In This Issue

The UCB Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Gift Baskets. 3

Awards. 8

Sweet Potato Casserole with Nuts. 11

Topping. 11

Board of Directors and Management 12

Board of Directors Meetings. 12

Activities Calendar 13

The UCB Buzz. 15

The UCB Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Gift Baskets

Come join the Utah Council of the Blind and CenturyLink Legacy Pioneers at our annual Beeping Easter Egg Hunt and Luncheon held on Saturday, March 16^th, from 10 am - 1pm. FREE for the whole family. Food, prizes, games, and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Rain or shine, held at the DSBVI (Blind Center) at 250 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City. Please RSVP so we can get a count for food and candy treats by calling the UCB office 801-245-9264 or email us at utahblind@gmail.com.

The Easter Basket Fundraiser is Back!

Each year it gets bigger and better! This year we are expanding the options to buy the baskets across the state. We have special pick-up locations in Logan, Roy, Orem/Provo, Ephraim, Cedar City, and St. George. Others may pick up their baskets at the Easter Egg Hunt event at the Blind Center in Salt Lake City. Baskets are $15 for small and $30 for large. Please specify toddler, child, pre-teen, teen, adult, and their gender. We have many wonderful donations from Costco, Lee's, Dan's, McDonalds, Dee's Family Restaurant, Macy's, and donations from individuals. Orders must be prepaid by March 1st. Call the UCB office at 801-245-9264.

News from the Board of Directors

As is usual in the January meeting of the Board of Directors, committee assignments were made at the meeting held on the 4^th of that month as follow:

Executive (as set forth in the Bylaws):

Anna Jeffery, President

Donni Mitchell, Vice President

Jeana Nielsen, Secretary

Vicki Flake, Treasurer

Membership:

Aunilie Hathaway, Chair

Jeana Nielsen

Vicki Flake

Election:

Donni Mitchell

Cindi Vega

Vicki Flake

Rules and Bylaws:

Vicki Flake, Chair

Donni Mitchell

Shelly Hendriksen

Anna Jeffery

Aunilie Hathaway

Personal Braille Program:

Kira Larkin

Vicki Flake

Adaptive Technology Program:

Matt Barnhill, Chair

Elizabeth Anderson

Eric Carrillo

Shaun Payne

Anna Jeffery

Kate Balzly

Scholarships:

Sandy Ruconich

Anna Jeffery

Kate Balzly

Community Projects:

JD Seely

Cordie Weed

Jenni Thompson

Skills Development Program:

Anna Jeffery, Supervisor

Dennie Clark, Assistant Supervisor

Easter Egg Hunt and Lunch:

CenturyLink Legacy Pioneers

Kate Balzly

Easter Basket Fundraiser:

Sandy England

Jeana Nielsen

Kate Balzly

May Art Show:

Jeana Nielsen

May Sunshine Symposium:

Anna Jeffery

June Games Activity:

Sandy England

August Seaquest Activity:

Kira Larkin

September State Fair:

Kate Balzly

September Annual Business Meeting:

Executive Committee

October Budget and Training Meeting:

Executive Committee

November 2024 State Training Conference:

Anna Jeffery

Bill Gibson

Aunilie Hathaway

Mindi Larson

Kimber Thompson

Sarah Erb

Becky Andrews

December 2024 Holiday Celebration:

Cordie Weed

Mindi Larson

Cindi Vega

December Holiday Boutique:

Jeana Nielsen

As you can see, it takes many volunteers to carry on the work of our great organization, and there is still plenty of room for additional members on many of the committees. If you feel you can contribute some time to help out, please give us a call and let us know of your interest.

Awards

You will notice that one committee we often have is missing from the above list, the Awards Committee. This year, we are going to try something a little different. We are asking that award nominations be submitted to the Board of Directors, who will act as the committee. Awards will be presented at the State Training Conference in November.

Award nominations should include the name of the person you are nominating and two or three paragraphs explaining the reason for the nomination. The most efficient way to send a nomination is by email to utahblind@gmail.com. If this is not convenient for you, a print or braille document may be mailed to:

UCB Awards

PO Box 1415

Bountiful UT 84011-1415

We currently have four named awards for volunteers:

The Leslie H Gertsch Award for Lifetime Service and Outstanding Leadership

This award may go to a blind or sighted individual who has basically dedicated their life to serving the blind and provided leadership in the field of blindness.

The Albert M Talmage Award for Many Years of Service

This award is for a blind person who has provided many years, typically 20 or more, of service to the blind.

The Sarah Talmage Award for Many Years of Service

This award is for a sighted person who has provided many years, typically 20 or more, of service to the blind.

The Linda Kay Braithwaite Award for Years of Service

This award may go to a blind or sighted individual who has provided several years, typically 10 or more, of service to the blind.

In addition to these named awards, we have also given awards to deserving professionals, companies, organizations, or others who don’t necessarily fall into any of the named award categories.

Please give some thought over the next few months to who helps build our community, keeping us strong and independent, and helping us live enjoyable and productive lives. Then, let’s give them recognition for the great services they provide.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Nuts

From Sandy England

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Pour into 8- or 9-inch square pan.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup nuts, chopped

1/3 stick butter, melted

Combine and sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Board of Directors and Management

Anna Jeffery, President, Skills Development Program Supervisor

Donni Mitchell, Vice President

Jeana Nielsen, Secretary

Vicki Flake, Treasurer

Sandy Ruconich, Director

Sandy England, Director

Kira Larkin, Director

Shelly Hendriksen, Director

Dennie Clark, Director, Skills Development Program Assistant Supervisor

Mindi Larson, Director

David Jordan, Director

Kate Balzly, Executive Director

Board of Directors Meetings

Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. Meetings will typically be held on the first Thursday of selected months at 4:45 p.m. via Zoom. To be placed on the agenda or attend a meeting, e-mail utahblind@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.

Thursday, March 7, 2024, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting

Thursday, June 6, 2024, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting

Thursday, August 1, 2024, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. – Budget and Training Meeting (by invitation only)

Thursday, January 2, 2025, 4:45 p.m. – Board Meeting

Activities Calendar

Saturday, March 16, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., DSBVI – Annual Legacy Pioneers Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, May 4, 2024 – U of U Sunshine Symposium – watch for updates

Saturday, May 11, 2024, tentative – Art Stroll – watch for updates

Saturday, June 8, 2024 – Games Activity – watch for updates

July 5-12, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida – American Council of the Blind Annual Conference and Convention

Saturday, August 10, 2024, tentative – Seaquest Aquarium Activity – watch for updates

Monday, September 9, and Wednesday, September 11, 2024, tentative – Utah State Fair – watch for updates

Saturday, September 21, 2024, 10:00 a.m., DSBVI – Annual Business Meeting

Saturday, October 19, 2024, tentative – Halloween Spooktacular – watch for updates

Friday-Saturday, November 1-2, 2024, Davis Conference Center – Statewide Training Conference – watch for updates

Saturday, December 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., DSBVI, – Holiday Celebration – watch for updates

The UCB Buzz

The UCB Buzz is available in large print, Braille, audio CD, and by e-mail. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in a different format than what you are presently receiving, please call the UCB business office at 801-245-9264 or send an e-mail to utahblind@gmail.com and let us know.

We are always looking for articles, book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. Typically, articles must be received by the 15^th of the month to be included in the following month’s publication. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to utahblind@gmail.com; send Braille, print, or audio to UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.

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