Home > Chronicle > October, 2006

The New Jersey Council of the Blind

CHRONICLE

October, 2006

Convention Issue

This publication is edited by the members of The New Jersey Council of the Blind and available on standard speed cassette tape, 3.5 inch diskettes, in large print and e-mail.

As a result of support from the Lions Club, Housing and United Services now donates the materials, duplicates and sends out the cassette and large print versions of the Chronicle. We thank both organizations for their generosity. Cassette tapes, diskettes, e-mail or large print copies are sent free to members. A fee of $5 per year is requested for non-members. E-mail copies will be sent free to anyone upon request. Cassette tapes are yours to keep.

You may consider including us in your last will and testament or donating gifts in memory of a loved one.

Please send any articles, request for change in format or tax deductible donations to: NJCB c/o Robert Lucas, 520 Ewingville Rd., Ewing, NJ 08638, e-mail to Ottilie@verizon.net, fax (609) 882-5416 or call (609) 882-2446. In order to have your article in the next issue; it must be received by December 1st.

******

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Lauren Casey

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a good summer. This issue of the Chronicle is full of information about the upcoming NJCB state convention in October. Please read and register. I'm looking forward to being with everyone at the convention.

******

2006 CONVENTION PREVIEW

The 2006 Annual Convention of the New Jersey Council of the Blind will be held at the Clarion Hotel/Palmer Inn in Princeton on Friday and Saturday, October 27 and 28, 2006. The theme will be "Transition". We have many exhibitors already signed up. There will be many items for sale so bring cash and get your holiday shopping started early.

Convention Agenda

Friday Evening:

5:30-8:30 PM- Dance and Pizza Party with music by M. A. V. I. S. (Nominal Cover charge).

6:30-8:30- Suzanne O'Brien's workshop, Reiki/energy healing for your guide dog.

Saturday:

8:30 - 9:45 AM: Registration, Continental Breakfast and Exhibits.

9:45 - 10:00 AM: Welcome by President Lauren Casey and invocation by First Vice President, Tom Jackson.

10:00-10:10 AM: Welcome by Mayor Hsueh of West Windsor.

10:10 -11:30 AM: Panel discussion on aspects of vocational transition. Moderated by Michael Marrazzo. The panelists are:

Vito DeSantis, Executive Director of NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired,

Kathy Gallagher, National Industries for the Blind and

George Felton, retired VR Counselor and leader in senior consumer groups.

11:30-11:45 AM: Short presentations by exhibitors

11:45 AM-12:15 PM: Exhibits.

12:15 - 1:45 PM: Luncheon Banquet with Keynote Speaker, Bianca Stewart, "Images and Echoes an Odyssey of Hope - Transitions".

1:45-2:00 PM: Break.

2:00-2:45 PM: Rick Fox with; You're not lost. You're here! GPS Systems for the blind: What they are and how they work.

2:45-3:30 PM: Bianca Stewart, "Your Life on the Page" (Bring tape recorder, note taker or other means with which to take notes).

3:30-3:45 PM: Break.

3:45-5:30 PM: NJCB Business Meeting and elections.

5:30 PM: Adjournment.

*Note: Door prizes will be given out at the beginning of each session. You must be in the room to claim your prize. Fifty/Fifty drawings will run throughout the day.

The cost of both the breakfast and luncheon banquet is only $25.00 and registration is $15.00. The meal choices are Chicken Francaise or Beef Sirloin Tips. Fill out the registration form at the end of this newsletter and return it to Frank and Joyce Schack by October 10th. We will have lots of door prizes, raffles and other fun events. If you would like to stay overnight, make your reservations directly with the hotel. Reservation information is on the registration form.

Door prizes donated by chapters, merchants and individuals are appreciated. Please make sure to get them to Tom and Barbara Jackson during registration.

******

500 Mile Bike Ride for Blind Mercer County Cyclist

Tuan Linsinbigler, of Lawrence Township in Mercer County, became the first blind bicyclist to complete the 500 mile Anchor House Ride for Runaways. The event is used to raise funds for the nonprofit Anchor House in Mercer County. This year's week long ride, called the "Finger Lakes 500," began in Rochester, New York, and ended in the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township.

