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.
MEETING LOCATION: SVCB's monthly meetings are held in the dining room of the Monte Vista Terrace Apts. at 1101 Grant Road, Mountain View. Meetings run 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 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.
Note: Local contact information is removed except when requested to remain. For local contact info, access www.svcb.cc.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! I hope everyone has a delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner. I know I will.
I would like to thank everyone for nominating me delegate for the upcoming Spring Convention. I will do my best to attend all the important meetings and represent you there. As with my first, second, and third conventions, I look forward to each and every one for new information to pass on and use for myself as well. To our new members I recommend and encourage you to buddy up with a friend to split the cost and see for yourself how exciting and informative these conventions really are. It is definitely a worthwhile investment of time and money. It is a life-changing experience that will inspire you to learn new things, explore, and invent, thereby enhancing your life's skills, preparing you for a brighter and better future. Don't hesitate! The experience and adventure await you!
We had great fun at our February meeting, and I was glad that five new members or prospective members came to our meeting: Debee, Elizabeth, George, Ray and Ruben. Thanks to Debee for stepping up to help out with the Erik's Deli project! Don't hold back, guys! Step up and give of your time and expertise, so that our chapter can grow and diversify. Thanks again to all who make this chapter what it is. Keep up the great work and see you at our next meeting, which by the way happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day, so don't forget to wear green!
Our speaker at the March 17 meeting will be the president's brother. No, not Jeb Bush--Henry Carrillo, President Lupe's brother. He has been working at Lunardi's Market for nine years and has had occasion to run a number of "bike-a-thons" for charities. His last bike-a-thon was in 2001. He will be talking about how such an event is organized, and how to go about soliciting companies for sponsorship and donations. He will also talk about how bicyclists are recruited for these events. Perhaps this would be a way for SVCB to raise funds for its worthy projects.
Happy March birthday to John Buck, Sam Chen, Cathy Olson, Eleanore Prisant, and Jack Syvertsen!
My biographical subject for this month is Mike Keithley.
A native Californian and our new Vice President, Mike was born in San Francisco. He has one older brother, Patrick, who lives in Virginia. Because Mike's mother was ill when he was born, he was placed in an incubator and as was too often the case at that time, was given too much oxygen. This resulted in Mike being totally blind.
When I asked Mike if he grew up in California, he said no. Because his father worked for Pan American Airlines, his family spent seven years in Japan and three in Thailand.
When it came time for Mike to go to school, his mother discovered that the public schools did not know what to do with a blind child. When it became apparent that the public school was not working, Mike's mother sent letters all over the country to schools for the blind. The Overbrook School in Overbrook, Pennsylvania sent a representative out to interview the Keithley family. He started kindergarten at age 7 at Overbrook, and said that he did have some trouble at being separated from his family. He attended Overbrook for 13 years. Mike said that he turned down the opportunity in middle grades of going to a public school, as his hearing loss was becoming more of a problem at that time. He said that he thought that Overbrook was a better environment for blind children and he was comfortable there. He said that, in high school, he was a good student and liked to read, especially science fiction books. However, he also said that, in elementary school, he got into "some mischief." For example, he and some of his friends made an escape in PJ's--all got into trouble.
In high school, Mike developed an interest in electronics and ham radios. He received his novice license when he built his first transmitter and receiver.
After high school graduation in 1967 he attended College of San Mateo with a major in electronic technology and a minor in history--he was very interested in Black history.
After he received his AA in 1970, Mike then entered the University of Santa Clara, majored in psychology, and received his BA. He said that he liked school and wanted to stay there.
After he spent a few years "just bumming around," his Department of Rehabilitation counselor told him that it was time he went to work and sent him a list of 75 companies to consider. Mike started at the top of the list and began his search--taking the bus to all.
In 1973, he had an interview with Hewlett-Packard (HP). When he arrived for the interview, Mike discovered that he was not at HP, but was at Varian which was the company across the street. After finally arriving at the right place, he did get the job at HP, where he stayed until his retirement in 1999. He held various jobs at HP, including electronic assembly and testing, stock room (bagging parts), and computer support for employees. He said that he was interested in doing UNIX support but he did not get the job because there was no access.
Mike married co-worker Star in 1992. She retired one year before him in 1998.
Because his hearing was getting worse, Mike retired in 1999. He said that he had a bad cold when he was in the fourth grade and as a result, had progressive nerve damage. After his retirement, he had a cochlear implant in the left ear and said if the hearing goes in the right, he will have another.
When I asked Mike about the blind organizations to which he has belonged, he stated that he almost joined the National Federation, but decided he could not "hold the party line." Instead, in 1992, he joined the newly formed SVCB and has been a consistent member since then, doing the following:
* Found grants for equipment (also donated some).
