SVCB IN TOUCH
Newsletter of the
SILICON VALLEY COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
A Chapter of the California Council of the Blind
March 2018
EDITOR: Susan Glass, editor@svcb.cc
COPY EDITOR: Beverly Clifford, beverly.clifford@svcb.cc
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 493, Mountain View, CA 94042
DEADLINE: for the April, 2018 issue: noon, March 23
VOLUNTEERS: Naomi Grubb, volunteers@svcb.cc
MEMBERSHIP: Mike Keithley, membership@svcb.cc
LEGISLATION: Mike Keithley, legislation@svcb.cc
PHONE: 888-652-5333
EMAIL: svcb@onebox.com
URL: http://svcb.cc
Legislative Hotlines, current issues for blind persons:
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION: 800-221-6359, after 5 PM and weekends
WASHINGTON CONNECTION: 800-424-8666, 3-9 PM and weekends
DISCLAIMER: This publication contains announcements from the
Silicon Valley Council of the Blind and is also a forum for opinions relating
to blindness issues. Signed articles reflect the views, and research, of their
authors.
STATUS: SVCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization
under the California Council of the Blind.
CHANGES OF ADDRESS: Contact Mike Keithley, database@svcb.cc.
MEETING LOCATION: SVCB's monthly meetings are held in the
community room of the Monte Vista Terrace Apts. at 1101 Grant Road, Mountain
View. Meetings run 9:30 AM to 1 PM the third Saturday of the month
and are open to all. Monte Vista Terrace is one block from the intersection of
Grant Road and El Camino Real and is accessible by bus #22.
IN THIS ISSUE
* President's Message
* Program
* NFB-NEWSLINE Adds New Publications to Brighten Your Winter
Months
* Membership Corner
* * Fund-Raising Report
* Snack Shack
* Tidbits
* Event Calendar
PRESIDENT's MESSAGE
by Susan Glass
It seems that I often write these dispatches while on the
road. This one comes to you from Eau Claire Wisconsin, where John and I are
visiting with my mother. But it's also a recap of the last week spent in
Washington DC at the ACB mid-year Affiliates Presidents' Meeting and
Legislative Seminar. I want to thank all of you for allowing me to represent
our chapter, as well as participate in the California delegation activities. I
took diligent notes, and I'm excited to tell you that despite Capitol Hill
gridlock and the barrage of toxic messages that we hear about Washington
politics, real work gets done, especially by passionate, smart congressional
staffers and researchers (idealists yes, but also realists). They aren't yet
jaded. Go millennials! Rather than try to cram all I learned into this
president's message, I'd like to share it with you at our March program. In
fact, it will be our program, but I'll keep things interesting, and we'll have
plenty of time for questions and comments. For now, here is a summary of some
lighter, fun stuff:
Twenty-five affiliates sent delegations, among them
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana,
North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota,
Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, Alabama,
Kentucky, Wisconsin, and of course, California. Ah, and lest we forget, we also
had a delegate from Washington DC, the land of taxation without representation.
To make introductions more fun and memorable, we were encouraged to share
interesting trivia about our states. (Did you know that the state of North
Dakota is the exact geographic center of North America? And did you know that
they make maple syrup in Ohio, and that the state bird of Alabama is the Yellow
Hammer? And how about this: The first cheeseburger was served in Kentucky.
Perkins School for the Blind was founded in 1829, and the state of Florida
boasts 18 lighthouses that serve blind and visually impaired citizens.) Okay,
these facts aren't show-stoppers, but they'd be great in a Trivial Pursuit
game, and combined with lots of friendly jibe sports talk about whose football
and basketball teams should rule the world, we all warmed to each other and had
a good time.
And, we worked. We learned about 2 bills and 3 budget items
that are vital to advancing and protecting the progress and well-being of
blind/visually impaired Americans. (Want to know what the bills and budget
items are? Be at the March meeting.)
ACB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Tony
Stephens, is a master teacher who showed us how to turn our personal stories of
living life as people who just happen to be blind into narratives that address
values with which every legislator, despite party affiliation, can agree:
lifelong independence, equal opportunity, inclusion, literacy, and maximum
returns on financial and human investment. Every law for which we advocate has,
as its basis, these core values. Tony Stephens also stressed the importance of
building ongoing relationships with legislators. Those relationships can help
us make the transition from one group of lawmakers to the next, so that the
issues that matter to us stay on their minds, and the concrete projects that we
launch stay alive. And, he said, litigation should always be the last tool that
we use to get something done, because once you litigate, you probably destroy
whatever good will and trust you've built up over time.
