The UCB Buzz
A publication of
Utah Council of the Blind
March 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
Have
You Ever Thought of Getting a Guide Dog?
Hale
Center Theater Has Great Plays
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.
Well, gang, I’m back. I’m sorry that I’ve been unable to edit this magazine for the past several months, but we moved. And for some reason, after the move the old computer with which I’ve been working for the past nearly 14 years, gave up the ghost and died. And it took some weeks for me to purchase a new machine and begin to get the programs I need, and learn a bunch of new Windows commands and tricks and so I felt unable to work on the magazine. I’m still learning about Windows 10, but I’m now to a point where I can write and, I believe, put the magazine together. I also had to obtain a new license key for the audio program I use to make up the audio edition and learn some new tricks with it, but now I have managed to clear that hurtle.
As you may have guessed, there have been some other changes,
mostly concerning the UCB. As of January, Jeana Nielsen is the UCB Secretary. In September, I was called to a position
in our newly-organized branch, and our executive meetings are held on Thursdays
at 5:00, the time of our monthly board meetings. And so, it became necessary for
me to resign from the Board. But the Board asked if I would be willing to continue
editing the Buzz and I said I could. Now that I have a working computer, I believe
we can start getting things back to normal as I said earlier.
Now, for another
subject. But I believe this is important. The UCB is feeling the money crunch from
the COVID-19 pandemic which is still affecting us. It’s possible that some of the
board won’t appreciate what I’m about to say, but I think you all need to know a
few things. Many of the grants we usually count on for funding our programs have
either been reduced or have not been available. This has resulted in cutbacks in
a number of our services. I can honestly tell you that the Board of Directors is
as unhappy about this as you are. Before I left, we had to make many decisions that
hurt our hearts to make. So, one thing we need right now is donations. If you are
able to donate anything to the UCB – anything at all – we would all benefit.
It wouldn’t have to be much, but a few dollars here, a few dollars there, would
help. And if we got enough small donations from a lot of people, it could help us
keep our services going.
And lastly, I
need articles for this magazine. If you’ve read a good book, (or maybe even a bad
one), and you’d like to tell us about it, we’d like to hear. If you have a good
household tip that helps you, tell us about it. We all need help every now and then.
If you know a funny story, we could all use a good laugh. If you have a recipe (especially
one with chocolate) let’s have it. But we’ll take any recipes you have to share.
Sandy England has shared some fine ones in the past, but I’m sure she’s not the
only one who has good food ideas. If you want to gripe about something, okay. We
just want to hear from you. If you look at the end of each issue, there’s a paragraph
that tells you how to send in an article. But it’s really easy. Send them to me
via email at tommit60@gmail.com. If you need to send it in large print or Braille
or even on tape, send it to the UCB Post Office Box. The address is at the end of
the magazine.
If you want to
advertise an event or activity, we must receive your article by the 15th
of the month before your event. Of course, if we can receive the information sooner,
marvelous. The quicker, the better.
I like to think
of this magazine as not just the UCB’s magazine, but as our magazine. It’s
for all of us.
– Tom Mitchell
Come join the Utah Council of the Blind and Legacy West Pioneers for our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 9th, 2022, from 10 am to 1 pm. Held at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DSBVI) 250 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City. Lunch will be provided by Legacy West Pioneers at no charge. Come hunt to the beep of Easter Eggs and fill your baskets with Easter goodies. Please RSVP for this event. You may call Connie at 801-266-2184 or the UCB Business office at 801-245-9264.
Easter Baskets filled with delicious candies, chocolates, and prizes. Many with stuffed easter animals. Baskets are designed for age appropriate. Please specify if you would like a child basket 11 and younger, and toddler basket 5 and younger, or teen/adult. Baskets must be pre-ordered and paid by April 2nd, 2022. Pick up your basket at the DSBVI on Wednesday, April 6th, in the UCB office from 12 pm-3:30 pm or Saturday, April 9th, 2022, between 10 am-1 pm at our Annual Easter Egg Hunt event. No deliveries available. Call to order yours now. UCB business office 801-245-9264.
Editor’s note: the following is excerpted from an e-mail received by our president.
Hello Utah Council of the Blind,
My name is Karma, and I am a Project Coordinator at Pactera EDGE, a language and data services company in Redmond, WA. Apart from traditional translation projects into more than 140 languages, we work with large tech companies to improve their Artificial Intelligence products, which in turn improve the lives of people with disabilities.