* In charge of working the sound system because he needs it.
* Recording Secretary from 2000 to 2002.
* Life member of CCB.
* Editor of the SVCB newsletter from 1998 to 2003.
* Editor of the CCB Blind Californian where he said that he is still learning
the ropes.
Hobbies:
* Sound recording--things with audio.
* Electronics and ham radio--used to be but not as much now.
* Computer is the main one now--operating systems.
* Reading: science fiction, fantasy and horror, and others that he and
Star read together.
* Passing interest in evolving Braille codes.
Quick questions:
What really pushes your buttons? People who do not want to listen--they think
that they know how the world is and do not care what your opinion is.
Ideal vacation? Doing what I am doing now--working and playing when I feel
like it.
What do you like best to do? Depends on the time of day.
In the morning--creative, such as writing. In the evening, reading--not
creative in evening.
Least like to do: something that needs to be done right now according to
the person talking to me.
Favorite food: Mexican, steak and potatoes.
Food that you really do not like: avocadoes and raw tomatoes.
Favorite animal: dogs (I have had four guide dogs).
Favorite movie: not much into movies--Star describes and does a good
job.
Favorite kind of music: classical (because of my hearing, I am not into
music as much now).
Book you really liked: Stephen King's books, over and over; Dark Tower.
Please mark your calendars for Saturday morning, May 12, and plan to participate in this year's 5K walk-a-thon, The Human Race. It will again be held at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. We'll need people to walk/run and/or collect pledges. I'll have additional details and registration packets at our March meeting.
It's time to begin planning for Easter! If we have sufficient interest, SVCB will again sell See's Easter candy. This year, Easter is in early April, so I will have your orders available for pick-up at the March meeting. To ensure timely delivery, please place your orders with me by Wednesday, March 14. We get a variety of Easter-egg and bunny chocolates ($5 each); however, we much purchase each item in blocks of 24, so if we don't get enough requests for a particular item, I will check with you to see if you have a another preference. You also have the option of buying one-pound boxes of Seežs candy or gift certificates for these. If you are interested in purchasing candy or would like to help sell some, please contact me at michelle@svcb.cc.
We also still have the famous Seežs candy bars ($1 or $1.50, depending on flavor). To place an order, contact Lupe Medrano.
Plans are underway to produce our long-awaited cookbook featuring potluck dishes enjoyed by our members at our picnics and holiday parties. If you have contributed recipes to the cookbook, expect to hear from someone on the cookbook committee soon. The committee is conducting interviews to find out interesting stories about our recipes to include in the cookbook along with the recipes. And, if you have not yet gotten your recipes to Bernice, we'd appreciate it if you could take a few moments to do so. Please give them to Bernice Kandarian in any medium (those sent by email should go to Roger at petersen@svpal.org). Bernice is even willing to type up your recipes if you give her a email me.
Remember to save your recyclable aluminum cans and plastic water bottles, which Charlie Stein and Donna Sanchez redeem for cash that supports SVCB activities. You can make special arrangements with Charlie or Donna, or bring the cans and bottles to an upcoming meeting.
And finally, remember that you may still purchase the talking thermometer key chains ($10 each) and the white cane safety awareness T-shirts ($15 for those we have in stock or $17 for those we must order). To place an order or to request info, please contact me at michelle@svcb.cc.
See you at our next meeting!
Good question. Let's start by making sure they don't end up poisoning the earth, the air, and our water supply. That means we don't want to put them in the trash. In the next issue, we'll have suggestions as to how you can easily use community facilities to do the right thing. In the meantime, if you're not already turning them in to the recycling/toxics people, please hang onto your used batteries, don't toss them!
In the US, laws have changed, so what we call "daylight saving time"
starts on 11 March, and will also end a week later than it used to. Of
course, computers manufactured before the law was passed know nothing of
this, so clocks will be an hour off for about a month throughout
different times of the year. There is a Windows update to handle it for
newer operating systems, but if you don't want to get those updates, or
use an older operating system, you can get a keyboard-friendly set of
instructions for eradicating the problem here:
http://www.bluegrasspals.com/dst.html.
From Annie Tomasello, we hear that FIRST 5 Santa Clara County is a proud partner of Santa Clara County's 211 (information and referral system), quickly connecting people with services they need.
On Febrary 11, Santa Clara County and United Way of Silicon Valley will join over 60% of the U.S. population in offering access to 2-1-1.
2-1-1 is the new national dialing code for free, 24-hour community, health and disaster information. Like 9-1-1 for emergency service, 2-1-1 has been set aside by the Federal Communications Commission for the public to easily access community information. Callers receive personalized information from a live phone specialist who can answer questions about a variety of nonprofit services and agencies. Phone specialists can also help callers find out where to go to volunteer or donate to their favorite cause.
