THE PROMOTER
November 2009
Contents
From the President
Gebhard Greetings
Recognition of White Cane Safety Day
2009 NDAB Convention
Post-Convention Board Meeting
NDAB Board Meeting - 8-23-09
Ski for Light 2010
Accepting and Adapting to Loss of Vision
Pizza Anyone?
Student uses Braille to Anchor News
Doing Something Great
Legislative Report, Fall 2009
Donations and Memorials
NDAB Summer Camp 2009
NDAB Family News
Bismarck Area News
Fargo Area News
Grand Forks Area News
Minot Area News
Williston Area News
From
the President
Greetings to all NDAB members;
There were light snow flurries while driving to the Family Adjustment
Seminar in Minot! Can you believe it? Snow already! It is not too surprising
considering we didn’t have much summer weather this year. There were eight
family units present and the weekend went well despite winter appearing early.
Make sure to thank Janelle Olson, the Executive Board, and the Seminar Staff
for a job well done.
I personally thank Zelda for suggesting that NDAB consider strategic
planning at the convention held in Rugby. As a result, several NDAB members
have attended educational meetings including; High-Performing Boards: Governing
for Superior Results and The Non-profit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time
Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World. They were held by the Impact
Foundation and sponsored by the Bush Foundation. Hopefully, information gleaned from these
statewide meetings will help to make our association even stronger. Remember,
if anyone else has suggestions, please; contact a member of the Executive
Board.
Several attempts to educate the public about White Cane Safety Day were
made by sending out a radio public service announcement and an article composed
by Janelle Olson to statewide media sources. In addition, five mayors signed
proclamations declaring the observance of White Cane Safety Day, in their
cities. Fargo, Minot, and Wahpeton held
special public events where the proclamations were read. They encourage
motorists to abide by North Dakota traffic laws which require drivers to use
due caution when approaching an individual using a white cane or dog guide and
to yield the right-of-way to such individuals. A special thank you is in order
to Dondi Sobolik for his help in restoring part of the media data base. Welcome
to the group, Dondi. Congratulations and thank you to those who worked on this
project and made it a success.
The next big event for members of the NDAB is the Regional Black Hills
Ski For light. The local Fargo newscaster announced that snow has fallen on
Terry Peak and people are waxing their skis. It might cost a bit more this year
to participate but you will definitely experience a wonderful adventure while
you are there. An article outlining the details can be found later in this
issue.
There seems to be very little
time for meandering these past few weeks. Therefore, I will close this letter
by wishing all of you a heartfelt, happy holidays and a reminder to travel
safely.
Michelle
Gebhard
Greetings
If you have been asking yourself, “Where is the November Promoter?” or
“What has Zelda been doing?” I’ll try to answer your questions as briefly as
possible.
While we were at NDAB summer camp in August my sister was hospitalized
and found to have a tumor in her stomach.
After biopsy it was found to be a neuroendocrine tumor or carcinoid of
the stomach. My husband picked me up
from camp and instead of going home we went to my sister’s so I could be with
her when she had a scan and the appointment with her surgeon.
The day after her surgical consult, I called my husband at the credit
union only to find that he hadn’t gone to work that morning. That was extremely unusual for him to be
absent at 9:30 in the morning. Next
thing I knew, Steven was headed to Jamestown Hospital via ambulance. He had no short term memory and kept asking
the same questions over and over. They
have “poked and proded” (his quote) him for the last 3-1/2 months. He was in the hospital and they did many
tests which were fortunately negative for seizure, stroke, heart attack, and
aneurysm. So they diagnosed him with transient global amnesia. As they completed test after test I found he
preferred me to say “The test was negative” instead of “They found nothing”. This was especially true of the head CT
scan! HA!
They did find his blood pressure to be markedly elevated and he now has
pills to take. He also has sleep apnea
and just this week was sent home with a CPAP machine. Those of you who are familiar with that
machine will understand when I say that I am reminded of Star Wars and now find
I am sleeping with Darth Vader! Hopefully, the machine will help Steven and we
will both be getting restful sleep soon.
Our senior son, Alex ruptured a tendon in his right 4th
finger during football. This required
surgery and he is still going twice a week to occupational therapy
sessions. He, therefore, had a very
short, (one game) football season. What
a disappointment for him and us too!
Meanwhile, my sister was scheduled for a gastrectomy – a total removal
of her stomach and I went to Bismarck to be with her in the hospital. Her surgery went well but is quite an ordeal
so required an 8 day hospital stay.
While I was with her I felt increasingly unwell myself. At first I thought it was having sympathy
pains but continued to get worse until I could no longer ignore it. They operated on me and found a ruptured
appendix with extensive abscess formation.
I was in the hospital for six days and have been slowly recovering since
then. I am back to work now, but I’m
exhausted when I get home so have been taking lots of naps. I was sick the whole month of October and I
spent the month of November trying to catch up on things.
Please accept my apologies for the delayed Promoter. On top of all the medical stuff to deal with,
the hard drive on our computer crashed and they were unable to save any
information from it! Consequently, I
lost all my files including the database with member addresses, email
addresses, etc. When it rains, it
pours! We have purchased a new computer so
now I am getting used to new software like Windows Vista instead of XP. That
has resulted in a common task turning into a challenge. Thanks to Michelle and
Kathy for sharing files so I can reconstruct some of what I lost. I have tried to convince myself that it is
good to have a clean slate and it is also good to have new things to learn to
stimulate the brain and challenges to go through to build character. Some days it takes more convincing than
others! Does this all sound like a soap
opera to you? There is the sister with a
rare cancer, the husband with amnesia, the son with a dream altering injury and
myself with a life threatening medical situation requiring surgery. All I can say is that I am extremely thankful
everyone has improved enough that we can laugh a little about the situation.
I want to thank all of you for your calls, cards and prayers. We are extremely blessed to have wonderful
friends like you to ‘be there’ when we need you. I recently found this and thought I would
share it with you.
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps you Glowing,
But Only Friends
Keep You Going
Have a Blessed Christmas and a Great 2010!
Zelda
Promoter Editor
Recognition
of White Cane Safety Day – October 15, 2009
By Janelle F. Olson
While you might think so, I would like you to know that it is not a
“stick.” It is a “white cane” and it
should be the reminder to you, the driver of any vehicle on any North Dakota
street, that the person you see using one and walking down a sidewalk has
limited or no vision. I would also like
you to know that North Dakota law protects users of white canes from becoming a
statistic as we step from the curb into the street.
I am pretty sure as you have driven to and fro, you have seen people
using white canes. A white cane is just
a tool which helps the user maneuver around the community and lets you, as the
driver of a car, and others, know that the person’s vision is impaired.
It is clear in the North Dakota Century Code at 25-13-03 and 39-10-33.3
that I, the walker, and not you, the driver, have the right of way when I take
that step of faith into the street with my white cane. While this is the law, in practice, I will
not be the one pushing the envelope as I rush out in front of you and your
many-ton pickup just because I am aware of this law. I am also aware that you and I are not an
even match! In fact, as I think of it
now, it brings to mind the fate of that unfortunate little neighborhood
squirrel with that incredibly poor sense of timing who last spring was in some
kind of a big hurry to cross the street.
He probably didn’t even see the tread of that right front tire of my
friend’s car coming toward him. I do not
want this to be me!
It was President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 who first proclaimed October
15th as White Cane Safety Day to bring awareness to the fact that
many Americans across the country are living independent and productive lives
made better through the use of the white cane.
If you are driving and see someone using a white cane, you should keep
in mind that while you see them, they probably don’t see you. Remember the law and stop and let that person
cross the street and remember they are using a “white cane” and not a “stick.”
For further information regarding The North Dakota Association of the
Blind go to www.ndab.org.
2009
NDAB Convention
June
12th and 13th
Renae Huseby and Kathy Larson were at the Registration Desk which began
at 4pm. Shereen Faber welcomed people
and led the group in prayer, for the 6pm Pizza party at Bob's Pizza Inn.
