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March, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editor's Line
President's Report by Kathey Wheeler
Education and Welfare Report by Mary Pendleton
Scholarship Report by Jerry Annunzio
Public Relations Report by Beverly Kaskadden
White Cane Walk
401 Blind Task Force by Patti Schonlau
Statewide Independent Living Council Report by Barbara Dewberry
A Legacy of Kindness: Remembering Clint Campbell by Mary Pendleton
Blind Coach Instills Vision For Success
Cane and Able: Though 80, Blind Man Still a Master in Art of Weaving
How We Met: Randy and Ann Stinebaker
Accessible Consumer Products List
Affiliate Affairs
From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer
Some Thoughts On Strength
Back to the Chronicle
Archives
First, I want to thank all of you for the many e-mails, phone calls and
sympathy cards that I received since my mother, Lucille Weidlich, passed
away on February 6. Your words of sympathy and support were a great comfort
to me during this difficult time. Friends are so important during a time of
grief. I want to thank MCB for the beautiful flowers that were sent for the
funeral service. I also thank those of you who made donations to Minds Eye
in her memory. My mother would have been ninety years old on April 4th. She
was living independently in her own apartment until she went into the
hospital on January 25 with a very low blood count and other complications.
Despite a series of tests, no cause was ever found to explain her loss of
blood. Following her release from the hospital on February 3, she went into
a nursing home for rehabilitation. She was at first very unhappy about that,
but I think she knew that it was for the best because of her weakened
condition. On Monday, she got up for breakfast, but when the nurse came to
her room later in the morning, she was unresponsive and died after being
taken to the nearest hospital. My consolation is that she had good health up
until just a few weeks before her death and that she did not have to go
through a long period of physical and mental decline. Again, thank you for
your kind words, thoughts and, especially, your prayers.
We have just purchased a scanner which should make it easier for us to
handle any printed material which we receive. However, I am still
occasionally receiving hand-written affiliate reports. These are very
difficult because Donna can't read them and they can't be scanned, so they
end up going to the office for Mary to put into a form that I can read. So
please avoid sending hand-written letters or reports.
It has been a while since I published the editorial guidelines for the
Chronicle, so I thought this might be a good time to include them once
again. Here they are, as adopted by the MCB Board of Directors:
Guidelines for the Missouri Chronicle
The Chronicle shall be published quarterly, in March, June, September, and
December. As stated in Article XIII of the Bylaws, the magazine shall be
distributed, free of charge, to members and any other persons requesting it.
The Chronicle shall be available in Braille, large print, cassette tape, by
e-mail and on computer disk. It will also be available on the MCB web site.
Material for the Chronicle should be submitted to the Editor by the first
day of the month preceding each issue. Under the current publishing
schedule, submission deadlines are February first, May first, August first,
and November first. Material received after those deadlines may still be
included in the next issue if space permits or may be held for publication
in a later issue.
Each issue will typically consist of reports from the MCB President and
other officers, reports from committee chairpersons, news from affiliates, a
resource column and other articles selected by the editor.
Each issue will also contain a section listing the names, addresses and
phone numbers for all MCB officers, board members, committee chairs and
Affiliate Presidents. Affiliates should let the Editor know as soon as
possible when they elect new presidents so that the Chronicle list will be
up to date.
Readers are encouraged to submit articles for publication, including letters
to the editor, on any subject. Articles and letters may be shortened to meet
space limitations or edited for clarity, but the writer's writing style and
content will be retained. In order to be considered for publication in the
Chronicle, submissions must include the name of the writer; unsigned
articles and letters will not be considered.
Material may be submitted in any form, but hand written material should be
avoided if possible.
The June and September issues will contain a candidate's column where
members seeking office may submit information about their qualifications.
Candidates should stress their reasons for running for an office and shall
refrain from making personal attacks against any other member running for
or holding that office.
In this issue: an article about Deke Edwards, a story about a blind man
from Missouri who still canes chairs for a living and a list of some
accessible home appliances. Enjoy.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
by Kathey Wheeler
Dear MCB Members and Friends:
Since I wrote you last, the holiday season has come and gone. I hope all
of you had a joyous season even if it wasn't a restful one. Since I wrote
you last, I had the pleasure of visiting OAB, River City, and RITE. A few
SEMO members were at the River City Thanksgiving dinner, which, by the way,
was delicious, but I didn't get to talk with any of them before they
started that long drive back to Poplar Bluff in the dark. I enjoyed all of
these visits very much. Everybody made my husband and me feel so
welcome. I would have liked to visit several other affiliates during
December, but had eye surgery on December 15th instead. I am getting
along well, the doctor says, and my eye is somewhat more comfortable than
it was previously. There will be another surgery in a while, but the eye is
not ready yet.
Here are some things that have been accomplished during the last few months:
all those who handle money for MCB are now bonded;
the annual audit is in hand;
we are in good standing with the Secretary of State;
the employees' pension plan is in order and funded;
all committees are working;
the thrift store contract evaluation continues, and the MCB membership list will soon be mailed to the ACB office.
Also exciting during the last few months is that two more Board members,
Ida Scotti and Linda Gerken are now using e-mail. Congratulations, ladies. I am so proud of you.
By the time you read this, we will have had representation in Washington at the annual legislative seminar hosted by ACB, and our own Missouri legislative days in Jefferson City, managed by our legislative chairman, Mary Pendleton, will have been attended by many Mcb members. The office is
already putting the bills which Mary has sent to them into alternate formats.
Saturday, April 8, 2006, is the date of our 2006 spring board meeting. We shall hold this meeting at the Capitol Plaza, in Jefferson City. It will begin at 9:00 am. On Friday evening, April 7, there will be a hospitality room. Also, on Friday, the Convention Planning Committee, the Convention Host Committee, and the Budget and Finance Committee will meet.
Unfortunately, during the past few months, too many of our members, their
relatives, and friends of MCB have been ill or have died. My deepest
sympathy goes out to all of you who are ill and to the families of those
who have died. I hope that the next few months bring better times for all.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
By the time you read this we will have gone to Legislative Days in
Washington, DC. and have had our Legislative Days in Jefferson City. It has
been a very busy year but hopefully it will be productive. I am encouraged by the interest of all the legislative reps from our affiliates to keep informed and to be active. I want to thank all from the state who have been so helpful in assisting me to learn about this position.
Education and Welfare is a very important part of MCB. All of our lives hinge around raising awareness in this area. It affects our Blind pension, medical services, education, and technology which is all so vital to our being independent, productive, and happy. We had a meeting in November the
night before the board meeting. This gave us an opportunity to throw out ideas to make our legislative year successful. I was very pleased by all the useful suggestions.
Terrie Arnold and I also attended a legislative training hosted by
Paraquad that Saturday that was very beneficial. We learned how to give
testimony before the house and Senate and how to give an interview with a
reporter concerning legislative issues.
I attended the Medicaid hearings at the Capitol in January and learned
very much. There was a variety of testimony from independent living
centers, children's homes, individuals, and non emergency transportation
providers. There is a strong push to get the poverty level restored to 100
percent for Medicaid.
I also attended the Department of Education hearing in January. One
important testimony that we need to work on is the need for more Blind
skills teachers. We need to continue to advocate for it to be fully funded.
It is so important that our children receive the needed skills to get a
quality education. These blind children are our future leaders for MCB. So,
please work on this.
At this time, the National Legislative Seminar is tentatively planning to
cover such topics as Social Security, Voc Rehab, and emergency preparedness.
I will give a complete report in the June Chronicle.
On the state level, we are supporting a bill proposed last year that has
been proposed again that would require that all children attending a public
school must have a vision exam before they start. This is needed for
children to get a quality education and to determine their visual acuity.
Senate bill 917 is the bill that proposes that all funds be swept into
the general revenue fund at the end of the year. This could possibly include
our Blind pension but it is not clear at this time so we hope it is voted
down.
We are also working to support bills that reinstate the coverages for
Medicaid. This would include the MAWD program which is Medicaid for disabled
workers. Another bill we are working on includes increased payments to
sheltered workshops. There is one bill, Sb 642, that has some wording we are
against because it is vague as to whether the people working at the
workshops would receive any of the benefits. The other bill, Sb 740, is more
specific and favorable. It states that income earned at the sheltered
workshop would not be included to determine eligibility.
Although it is not a bill, the Governor's Review Commission has advised
that Rehabilitation Services for the Blind be put under Voc Rehab in the
Department of Education. We are urging that it remain a separate entity if
it is put under the Department of Education to provide adequate services for
the Blind of Missouri. Also, we will continue to advocate for
appropriations to be made to fully fund enough blind skills teachers in the
state.