Tuan and Tom van Schoick met in a men's group at Central Baptist Church in Ewing Township. They learned that they not only shared a common faith, but also a love for bicycling Tuan asked Tom if he would be interested in joining him for a spin on his tandem bike. Tom agreed and short rides led to longer rides until van Schoick asked Tuan to ride together in the Anchor House Ride for Runaways. This year more than 200 cyclists raised a record $506,000 in pledges for Anchor House.

Tuan, a native of Vietnam, lost his sight and part of his right arm during the war in Vietnam as the result of a land mine explosion. As a teenager in this country, he competed in the Blind Olympics and has always kept himself in good physical condition. He has his own vending stand in the Richard Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton.

His competitive spirit has made him a strong, positive role model for both blind and sighted in Mercer County.

******

BATTER UP

CBVI, NJCB and other interested groups sponsored a baseball game at the Waterfront Park in Trenton on Wednesday, August, 23, 2006 NJCB sold 53 tickets and we all had a fun time.

Larry and Marcia Morgan worked hard to honor Bob Lucas. Bob has always enjoyed giving play by play commentaries at the games for our blind members. Larry arranged to have Bob spend time both before and during the game in the announcer's booth sharing baseball interests. Bob's uncle is Gil McDougald, a former Yankee. Bob was thoroughly surprised and enjoyed every minute in the booth. Bob's grandson, Tyler, 15, stood in for his grandfather calling the plays while Bob was gone.

Thank you, Tyler. You may be recruited to help at future games.

******

Internet & Pay TV Access

By Michael T. Marrazzo

Many of you who subscribe to Cable TV, Direct TV, or high speed Internet service have difficulty accessing all of their available features. The web sites for these providers are not easily accessible by people with visual impairments. There are two agencies we can contact who can help us.

State of New Jersey

Board of Public Utilities

Office of Cable TV

Two Gateway Center

Newark, NJ 07102

Better Business Bureau

1700 Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road

Suite D - 5

Trenton, NJ 08690 - 3596

There is also a web site (bobby.com) that certifies other web sites that are fully accessible for screen readers and other accessible tools for the visually impaired. Bobby.com will also advise the web master of the web site in question of the technology or changes needed to make the site completely accessible for the blind.

Contact the above named agencies and your local legislator or congressional representative and ask them to advocate on our

behalf to urge the Cable TV, Direct TV, or high speed Internet service providers to ensure that all their features are fully accessible to the blind and visually impaired.

A Matter Of Taste

The New Jersey Blind Citizens' Association (NJBCA) Camp Happiness has published a cook book entitled "A Matter Of Taste" as a fund raiser with proceeds used to improve their facilities for their Day Campers and members in and around the Leonardo area. Camp Happiness is celebrating their 100 Year Anniversary of serving the blind and visually impaired in New Jersey.
This lovely printed Cookbook is a beautifully hard-bound book, with tabs for locating different categories of various recipes including soups, entrees, appetizers, with helpful tips for measurements and substitute ingredients when cooking. The recipes are all contributed by members of Camp Happiness and the Day Campers.

The price is only $10.00 each and would make a beautiful holiday gift. It might make a nice stocking stuffer for a hard-working, sighted mom or understanding aunt or daughter. Supporting this fund-raiser would be helping our fellow visually impaired New Jersey neighbors get assistance in their own community.
Send your check to Mr. Doug Scott, c/o NJBCA Camp Happiness-Cookbook, 18 Burlington Ave.,Leonardo, NJ 07737 Make check payable to: NJBCA Camp Happiness, and put "Cookbook" on Memo line . Remember to send your name and address along with your check. The Book will be mailed to you at no additional charge. Camp Happiness thanks you for your generosity!

Garden for the Visually Impaired

There was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Garden for the Visually Impaired on Saturday, August 12, 2006 at 11:00 AM at 1 Heritage Lane in Colt's Neck in the Municipal Complex behind the library.

This is an Eagle Scout Project by Jon Edward Lelesi from Troop 290 in Colt's Neck. He put together a garden for the Visually Impaired. There are also 2 sculpture dogs and wind chimes to add to the sensory experience. Jon Edward and Troop 290 oversee the running of the project.