At 7pm June 12, 2009, President Michelle Zentz called to order the 73rd annual “Streamlined in 2009” convention of
NDAB held at the Econo Lodge, Rugby N.D.
She welcomed everyone to Rugby and appointed Stan Larson as the mike
runner.
Roll call indicated that there were 34 members and 3 guests present.
The first order of business was the reading of the four resolutions that
the Board recommended a do pass for.
Before Karlyn read the resolutions, Allan introduced and briefly
explained them. Karlyn read the
following resolutions: 2009-01
Electronic Communication and Video Accessibility; 2009-02 Vehicles That Emit Minimal Levels of
Operating Noise; 2009-03 Expression of Appreciation for increasing the
“Medically Need” Level; and 2009-04 An
Expression of Appreciation & Gratitude to State Senator Ray Holmberg.
Renae Huseby read the proposed budget for 2009-2010.
Olga Neal gave the Nominating Committee Report with the following names
for the respective offices: Mark
Kueffler, Board Member; Zelda Gebhard, Promoter Editor; and Janelle Olson &
Denise Kirsch, ACB Convention Delegates.
Loris VanBerkom reported the dates and place of the 2010 Convention to
be held in Williston, June 11th, 12th, and 13th
at the International Inn. COME!
Michelle concluded the Friday meeting with announcements. She encouraged convention attendees to check
out the NDAB display board which Missy created and extended praise to her for
the results. The meeting was adjourned
at 7:45pm.
Saturday, June 13th, began with breakfast at Bob's Pizza Inn
for those who had ordered it. Char
Feldman led the table prayer.
The convention meeting began at 8 am with the group reciting the Pledge
of Allegiance. Shereen Faber introduced
Mayor Dale Niewoehner at which time he gave his welcome and greetings. Olga Neal gave the Invocation. Michelle
extended thanks to the Mayor and to Bob for his cooperation in the
Convention preparations.
Missy Miller shared a reading “Miss Me, But Let Me Go”, in tribute to
the five deceased members: Hazel
Nerison, Donna Jean Harstad, Art Jacobson, Jan Minciel, and Dorothy Regnerus.
Michelle called the meeting to order at 8:15 am and roll call was taken,
with 39 members and 2 guests present.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Karlyn Frantsen read the minutes from the 5-17-09 Board Meeting. Kathy
Larson moved to accept the minutes as read. There were no additions or corrections. The motion was seconded and carried. Karlyn read the minutes from the brief
6-12-09 Board Meeting. Zelda Gebhard
moved to accept the minutes as read.
There were no additions or corrections.
The motion was seconded and carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Renae Huseby read the letter and the financial statements from the
report (year ending May 31, 2009) prepared by Trisha Stromsodt, CPA. The report was placed on file. It was requested that a summary of this
report be included in the Promoter so that all the members could read this
information.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
1.
EDITOR'S REPORT (PROMOTER)- Editor Zelda Gebhard reported that
there are 83 members who receive the Promoter in large print, 41 on cassette
tape, 42 by e-mail, and 2 in braille.
She noted that the Editor's Manual has been completed, and will be
available whenever a new Editor is elected.
(See the 5-17-09 minutes.)
She expressed that she appreciates all the
contributions made by members for the newsletter.
2.
FAMILY ADJUSTMENT SEMINAR- Janelle Olson has agreed to serve as
the Chairperson for the Seminar. (See
the 5-17-09 minutes.) This year's event
will be held October 10th in Minot at the Airport International
Inn. She urged members to get the word
out in their communities to perspective attendees and then to give their names
to Kathy or to Janelle.
3.
FINANCIAL- Kathy Larson presented the
fundraising report. (See the full report
in the Secretary's file.) The 2009
Walk-a-thons brought in about $1400 less than last year's proceeds and the
Lion's donations were up from last year's.
There are t-shirts available for sale at the convention, with “Braille
Me Gently” on the back in Braille and in words.
Twenty had been sold already Friday night.
4. LEGISLATIVE-Allan Peterson spoke to the
accomplishments made in the past 2009 Legislative Session, which includes the
additional employees for Vision Services/SFB, increasing the recipient
liability, increasing the transportation budget, and access to paper currency.
He also addressed the resolutions to be voted on at the convention. Zelda
Gebhard remarked on her position as Co-Chairperson with Allan.
There
was a coffee break from 9:30 to 10a.m.
5.
MEMBERSHIP-Missy
Miller reported there are 183 members, with 12 being new members, and there
were 10 who did not renew their memberships.
Of the members, 21 are blind, 99 are visually impaired, and 63 are
sighted.
6.
PUBLIC RELATIONS-Connie Springsted thanked Marilyn Nelson, Donna Hepper, and Evelyn
Hildebrand for supporting her in this project.
Karlyn read her report which included the following: Public Service Announcements were sent to all
TV and radio stations in N.D. and proclamations on Meet the Blind Month and
White Cane Day were sent to the same and to N.D. Newspapers, Governor Hoeven,
and City Mayors across N.D. There was a
display at the State Capitol during the Legislative Session, and Connie shared
information to 6th grade and
Senior Citizen groups in Minot.
7.
STATE FAIR PARADE- Evelyn Hildebrand reported that NDAB once again would have an entry in
the parade at the ND State Fair July 25th. The tractor etc. and place to decorate the
float has all been donated, and the Boy Scouts are helping to decorate, as well
as other volunteers. The ten people who
will be walking with the float, will be handing out 1000 small flags. Evelyn also spoke to the ACB Committees which
she serves on and noted that the best public relations is YOU!
8.
SPORTS & RECREATION- Dave Sundeen
reported on the 30th annual
Ski For Light weekend held at Terry Peak with 30 from North Dakota
attending (26th year that Dave has attended). It was the coldest year on record, but the
snow was excellent. He thanked all who helped make the trip possible and urged
more people to attend
9.
SUMMER CAMP- Loris VanBerkom reported on the 2008
camp and read the classes which will be taught at the August 9th-16th 2009 camp
session. The banquet theme was noted, and other information about the 2009 camp
was shared. The new storage unit is now
THE HIDE-AWAY and has been painted and will bear the new plaque soon. (Info on
the sign- NDAB, HIDE-AWAY, 8-13-08).
10.
SCHOLARSHIP-Tammy
Winn reported that she sent out 25-30 applications and had one submitted. This year's winner, Candace Rivinius from
Bismarck, was unable to attend the convention, but she will receive a
scholarship for $1000. She just
graduated from Highschool and will be attending the University of Mary this
fall.
11.
2008 ACB DELEGATE-Allan Peterson gave his report and remarked that thanks to ACB, his
interest in how to write and submit resolutions was sparked.
COMMENTS
Carmen Suminski, Superintendent of the School for the Blind acknowledged
NDAB and thanked them for their collaboration and support of ND Vision
Services/School for the Blind. Thanks
was also given to Allan, Zelda, &
Loris who serve on the Advisory
Board. There are Centennial books still
available for $20. Carmen announced that
Amy and Diane's office was relocating, and that she will be serving as
Superintendent of the School for the Deaf, effective July 1st, in
addition to her position at the School for the Blind. She also called attention to the NDVS/SB
Brochures with the dates of the Instruction Weeks planned for 2009 and 2010.
The convention recessed at
11:55 a.m. for lunch at Bob's Pizza Inn (buffet). Carol Schmitt shared the table prayer. The convention reconvened again at 1:00pm.
ED CHRISTIANSON AWARD
Olga Neal presented the 2009 Award to Rick Feldman. He expressed his thanks and appreciation.
ROBERT JOHN LEPAGE SERVICE AWARD
Rick Feldman presented the second annual NDAB Service Award to Terry
Narum from Minot, after which Terry gave his thanks, and talked about his work
with the Lions and their program of eye glasses collection and
distribution. Terry encouraged all of us
to be Lion members.
President Michelle called the business meeting to order at 1:35pm. She announced the appointments of Roy Winn
and Shawn Gunderson as Sargent of Arms; Larry Anderson and Marie Topp in charge
of election ballots; Lester Ketterling as Parliamentarian; and Stan Larson as
the mike runner.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
There wasn't any unfinished business to address.
