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 Julie, database@svcb.cc.
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.
Early in June, I went with Roger and Bernice to the Bayview chapter's lasagna dinner fund-raiser. John, Roger's friend, drove us to Oakland, and we spent some confusing time working around highway construction before we got there--about a 90-minute journey with interesting conversation and speculation.
I left the house without my wireless mic, so I wondered how well I'd be able to hear with my implant. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did quite well picking whole sentences out of the noise. I'm sure glad I took the trouble to acquire and train with that device.
The fund-raiser was held in the Lions Blind Center's auditorium: an airy place with good acoustics, I thought. I heard that there were over 50 people there.
After we paid for meals and drinks, they placed us near the piano. And there was Cathie playing for a group singing songs like "Me and my Gal." Even with the piano I could still pick up enough to converse desultorily. Across the table was Bernice talking to processions of friends, with Roger, on my left, joining in and sometimes talking to other people altogether.
Friendly talk all around, and I was very glad I came. I had attended a Bayview dinner about 20 years ago, and all I can remember is that someone got angry about a smoker too near the bus. This dinner was enjoyably different.
I had two helpings of lasagna along with a glass of astonishingly sweet iced tea. I was greeted by Steve Fort, Bayview's President, as a "fellow President from SVCB"--imagine that! I won a Tranquility Fountain as a door prize and $10 as a raffle award. I've never won that many prizes in one night!
I gave the fountain to Star, and she set it up on our dining room table. It has a round base and a high cup about four inches up and another an inch below that. You install two AA batteries and then pour water into the base. The upper cup fills, overflows to the lower one and circulates around. Star has a collection of small rocks from Orcas Island, where she grew up, and she packed them around the base. It is fun listening to the fountain, and I discovered that I actually hear it better if I don't try to listen. Wonderful!
To wrap this up, let me reiterate a philosophy that Roger has often stated: the notion that attending the functions of neighboring chapters spreads fellowship and community. I'd add goodwill to that, too. CCB'S mission is to improve the quality of life for all visually impaired people in California. Much of its, and our, effort goes into advocacy, and this is a good thing. But taking the time to spread some goodwill effectively improves the quality of life by exchanging ideas and just having a good time.
The San Mateo chapter's picnic is coming up in August, and SVCB members get a special registration rate. So check out the Event Calendar and register!
Now to the happenings at our June meeting. It wasn't as well attended as other meetings have been. But we had a very informative program segment.
Jim Bigelow, our speaker, is particularly interested in the future of rail passenger service, including CalTrain; and he described the soon-to-be built high-speed rail service between San Jose and San Francisco. He also explained the thinking behind the high-speed train service between L.A and the bay area. I understand that there is a railway bond proposition on the November ballot that addresses this.
The business section of the June meeting had the agenda item of informally discussing amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. However, it was decided that amendments should be sent to the board for recommendation to the membership at a later meeting, where they will be formally dealt with. This is now scheduled for the September meeting, and the proposed amendments will be published before that in the September newsletter.
And now to the picnic! An article is planned for this newsletter that tells you how to find Cuesta Park and so on. And don't forget to contact Beverly Clifford concerning things you'd like to bring to the picnic. Likewise, call Naomi Grubb about your raffle-prize donation.
Also please remember to register ASAP: $15 for members, $20 for everyone else.
Roger will tell us about the program segment for the July meeting. I can tell you that we will appoint a Holiday Party Committee chair and begin plans for White Cane Safety Day and People with Disabilities Awareness Month. And since I know that at least two SVCB members are going to the ACB convention, we might have some time for reports.
But before all that happens, we will have an election to fill the office of Corresponding Secretary. Allen Jones has resigned as he no longer has time to devote to the office. Naomi Grubb, our Vice President, has graciously volunteered to act as Corresponding Secretary.
SVCB has a very elegant letterhead; and if you like writing letters, announce yourself, or have someone nominate you as a candidate.
Return to the Table of ContentsIf things work out as planned, we will have another double feature for our program at the July 19 meeting. Unfortunately, I have not been able to pin these items down absolutely at this writing and I am going to the ACB convention this week, so we could have both items, one item or no items.
At our CCB Spring Convention in Sacramento, I met a lady named Vanessa from the California Telecommunications Access Program (CTAP) who was exhibiting there. She agreed to come to our July meeting and has called me since then to say that either she or someone else from her program would definitely be there. I am currently trying to reconfirm, just to be on the safe side.
