The UCB
Buzz
A publication of
Utah Council
of the Blind
July 2022
For the latest news
updates, check out the website at utahblind.org
Mail correspondence
to:
UCB
PO Box 1415
Bountiful, UT 84011-1415
E-mail us at utahblind@gmail.com
For credit card payments,
to make reservations, or for other business, call the business office at 801-245-9264.
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, please call the UCB business office at 801-245-9264 or send an e-mail to
utahblind@gmail.com and let us know.
In This Issue
ScriptAbility
services at Lee's Marketplace Logan Pharmacy
In
My Life – Lois Maxwell: A True Teacher
UCB
Golden Anniversary Discount on Lifetime Memberships
Board
of Directors and Management
Articles and announcements included in this publication are presented for your information and interest. They reflect the opinions of the respective authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the UCB.
The Annual Business Meeting of
the Utah Council of the Blind will be held at the Division of Services for the
Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT at 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday, September 17, 2022. Reservations are required so that we can have
enough food for everyone. Please call the business office at 801-245-9264 or
email utahblind@gmail.com with your name, the names of others in your party,
and your telephone number no later than Friday, September 10th. When you make
your reservation, please indicate whether or not each person in your party is a
member of the UCB, whether you use large print or braille, any dietary
restrictions you or a member of your party may have, and if you will need an
asl interpreter, assistive listening device, or any other accommodation.
This year, for the first time,
we will be making it possible to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting
via Zoom. If you would like to participate in this manner, please make a
reservation by calling the business office at 801-245-9264 and giving us an
email address to send the Zoom link. When you make the reservation, be sure to
let us know the names of all UCB members who will be in your group so that we
can extend voting privileges.
You may also obtain an absentee
ballot to cast your votes by mail. If you would like to receive an absentee
ballot, please call the office and 801-245-9264 and let us know. In order to be
counted, absentee ballots must be received back in our office by one week in
advance of the meeting, so please be sure to allow plenty of time for the
mailing process when requesting your ballot.
Membership Verification: In order
to vote at the annual business meeting a member's dues for 2022 must be paid no
later than September 10, 2022. If you have any questions about your membership
status, please contact us at (801) 245-9264 or via e-mail at
utahblind@gmail.com to check your status.
During this year's Annual
Business Meeting we will be electing the president, secretary, and
approximately half of our directors. As specified in the UCB Bylaws: "In
order to be eligible for election to an officer position a person must have
been a member of the organization for not less than one year and served on a
committee. In order to be elected to a board position a person must have been a
member of the organization for not less than six months."
"Any qualified member of
the organization wishing to run for a position on the Board of Directors may
notify a member of the Committee by submitting a short (one page or less)
written statement concerning his/her qualifications and vision for the future
of the organization, which will be distributed to the membership ... No
nominations from the floor or write-in candidates will be allowed."
" Officers and Directors elected at the
annual business meeting are expected to attend meetings of the Board of
Directors and training activities held between the time of their election and
the date they take office."
" The regular term of office for each
Officer and Director shall commence January 1st and be two years or until a
successor is elected or appointed as outlined in these Bylaws.”
Election Committee: We are
pleased to announce that the Election The regular term of office for each
Officer and Director shall commence January 1st and be two years or until a
successor is elected or appointed as outlined in these Bylaws. Committee chair
for this year is Shelly Hendricksen. Her committee members are Donni Mitchell
and Vicki Flake.
If you are willing to run for
one of the open positions on the Board, you must submit your written statement
to the Nominating Committee by email to:
SingingShelly@gmail.com
or by standard mail to:
UCB Nominating Committee
PO Box 1415
Bountiful UT 84011-1415
The nomination statement must be
received no later than July 10, 2022 in order to be processed and published in
the August newsletter.
Proposed Bylaws amendments may
be submitted to:
Utah Council of the Blind
Secretary
PO Box 1415
Bountiful UT 84011-1415
or by e-mail to:
utahblind@gmail.com
Proposals must be received on or before
July 10, 2022 in order for them to be prepared for publication in the August
newsletter.
By Sandi England
It is that time of the year when the UCB
recognizes those who have given their time generously serving the blind and
visually-impaired community. The UCB will present awards at the next annual
business meeting on September 17.
There are four awards offered to those who
have served so faithfully. The Albert M. Talmage award is offered to a blind
person who has given devoted service to blind and visually impaired
individuals. The Sarah Talmage Award is a similar award given to a sighted
person. The Linda Braithwaite award goes to a person who has given 10 or more
years of service to the visually-impaired -community, and the Leslie H. Gertsch
award is given to individuals who have given life-time service to the blind for
leadership and service for at least 40 years.
If you have anyone who deserves recognition
by serving you or others whom you know, write a paragraph or two about this
individual and email it to syeangel@comcast.net .-
no later than August 1, 2022. Any questions please call sandy England at
801-634-8002.
Hello,
I thought it might be a good idea to inform your organization that our Logan pharmacy has been working with Envision America and has the ability to provide talking prescription labels for patients with visual impairment.
Talking, Dual Language, Large Print
Labels/ScriptAbility/En-Vision America
(envisionamerica.com)
Should you have any questions about this service the pharmacy can be reached at 435-750-0258.
Kind Regards,
Crystal Grimes, RPh, Director of
Pharmacy
Office: (435) 774-4150 Ext. 061
505 E 1400 N Suite 110, Logan, UT 84341
ondy@leesmarketplace.com
By Tom Mitchell
Lois Maxwell was a teacher at the Utah School for the Blind during the 50s and the early 60s. I had her for several years in several grades during my years at the school, and I consider her the best teacher I ever had – bar none.
