WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

WASHINGTON

COUNCIL

OF THE BLIND

Opportunity, Equality, Independence

Founded 1935

WCB NEWSLINE

Fall 2020 Edition

ìFireside Nostalgiaî

Julie Brannon, President

Phone:
206-478-3164††††† Email: jbrannon0612@gmail.com

Heather Meares, Content Editor

Phone:
720-519-9104††††† Email: hdmeares@gmail.com

Reginald George, Technical Editor

Phone:
816-721-3145††††† Email: theWCBNewsline@gmail.com

WCB Newsline is the 2011, and now the 2020,
winner of the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award, presented annually by
American Council of the Blind to the top publication in the nation for
promoting best journalistic practices and excellence in writing.

WCB is a 501(c)(3)
organization, which means your generous contributions are tax deductible. To
make a donation electronically, please send PayPal payments to TreasurerWCB@gmail.com.†
Checks made payable to Washington Council of the Blind may be
mailed to the attention of our treasurer, Lisa George, at PO Box 675, Yakima,
WA 98907-0675.†

Visit our website for more information at http://www.WCBinfo.org,
or call us toll-free at 800-255-1147.†

Calling
All Members

We will publish the next WCB
Newsline in January and are anxious to read your quality content.

Please send all submissions by November 30.

Digital cartridges must also be returned to

Audiobook Ministries by this date for re-use in the following issue.

Publication Guidelines

∑
All submissions
will be edited for brevity and clarity.

∑
We reserve the
right to publish or refuse submitted content, including author contact
information, unless you explicitly tell us not to.

∑
All opinions
expressed are those of the authors, not Washington Council of the Blind or WCB
Newsline staff.

∑
We do not accept
anonymous letters.

∑
Articles may be up
to 1,000 words.

∑
Chapter updates may
be up to 350 words.

∑
Please submit in
Microsoft Word format when possible.

∑
Send all
submissions to:

theWCBNewsline@gmail.com

The WCB Newsline is
available in large print, digital audio cartridge, and email versions, and can
also be accessed through our website.† To
receive this publication and other important WCB announcements, send a blank
email to:

Newsline-l-subscribe@WCBinfo.org

Send other
subscription requests and address changes to theWCBNewsline@gmail.com, or call
800-255-1147.

*** Presidentís Message
by Julie
Brannon

I have to say, every time I see the theme for
this Newsline, I marvel at how appropriate it is for where we, Washington
Council of the Blind (WCB) members, are living in the present. This theme,
ìFireside Nostalgia,î has a feeling of sitting by a summerís end campfire,
ready to welcome in the fall.

But it also brings another poignant reality
for our WCB family, and that is the memory of Berl Colley. There is a sense of
nostalgia in regard to the amount of time, energy, talent and passion he
brought to WCB. He left this earth on June 28, 2020, but his legacy and
footprint for the council at both the state and national level will live on.
Berl served as WCB president for two terms, from 2000 through 2004. Because of
his love of and ability with people, along with sincere mentoring capabilities,
WCBís membership expanded during his presidency. Weíll miss you Berl, and
youíll be in our memories forever.

The word for this COVID time is virtual. The
American Council of the Blind (ACB) initiated a large national convention event
with phenomenal success, propelling the way for WCB and other state affiliates
to hold virtual conventions. This year, WCB will hold its annual state
convention via Zoom and ACB radio Oct. 29-31. As convention plans develop,
there will be information shared on the WCB listserv and via other venues.

WCB members have had quite a bit of
experience holding virtual events. On Aug. 1, our summer board meeting, with 48
attendees, was full of information and discussion. On Aug. 29, Guide Dog Users
of Washington State held its 2020 Fling, available via Zoom and broadcast on ACB
Radio. Also, on Aug. 29, the WCB board held a virtual retreat to provide
connection, sharing and future-focused discussions between WCB officers and
board members.

WCB holds monthly calls around specific topic
areas, and we hope anyone interested will join. The tech chat call happens the
third Sunday of each month at 7 p.m. Hereís how to join this call: at 6:55 p.m., dial 605-468-8839;
when prompted, enter code 316499, followed by the pound sign.

We also have an informational call from our
newest affiliate, WCB Diabetics, held the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.
To join, call 712-432-3900, then use access code 694194#.

Our Saturday morning WCB coffee and
conversation hour, which was started by ACB Membership Services Coordinator
Cindy Hollis, is now being orchestrated by various other WCB members. Thank you
to Holly Turri who will be facilitating it, and to Jim Turri and Viola Cruz who
will be providing Zoom hosting for this event. I hope many of you can join us
for this chat time.

As you can see, though we are experiencing a
pandemic, WCB members have shown ingenuity and skill, using modern technology
to make sure WCB business continues and people connections still happen.

Julie Brannon President: jbrannon0612@gmail.com

*** Letter
from the Editors

Greetings
all,

Are you
ready to curl up with a good Newsline? Here are some helpful hints from your
editors to get the most out of this issue.

1.† Pour yourself a hefty portion of your
favorite beverage. Recommendations for a 5-star experience include hot apple
cider with a cinnamon stick and a dash of caramel, Earl Grey or orange cinnamon
tea, mulled wine or mead, hot cocoa with cinnamon or peppermint, hot buttered
rum, pumpkin spice beer, or hazelnut vodka.

2.† Wrap yourself in a favorite afghan, quilt or
fuzzy blanket.

3.† If you have not worn your pajamas all day, go
put them on. If you already have them on, good for you! Donít forget your unicorn
slippers.

4.† Put the kids to bed.

5.† Put the pets to bed.

6.† If the cat is sleeping in your normal reading
spot, don’t be afraid to branch out and try some alternatives, i.e., the
bathtub, a hammock, the man cave or she shed, or worst case scenario, your
walk-in closet.

7.† Give yourself permission to indulge in time
for yourself, to absorb the memories, reflections, and incredible histories you
are about to read.

8.† After you have read it, reach out to the
author of something you enjoyed and start a conversation with them. Contact
information is listed at the end of each article just for you.

We hope you
enjoy this issue as much as we have.

Happy
reading,

Heather
Meares and Reginald George: TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com

†

*** Itís
Your Newsline, Just Say It!

We are pleased to
present your very own section to express your most important thoughts, voice
your valued opinions of our articles, inspire us with your grandest ideas, and
share your honest concerns so that we may continue to evolve our publication
into the Newsline you canít wait to read. Opinions expressed are those of the
individuals, and not those of WCB.

From Frank Cuta:

I finally was able
to sit down and listen to the audio version of the summer Newsline today.
George did a great job of reading it. If you listen to him on the Stream with
the speed turned up one value, he really sounds pretty good.

I thought that both
of Carl’s articles were great. And if I could pick more than one article as
best, I would choose Alan’s book column, and Carl’s article "Let the Buyer
Beware," and the one on Berl, also. The Newsline team continues to do a
great job with this jam-packed summer issue.

From Carl Jarvis:

When I look at how
far the Newsline has come, I think back to early 1972, sitting in my kitchen in
Spokane, telephone to my ear and pounding away on my large-print manual
typewriter. My wife, Trish, and I would haul out the old hand-crank mimeograph
and crank out that first edition of what was called The WNFB Newsline. Later,
around 1980, when the NFB board kicked Washington to the curb, we kept the
Newsline name and published under our new name, The United Blind. In 1990,
following the merger with WCB, we assumed our current name, The WCB
Newsline.†

Between that first
publication and this last magnificent offering, we had our good years and our
struggles. While I’m not especially proud of the appearance of some of those
early editions, I am intensely moved by the dedication and devotion given by
the organization’s members. From our first struggle to keep the NFB from using
our Newsline name, we’ve had the strong support of the membership,
understanding the importance of keeping our members informed and close to one
another.

It’s been a long
road we’ve traveled since 1972, nearly 50 years, since the Newsline replaced
the White Cane Magazine. And the Newsline has never been better. Keep up the
good work, and when the going gets difficult, know that it is well worth the
effort.

Announcing your
Readersí Choice nominee for the fall 2020 issue

We congratulate
Heather Meares for her excellent essay, ìDreamscape,î a whimsical tour of her
gardens. It was the runaway favorite. It will move forward with the other
finalists for the 2020 award.

In order to include
your votes for the fall issue, we are unable to present the award at the
convention, as originally intended.†

Please vote for your
favorite article in the fall issue no later than Nov. 7. We will send out a
special edition, including all the finalists for the 2020 Readers’ Choice Award.
Votes for this award must be submitted by Nov. 30, and will be announced in the
winter issue. Please watch the WCB and Newsline email lists for further
details.†

Send all votes,
feedback, and submissions to TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com

***** FEATURES

*** Cheshire Cat Interviews #10
The Interview I Never Got
by Heather Meares

In this 30th
anniversary year of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I am humbled and
honored to present to you an article from the past, written by Sue Ammeter,
1948-2018, during the time just before the ADA became law. Born blind, Sue made
it known from square one that this disability would not slow her down in life.
In fact, Sue chose the opposite direction and became a nationally known
advocate for the blind and all disabled individuals. This is a glimpse into a
young woman who had the fire to fight for issues that are still relevant to us
all today. In a time when those very rights are still being challenged, it is
up to us to continue the efforts she started, now and in the future. Her legacy
will be with us always.

Remembering
Sue Ammeter 1948-2018

This article
is a reprint of the original, with permission from the owners of the
publication, which no longer exists.††

LIFEPRINTS Vol. 8, Number

One Fall 1990

Box 5181,

Salem, OR 97304.†

Phone: 503-581-4224

Email: info@blindskills.com.

www.blindskills.com

She Knows Her Rights and
Yours

by
Sue Ammeter

I happened to be brought up in a family with
three children of which I was the oldest. For whatever reason, I was part of
the RLF (retrolental fibroplasia) baby boom. My folks, along with a number of
other parents, all formed the Seattle League for Blind Children. It seems to me
that because they worked to have us in the Seattle Public Schools, we got a lot
of independence by going out into the regular classroom. At home, my folks always
challenged me to do as much as I could do and they never set a different
standard for me. They let me ride bikes, swim, roller skate, and I had the same
amount of chores and other expectations of me as the rest of the kids in our
family. Whatever made my parents do that, I don’t have any idea. Someone asked
my mom about that once and she said, "I was just too busy trying to raise
three kids. I didn’t have time to worry about raising one differently." To
me, a lot of what you learn to be an independent blind person is from the home.

When I went on to the university, my
independence led me to start getting involved in the organized blind movement.
With the good start at home and then being in the organized blind movement, I
believed that blind people could be equal to sighted people. Seeing blind
people who were competent and capable made a big difference in my life.

When I started at
the university level, I wanted to be a physical therapist. I went through the
first two years and took a lot of hard classes: physics, chemistry, anatomy. I
really believed that that was what I wanted to do. The faculty at the
university really did not want a blind person in the physical therapy program
and so I had to be observed for six weeks. They were very critical and put me
down as a blind person. Here we were in a big hospital setting and they forbade
me to use my cane. Then they criticized me in my final report for falling over
things and being disoriented. This happened in 1969 and it was a very
demoralizing experience.

That was a terrible experience. After working
so hard at those courses, as well as working at the time, I decided to change
my major. I got a degree in social welfare. Then I got out of school, and along
with all the others with social welfare degrees, didn’t have a job. We have to remember
that in 1970, there were no laws to protect blind people. If you went to apply
for a job and they didn’t want you, that was that.

I had planned to go to graduate school right
after I got out of college, but I got married and changed my mind about going.
So, I started looking for work. That was when CETA (Comprehensive

Employment Training Act) had started. I went
for an interview with a brand new department in Seattle city government, the
Office of Women’s Rights. It had been there for about three days when I came. I
have no idea why this person who interviewed me gave me a chance. She just
said, "You seem like you’re smart. I’ll give you a job, so start to work
tomorrow."

That started me in
my civil rights career. Nobody in the office knew anything about it so we all
had to learn together. We worked hard.

At the same time, I was very involved in the
organized blind movement. I was an officer and because of my involvement in
passing the disability legislation, I was offered a job at the Washington Human
Rights Commission in 1975. I did general discrimination work for a couple of
years. Then they created the first disability specialist position and appointed
me to that position. I worked there for another year and a half. Then I worked
for four years at the Commission for the Blind, and then I returned to the
Human Rights Commission.

I feel I’ve been
really fortunate in my employment opportunities. I just have to say to people:
it pays to be involved. It pays to be involved in your community and show that
you’re active. You have to show at work that you’re willing to do more than
just shuffle some papers.

At the present time, I happen to be vice
chair of our Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues in Employment. That is
giving me a lot of opportunities and ways in which to grow and to learn. I
can’t overestimate the value in being involved in one’s community and in the
organized blind movement or anything else that empowers people with
disabilities to advocate for themselves and others.

Right now at my work, we’re working on
planning and implementing a program for employer training. We’re going to be
doing workshops at least once a month for 100 employers. That takes a lot of
planning. I do the disability segment and also the areas dealing with pre-employment
inquiries and those laws. Pre-employment inquiries include what to do and what
not to do in health screenings and physicals. Last month, we trained 200
employers in Everett and Spokane. Right now, I’m planning a big disability
workshop for October.

Another thing that I do is develop policy and
regulations that deal with the implementation of the disability law for our
agency. Right now, we’re taking a look at the concept of reasonable
accommodation, which is part of disability law.

Since last December, I’ve been serving as the
coordinator for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for the passage of the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Because our agency has been very involved in disability
law, we’ve been selected as one of six agencies in the country to work with the
Equal Employment Opportunities Commission to start drafting their regulations
and policies pertaining to that act.

Let’s talk for a minute about assistance and
technology as they apply to me in my job. For a number of years, I had volunteer
readers and they came in about four hours a week. I usually get secretarial
help to read my mail or phone messages. There is a lot of reading on my job,
particularly when I do cases.

About four years ago, I was authorized to
hire a work/study student up to 20 hours a week. For our agency, that means
they pay a third of her cost. I’m gone a lot so sometimes they just come in and
read legal materials or whatever I have when I’m not there. They do a lot of my
typing and report compilations.

It was not until recently, in March, that I
got a computer of my own. I have a Braille Interface Terminal and Artic Vision
speech. Now it is possible for me to type more of my own rough drafts. I have
an A.T.N.T. computer, which is IBM compatible. Because a lot of the letters
that we receive are very technical or legal, I usually have the letter recorded
and from that I do my own drafting. When my reader comes in, she does the final
typing of the copy.

My employer allows me to take taxis to and
from meetings in order to minimize the amount of time I spend. All the laws
that I need to use have been put into Braille so I have ready access to them.
The biggest asset has been having the work/study student.

The most important thing that a blind person
does have to learn is to be organized. We have to be better prepared than our
sighted co-workers, even though we might resent that. It isn’t fair, but that’s
the way it is. If your reader doesn’t show up, you have to be prepared to
figure out what you’re going to do if you have a big report ready for the next
day because you don’t have many alternatives. I try to schedule my work to be
organized enough to have my reader read materials I’ll need for a report that
is due a week ahead of time. I must go through the mail when my reader comes. I
don’t have the luxury of going through my mail like the other workers do while
they’re in a staff meeting.

I’m a person who
makes lists of things to keep on the track of what I want to accomplish. I
think you have to be willing to work overtime. It takes longer, sometimes, for
a blind person to do some things.

I couldn’t function in my job without
Braille. I write Braille notes. I have all my speeches in Braille. Even though
I have a Braille ‘n Speak, I still use my slate and stylus. If you don’t know
Braille or can’t read large print, how are you going to learn to spell? You
just must learn all the skills that you can so that when you go to the job,
when the employer asks you how you are going to do this or that skill, you can
tell him or her how you’re going to do it. They don’t know.

I get calls every day from employers who do
not have any idea how to accommodate a disabled job applicant or a person on
the job who becomes disabled. Most of the time, they will call and say they’ve
had a long-time employee who either becomes disabled or their disability is
becoming worse. They want to look at how to accommodate the person or, if the
person can’t do the job anymore, they want to know if there is anything out
there that is available for that employee. It might be about someone who has a
physically progressive disease like multiple sclerosis.