My goal for this legislative year is not only to raise awareness and
encourage all of our members to take a proactive stand in advocacy but also
to make available training. This year has been a learning year and I know I
have made several mistakes but I see improvements. By next fall, I hope to
provide enough information for each affiliate to make this an even more
effective outreach into our legislative communities. If you have any
questions please feel free to contact me.
Mary Lee Pendleton
Education and Welfare Chairperson
e-mail: mlpendleton@sbcglobal.net
816 252 3667
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
By Jerry Annunzio
It has been only three months since the last scholarship report. The
research is done and it is time for action.
Three MCB members were asked and agreed to serve on the scholarship
committee. They are Phyllis Lovett, Chip Hailey and Linda Gerken. They will
be making the decisions on who will be awarded scholarships in the year
2006. As chairman I will do everything possible to facilitate that process.
The time from mid November to the end of 2005 was given to gathering the
email addresses of all the high schools and trade schools in Missouri. That
number totaled over five hundred.
By January fifth all the email addresses that could be acquired had been
sent a cover letter, the MCB Scholarship Application form, the Scholarship
Guidelines and Release of Information form. These packets went out to five
hundred forty-seven secondary schools and schools of higher education. The
goal was to send the information to all high schools, trade schools,
colleges and universities in Missouri.
You may have noticed that we did not use the regular mail this year but
used only email addresses. This was done at no expense to MCB or the
scholarship fund. Last year MCB sent out five hundred forty-five letters
from the St. Louis office, which used up many hours of staff time and
hundreds of stamps. We hope the emails will not only save staff time and
money but also get a broader response.
If you have time I would like you to check with the high schools and post
high school institutions in your area to see if they have received this
mailing. Then let me know what you have found. This plus the number of
applications we receive may help us to know how effective this method is.
To date I have received two emails and one phone call requesting more
information about our scholarships.
We are open to new ideas and welcome your suggestions. Our new public
relations chairperson and I have talked about sending out press releases to
help get the word out.
Together we will better serve all the blind of Missouri.
From The Editor: Here is a letter forwarded to me by Phyllis Lovett from
one of our Scholarship recipients. It is good to know that our scholarship
program is so beneficial to blind college students.
Ms. Lovett
For the fourth year in a row you've deemed me fit to receive a scholarship
from the Missouri Council of the Blind. The financial support you've
provided for me has been amazingly beneficial to my schooling, allowing me
to focus more on academics than work. I'd like you to know that this
semester my career in the University of Missouri Columbia's Teacher
Development Program is culminating in my student teaching internship at
Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo. My handicap may put some obstacles in
my way, but thanks to you, I will be able to devote the majority of my time
to developing effective lesson plans for my students. At the end of this
semester I hope to report to you not only my graduation with a Bachelor of
Science in Education but my certification to teach secondary Social Studies
in the State of Missouri as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for
all the assistance you've given me. Most Sincerely Brandon
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
At this point as the Public Relations Director for MCB, I have found several
rewards in holding this position. While taking the large print calendar
orders, I have had an opportunity to get to know some of our members around
the state, more than just a name. I am a people person, and absolutely love
working with so many wonderful people. By the time this issue comes out,
the calendar order will be submitted, and we will be moving onto other
projects. I am looking for new items to order to publicize MCB. If anyone
has any requests, please let me know. I will be contacting each affiliate to hear how they are contacting the general public, and hope to share ideas. I do encourage each affiliate to
contact their local newspapers to announce their information. You will be
surprised on the results. I look forward to helping not only MCB, but each and every affiliate.
Sincerely,
Beverly Kaskadden
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
by Phyllis Lovett
Our annual White Cane Walk will be held at Phelps Grove Park, located in
central Springfield, on Saturday, May 13. This Walk is to kick off Missouri
White Cane Week, May 15 through May 21. We always have a great time. We
ask for donations which will be donated to the Missouri Lions Eye Research
Foundation. We have a promise of a Branson entertainer, but only time will
tell about that. Lunch will be served by the members of the Alpha Lions
Club. For the last two years, Greene County Sheriff, Jack Merit has walked
blindfolded with us. Last year he convinced the Springfield City Manager,
Tom Finney, to join him. It definitely was an awareness wake up for them.
They both have promised to walk with us again this year. We extend an open
invitation to everyone. The Walk will start around 11 a.m. and after that
we eat and eat and eat. I would appreciate a call or e-mail if you plan to
attend. I surely would hate to run out of food. We hope to see you there.
Don't forget your cane.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
by Patti Schonlau
November 30, 2005
Missouri State Teacher's Association (MSTA)
407 South Sixth Street
Columbia, Missouri
APH Patterns Program: An overview of the APH Patterns Program was presented.
A new, updated edition of the APH Patterns Program for the beginning Braille
reader is in the process of being reviewed by vision teachers around the
country.
Governors Council for Disabilities: Donna presented information on the
Poster and Journalism Contests and Missouri Youth Leadership Forum.
Current Workshops/Events: Vision Summit: March 29-30, 2006, Capitol Plaza,
Jefferson City; Power Up: April 10-11, 2006, Holiday Inn Executive Center,
Columbia; Statewide Independent Living Council Transportation Conference is
coming up; AlphaPointe Workshop: May 5, 2006.
VI Certification Update: Kent Kolaga provided a list of recommendations on
VI certification to the Task Force.
2006-07 Blind Task Force Meetings: (sites to be determined):
February 22, 2006
May 10, 2006
September 20, 2006
December 6, 2006
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
The Transportation Committee of the Missouri (SILC) is sponsoring a
Transportation Expo on April 21st at the Pioneer Campus located at 2700 East
18th street here in Kansas City, Missouri. The registration forms will be
out during February. The cost for registration is $25 without lunch and $35
with lunch. The conference will deal with transportation concerns for
people with disabilities. Dinnis Stombaugh, who is the Transportation
Project Manager for (APRIL) will be with us. We will also have David Martin
from Delta Airlines and Lari Liberty with the local aviation department here
in Kansas City, Missouri. We will have a panel of independent living
centers discussing their programs for transportation and Sheila Styron
speaking on Guide Dog travel. The time will be from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Please come and join us!
Barbara Dewberry
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
Remembering Clint Campbell
By Mary Pendleton
Missouri Council of the Blind will miss one of our dearest members. Clit
Campbell went home to be with the Lord on January 1st, 2006. He
was born on February 9th, 1943. His wife Rachel, his three children, Shari,
Randal, and Deborah survive him. He also leaves behind five grandchildren
Clint spent some time in the Air Force after he and Rachel were married.
Many of us remember Clint as being our computer teacher at what was then
called Blind Focus. Those who came in contact with him there remember how
kind and patient he was with us. He was always happy and joking. I remember
a particular day when he played a taped recording of one of the instructors
giving a typing test to me. I made the comment that she sure had a high
voice. So while I was taking the test, Clint reached over and turned the
knob to speed it up. I was laughing so hard that I could not do the test
that day. He also is remembered as leading a computer group in Kansas City.
He also served for a time as President of Progressive Council of the Blind.
Many of us had him come to our work places and install programs and do
training. He was always pleasant and did a great job. Andrea Breier
reminisced: "The thing that I thought was cool about Clint, was that he
was great at changing with friendships.
What I mean is that when I first met Clint, he was my computer instructor,
then went into a good working relationship. Then he left the program and
went to being just great old friends. We had lunch on a monthly basis for
years. He had this incredible way of keeping his head up, even when you
knew that he didn't feel well. I think that is why it was so hard for me to
believe that he was really gone. He just didn't seem that sick. I think
the thing I really miss is his laugh." I think we can all agree on that. His laugh
was one of those contagious laughs that made everyone want to smile. When
Clint started having kidney problems and had to go on dialysis, his
brothers and sisters came to be tested in order to donate a kidney for a
transplant. God worked in miraculous ways. Clint's sister, who was a match,
had some pre cancer cells. Because of all the testing, doctors were able to
catch the cancer early and save her life. As a result of her love for her
brother, her kidney bought Clint some precious time with his family that he
so adored. We will all miss him and we can only hope that we can let his
life be an example of how we are to treat each other while we walk on this
earth.
Hannibal Courier Post - Hannibal, MO, usa
Monday, January 16, 2006
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
By Danny Henley
ST. LOUIS - Eugene "Deke" Edwards is in his 44th year as wrestling coach at
the Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis. Part of what keeps Edwards
coaching is the challenge and enjoyment of helping his sightless athletes
develop a vision for success.