I think I'll stop writing now before your fingers develop
calluses from reading this, and you reach for industrial plugs so your ears
don't have to endure any more. See you at our March meeting.
PROGRAM
by Mike Keithley
President Susan Glass, who got to Washington DC on her
foot-tripping, mountain-jumping Omni Stick, will conduct the March program on
the activities of the ACB mid-year Affiliates Presidents' Meeting and
Legislative Seminar. This is your opportunity to learn what our national
organization is up to; so expect a warm, adventuresome time.
NFB-NEWSLINE ADDS NEW PUBLICATIONS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR WINTER
MONTHS
Edited from the acb-leadership list
NFB-NEWSLINE announces the addition of several new
publications: We have added EBONY Magazine. EBONY is the number one source for
an authoritative perspective on the African-American community. EBONY reflects
the cross section of Black America as delivered by our best thinkers, our
trendsetters, our activists, celebrities, and next-generation leaders. EBONY
ignites conversation, promotes empowerment, and celebrates aspiration. They are
the heart, soul, and pulse of Black America, and a catalyst for reflection and
progression.
We have also added Science Daily and Scientific American
Online. These are both breaking news sources. Science Daily aggregates press
releases and publishes lightly edited press releases (a practice called
churnalism) about science, similar to Phys.org and EurekAlert! It was founded
by a married couple named Dan and Michele Hogan in 1995. Scientific American
was founded by inventor and publisher Rufus M. Porter in 1845 as a four-page
weekly newspaper. Throughout its early years, much emphasis was placed on
reports of what was going on at the US Patent Office. It also reported on a
broad range of inventions, including perpetual motion machines, an 1860 device
for buoying vessels by Abraham Lincoln, and the universal joint, which now can
be found in nearly every automobile manufactured. Scientific American Online
was launched in 1996, and includes articles from current and past issues,
online-only features, daily news, weird science, special reports, trivia,
"Scidoku," and more.
Lastly, we have added Hollywood Reporter, another breaking
news source. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) was founded in 1930, and focuses on
the Hollywood film industry, television, and entertainment industries, as well
as Hollywood's intersection with fashion, finance, law, technology, lifestyle,
and politics.
To find EBONY Magazine using the telephone access method,
press seven off the main menu for Magazines. To find Science Daily, Scientific
American Online, or Hollywood Reporter, choose option five for Newspapers in
Another State, and then option one for Breaking News. You can read these
publications using the iOS app by choosing Publications, Publication Options,
and then All Publications, and searching for your publication of choice.
We hope you enjoy these exciting new additions to the service.
Your NFB-NEWSLINE Team
[Editor's note: The traditional NFB-Newsline is accessed
through your telephone, though there is now an iOS app. It's a free facility to
read newspapers and magazines. To subscribe, call 866-504-7300, or visit www.nfbnewslineonline.org/
MEMBERSHIP CORNER
by Mike Keithley
So you didn't go to SVCB's little outing to the Tabard
Theatre to take in the Miracle Worker? You missed a good time even stuck-up
guys like King, "master, I was sleeping, but now I've got to rise to the
challenge" agree. Michelle's dog Garvey delivered a good show, "and
all I did was cheer him on." But he's got to do it several more times. I'm
not sure exactly how many went, but someone said that everybody that was
somebody was there. They let Darin McGrew describe the layout of the stage, and
he also sketched what would be going on in a scene where Helen (she was a nice
person with small, slim hands) and Annie (her teacher) were fighting. Actually,
Star was signing to me all through the fight, and that was even better. I had a
superb cup of coffee, and one of those specialty cookies whose design had
something to do with the play.
Despite that, I have to say that the notion that the theatre
is small and no assistive listening devices are needed is not true. If Star
wasn't signing, I would be lost and reading email, even though I know the
story. Perhaps we need to listen to the stage blindfolded, appreciating
hard-soled shoes walking to and from the stage, clicks, murmurs, and maybe an
occasional snore.