What was it that made Lois Maxwell such a great teacher? As I sat down to write this, I found that I couldn’t come up with just one outstanding thing. But I find in my memories many outstanding things that, taken together, made her a truly unforgettable teacher, and a wonderful human being.
First of all, she loved reading stories, and many times during the years, she read to us several books that contained some of the most interesting stories I ever remember reading. One was about a spaceman who had a pet cat that he took to Venus, and found a plant that enabled them to communicate telepathically. She introduced us to the literature of Charles Dickens, starting with Oliver Twist, and we found a story that we couldn’t wait to read each day. Another great book was The Last Days of Pompeii by Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton. I wish that BARD had the recording of that book that we used then. The one they have now is far inferior to the one we listened to.
She also encouraged our writing, especially asking us to submit articles for the Utah Eagle. My articles weren’t always top-notch, but she never told me my writing was no good. She always had suggestions for improving it. However, I do remember when she made us do research papers, and told me that she thought I could have done better on mine, even suggesting that I could have chosen a better topic. But she was not unkind in her criticism, just hoped I would do better in the future.
One of her frustrations concerning me was getting me to read. I was a poor Braille reader up until my mid-teens, and I think one of the reasons for that was that the stuff they gave us in Braille readers was about as interesting as the inside of an empty box. I hated the Alice and Jerry reading material she gave me to take home one summer to practice my reading, and she expressed her disappointment that I hadn’t read very much. But one thing she did was to help me to get a talking book machine, when she heard that I didn’t have one, like many of my friends had. This gave me the idea that there really were some interesting things to read in books.
But it was when I first discovered science fiction that I found reading Braille could be fun. I ran across a book titled Have Space Suit—will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein, and the title intrigued me. I took two of the three volumes home with me one weekend, then caught a cold and couldn’t go back to school that week. I finished volume 2 in the middle of the week and was frustrated when I couldn’t finish it till I got back to school the next week. But when I got to school that Monday morning, I told her about this great book I had found and couldn’t wait to finished. And she said, “I haven’t read that yet, but I’d like to. I’ve read some of Robert Heinlein’s books and I enjoy them, too.” And that gave us something to talk about, because she enjoyed science fiction. And in later years, she shared with us some of her favorite science fiction books.
She would take us on field trips, and one of the ones I remember was one where she took us to some place near school and showed us the rings on tree stumps, that showed the age of the trees. She also showed us some different kinds of plants, and what made plants different from each other. I had a neighbor who did the same thing with plants in her yard.
And then, occasionally, there were visits to her home, where she helped us make cookies, brownies, and other treats for the classroom for special occasions or holidays. And sometimes for those of us who were there on the weekend, there was Saturday afternoon visits to her home as well.
She was not there for my final year at the School, but left to pursue teaching at the Blind Center in Salt Lake, and it was truly a loss to the school when she left us.
She was a speaker at one of the UCB Conventions one year, and I happened to be Master of Ceremonies for that convention. This gave me the chance to express my feelings to her for the difference she had made in my life and the lives of others. I think what I had to say touched her, for as she came up to the podium, she squeezed my hand, and thanked me for the kind words.
It was a great privilege to have been one of her pupils, and I will be forever grateful for the influence she had on my life.
By Cordie Weed
If any of you out there are like me that cannot hear when the water is boiling, here’s a tip. I got frustrated when my eggs did not cook all the way. I mentioned my problem to my daughter. She did some searching on line and found something that will be helpful. So, she ordered them for me and I tried them out and I love them. They are called Ceramic Pot Minders. When the water is boiling the ceramic rattles in the pan. Boy, was I so happy to hear that rattling! Problem solved.
Here is where you can buy the Ceramic Pot Minder if you are interested in buying one. Ceramic Pot Minder for the Blind, braillebookstore.com.
The cost is $5:95. You won’t regret getting one of these Ceramic Pot Minders.
Donni Mitchell has an Or-Cam Read device for sale. It has been barely used. Everything is still in the box, and she’s asking $1795. You can contact her by phone at 385-628-9115, or via e-mail at donnimit50@gmail.com.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the UCB we are offering lifetime memberships at a $50.00 discount anytime during 2022. This means that you can purchase a lifetime membership for $200 rather than the usual $250. We encourage all members to take advantage of this opportunity. To pay by debit or credit card, contact Kate at 801-245-9264. To pay by check, mail your check to: UCB Membership, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415.
Donni Mitchell, our vice president, volunteers in the UCB Office at DSBVI, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT, from 12:30 to 3:30 pm on Wednesdays. She is happy to answer questions, help with purchases, visit with you on topics of interest, and make referrals when appropriate.
We are always looking for articles, book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. The deadline for submitting items for publication is the 15th of the month. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to tommit60@gmail.com; send Braille, print, or audio to UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415; or drop them off to Donni at the DSBVI office. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.
Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. Meetings will typically be held the first Thursday of each month at 4:45 p.m. via Zoom.
If you have questions or concerns for any board member, to be placed on the agenda of a board meeting, or just to attend a meeting, e-mail utahblind@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.
Anna Jeffery, President
Donni Mitchell, Vice President
Jeana Nielsen, Secretary
Vicki Flake, Treasurer
Sandy Ruconich, Executive Director
Aunilie Hathaway
Monica Youngdell
Sandy England
Kira Larkin
Shelly Hendricksen
Kate Balzly, Chief Operating Officer
Thursday, July 7, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, August 4, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, September 1, 4:45 p.m.
Annual Business Meeting, Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m. (for all members)
Thursday, October 6, 4:45 p.m.
Budget and Training Meeting, Saturday, October 15, 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 3, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, December 1, 4:45 p.m.
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