"Just because you don't see, I don't think that makes any difference," said
Edwards, who grew up approximately 15 miles south of Bowling Green in the
small community of Corso. "I would like to think I've given them an
opportunity to compete against all kinds of kids--blind, sighted, deaf.
That's the way it's going to be in life."
While many of the wrestlers under the tutelage of Edwards have gone on to
compete in the state tournament, that's just a small part of the reward he
has derived from his years of coaching.
"What's so rewarding is to see how many of the kids I have coached that have
done well. When I say well' I mean they've made their own living. They're
not on welfare, depending on some check," he said. "The kids that worked
hard in wrestling apparently have worked hard in life, because they've done
well."
Sound instruction is not the only thing that Edwards, who was inducted into
the National Wrestling Hall of Fame last June, provides his young grapplers.
He also represents a role model, since he too is blind.
At least for some of his athletes, Edwards believes having a coach who is
sight-impaired serves as an inspiration.
"They know I've been there and done it," he said.
Youngsters joining the Missouri School for the Blind's wrestling team
quickly learn their coach is a straight shooter.
"I try to tell them the way I think it is and the way it's been. I don't lie
to them," he said. "If I compliment them, it's a real compliment. Maybe I'm
a little out with things today with all this positive re-inforcement when
it's really not warranted."
To give his wrestlers an accurate assessment of their skills, Edwards, who
will turn 67 on Feb. 5, still resorts to hands-on instruction.
"I wrestle almost every one of the kids every day for a few minutes," he
said. "It would be difficult if I had big groups."
Squaring off against his athletes is not the only way Edwards assesses their
wrestling technique.
"A lot of times you can tell by the sound when a guy does a move. When it's
done right there's a certain way it sounds. There's a splat on the mat when
a move is done a certain way. Really, you can tell," said Edwards with a
laugh.
For some youngsters, athletics come naturally. For blind wrestlers, success
is rarely achieved easily, according to Edwards.
"Blind kids, even if they have athletic ability, it takes them longer to
learn the basics of wrestling. Once they become a decent wrestler, they
learn just as fast (as a sighted wrestler) I think," he said.
Edwards, who continues to say each year is going to be his last as the
school's wrestling coach, relishes in the improvement his athletes make each
year.
"It's fun to see those kids grow," he said. "It's kind of frustrating right
now. These are young kids (on his current team) and they make mistakes, but
they're learning good work habits.
"Then when you see them as juniors in high school, and how far they've come
and how much they've changed, that's a big reward."
Edwards is thankful that his sight-impaired athletes have an opportunity to
compete.
"To grow and mature I think it's essential for some kids, not all kids
maybe, to have physical competition," he said.
Unfortunately, not all blind athletes have that opportunity.
"So many of those (sight-impaired) kids are going to public schools. To me,
I think it's a mistake for a lot of them. They don't really get the
opportunity (to compete in athletics). I can't blame the schools. If you're
a coach and have 40 kids, you can't spend the time (working with blind
athletes)," said Edwards.
Edwards joined the Missouri School for the Blind staff following his
graduation from SIU Carbondale, where he was a standout wrestler. During his
four-year collegiate career, Edwards amassed a 45-6 record. He served as
team captain for the nationally-ranked Salukis his senior year.
"I did pretty well," is Edwards' modest assessment of his college career.
A three-time conference champion, Edwards might have won a fourth title had
it not been for a separated shoulder suffered a month before the conference
tournament his freshman year. As it was he wound up a 6-5 loser in the
conference tournament--his only loss of the year--to a wrestler he'd
previously beaten.
"If we had been in the same position my senior year, I would have won. I'd
have been a little meaner," said Edwards, laughing.
A high school wrestling official, along with an assistant wrestling coach on
his high school team, both encouraged Edwards to give the sport a try at the
college level.
"I knew blind guys could do it," said Edwards. "I wasn't sure I could, but I
guess nobody is sure when they go from high school to college. It's so
different."
Not everyone can take the step athletically from high school to college,
according to Edwards.
"You'd see guys come in who were state champions from Illinois and different
states. They were used to beating everyone up in the (practice) room and
instead they're getting beat on as a freshman because you've got some guys
about as good as anyone in the country," he said. "Some people couldn't take
that, not being on top right away. A lot of them quit after a semester.
They'd be there a year and be gone."
Like many youngsters growing up in the late 1940s, Edwards dreamed of being
a Major League baseball player.
"I played baseball all the time. I did pretty well at baseball as a kid," he
said.
In November 1950, Edwards' dreams took a detour when a rifle misfired during
a hunting trip, costing the then-11-year-old his eyesight.
"I had to alter my goals a little bit," he said.
Despite the loss of his sight, Edwards still played baseball as best he
could.
"I loved to throw. My brother and I'd play catch a lot. He'd roll the ball
back and I'd field it," he said. "Kids would come over and I'd take my turn
at hitting. They'd let me pitch.
"While I couldn't really play on a regular team or anything, the
neighborhood kids would still come over. We had a lot of good ball games and
a lot of fun."
Shortly after losing his sight, Edwards, who had been attending classes in
Silex, switched schools.
"I immediately went to the Missouri School for the Blind, which was a
blessing. Now they might have kept me there (Silex), but I would not have
had the opportunities I had at the Missouri School for the Blind. We did
things that you just couldn't do in a public school. We had wrestling, track
and a swimming team," he said.
Edwards was guided into wrestling by the school's superintendent and PE
coach, who coincidentally also happened to be the wrestling coach.
"They were pretty slick about getting you involved in wrestling," said
Edwards with a chuckle.
During his high school wrestling career, Edwards amassed a 75-2 record with
58 pins. He twice won state wrestling titles and was the state runner-up
another time.
Unlike today, when a blind wrestler is allowed to touch the fingertips of
his opponent when starting in the standing position, Edwards had to compete
like a sighted wrestler.
"We had to cross a 10-foot circle then," said Edwards, who was given verbal
cues from his coach regarding what direction his opponent was approaching.
"Guys tried all kinds of stuff, like sneaking around. The guys who did that
really were taking themselves out of the way they wrestled. I practiced
against that stuff every day."
Edwards admits he would have liked competing under the current wrestling
rules used at the high school level.
"It would be a lot easier to wrestle now no contact because they start about
a meter apart. Back then we started 10 feet apart, which made it a little
tougher. Heck, you can smell a guy 3 feet away. Some of these guys (Edwards
wrestled) you'd smell 10 feet away," he said with a hearty laugh. "It was
tougher I think then, but everything worked out fine. I never really thought
of it as a disadvantage."
Neither does Edwards look back on his loss of sight with great regret.
"Maybe if you had to lose your sight, that (11 years old) was a good age to
lose it," he said. "I'd seen long enough to know what things looked like and
I had a good memory. I wasn't quite old enough that I was dating and I
wasn't driving, so cars weren't that important.
"That's the way I look at it."
Considering all that he has accomplished during his life, does Edwards
consider himself handicapped?
"Not if I'm doing what I'm doing," he said. "I guess things would be easier
(with sight), but I don't know if I'd have the same passion.
"I don't think that I've accomplished anything really. I just did what I
liked to do. I've enjoyed wrestling. I still have fun. I've also enjoyed
seeing kids make progress."
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
January 24, 2006.
Fort Wayne News Sentinel - Fort Wayne, IN, usa.
From The Editor: This is a newspaper article about a former member of Allied
Workers.
Revelle Lee weaves an intricate chair seat.
Six layers of strips go up, down, across, diagonal and somehow form evenly
spaced rows of holes. Wooden pegs hold the cane strips in place.
Lee uses his fingers and a filed-down spoon handle to maneuver 30-foot-long
pieces of cane, the skin of a rattan palm plant. He nearly finishes a row,
then SNAP! A strip breaks.
"Durn," says Lee. "You're supposed to cuss when that happens. But I'm going
to fix it by tying it together."
He swiftly ties a knot, seamlessly blending the broken piece into the
weaving.
Lee is known by architects, designers and furniture-store owners throughout
the Midwest for his fine skills in caning and rushwork, the ropy strands
often found on the seats of old rocking chairs. The geometric consistency of
his work amazes people, because he can't see what he is creating. "I can
feel it," says Lee, who is blind. "I just know when it's right and when it
isn't."