I contacted ACB’s national office in October last year regarding the Rainbow Project. Since then, we have had a few participants from ACB who successfully completed the project. Below are some testimonials we received.
“My overall experience with the rainbow project was invigorating! I would recommend any person with a challenge to engage in the experience of selfies and use of adaptive software. I discovered a sense of pride in seeking myself up close.”
“The best of the project was learning how to use technology such phone camera and voice activated software to angle photos. Usually, the camera was not use by me due to lack of sight.”
“The staff at the rainbow project are superior in willingness to make an accommodation and focus on multicultural subjects.”
We have kicked off Phase 2 of Rainbow and are focusing our efforts on reaching more participants with vision impairments right now.
Participants will collect 25-50 pictures of themselves and record a short video (20-40 seconds) doing simple actions (smiling, V sign, blinking, etc). We will provide accessible training materials and technical support to guide them throughout the project.
Here is an
accessible intro video with more details: https://knowledgebase.oneforma.com/?page_id=3217
We are also making our signup process more accessible. Our new registration page just went live today, where participants can give consent to the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and informed consent form (ICF) using checkboxes.
Participants’ privacy is our top priority. All photos and videos for the project will be for machine learning purpose only and will not be shared with any third party or the public.
We offer top tier pay rates among similar data collection projects for each participant. It will also open up opportunities to them to participate in many other projects available on our secure platform. Additionally, we will make a donation to your organization for each participant who successfully completed the project.
Interested participants should email recruitment@pacteraedge.com with Rainbow in the subject line and mention your association.
I’d love to share more details and would be happy to have a meeting with you to go over the process.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Karma Garman. Project Coordinator – AI Dept.
14980 NE 31st St, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052, USA
karma.garman@pacteraedge.com
www.pactera-edge.com
Pactera Technologies NA, Inc.
By John Jeppesen
Editor’s Note: The following is sent by John Jeppesen in remembrance of Howard Franklin who lived in Utah County, and passed away in 1983. I think it’s good to remember those in the past who have worked with the blind and been our leaders.
My recollections of Howard Franklin a man who was afflicted
with blindness but did not let that define who he was.
I am not sure when my family first became acquainted with Howard and Dena. I know that we attended Utah County Blind Association activities when I was about 10 so I assume it was the early 1960s.
Near that time, Howard and Dena moved into what we affectionately called the “White House” (located at 1589 S Sandhill Road, Orem Utah). They took up residence in the main floor apartment. They may have been the first renters that we had after dad bought the property from his sister Geraldine. After they had moved in, Dena wanted the apartment painted. Rhodes Jeppesen (my father) bought the paint they wanted and Howard painted the apartment with Dena supervising. Mom (Orvilla Jeppesen) told us that as Howard painted, Dena would tell him where he had missed a spot and he would go back over it. I don't know if he also painted the trim, but with the other things I know about him, I wouldn't be surprised.
While he was the blind association president, mom told of how they were filling Christmas stockings for the kids coming to the party. She said that they were in the apartment kitchen pushing boxes of stockings, candy, nuts, popcorn and etc. from place to place as they worked together. Howard supervised, he walked back and forth around the maze of boxes and she said he never kicked one of them.
She told us that Howard had a sixth sense, knowing that he was going blind, he practiced and the doctors who were helping him prepare were amazed at his awareness of his surroundings. He didn't want a “Seeing Eye” dog and I think he only rarely used a cane. Mom told us he practiced pouring coffee by holding his finger on the edge of his cup to feel the heat. Speaking of coffee, pretty much every morning for years, dad would cross the road to have a morning cup with Howard.
Howard was a gregarious person, he loved to be around people. In the early years that they lived there, Rhodes operated a potato chip company. While dad sat at the chip cooker, Howard would come over and stand by him and visit. While he visited with dad, my sister Colleen and I challenged each other to see if we could get close to him without him noticing. Bear in mind that as dad sat at the cooker there was a large blower he used to adjust the fire in the oil heating coils. There were also various pumps, and conveyor motors and the incessant noise of the chips boiling as they cooked. In spite of all of this, I don't think either of us ever got within six feet of him before he would turn around and ask who was there.