He enlisted the Monmouth County Association for the Blind to make the English and Latin tags in Braille and large print. Speakers from the Monmouth County Association for the Blind shared as well as those from the community.

So make it a point to come and check out the variety of plants and experience a garden designed specifically for the blind and visually impaired.

For more information about the garden, contact Liz Walzer, President of the Monmouth County Association for the Blind, at (732) 280-8387.

******

FYI

Wheelchairs for Blind People. Nurion Industries manufactures two safety distance devices called the Wheelchair Pathfinder and the Polaron for blind wheelchair users. The Wheelchair Pathfinder is a small box worn around the neck of the wheelchair user. It provides sensor protection in a combination of ultrasound and laser technology that creates 4 to12 feet of protection in front of the user, plus a foot of protection to either side. It detects obstacles, collisions, clears paths, locates doorways and warns of approaching curbs, steps and drop offs. The Polaron uses the same laser and ultrasound technology and can be mounted on to most electric wheelchairs, scooters and walkers, or hand-held. For more information on Nurion Industry products visit their website or call them at 610-640-2345.

Next generation iPod will talk. The new iPod will tell you what it is about to play, removing the need for users to look at the screen while selecting music. Apple has flatly refused to comment on the design, but a patent lodged by the company in the United States makes clear the sixth generation of iPods will be able to convert those famous text menus into speech. The ingenious system will rely on home PC processing power and clever software. The computer being used to download tracks will analyze each album title, song name and artist and convert them into sound files. These will be loaded into the iPod, along with the song files.

Large-Print Prayer CDs Are a Blessing. The Large-Print Ministry of Rock Island, IL is offering two CDs that can help the blind and visually-impaired in their devotions and to more fully participate in worship. "Prayers & Psalms for Today" is a large-print CD that can help in all kinds of life situations. It includes selections from Prayers and Thanksgivings, Prayers for the Sick, Prayers for Use by a Sick Person, and the entire Book of Psalms from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) of The Episcopal Church, USA. This CD is in APhontTM, a special font designed for people with severe vision challenges. The font was developed by American Printing House for the Blind. The CD is formatted in Microsoft WordTM. Most of the material is in 20 point. It is laid out for 8.5 x 11 inch pages. For more information, contact Ann Dahlen, Large-Print Ministry, Rock Island, IL at anndahlen3@aol.com or largeprinthelp@aol.com.

Housing and United Services Online Marketplace. Housing and United Services has recently joined an online marketplace with close to 1000 different stores from which to shop that include major names like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Orbitz.com for travel - goods and services include sports, entertainment, food, pets, family stores . .. and much more. Visit their website at www.husnj.net. Click on the gold button with the shopping bag icon and you will instantly enter their marketplace. When you shop, a percentage of each purchase will be sent back to Housing and United Services.

******

CHAPTER REPORTS

The ACBCNJ will hold its regular meeting from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM the second Saturday of November at the Joseph Kohn Rehab Center, 130 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. If you live in Middlesex County, please call David Zulli at (732) 985-3175 to arrange transportation. If you are coming from outside the county, the JKRC is Access Link Accessible, serviced by local busses or a $3 cab ride from the New Brunswick Train Station.

The Garden state Guide Dog Users invites all guide dog teams to the NJCB Convention on Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 to a special workshop presented by Suzanne O'Brien, Reiki/energy healing for your guide dog. Suzanne will give a hands-on class teaching handlers how to reduce stress and pain for your dog. Call Jean Cannella at (609) 587-3212 to register. There is no charge.

Mercer County Association of the Blind members and friends enjoyed the annual picnic at the Lucas'. Several of our members attended the quarterly NJCB meeting at Camp Happiness in Leonardo in July. Our fall schedule gets started with Susan Avanino from Adjustment to Vision Loss speaking to our members on September 21st. Sue Sherry from Pathways to Independence will speak at our October 19th meeting. We are looking forward to seeing you at the convention in October.