Architect Eric Piper has hired Lee to cane chairs for his downtown office
and to rush chairs for his dining room at home. That was about a decade ago
and they've held up well. "He's that unique craftsperson you love to find,"
Piper says. "It's amazing he's still doing this at age 80." Lee runs his
shop from his brick home in Independence, Mo. He greets customers in the
garage, which serves as a mini showroom. Some chairs there are old, ornately
carved wood pieces; others are modern with sleek chrome curves. All have
Lee's handiwork in the caned seats and backs.
Lee takes the stairs from the garage down to the basement, his workshop.
It's also filled with chairs. He remembers the names of their owners and
their styles by touching them. Rolls of cane are tucked in corners and
shelves around the dark, unfinished space. Lee gets around by slowly
shuffling and occasionally waving his hand for objects in front of him and
next to him.
Three men work for him part time. They do the furniture refinishing,
painting and shipping for out-of-town customers. Russell Moore does most of
the rushwork so Lee can concentrate on caning.
"He taught me everything I know," says Moore. "I've learned from him that
every piece of furniture is different and that you have to be patient to get
work done the right way."
LEARNING CRAFTSMANSHIP
Lee was born outside Harviell, Mo., near the Bootheel and attended public
school through the fourth grade. He received a vague diagnosis of "optic
nerve trouble" and was pronounced legally blind. What he could see four feet
ahead of him was equivalent to what most people could see at 700 feet.
In 1936 at age 11, Lee began attending the Missouri School for the Blind in
St. Louis. He was hyper and unhappy being away from his family. He received
"inferior" grades in geography, history, spelling and reading. Then he
started caning, receiving "superior" marks in the subject. "It calmed me
down," Lee says. "It changed my world."
Lee found out that caning a chair takes eight to 10 hours. At one time cane
chairs were more popular than upholstered ones. A good-quality cane seat
could last 25 to 30 years before needing repairs, often outlasting fabric.
During the Depression, caning was considered a "blind trade" along with
broom making and piano tuning. Students relied on their tactile and audio
senses to expertly learn these skills.
Repairing cane furniture became Lee's financial salvation. Through contacts
at the school, he earned spending money for clothes. His mother died when he
was 15 and soon his father moved to California, leaving Lee to fend for
himself. The money he made from caning sustained him. "I came of age feeling
like an orphan," he says.
Lee graduated from the school in 1945 and received a special certificate for
his work in handicrafts. He earned an extra fine-arts credit because of the
"artistic nature and quality of his work," according to school records.
Lee married Bertie Miller, a woman he met at school; she also was blind. He
opened a caning shop in a 13-by-21-foot space in 1948 in downtown Kansas
City and kept the store for several years. He and his wife had their only
child, Stephen Lee. Family members openly wondered whether their child would
be able to see, which he can.
"My parents always were able to get around well," says Stephen Lee, an
executive at Cerner Corp. "But we all relied on each other. I started going
to the grocery store and writing out checks when I was a young kid."
The elder Lee worked on an assembly line making soda vending machines for
Vendos for 25 years. As he had since childhood, he kept caning to earn extra
money.
"It's an amazing old skill," says Jan Cummings, a professor who teaches
furniture history and oversees Johnson County Community College's interior
design program. "It's only known by a handful of people."
Indeed, not many people cane for a living these days. Blind students haven't
learned caning in years, says Tom Culliton, assistant superintendent for the
Missouri School for the Blind.
"There haven't been many handicrafts taught since I came here in 1969,"
Culliton says. "Education for visually impaired students has moved away from
that and into practical technology, especially computer skills. A lot also
go into massage therapy."
CANEWORK NOW
Local stores have long commissioned Lee to cane their furniture. For 20
years he has worked on French chairs for European Express, in the antiques
district. The chairs date from 1840 to 1950.
"His specialty is double-blind caning, working with a single strand of cane
from either side. But he also does contour caning and caning with
medallions," says Alan Barnes, general manager of European Express. "He can
do it all."
Lee works 50 hours a week. It's harder with the arthritis in his back and
hips. For years he's been completely blind, not able to catch the small
glimpses of the world that he could in his youth. He keeps his caning
tools--an ice pick and side cutters--in the deep pockets of a white lab
coat. He wears a black cap, joking that the bill helps guide him around the
house.
His wife died of cancer in 1979, after 34 years of marriage. He goes out to
dinner with Elva Shields, his girl friend of 17 years and saves the
leftovers for the next day's lunch. Shields drives him where he needs to go.
When his employees go home, Lee canes in the dark alone. So for company, he
"reads," which means listening to tales of the Old West, detective stories
and Consumer Reports articles on tape.
"Dad has always been a fighter," says the younger Lee. "Through him I've
learned the values of hard work and treating people fairly. He takes a lot
of pride in what he does, because not only is it his business, it's his
hobby. He'll do caning as long as he can."
---
CANEWORK
WHAT IS IT?
Cane is the skin or bark of the rattan palm.
For furniture, a mesh of split canes is stretched over parts of the
framework, primarily on the backs and seats of chairs.
Cane details in furniture are created from machine-made sheets or hand-woven
from long strips.
REVELLE LEE
Lee is one of a few professional caners in the Kansas City area. He has
nearly 70 years of experience.
Lee charges 90 cents per hole for hand caning--about $70 for a typical
American chair.
He can be reached at (816) 833-2900.
---
CANING
HISTORY
Cane furniture became fashionable in England and the Netherlands near the
end of the 17th century. Ornately carved high-backed chairs were especially
popular.
In France, canework was used for less opulent furniture during the 18th
century.
In America, canework became popular in the early 1900s.
Restoration Hardware recently introduced tables and cabinets with cane
details.
CARE
Dryness will cause cane to become brittle and break prematurely. Moisture
will cause mold and mildew.
A light coat of furniture polish or lemon oil will help keep the cane
flexible and lustrous.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
By Judith Newmark
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
From The Editor: A few of you might know the fellow that this article is
about. He was a member of MCB back in the Sixties, at a time when some of us
attempted to form a new chapter for young blind people in the St. Louis
area. That's when we were in our twenties. What a long time ago that was! At
about the sametime, Randy, Larry Boyd and I formed a jazz trio called the
Soul Seeers that performed for a few years, mostly and weddings and partys.
I played piano, Larry played the bass and Randy did drums and vocals. The
name came from the plaque that was on display at the time at the School for
the Blind that read "it is the soul that sees." For all I know, it may still
be there. Randy and I were very close friends at that time but we have lost
touch over the years, as friends sometimes do. He was always interested in
theater, and I am glad to see that he has finally been able to find an
outlet for that lifelong interest. The article was written by the theater
critic of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Theater happens at night and, consequently, so does Randy Stinebaker. His
wife, Ann, understands that this is the way of their world, so sometimes
she has to wake him. Forget alarm clocks. She wakes him by singing funny
songs.
"Ann's my cheerleader, my coach, my best friend," says Randy Stinebaker,
president of the Missouri Association of Community Theaters and artistic
director of a readers' theater--where actors perform with scripts in
hand--called Soundstage. Formerly a community troupe, Soundstage makes itsm
debut as a professional company on Friday with "The Long Christmas Ride
Home," by Paula Vogel.
"We're going to a whole new level," bubbles Ann Stinebaker, the treasurer.
Her husband can keep his association office because he's also artistic
director of another community theater, the Missouri African-American
Repertory Theatre in Jefferson City.
He's not black? He knows that. That didn't stop Stinebaker nor MOAART'S
founder and managing director, Regina Divine, who asked him to lend a hand.
It didn't stop him any more than blindness has stopped him from acting in
and directing shows. Minuscule audiences never faze him; he just wants
to act and direct, not carry on as a local celebrity.
Ann Stinebaker, on the other hand, is a fixture on the St. Louis theater
scene. She sells refreshments at New Line productions at the downtown
ArtLoft--a fun touch and a reliable fundraiser for Soundstage. She's also
New Line's house manager, MOAART'S treasurer, and an occasional but willing
props or costumes mistress. And, when absolutely no one else is available,
she's a performer. She wrinkles her nose. "I love the stage," she says.
"That doesn't mean I want to be on it."
Ann used to run a small dinner theater in a St.
Charles hotel, part of her 20-year career in the hospitality industry.
Randy was trying to locate a particular actress for a production he was
putting together; a mutual acquaintance thought Ann might know how to find
her. "He called me looking for an actress, and we started to chat," Ann
said. "We chatted for three hours.