Some employers have called to find some
rehabilitation sources in the community who could properly advise them. That’s
not always the case. Sometimes they call because they want to know how they can
terminate the person. I get a lot of calls from employees who say their
employer has found out they are disabled and are trying to terminate them and
want to know what they can do about it. We work on ways to write a memo
requesting accommodation or getting their employers referred to rehabilitation
professionals or whatever is needed to resolve the problem.

It is important for
disabled people to know what their rights are. It is equally important to be
able to explain how they can do the job so the employer cannot say he or she
didn’t know what was needed and it wasn’t explained to them.

A lot of the work that I do is on the
Governor’s Committee on Disabilities and Employment. They provide all the
materials in Braille. I chair the Civil and Legal Rights Subcommittee so all
the material that is handed out to the other participants is handed out to me.
In planning and conducting the meetings, I use my Braille skills all the time.
At the last quarterly meeting, my Braille stack was about six inches high, but
at least I was able to read through as the meeting was going on, just like
everybody else. If needed, they make materials available in large print or on
tape. We just have to remember to raise people’s awareness at meetings. If I go
to a meeting and someone starts writing on the board, I just tell them they
have to read it. A lot of sighted presenters depend too heavily on visuals.
They sometimes can’t explain in words what they’re talking about.

The best part of my job is the realization
that more disabled people know about their rights and what’s available to them
today than they did 10 or 15 years ago. The awareness and knowledge of
employers are a lot better. The kids of today are more aware. Public education is
very important.

Courses that would help you to work in this
field are: psychology, sociology, pre-law, or personnel. Then you need to get
work experience in personnel or the law area. It is difficult to get in at journey
level in our agency.

There is a sense at a lot of agencies in my
field of civil rights that people have to be attorneys. Our agency has not felt
that was a necessary prerequisite. They look for people with good analytical
skills, people who can relate well to the public and work under stress, and
people who can sit down and look at a lot of facts and make decisions.

For students in high school or college, it’s
important to be involved in something other than your studies. As an employer,
if you hand me your resume and it is totally blank in the place where
activities are listed, I probably won’t hire you. You need to participate in
some kind of community activity or work or something. I think, if you do, and
people know you’re around, your chances of getting employment are going to be a
lot better. Employers want people who show initiative.

___________

Editor’s Note: The
Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President Bush on July
26, 1990.

*** Convention
Memories
As Compiled by Reginald George

The Newsline
committee sends a huge shout-out and thank you to everyone who chose to
participate in our convention memories contest. Just for entering, the
committee chose at random a winner who will receive a $25 Starbucks gift card.
That winner is Andy Arvidson, and he leads off this retrospective look at the
memories you shared with us.† Long live
WCB and ACB!

From Andy
Arvidson:

What has been my
favorite Washington Council of the Blind convention? Although they have all
been memorable, I would have to say the first one I attended in 2015. I enjoyed
meeting old friends and acquaintances and finding out that I really do fit in
with a blind organization that is about helping others.

A month or two prior to the convention, I
received an email from Randy Tedrow, whom I had met on a Guide Dogs for the
Blind alumni call. He wanted to know if I would assist him in a Kubaton
self-defense session at the WCB convention. He asked this after he found out I
was also a martial artist, and I agreed to do it. Having never used a Kubaton,
I had to do some quick studying. Randy emailed me about a week prior to the
convention and asked if I would lead the session for him. He was starting a new
business with the Business Enterprise Program and was not sure in a new
position if he could get away. So, I agreed.

At that time, I was president of a low-vision
support group, and one of our members suggested that we check out some advocacy
and legislation concerning blindness and low vision. Not being sure where to
go, and Randy inviting me to this WCB convention, I googled WCB and started
checking it out. I also called the 800 line and Holly Turri returned my call
and gave me some valuable information. The closest chapter to me was either
Bellingham or Everett. Talking to Holly, and via the website, I found out that
I could become a member-at-large for $10, so I did. My wife, Colette, and I
started talking and, at first, I wanted to just go down on Friday afternoon, do
the session and come home. But looking at the price of the convention, we
decided to attend the whole weekend so we could bring back information to our
support group.

After arriving at the convention in Seattle,
I ran into Alco Canfield, who had been my Braille instructor; I had not seen
her in decades. She told me that it was about time I got there. Then I came
across Carl Jarvis, who was my boss for a while when I worked at the Department
of Services for the Blind (DSB). He told me later that weekend that he and Alco
had talked and were both wondering what took me so long to get to WCB. Also,
there were Keiko Namakata, Lou Oma Durand and several others whom I knew from
my experience at DSB.

At that convention, I got a bug of interest
and wanted to find out more of what WCB was all about. I do not know how to do
things mildly or slowly, so I jumped in with both feet and started trying to
figure out how to bring all of our local members into this organization. In
fact, I convinced one of them to join us at that convention. I immediately came
home and started questioning our low-vision support group about becoming a
chapter of WCB, and by the WCB August board meeting the following year we were
accepted as a new affiliate.

I have never thought that I made a mistake in
joining WCB. It is an organization that is there to help vision-impaired
individuals reach their goals. Since then, I was invited to and attended a
National Federation of the Blind of Washington state convention. I am staying
with WCB, thank you. And thanks for accepting me for who I am in this world of
wonder.

Beth Greenberg:

For me, my favorite
WCB convention was my second one in 2011. I think it was my favorite because
our brand new chapter at the time hosted the convention in Vancouver. We were
at the convention from start to finish and participated in so many new things
and met so many new friends.

From Hayley
Agers:

I have been
attending Washington Council of the Blind conventions since around 2002. While
I have made wonderful memories at all of them, the 2019 convention stands out
as my favorite.

It all started with
a little idea I had to do something special for the women of WCB, something
that would be a way to show them just how much they are loved, valued, and
beautiful in their individual ways. I never imagined that a little thing would
turn into such a huge blessing.

It began with
reaching out to designer Laurie Feltheimer, simply asking for her thoughts. If
she had to pick the top 10 items she would never be without in her closet, what
would they be? Of course, she inquired why I was seeking this information, and
we were off to the races. A full-blown fashion show ensued, showing our WCB
ladies how to put together and shine in outfits appropriate for different
occasions. To top it all off, Two Blind Brothers got onboard and also donated
clothes for the fashion show, for the youth convention, and for the entire WCB
membership.

All of this was
fabulous and made for a fun convention. But what really made it stand out to me
was the generosity of others, their desire to give abundantly without asking
for anything in return. Both of these companies not only walk the walk, they
talk the talk ñ Laurie by always striving to encourage women and promote
feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence, Two Blind Brothers by standing by
their passion to support those who live with vision loss and aiming to be a
part in finding the cure.

My heart felt
extremely full after this event, and it taught me to never be afraid to ask.
Sometimes the answer you get back will be no, and sometimes it will be a much
bigger yes than you expect.

From Holly Turri:

The 2020 virtual
American Council of the Blind (ACB) convention was my all-time, hands-down
favorite.† Any other national one will
have big shoes to fill. In 2015, I attended the ACB convention, which was in
Dallas. It was no fun at all.†

As for WCB conventions,
I have never been just a participant. For the past six years, I’ve worked in
some capacity at each one. All of them were great, but honestly, they all kind
of run together in my mind. Each one had a standout event or moment, but none
rang my bell like the virtual one did.

Zoom is an excellent
communication tool. So is ACB radio. Both had their place in my life.

It was wonderful to
be in a group and participate at will. Zoom made that easy. If I visited a
meeting and was bored out of my gourd, I could leave without stepping over a
bunch of folks and embarrassing myself. If I arrived late, same thing went.

The radio
programming made it easy to do housework and learn. I have attention deficit
disorder, I think. If I sit still and listen too long, everything starts to
sound like the teacher in the Charlie Brown specials.

President Dan Spoon
gave a rousingly appropriate speech on Sunday night. The roll call of
affiliates was new and different.

Hearing WCB Newsline
get the award for the best publication really was so exciting. Meka’s article
also was the best one I’ve read.

Another thing I
loved about the virtual convention: no flights to wherever.† Although I’m not afraid of flying, I am not
comfortable. My uncle was a commercial pilot for 45 years. He was also an
unrepentant alcoholic. Every time I board a plane, I want to ask the flight
attendants where the captain was last night and did he get enough rest.

My food was what I
wanted and easy to prepare. No guessing at some strange restaurant or paying
high hotel costs.

Each night I got to
sleep in my own bed. If I didn’t like the evening events, I could go off to
dreamland and no one but my dear husband would know.

The relieving area
for Pima, my guide dog, was easy to get to and use.† Hey, I go there every day.

I hope there are
more virtual experiences. Enjoy your day.

*** The Summer of í71
by Frank Cuta

In
1971, I had just turned 21. In Montana, that was drinking age, and my dad didn’t
hesitate to drag his blind son into his favorite watering hole and initiate me
with his standard beverage, a boilermaker. My first legal drink was really not all
that exciting, but little did I know that in the next few months my life would get
much, much, more interesting.

I had been blind for five years and was nearing graduation
from Montana State University. I was doing a lot of gymnastics, judo and swimming,
in addition to carrying a heavy load, sometimes as high as 22 quarter credits. After
one particularly embarrassing campus incident with a co-ed, I had given up trying
to look sighted and was starting to use a white cane. I lacked professional mobility
training and was just learning Braille. So, that summer I signed up for the intensive
summer training program offered on the MSU campus, which was Montana’s version of
our Washington Orientation and Training Center (OTC). Without thinking, I had also
signed up for one summer swimming course on campus.

The
director of the OTC program that summer was a great guy by the name of Bill Gannon.
However, soon after I got moved into the center, we discovered a slight problem.
The OTC program was a 24-hour-a-day, total immersion training experience, and there
was a strict rule forbidding external classes. Bill and I locked horns over this
conflict and he eventually had to throw me out of the program. We still laugh about
it when we see each other but, at the time, I was forced to find something else
to do with my summer.

It was about this time I received notification that
I was going to receive
the Howard Brown Richard scholarship, the largest
national scholarship awarded to a blind person majoring in science or engineering.
This would be presented at the National Federation of the Blind convention in Houston
early in July. This was very fortuitous because I had also lost an earlier battle
that spring with my rehab counselor. A once-in-a-lifetime, intensive, professional,
audio-recording seminar was being offered at Brigham Young University (BYU)
that very same summer. However, it was considered a technical trade-level class,
and he would only authorize me to take courses that would directly apply to my electrical
engineering major. Well, now I was set. I had the time and I had the money, so I
signed up for the BYU seminar.

The next part of this summer saga involved transportation.
For several
months, I had been experimenting with hitchhiking.
I found that it was
relatively easy to use my thumb to get back and forth
the 100 miles between school and home. In those years, the blind organization in
Idaho was unusually strong. Each summer, the group chartered a bus to take their
members to the national convention. So, in late June I picked up my guitar, my
Sony 105 reel-to-reel tape recorder, and a few necessities, and made my way out
to the highway headed for Twin Falls where I met the bus on its way south.

So far so good. It was a great convention. I felt
honored to be awarded
the Richard scholarship. I was thrilled to receive
my check at the
banquet at the conclusion of the convention. As the
Idaho bus made its way north the next day, I got off it late at night outside of
Ogden, Utah. I hoped to immediately find a ride over to Provo, where the audio seminar
was about to begin. There I was, standing beside the highway at about 11 p.m., and
I felt for the comforting slip of paper in my front shirt pocket.† This check would be my ticket to an extraordinary
audio experience, and my summer escape from the bondage of the Department of Services
for the Blind. My pocket was empty!

Well,
I did not exactly have a plane waiting for me or anything, so I started backtracking
and looking along the ground for it. However, I did not have much vision, and it
was very dark out. Eventually I found my way to a small police station and some
friendly officers found the check out in the middle of the highway. It had been
run over a few times but it was OK.

The five-week audio seminar was extraordinary. At
the BYU campus, they had all of the best audio/visual equipment at their disposal
because it was here that they produced all of the churchís promotional materials
that are distributed all over the world. I got to play with some pretty nice
microphones and learned a lot about audio engineering.
At the conclusion of the seminar, we got to record Stan Kenton at a live campus
performance.

At this point, I was pretty full of myself and I
needed to kill another
month before fall quarter started back in Montana.
So, I bought a BYU
sweatshirt in the student bookstore and went back
out on the highway headed for California. I had friends I could visit in Southern
California, a
sister living in Northern California, and more friends
in Oregon that I
wanted to see. Before too long, I was picked up by
a nice Mormon family and was on my way west.

I never had a bad experience hitchhiking, although
that summer I did have two very memorable experiences. The first was on my way to
Provo. I was picked up by a drifter who was very drunk. After a few miles, he slowed
down and pulled off the road into a dark field. It turned out that he just had to
relieve himself, but it would have been nice if he had warned me first.

The second incident was in Oregon. In going north
to Eugene, I overshot.† I wound up outside
of a gas station in Portland trying to get back south at about midnight. Soon, a
nice couple picked me up who were going all the way to Eugene. Unfortunately, as
I cringed in the back seat of their car, they recounted how earlier that evening
they had been to a Christian tent meeting and had their poor vision healed. In frenzied
glee, they had put their glasses on the ground and stomped them into small pieces.

I did have a fun month tromping around the West Coast.
On arriving home and getting back into the grind of school work, it was time for
me to hire a new reader. I put my regular ìreader wantedî sign up in the girlsí
dorm (boys need not apply). I was soon contacted by an incredibly sharp, shapely
co-ed who was also an engineering major. Not only was Judy an incredible reader,
but she shared my personal philosophy and interests in plays, poetry, and science
fiction. That was the end of í71. Love soon followed, and we were married early
in í72.

Frank
Cuta: frank@cuta.net

*** Then and
Now
A poem by Rhonda Nelson

Tíwas my first ACB
convention, 1983

Could not have even
dreamed of all the fun awaiting me.

Upon arrival we received a Braille magazine

At least thatís what
it felt like, and it really set the scene.

Outlining all the
planned events on schedule for the week

Nowadays one volume
would seem sparse, back then was such a treat.

Still have that
slightly dusty volume on my shelf somewhere

Though many things
have changed since then, excitement still is there.

Excitement for convention days, ëcause where
else can you find

Good friends and
speakers and fun tours, plus tech to stretch the mind.

This year that tech
and all the rest is virtually being done

Congrats to those
whoíve made it work, a new frontier has come.

And that frontier
has reached us too, right here in WCB

Octoberís end brings
our convention, itís the place to be!

*** Raking
Leaves with Daddy
by Holly Turri

When I
was eight years old, I
learned a lesson about responsibility and friendship. Dad was the instructor. My three gal pals grew right
along with me.

At
that time, I lived on the East Coast, near Washington, D.C.† Fall is
beautiful here in the Pacific Northwest, but the ones we experienced in my
childhood had their own unique magic.

Autumn is my second favorite season. Ever since I was a tiny girl, the part I
love best is the leaves.
When I touched the branches that I
could reach on the trees and noticed how they were drying out, I was totally amazed. Then there was the frost and
crisp air that made them turn all those beautiful colors. Thereís nothing like that smell, and the crunch they made as I walked in them. Best of all, after Daddy raked them, I
loved jumping in the big pile and rolling around.†

Well, on this beautiful Saturday in
October, Marilyn, Joanne, Rachel and I were
busily and happily destroying all Dad’s
hard work. It was really fun, too. We even started playing a game where we’d
run, yell, and throw the
dry leaves by the handful at each other.†

Lunch time came. Reluctantly, we had to go
home to eat. After I got into the house, Dad said, "When I
raked all those leaves, I
hurt my back. It’s going
to be pretty hard for me to fix the big pile again for the leaf pick–up on Monday.î Dad always had problems with
that part of his anatomy. It came from his wounds in World War II. Well, I felt as low as a snakeís belly in a culvert,
and I apologized.

He said, ìThanks for your concern. I have a present for you.î Being a
typical, greedy kid, I was totally excited ñ a gift.
It wasn’t even my
birthday, which is in May,
and Christmas was a couple of
months away.

After lunch, he told me that when my brother was my age, he
received a child–sized
leaf rake. Whoa! I loved miniature tools.†
Mom had climbed up in the attic and brought it down for me. He was going to teach me how to "use it
correctly," and
construct an appropriate pile.