NEW BUSINESS
1.
Resolutions-Lester
moved to omit reading the “Whereas” paragraphs, and to just read the “Be it
resolved” paragraph. The motion was
seconded and carried.
Karlyn read NDAB Resolution 2009-01:
Electronic Communication and Video Accessibility. Loris VanBerkom moved to accept the
resolution as written. It was
seconded. There was no discussion. The
motion carried.
Karlyn read NDAB Resolution 2009-02:
Vehicles That Emit Minimal Levels of Operating Noise. Rick Feldman moved to accept this resolution
as written. There was no
discussion. The motion carried.
Karlyn read NDAB Resolution 2009-03:
Expression of Appreciation for increasing the “Medically Need”
level. Shereen Faber moved to accept the
resolution as written. The motion was
seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.
Karlyn read NDAB Resolution 2009-04:
An Expression & Gratitude to State Senator Ray Holmberg. Ruth Phalen moved to accept this resolution
as written. The motion was
seconded. After discussion, it was decided that some words should be
deleted- In the second paragraph, “institution's professional teaching” was
deleted, to have it read “to add one and a half employees to the staff”. In the last paragraph, “new professional
rehabilitation teaching” was removed, to have it read “two and a half
positions”. Since it was her motion,
Ruth moved to accept the resolution as changed.
The motion was seconded and carried.
2.
2011
Convention Site-Carol Schmitt offered the city of Minot to host the 2011
Convention. Mavis Anderson moved to
accept their invitation. The motion was seconded and carried. This will be the 75th Anniversary
of NDAB Conventions. A discussion
followed as to hold another abbreviated convention, or to continue as per usual. Kathy Larson moved to stay with the current
format (as per usual) for up and coming conventions. The motion was seconded and carried.
3.
ACB
Convention expenses-Rick Feldman moved to increase the hotel and meal payments
for expenses to the ACB Conventions from seven days to eight days effective
today for the President and Delegate. The motion was seconded and was carried
after some discussion.
There was a coffee
break from 2:25 to 3p.m.
4.
Legislative
Budget-Evelyn Hildebrand moved to increase the budget to pay for two
individuals to attend the legislative Forum in Washington D.C., instead of one
as we are currently doing. Allan
Peterson has been attending as the Legislative Liaison. The motion was seconded. After some
discussion, Evelyn moved to amend her motion to have it read that we cover the
expenses of the second person of the Legislative Committee, and if one of these
two can't attend the Forum, the Board would make the decision of who would be
the alternate. This motion was seconded
and carried.
5.
Vision
Group Brochures-Janelle Olson moved that the new brochures not be distributed
at any NDAB booth or any NDAB functions.
The motion was seconded. A
discussion followed. The motion was
defeated.
6.
Closed
Circuit TVs-Carmen Suminski read the motion that Lester Ketterling made which
reads:
It is moved that the North Dakota Association of the Blind (NDAB) shall
establish and operate a program to acquire and place closed circuit TVs
(cctv's) with eligible visually impaired persons in North Dakota as follows:
1. The NDAB shall conduct a
survey to locate used cctv's that are no longer being used by visually impaired
persons and to acquire ownership of these units by gift or purchase at a price
not to exceed $500. The cctv's shall be
serviced and prepared to be placed with a visually impaired person who is
financially unable to purchase such a unit.
The ownership of the cctv's shall be retained by the NDAB. The person with whom such unit is placed
shall sign an agreement that the ownership shall remain with the NDAB and that
the unit shall be returned to the NDAB when the person is no longer using it or
that the person's family will return it to the NDAB upon the death of the
person. When a unit is returned, it
shall be serviced and placed as previously outlined. The placements shall be made with the
assistance of the ND Division of Vocational Rehabilitation or other
professionals.
2. In addition to the used cctv's
the NDAB shall purchase at least one new cctv for each of the eight state
regions in North Dakota. These purchases and placements shall be made in
cooperation with government agencies, non-profit organizations or
individuals. The NDAB shall pay one half
of the cost and the other parties shall pay the remainder. NDAB shall have half of the ownership and the
other parties shall have a proportional ownership interest unless they shall
relinquish their interest. The
placements shall be made in cooperation with the other parties. The placements shall be made in the same
manner as outlined in the first paragraph.
3. The estimated cost for
advertising, placement and purchases is $12,000.
4. NDAB budget for the current
year shall include an item for this amount or the budget is amended to include
it.
5. The NDAB President shall
appoint a committee of five, three of whom shall be members, to implement and
operate the program. The terms of the
committee members shall be for a term of three years. The initial appointments
shall be two members for three years, two for two years, and one for one
year. Any vacancies shall be filled by a
presidential appointment to fill the unexpired term.
The motion was seconded followed by a discussion. A standing vote indicated the motion was
defeated.
7.
Lifetime
Membership-Olga read a motion from Doranna Robertson that we consider a
Lifetime Membership for Allan Peterson for ACB beginning this year for
$1000. The motion was seconded. After discussion, Olga withdrew the motion,
and it was alright with the person who seconded the motion. Allan stated that he was honored to be
considered for this, but had intended to have the motion withdrawn. Allan was thanked for all that he has done
for NDAB.
8.
Camp
Guidelines-Ruth Phalen moved that we waive the fees (in the Camp guidelines
under Geographical Eligibility) for NDAB members who are visually impaired and
who live in bordering cities of N.D. The
guideline states that any adult who is visually impaired and who lives in
another state other than North Dakota could attend camp but must pay for their
room and board, which is set by the Elks Camp Grassick Director. The motion was
seconded. After some discussion, the
motion carried. The bordering cities
include: East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Breckenridge, and West Fairview.
9.
Constitution
and Bylaws Update-It was noted that Lester Ketterling has volunteered to serve
on this committee as chairperson. Anyone
interested in serving on the committee should contact Lester. Due to time restraints, no further discussion
was held concerning the topic.
10.
Proposed 2009-10 Budget-Renae read the budget
as proposed (a total of $40,000 including the Camp Budget of $17,000). Ruth Phalen moved to accept the budget as
proposed. The motion was seconded and
the Budget was accepted as proposed.
11.
Roll
call-indicated there were 38 members and 1 guest present.
12.
Election
of Officers-
PROMOTER
EDITOR: The Nominating Committee gave
the name of Zelda Gebhard as editor.
Connie Springsted moved that nominations cease and that the Secretary
cast a unanimous ballot. The motion was
seconded and carried and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot for Zelda as the Editor.
BOARD
MEMBER: The Nominating Committee gave
the name of Mark Kueffler as Board member. (Sheryl's term is up.) Kathy Larson moved that nominations cease and that the
Secretary cast a unanimous
ballot. The motion was seconded and
carried and the Secretary cast
a unanimous ballot for Mark as Board Member.
2010 ACB
DELEGATE: The Nominating Committee gave
the names of Janelle Olson and Denise Kirsch as delegates. Dave Sundeen nominated Donna Hepper. Janelle withdrew her name. Kathy Larson moved that nominations cease. The motion was seconded and carried. A paper vote indicated that Donna
Hepper is the delegate, and Denise
Kirsch is the alternate.
CLOSING REMARKS:
MaryLou Stip stated she was serving on an Advisory Board for
the North Dakota Center for People with Disabilities. They have three different placemats they are
distributing for Disabilities Awareness Day.
She suggests that NDAB also do this type of project for publicizing NDAB
such as for White Cane Safety Day or Meet the Blind Month.
Lester Ketterling extended thanks to the officers and the Assembly
joined in a round of applause .
President Michelle thanked everyone for coming, and extended thanks to
the Board and to the Convention Planning Committee.
The 73rd NDAB Convention
adjourned at 4:30 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
Post-Convenetion
Board Meeting
6-13-09
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle Zentz, Renae Huseby, Kathy Larson, Mavis
Anderson (left at 4:50pm), Karlyn Frantsen, Rick Feldman, Shereen Faber, and
Milissa Miller.