"But master, you're supposed to be saying nice
things." Yes, and the triumphant ending got through just fine, including
the meeting with the actors afterwards. And then we all had a leisurely dinner
at a place on San Pedro Square called 71 St. Peter.
We had a "my hobby" program at our February
meeting. From keeping track of books read, to cooking, to rock tumbling, SVCB
boasts many hobbies, and maybe we can make some adventuresome programs. I hear
that CCB president Judy Wilkinson is coming to our May meeting, and staying
with John and Susan: "Lucky people!" Anyway, you can hear the entire
February meeting at http://svcb.cc/psaudio/18/ps0218.mp3.
We lost around 10 SVCB members. They didn't renew! Too bad
they'll loose their newsletters.
Let's wish a happy March birthday to Ruth Fisher. "Well,
master, that's just one person. You could do better and include me." Happy
Weird Day, King!
We have reserved a picnic site in Hellyer Park called Yerba
Buena. It is next door to the Sylvandale site we've used for probably five
years now, and closer to bathrooms. It's hoped that the San Francisco chapter
will come and share the fun. The picnic this year will be on Saturday, August 18. Make a big mark
on your calendar to come.
FUND-RAISING REPORT
by Michelle McGrew
Save the dates and spread the word! Please join us at our
next fund-raising event at Marie Callender's (751 East El Camino Real,
Sunnyvale, CA 94087) any time Monday, April 23
through Wednesday, April 25, 2018 (11 AM-8 PM) for a meal, dessert or snack, or even to purchase a pie to
take home! Please call 408-245-3710 to make reservations if you have a party of
6 or more. Present one of our fund-raising event flyers to your server, and
Marie Callender's will donate 20% of each purchase (excluding alcohol, tax, and
tip) to SVCB's technology grant program! We'll have the required flyer at the
March and April meetings, and should soon have the flyer available on our
website at http://svcb.cc for you to download and print. (Note: Marie Callender's
will not have extra copies, and we will not receive credit for your purchases
if your party does not have a flyer.)
Thanks to all who got tickets for our 50/50 raffle at our
February meeting! We sold $114 in tickets, so SVCB and our winner each received
$57. Congratulations to our lucky winner, Lorraine Brown!
Join us at our March meeting for an auction! We'll list the
auction items in the Phone Tree message. Also, if you have items you'd like to
donate for a future raffle or auction, or if you'd like to suggest ideas for
possible items for either event, please let someone on the Fund-raising
Committee know!
Our February Cookies of the Month fund-raiser benefiting our
tech grant featured Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies, baked by Suzanne Smith.
You can find Suzanne's recipe in the "Snack Shack" article in this
newsletter. (Note that the recipe she used originally called for white
chocolate chips, but she used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.) We sold 11
bags of cookies at our meeting, and another 22 bags at the Blind Center. Thanks
to all of our supporters! Altogether, we raised $33!
For March, Mary Castellano will be baking Biscocho Cookies.
We'll have these special diamond-shaped cookies containing anise and cinnamon
just in time for Easter! Each bag of cookies will sell for $1. If you would
like to volunteer to bake cookies this year for this fund raiser, please call 888-652-5333 (leave a message to be forwarded to me, or look me up
on our Membership List to call me directly), or send email to
fundraising@svcb.cc (note the slight change in this address).
SVCB continues to sell chocolate! We sold out of several
flavors of Meltaways in February, so I'm restocking our supply in time for our
March meeting. Meltaways from Bakers Candies make great Easter gifts! These
come in four-ounce bags containing about 13 individually-wrapped chocolates,
and sell for $4 per bag. I will have the following flavors available: five
kinds of dark chocolate (plain, mint, orange, cherry, and sea salt caramel),
six kinds of milk chocolate (plain, mint, peanut butter, coconut, raspberry,
and mocha), milk chocolate wrapped caramel, and the assorted (mix of both dark
and milk chocolates).
And, we still have candy bars! We have See's dark chocolate
with almond bars and World's Finest Chocolate bars (four milk chocolate: with
almonds, caramel, crisp, and plain). The See's bars sell for $2 each and the
World's Finest for $1 each. To purchase or help sell candy bars, or to order
Meltaways, please contact me as listed above.