Santa Clara County's 211 system will officially launch mid-February 2007. Agencies throughout the county that provide resources, programs and services to the community can have their agency included in the directory of information and referrals.
My name is Osagie Obasogie, and I am a graduate student in the Sociology Department at the University of California, Berkeley. I am currently conducting research on the relationship between race and vision, and would appreciate your participation. Here is a brief description of the project:
People in the sighted community tend to assume that race is something that is visually perceived and only affects people who can "see it." My research is exploring this widely held assumption by talking to people with visual impairments about their sense of race and their racial experiences. The interviews themselves last about 45 minutes to an hour, and will focus on your personal experiences with race as well as other social interactions you may have had with family and friends. I'll be asking questions such as what does race mean to you, how (if at all) do you racially identify, is race important to you, why do you think race might be important to other people, how (if at all) is knowing someone's race useful to you, etc. There will also be a few questions on what race meant to you as a child and adolescent, and if you can remember any racial experiences from school or through family interactions. In a nutshell, what I'm trying to understand is how people with visual impairments come to know what race is and how (if at all) it becomes a part of their lives.
I'm happy to speak with you at any time that you find convenient. I can be reached at oko2@berkeley.edu or 510-486-1589.
Bay View Chapter is holding its annual lasagna fund- raising dinner on Saturday, May 12, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lions Blind Center located at 3834 Opal St. in Oakland. Attitude adjustment hour will begin at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. There will be door prizes along with prizes to be raffled.
Come and join in the fun. Renew old acquaintances and make new ones. The cost is $10 per person. For reservations and additional information call Ida Johnson at 510-655-1982. Cordially, Steve Fort, President, Bay View Chapter--CCB, 2510 Central Ave. Apt. 203, Alameda CA 94501-4676.
Santa Clara Bowling Group: Every Saturday at Moonlight Lanes in Santa Clara, info@visionbeyondsight.org.
Mar 2, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour. Call 408-245-7330 for reservations.
Mar 3, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting. Contact Frank Welte, fwelte@sbcglobal.net.
Mar 7, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting.
Mar 17, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting; dining room, Monte Vista Terrace Apartments, 1101 Grant Road, Mountain View;Lunch orders must be made by 9:45. 9:30: Coffee and onversation, 10: Program, 11: Business, 12: lunch. Program: Henry Carillo, Bike-a-thons for fundraising. Business: Discuss resolutions for CCB Spring Convention, appoint Picnic Committee Chair.
Mar 19-24: CSUN conference; www.csun.edu/cod/conf/index.htm.
Mar 21, 6:30-8 p.m.: ACB Open Forum; 800-633-8638, ID 53878255 (let's talk).
Mar 23, noon: April SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.
Mar 30-31, 8 P.M. and Apr 1, 2 P.M., Theatreworks presents Trying at Lucie Stern with description by the Visual Voice. Tickets: call 650-903-6000.
Apr 4, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting.
Apr 6, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour.
Apr 7, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting.
Apr 12-15, CCB Spring 2007 Convention; Sacramento Arden West Hilton Hotel; 2200 Harvard Street; Sacramento, CA 95815; reservations: 916-922-4700 or 800-344-4321; Room rates: $80 single or double.
Apr 18, 6:30-8 p.m.: ACB Open Forum.
Apr 18-20 at 8 p.m., 21 at 2 p.m., 23 at 1 and 6:30 p.m.: American Musical Theatre presents SMOKY JOE'S CAFE with description by AudioVision. Tickets: call 408-453-1550 or email amtsj-access@amtsj.org.
Apr 21, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting.
Apr 27, noon: May SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.
Apr 27-28 at 8 p.m. & 29 at 2 p.m.: TheatreWorks presents: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG with descriptions by the Visual Voice.
May: Healthy Vision Month.
May 4, 10 a.m.-noon: SAF lab tour.
May 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SMCB meeting.
May 9, 7-9 p.m.: SVCB Board meeting.
May 9 10 11 at 8 p.m., 12 at 2 p.m., 13 at 1 and 6:30 p.m.: AMTSJ presents DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS with descriptions by Visual Voice.
May 12: The Human Race Walk-a-thon; Shoreline Park; Mountain View.
May 12, 5-9 p.m.: Bay View Chapter annual lasagna fund-raising dinner; Lions Blind Center; 3834 Opal St.; Oakland. For reservations and additional information, call Ida Johnson at 510-655-1982.
May 19, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: SVCB membership meeting; hear CCB spring convention reports, finalize picnic plans, remind members to acquire door prizes for picnic.
May 25, noon: SVCB In Touch newsletter deadline.