My brother, Dave, is 7 years older and sighted. No way was I going to make a sloppy mess.
Since we all knew he was a perfect son and genius, I
had a point to prove.††

Getting the hang of the project was dicey. At
first, it was challenging
to get the rake under the leaves and push them into a firm foundation. Those
darn things kept running away,
and that danged sidewalk kept biting me.†††

After I got that down, I learned how to pile them
gently on top.†† Believe me, at first, I
missed more than I hit. After a while, this whole thing got rather
long, and I became frustrated and discouraged. Being a wise girl, I
didn’t complain.†††††

Suddenly, my friends came and wanted to try.
Marilyn didn’t last long. She was too girly to get hot,
dirty, and sweaty. However,
she was a great cheerleader,
and her mom and mine brought out snacks. Finally, the sidewalk supervisor,
a.k.a. Dad, gave his
stamp of approval. Many hands made light work.†

My besties thought the little rake was
extremely cool. Everyone took turns using it. They wanted their folks to get
them one. For the record, I
did most of the grunt work, and they did the fine shaping and trim. We all
joked, gossiped, and sang. After
the gang of four worked so hard to do a nice job, messing it up seemed kind of juvenile and
pointless.†

Dad and I entered our house, and Dad told Mom that he was so proud of all
of us, but especially me.
He wanted to know how I
convinced the other girls to join in and help. I mumbled that I had no idea ñ
they just showed up. The best part was he shared that when Dave was assigned my
job, he got mad, threw the rake down, and refused to finish.

My father was not big on compliments. If you
heard him say "well done,"
that was a time to celebrate. Score one for the blind kid and the young women
who took one of the first tiny steps on the road toward adulthood.

Holly Turri: holly.turri9@gmail.com

*** A
Campfire Voice
by Chris
Coulter

In
the hurry and flurry of getting ready for the 2020 American Council of the
Blind (ACB) virtual convention, I almost missed something on the registration
form that turned out to be very special. It was an event that was presented by
ACB Families. The program was called "Summer Camp Stories.î It was a
series of very short, deliciously creepy ghost stories, narrated by Jack Fox, a
well-loved narrator for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print
Disabled.

Jack
began the presentation by making us see him as someone eating hotdogs and very
sticky, gooey, and gorgeous s’mores at the campfire. He kept that image at the
top of our minds from the beginning, clear through the breaks between stories,
and up to the end of the event. There was definitely a sense that we were
within the safe circle of the firelight, while all around us was the deep, dark
unknown. Jack painted that picture with just his voice. He took us back in time
to an even darker and spookier place, somewhere in the 19^th century
or so.

What
is there about a campfire that brings out the two opposite elements: comfort
within the circle of light, and creepiness in the darkness outside the circle?
What is it that compels us to use our voices around the fire? Even if there is
just one master storyteller, who does most of the talking, as we find people
clapping and cheering or gasping with horror. At some point, in most campfire
scenarios, there is a sing-along. This is another way of keeping the ghosts and
goblins at bay. In these contemporary times, someone accompanies the singing by
playing a guitar. In earlier days, most campfire singing was done a cappella.

I
learned from listening to the camp stories presentation that we should never
underestimate the power of the human voice, or of musical accompaniment. Jack
didn’t lead us in a sing-along; he didn’t have to. Somehow, his voice and his
imaginative painting of a campfire word-picture did the whole job. Kudos to
Jack for a fine presentation, and kudos to ACB Families for putting it all
together.

Chris
Coulter: forestelf2@comcast.net

*** Have
Another Spoonful
by Heather Meares

As a child,
I always loved visiting my grandparents. I lived in Oklahoma and they lived in
Idaho, so I only saw them about once a year or so. When I was 11, we moved to
Oregon, and I was able to see them much more frequently. It was great that both
sets of them lived in the same town, as well as lots of aunts, uncles, and
cousins. Both of my parents were the middle child of five children, so I have
fond memories of many large gatherings with both families. My favorites,
however, are the times I got to spend alone with them.

Crawling
under the covers in a bed made special, just for me, was one of my favorite
things at Grandma Lucilleís. She started with the softest flannel sheets and
fluffy pillows. Then there were layers and layers of blankets and at least one
quilt she had made. When I say quilt, I donít mean the fancy ones made of
coordinating calicos, intricate stitches, and perfect designs. She did make many
of these beautiful quilts and, in fact, had an entire loft for this type of
quilting. But these are not what I am referring to. I am talking about the ones
made from old polyester clothes, and completely non-matching colors and
clashing patterned squares with the little yarn ties holding it all together,
and yet another flannel sheet as the back. Let me say this…you have never
been warmer or felt more secure and safe than when you are under these quilts.
The pure weight of all these layers would protect you from any lurking monster
under the bed, and immediately send you into the deepest, silent sleep. The bed
I slept in was in her loft and it always felt very magical to me. There was her
fancy sewing machine and an entire wall of fabric bolts organized by color, on
beautiful handmade oak shelves my Grandpa Bill made for her in his woodworking
shop, which had a sign on the door that said ìWild Billís Woodpecker Shop.î

He was a
master woodworker, and the creations that came out of his haven were as solid
as he was. He was famous for his oak roll-top desks that were so heavy youíd
need an elephant to move them. The details were stunning, not like anything you
see in stores today. My dad has one, which will be passed down to my brother.
He made baseball bats for his grandsons, and the most wonderful dollhouse for
my sister and me. It had a shake-shingled, removable roof, a split stairway
with handrails, and double-decker porches with railings that surrounded all
sides of the house. He also made a heart-shaped bed, kitchen cupboards, and
tiny little wooden curtain rods for all the windows. Grandma helped us decorate
the interior, using wallpaper sample books and carpet scraps. We made curtains,
bedspreads, and tiny little pillows with her fabric remnants, and a kitchen
table out of an empty thread spool with a circle of wood from the shop for a
table top. My daughter and I did our own next-generation renovations during her
childhood. She still has it and perhaps she will have a daughter to enjoy it
with someday, as well.

Grandpa Bill
was 6í5î with broad shoulders and a thick chest. To me, he seemed like a giant
with a teddy bear heart. He was intimidating, and as a young man he was stern
and unrelenting with his children, but he was putty with his grandchildren. I
loved to make him laugh. I remember one dinner with them that still makes me
chuckle inside when I think about it. My parents were not there, so it was just
us, kids and grandparents. Grandma had prepared one of my favorite dishes,
straight out of their garden ñcream potatoes and peas. As I ate them, before I
could finish what was on my plate, Grandpa would say, ìHeather, have another
spoonful!î I obliged him the first time, and maybe even the second time. He
started laughing and just wouldnít stop filling my plate. I couldnít stop
laughing either, and the whole kitchen was in a giant uproar. I can still hear
Lucille saying, as she did so often, ìOh, Bill!!!î in a slightly scolding, yet
smiling manner. I have no idea how many times he scooped more onto my plate,
but I do remember admiring the lovely, antique serving spoon he used.

Grandma
Lucille loved going rummage sale shopping on Saturday mornings with her sister,
Bernice, otherwise known as Aunt B. They always came home with cute dishes,
china teacups and saucers, milk glass bowls, and other treasures. They grew up
in the Great Depression and always knew how to find great bargains. I always
looked forward to being invited along on these adventures. I watched and
learned from the queens. When we visited, she would occasionally put our name
on a piece of masking tape and stick it to the back of something we
particularly loved. It was a fun thing to do together. Sometimes, she would
even send one home with us, wrapped in so much tissue and taped so tightly.
These little gifts felt extremely special.†††††††††††

I inherited
my love of gardening from both of them. His vegetable garden behind the shop
was full of corn, potatoes, green beans, peas, and lots of tomatoes. Lucille
would jokingly tell us that she had to tie up the Early Girl tomato with her No
Nonsense pantyhose because it was planted too close to the Big Boy tomato. She
thought this was very funny. He also had many fruit trees and grapes along the
fences, which I loved to pick and eat. All of the harvests were canned,
preserved, or made into apple butter, jams, and jellies. She grew lots of iris
and roses, and had little johnny jump-ups and hens and chicks all throughout
the gravel driveway.

I still have
the treasures she gave me, and to this day, I sleep best with heavy layers of
blankets. My aunts have passed things down to me over the years, including a
white china hot cocoa pot with dainty pink roses and its matching tray, which
belonged to my great-great-grandmother. The one that made me smile the most was
the spoon my aunt gave me. As she handed it to me, she said, ìHave another
spoonful!î†

Heather
Meares: hdmeares@gmail.com

***** LIFESTYLE

*** Book
Chat
by Alan Bentson

"I like people, but not all people. Iím
neither Christian enough nor charitable enough to like somebody just because
they are alive and breathing. I want people to interest or amuse me. I want
them fascinating and witty, or so dull as to be different. I want them either
intellectually stimulating or wonderfully corny, perfectly charming or one
hundred percent stinker. I like my chosen companions to be distinguishable from
the undulating masses and I donít care how.î — Betty Bard MacDonald, ìThe
Plague and I.î

I love memoirs, donít you? We are gregarious
primates, and I believe that in every brain there is a little gossipy creature
who is insatiably curious about the lives of everyone around us. My favorite
kind of memoir is the slice-of-life story by someone, probably not famous,
recreating in detail part of their lives. I am convinced that if I sat down for
six months with one of those clever ghostwriters to recreate my life, we would
only come up with enough to fill a short Readerís Digest article. So, I am
impressed by people who can say enough about their lives to fill a whole
book.†

The memoirist I am most enthusiastic about at
the moment is Betty Bard MacDonald, who lived in Washington state. Between 1945
and 1955, she produced four extraordinary books based on her own life. They
are: ìThe Egg and Iî (1945, db37151 and BR 2721), ìThe Plague and Iî (1948, DBC7115),
ìAnybody Can Do Anythingî (1950, dbc6923), and ìOnions in the Stewî (1955,
DBC17001).†

ìThe Egg and Iî concerns her life on an
isolated chicken farm in the Olympic Mountains in the 1920s. ìAnybody Can Do
Anythingî is about looking for work during the Depression in Seattle as a
divorced mother with two young daughters. ìOnions in the Stewî talks about her
second marriage and her life on Vashon Island during World War II. (Yes,
thereís WWII again!)

The book I finished reading just now is ìThe
Plague and I,î about her year in a Seattle tuberculosis sanatorium in the late
1930s. When reading about the current COVID-19 pandemic, we often see the word
ìunprecedented,î but books like this remind us that U.S. history has been full
of huge battles against epidemic diseases like influenzas and tuberculosis that
required huge efforts on the part of patients and doctors alike. Her harrowing
experiences at the sanatorium involved physical deprivation, freezing cold, a
surgical operation, being subject to the iron discipline of the staff, and days
and days of doing nothing so her lungs could rest. She describes this ordeal
with the kind of self-effacing humor that is a prerequisite for a successful
memoir and an acute observation of people and their foibles. Despite what she
says in the epigraph to this article, she seems to find almost everyone
extraordinary and interesting in some way, and she is a master of showing
rather than telling. Anybody who has ever been in a hospital or other
institution, or who likes fine writing, will enjoy this book.

The first book I read by her for a book club
several years ago was ìThe Egg and I.î I had heard of this book forever it
seems, always categorized as ìhumor,î so I was expecting a feel-good, innocuous
book like, say, ìCheaper by the Dozen.î I was reinforced in this expectation by
the knowledge that this book was a major bestseller when it was published, and
was turned into a Hollywood movie. However, this story is not for the faint of
heart.† The work on the farm was
exhausting and unpleasant, and not terribly remunerative, and the experience
was full of loneliness and suffering. Some of the people she meets are friendly
and helpful, others are nasty and degrading. She does not describe why her
first marriage broke up, but the stresses of rural life seem adequate to end
anyoneís marriage. ìOnions in the Stewî was about family life, but we are not
in Gerald Durrell territory here; the work was hard and money was tight.

At the Washington Talking Book & Braille
Library (WTBBL), we have these books classified as ìnostalgia,î which is
accurate in that they evoke past times, but frankly Iím impressed that Betty
survived all this stuff, let alone was able to laugh about some of it. She died
in 1958, at the age of 50, leaving the world a better place for her having been
in it. She also wrote a number of childrenís books, and probably a lot of
journalism. We also have a biography, ìLooking for Betty MacDonald,î by Paula
Becker (dbc6741, and brC#1796), produced at WTBBL. ìThe Egg and Iî is narrated
by Pam Ward. The other three memoirs are narrated quite competently by
volunteers at WTBBL, but I think National Library Service should do a set of
these all on one cartridge with someone as good as Pam Ward to narrate, say,
Jill Fox or Carol Dines. I havenít read the biography yet or ìAnybody Can Do
Anythingî so Iím glad I have more Betty to look forward to. All of the books
mentioned here are available from Audible.com, narrated by Heather Henderson.
Bookshare.org has all of these books, plus a book called ìWho Me? The
Autobiography of Betty MacDonald,î which was apparently published after her
death.† Sheís a great writer by any standard,
and reading her books will make you proud to live in the Pacific Northwest.

Alan Bentson: a.bentson@comcast.net

*** Angels
Everywhere
by Alco
Canfield

Abundance

I trudged down
Broadway on my way home. It was snowing straight down as it does when a thaw is
imminent. I inched along the snow bank as traffic whizzed by on my left.
Sometimes I had to hop up on the snow bank because the cars came so close.

I was irritated ñ sick of snow, sick of cold,
sick of winter. I was in full complaint mode. How was I going to find my house
at the end of the cul-de-sac? When should I jump over the snow bank to find it?
†On and on, negative noise.

Then I was overwhelmed by a sudden
realization. I stopped dead in my tracks, taking in the present. I could hear
the snow falling on my hood. It was a beautiful moment and I was missing it
because I was so mired in a morass of melancholy. Gratitude filled me as I gave
thanks for my ability to walk to the house I owned, for just being alive.

Then I heard a woman
shoveling and asked her to let me know when to jump over the snow bank into my
driveway. She did and I did.

I realized then how much I often miss by
failing to embrace the present moment and delight in what it has to offer.
Giving thanks for even those things that are unpleasant robs them of their
negative energy. Gratitude is a most powerful tool. It teaches us that we walk
in abundance.

Try It, You’ll Like It

I missed the bus. I
had to get to a meeting. I was anxious, annoyed, and frustrated. Traffic sped
by, heedless of my stress.

Then suddenly, I had an idea. I started
asking God to bless the people in the cars rolling by. I didn’t know how many
were in each car and, obviously, I didn’t know their circumstances. But as I
asked God to bless them, my stress evaporated and I was filled with serenity. I
chuckled to myself, wondering how they would feel if they knew I was blessing
them. After about 10 minutes, someone I knew pulled up and offered me a ride to
the meeting I needed to attend.

I learned a very
valuable lesson. To this day I ask God to bless those speeding by as I wait for
a bus, a cab, or a friend. It fills me with joy and lets me out of my
self-centered swamp.

A Stranger’s Kindness

It was my third day
at work in Seattle. I got off the bus and began to walk. I tripped over an
enormous crack in the sidewalk, the result of a tree root. Oh, my shoulder! I
guess I can’t call it blinding pain, but it certainly temporarily robbed me of
my thought processes. I stood up, wondering what to do.

"Can I help
you?" asked a kind voice. "Please, take my pack, my purse, and my
cane and walk me to the hospital," I said to him. I knew it was several
blocks away. I must have been in shock because I do not remember the trip
there.

I was immediately
helped. I turned to thank my benefactor but he had disappeared.

The doctor said she
could wrench my shoulder back in to place. I said, "I know you have drugs,
lots of drugs. I don’t want to even have the slightest memory of what you are
about to do." She did what she needed to do and thank goodness I don’t
remember it.

Angels are everywhere. We just do not realize
it. I hope someday some way I may once again meet the one who helped me that
day. I would have suffered so much more without him.