"We also spent three hours on the phone the next time. Then we went to a
volleyball game--Randy's such a sports nut, we still go to games all the
time. It wasn't long before we got married. That was eight years ago."
Both married for the second time, the Stinebakers
have three children between them. After Randy's daughter became an
optometrist, Ann's daughter was so impressed that she followed her
stepsister's path; coincidentally, they work in the same office in
O'Fallon, Mo. Randy's son, a construction worker who helps out building
sets, lives with the Stinebakers in their sparkling Webster Groves condo.
"It (readers theater) levels the playing field for me," Randy
explains. "When I went to Brentwood High School, I played leads. I'd spend
hours memorizing the stage so I could play a sighted person. But then I
went to Webster University. They take theater very seriously there and--in
those days, anyway--they weren't going to take extra time for anybody. I
thought that was it until my daughter told me about readers theater years
later, when she was in high school. Now, this is my passion. I am making up
for all the years I missed."
He's not missing much, Ann says. "When he directs, he just amazes me," she
says. "He'll tell someone to come farther downstage, or to turn on a line."
Randy says he's judging by what he hears--and in word-driven readers
theater, those questions are minimized anyway.
Ann usually drives Randy to and from
rehearsals; if she's not available, one of the actors will drive. If he has
relatively little to memorize, Ann makes a tape of it for him, and he types
it up in Braille. If there's a sizable amount of material, they send it to a
transcription service.
"We have season tickets all over the place," Ann
says. besides catching shows around town, they relish long theater weekends
in Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Louisville (for its annual New
American Plays festival). "Randy loves the classics," Ann says. "I prefer
musicals. I am a Bat Boy fanatic--oh, and I loved Crowns."
When Soundstage started paying, Ann heard
from hundreds of actors who are eager to work with the new company. Of
course, the Stinebakers realize, actors are always hungry--and readers
theater, without memorization, big technical demands, or long rehearsal
periods, is the kind of work actors can slip in between other jobs. Randy
adds that he doesn't expect Soundstage to compete with other theaters on
the local scene, "but we've got our niche. Ann and I feel blessed to have
found it."
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
I mentioned a couple of issues ago that the National Federation of the
Blind was starting a program to push for more accessible consumer
electronics. In my opinion, this is one of the most important issues facing
blind people today. Some of us may never have an opportunity or the desire
to learn to use a computer or other high tech device, but we all need to be
able to use microwaves, stoves, dishwashers, washers and dryers, thermostats
and other appliances. These devices are becoming increasingly difficult for
us to use because they have flat panels without buttons and menus that we
cannot read. The purpose of the NFB'S consumer electronics accessibility
initiative is to let blind consumers know which products are usable to us
and to encourage manufacturers to be aware of our accessibility needs. Last
year the NFB exhibited several accessible products at their convention. This
is a list of those products with a description of their accessible features.
Prices are not given, but the manufacturers and model numbers are listed
here for your information. I hope you find this useful.
Accessible Home Showcase List
This list consists of devices that were demonstrated at the 2005 National
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind held in Louisville,
Kentucky.
For more current information about the listed products, contact the
manufacturer.
Please note: When using the words "accessible" and "usable" we mean that
through a sequence of steps or additional modifications, a blind person can
successfully use a specific product.
As we receive information on usable consumer electronics, we will continue
to update the Accessible Home Product List.
Washing machines
Manufacturer: Whirl Pool
Website:
www.whirlpool.com
Product Name: Whirlpool Duet
Nonvisual Interface Description:
The control panel of this device provides the user with audible and tactile
feedback. The pointer of the knob is distinguishable by touch, and one can
mark using Braille if desired. If one didn't desire to mark the unit, one can
hear the accompanying clicking sound as one is rotating the various control
knobs.
Manufacturer: Fisher and Paykel
Website:
www.fisherpaykel.com
Product Name: Fisher and Paykel EchoSmart
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This appliance features several buttons that are distinguishable by touch.
The user can orient to the different functions that each control represents
either through Braille or memorization. Although the unit is menu driven, it has
pre-sets for the various clothing options, which do not require the user to
reset.
If the user desires to do so the pre-sets can be modified by memorizing the
various choices. If one becomes disoriented while navigating the settings,
one can always press the clear button and return to the pre-set state. One
key feature is that control buttons emit audible tones as one is pressing
them.
Furthermore, as one is navigating up or down the menus settings, there is a
clear and distinct sequence of tones to inform the user when the end of the
selection menu is reached.
Manufacturer: Maytag
Website:
www.maytag.com
Product Name: Maytag or Sears conventional top loader
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit features a pointer on the control knob for setting the wash cycle
that is indiscernible by touch alone. However, as one is rotating the
control knob in order to set the wash cycle, there is tactual feedback. A series of
clicks orients the user to make a selection. All of the other control knobs
are distinguishable by touch and audible clicks.
Dryers
Manufacturer: Whirlpool
Website:
www.whirlpool.com
Product Name: Whirlpool Duet (gas)
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit features a control knob and pointer distinguishable by touch. The
user can set the unit to the appropriate dryer settings. Another feature is
that one can make modifications to presets through menus. With some
memorization, the user can independently manipulate the buttons, which are
also distinguishable by touch.
Manufacturer: Whirlpool
Website:
www.whirlpool.com
Product Name: Whirlpool or Sears conventional dryer (gas)
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit consists of control knobs that are distinguishable by touch. As
one turns the control knobs, there is an audible click. For additional
modifications, one can add Braille for ease of use but it is not a necessity.
Manufacturer: Fisher and Paykel
Website:
www.fisherpaykel.com
Product Name: Fisher and Paykel (gas)
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit is similar to its washing machine counterpart (see above).
Kitchen Appliances
Ranges
Manufacturer: General Electric (GE)
Website:
www.ge.com
Product Name: GE or Hotpoint conventional (gas)
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit consists of textured buttons for setting oven temperature and
timer. As one is pressing the buttons, there are corresponding tones.
Dishwashers
Manufacturer: WhirlPool
Website:
www.whirlpool.com
Product Name: Whirlpool (mid-range)
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This unit uses push buttons, which are clearly detectable by touch. Buttons
are arranged such that one can make necessary selections to settings such as
temperature, drying, or wash cycles.
Microwaves
Manufacturer: Independent Living Aids
Web site:
www.independentliving.com
Product Name: Talking Microwave
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This microwave is specially modified with a clear male voice to talk you
through all the operating functions. It has a built-in turntable for heating
evenly and features a speaking countdown timer that can be used independently from
the microwave to provide accurate timing for any purpose.
Manufacturer: General Electric (GE)
Website:
www.ge.com
Product Name: GE Countertop Microwave Oven
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This microwave features buttons that are distinguishable through touch.
Telephones
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Website:
www.panasonic.com
Product Name: Panasonic phone with caller ID
Nonvisual Interface Description:
Telephone models with caller ID that are offered by Panasonic will identify
the phone number and name of the caller (if available) via speech.
Personal electronics
MP-3 players
Manufacturer: RCA
Website:
www.rcaaudiovideo.com
Product Name: RCA Lyra
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This player represents the category of chip-based players. This means that
there are clearly defined buttons that perform a specific task such as
previous/next item or volume up/down. This functionality is in contrast to hard-drive
based MP-3 players, which are generally menu driven.
Manufacturer: Rio Audio
Website:
www.rioaudio.com
Product Name: Rio Carbon
And
Manufacturer: Dell
Website:
www.u.dell.com
Product Name: Dell MP-3 player
Nonvisual Interface Description:
These MP-3 players consist of a click-wheel for moving up and down menu
selections. The menus are laid out such that when the user is moving within
the selection menu, one can consistently navigate to the top or bottom of the menu. This
is in contrast to other menu designs that return to the beginning of the menu
once one has reached the end. With this design, the user has no way of knowing where they are in a menu.
Each of these MP-3 players when adding songs via the PC, is treated as an
additional hard drive. This eliminates the need for a special software
application.
Radios
Manufacturer: C. Crane Company, Inc.
Website:
www.ccrane.com
Product Name: CC Radio
Nonvisual Interface Description:
Specifically designed for talk radio, news, sports, and weather, control
buttons are fully accessible by blind individuals. With the built-in weather
band you can listen to the NOAA weather station for current local conditions. A special weather alert feature sounds an alarm to notify you of weather emergency updates. This feature even works while you are listening to AM or FM. This alarm will even sound at night and wake you up if there is an alert. In fact there are three weather alert functions that you can select: flashing light and no alarm, NOAA audio, or flashing light and siren. This radio operates with the supplied ACCORDING cord or may be operated for up to 250 hours on four Dcells (not supplied). There is a carry handle lip built into the rear panel.