MEMBER ABSENT: Mark Kueffler
GUESTS PRESENT: Janelle Olson,
Loris VanBerkom and Lester Ketterling
President Michelle called the Post-Convention NDAB Board meeting to
order at 4:40 p.m. following the adjournment of the convention held at the cono
Lodge, Rugby.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
13.
Kathy will send thank you notes related to the
convention.
14.
Loris
updated the Board that there would be two interns on the camp staff, for a
total of four helpers who are sighted.
She also commented on a new class and instructor. She requested the Board's approval which was
granted.
15.
The
Board recommended that the bordering cities be listed in the Camp Guidelines,
to clearly identify which ones are included for members living out of state who
will have camp fees waived, as voted on at the General Assembly and
passed. The cities are: East Grand
Forks, Moorhead, Breckenridge and West Fairview. Kathy will update the NDAB web page.
16.
Michelle
is working on the guidelines for the ACB Convention delegates.
17.
Janelle
noted that the Family Adjustment Seminar would be held in Minot this fall at
the International Inn.
18.
There
was some discussion on the Constitution and the By-laws. Lester will attempt to have a rough draft of
the documents by September after returning from the ACB Convention.
NEW BUSINESS
12.
There
were six requests for $300 stipends to the ACB Convention this summer in
Florida. They were from Elton Faber,
Dean & Melissa Petersen, Allan Peterson, Clint Miller and Evelyn
Hildebrand. Shereen Faber moved to allow
these requests. The motion was seconded
and carried.
13.
The
next Board meeting will be held Sunday, August 23rd at 7 p.m. via a
teleconference.
14.
There
was some discussion on what information compiled and used on behalf of NDAB
needs board approval, such as brochures etc.
No motion was made regarding any specific items.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm.
Respectfully Submitted
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
NDAB
Board Meeting
8-23-09
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle,
Milissa, Karlyn, Rick, Kathy, Mavis, Shereen, Mark, Renae
GUEST: Janelle Olson
President Michelle called the board meeting to order on Sunday, August
23rd at 7:00 pm. Members were connected
per a telephone conference call.
Michelle reviewed the meeting agenda.
Karlyn stated that she'd put two of the items (that were listed under
New Business) in the Unfinished Business as they were brought up at a previous
meeting. Mavis moved to approve the
agenda as read. The motion was seconded
and carried.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Karlyn read the minutes from the 2009 NDAB Convention. One correction was made, that being on page
8, item #10- the camp budget of $17,000 is included in the total $40,000; not
in addition to. The names of the five
deceased members were added to the minutes on page two. Shereen moved to accept the minutes as
corrected and amended. The motion was
seconded and carried. Karlyn read the
minutes from the post-convention Board Meeting 6-13-09. Renae moved to accept the minutes as
read. The motion was seconded and
carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Renae Huseby reported on the income and the expenses, along with the
bank balance to date. Three C.D.s are
due in August. The interest rate was
3.5% as compared to the current rate of 2%.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Kathy Larson, as Financial Chairman, reported that there were six of the
newest t-shirts left for sale and about 10-12 left of the other ones.
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Missy Miller reported that we have 185 members, with the following being
accepted June 14th by Board approval- Doug and Mary Lou Stip, and
July 27th Shawn Taylor.
Member Peter Nielsen died 8-1.
Missy is happy with the Public Service Announcements and has been
getting a lot of phone calls. She is
waiting to get back some applications, as she had mailed out seven.
CORRESPONDANCE
Michelle had received another invoice from Midcontinent
Communications. Spots which aired April
through June 2009 for NDAB totaled 9561 for a monetary amount of $57,722.00,
paid in full by Midcontinent Communications!
COMMITTEE REPORTS
1.
Camp Director's Report: Rick reported that
the 2009 camp was a great week.
2.
Constitution and ByLaws: The committee
consists of Lester Ketterling, Allan Peterson and Zelda Gebhard. According to the ACB Executive Director, the
NDAB Charter paperwork can't be located.
3.
Family Adjustment Seminar: Janelle Olson noted
that the seminar is set to go October 10th as scheduled, at the International
Inn in Minot. Everyone on the Board will be asked to participate, with
follow-up calls being made by Janelle.
Kathy will be calling the Seminar Family Participants. A Staff meeting will be held Friday evening
the 9th, at 8pm.
4.
Public Relations: Michelle has the office supplies
which were given to her from Marilyn Nelson, who had been working on the Data
Base and helping Connie Springsted.
(Missy will get some of the supplies when the 2010 Membership
begins.) Marilyn is unable to continue
doing this at this time. Much of the
data was lost when her computer crashed. There was discussion on what to do
now, and it was decided that the Publicity Chairpersons in the five cities
could help get information out to the newspapers etc. White Cane Safety day is October 15th.
Whatever publicity it used, using People First language is recommended. Janelle has and will again be happy to talk
on the radio/TV promoting White Cane Safety Day.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
15.
The
Dolly luggage cart was purchased and was used at camp, and is now in storage in
the Hide-away.
16.
Editor's
Manual: No further action has occurred.
17.
The
Name plaque for the Camp Storage Building was posted on the building during
camp week.
18.
Mark
completed making DVD's of the 2008 Summer Camp Talent Show and they are
available for $10 each.
19.
Thank
you cards regarding the Convention were sent by Kathy following the
convention. She also updated the NDAB
Web page.
20.
The
Editor's Manual and the ACB Delegate's Guide have been completed and were
e-mailed to the Board Members earlier this summer. Not everyone had reviewed them. There was some discussion on whether these
items should be approved by the board. Karlyn moved that all publications
regarding NDAB have Board approval prior to their use. The motion was seconded and carried. Michelle
will e-mail these manuals to the Board again.
She requested that the Board members send a reply with any additions
etc, and whether they approve of them or not.
21.
This
year's scholarship has been received by Candis.
22.
Shereen
purchased the Miracle Worker DVD.
Michelle contacted Joel Snieder regarding the quality of the movie
soundtrack, and he sent a replacement DVD.
23.
A
suggestion at Convention to publish our financial status in the Promoter won't
be pursued. It's not required per
Robert's Rules. Any member can request this information.
24.
The
project of Placemats publicizing NDAB is on hold. It will be discussed again at the October
Board meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
19.
Next
Board Meeting: The next meeting will be
held in Minot at the conclusion of the Family Adjustment Seminar, October 10th,
following the Seminar Staff Meeting.
20.
Walk-a-thon
date: Saturday, April 24th is
the date set for the 2010 walk-a-thon fundraiser.
21.
Sound
system storage: A brief discussion was
held as to where to store the sound system equipment when Rick is no longer on
the Board. It was decided to address
this matter when the time comes.
22.
Advertising in the Metro Area Magazine: Kathy moved that we do not advertise in this
magazine. The motion was seconded and
carried. At this point, this magazine is not distributed state wide and it's
expensive advertising.
23.
Vision
or Goal Setting: There are two workshops
being held several days in September and October in different cities in
ND. They are- 1.)High-Performing Boards:
Governing for Superior Results and 2.)The Non-profit Strategy revolutions:
Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World. It was decided that anyone wanting to attend
could do so on an individual basis and be responsible for the cost.
24.
Display
opportunity at the Dakota Conference for Rural and Public Health, Grand Forks,
in April: A lot of money is involved to
do this. Shereen moved that we do not participate in this. The motion was seconded and carried.
25.
Display
opportunity at the A.T. Expo, Fargo, April 15th: The cost is $75. Rick moved to have a booth at this Expo. The motion was seconded and carried.
26.
Mavis
suggested that we form a Task Force (outside the Board Members) to see what we
want to be doing down the road, and what we want for NDAB. Discussion followed. The Board members were urged to think about
this until the next meeting, at which time we could do some brainstorming.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.
NDAB
did not participate in the ND State Fair Parade due to the Chairperson's health. However, when the parade was televised live,
NDAB was mentioned to have a parade entry, but their float wasn't shown!
2.