Hopefully, when we see a need, we can also be
angels to one another.†

Alco Canfield: alcocanfield@gmail.com

*** Whatís
On Your Plate?
Memories from My Kitchen
by Hayley Agers

For many, the past six months have seemed to
drag on forever. I, too, have had days like that ñ going from being at home
during the day to having my entire family home all the time. Iíve enjoyed
getting outside as much as possible, as being outdoors in nature is where I
find my inner peace. During this outdoor time, I have spent many hours thinking
about those who have come in and out of my life, wondering where they are now,
and hoping they are well. Iíve reached out to people I havenít spoken to in
several years, and friendships have been rekindled. Iíve also made a lot of new
friends and my life feels very full. So, for my recipe sharing in this
Newsline, I wanted to look back and acknowledge those who passed them on to me.
If you are one of those people who is struggling with all the uncertainty right
now, feeling alone, or just looking for something new to cook, I hope these
recipes will bring comfort to your heart and stomach.

Hereís a recipe I love to make for my
mother-in-law when she comes to visit. When the kids go off to school, this is
our chance to sit down at the table together, share a meal and a cup of coffee
together, and catch up on the happenings in each of our lives.

Cranberry Maple Slow-cooker Oatmeal

∑
2 cups
steel-cut oats

∑
8 cups
water

∑
2/3 cup
cranberries

∑
Ω cup
maple syrup

∑
1 tsp.
ground cinnamon

∑
Ω tsp.
salt

∑
3 Tbsp.
toasted, slivered almonds

Combine all ingredients, except almonds, in
crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (I just cook mine overnight). Stir
well before serving and top with almonds. This will last in the refrigerator
for three to four days. Yields 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1 tsp. almonds per
serving.††

When I graduated from college and began my
job at a school for children with disabilities, our multi-disciplinary team of
physical and occupational therapists and speech language pathologists would do
a potluck lunch once a week. We all chose which part of the lunch we would
prepare. My friend, Kelly, would bring this soup almost every time, per our
request. Later on, it was one of the recipes that I taught students at the
Orientation and Training Center. Even those students who had sworn off
vegetables enjoyed this recipe. I hope you enjoy it.

Hamburger Soup

∑
1Ω lbs.
ground beef or chuck, cut into cubes

∑
1 medium
onion, chopped

∑
3 stalks
of celery, finely chopped

∑
4
carrots, finely chopped

∑
1 can of
tomato soup

∑
3 cans
of beef consommÈ

∑
1 can of
water

∑
1 bay
leaf

∑
8 Tbsp.
barley (continued on next page)

∑
1 (28 oz.)
can of stewed or diced tomatoes

∑
Ω tsp.
thyme

∑
Ω tsp.
parsley

∑
Salt and
pepper to taste

Brown meat with onion and drain before adding
to crockpot. Place meat and remaining ingredients in crockpot. Turn on low and
cook 6-8 hours. †

When my son, Brayden, was in kindergarten, a
classmateís mum made this recipe. When all the other mums were bringing in
frosted cupcakes, ice cream bars, or some other heavily frosted cake for their
childís birthday, this classmateís mum brought these muffins, as they were her
daughterís favorite. Isnít that what itís all about, cooking the things we know
will be enjoyed and asked for over and over? Well, this is now my daughterís
favorite muffin/cupcake and we love making them together, especially in the
fall. Welcome to our home ñ pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea or
coffee, and enjoy a yummy, sweet treat with us.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

∑
1 cup
pumpkin purÈe

∑
1/3 cup
of vegetable oil

∑
2 large
eggs

∑
1 1/4
cups of sugar

∑
1 1/2
cups of flour

∑
2 tsp.
of pumpkin pie spice

∑
1/2 tsp.
of baking soda

∑
1/2 tsp.
of baking powder

∑
1/2 cups
of mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix
together pumpkin purÈe, vegetable oil, eggs, and sugar until well
blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and
pumpkin pie spice, until combined. Then add to the pumpkin mixture until
well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Put muffins in pan, and bake
for 25-30 minutes. I also put a few chocolate chips on top of the muffins
before baking.

Hayley Agers: haydav8@comcast.net

*** The
Benefits of Herbs and Spices ó Part One
© 2020 by
Leonore H. Dvorkin

About the
Author

Leonore H. Dvorkin is an
author, editor, and instructor of German and Spanish who lives in Denver, CO. †Note:
The original version of this article appeared in the October 2008 issue of the
Denver publication Community News, which no longer exists.†

Hello,
everyone! The heat of summer is gone, and fall is here at last. It won’t be
long before it’s time to dig out those mixing bowls, heat up the oven, and get
to baking pumpkin pies, molasses cookies, and other traditional fall and winter
goodies. With that in mind, here’s an article on the benefits of some common
spices and herbs, from cinnamon to ginger to thyme to turmeric. So get yourself
a cup of peppermint tea, then relax and enjoy the read.

Botanically, herbs and spices are classified as fruits and vegetables. They’ve been
used in cooking and for medicinal purposes in many cultures throughout history.
They’re high in antioxidants because they no longer contain the water that
makes up such a large part of fresh produce. They can add a lot of flavor to
food, making it less likely that you will need to add fat, salt, or sugar to
make your food taste good.

Their nutritional content can be quite impressive. One teaspoon of
ground ginger has as many
antioxidants as a cup of spinach. A teaspoon of thyme has as many antioxidants as a carrot or one-half cup of
chopped tomatoes. A teaspoon of dried oregano
has as many antioxidants as one-half cup of chopped asparagus. There is ongoing
research into the ability of herbs and spices to boost metabolism, aid in
weight control, and promote satiety (a feeling of fullness).

Black
pepper may be common, but it’s a
standout when it comes to health benefits. It improves digestion by increasing
the stomach’s secretion of hydrochloric acid. It helps prevent the formation of
intestinal gas and helps stimulate the breakdown of fat cells. It’s also an
antioxidant and supplies manganese, iron, and fiber.

Cinnamon,
an extremely popular spice, comes in numerous varieties. I’ve always loved it;
buttery cinnamon-sugar toast and my mother’s small, dense cinnamon rolls were
two of my favorite childhood treats. But ever since I was diagnosed a few years
ago as diabetic, I’ve appreciated the well-documented ability of even small
amounts of this spice, as little as one-quarter teaspoon per day, to help reduce blood sugar levels in people
with type-2 diabetes. Other benefits of cinnamon include the reduction of
cholesterol levels and triglycerides and some antioxidant activity. Just
smelling this wonderful spice can boost
brain function and reduce irritability.
It also supplies manganese, fiber, and iron. Besides using it in baked goods,
try sprinkling it on coffee, toast, yogurt, or cottage cheese. It can give an
interesting twist to the flavors of chicken and ground meat.

There is much information
online detailing why Ceylon cinnamon is the most healthful variety. I was
unable to find that variety in the store, so I ordered some organic Ceylon
cinnamon online. It came in a bag, and it is easy to fill an old cinnamon
bottle from the bag using a small funnel.††

Cloves
are the unopened buds of an evergreen tree. They can be used as a pickling
spice or to make drinks such as mulled wine. A warming spice, it can help
relieve congestion. Clove oil relieves a toothache. The eugenol in the oil is
anti-inflammatory and can help relieve the stiffness and pain of arthritis.

Ginger,
common in many Asian cuisines, has been eaten for more than 4,000 years and was
one of the first spices traded in Western Europe. It can help ease motion sickness and inhibit vomiting;
in 1983, the British found that powdered ginger is twice as effective as
Dramamine. It can help ease the side effects of chemotherapy. Gingerols
(compounds in ginger) also appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which
can help reduce the pain of arthritis. It also supplies potassium. One ounce of
ginger root has only about 20 calories. Try ginger with meats, poultry, sushi,
and some desserts.

I enjoy an occasional cup of ginger tea, available in health food
stores. On the side of their box of "Ginger Aid" tea, Traditional
Medicinals (a brand Iíve praised in articles Iíve written about teas) states
that ginger tea "promotes the flow of digestive juices." Try this
pungent, somewhat spicy beverage with a bit of honey, agave nectar, or liquid
stevia.

Here’s a list of herbs and
spices that can aid digestion:
allspice, anise, cardamom, cloves, dill, ginger, marjoram, oregano (effective
against Giardia), peppermint, and tarragon (known to relieve gas).

Thyme
is one of my favorite herbs. If you have not yet tried cooking with it, don’t
be put off by the fact that thymol,
which is thyme’s most active ingredient, is in products like Listerine and
Vicks. That’s because it has antibacterial properties. When inhaled, thyme oil
can help loosen phlegm and relax the muscles in the respiratory tract.

Thyme is a common ingredient
in Mediterranean dishes, and it’s great with beef, lamb, or pork. Try adding it
to stuffing, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauces, or chili. It can enhance any
cheese, tomato, or egg dish. Once in food, it releases its full flavor rather
slowly, so add it early in the cooking process. When dried, thyme retains its
flavor better than many other herbs do, so dried or powdered thyme makes a
perfectly good substitute for fresh thyme.

Turmeric
is a main ingredient of curry. You can buy turmeric in capsule form if you
don’t like its taste. It can reduce the risk of gallstones, and it also has
anti-inflammatory properties. Like yogurt, it can help re-establish beneficial
bacteria in the digestive system after the use of antibiotics. There is
considerable evidence that it has anti-cancer properties; Indian men, who eat a
lot of curry, have a low rate of prostate cancer.

Leonore H. Dvorkin Website:
https://www.leonoredvorkin.com/

***** HISTORY

*** Twenty-five
Years of Learning
by Carl
Jarvis

There’s an old song
that goes, "What a difference a day makes." Well, I don’t know
about one day, but 25 years most certainly make a difference.

Looking back, we
feel as though we can almost touch that day in early January. And yet, as
we drove down Highway 101 to our first appointment, 25 years seemed to stretch
ahead of us forever. Such an immense length of time.

Peninsula
Rehabilitation Services (PRS) began business almost the same day we moved into
our new home. Now, nestled on 10 acres near the village of Quilcene, we
were official. We were now one small member of a statewide program, the
Independent Living/Older Blind Program (IL/OB.)

Initially, we were
to serve Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam counties, but within a year we added
Mason and Grays Harbor counties to our PRS family. Over the years, the
state program became known as the Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB)
Program. As part of the Department of Services for the Blind, Ed Grant was
appointed the program’s first administrator. Ed retired in the early 90’s
and he and his wife, Phyllis, bought a home in Port Angeles. There they
began a blind support group at the Park View Villa Retirement Apartments.

On Jan. 1, 1995, we
unloaded the moving van and entered our new home. And then we collapsed,
figuring we’d take our time organizing stuff ñ tons and tons of stuff. Early on
Monday, Jan. 2, Ed called.

"You get moved
in?" he asked. "If you mean is everything out of the weather then,
yes, we’re moved in," I replied.

It would still be 10
days of waiting for a final inspection before we took possession. Ed said his
group met on the second Tuesday of each month, and they would love to meet us,
next Tuesday.

And so it began. The
world was a bit different 25 years ago. We had no laptops, no GPS, no cell
phones, and no online resources. But we did have one big advantage going
for us: we were 25 years younger. And we were excited and eager.

We set a heavy
schedule, two appointments before lunch and two in the afternoon, five days a
week. Remember, we were driving around in Kitsap, Jefferson, Clallam,
Mason and Grays Harbor counties from Bainbridge Island to Neah Bay, and from
West Port to Point No Point.

On normal days we
ate dinner during Jeopardy, and then it was off to the office to enter the day’s
entries and records, place orders, and call new referrals.

But schedules are
made to be broken. One of our first learning experiences was finding out
that retired people enjoy being retired. Many new clients were shocked when we
suggested we had a 9 a.m. opening. As one sweet lady put it, "My dear, that
is the time I’m getting my beauty sleep."

Since no one would
deny a person their beauty sleep, we dropped the early morning
appointment.

Another lesson
learned the hard way was the rising cost of doing business. When we first set
out, a nice, filling lunch could be had for around $10 for the two of
us. The last lunch we bought cost a bit over three times that
amount. But that was just lunch. Everything else went up in price,
too, such as the gas and maintenance on our Ford trucks.

We wore out three
during the 25 years, and then there was the increase in aids and appliances,
not to mention shipping costs.

But despite rising expenses, increased accountability, and piles and piles of
records and paperwork, we managed to keep our eye on our goal of meeting
people’s needs ñ assisting in developing the independent skills that enabled
them to live where and how they chose.

Another important
lesson we learned was that our clients often knew more than we knew about what
they needed. We learned to shut up and listen. It became clear that it was
not as important where they lived as how they felt about their contributions to
their family and their community. It came to us that, for years, we
Americans have been isolating our senior citizens when what they wanted was participation.
While we were busy "protecting" our elders, by sheltering them in
assisted living facilities, they were feeling excluded, when they still wanted
and needed to feel included. More than once, we heard someone complain that
their family had parked them in a senior facility in order to be rid of them.

As rehab teachers,
there is an assumption that we can relate to our clients. While this may
be somewhat true, there’s a huge difference between relating to, and living
with, the aging process. This lesson is learned when we realize that the heavy
grunt was not coming from our client, but is us trying to rise up out of our
chair. And that youthful lilt to our step is more like a lurching limp.

And finally, if all
the stars are in their proper places, we come to understand that we are not so
much teachers as we are learners, all learning together.

For years we
grumbled that the ILOB program was like going around putting Band-Aids on open
wounds. In hindsight, that has not proven to be the case. Sure, we could
have done much more, and served more clients if we’d been given more resources
but, in truth, we "done good with what we got." The real rehab was
not the gadgets or the coaching, but the simple fact of connecting, the feeling
of being worthwhile, to feel needed, and to feel a sense of
independence. Twenty-five years could all be summed up simply as by the
lady who beamed as she told us, "That watch, that lovely little talking
watch. Now I no longer have to go about asking folks what time it is. I
just ask my little friend."

One small touch of
independence, a turning point, the first step toward taking the next step.

Twenty-five
years. Really, not so long a time. But time enough to travel the
great Northwest and meet so many good people.

And, as we close the
doors and turn out the lights, that becomes our final word as rehab
teachers. Whenever the TV and radio and online news become unbearably
negative, just pull on your walking shoes and go knocking on your neighborsí
doors. There’s a whole beautiful land full of beautiful folks just waiting
to welcome you into their lives.

Carl Jarvis: carjar82@gmail.com

*** History
Quiz
by Carl Jarvis

In these tumultuous
times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans can all be thankful for the 1935
establishment of the Social Security Administration by President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, including Social Security Disability. It was the same year
the blind men and women of Washington State organized the Washington State
Association of the Blind, but every bit as important to all Americans is our
Medicare and Medicaid program.

Two-part
question: Who was called "the real daddy of Medicare," and, in
what year was Medicare established?

Answer: In
1948, Harry Truman pushed for a national nonprofit health insurance program in
his successful, come-from-behind presidential campaign. When Truman’s plan was
denounced as "socialized medicine" and "un-American" by the
powerful American Medical Association, "Give ’em hell, Harry" stood
his ground, defending his proposal as "simple Christianity."

In 1965, when
President Lyndon Johnson secured passage of Medicare (and Medicaid), he
traveled to Missouri to formally sign it into law in Truman’s presence ñ
declaring that "the real daddy of Medicare" was Harry Truman.

Medicare was federal
health insurance for those 65 and older, but proponents hoped it was step one
on the way to Medicare for all.

Answer credited to
the following source: ìTime to Give ‘Em Hell,î by Jeff Cohen, Reader Supported
News.

Question: The
1970 decision by the Washington State Association of the Blind to demand a
separate commission for the blind had an explosive reaction in the blind community.† What was it?

Answer: A
number of blind people gathered at Seattle’s Roosevelt Hotel in April 1971. Out
of this meeting came a new blind organization, the Washington Council of the
Blind.

In part, this new
organization came into being in support of efforts to keep the Office of
Services for the Blind within the Department of Social and Health Services, and
in part it was a reaction to the more aggressive methods taken by the
Washington State Association of the Blind, an affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind.

For several years,
the two organizations stood their respective ground, and the state Legislature
used this division as leverage, with the commission bill never coming out of
committee. Finally, a compromise was reached. The bill sailed through both
House and Senate, and was signed into law.