All of the radios functions are available via logically positioned controls
and buttons. The radio is provided with both print and cassette manuals.
Environment
Thermostats
Manufacturer: Action Talking Products
Website:
www.actiontalkingproducts.com
Product Name: The KELVIN Talking Thermostat
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This talking thermostat can be activated by voice, manually, or clapping of
the hands. The user can set time, date, and program temperature schedules
for different times of day or week.
Manufacturer: Talking Thermostats
Website:
www.talkingthermostats.com
Product Name: The VIP "Talking Thermostat"
Nonvisual Interface Description:
This is a digital thermostat with audio playback that uses human recorded speech. Features include voicing of time, indoor temperature, temperature
setting, and programming instructions so blind and visually impaired users can precisely and easily manage their indoor comfort.
When you press the daytime, weekend, or weekday schedule buttons, voice
prompts guide the user in making appropriate settings. As the user is
pressing the up or down buttons, there is voice output of the display. There are two
models-- one offers heating and cooling control for conventional gas or oil electric systems and another for heat pump systems. Instructions are in MP-3 and Wave file formats and can be listened to using a CD player or computer.
A text file is also included that can be listened to using JAWS or any other
text-to-speech software.
Be sure to check back as we continue to add product to this list.
If you have any comments or recommendations of items that might be added to
the list, please contact:
Mrs. Anne Taylor
Director of Access Technology
Jernigan Institute
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF The BLIND
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2413
(410) 659-5129 (Fax)
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
Where we find out what's happening all around Missouri
Allied Workers
The holiday season was quite busy for us at AWB. For Thanksgiving
and Christmas, we made donations to the Salvation Army and City Union
Mission, respectively. We were glad to be able to help others in
need in the Kansas City Area.
My wife's mother passed away in December after a short bout with
cancer. Her family asked me to play the organ for her funeral. As I
began to play, one of our nieces came up beside me saying, "we have a
request that you play the old hymns." I smiled and replied, "Ok, go
tell them old hymns coming up." I then played the old, familiar
hymns for about half an hour. Debbie's brother preached the funeral.
Allied Workers had its Christmas party at a Mexican restaurant in
Kansas City. Those who attended had a good time.
We plan to see a descriptive video during February at a theater near
Independence Center. I understand that the theater has several
screens, one of which shows descriptive video movies.
A few of our members will be attending the Legislative Days in
February. They will work alongside other MCB members to speak with
legislators to seek their favorable action on legislation favorable
to the blind.
Many of you may know that Yours Truly has a strong interest in
classical music, particularly that of the Renaissance and Baroque
era. Early in January, I got an opportunity to see a musical
instrument uncommon in our day but quite familiar to musicians of the
Renaissance era; the instrument is called a "theorbo." It had a body
and a neck that had a total length of five to six feet. As it is
played, it is held with the neck extending to the left of the
player. The one I examined had 14 strings, seven of which are
unfretted and played only at their "open" pitch. The remaining
strings passed over a fingerboard for normal fretting. The sound of
the instrument was somewhat like that of a lute, and some of its open
strings sounded notes in the low octave of a piano. When I finished
examining the instrument, one of the ladies working with the concert
told me that they had taken a picture of me examining the
the orbo. The concert was a fund-raiser for a choir preparing a trip
to Europe; I enjoyed the concert and the look at the theorbo, and
they got a picture for their scrapbook.
We hope all of you take care of yourselves as we go into the spring
season, and we will have more news in the June issue.
Blind of Central Mo
Sunday January 29, 2006
Hello to everyone from Sedalia.
When you receive this report spring will be here,
We hope everyone is having a very good year.
The following people rang the bell for the Salvation Army in
front of K-Mart store on Saturday, December 3 from 9 Am
to 9:00 Pm:
Evelyn Cox, Loretta Howard, Richard Howard, Mabel Meier, Galen
Blood, Trudy Blood, Robbie Barnier, Brenda Gardner, Linda
Gerken, Bill Lehman, Joyce Lehman, Russell Gray, Shelley
Jeffery, Norma Dicman, and Emma Lou Swopes. Emma Lou and the
Salvation Army say a great big thank you to all of these people
for helping the Salvation Army in this way. This goes for a lot
of good programs to help a lot of people.
We had our Christmas party on December 6. Everyone introduced themselves.
We had 42 members and guests. Reba Carter led us in a word of prayer. We had a
great supper catered by the Country Bumpkin. We had turkey, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green beans, corn, lettuce salad, fruit salad, pumpkin pie, angel food cake,
coffee, and iced tea. After we ate, Kenny and Reba Carter played Christmas carols and we sang. Then the ones that brought gifts exchanged them. Tom Darrah was presented with a $50.00 gift card
from Wal-mart. A collection was taken up for the Mayor's Santa Claus fund. We collected $100.00, and the club donated $100.00 so we had $200.00 for that fund. Everyone had a good time of
food, fun, and fellowship.
We have two new members in our club. They are Woody Spillars, who is blind, and Barbara Miller, who is blind. Congratulations Woody and Barbara, and welcome to our club.
Our club met at a new place in January. It was in a room at the
Petis County Partnership building. It was nice but it was a
small room, especially if we want to have dinners there. We
will meet at a church which is called the Celebration Center in
February. We will see how that works out.
We will have our bowling party on Saturday, March 4 from 4:00
to 6:00 Pm. We will have pizza, bread sticks, and cinnamon sticks
delivered from Mazzios pizza. We will have assorted soda
to drink. I'm sure it will be a great time of food, fun, and
fellowship.
Until next time, we hope everyone has many great months ahead.
Keep your smile and a song in your heart. If you can't be good,
be good at it.
Trudy Blood
Recording Secretary
Blind of Central Mo
JOPLIN SERVICE CLUB OF The BLIND
The calendar says it is time to start my article for the chronicle.
The Holidays are past and it doesn't seem like it can be year 2006.
Our weather is so changeable, you don't know of a morning what the temp
may be by evening.
I'm sorry to have to announce that Tom Walkinshaw, Anna Mae
Higginbotham and Mildred Long have all passed away since I sent the last
article.
For Christmas we decided to give the Salvation Army canned goods and
some money instead of having a gift exchange. Tom Fortson and kitchen volunteers fixed our Christmas Luncheon and had a birthday cake to celebrate the December Birthdays.
We had 13 who attended a show at the "Stained Glass Theatre" in Joplin
in December. Also a group of us attended the "Living Christmas Tree" at Ozark Christian College. We enjoyed them both very much.
The St. Mary's Catholic Church women furnished, fixed and served our
December Thursday evening dinner. Following the dinner, Bruce Phillips
entertained by singing some Christmas songs.
At our January business meeting we welcomed three new members; they are
Jackie Smith, and Ken and Sandy Goettel.
Robert Harwell is recuperating in a nursing home in Carthage after
suffering a stroke. Audrey Elliff is also in a Joplin nursing home. We
hope they will be able to rejoin us soon!
Our January Thursday evening dinner was hosted by Chris Baker, who was a
volunteer driver for us at one time. A trio from the Riverton Kansas area
came and sang gospel hymns. Everyone really enjoyed the evening.
We have had a very warm and dry winter but we may wake up one of these
days and winter will have moved in.
Hope those that have had the flu have recovered and those who haven't
had it can escape it!
Sincerely,
Valva York
Greetings from Lake Stockton
Since our last visit, we have celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the
beginning of a New Year. Forty-one members and five guests attended the
Thanksgiving dinner at the November meeting. The traditional turkey dinner
was prepared and served by the catering staff from Citizens Memorial
Hospital.
The December meeting brought us a new member. Joe Sanders joined our
affiliate. We had thirty-six members and nine guests present for dinner and
entertainment. After the meal was served by the CMH catering staff, special
guest Janine Stitton took part in the program by playing a variety of songs
on a hammered dulcimer. She gave a brief history of the hammered dulcimer
and introduced each song with background information.
Eujean Dody and Linda Dawes handed out gifts to a few lucky people with a
rather different version of the "Twelve Days of Christmas plus Five More."
Turkeys, real frozen turkeys, were included in those gifts! Charlene
Wilson, hostess for the evening, arranged for enough door prizes of homemade
candies, homemade soaps or cute little holiday characters with a candy cane
that each household had a gift to take home.
Leroy and Loretta Welch were welcomed guests at our November and December
meetings. We put them to work during the December meeting. They led the
singing of "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night."