He had a pickup truck and a fishing boat. He and dad would go fishing up at the Deer Creek Reservoir in Provo Canyon. A lot of times I would go with them. Once the boat was in the water, Howard was in charge. He would pilot that little craft up and down the lake and up into and out of the Walsburg inlet as we drug our trolling tackle through the water. The only times that I remember him asking if he needed to change course was when another boat approached and he would ask what direction they were going so that he could avoid tangling lines. Also, at the end of the day as we approached the boat ramp he asked about final directions to the ramp. I asked him how he knew where he was. He said that he could tell by the echo from shore, the breeze and sun on his face and I guess an innate sense of time. Once while fishing he called out that I had a fish on my line. I was surprised, I didn't realize I had hooked a fish but he did. I don't know to this day how he knew.
One day, before the Sandhill Road was paved, I watched as he drove down out of his driveway, then north about 100 feet, up the potato chip plant driveway, around and back behind their garage. He went for walks up and down and around the greenhouses. I asked him if he counted steps. No, he didn't he just always knew where he was. My wife (Nancy Jeppesen) mentioned after reading this that she watched him back his truck up to hitch up the boat trailer.
He did some woodworking and had a table saw and other tools. He made a shelf for my brother Jay to display his HO scale model trains on. He made a doll cabinet for my sister Colleen and I was told the only help he had was from his dad Eddie to make sure the wood grain on the doors matched. Jay and Marlene had him make a doll cupboard for Cheryl. Hers was double the size of Pauline’s. But Colleen always felt hers was especially nice because of the love he added.
Eddie by the way came and lived with them for several years before he died. He was an avid gardener and was able to raise some wonderful vegetables in spite of his little garden being shaded by two large pine trees, a sycamore tree and a large lilac bush.
One of my tenderest memories of Howard was one early spring day, I was talking to him in the driveway of the house. I picked a pansy and handed it to him. I described the colors and watched as he smelled it and then very gently traced the shape of the petals and felt the soft surface with his fingers. Though he couldn't see it, he truly did see many things that most of us miss.
Recently, I lost an eye due to cancer. As I thought of facing this impediment, I remembered Howard. He was an awesome example of how to face adversity. I don't remember him ever complaining. He just seemed to enjoy whatever situation he was in. I'm sure he was an inspiration to many people in his life. May God bless him and his dear Dena who loved and supported him for so many years.
By Tom Mitchell
I’ve recently run across a marvelous talking clock that I believe would be great for the deaf-blind. Unfortunately, I don’t have its proper name, because I couldn’t find a clock with its exact description on the Reisen website, but I will try to describe it.
I’m not good at dimensions so I won’t even try to tell you how wide, tall or deep it is. The front has a large display screen with three small buttons on the left hand on the bottom, and a long rectangular button on the right. On the back is a connector into which a vibrating module can be connected, and a two-position volume control switch for changing the volume. In the clock that I have is another hole which looks like it’s there for something, but since this unit was probably used, I don’t believe I have everything that comes with it.
What makes it useful for the deaf-blind in particular, I believe, is the vibrating module that connects to the back of the unit. It has a cord that I think may be about 6 feet long, so that the clock can be set on a night stand or table by the bad, and the module rested on the bed, perhaps by a pillow. The clock’s alarm can be set to vibrate so that it will wake the owner by vibrating the bed. The vibrator is quite strong, and I think could shake the whole bed, though I haven’t tried it.
Announcements, such as time, alarm, and the menu settings are announced in a clear male voice which is much louder than any other talking clock I’ve seen. (The audio version of this article demonstrates.) The alarm has no snooze.
I believe it will soon be in the office for those who may want to see it.
For more information, try checking out the www.reison.com website, or Maxi-aids.com or lsns.com.
By Sandy England
There are Guide Dogs, Seeing Eye Dogs, Leader Dogs – many more schools to pick from. These dogs are highly trained to guide you and keep you safe as you travel around. Typically, they start at the school as puppies, they go to a puppy raiser for home training and socialization, then they go back to the school for the hard work of becoming a Guide Dog. Choosing the school where you would like to go to receive your dog is important. They make it easy for you. You call or contact them online, get information, fill out an application, and some schools will do a phone appointment and interview and come out to your house. While they are there, they will want to look at your surroundings and watch your mobility and see that you are familiar with the area you live in. Talk to those people who have dogs or have had them in the past. Those of us who use them have found them to have a gentle, sweet nature and willing to serve you and guide you. I lost my dog recently and didn’t realize how much I relied on her for help, and how she fit in our life with walking, travel, play-time and more. They are a joy and fun as well as the good working dogs they are trained to be. Some people you might want to ask are people like me (Sandy England), Tom and Donni Mitchell, Sandy Ruconich, Cindi Vega, and Marnie West. I have only worked with one school and will say their support is wonderful and they are willing to work out any problems or obstacles you might encounter. We who have had dogs wish you luck and know you will love to have one of these dogs in your life.