It took an
additional 13 years, and another strange turn of events, before the two
organizations came together and merged in 1990, under the name of the
Washington Council of the Blind. Next month, we’ll learn what that strange
event was.

Until then, stay
safe, and don’t breathe any strange air.

Carl Jarvis: carjar82@gmail.com

*** Nostalgia
and History
by Beth Greenberg

I have enjoyed Carl Jarvisí emails about the
history of Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) and American Council of the
Blind (ACB). He had asked the question, ìWhat was the first publication of ACB
and who was the first editor?î This intrigued me, so I searched the web for the
answer and could not find it. This search led me to the ACBís book about its
history, ìPeople of Vision.î You can get a small-print, hard copy on Amazon for
$43.95 (before shipping). It is 740 pages. You can also find it on Bard with
the National Library System. The audio version is 28 hours. I decided to read
the audio version on Bard.

The first part of the book has a history of
blind people. I found that to be very interesting. The blindness history led
into the formation of the National Federation of the Blind.

Starting around 1959, some discord in the
federation had accrued; sides started to be drawn. Members had been kicked out
of the federation. A new publication was started, ìThe Braille Free Press,î edited
by Hollis Liggett.

From all of this discord, in 1961, in
downtown Kansas City, MO, the American Council of the Blind was formed. They
renamed ìThe Braille Free Pressî to ìThe Braille Forumî in 1962.

I am not a big reader. I am halfway through
the book. I am only able to read about half an hour at a time.

One negative for me, besides the length, is
how much detail there is. For instance, all the correspondence that transpired
between different people was too much information.

I am enjoying reading the history of the
American Council of the Blind. I tried to find an audible version of the
National Federation of the Blindís version of ìMarching Alone and Walking
Together,î but have not found one.

Thank you, Carl for your monthly WCB and ACB
history quizzes, and sparking my interest in our blind history.

Beth Greenberg: merribeth.manning@gmail.com

***** ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

*** Technically
Speaking
by Frank Cuta

First, you give a
resourceful creative person a new, tremendously challenging job. She is to pump
some energy into membership involvement and turn the growth curve upside down
for a huge national organization of blind people.

Then, a freak health
crisis physically confines her so that it is no longer possible for her to
travel around the country and work directly with members. But you had better
watch out. If enough adversity and constraints are heaped on this female
powerhouse, you had better step back and cover your head because it is a fact
that something is going to burst out.

Thus, it was out of
frustration and adversity this spring that an extraordinary new resource was
born, The American Council of the Blind (ACB) Community Events network. This
creative way of dealing with the isolation resulting from the pandemic is the
brainchild of our past state president, Cindy Hollis.† It really deserves a grander title like
"The Happening" or "Where the Action Is." Her idea was to
utilize the virtual conferencing technology that has been so effective for
performing organizational business and expand it to member-support functions
like social chatting, small support group discussions, and informational
presentations of interest to our members.†
The response to Community Events has been huge. In a short time, it has
grown to almost 100 presentations a week. It has been a bit overwhelming.

So, what does this
mean to our average member? Have you been cooped up in an apartment for seven
months, constrained by the need to shelter in place? Do you miss getting
together for your favorite activities with groups of friends? If you do, then
Community Events is something for you.

Some of the social
activities include unstructured general coffee chats, special interest chats,
and affiliate chats like the one for Washington Council of the Blind.†

Some of the special
interest groups include widows and widowers, diabetics, gardening, mental
health, poetry, meditation and book discussions.†

Do you need more
exercise? If you do, Community Events includes fitness and yoga classes. Are
you looking for entertainment? If you are, Community Events includes lots of
games like The Newlyweds and Family Feud redone, with ACB board members and
staff members as the participants. Also, purely informational in nature are
many shows such as technology tutoring, sports, essential oils, cooking and
shopping.

If you are
interested in joining the fun, but you feel that you are too technically
challenged, your concerns are unwarranted. While many participants do
communicate with laptops, smart speakers or smart phones, all you really need
to connect to our Community Events is a basic telephone.

It is true that the
principle way of distributing the weekly schedules is by email, and not all
members have email. However, a great project for one of your chapter members
could be to do a group phone chat each week for members who do not have email
and just read through the events and the associated phone numbers for them on a
daily basis. You can sign up for the email schedule at
http://acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/acb-community-events

ACB Radio has been
very supportive of Community Events as they develop and has now provided a
dedicated community channel for the express purpose of sharing them with even
more people. You can listen to Community Events on the ACB Radio Community
channel, www.acbradio.org/community, or access them through your favorite
Amazon device by saying, "Open the ACB Radio Community skill." If you
use a computer, smart phone or Victor Stream, you can listen to Community Event
programming in the form of on-demand podcasts.

As Cindy says,
"Today, members of ACB from all over the U.S., and often guests from
within and outside of our country, are becoming active members of a community
not connected by streets and sidewalks, but rather by hearts and passion.
Through these community events, regardless of where we each live, we’re
reminded we’re not alone. We truly are a community."

Frank Cuta:
frank@cuta.net

*** When
Will There Be a COVID-19 Vaccine?
by Judy Brown, RN BSN

From the beginning of this pandemic, there
has been a lot of confusing, contradictory and, at times, misleading
information about the treatment and possible cure for COVID-19 disease. And,
now, the media is full of reports about vaccines.

Producing a vaccine for any disease is a
time-consuming, meticulous process that involves testing, re-testing, trials,
re-formulations based on trial results, and many failures. Currently, there are
at least 150 companies worldwide that are trying to develop a vaccine. Five
companies are leading the way: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck,
Moderna, and Pfizer. All of these companies are receiving millions of dollars
from the U.S. government and other countries to develop a vaccine.

Recently, Russia announced it had developed a
vaccine that it was starting to distribute. As of this writing (late August),
the Russian government has not released any data to support its claims. There
is evidence that Phase 3 trials were not completed prior to the Russian
government making the announcement. There is also evidence that the Russians
have begun to distribute their vaccine to other countries. The World Health
Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and
Drug Administration are strongly recommending that people do not try to obtain
a vaccine that has not completed Phase 3 trials, that has not submitted data
for peer-review, and has not been cleared by the FDA for use in America.

Iím confused with some of the terminology
used in reports about vaccines. Letís define some terms:

∑ Phase 1, 2, 3 trials: Simply
stated, the phases are a progression of expanded testing. Each phase depends
upon success in the previous phase. Usually, Phase 3 can last one to three
years with multiple tests of responses occurring during this time. The vaccine
for COVID-19 has been fast-tracked. There may be an early release of a
promising vaccine (or vaccines) by the end of this year or the beginning of
2021. We may not fully understand how long the vaccine will be effective prior
to its deployment.† There may be a need
for multiple injections to sustain consistent antibody level.

∑ T-cells: Specialized
ìhelperî cells that are part of the immune response. They help kill the bad
stuff and help stimulate the body to release antibodies.

∑ Antibodies: Special proteins
released by the body that will attach to antigens (invaders or pathogens) and
deactivate them. Antibodies are part of your bodyís complex immune response.

∑ Antigens: These are the
outside invaders ñ the part of the virus or bacteria that does the infecting.

∑ Immune response: Your bodyís
total reaction via the release of many kinds of specialized cells and proteins
that work together to fight off recognized invaders (diseases).

∑ Monoclonal antibodies (mAb):
These are clones (exact copies) of a single immune cell. As clones, they all
target the same part of the antigen (infectious invader) to disrupt it. By
targeting a specific part of the antigen, in the case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
the target is the protein spikes, the infection cannot occur because the part
of the virus that breaks a cell is rendered useless. This is a different
approach to making a vaccine. This technique is a leader in creating a vaccine
in a more rapid fashion.

∑
SARS-Cov-2: The official name of the virus that is causing
the disease known as COVID-19. This virus is part of a larger family known as
coronaviruses. These viruses all have protein spikes that enable them to invade
a cell to begin the takeover of the invaded cellís internal mechanisms to start
making more viruses. It was originally called Novel Coronavirus because it was
new to all of humanity. It had never infected humans prior to the fall of 2019.
We did not have an immunity to this virus. SARS-Cov-2 is more infectious than
the flu. It is more deadly than the flu. It can infect anyone, including
children. It is not a hoax.

Ok, but what does all of this mean? When will
there be a vaccine?

Luckily, prior to the pandemic, research was
being done on many types of coronaviruses (the virus family that includes
SARS-CoV-2) but none of this research was advanced to clinical trials due to
financial limitations. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed some of the existing
research to directly study this new virus and look for an effective treatment
and possible vaccine.

Slowing down the progress to a vaccine is the
fact that this virus, like all viruses, mutates. Its genetic structure changes
based on selective pressures on the virus. Viruses have one mission ñ multiply,
adapt and multiply again.

Stimulating the immune system to create a
sustained immune response has been a challenge. There are indications that
those who have survived the disease do not maintain antibodies for an extended
time. We may need yearly vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.

An effective vaccine must be safe to
administer. The people who have the biggest need for a vaccine ñ the elderly,
people with other diseases (co-morbidities), people with impaired immune
systems ñ may be the most vulnerable to side effects from a vaccine. Safe
dosing will need to be determined for many diverse populations.

There needs to be enough of the vaccine to
treat most of the world. There may be more than one vaccine released with
varying levels of effectiveness. Creating worldwide herd immunity will be a
huge challenge.

This fight will not be over soon. The most
optimistic guess is that a vaccine will not be widely available until sometime
next spring. Some early vaccine candidates may appear by the end of this year.
The first doses will likely go to frontline workers such as doctors, nurses,
paramedics, firefighters and the police.

In the meantime, wear your masks, wash your
hands, keep six feet apart when possible. Be smart and stay safe.

Judy Brown, RN, BSN

United Blind of Seattle

Disclaimer: This article is for educational
purposes only. Any medical advice on a vaccine and whether the vaccine will be
safe for you needs to be discussed with your healthcare practitioner.

*** Introducing
My New Friend
by Hayley Agers

Have you ever heard the expression, ìYou
donít know what youíve got ëtil itís gone?î Well, in my case, Iíd like to
change that expression to, ìYou donít know what you’re missing ëtil you find
it!î Iíd like to introduce you all to my new friend, Victor Trek.

In March, like many of you, I began attending
the American Council of the Blind (ACB) community calls. At first, it was just
a chance to hear voices that werenít coming from my house or my own head. Haha!
Then I heard about all of the opportunities to learn about technology and brush
up on skills you havenít used for a while. In my case, I was learning from
scratch. When it comes to technology, I run in the opposite direction as fast
as my legs will carry me. I kept hearing calls about this Victor, and each time
I listened, I was more and more intrigued. I wanted to get to know him better.
I asked around a little, and he seemed like heíd be a good friend to get to
know.

Fast forward a few months to the ACB auction.
By then, I had already decided I was going to take the plunge and invite Victor
into my family. This was taking a big risk for me; I was concerned that my
confidence and trust would be shattered if he decided he didnít like me and
didnít want to be part of the chaos I call life. I got onto the live auction,
with my virtual $1,000 in my hand, confident that I would come out a winner.
Due to technical difficulties, Victor (or at least this version of Victor) went
home with another. The next day, I placed the call that changed the way I feel
about technology, and a week later, Victor showed up on my doorstep, asking if
I would give him a chance.

Hesitant at first, but with a little
encouragement from my husband and a few good friends who already new Victor
well, I was doing a dance Iíd never done before. We took a few steps forward
and more steps backwards. Soon I was liking having this new friend in my life.
Without knowing it, he was helping heal a part of me that was broken. The first
time we went for a walk together, he held my hand tightly, or should I say I
held onto him tightly? He was so descriptive in the way he told me which
direction we were walking, what streets weíd soon be crossing, and he even took
me out for coffee. Yes, thatís right. The first place I asked him to take me
was to my favorite coffee stand. Now, as patient as I needed him to be, he also
required a little grace on my part. You see, he had never been to this coffee
stand before, and we missed the correct driveway, but thanks to my keen sense
of smell, we made it. We now spend lots of time together reading books, listening
to podcasts, and exploring new and unfamiliar routes.

So, everyone, Iím not stingy when it comes to
sharing the good life. Iíd like to encourage those of you who are looking for a
new sense of freedom, and a gentle way to step out of your comfort zone, to
also think about becoming friends with Victor. He can help you see yourself in
a new light and give you that courage you need to try a new route or get back
into reading, or even give you the ability to listen to the latest podcasts. My
future is looking brighter all the time, and Victor plays a big part in that.

I know I will need to reach out to those who
have more experience with Victor. We may need to take some time apart. New
friends will come into my life, and Victor might feel like he has taken a back
seat. Just like with any friendship, Iím sure I will raise my voice with him,
and we will have power struggles. But there are some friends you just know are
worth keeping around. For now, I love this beautiful friendship that is
continuing to blossom.

Victor Reader Trek ñ talking book player and
GPS, $699 from the manufacturer Humanware.com, 800-722-3393.

Hayley Agers: haydav8@comcast.net

*** Worm
Farming by Touch
by Zack Hurtz

Why would anyone want to start up a worm
farm? The answer is simple: because it provides highly concentrated nutrients
for plants, can make fairly easy money, recycles most trash, and can be done
without sight.

I had a lot of down time while caring for my
dying father, and while he was sleeping, I was Googling and trying to find a
way to rehab his backyard. After his passing, I returned to Washington and was
so bored and sad I started up a worm farm. I spent $100, and Iím now on track
to make a profit off of a backyard hobby that takes an hour a week.

How do I get started farming worms and is it
really that easy?

Worm farms come in many shapes and sizes, but
my favorite and easiest to build is the worm tower. This stackable tower can be
kept inside or outside and is often found already around the house. Youíll need
at least two 5-gallon buckets with lids, a drill or way to make small holes,
and some sort of fine mesh screen.

The tower works like this: the bottom bucket
or reservoir catches and holds all of the water that flows through the tower.
The second bucket sits on top of the bottom bucketís lid and contains the
worms. This bucket is where youíll place the worms, their bedding and food.
Once this bucket is full, youíll place an empty third bucket on top where
youíll start to place food and bedding. Once all the worms enter the top bucket
to eat, youíll remove the middle bucket and make worm tea out of the castings
(aka worm poop.)

How do I build this tower?

1. Youíll leave the bottom bucket alone, only
drilling holes in its lid. You need many, many holes for good drainage.

2. Place your screen material on the lid. If you
want, glue it down. I just use the top bucketís weight to hold the screen in
place. Window screen is a good easy material to use.

3. The top bucket, or worm habitat, needs small
holes drilled all over the bottom so water can drain into the lower bucket. A
one-eighth-inch drill bit will work perfectly for this. When you think youíve
drilled enough holes, add about 20 more.

4. In the top bucketís lid, drill some holes to
allow in rain and sunlight. The sunlight will keep the worms from crawling up
the sides, and the rain will help retain moisture. The holes need to be larger
than the ones in the bottom, so use a quarter-inch drill bit. Eventually, once
the bucket is full the worms will crawl through these holes, so try to remove
jagged edges, etc.

OK, so now I have a tower. What do I do next?

Youíre now going to collect a weekís worth of
food scraps, shredded paper and cardboard. Place it in the worm habitat and mix
it together. Youíll want about 3 inches of material covering the bottom. Wet
the bedding and add worms. You want your bedding to have a similar moisture
content as a wrung-out sponge.

Where do I get worms?

You can buy worms from sellers, or dig some
up out of your back yard. If youíd like to buy them, I recommend Uncle Jimís
Worm Farm. The products can be found on Amazon. Uncle Jimís is the most highly
rated, affordable worm seller. Once my population is sustainable, I can also
send you some.

What can I feed my worms?

Worms will eat almost everything, but try
avoiding meats, veggies, and fruits with high acidic ratios like onions,
oranges, etc. They love used coffee grounds, paper, veggies, grains, breads,
and egg shells. Worms need egg shells for healthy population growth and to keep
them strong. If you have a lot of dog feces, you can set up a worm farm that
recycles the feces, but that farm canít be used as a garden fertilizer without
some extra steps.

Iíve had my farm for a few weeks. What do I
do now?