Until next time,
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Linda Dawes, Secretary
Progressive Council of the Blind
I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. We had our
Christmas party on December 17th. We had plenty of delicious food and fun.
One of our members, Carol Dodd brought gifts that were numbered and we won
the gift that matched the number that we drew. We also had our Honey-baked
Ham raffle fund-raiser at that time. Terrie Arnold won the $75 prize, Eldon
Cox won the $50 prize and Donna Right won the $25 prize. We also finished
up the last of our anual nut fund-raiser in December. The club decided to
have another Ham raffle for Easter. The tickets are $1 each, or six for $5.
There will be two prizes of $25 each. The drawing will take place at our
March meeting, Saturday the 18th. Well that is all I have for now until
next time.
Betty Dewberry
Queen City Council of the Blind
Greetings from Queen city Council,
We had a wonderful delicious Christmas dinner, provided by several of our
members. We had voted in a new member, Christie Knipp. We will have a
meeting on Valentine's Day at Incredible Pizza. Vivian Marshall will go to
Jefferson City for Legislative day.
Marilyn Tuso
The RITE Report
What happened to winter? We just finished the 3rd warmest January on record.
So far we have only had 4.8 inches of snow. There are some flowers coming up
around my sun porch. Makes me wonder what spring will bring.
Our holiday season was wonderful. We had to make some changes in plans
for our Christmas party, but, thanks to Tom Armstrong for being willing to
open the MCB building without much notice, everything turned out fine. We
even had a visit from Santa.
We have two new members, Patrick and Ruth Collins. Patrick is sighted and
Ruth is blind. Welcome guys, we still need a bunch more.
We sponsored a student at the MSB giving tree this year. Rose Ledford and
I attended the Christmas program and party. We also made a donation to the
Salvation Army.
We are in the process of planning several events for the near future.
Four of us will attend Legislative Days in Jefferson City. We hope to tour
the new baseball stadium when the tour schedule becomes available. We are
also planning a trip to Elephant Rock in the spring or early summer. I'm
pretty sure some of us will attend camp this summer. We will also have a
booth at the Strassenfest again this summer. And, of course, our ongoing
drive for new members.
Our sympathy goes out to Verneiah Abbott, whose mother passed away
recently. She had just celebrated her 99th birthday. We also want to
remember Celita White for the loss of her mother. We also send thoughts of
comfort to Tina Vinson for the loss of her husband.
One of our members, Richard Kolasch, plans to retire from the Record
Center on Goodfellow on March 31st. We appreciate Richard because he is
always willing to help with anything and does most of the driving for the
organization. Congratulations, Richard.
Well, folks, as they say, all good things must come to an end and it's
time to say goodbye for this time. Hope to chat with you again in about
three months. Until then, may God walk with you, talk with you, and keep His
hand on your shoulder.
Warm Blessings
Bunny Mcginnis
Southwest Missouri Friendship Council
We hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a happy and healthy New
Year.
Wow, our club is growing! We have five more members. We welcome back former members Mike and Rita Galbraith, and Dorthy Pridemore. We also welcome Ron and Cathie Brauner.
Unfortunately, we have had quite a few illnesses within the club.
In December, our president, Franklin Johnson, had knee replacement surgery.
He had to use a walker for a while, but he's back to walking with his dog Sandler again.
They make a great team.
Martha Newby and Elvena Smith also have both been in the hospital. They are both home, but still recovering.
On a happier note, Chip and Linda Hailey are proud grandparents again. Their son Marcus and his wife just had a baby boy on Wednesday, the 19th of January.
They named him Noah James. He weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces, and was 19 and 3/4 inches long.
We are still selling candles and air fresheners, but some of us have bought more of them than we have sold. The candles especially made nice Christmas gifts.
We have had two really nice socials, a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at our meeting place, and a scrumptious Christmas dinner at a local restaurant.
Our meeting got postponed on January third, because the power was out in Webb City. We all showed up; we just couldn't get into the building. So we had to have our meeting in place of this month's social. All of our members are working hard to make our club stronger and better.
Well, that's all I have for this time.
I will look forward to next time.
Cindy Smart
THE SPRINGFIELD SCENE
by Phyllis Lovett
Thanksgiving Dinner:
No doubt, this is old news but it was great then. The members of the West
Plains club joined us at Cedars South for a great dinner. Our club pays for
everything for our members and guests. We always enjoy this very much.
Christmas Party:
We had our usual Christmas dinner and $5.00 gift exchange in December. Our
members seem to get more inventive with their gifts each year.
January Guests:
We had two guests, both prospective members at our January meeting. They
were Steve Breedlove and Sam Gilliam. This was Steves second meeting so he
will join at his next visit. We were glad to welcome Sam. He is brother to
Mike Gilliam of the West Plains club. He plans to join our group. Welcome
to both of you.
Speaking of West Plains, we will be making our annual exchange visit to West Plains on February 13. At this time, we have 11 members going. We always look forward to this meeting as they have the best food. Also good fellowship.
White Cane Walk:
On Saturday, May 13, The Springfield Service Club will host our 11th annual White Cane Walk. As usual, we invite all of the M.C.B. affiliates within driving range. We provide lunch and hope to have a Branson entertainer.
The Alpha Lions again will serve our lunch. Donna Giger, Charlotte Thornsberry, Lisa Filroy and I are members. We appreciate their volunteers very much. We cordially invite anyone who can come. It starts around 11 a.m. and lasts about 2 and a half hours. We hope to see many of you here.
Greetings from St. Charles Council:
In the last issue of the Chronicle, I promised a report on our Christmas
activities. Our members and guests enjoyed an evening of good food, games,
and laughter. Our guests were delighted to be a part of our good hearted
fun. As you all know, the best part of Christmas comes with the giving. We
were able to provide a touch of Christmas to two families. The families
that are chosen to receive our donations must have a member with vision
difficulties. Not only are we able to help with their Christmas wishes, but
give them resources that they can benefit from knowing. We also extended a
one year membership in our affiliate. Sneaky, aren't we? It is what I
consider being a good neighbor.
The January meeting seemed to sneak up on us, since it was just the day
after New Year's Day. The plans for the year are underway, with all our
monthly programs in place.
Our first fund raiser is already underway. Our famous member, Mary Mellis,
has provided us with some of her artwork, which we have put on card stock.
We have packaged five cards with envelopes and selling them for $7.50. The
cards are blank on the inside, so they can be customized to your occasion.
We are getting rave reviews. Mary is treasured in our affiliate.
I didn't think I had much to report on, but as usual, I can always find
something to say.
Just a few more weeks of winter, then I will be ready to get outside and
work in the yard.
Stay well.
Beverly Kaskadden
UWB Update
Greetings from the United Workers,
It seems that we have had a lot of sad news lately. On January 8, one of
our long time members, Milburn Vinson, died following heart surgery.
Milburn's most notable service to UWB was as Chairman of the committee that
operates our Apartment Building in Maplewood. He was very dedicated to
making our building a good place to live for our tenants. Milburn enjoyed
coming to camp and loved playing pass the trash. He always told me that if
you want to win at pass the trash you should be the one sitting to the left
of the dealer, and he was often right about that. He was also a good bowler
and bowled for many years with the Pin Splitters bowling league. We extend
our deepest sympathy to Tina and we hope she will be at meetings and
functions again soon.
Just a few days later, we learned of the passing of Celita White's
mother. Celita is our Treasurer as well as Treasurer of MCB. And on February
6, my mother, Lucille Weidlich, passed away following a brief
hospitalization.
Peggy Smith has been planning new activities for more outreach into the
blind community and to provide some fun for our members. Our members sold
World's Finest Chocolate and held a bingo to raise money to buy Christmas
gifts for a student at the Missouri School for the Blind. We also had a New
Year's Eve Party at the MCB building that was attended by about thirty
members and friends. We also had a valentine's Party at the MCB Building on
February 11th, which was attended by about thirty people.
We had surprise visitors at our January meeting. Howard and Janice
Compton, who moved to Nebraska a few years ago were visiting relatives in
St. Louis and came to our meeting. Donna and I were the only ones who knew
they were in town so we had them slip very quietly into the back of the
meeting room. Then we let our Secretary, Anna Schell in on the game and
asked her to call their names when she read the roll. When they answered
"present" everyone got quite a surprise. It was sure good to see them again.
They plan to return to St. Louis in a few years when Howard retires. We have
also heard from another former member, Mike Jolls, who was also transferred
to Nebraska with his job. He still posts some very thought-provoking
messages to the MCB list.