Monmouth County Association for the Blind officers for 2006-2007:

President: Elizabeth Walzer

1st Vice President: Charlotte Poole

2nd Vice President: Al Plevier

Treasurer: Tom Baehny

Recording Secretary: Bianca Stewart

Corresponding Secretary: Lisa Baehny

NJ Blind Citizens Assoc. / Camp Happiness. The NJBCA continues to forge ahead with new programs and projects. The exterior painting and repair of the summer vacation home for the blind has been completed. This $7,000 project was completely funded by the Atlantic Highlands Lions Club.

The installation of a handicap accessible restroom, and renovation of the two other restrooms in the day program building is underway. Major funding was provided by the Saddle River Lions Club. The job development program has been so well received that it is now operating on a weekly basis. NJBCA, working with the NJCBVI, now hosts eight blind/visually impaired job-seekers, three with master's degrees.

Please call director Doug Scott with any questions or suggestions at (732) 291-0878.

******

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Thursday, September 21, 2006: Mercer County Association of the Blind monthly meeting at 7:30 PM at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 1985 Pennington Road in Ewing.

Thursday, October 19, 2006: Mercer County Association of the Blind monthly meeting. See above announcement for time and place.

Friday & Saturday, October 27 & 28, 2006: NJCB Annual Convention at the Clarion Hotel/Palmer Inn in Princeton. See prior article. Directions and registration form are at the end of this issue.

Saturday, November 11, 2006: ACBCNJ meeting at JKRC. See Chapter Reports for more information.

Thursday, November 16, 2006: Mercer County Association of the Blind's monthly meeting with elections. See above announcement for time and place.

Saturday, December 2, 2006: The Friends of the Library meeting at LBH, 2300 Stuyvesant Ave., Trenton from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Saturday, December 2, 2006: Garden State Guide Dog Users meeting at the LBH after the Friend's meeting until 3 PM.

Thursday, December7, 2006: Mercer County Association of the Blind's Christmas Party at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 6:30 PM.

Saturday, January 27, 2007: NJCB Quarterly meeting at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 1985 Pennington Road in Ewing. The cross street is Carlton Ave. Directions will be in the January 2007 issue.

******

Remember that the Chronicle is your news bulletin. It can be only as good as you make it. We need information from our chapters, from individuals and from agencies and other outside groups and organizations, which serve the blind and visually impaired. If you have anything to submit, please mail it to Ottilie Lucas, 520 Ewingville Rd., Ewing, NJ 08638 or E-mail to Ottilie@verizon.net by December 1st.

******

NOTE: Disclaimer. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the New Jersey Council of the Blind officers and/or members. The editor reserves the right to edit articles submitted for both space and content.

******

The officers of the New Jersey Council of the Blind are: President-Lauren Casey of 153 Franklin Corner Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, (609) 912-0657; First Vice President- Tom Jackson of 1001 Mariner Ave., Manahawkin, NJ 08050, (609) 597-8965; Second Vice President- Ottilie Lucas of 520 Ewingville Road, Ewing, NJ 08638, (609) 882-2446; Recording Secretary- Barbara Mayo of 59 Soloff Drive, Hamilton, NJ 08610, (609) 888-5702; Corresponding Secretary- April Porter of, 1215 Silver Ct. Hamilton Square, NJ 08690, (609) 586-3689; and Treasurer- Robert Lucas of 520 Ewingville Rd., Ewing, NJ 08638, (609) 882-2446.

CONVENTION REGISTRATION FORM

Date: Friday & Saturday October 27 & 28, 2006 on Friday from approximately 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Place: The Clarion Hotel/Palmer Inn at 3499 Route 1 South, Princeton, NJ

Phone: (609) 452-2500.

Cost: $25.00 for Continental Breakfast and Luncheon Banquet and $15.00 for registration

Rooms: Make reservations directly through the hotel. The rates are $79.99 plus tax per night. Let them know that you are with NJCB.

Fill out the form below and send before October 10th to Frank Schack , 259 Rossiter Ave., Paterson, NJ 07502 and make check payable to The New Jersey Council of the Blind, Inc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Chapter:

Voting Member___, Non-voting Member ___

or Non-member ___

I would like my program in Braille ___ Large Print ___ or Regular Print ___

Registration: $15.00

Continental Breakfast and Luncheon Banquet: $25.00

Chicken Francaise____ or Beef Sirloin Tips____

Total: $40.00.