The
annual Ski for Light is scheduled for January 24-29th, 2010.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
Black Hills
Regional Ski for Light 2010
by Dave Sundeen and Jesse Shirek
It’s that time of year…time to start thinking
about signing up for Ski for Light 2010! It is an excellent opportunity to try
downhill and cross country skiing and snowshoeing. This is the Black Hills
Regional Ski for Light’s 31st year in the Deadwood, South Dakota
area. The dates for this years event are: registration on Sunday January 24th,
skiing the week of Monday Jan. 25th through Friday January 29th
with the banquet Friday evening and hotel check-out Saturday January 30th.
If you would like to visit with a yearly participant about it, you may contact
Dave Sundeen at 701-847-3139.
In previous
years, a bus has been chartered to the annual event and we would like to do so
again this year. We would like to send out a special thank-you to Judy’s
Leisure Tours, in cooperation with Schuck Bus Company, for arranging the
charter bus for departure from various communities in North Dakota. The bus
will depart Sunday January 24th and return on Saturday January 30th.
It is an excellent opportunity to relax, visit, sleep and leave the driving to
an expert. There is room for participants and volunteers and adequate luggage
space. Sign-up early to reserve a seat on the bus. Tickets for the bus will
cost $15 and part of the $15 will be used to ensure a reservation on the bus.
Make your non-refundable check or money order payable to: North Dakota
Association of the Blind and mail to Renae Huseby, Treasurer, NDAB, 3926 Dakota
Dr., Grand Forks, ND 58201.
Black Hills Regional Ski for Light has already
either e-mailed or mailed out applications for the program. Please note that
the Black Hills Regional Ski for Light will be providing partial scholarships
for those who qualify for financial need. The cost of the event for one week is
$250. The scholarships will cover half of the assistance ($125) with the
participant in financial need fundraising for the other half. One suggestion
from Black Hill Regional Ski for Light is to sell additional raffle tickets
which can be put towards the fee. E-mail Faye at Faye.Price@k12.sd.us to obtain extra raffle tickets.
Jesse Shirek, a Vision Rehabilitation
Specialist working with adults, is assisting with coordination of this event
between NDAB and North Dakota Vision Services; he may be contacted at
1-800-421-1181 or e-mailed at jshirek@nd.gov. Please contact Jesse for
assistance with applications, raffle tickets, bus transportation from North
Dakota or any other questions regarding the event. Black Hills Regional Ski for
Light 2010 will be a great place for fun and fellowship.
Accepting
and Adapting to Loss of Vision
by Anne Kelly
Appeared on KFYR Television on October 23, 2009
We rely on our vision for our mobility, to communicate, to
understand, for far more than we realize. So imagine having it one year, and it
being gone the next. It’ happens to thousands of North Dakotans who, because of
a number of medical conditions, now live with little to no vision. Accepting it
can be hard, but once a person does, they can gain a lot.
At 80-years-old Dick Veal is a tech savvy senior. He reads
his news online, even chats via instant messenger and Skype. Veal does it all
even though he can’t see the screen in front of him.
"I’d rather have my sight like you folks have, but you
don’t have it so you make the best of it," Veal says.
And he has, since becoming blind 33 years ago due to a
variety of medical conditions, Veal hasn’t slowed down. He’s picked up
woodworking, become an amateur radio operator, and started reading countless
books through the National Library Service Talking Book Program.
He admits accepting his blindness wasn’t easy at first, but
says adaptations to his life made it easier.
"When we’re in the throws of ‘Oh my gosh, I have this disease, I can’t see very
well.’ We have to settle down and relax a bit because there are simple ways to
deal with vision loss," says Mike Beck, of North Dakota Vocational Rehab
Services.
Beck works with low vision individuals to make their homes
and work places more livable. He introduces clients to everything from talking
watches to directory assistance exemption, as people with low vision can often
ask to receive 411 help for free.
But it wasn’t just tools that helped Veal accept his
blindness, people did too. People like Mavis Anderson whom he met through the
North Dakota Association of the Blind. Through support groups and seminars the
association works to help people understand they’re not alone and that there is
life beyond blindness.
"It takes a while for people to come around and you’re
not going to get everybody, no way are you going to get everybody, but you have
to try," Anderson says. "You have two choices. You can let the
problem take charge of you or you can take charge of the problem."
Veal has taken charge of his problem, which he now says is
really more an inconvenience than anything.
The association of the blind has fewer than 200 members,
even though thousands could benefit from its help. For more information go to www.ndab.org.
Pizza
Anyone?
We are currently in the midst of selling Papa Murphy Pizza coupons, and
we sure would like your help! Many of the cities in the state have this “pizza
to go” establishment. The coupon cards sell for $5 with a savings of about $25
towards eight different purchases. If you are interested in helping out, please
contact one of the following chairpersons: Bismarck – Lola Huwe at 223-7773,
Fargo – Shereen Faber at 237-4589, Grand Forks – David McCloud at 213-8532,
Jamestown – Betty Jo Hoeppner at 746-4117, Minot – Mary Stip at 839-4138.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Kathy Larson, NDAB Finance Chairperson
College Student uses Braille to Anchor the News
Posted: Monday, September 7, 2009
2:01 PM EST
NORFOLK,
Neb. (KTIV) -- To break into the broadcast news business, you have to have
determination, good writing skills, and of course, the
voice.
And for one Siouxland student trying to break into the biz, the
ladder
is even harder to climb.
It's
your typical Midwest college, and your typical student broadcast
department.
There's a studio, audio board, and television prompter.
"I
do want to go into broadcasting, " said Nick Pavel, a sophomore at
Northeast
Community College.
Every
year thousands of broadcast students try their hand at breaking
in to
the TV news business, and at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska
there's one student who uses his hands literally to master his craft. Nick uses
his hands because he can't see the prompter or any scripts.
Nick has
been blind since birth.
"I
was an anchor last semester for our TV newscast and I also read the
news on
the radio last semester as well," said Pavel.
Nick
does it with a braille note. "I type them out in my braille notes so I
have to type everything out from beginning to end, so it's kind of a long
process”, said Pavel.
While
he's been using braille for years, Nick, like any other broadcast
student,
had to get used to reading out loud. "He wasn't used to reading out loud,
but he's gotten used to it," said his instructor, John Skogstoe.
Training
for a broadcast career is challenging even with all of your senses, but Nick
minus sight says you can't miss what you never had.
"Since
I've been blind since birth, I'm used to how I read," said Pavel.
Which
makes him a real inspiration to his instructor and classmates.
"For
someone like Nick with a visual impairment who only has the same
challenges
that everyone else does, that's a real
testament
to his attitude and how hard he works at doing what he wants
to
do," said Skogstoe.
"He's
very smart and has the potential to be a broadcaster like everyone else
here," said classmate, Austin Taibemail.
And with such determination, you may never know where Nick could turn up
someday.
"Nick
Pavel for KTIV News Channel Four," said Nick Pavel. The competition just
got a little more stiff. Nick is a sophomore from Lesterville, South Dakota.
His
instructor says he has heard of other blind radio announcers but
has not
heard of a blind television newscaster.
Doing Something Great
by Steve Goodier
When was the last time you were challenged to do something really... well...
great?
President Abraham Lincoln helped me to understand that there is a bit of
greatness within all of us. It is said that he often slipped out of the White
House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the sermons of Dr. Phineas Gurley at
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.
He generally preferred to come and go unnoticed, so when Dr. Gurley knew the
president was coming, he left his study door open. On one of those occasions,
the president quietly entered through a side door of the church, took his seat
in the minister's study, located just off the sanctuary, and propped the door
open just wide enough to hear the preacher.
During the walk home one Wednesday evening, an aide asked Mr. Lincoln his
appraisal of the sermon. The president thoughtfully replied, "The content
was excellent... he delivered with eloquence... he had put work into the
message." "Then you thought it
was an excellent sermon?" questioned the aide. "No," Lincoln answered.
"But you said that the content was excellent, it was delivered with
eloquence and it showed much work," the aide pressed. "That's true," Lincoln said.
"But Dr. Gurley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us
to do something great."