Recently, through Lorraine Brown, I received a message from TheatreWorks that they would like ten minutes to tell you about their plays and their audio description. You have often seen announcements of their productions in our Event Calendar. I have invited them to the July meeting for their ten-minute spiel, but they haven't yet reconfirmed.
So cross your fingers!
Return to the Table of ContentsBefore getting to my interview with Sam Chen, I want to make a request of our members for a membership project that we are beginning.
I am looking for help in finding restaurants that would cooperate with SVCB and use our soon-to-be-created paper place-mats instead of the ones usually used in the restaurant. If anyone has friends or acquaintances who manage a restaurant, please let me know and I will explain the project in more detail.
Although he was not present to receive the CCB Community Service Award at the April CCB convention banquet, Sam Chen is now the proud owner of the beautiful plaque. He was formally given it during the June SVCB membership meeting. Catherine Skivers, CCB Chair of the Awards and History Committee, presented the award to Sam via a speakerphone connection from her home. She told of Sam's many contributions to the blind community, including his translation into Chinese of the CCB booklet, "Failing Sight and the Family Plight".
When he was thanking the CCB for the award, he said that it was "a special honor for our chapter and it is all about teamwork."
During our phone interview Sam told me that he was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His three older brothers still live in Taiwan, but his younger sister lives in Chicago.
Sam received much of his education in Taipei. In 1968, while a junior in college, he sustained a head injury during a soccer game, which resulted in his vision loss. He said that he was totally blind for the first six months and then got some sight back. Today, he has finger motion, but cannot count the fingers. He went on to receive his bachelor's degree from Sophia University in Tokyo, his Master's degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and finally his doctorate from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
Sam said that he has known Lilly, his wife, since grade school and that she was the "girl next door." When he lost his sight, she was very supportive.
He told me that "One of the best gifts of being blind is that my wife never ages. She is still 18 or 19 and she remains that young."
In 1980, Sam and Lilly came to the United States, bringing their first son Johnny. After that, they had two more sons, Jason, who was born in Illinois, and Michael, who was born in Mississippi, where Sam was teaching rehabilitation counseling at Mississippi State University. He taught there for three years before moving to the bay area in 1987 to work at Telesensory.
>Tzu Chi: an international Buddhist organization that works with high school drop-outs. The organization has adopted six schools in San Jose. Sam said that he goes to talk to youth at risk every other week.
He also meets with high school and college age members of the organization. He said that there is a need to prepare young people regardless of their background to be better citizens in the community.
Please contact your own Representative to ask him or her to become a cosponsor of the legislation H.R. 6320, the "21st Century Communications and Accessibility Act of 2008" to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to emerging internet Protocol-based communication and video programming technologies in the 21st Century. This legislation was introduced on June 19, 2008 by Representatives Edward Markey (D-MA-7) and Heather Wilson (R-NM-1). The original cosponsors are Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA-23); Rep Barney Frank (D-MA-4); and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA-32).
The Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch for the House Committee on Appropriations recommended a whopping $34.5 million funding level for the NLS Digital Talking Book Program. As many of you are aware, the Library of Congress requested $12.5 million in funding For FY-09. This represents a tremendous increase and could even mean that this program could be completed in three years as opposed to the four-year timeframe that was originally agreed to. The broader legislation will now go to the full committee for consideration. It is now time to call members of the full committee to express your support for this new proposed funding level. Here is the link to the Committee on Appropriations website:
http:///appropriations.house.gov/members110th.shtmlCall your member offices through the Capitol Switchboard at: 202-225-3121.
Return to the Table of ContentsThe annual SVCB picnic will be held on Saturday, August 16, at Cuesta Park, 615 Cuesta Drive in Mountain View at Picnic Site 3, from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. Note: If you need extra back-support, please bring your own chair and table, as the on-site picnic table benches have no back-support.
Lunch is "all you can eat", and will be catered by Andy's BBQ. The menu includes BBQ chicken, beef brisket, pork ribs, sausage, BBQ beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and garlic bread. The price is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
The last day to sign up for the picnic is August 8. You can pay at the July membership meeting, or you can mail a check to Victor Clifford at 8499 Grenache Ct., San Jose, CA 95135-1420. Phone: 408-223-6444. Email: vclffrd@sbcglobal.net
If you want to bring desserts, appetizers, drinks, etc., contact Bev Clifford at 408-223-6444 or by email at bevclffrd@sbcglobal.net
Contact Naomi Grubb at 408-281-3631 or naomig@svilc.org concerning raffle prizes you are bringing.
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