April, 1999

Mars Today is the offical newsletter of MarsCon. Check back here often to find special announcements, the latest information about MarsCon & MarsCon 2000, and schedule information for meetings and other MarsCon activities.

In the hopes that June will bring us some more sunshine, we are inviting you to a picnic. The 2nd Annual MarsCon Picnic will be held on Sunday, June 20th, from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., at Minnehaha Falls / Wabun Park. In case of rain, we have reserved a sheltered area which overlooks the Mississippi River.

Minnehaha Falls/Wabun Park is located at East Minnehaha Parkway and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For your convenience, here are a couple of links to maps of the area:
http://twincities.sidewalk.com/map?EID=17120
http://www.metrocouncil.org/parks/e6.htm

The picnic is potluck and will be open to all. As with last year, "You bring the meat, we'll bring the heat." MarsCon will provide charcoal for your fires, and we only ask that you RSVP so we can make sure to bring enough for everyone, and please let us know if you plan to bring a portable grill. Park rules apply, so it's 3.2 beer only and no kegs are allowed. MarsCon also plans to reimburse picnic-goers for the $1 parking charge per vehicle.

Please come and celebrate summer with us. We hope to see many of you at the picnic!

In other news...
MarsCon is pleased to announce that Margaret Weis and Don Perrin have agreed to be Guests of Honor for MarsCon 2000. Margaret Weis's published works include the Dragonlance series, the Rose of the Prophet series of Arabian fantasy novels (with Tracey Hickman) and her own series, a galactic fantasy entitled Star of the Guardian. Don Perrin's novels include Knights of the Black Earth and Robot Blues, co-authored with Margaret Weis, and short story "First Dragon Army Bridge Building Company." For more information about Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, we suggest these links:
http://mag7.com/home.htm http://www.mag7.com/don.htm http://www.mag7.com/weis.htm

Other guests will be announced as we move closer to the convention date. MarsCon will be honoring the late Chesley Bonestell as our Posthumous Guest of Honor. His life's work as an artist/illustrator of space flight and astronomical subjects has had a profound impact on art, science, and science fiction. For more information about Chesley Bonestell, we suggest this link:
http://chicago.ospreypartners.com/osprey/bonestell/

We are also happy to announce that we have chosen a charity for M2K. Proceeds from the MarsCon Charity Auction will again be donated to Camp Heartland, a charity which benefits children with AIDS. Camp Heartland was our designated charity for MarsCon '99, and we are very excited to be helping them out for another year.

Upcoming ConCom meetings are scheduled for the following Sundays at 1:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted:
**July 18th at Woodland North Apartments Party Room, Coon Rapids
**August 15th at Woodland North Apartments Party Room, Coon Rapids

These meetings are open to the public, and we encourage you to come to them and share your ideas for improving MarsCon. Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

Don't Panic! M2K is Coming!
Radisson South Hotel, Bloomington, MN May 12-14, 2000

HOW TO CONTACT MARSCON
E-Mail Address: marscon2k@hotmail.com
Snail Mail: MarsCon, P.O. Box 600458, St. Paul, MN 55106