Once your first bucket is completely filled
with worm castings and youíve sorted the worms out into a different bucket or
let them crawl up into the very top bucket, start making worm tea. Worm tea is
the process of turning worm castings into a liquid concentrate used for plant
fertilizers. This will be the primary item for sale if youíre trying to make
money off of the worms. Each quart of tea goes for about $40, especially if you
market it with the right phrases and follow the step-by-step process. I wonít
go into the process here, but email me privately for a step-by-step brewing
process.

You now have a fully functioning worm farm at
low cost that will reduce trash, recycle, grow healthy plants, and earn a
profit. During the fishing season, you can sell off your over-populated worms
as bait. You can sell to gas stations and bait shops, but fishermen will be
your best direct buyers. Your trash can earn you some cash.

This sounds great, but Iíd rather not build
the tower.

Hey, I understand it can be annoying to pull
all of the tools together. Email me and Iíll send you a kit at an affordable
price. Iíve been working on an easier setup and have made it extremely simple.
Included in the kit is your worm tower, your tea brewing system, and bedding,
minus the food scraps.

Did you write this article to make money?

If I donít make a dime, it wonít bother me
one bit. I wrote this to share my hobby with the rest of you and to help keep
Earth a livable place.

This can be a fun science project for kids
and adults, while producing much needed fertilizer and keeping down pollution.
This can be done in an apartment or on an actual farm. No matter what, raising
worms keeps working to make Earth healthier.

If you have any questions, please email me at
Zackery.D.Hurtz@gmail.com.

***** BRAIN
FOOD

*** Noteworthy
Blogs
Life of a Blind Girl
by Beth Greenberg

I am always looking for new perspectives on
disabilities, especially those that are blindness related.

I found this blog called ìLife of a Blind
Girlî by Holly x. Holly is a 24-year-old Yorkshire lass, and a York St. John
University graduate in England. Holly is a lover of pop music, beauty, fashion,
and all the usual girly stuff.

Hollyís eye condition is called retinopathy
of prematurity (ROP) — "I can only see light and dark." As clichÈ as it sounds, her visual impairment has
helped shape her into the person she is today and gives her so many
opportunities, which inspired her to start this blog. For more, go to www.lifeofablindgirl.com.

Here, with Holly’s permission, are some
extended excerpts from her latest post about fashion and body image.

An honest
chat about disability and body image

Ö Many of us have spent a lot of time
thinking about our bodies, or more to the point, other peopleís perceptions on
the way we look. And in reality, that is doing us more harm than good.

But where does all of this come from?

Firstly, there is a lack of disability
representation in the media. Although disability representation is improving,
it still isnít good enough.

There is also a lack of disability
representation in the fashion industry. We now live in a world thatís
dominated by social media, so itís almost inevitable that this is a huge factor
as well.

All of these things make it so much harder
for young disabled people to have a positive body image and love the way they
look. They need people that they can look up to, and they need disabled role
models.

We need to be encouraging the younger
generation to celebrate their bodies, embrace their disability and love who
they are no matter whatÖ.

Making
fashion accessible

There are many simple things that the fashion
industry could do in order to be more inclusive ñ by making their websites
accessible, ensuring that their stores have good disabled access, making
packaging accessible, and making disability awareness part of staff training.
But most importantly, to include disabled people in everything they do.

We need to have these conversations in order
to create change, and to strive for equality.

Even though I canít see, I still take pride
in the way I look. For many sighted people, itís important for them to
determine how they look by the visual aspects. But as someone with no useful
vision, I canít do that.

I find my own ways of telling whether an
outfit looks good ñ by the way it makes me feel, or asking people I trust for
opinions. I apply my makeup using my own tried and tested methods. I
do this by touch and memory. I canít glance at a mirror to check it looks okay.

However, if brands were more accessible, Iíd
be able to make more judgments on my outfit choices independently, such as
finding out the colors of clothing by reading detailed descriptions on
websites, or getting information about beauty products from accessible
packaging. Ö

My vision
impairment and body image

Body image is so much more than the visual
aesthetics. Our own views, perceptions, feelings and attitudes all play a part.

For me, some of the perceptions surrounding
my body image stem from my vision impairment and the way my eyes look. Ironic,
isnít it?

I have often been told that I ìdonít
look blind,î and I never quite know how to react to that. I always want to
look my best, and I care about the way I look Ö

In 2016, I suffered a deterioration in my
left eye that changed everything for me. My vision impairment then became a
part of my body image, and something I had to learn to love. Truth be told, Iím
still learning to love it today. Ö

There are many days when my eyes look red,
sore, and swollen. On these days, I struggle to open my left eye fully, and I
worry about the way it looks. But on the good days, you wouldnít even be able
to tell.

Itís something I canít control. The more
discomfort, the worse it looks. I feel very self-conscious about it, and it
sometimes makes me feel anxious, especially when Iím doing certain things like
being in a meeting, on a video call or doing a presentation at work.

I know that in the grand scheme of things
itís small, and that people probably donít notice as much as I do. But it
affects my body image, so thatís why Iím talking about it. Ö

Do I wish my eyes would go back to the way
they used to be, and that I had no problems? Of course, I do. But Iím learning
to love and accept them for the way they are. They are part of my body, and
they are part of the person I am.

A message
on body image and disability

Body positivity is so much more than loving
your weight, your skin or your imperfections. Itís about learning to love and
embrace your disability. Ö

There are so many disabilities ñ both visible
and invisible, and we need to recognize that. Ö We need to be lifting each
other up, not tearing each other down.

Disabled people shouldnít be forgotten or go
unnoticed.

Disability and body image can go hand in
hand, so we need to have open, honest and judgement-free discussions about it.
Ö

I hope this post goes some way in sparking
conversation surrounding disability and body image.

From sharing a lot of my life with a vision
impairment online, I know that it can often be a comfort to read other peopleís
stories and experiences.

Disability and body image arenít spoken about
enough, so if sharing my own story and discussing my imperfections helps
someone else out there, then that makes me happy.

Holly x

https://lifeofablindgirl.com/2020/09/06/an-honest-chat-about-disability-and-body-image/

Beth Greenberg: meribeth.manning@gmail.com

***
Podtastic Casts
Gifts from the Past: Old Time Radio Podcasts and Stations
by
Reginald George

Old Time Radio,
often known as (OTR), is near and dear to many of us with blindness or low
vision.† It evokes a world that is
receding into the pages of history, like the feeling you get from black and
white or sepia tinted photographs, 8 millimeter home movie reels, and
trains.† Radio wasn’t old thenÖit was
just radio! This is the world of our parents and grandparents, where you didn’t
throw things or people away, and possessions were meant to last.† A world where you used your imagination
instead of your eyes.† It was a place and
time at least as cruel as ours is now, maybe even more so, no matter how much
we want to romanticize it.† Even the old
commercials are fun to listen to, certainly a less sophisticated time.† Many of the movie stars of the day performed
in abridged radio plays reprising their biggest roles.†

One wonderful,
accessible radio station you can get on your computer, smart device, or Victor
Stream is called Antioch Old Time Radio.†

http://www.radio.macinmind.com

Its format is
unique, in that they try to choose shows from the same date 60 to 85 years ago
and recreate the feeling of an entire broadcast day.† The station is run by one man, and he has
many shows that have never been on the internet.† He does a lot of work to provide the best
possible audio for these programs.† You
can lose yourself in the music, comedy, and drama of those days and imagine
what it was like then.† These shows bring
memories to life and help us to see them as real.† Many shows contain interviews with the
celebrities of the day.† It’s a living
history.†

More than that, when
you share a show with sighted friends, you have an experience that is unique to
you, but the same for everyone.† You must
suspend your disbelief and let sound tell the story.† The pictures are painted in your mind.† Sex and violence are implied, not graphic
like today.† And you quickly learn that
Sinclair motor oil cost 25 cents a quart, signal gasoline cost 16 cents a
gallon in 1935, and that "Crime Does Not Pay" and "The Shadow Knows."† Now we have graphic audio and audio books,
but back then the radio and magazines were the only way to let the outside
world into our homes.† Radio is magical.† But how can we find those programs now?† How can we step back into "those thrilling
days of yesteryear?"†

The stories in old
time radio inhabit a legal gray area.†
The copyrights belong to networks that were bought and sold long
ago.† The showsí creators and actors are
long gone.† But many of the books from
which the stories were made are still under copyright protection.† And new channels, like "Radio
Spirits," lie in wait to make huge profits from selling these programs
that they didn’t have to pay for.† But I
digress.

Fortunately, there
are many podcasters keeping the past alive.†
Here are just a few.

"Brunch with
the Brits" is a podcast specializing in British comedy and dramas from BBC
radio.† Many of them are current.† It runs about 3 hours, and there is a new show
every week.†

Some of these other
podcasts I have not had time to check out in detail, but a short list of the
most interesting would include: "OTR Detective," "Relic Radio
Sci-Fi," "Strange Tales Old Time Radio," "Yesteryear,"
"A to Z Comedy OTR Podcast," and "Old Time Radio
Westerns."†

You can find the
home of "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" at https://www.cbsrmt.com.
This was a show in the 70s and early 80s that ran for 1,399 episodes and kept
me on the edge of my seat as a kid.† It’s
so good to think about curling up on a cold fall night with someone you love, to
feel that shiver of anticipation as you turn out the lights and snuggle up with
a good show that you don’t have to watch.†

Another program I
enjoyed was called "First Nighter."†
It seeks to give listeners the experience of going to an opening night
of a Broadway musical or play.

OTR was the original
audio descriptionÖ because it had to be.†
They found many innovative ways to tell their stories.† Nothing lasts forever, so enjoy them while
you can still find them.† I leave you
with a line from a song by the rock group, Kansas: "All we are is dust in
the wind."

Reginald George:
reggeorge@gmail.com

*** Bits and
Pieces
Compiled by Denise Colley

This column is presented for your information
and enjoyment. Inclusion of information, products, and/or services does not
constitute endorsement by Washington Council of the Blind. If you have items
for inclusion, email TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com and put ìBits and Piecesî in the
subject line.

Google Docs now easier for visually impaired
users to navigate

The biggest change is a new shortcut ó
Ctrl+Alt+H on Windows, and CMD+Option+H on Mac ó to instantly toggle Braille
support in Docs, Sheets and Slides. Navigational shortcuts have also been
updated so the user can hear where the cursor has ended up. For more information,
visit https://tinyurl.com/y38f7voo.

†

New software
update available for the BrailleNote Touch Plus

The new update
adds the ability to open and read PDFs directly, sign in with Google, user
guide updates and more. For more information, visit Humanware BrailleNote Plus Update.

Seeking older adults and/or people with
disabilities for survey on changes in travel behavior during COVID-19

The Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access at the
University at Buffalo is interested in learning about changes in your travel
behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is open to
any individuals 65 and older and/or adults with disabilities. The survey
will be open until Oct. 15. As an incentive for taking their survey, you
can enter a drawing to win a $50 gift card. To access the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/covid-travel-change.

CVS Pharmacy introduces
new app feature

Spoken Rx is a free new feature of the CVS Pharmacy app that reads a
specific type of label. When the RFID labels are scanned by Spoken Rx in the
CVS Pharmacy app, prescription label information will be spoken out loud in
either English or Spanish. For more information, and a list of active stores,
visit CVS.com/spokenrx.

October is National Disability Employment
Awareness Month

The 2020 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month is
ìIncreasing Access and Opportunityî ñ to celebrate Americaís workers with
disabilities and remind employers of the importance of inclusive hiring
practices. This year, along with NDEAM, the U.S. Department of Labor is
commemorating the 30th anniversary of the ADA. For more information,
visit www.dol.gov/ndeam.

Accessible COVID-19 Statistics Tracker

https://cvstats.net/

This link will allow you to
request the audio version of the voter’s guide on a thumb drive that is
playable on your digital talking book player. https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voters/voters-guide-requests/

Voter Hotline: (800) 448-4881

***** ADVOCACY
AND LEGISLATION

*** Chronicle
of a Happy Warrior #5:
Fireside nostalgia: Strategies for Hope
by Mark Adreon

Winter is just around the corner. For many
this year, perhaps more than in past years, the coming of fall seems out of
place, arriving too quickly.

Remember way back in February and March you
were hearing about a pandemic that was going to have devastating impacts on all
of us. ìShelter in place,î ìsocial distancing,î ìmasking-up,î and ìtest/traceî
are only a few of the new phrases we have all become very familiar with. The
news is never ending, the politic of the nation is tribal and divided, public
health and politics became confused, schools closed, people are working from
home, many lost employment, and everyone fears contracting the ìvirus.î Much of
the news or conversation is sad, depressing, unbelievable, and lacks hope or
resolution. Peopleís universes were shrinking as we began to disconnect from
normal.†

For many as spring turned to summer and
summer now to fall, the idea of going back to a less complicated time is high
on everyoneís agenda as isolating is getting the best of us ñ back to a time
when there was a sense of normal, not fear; challenges were to be overcome, not
acquiesced to; and a sense of expectation, not chaos. All these things seem now
to be part of your history and not your future.

During the period of 1933 to 1945, Franklin
D. Roosevelt served as the 32nd president of the United States. The
Great Depression that started in 1929 continued for two more years and during
Rooseveltís first two years as president.

World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945.
The war started and ended during Rooseveltís 12 years as president. Recovery
from the Great Depression and another world war had a huge impact on the people
of the United States and created many personal challenges and pain for those
who were trying to find what their ìnew normalî would mean for them.†

To provide comfort and support, as well as to
keep the population informed, President Roosevelt started a series of evening
Fireside Chats where families would gather around the household radio to
listen, discuss, support each other and feel the strength of their shared hopes
and dreams. Together they would get through.

Nostalgia can be defined as a wistful desire
to return in thought or, in fact, to a former time in oneís life, or a
sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former time or place.

Iíve heard a lot of people wishing for
another time, back to normal, a time when you could gather with friends and
family, go out to dinner or a club, celebrate life events with parties, hold
cookouts, or attend a holiday festival or public gathering ñ wishing for
another time when former happiness is now magnified by current restrictions and
concerns.††

As we adjust and look for the silver lining
of the ìnew normal," there is a part of us that wants to return to the
ìold normal,î to be in places that seem familiar, even with barriers or
challenges that could be overcome.†

The fireside can be a fireplace, a fire pit
at home, a campfire, the barbecue cooling on your yard, or even LED tiki
torches. They bring warmth and dancing light, inducing memories and deep
thoughts with the hypnotizing dance of flames.

Your fireside can bring the warmth of the
fireside chats, rest, thoughtful introspection, or warmth to a gathering. It could
also bring thoughts of another time when everything seemed as it should be.
Good or bad, it felt normal ñ sitting beside the fire, lost in thought and
wistfully thinking about another time and place where happiness was just around
the corner. Will it ever be like that again?

Revisiting past happiness can bring strength
as you move toward new horizons, or adjust to the new normal. Choosing to
revisit those times that bring a smile or a feeling of sentiment will bolster
your ability to see opportunities in the ìnew normalî and strengthen your
resolve to keep a life well lived moving forward.†

It is not the times that define you, it is
how you define the times. Remember facts or thoughts of times past, and use
them to help define who you are today.††

The fireside nostalgia helps you reconnect to
your inner strength, or ìfire,î to move forward.†

Keep building a future that includes the best
of those around you, as well as your thoughts, and the value of resilience will
help as you move on.†

Think of the warmth of the fireside with the
memory of happiness as your guide to the future.

Mark Adreon: mark.adreon@gmail.com

***** AGENCY
UPDATES

*** WSSB Continues Moving Forward
by Scott McCallum, superintendent

There may not be
many circumstances more challenging for a specialized, residential school for
the blind whose population transitions back and forth each week between their
home community and their school community, than a pandemic where close personal
interaction with others substantially increases the risk of infection with the
virus and associated health risks, including the potential for death.

Those of you
familiar with modern-day Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) know that
we have a reputation for embracing technology, particularly as it relates to
using it to support and provide instruction. WSSB has been offering a variety
of online course options, often math and computer science options, to students
throughout Washington, as well as other states, for many years.