There is nothing wrong with average lives and average accomplishments. Most of
the good of the world is built on the accumulated efforts of everyday people.
But, as Lincoln seemed to know, a life should strive for some greatness.
Are you part of a relationship that, if given more effort, could be
outstanding? Or do you volunteer for an organization which is truly doing
something excellent? Have you joined a cause that is attempting something
great? Or have you ever said to yourself concerning a beautiful dream, "I
could never do that," while knowing that if you were to attempt it and
succeed, you just might accomplish something significant?
If Abraham Lincoln is right, then every life should strive to reach a little
further today than it did yesterday, for there is some greatness in each of us.
Legislative Report, fall, 2009
by Allan Peterson
When we turn on the television or radio today, we cannot avoid hearing
the seemingly non-stop commercials and news reports dealing with health care
reform. This has all the hallmarks of a political campaign. Make no mistake;
this is indeed what it is! It brings to mind the old adage “if it walks like a
duck and talks like a duck, it must be a duck “. To have the resources to put
all those “doom and gloom” health care ads onto all of our media outlets takes
a huge outlay of money. The question must be asked. ”Who is behind the ads and what is their
motivation for doing so?”
To me, it is very unfortunate that this issue has become mired in the
political sewer and is being exploited for political advantage. It is quite
likely that all the talk, debate and commercials will continue unabated until
sometime late during this congressional session when a showdown may finally
come to fruition.
With so much money involved in our nation’s health care system and with
the many players who have a hand in the delivery of health care, I believe, it
will be a miracle if something actually is enacted. As you might guess, a
political junkie, like me, has listened to many of the news stories and
debating points on this issue and has formed some definite opinions about how
the national debate on this issue is being conducted. As you might guess as
well, I have formed some definite opinions on what a viable health care system
for our nation should include.
What upsets me most about this debate is the misleading information and
what seems to be deliberate lies that are used to attack proposed provisions
that are designed to reform what we mistakenly call a “health care system” that
in many ways costs too much and is inefficient in serving the medical needs of
our nation’s citizens. One of my greatest concerns about this debate, and for
that matter much of what goes on in our nation’s capitol, is the amount of
money that can be used to influence the decision-making process. I heard
somewhere that there are at least 5 lobbyists in Washington, D.C. for every
elected member of Congress.
With the nation’s and Congress’ attention devoted to health care reform
and other high visibility issues, such as climate change, the sluggish economy,
the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the question is, how can we get the
attention of Congress on those issues that are of most concern to us who live
with blindness? Without question, this is a challenge! It is an everyday
challenge for the staff employed in the national office of the American Council
of the Blind.
The staff in the national office does a good job of monitoring
legislation that has the potential to improve our lives. However, their work
and advocacy on our behalf is just one leg of the stool when it comes to
getting legislation enacted. Another critically important leg in that stool is,
of course, the advocacy that we can do ourselves by contacting our elected
congressional delegation from North Dakota who have been given the
responsibility of representing our interests in Congress.
As I’ve indicated in prior reports, there are two legislative priorities
that have been at the forefront of our wish list for the past few years. They
are firstly, the legislation seeking audio access to visual information such as
(a) the video content within television broadcasts, (b) the video that is streamed
via the internet and (c) menus on many electronic devices which don’t provide
an accessible audio option for a non-visual user. The second legislative
priority is to seek a safety solution for vehicles that emit minimal noise and
thus, pose a danger for pedestrians and bicyclist, most particularly, to those
of us who are blind.
The current draft legislation that has been introduced in Congress which
addresses the issue of access to electronic communications and information is
entitled, “The 21 Century Communications
and Video Accessibility Act”, HR 3101. Ed
Markey, a representative from
Massachusetts, introduced HR3101 as draft legislation for consideration by
Congress in late June. It is legislation that was written together with the
collaboration of a coalition of organizations that utilizes the acronym COAT,
the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology. For your information,
HR3101 addresses access to technology for a range of people with disabilities,
not only people who are blind. A recent update from the ACB office indicated
that 19 cosponsors in the House had signed on in support of this legislation.
At this point, Congressman Pomeroy isn’t one of the listed cosponsors
for HR3101 . With that caveat in mind, I would urge you to contact Congressman
Pomeroy to indicate your support for this legislation.
Congressman Pomeroy does not serve on the Committee that is considering
this bill but his support is nevertheless important. This legislation has a
long way to go before it has the support it needs to be implemented but, many
of the issues that Congress deals with take some time before they eventually
become a law. At this point, a similar bill to HR3101 has not been introduced
in the U.S. Senate.
Congressman Pomeroy’s contact information is as follows:
Email: rep.earl.pomeroy@mail.house.gov
Washington D.C. Office Phone: 202-225-2611, Fargo Office:
701.235.9760,
Bismarck Office: 701.224.0355
If you wish to send a written letter, mail it to: Congressman Earl Pomeroy, 3003 32nd
Ave. S., Suite 6, Fargo, ND 58103
Some suggestions when you speak with his office staff or if you were to
write to the Congressman are that you support HR3101 that has been introduced
by Congressman Ed Markey. Some of the reasons for your support could include:
(1) that you would like to have emergency announcements spoken instead of
hearing the beeps on TV and wondering what emergency information might be
broadcast, (2) that you enjoy programming and movies that provide an option for
audio description of visual action and information and (3) that you cannot
access menus displayed on many electronic devices because they are not offered
in an audio format; consequently, you are unable to benefit from this
technology. Personal stories about difficulties you have encountered regarding
access to electronic information are powerful and important to include in your
communication with the Congressman’s office.
The legislation that deals with the issue of quiet cars is called the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. This legislation has been introduced in both
the House and the Senate. The House bill number is HR 734 and the Senate
version is S841. Both bills urge the Department of Transportation to conduct
research to determine a viable solution to the problem of quiet cars and once
this has been established to seek a legislative remedy that would mitigate this
safety hazard.
I am pleased to report that Congressman Pomeroy is listed as one of the
House cosponsors on HR734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. At this time,
neither of the North Dakota Senators has signed on as a cosponsor on the Senate
version of this bill, S841.
This legislation is important because the sounds that vehicles make are
a critical source of information to all pedestrians and bicyclists but are
particularly important to people who are blind because it is the primary means
by which we can identify vehicles in traffic that pose a danger to our safety.
For this reason, both ACB and the National Federation of the Blind are united
in their efforts to seek passage of this legislation.
It is vital, that as many of you who read this article, contact Senators
Conrad and Dorgan, to voice your support for S841, the Pedestrian Safety
Enhancement Act. In your communication with them, indicate vehicles that emit
little or no noise in traffic endanger the safety of pedestrians, particularly
for those pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired.
Contact information for Senator Conrad:
Email: senator@conrad.senate.gov
Phone numbers for Senator Conrad: Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-2043, Fargo
Office: 701-232-8030, Bismarck Office: 701-258-4648
A written letter can be sent to: Senator Kent Conrad, 657 2nd Ave.
N., Room 306, Fargo, ND 58102
Contact information for Senator Dorgan
Email: senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Phone contacts for Senator Dorgan: Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-2551
Fargo Office: 701-239-5389,Bismarck Office: 701-250-4618
A written letter can be sent to: Senator Byron Dorgan, P.O. Box 9060,
Fargo, ND 58106
Although, at this point, legislation on the two above priorities has not
been enacted, our advocacy on these issues has gotten the attention of some
representatives from the respective industries to which these initiatives have
been directed, the producers of telecommunications equipment and auto
manufactures. For example, some of the auto manufacturers are experimenting
with various sounds that quiet vehicles could make so their presence could be
more easily detected audibly by pedestrians and bicyclists.
In my last report I had said that North Dakota Vision Services / School
for the Blind was about to hire a staff member whose job responsibilities would
be to help serve the rehabilitation needs of adults who experience the loss of
eyesight. I am most pleased to report that Jesse Shirek was the applicant who
was hired into this position. His job responsibilities are similar to those of Amy
Bruner’s, except that he will cover more of the eastern part of the state
whereas Amy’s job responsibilities are directed more toward the western part of
the state. The goal that is envisioned for these positions and other possible
additions is that we will develop a stronger, comprehensive based system for
rehabilitation skills training for all people in North Dakota who are blind or
experience a significant degree of visual impairment.