By Tom Mitchell
First of all, I need to clarify what I’m talking about here. I’m not talking about old-time radio shows like Jack Benny or The Lone Ranger or stuff like that. I’m talking about how radio used to sound. I miss the time. Not that I listen much to radio anymore, but one thing I seldom hear, is the time. They don’t tell you what time it is. It used to be if a DJ played a song, and then maybe a commercial or two, he’d come back, maybe start to play a song, and then while the introduction was playing, he’d say something like, “it’s 12:22 pm now, and here’s Doris Day reminding us that Everybody Loves a lover.” And by then, Doris would be ready to sing. Or, maybe, just before the news, he’d ID the station and say, “This is KRZY in Salt Lake City, and it’s 2 o’clock.” But sometimes, if you do hear the time today, the computer may be an hour off. (By the way, there never was a station in Salt Lake City called KRZY. In the 1950s or 60s rock era, that station could have been called Crazy Radio.)
And that’s another thing I miss; call-letters. It used to be you knew stations by their call-letters. You’d know about KSL, KDYL, KALL, KNAK in Salt Lake, KOVO, KIXX, and KEYY in Provo, (the one I used to work on) KLO in Ogden, KVNU in Logan, KCDR in Cedar City, KTUT in Tooele, and I could name a bunch more. People knew the stations by those letters. Now, it’s all numbers. AM-700, 94-FM, AM-1160 (pronounced eleven-sixty) or 102.5-FM, 89.5-FM. People see the numbers now on their radios identifying the frequencies, and don’t know the call-letters, since stations rarely used them. But the only time now you hear call letters it seems, is on or near the hour, when stations must ID.
I guess I could complain some more, but you wouldn’t want to read it. But these are just a few things I miss about radio. It just doesn’t sound the same anymore.
By Sandy
England
Have you seen a play at the Hale Center Theater? Tom and Donni Mitchell and my husband, John, and I went to watch “The Christmas Carol” in early December. You must ask them when you are planning to come which dates they do audio description because it’s not available every night. They also have interpreters for the deaf.
It was great! They provide you with headphones, and do such
an excellent job telling us what is going on during the silent part of the play.
We all sit in the same section however I am sure they will let you sit someplace
else if you have a sighted person with you who might want to be in a different section
of the theater. There are two theaters, a small and a larger one. The Center has
two plays going at the same time. So next time you want to think of something fun
to do, try the Hale Center Theater. You’ll enjoy your evening. Feel free to call
one of us if you would like more information or call the Hale Center Theater box
office.
by Donni
Mitchell
This recipe is easier than it looks, and it’s so yummy. From
Betty Crocker's
cookbook
Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening or 2/3 cup lard
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Measure flour and salt into bowl.
Cut in shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing
until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Gather dough
into ball; shape into flattened 2 rounds on lightly floured cloth-covered board.
With floured rolling pin, roll 2/3 of dough into a 14 inch square. Cut into 4 squares.
Roll remaining dough into rectangle, 14 by 7 inches; cut into 2 squares. Place apples
on each square.
6 baking apples, each about 3 inches in diameter, pared and cored
3 tablespoons of raisins
3 tablespoons chopped nuts
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
Mix raisins and nuts; fill center of each apple with raisin nut
mixture. Moisten corners of squares of dough; bring 2 opposite corners of pastry
up over apples and press together. Fold in sides of remaining corners as if wrapping
a package; bring corners up over apples and press together. Place dumplings in ungreased
baking dish, 11 1/2 by 7 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches.
Heat brown sugar and water to boiling; carefully pour around dumplings. Spooning syrup over dumplings 2 or 3 times during baking; bake about 40 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender. Serve warm or cool; if desired, top with sweetened whipped cream
In our Meet Our Members article in our last issue we misspelled Linda’s last name. Her correct name is Linda Holladay.
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.
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, e.g. the deadline for the April newsletter is March 15th. 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, March 3, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, April 7, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 5, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, June 2, 4:45 p.m.
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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