Several years ago,
WSSB launched a one-to-one technology initiative in which all students on
campus were provided a personal computing device, either PC or tablet, and
expected to use that device for school work. Additionally, and as should be
expected, WSSB made sure to have equally portable assistive technology options
available to meet the unique learning needs of our students.†

Last spring, when
COVID-19 began making its way around the world, WSSB shifted to online and remote
learning easier than most. That said, it took significant effort of all staff
to make the best of a very difficult situation.

Throughout the
spring and leading to graduation, WSSB continued to offer all students
continuous opportunities to learn and connect with their peers. I am proud to
say that WSSB students didnít miss a single school day because of the pandemic.
In fact, WSSB students received additional days of school. Students did miss
out on in-person versions of the annual track and field day, prom, graduation
and awards ceremony.† However, virtual
versions of most events were offered. The spring volunteer appreciation concert
was held remotely, as was 8^thgrade promotion and our senior
graduation ceremony. Some might even suggest that the virtual versions offered
some improvements over their live or in-person counterparts. Our graduation
ceremony was one such event. Principal Sean McCormick did a masterful job video
editing the pre-recorded components of the graduation ceremony, which allowed for
an accessible presentation that celebrated and honored our graduates. This
year, Jennifer Langley, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment,
hand-delivered diplomas and gift boxes from the Pacific Foundation for Blind
Children to each of our graduates. Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib delivered the
commencement address and a special presentation was made by civil rights leader
Delores Huerta. Another added benefit of an online graduation ceremony is that
you can watch it again and again. If you missed it and would like to check it
out, you can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxo6-dwj5Y.†

WSSB, like so many
schools in Washington this year, has started with remote learning. We have made
significant plans to safely welcome both staff and students back to campus. We
are working closely with county and state departments of health to formulate
our plans and implement safe routines around campus.† Currently, social distancing, masks, and a
daily attestation of health are required of everyone on campus. We have
adjusted campus routines and procedures to mitigate risk to staff, students,
and visitors. Speaking of visitors, no visitors or volunteers are currently
being allowed on campus unless they have an appointment to meet with someone
from WSSB, the Department of Services for the Blind, or the Lionís Low Vision
Clinic. We have planned for a gradual return to campus for students. We are
currently welcoming individual students and families to campus for required
assessments. We have plans to allow small groups of students, particularly
those whose needs are most challenging, to meet during online instruction, to
transition back to in-person services once the infection rates and other
COVID-related metrics are at more acceptable levels. We remain hopeful that we
may be able to welcome all students back to the WSSB campus before the end of
October. We know this year will be different, and we are ready to ìlean inî to
the challenge.†

I would be remiss if
I didnít take the opportunity to recognize the amazing, creative, flexible, and
dedicated staff of WSSB who give so much for the sake of our students and their
families. I have been nothing but impressed with everyoneís willingness to do
what it takes, think outside the box, and support one another. I know we will
get through this challenge together. Helen Keller said it best: ìAlone we can
do so little; together we can do so much.î

I agree ñ together
we can, and together we will.†

Scott McCallum: Scott.McCallum@wssb.wa.gov

*** State agency serving citizens with visual
disabilities receives a headquarters renovation
by Allison Mattson: Washington Department of Enterprise Services

This content is published with permission of the author’s
agency.

The Washington State
Department of Enterprise Services (DES) recently renovated the Washington State
Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) headquarters in Seattle (photo
above).

The building had a
failing HVAC system. The windows had metal frames, making the building frigid
in the winter and scorching in the summer. The lighting also needed an upgrade.

For some, this might
mean a new building. For DSB, a new headquarters meant moving services for
vulnerable clients who needed familiarity. The Washington State Department of
Enterprise Services (DES) already managed the building and stepped in to
oversee the renovation project.

DESís Energy Program
contracted with UMC, an energy service company, to replace the HVAC system and
windows, insulate the walls and replace the lighting with new LED fixtures.
Now, the buildingís utility costs are cut in half.

Ron Major, Resource
Conservation Manager for DES, spoke with passion about the results: ìLots of
good feelings here. We improved the tenant experience by making the building
more comfortable to work in. We improved the energy performance of the
facility, reduced costs and reduced the carbon footprint. Most importantly, the
Department of Services for the Blind can serve their clients in the same
familiar location.î

The project is an
example of DESís Energy Program at work, providing services to those who need
it most. The program provides energy project management services to help
customers reduce operational costs and make Washington a better place to live,
learn and work. The programís services are available to state agencies, cities,
counties, tribal governments and other public institutions.

Allison Mattson: allison.mattson@des.wa.gov>

***** WCB HAPPENINGS

*** Washington Council of the Blind 2020 Virtual
Convention
WCB, Strength Unveiled
by Cindy Hollis and Lisa George

Please join us for
two and a half days of virtual fun and camaraderie as Washington Council of the
Blind gathers for our annual convention: WCB, Strength Unveiled. Many things
will be familiar but, of course, some things will be brand new because the
convention will be virtual.† We hope your
experience will be a positive one.

Registration is a
great deal at only $25. This year, for your convenience, you can even pay your
2021 dues, including your local chapter dues. (If this is a success, it may
become a regular feature, but hopefully weíll all be back to meeting in person
in 2021.)†

The registration
deadline is 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.

Those who register
will:

∑ be able to participate in all discussions and
interactive activities of the convention;

∑ receive important Zoom information to connect
to all sessions from Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 31;

∑ have their name placed into the door prize
drawings.

All sessions will
take place using the Zoom platform, which is accessible through computer, smart
phone, and landline phone. With the exception of hospitality each night and
parts of the Youth Track, all events of our convention will also be streamed on
ACB Radio.

Throughout Friday
and Saturday, we will enjoy having our vendors on parade, as well as making
their information available on our website. Donít miss the door prizes drawn
throughout the entire weekend; your convention registration is your entry into
the drawing.

WCB will also have a
youth component to our convention, with blind teens and their families taking
part in many of our general activities, as well as some designed just for them.

Daily Convention
Highlights

Thursday, Oct. 29:

∑ First-timers reception ñ an orientation for
those who have not experienced a WCB convention before.

∑ Welcome lounge ñ mingle with friends from
near and far.

∑ Pre-convention WCB board meeting ñ get a
first look at some of the items on the agenda for Saturdayís business meeting.

∑ Hospitality ñ everything WCB is known for.

Friday, Oct. 30:

∑ Full day of sessions: from accessibility of
credit reports and online grocery shopping, to educating ourselves on writing,
advocacy, and preparing for college, to a host of technology including iPhones,
smart homes, and cutting the cord, and so much more.

∑ The first-ever live auction fundraiser ñ
silent no more, bidders wonít want to miss this chance for a wide variety of
items.

∑ Hospitality will round off the day.

Saturday, Oct. 31:

∑ Guide Dog Users of Washington State will have
both a business meeting in the morning and a lunchtime program they will
sponsor.

∑ Morning session: our ACB national report, our
three state agency leaders serving the blind, our always-popular employment
panel, learning about National American Association of Blind Sportsmen, and
hearing from someone in the deaf/blind community.

∑ Afternoon session: our annual business
meeting where important decisions will be made that set the course for WCB in
2021, including electing officers and directors, passing a budget, voting on
resolutions and amendments to our constitution and bylaws, and any other
business that comes before our membership.

∑ 5 p.m. ñ WCB Youth Event: participants from
the Youth Track will organize and host this event.

∑ Evening: our annual banquet where awards will
be presented and scholarships awarded; the banquet address will be by none
other than Dan Spoone, ACB president ñ plus many other surprises.

∑ Post-banquet: the evening will culminate with
a hospitality celebration of karaoke (since we didnít get to showcase our talent
this year).

Come join us Oct.
29, 30 and 31 and witness WCB, Strength Unveiled.

If youíre curious
how our annual business meeting will unfold, read on for more details.

Most of our
sessions, including our annual business meeting on Saturday, will take place in
a webinar meeting room. However, we will be using regular Zoom rooms for
various reasons, and voting is an important one.

When the question on the floor is a yes
or no, aye or nay response, we will vote in our webinar meeting room by raising
hands. When we are electing a position involving two or more candidates, we
will need to use a secret ballot. For our virtual convention, we will be
utilizing Zoom Voting Stations.

Each convention
registrant who is a WCB member in good standing will be verified prior to the
opening of the convention and will receive individual Zoom information to their
designated Zoom Voting Station.† The link
sent to you is the one you must use to cast your vote and should not be shared
with anyone.

Once a ballot is opened,
members will be instructed to leave the webinar meeting room and go to the
appropriate Zoom Voting Station. Use your individual link to go to your Zoom
Voting Station. Once you arrive there, you will be placed in the waiting room.
Members will be admitted one at a time. Your eligibility to vote will be
verified, then your vote will be taken. Those handling the voting will not be
involved in any way with WCB.

Once you have cast
your vote, you will leave the room. Take a break or return to the webinar meeting
room. Most likely, the ìVendors on Paradeî recording will be streaming there
until all votes have been counted.

Zoom Voting Stations
will be regular Zoom rooms and can be accessed by computer, smart phone, using
one tap mobile, or a landline.†

If you are unable to
access Zoom using one of these methods, please contact Lisa George by email at
lmwgeorge10@gmail.com or by phone at 816-668-5345 to request assistance.

*** Silent Auction Goes Live
by Lisa George and Cindy Hollis

The annual
Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) fundraiser at this yearís convention will
be a live auction on Friday night. Expect the unexpected and join the bidding
frenzy (we hope!). When available, more details on auction items will be posted
on the WCB website and Facebook.

Donations are
welcomed from chapters, special interest affiliates, members, and friends. Due
to the virtual nature of this convention, we need to have all items by Oct. 12.
Contact Lisa George at 509-540-3073 for more details.

Auction for CCTV

An unexpected but
very welcome donation in memory of Mary Jean Nicholls has been received and
will be going to one lucky bidder. The gently-used Optelec ClearView C with
Speech CCTV is in very good condition and comes with both magnification and
speech instruction manuals.

The starting bid is
$500. For comparison, a new machine would cost upwards of $4,000. When you
submit your bid, remember that only the top three from the first round will go
to the second round. In addition, the winning bidder will be responsible for a
shipping/delivery charge ñ $50 minimum, depending on location.

To participate in
this CCTV auction, submit your ìOpening Roundî bid to Lisa George via email at lmwgeorge10@gmail.com or phone at 509-540-3073 starting at 10 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 26. Include your name, phone number, email address, and high bid.
If bidders submit the same dollar amount, the earliest bid will take
precedence.

The top three
bidders as of 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, will be contacted, given the top bid
amount, and have the chance to submit their final bid. The winner of the
Optelec ClearView C will be announced during the live auction Friday evening.

Making Real
Decisions at a Virtual Convention
by Frank Cuta

Since the pandemic has forced us to take our annual state
convention into the Cloud, you might expect that we are dispensing with formal business
and going to just listen to informational panels and speakers this year. Even just
a year ago, this might have been a reasonable compromise. However, we now have
accessible features in our virtual conferencing technology that make voting possible.
We expect that most all of our members should be able to remotely fulfill their
voting rights and obligations on the acceptance of motions and even to elect new
officers for the coming year.

After the Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) board
meeting Thursday evening, Oct. 29, our Constitution and Bylaws Committee will
hold its annual open meeting. At this time,
we have four amendments being proposed for consideration. At this meeting, we will
answer member questions, and the committee will then decide to pass the amendments
on to the floor with a recommendation to either pass or do not pass each one.

The amendments will receive their first reading on
the floor on Friday
morning, Oct. 30. Then, at the annual business meeting
on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 31, they will be debated and considered for adoption.

Here is a summary of what is being proposed.

There has been some confusion around the acceptance
of new members, and Amendment 2020-1 makes it absolutely clear that a person becomes
a member of WCB when their dues are received by a local chapter or special interest
affiliate or received by the state treasurer, whichever
comes first.

The WCB has never had a code of conduct policy. In
order to make way for the adoption of a code of conduct, it is first necessary to
make it possible for the board to exercise some limited disciplinary authority.
Amendment 2020-2 removes discipline and suspension as exclusive powers of the convention
but preserves the convention’s exclusive authority to expel a member.††

Another concern is the preservation of the secret
ballot. Unless an
organization’s constitution expressly allows for
voting by electronic
transmission, it is very difficult to hold a virtual
election with a secret
ballot. Amendment 2020-3 provides for us to hold
conference call meetings with all manner of alternative voting methods, including
electronic transmission.

The last amendment is a reworking of amendment 2019-2
from last year. It proposes an additional
requirement that all new affiliates must be registered with the Secretary of State
as a Washington nonprofit
corporation, and all affiliates must maintain an
active status. It allows a 3-month grace period before the affiliate becomes inactive,
a formal
notification giving another 3-month period before
the affiliate is on
probation, and an additional year before the affiliate’s
charter is revoked due to non-compliance with any of the requirements listed.†

By the time you read this article, the complete language
for each of these proposals will be available on the general WCB email list. You
may also request a copy by contacting Frank Cuta, 509-967-2658.

*** Hats Off
Compiled by Rhonda Nelson

We extend our
congratulations to, and celebrate with, the following WCB members:

∑
Anne Ridenour, who celebrated her 99^th
birthday in September.

∑
Dorothy Bryant, who celebrated her 95^th
birthday in September.

∑
Bill Hoage,
who celebrated his 80^th birthday in October.

If you or someone
you know has something for inclusion in Hats Off, email TheWCBNewsline@gmail.com with ìHats Offî in the subject line. Those
items that may not meet the criteria listed below may still be very appropriate
in your local chapterís ìAround the Stateî article.

The following are
reasons for inclusion in this column:

∑
Birth of a child, grandchild or great-grandchild

∑
Birthdays 75 years and up in 5-year increments
(yearly after age 90)

∑
Marriage or wedding anniversary 25 years and
more in 5-year increments

∑
Graduation from high school, college or
vocational program

∑
New job, career promotion or retirement

∑
Partnering with a dog guide

∑
Appointment to a city, county, statewide or
national board or commission

∑
Exceptional recognition or award

***** AROUND THE STATE

*** Guide Dog Users of Washington State (GDUWS)
by Vivian Conger

On Saturday, Aug. 29, GDUWS held its virtual 2020 Fling via
Zoom. The event was open to members and non-members alike. Not only were there
40 participants in Zoom, but it was streamed on ACB Radio. It was recorded, and
is or will be in the ACB Community podcasts. A temporary link to the recording
is available at https://bit.ly/33TiOrL

There was a short section regarding our annual business
meeting, with a discussion of the officers up for election and a proposed
constitutional amendment.

Then, we had a featured presentation, ìPet First Aid,î
presented by Rebecca Minelga. She covered signs and treatment of heat stroke,
how to treat wounds, how to check for dehydration and many more items. There
was even time for a Q&A session. Rebecca did a fantastic job. She was also able
to tell us a little bit about raising Primrose, who was one of the pups
featured in the original ìPick of the Litter.î

Thanks so much to all who attended, to Deb for running the
session, and to Daryl for streaming it on ACB Radio.

Looking forward to next yearís Fling.

*** Pierce County Association of the Blind
by Julie Harlow

We continue to hold our general meetings via Zoom, and we
have quite the turnout. Not having the sidebar conversations with people during
breaks is a loss. However, hearing the voices of our members and how they are
doing is always joyful.

Like other chapters, we use strategic ways to include
members on the Zoom platform. Andy Bacon, vice president, brings on four to
five people with him to ensure everyone can be present. We are appreciative of
David Edick, who hosts our Zoom meetings with such ease and expertise.†

Our president, Cathy Wilson, has offered different creative
strategies to bring our membership together. We have had interesting guest
speakers, such as Leslie McNeil on Non-24, and Matt Santelli with Pierce County
Aging and Disability Resource Center.

Cathyís newest idea is to quiz our members, starting
September, on the WCBís Newsline articles. This effort requires getting all our
members signed up for the WCB Newsline, and we are looking forward to our first
Newsline competition.

We are also honored to have our statewide-known retired DSB
counselor, Linda Wilder. She was featured in last quarterís issue and has been
asked to participate in an interview for the 100th anniversary of the
Rehabilitation Services Administration. We are proud of her dedicated work for
our chapter and the state. With her background, knowledge, and dedication, she
keeps us moving forward and on our toes. Our hats off to Linda.