Finally and most importantly, I very much want to draw everyone’s attention
to a transportation survey that is being conducted by the Small Urban and Rural
Transportation Center (SURTC) at North Dakota State University. The survey is
being conducted with the cooperation and assistance of the North Dakota
Disability Advocacy Consortium (NDDAC). It is a survey that will attempt to
determine the barriers and difficulties people with disabilities are
experiencing as they go about accessing their transportation needs. We are
hoping to get as a broad a survey as is possible from people throughout North
Dakota. We often say that transportation is one of our biggest problems but
then don’t do much to advocate for change. Filling out the survey is a great
way in which we can let staff, who have been employed to plan for potential changes,
to know about the problems that we encounter when we go about accessing our
transportation needs.
The survey can be found at: www.surtc.org and click on the link transportation
survey for people with disabilities in North Dakota.
The survey can be taken by phone by speaking to: Jeremy Mattson at 701-231-5496, leave him a
phone number where you can be contacted if you don’t get an answer. Also, he
can mail you a survey if you wish to fill out a printed version of the survey.
You can also contact me if you would like a printed version of the
survey. I can be reached at 1-701-282-4644, leave me a message if I don’t
answer your call.
I hope that all of you have the very merriest of Christmases and best
wishes for a Happy New Year!
Donations
and Memorials
NDAB has received the following donations and memorials since June 1,
2009:
Memorials:
Given by Olga Neal in memory of Richard Muir, and Katrina Wendel's
grandmother.
Given by Ruth Phalen, Msgt. Neal Camburn, Deanna Kay Avila-Lewellyn, and
Clark and Danette Anderson in memory of Peter Nielsen.
Given by Lee & Rom Thielman in memory of Mel Wagner.
Given by Irene and Lyle Nelson, Gary and Renae Huseby, Loris Van
Berkom, Dan Mimnaugh, Janelle Olson, and Lee and Rom Thielman in memory of
Gladys Larson.
Given by Michelle Zentz in memory of Dennis Everson.
Given by Ruth and Robert Geske in memory of Keith Cihak.
Donations to NDAB:
Richard Veal, Carol Schmitt, Connie Springsted, Elsie Friesz, Melissa
Petersen, Shawn Taylor, Sheryl Gerhardt, Tammy Winn, and Jesse Shirik.
Thank you for remembering NDAB with your memorials and donations!
Renae Huseby, Treasurer
NDAB
Summer Camp 2009
The 39th NDAB Summer Camp was held at the Elks Camp Grassick
August 9-16 with a total of 63 people.
We had four cancellations due to health reasons. The high water of Lake Isabel was a welcome
sight. Joining us this year were five new
campers, two UND interns and one new person as an instructor. The new campers were Jesse Shirek from Fargo,
Shawn Taylor from Grand Forks, Catherine Buettner from Minot and Eva Schulz and
Lola Huwe from Bismarck. Cindy Williams
from Grand Forks and Alice Anderson from Fisher, MN, were our UND interns. Kirsten Anderson, originally from Helena, MT,
but as of late from France, rounded out the list of eight new campers and
staff.
The classes and instructors were as follows: Caning – Helen Baumgartner
and Mike Hoeppner (new instructor but not new at camp), Lawn Chair Macramé –
Leo Marttila, Machine Knitting – Linda Oyloe, Basket Weaving – Paula Anundson
and Dave Sundeen, Crocheting and Covered Clothes Hangers – Connie Springsted,
Handicrafts – Sheryl Gerhardt, Computer – Kathy Larson and Janice Sowokinos,
Braille and Handy Hints – Olga Neal, Go Green and Seeing Lessons – Michelle
Zentz, New Camper Orientation and Dance – Janelle Olson and Mark Kueffler,
Strike Up the Band – Janelle Olson, Legislative Issues and History of
Disability Organizations – Allan Peterson, Sports and Leisure Time Activities –
Cindy Williams and Alice Anderson, Life in France and Travel Europe – Kirsten
Anderson, Chair Exercise – Dennis Nez, Low Vision and Mobility – Becky Monroe,
Walking and all round helper – Susan Jorgenson.
Karlyn Frantsen, our camp nurse, took wonderful care of all of us for
the 19th year. Dan Mimnaugh
life guarded for open swimming in the beautiful Lake Isabel every
afternoon.
“Fantasy Land”, this year’s banquet theme, was carried out through the
whole week. The Sunday night mixer began
with the now customary receiving line in which everyone had the opportunity to
meet and greet old and new friends, followed by an activity in which groups of
four came together to recite all four lines of the nursery rhyme of which each
person had one line. After introducing themselves, they name their favorite
cartoon, Disney, fairy tale or nursery rhyme character. Rick hosted the Monday night Trivia contest
as we munched on freshly popped popcorn, courtesy of Dan. The members of the winning team each receive
a beach towel. Becky hosted the Bingo
and Linda headed up Black Jack for Tuesday night’s Casino Night. Wednesday night began with a gift exchange
based on Casino Night winnings, followed by a hay ride provided by Dan. The newly produced descriptive video DVD “The
Miracle Worker” was shown in the Rec. Hall.
Mark Kueffler hosted the bigger and better every year Talent Show
Thursday night. Friday night brought out
numerous “Fantasy Land” characters as the Dining Hall was turned into a make
believe land, complete with Cinderella’s castle and Disney music, planned by
Shereen Faber and Missy Miller. Four
individuals shared their moving testimonials of their experiences at the
magical Camp Grassick. The Jim Geiger
Band from Mandan provided lively music for the dance that followed. The auction sale Saturday night conducted by
Rich Fadness, brought in $7096 which is used to help defray camp costs. Olga Neal shared a brief devotional Sunday
morning as we prepared to end the magical week.
Besides the scheduled classes and evening activities, we hosted visitors
Wednesday from ND Vision Services/School for the Blind. Paul Olson and Ken Doctor came from Grand
Forks and Amy Brunner and her driver came from Minot. On Thursday, Michael Goehring, a field
instructor from Guiding Eyes, a full service dog guide school founded in 1954
and based in New York, joined us for
lunch and presented an informational session after lunch regarding dog guides
in general and the Guiding Eyes Program in specific.
There are so many thanks to extend after such a successful week because
it takes the entire group working together to make it happen! Thanks to all of the instructors who spend
many hours before camp begins preparing and then working diligently all week. Thanks to all of the campers who faithfully
attend the classes and contribute their personalities into the mix. Thanks to Janelle for waking us up in the
morning with coronet melodies and for leading the flag raising, to David
McCloud and Melissa Petersen for holding the dining hall doors open as we went
in and out for each meal and evening activity, to Linda for sharing readings
each morning, to the band for sharing musical talents as they marched parade
style up and down the hill, to Cindy and Alice for lining up people to lead the
table grace for each meal, and to all those who hosted the evening
activities. Thanks to the Big Boys
Club, consisting of Rick, Tom Capes, Mike Hoeppner, Jesse Shirek, Mark
Kueffler, and new member Bev Austin, who faithfully worked hard setting up and
tearing down for all of the activities.
Thanks to Irene Nelson and her set up crew for the auction, to Rich
Fadness and helper Randy Tank for conducting the auction and to everyone else
who helped with the auction with their time, talent and money. A special thanks to Dan for so efficiently
and graciously hosting us at the Elks Camp Grassick and to the cooks and
kitchen staff for providing such scrumptious meals and snacks along with such
great service!
It was a great week that ended much too quickly! After we bid farewell in our traditional
receiving line, we all headed home, a little tired but very refreshed and
renewed, ready to face the sighted world for another 51 weeks.
Submitted by Loris Van Berkom and Rick Feldman, Co-Camp Directors
Wanted
If you have any summer camp talent show video’s from 1995
through 2000 or before 1994, please contact Mark Kueffler. He is planning on putting all of them on a
DVD and making copies available for sale at camp. He can be reached by phone at 478-6413 or by
e-mail at relffeuk@yahoo.com.