Or, choose one of our other snacks for $1 each! You may
purchase bags of nut mix (containing lightly salted almonds and cashews) with
either sweetened dried cranberries or dark chocolate chunks) as part of our
Easter Sale, Welch's Fruit Snacks (2.25-oz bags of chewy fruit-flavored
candies), or Kirkland Nut Bars (contains a sprinkle of salt and a little
chocolate). To place an order for these items, please contact me as listed
above.
See you at the March meeting!
SNACK SHACK
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Submitted by Suzanne Smith
I got this recipe from a newspaper article in December, 2012.
The article says they got the recipe from spryliving.com, and Spry Living says it comes from Holly Clegg's Meals on
the Move: Rush Hour Recipes.
These chewy drop cookies feature fiber-rich oatmeal, and use
less sugar than similar cookie recipes. For the Cookies of the Month, I used
semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet chocolate
chips)
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and egg until
smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon, flour,
oatmeal, and baking soda until well combined. Gradually add the dry mixture to
the butter mixture. Stir in the dried cranberries and white (or semi-sweet)
chocolate chips until well blended.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet coated with
nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.
TIDBITS
Compiled by Mike Keithley
If you have an item of interest to SVCB members and want it
published in the In Touch newsletter, email svcb@onebox.com or call 888-652-5333, and leave a message asking Mike Keithley to call you.
New phone number for ACB Radio--Larry Turnbull
Hi all:
There is a new phone number for ACB Radio, which is 712-775-4808.
The ACB Braille Forum number remains unchanged at 605-475-8154.
Google Launches a Disability Support Team--edited from the
acb-leadership list
Google recently announced the public launch of a disability
customer support team. The support team is available to answer questions about
using assistive technology with Google products and accessibility features and
functionalities within Google products. The support team can be reached by
email at disability-support-external@
EVENT CALENDAR: March Through April, 2018
Compiled by Mike Keithley
Notes
Tabard Theatre shows: To order tickets, call the Tabard box
office at 408-679-2330 and speak to Marilyn Watts, or visit tabardtheatre.org. SVCB members and Blind Center clients should use Discount
Code BC27 when ordering. Performances take place at Theatre on San Pedro
Square, 29 North San Pedro Street, San Jose.
Shows described by AudioVision: For all San Francisco
productions (Golden Gate and Orpheum theatres): Tickets are generally on sale
four weeks before the production opens. To charge tickets and reserve
receivers, call 888-746-1799 (SHN Theaters), or fax your order to 415-581-2121 and ask for AudioVision tickets. If you have any
questions, please email didisalvo@msn.com.
The monthly "Let's Talk Low Vision" conferences
from CCLVI can be accessed as podcasts at www.airsla.org/cclvidd.asp.
Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors: Departs every Sunday at noon from Pier 40
in San Francisco. Call 415-281-0212 for information and reservations, or visit www.baads.org.
Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP): BORP
believes that everyone should have access to the unique challenges that outdoor
recreation provides, and makes every effort to accommodate each person's needs,
including providing transportation and volunteer support. For event listings,
call Lori Gray at 510-843-4398, or visit www.borp.org.
Calendar
Mar 6, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group. Call-in: 605-715-4920; ID:
2776167. For questions, call Lori Scharff at 516-887-1336, or lorischarff@gmail.com.
Mar 17, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB membership meeting. Discuss resolutions for CCB
Convention.
Mar 19 to 23: 33rd annual CSUN Conference in San Diego at the Manchester
Grant Hyatt Hotel, San Diego. Visit www.csun.edu/cod/conference.
Mar 20, 5:30 to 7 PM: Let's Talk Low Vision, Update and Advancements for
Treatment of Macular Degeneration and Other Common Eye Diseases. Call
712-432-3447 with ID 145330.
Mar 21 to 25: Annual CCB Conference and Convention, Sacramento Marriott
Rancho Cordova, 11211 Point East Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742; Phone:
916-638-1100.
Mar 23, noon: April newsletter deadline. Distribute spring membership
list.
Mar 30 and 31 at 8 PM and Apr 1 at 2 PM: SKELETON CREW, TheatreWorks, MVCPA, the Visual Voice
Apr 3, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group.
Apr 5, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting.
Apr 21, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB monthly meeting. Present award to recipient of 2017
Barbara Rhodes Adaptive Technology Grant, hear convention reports.
Apr 27, noon: SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.