We continue to improve our website. We are getting input
from outside agencies in the hopes of providing resources and answers to common
questions regarding blindness. Our vision is to provide information to blind
individuals, sighted friends, families, and other agencies ñ for example, the
dos and doníts and misconceptions, and information about blindness for
families, friends, and others.

We are not finished just yet, but we continue to work toward
our vision, bringing in the traffic from anyone who wishes to learn about
blindness.

*** Szkagit and Island Counties Council of the Blind
by Andy Arvidson

It is inherently
obvious to me, in my definition, that ìnormalî is what most people do most of
the time. Is this distancing and mask wearing going to be our new normal? What
about doing business without personal interaction via phones and Zoom meetings?
As most chapters and affiliates are becoming aware, for now this is the new
normal, and our chapter fits into the scheme of things.

We are meeting twice
monthly and having smaller meetings at times. But, lo and behold, I invited
Jeff Bishop to visit our meeting and talk about Microsoft accessible
technology, and it was our biggest meeting in the past few months. It appears
to me that we have a large number of talented individuals who would generously
take time to make presentations at our chapter meetings if we just ask.
Washington Council of the Blind has a wealth of information to share and we, at
this unprecedented time, may want to reach out and see what can spark a light
in our chapter members and inspire them to jump to action.

We have also invited
legislators to visit us and were excited to know that prior to their visit they
searched the WCB website to see what we were about. That was an inspiration to
me. Our visitor was Dave Paul. In his role as a legislator, he works on
transportation and education issues, which includes Washington State School for
the Blind, and that is pretty cool.

We are having
someone from the Northwest Association of Blind Athletes come to speak at our
September meeting. We all need to stay healthy any way we can in this pandemic
time, and none of us know how long it will last. On Aug. 15 it was nice and
hot, but we still walked 5,000 steps on the Skagit Cascade Trail with our
wonderful, heavily-panting dogs, my current Guide and retired Guide. We sure do
live in a spectacular part of the world.

We, like many
chapters, are looking at our constitution concerning our voting process and
officersí terms. More will be revealed in the future.

*** South King Council of the Blind
by Danette Dixon

SKB is marching forward through these trying times. With all
the uncertainty, we have made the choice to check in with everyone each
Saturday. So, each week President Meka White has a Zoom meeting with members
and friends present. In order to get to know each other better, Meka selects a
breakout question for us to answer. When everyone gets a chance to answer the
question, then all get to say how or what they have been doing, or even
something they have been looking forward to. To make sure all can attend these
Zoom meetings, members conference in those who cannot log on or dial long
distance so that they can participate.

We had author and psychiatrist Shawn Johnston join the call.
Shawn has written some detective books, which some SKB members are in the
process of reading. We are planning for more speakers soon.

Many of us are involved on the community calls each day and
enjoy the connection with others. These SKB and ACB calls are making me feel like
I have extended my support team and like Iím a part of an exceptionally large
family. Yes, we are looking forward to when we can meet in person, but we are
staying connected each week.

*** South Kitsap Council of the Blind
by Kim L. Moberg

Like
so many chapters, our chapter continues to have our
meetings via conference calls. Besides our regular meeting, we have had a
little fun along the way.

We
were all feeling a little down when we were unable to have our annual picnic
this summer. So, I decided that I needed somehow to
make that picnic happen. I thought a lot about it and came up with a plan. We
would be able to have social distancing in place, and we would not have to wear
masks. So, we had our picnic via conference call. Once we were all on the call, I offered virtual hamburgers and hotdogs to our
members, along with a choice of beverages. We each had a chance to talk and
share with one another. Later in the call, Carol Brame offered each of us a
virtual slice of pie. She had several choices. We all
had a really nice time.

Since
this check and connect kind of sharing was such a hit, we are going to have an
ice cream social in September. I have now recruited others to assist in the
planning phase. We will have ice cream cones, ice cream bars, anything ice cream at our virtual ice cream social. If you
listen closely, you might even hear the ice cream truck. Oh yes, did I mention
there will be games and real prizes, not virtual prizes, to win? This will be a
fun and exciting experience.

At
the ice cream social, we will be
celebrating three very special birthdays. Pat Whitlow will be 79, Shirley
Sharmer will be 86 and Dorothy Bryant will be 95 in September. These three
ladies are very special to our chapter. Carol Brame will also be celebrating
her birthday in September. Happy birthday to all
September birthdays. God bless you all.

†††

*** Spokane Council of the Blind
Whatís In A Name?
by Debby Clark

With so much time on
our hands, we of this chapter decided to vote in a new name for our group. We
are now Spokane Council of the Blind. Out with the old (United Blind of
Spokane) and in with the new. Some things about life you just cannot change,
but we found one we could. We are expecting new destiny along with the new
name.

We do have some
other good news about members. Vivian and her husband have now been married 29
years, Cindy and her husband 47 years, Debby Phillips and her husband 20 years
and Jeff and Debby Clark 51 years. We are just that stable of a group, and you
can depend on us. I was tempted to say we are just plain old, but that is not
the positive spin that we all want and need, especially for Jeff and Debby.

We have been meeting
by phone for several months now, and it is working. Aside from the monthly
meeting, we are also having a weekly coffee hour to discuss things that are
important to us. We have talked about BARD, Bookshare, Allied Learning and
other information sources. This has given us more time to stay connected and
get to know each other better. Isnít this the American way? It is my opinion
that there is only one way we can now go, and that is up. We take hard times
and hard things and use them to become better, wiser and better adjusted to our
community and to our world.

*** United Blind of Tri-Cities
by Janice Squires

Despite the COVID-19
pandemic, UBTC members are doing our best to keep most of our activities up and
running. We hold our chapter meetings, book group and tech group via conference
call, and are so pleased that a good number of members are participating in these
activities. Our chapter actually amended our constitution to make it possible
for us to hold a virtual regular business meeting, which includes the voting
process.

The book group will
be discussing two books this month, ìFlying Blindî and ìHawaii.î

It is just amazing
to me how much our members can learn from our monthly tech group. We share such
a great deal of valuable information. From low tech to high tech, there is
something for everyone.

We were very excited
to have WCB President Julie Brannon join us for our August meeting. She
discussed how we could help the organization by joining one of the various WCB
committees. She also talked about the upcoming virtual WCB convention and
explained the many ways we could all be a part of this yearís conference.

Thanks to the Steve
Vandecar Memorial Fund, we were able to award Heidi Jackson a $500 college
scholarship. Heidi is a Richland resident and is in her second year of college at
Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. She has a double major in commercial music/music theory and
composition. Heidi was able to
join our August meeting call and told us of her college journey and her
exciting dreams for her bright future.

After many months of
issues and uncertainties, our Edith Bishel Center for the Blind and Visually
Impaired (EBC) is back on its feet again. Sheila Turner, independent living
specialist, and our very own member and former EBC office manager, Shanna
Larder, are the two employees who are working hard to get the center open by
Sept. 1. All of the state guidelines will be followed. UBTC members are simply
overjoyed about all of this very good news.

Stay safe, and happy
fall.

*** United Blind of Walla Walla
by Heather Meares

As I write this update, the lyrics to the song ìTurn!
Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)î by The Byrds keep turning around
in my head. It is not always easy to stay motivated and hold things together in
a time when everything seems so discombobulated. Letís be real and just admit
that having meetings via conference calls will never be as good as being in the
same room with the members of our chapters and connecting on a more personal
level. We all miss this and are doing the best we can to not just ìphone it inî
and do the bare minimum.

ìA time to build up, a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn

A time to cast away stones

A time to gather stones together.î

Although we are not able to meet in person yet, our
chapter is still taking care of business.

In August, JoJo Smythe from Northwest Association for
Blind Athletes joined us as a guest speaker to talk about the free classes they
are holding via Zoom, which include some low- and high-level workouts.

In September, Adam Klein, a civil engineer from the City
of Walla Walla, met with us to discuss sidewalk repairs in our community to
start bringing them up to ADA standards. Several of our members gave some great
input regarding the biggest problem areas they have encountered. They are
meeting with him on those specific streets to help identify what the issues are
and what some possible solutions might be.

The nominating committee and constitution committee have
been busy preparing for elections in November and making any necessary changes
to our constitution for the upcoming year. Our treasurer, Vivian, will be
working on our budget for next year to present in November, and our secretary,
Joleen, has kept us current with the Secretary of State, as well. Even though
these things are not as fun as in-person picnics and social events, they are still
things we have to do to keep our chapter running smoothly.

"A time you may embrace

A time to refrain from embracin’

To everything (Turn! Turn! Turn!)

There is a season (Turn! Turn! Turn!)

And a time to every purpose under Heaven.î

*** United Blind of Whatcom County
by Holly Turri

Despite the hanger-on called COVID-19, we have had a busy
and fun few months way up here in Whatcom County. It’s amazing how creativity
flowers after the chips are down.

Zoom is such a lifesaver. It brings company to the lonely,
knowledge to those willing to learn, and fun meeting activities to all. Thanks
to Beth Marsau, who shares her account with us.

In June, a rep from Vanda Pharmaceuticals came to discuss
non-24. It was a most informative presentation, done by a nurse. Some of our
UBWC members have experience in the nursing profession, and asked good
questions. In July, we attended the virtual American Council of the Blind (ACB)
convention. Afterwards, we held a gathering to discuss it. August found us with
the pleasure of hosting one of the Washington Council of the Blind and ACB
scholarship recipients, Isaac Heiman. He outlined his education and life in
general.

Our social committee has been active. We have enjoyed
everything from virtual birthday bashes to Independence Day picnics. The book
club recently read ìThe Pioneersî by McCullough. It was a bestseller, and it’s
not hard to figure out why.

*** WCB Diabetics
by Danette Dixon

WCBD keeps marching forward with communication. Our treasurer, Kim, has made
sure we are a non-profit with the State of Washington. There is still one more
step to make WCBD a charitable organization.

We have a conference call the second
Monday of each month. On the even months of the year, we have an open
conversation after the business portion, and on the odd months we will have a
speaker.

In July, we had a representative
from Dogs for Diabetes and we learned all about the different types of training
they do. Yes, it is true, they are training some of these dogs to find the
Coronavirus. These days, this was remarkably interesting to all. If a dog does
not make it through the training to sniff for diabetes, either a high or low
blood sugar, they do have a couple other trainings they put it through.

Also, if a puppy does not make it through
the guide dog training at Guide Dogs for the Blind, they may try out the
program to see how successful it is at Dogs for Diabetics. On a personal note:
My guide dog, Mr. Mayor, does let me know when my blood sugar is getting low,
even before my low blood sugar alarm goes off. This is not part of his guide
dog training; he is just that sensitive to know when it is too low.

*** Yakima Valley Council of the Blind
by Lisa George

YAKITY YAK FROM
YAKIMA

We here in the
Yakima Valley like to visualize the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty.
No restaurant dining? Weíll just eat at a table in the parking lot. No movie
theaters open? Who needs them when we have all our books (plus Netflix). No
bowling? Well, that one is quite a bummer, but weíre hanging in there until
that glorious day will come when the all the balls will be rolling and all the
pins will be knocked down at once.

One very special
reason to celebrate, even while we mask up and try to keep our social distance,
is Anne Ridenourís 99^th birthday. She got surprisingly ìflockedî
with 99 flamingos in her front yard, courtesy of the Georges.

Photo to left:

Reg, Anne and Lisa
share a laugh while surrounded by pink plastic flamingos. Anne is wearing a
shirt gifted to her from her great-grandchildren, declaring ìYou always shine,
even at 99!î in high-contrast black type on a yellow shirt.

Our
business-as-usual, conference-call meetings are going well. One of our newest
members, Tom Douglas, told us of his fishing adventure with the North American
Association of Blind Sportsmen. He and his wife, Donna, had a great trip to the
lake and came home with plenty of steelhead, along with some fond experiences.

Photo to left:

Mark (the owner of
the charter service), Tom and Donna have their hands full of steelhead as they
pose by the lake on a beautiful sunny day.

Due to the virtual
convention this year, our chapter decided to revise our Savings Match program.
All members who are interested in participating in the 2020 WCB convention will
have their registration paid for by YVCB. Weíre looking forward to the great
program we know the Convention Committee has put together, and weíre hopeful
that the live auction will be a successful fundraiser for WCB.

Happy fall to
everyone and best wishes throughout the holiday season.

*** 2020 WCB Calendar of Deadlines and Events

For more details on events listed,
call WCB at 800-255-1147

(NOTE: You are
invited to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join WCB for coffee and conversation
each Saturday at 10 a.m. The virtual parlor will be open and waiting just for
you, so come and take part in this social connection, which is much better than
social distancing.)

OCTOBER

1-2 ñ WASILC meeting at Alliance of People with
disAbilities office in Seattle

12 ñ WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.

15 ñ Deadline for submitting letters of interest to be
considered for 2021 WCB officers/board positions to the nominating committee

15 ñ White Cane Safety Day

17 ñ WTBBL Patron Advisory Council call at 9 a.m.

18 ñ 3^rd Sunday Tech Chat with Reg and Frank
at 7 p.m.

26 ñ WCB presidentís call at 7 p.m.

29-31 ñ WCB virtual annual
convention

NOVEMBER

9 ñ WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.

13 ñ WSSB Board of Trustees meeting

15 ñ 3^rd Sunday Tech Chat with Reg and Frank
at 7 p.m.

23 ñ WCB presidentís call at 7 p.m.

25 ñ WCB committee leadersí call at 7 p.m.

30 ñ Deadline to submit articles for the WCB Newsline
Winter 2021 issue

DECEMBER

11 ñ SRC public meeting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(meeting location to be determined)

14 ñ WCB Diabetics call at 7 p.m.

20 ñ 3^rd Sunday Tech Chat with Reg and Frank
at 7 p.m.

28 ñ WCB presidentís call at 7 p.m.

Washington Council of the Blind

is honored to recognize
donors

who have made a difference

THANK YOU!

Anonymous contributions (4)

Andrea Damitio

Frances Pennell

Anonymous contributions
through:

†ACB Monthly Monetary Support Program

AmazonSmiles††††††††††† Benevity Fund

Network for Good†††††† PayPal Giving Fund

ñ IN MEMORY OF BERL COLLEY ñ

Anonymous contributions (3)

Terry Atwater

Zandra Brown

Alco Canfield

Reg & Lisa George

Cindy Hollis

Bruce Radtke

Sheri Richardson

Kenneth Strausz

ñ DESIGNATED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS ñ

United Blind of Walla Walla

*** Presidentís Message by Julie Brannon

*** Cheshire Cat Interviews #10 The Interview I Never Got by Heather Meares

*** The Summer of í71 by Frank Cuta

*** Raking Leaves with Daddy by Holly Turri

*** A Campfire Voice by Chris Coulter

*** Angels Everywhere by Alco Canfield

*** Whatís On Your Plate? Memories from My Kitchen by Hayley Agers

*** Twenty-five Years of Learning by Carl Jarvis

*** Technically Speaking by Frank Cuta

*** When Will There Be a COVID-19 Vaccine? by Judy Brown, RN BSN

*** Introducing My New Friend by Hayley Agers

*** Worm Farming by Touch by Zack Hurtz

*** Podtastic Casts Gifts from the Past: Old Time Radio Podcasts and Stations by Reginald George

*** Chronicle of a Happy Warrior #5: Fireside nostalgia: Strategies for Hope by Mark Adreon

*** Washington Council of the Blind 2020 Virtual Convention WCB, Strength Unveiled by Cindy Hollis and Lisa George

*** Guide Dog Users of Washington State (GDUWS) by Vivian Conger

*** Pierce County Association of the Blind by Julie Harlow

*** Szkagit and Island Counties Council of the Blind by Andy Arvidson

*** South King Council of the Blind by Danette Dixon

*** South Kitsap Council of the Blind by Kim L. Moberg

*** Spokane Council of the Blind Whatís In A Name? by Debby Clark

*** United Blind of Tri-Cities by Janice Squires

*** United Blind of Whatcom County by Holly Turri

*** Yakima Valley Council of the Blind by Lisa George