Submitted by Loris Van Berkom
NDAB Family News
Bismarck Area News
By Mavis Anderson
I greet you today, October 6th. The weatherman is reminding us that winter is
coming, tra-la, tra-la. The white stuff
has already fallen in the southwest corner of the state!
As I told you in the last issue, the Senior support group
went back to school and took a crash course, Riding the Transit 101. In
August, we took our final test, caught the CAT (Capitol Area Transit), went
down to Kirkwood Mall, had ice cream and caught it back to the Senior Center
intact.
Camp Grassick attendees were: Helen Baumgartner, Lola Huwe, Marie Weixel,
Dick Veal, Bob Westermeyer, Elsie Friesz, Denise Kirsch, Eva Schulz and Donna
Hepper. The September meeting consisted of Lola and Marie doing a show and tell
of their week.
It has been said the best laid plans of mice and men often
go astray and that is evidently what happened in September as I was the only
one who showed up to a darkened room. I often say, “to error is human, to
forgive divine”. I was feeling very pure
and holy that day!
I was feeling a bit as though I had won an Oscar in August.
The Heritage Center held a recognition Banquet for the Heritage Center
volunteers. At that time they were
honored for their hours, special projects and whatever else seems
honorable. I was awarded the Hospitality
Award. I work at the Information desk and we welcome guests from various states
as well as international visitors. As a
volunteer, you are not only representing yourself, but the Heritage Center as
well as the state of North Dakota. It is
my most “funnest” job!
Denise tells me the “Other Guys and Gals” had a potluck in
August at Bob Vandal’s garage. Good food
and good visiting! In September, they
went to the Gateway Chinese Eatery. This
report is making me hungry!
Fargo Area News
By Shereen Faber
Hi to all members. We all
survived summer camp although, it was one very, very, hot and sometimes humid
week. It definitely took a toll on a few people. We had a great week and a
fun banquet. I want to thank all the people that dressed up in costume. We were
so happy at the numbers. Over half the campers and staff came to the banquet in
costume!
Our Fargo support group
started in September. I was not able to attend, but I heard that we had more
people there than we have had in a long time. Ken Doctor and Jesse Shirek
came from the School to talk. Our Braille group also started in September. It
was a two-fold celebration. First, being
Melissa Petersen's birthday, and second, because Caroline Congdon is now working
at a very good job with the Social Security office. Congratulations Caroline!
Six of us went to the play,
"Driving Miss Daisy" on October 7th. They put on a great
performance. I found out after the play that my mom had never seen the movie
before. So I went out the next day and bought it for her. I couldn't wait till
Christmas so I gave it to her right away that day. In turn, she and my dad
watched the movie right away and told me that they absolutely did a wonderful
job with the play the night before.
Heat oven to 300 degrees
6 Whole Chicken Breasts
2 c. Sour Cream
¼ c. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
¼ tsp. Paprika
2 to 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
8 oz Package Hub Seasoned Stuffing, Crushed (NO SAGE)
¼ c. Melted Butter
In a nonmetal container combine sour cream, lemon juice,
salt and pepper, paprika and garlic. Add chicken to sour cream mixture and
cover. Refrigerate overnight or 24 hours. Remove chicken from
mixture. Roll in the crushed stuffing. Drizzle with butter. Bake 1 1/2
hours till golden brown in 13x9 pan. This could be a family favorite, it is
here.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Grand
Forks Area News
By Ruth Phalen
I looked at the calendar and realized it
was time to send an article from Grand Forks to the Promoter. I missed last time when I was out of town
quite a bit and I’m sorry for that.
There’s nothing about the weather that suggests October – snow – ugh!
Schools are in full swing again. I see Krista Doubek on the bus occasionally
and know she is back busy teaching after a summer of vacationing and treating
illness.
Summer (September) has passed and we have
our memories of another good summer camp.
It’s always good to see old friends – it’s surprising how fast people we
see once a year get to be “old friends” when we have circumstances which are
similar. We had a good group from Grand Forks.
Thank you goes to Olga Neal for arranging the transportation and to the
drivers; it all went so smoothly.
Tom Capes was able to come back from his
home in Texas to be with us again this year.
Also Jenny Blinsmon could be with us since she spends her time when her
navy husband is at sea here in Grand Forks with her parents. We had new campers Shawn Taylor and Jesse Shirek
with us along with interns Alice Anderson and Cindy Williams.
It was nice that Rom Thielman could come
out with Renae and Gary Huseby for the Saturday night auction. Rom and Lee are both doing okay. They have had to slow down and limit some
activities but a lot of us know about that!
Irene and Lyle Nelson have gone to Texas
for the winter. Lots of snowbirds have
gone, or are going south. And then there
are us diehard North Dakotans!
The senior support group is meeting again
after taking the summer off. In
September, we met with Margo Lenz and our speaker was RaeAnn Johnson,
Coordinator of the National Family Caregiver Support Program. She told us what the program was about and
what might be helpful to us.
We meet the second Tuesday of the month so
our October meeting was just held. Tracy
Wicken was back with us. We were all
happy to hear that things are going well for her. Our speaker was Georgia Steenerson with the
Vulnerable Adult Protective Program. It
was very interesting to learn of the problems they deal with and what can be
done if you know, or suspect, that someone isn’t being taken care of properly,
either on their own or by others.
It’s not too early to think about the
winter holidays. I will be gone for
Thanksgiving and possibly for Christmas so there’s a lot to look forward
to. I hope all of you are doing well and
are looking forward to good holidays and winter.
Minot
Area News
By Connie
Springsted
Minot’s 3rd Thursday Support Group had a
representative from the Mayor’s office attend and read the White Cane Safety
Day Proclamation at their Oct. 15 meeting. Amy Brunner also spoke to the
group.
We are taking a poll of NDAB members concerning
the motel for our 2011 State Convention. Please e-mail Carol Schmitt your
choice of the following:(Carol's e-mail is schmitt@minot.com)
First Choice- SleepInn $99.95 for 4
including a 25-item continental breakfast, located in Dakota Square Mall
Second Choice- Holiday Inn $105 for 4 . Will consider a convention rate depending on
number of rooms. Breakfast on your own at the restaurant. East
Minot.
Third Choice- Grand International Inn, in north Minot by the
airport, 79.95(+7% tax) for 4. They provide rolls and coffee.
Williston
Area News Fall 2009
By Loris Van Berkom
By the time you read this issue of the Promoter, the holidays will be
soon approaching and we will be looking at changing our calendars to 2010! I’m not quite sure where the time goes but it
sure disappears!
The 2010 NDAB State Convention will be held here in Williston at the
Airport International Inn the second weekend in June. We hope that the snow will be gone by then so
many of you can travel west for a great weekend.
No one seems to have much news to share but here are a few little
tidbits I was able to gather. Janelle
and Jeff Olson spent a week in Chicago during Halloween watching their son ,Mat
perform in three different productions.
Carol Scallon’s family increased by one with the addition of Cuddles, an
adorable Pekingese puppy. Audrey
Anderson is spending six weeks or so with her sister in Arizona. Audrey’s granddaughter, Kirsten, who was an
instructor at camp last summer, is now in the San Juan Islands working in the
Ameri-core and loving it! Health wise,
Dan Gerhardt is about the same with still no answers or solutions for his
headaches. I am still teaching braille
to two little girls every school morning. Happy Holidays to all of you and keep warm!
Crock Pot Chex Mix - from Brenda Bruins
5 cups Rice or Corn Chex
2 cups of dry roasted peanuts
2 cups pretzel sticks
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
3 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 ½ tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
Melt butter in crock pot on low. Add onion powder, seasoning salt and Worcestershire
sauce. Add the dry ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours,
stirring every 45 minutes. Dump on a
cookie sheet and cool and store.
Food for Thought
Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good
When in doubt, just take the next
small step
Life is too short to waste time
hating anyone
No one is in charge of your
happiness but you