Job changes: Bob Jaco is now working from home, doing medical
transcription for a company by computer.
Patti Schonlau has left MSB to work for the St. Louis County Special
School District.
There have also been major changes at my work, Minds Eye Information
Service. We are doing all of our radio broadcasting by computer, which
allows us to be on the air twenty-four hours a day. Learning the new system
was quite an adjustment for me. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but the
learning process isn't very easy. I have been with the radio station for
thirty years. I am starting to think about retiring, but not for a while. I
actually thought about it a lot when I was learning the new system, but
things are going better now so I guess I'll hang around a little longer.
We hope to have nothing but good news next time.
John Weidlich
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
We have just a few items in the drawer this time, but I hope you will find
them useful. Let's open the drawer and see what we find.
Maryan Harrison, who chairs the newly formed Emergency Preparedness
Committee for MCB, sent me a report, but it never arrived in the mail. It
will no doubt show up in the mail next week, after the Chronicle has been
sent to the office. Maryan asked me to tell you that she is starting to work
on her committee and would like your suggestions. The purpose of the
committee is to put plans in place so that blind people will not be left out
in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency that might require
evacuation of citizens. We know this became quite an issue when the
hurricanes hit New Orleans last year. If you have any suggestions for Maryan
and her committee, you can write her at 3948 Potomac, St. Louis, Mo 63116 or
call her at (314) 664-6558.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the National Library Service
(NLS) program. The program began on March 3rd, 1931 with the passage of the
Pratt-smoott Act, establishing a national service for circulating Braille
books. Other public libraries had been circulating Braille material but
there was no inter-library loan or central collection of books until March
1931. I don't know what the current budget for NLS is, but the first
appropriation for the program was $100,000. Initially, the library program
was only for blind adults, not children or persons with other disabilities.
Recorded books began to be circulated a few years later, around 1936. This
year also marks the 75th anniversary of Wolfner Library's participation in
the NLS program. A party was held to mark that anniversary on March first at
the library in Jefferson City, with a reception and tours of the library.
The library also sponsored a contest, asking readers to submit essays about
the importance of the library service. The best entries will be published in
a future newsletter
Apparently one of the hottest new services right now is a service called
Sight Exchange, where blind people can list things they want to give away or
things they are looking for. Everything listed must be free. This was
begun around the end of January and has grown rapidly. To join, send a blank
message to sightexchange-subsribe@yahoogroups.com.
There is also a new e-mail list called Blind Discuss, where subscribers
can share ideas, opinions and experiences about blindness. You can join by
sending a blank message to blind-discuss-subscribe@smartgroups.com.
On January 4, the birthday of Louis Braille, National Braille Press
announced publication of a new biography about Louis Braille, written by
former Ziegler Magazine Editor Michael Mellor. The book will include many
letters written by Louis Braille that have never before been published. The
book is to be available in March in braille and other formats. The Braille
edition will also include descriptions of the many photographs that are in
the print edition. To order, contact National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen
Street, Boston, MA 02115, Phone: (800 548-7323, e-mail orders@nbp.org.
Insight is a new monthly large print magazine, consisting of national and
international news, feature stories, travel articles, medical news,
syndicated columns, crossword puzzles and comics. It is published in 16 and
18 point type. The annual subscription price is $12. It is published by
Cobro Publishing Company, which is located in Mill Creek, Washington. For
more information, call (800) 755-6111 or visit www.insightlargepring.com.
Here is a company you might want to contact if you have old audio recordings
that you would like transferred onto CD. Vintage Audio Restoration restores
and preserves old audio recordings. The company can work with all tape
formats, even radio transcriptions and Edison discs. For prices, contact
Vincent Wojtusik, Vintage Audio Restoration, 45 Colton Street, Windsor, CT
06095, (860) 683-2665, e-mail: wojtusikw@vintageaudiorestoration.com.
Associated Services for the Blind has opened an online Braille book
store, selling classic books and best sellers by authors like Stephen King
and Sandra Brown. New titles are added weekly. Prices range from $15-$35.
The web site is www.asb.org/bookstore.htm.
The American Council of the Blind and Wal-Mart have reached an agreement
to make point of sale units more accessible to blind shoppers. Three units
with tactile key pads will be installed in every store so that blind
customers can enter their PIN numbers when using debit cards for making
purchases. Staff will be trained about the location of the accessible units.
If you have problems at your local Wal-mart, call Lainey Feingold (800)
332-6177 or e-mail her at Lfeingold@earthlink.net.
Magnify Out Loud combines text enlargement and screen reading capability to
give immediate access to e-mail, documents, a calculator, a calendar and the
Internet. The cost is $295. For more information, call (888) 647-3404 or
send e-mail to larrytcolligo.us.
Bierley has introduced a new handheld magnifier called the Color Mouse USB.
Connected to the Usb port of a computer, it can read printed materials,
packages, boxes and cans. For more information contact the company at (408)
224-8188. Their web site is www.bierley.com.
Talking Communities is hosting a four-hour online, interactive symposium
called "The World of Work in the 21st Century." It will take place on March
30 from noon to 4:00 p.m. Experts will offer advice and tips on job seeking
for beginners or for people changing careers. You can question the speakers
via text chat or with a microphone. And it's free. All you need to
participate in this conference is a computer with a sound card and speakers.
To take part in this symposium go to www.talkingcommunities.com/pat The
program will be archived for those who want to listen to it at a later time.
Talking Communities will host an old time radio symposium on March 18.
Last year, there was a session on accessible devices both of which will be
archived at the web site.
Duko Health International has produced a program called Out Of Sight, which
is a health and fitness program especially designed for blind people. It is
available in Braille, large print or on tape. Contact Bob Koppenjan, 175
Irving Place, Rutherford, NJ, 07070, Phone: (201) 507-1510, e-mail
ducohealth@comcast.net.
The Xavier Society for the Blind operates the oldest and largest Catholic
library for the blind in the United States, with 1,500 titles of spiritual
and inspirational reading, including Scriptures, devotionals and magazines
in Braille, large print and tape. The library also publishes a newsletter
and a Catholic liturgical calendar. You can contact the Xavier Society for
the blind at 154 East 23rd Street, New York, Ny 10010, Phone: (800)
637-9193.
Touched by God's Word is a collection of more than 100 Scripture readings
from the New King James Bible. Double-spaced and written on one side of the
page, it is especially intended for those learning to read Braille. It is
available in uncontracted, contracted and Jumbo Braille. It costs $14.95,
plus shipping. To order, call (504) 550-3733, or send e-mail to
idigdots@comcast.net.
Helping Hands for the Disabled is offering a service called the Warm
Line, which you can call to receive information or discuss problems relating
to a disability. All calls are kept confidential. The phone number is (718)
545-1185.
Since we are a little short of useful material this time, I will leave
you with several silly questions which you can ponder. I think Bill Benson
sent these, but I'm not sure about that. But we have to blame someone, so it
might as well be him.
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are
getting weak?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is
not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars,
but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a
revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are
always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that
something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum
cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give
the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end you first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a Shopping
cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "Oh, It's all right?"
Well, it isn't all right so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off
the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when
we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you try doing it like your wife
told you to do it?
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is
suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends, if
they are okay, then it's you!!!!!!!!!!
See you in June.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the convention.
Back to Index
Here are two pieces that I have been holding onto for a couple of years,
thinking I would use them someday in the Chronicle. Well, the day has come,
and here they are. I think there are some very profound thoughts here. I
hope you think so, too. "The Strength of a Man"
The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders. It's seen
in the width of his arms that circle you.
The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice. It is in the
gentle words he whispers.
The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has. It's how good a buddy
he is with his kids.
The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work. It's in how
respected he is at home.
The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits. It's in how tender he
touches.
The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest. It's in his Heart
that lies within his chest.
The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved. It's in can he be
true to one woman.
The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift. It is in the
burdens he can carry. Author unknown
Strength and Courage:
It takes strength to be certain, It takes courage to have doubts.
It takes strength to fit in, It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to share a friend's pain, It takes courage to feel your
own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pain, It takes courage to show it and
deal with it.
It takes strength to stand guard, It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer, It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to endure abuses, It takes courage to stop them.
It takes strength to stand alone, It takes courage to lean on a friend.
It takes strength to love, It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive, It takes courage to live.
May you find strength and courage in everything you do, And may your life be
filled with Friendship and Love!
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