won a Best Program Award for its production of "Hands Down Yoga," a show that instructs blind and visually impaired people to use yoga as a life- changing exercise and philosophy. The program was originally inspired by Sun Sounds listeners, and is jointly produced by volunteer Toni Lembo and Sun Sounds staffer Margie Zebell. Anyone can access the program live on the Internet at http://sunsounds.org at 6:30 a.m. Saturdays.

Sun Sounds also won the Public Awareness Award for its live radio drama series. The series was produced in several area theaters to promote awareness of Sun Sounds. The concept was originally conceived by former Sun Sounds staffer Lou Stanley, and the series was produced by staffer Shari Boulanger. Many volunteers participated in the direction, production, sound effects, and as actors for the dramas, and the performances were recorded and later presented on Sun Sounds Radio.

Finally, Sun Sounds Director of Development David Noble was awarded the prestigious C. Stanley Potter lifetime achievement award. C. Stanley Potter was the father of radio reading services for blind and print-impaired people. The award that bears his name is given to an individual who has significantly furthered the cause of information access for disabled people on a national level. IAAIS board members Carl Matthusen and Ben Martin presented the award to David. Previous C. Stanley Potter award winners include former Sun Sounds Director Dede Pierce in 1990 and current Sun Sounds Director Bill Pasco in 1996.

To top things off, Phoenix has been selected as the site for the 2003 IAAIS international conference. Information access organizations from as far away as New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa will be represented. Sun Sounds will showcase to the world the state-of-the-art studio facilities nearing completion on the fourth floor of Rio Salado College at 2323 W. 14th Street in Tempe.