The UCB Buzz
A publication of
Utah Council of the Blind
October 2021
For the latest news updates, call the Utah Connection 801-299-0670
or 1‑800-273-4569.
Check out the website at utahcounciloftheblind.org
Mail correspondence to:
UCB, PO Box 1415
Bountiful, UT 84011-1415.
E-mail us at ucb.board@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 ucb.board@gmail.com and let us know.
Editor: Tom Mitchell
Utah Connection Manager: Linda Holladay
In This Issue
Disclaimer.................................................................................................. 2
President's Message.................................................................................. 3
The UCB
Presents a Spooktacular Costume Party.................................... 5
Get
Acquainted with the Utah Council of the Blind..................................... 6
Sounds of
Christmas.................................................................................. 7
Help Wanted:
Teach for UCB!.................................................................... 9
General UCB
Information......................................................................... 10
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.
By Anna Jeffery
Greetings, I want to
personally thank all of those who attended our annual business meeting in
person or virtually. It is always so great to come together and feel your
positive energy. This meeting was historic in that it was the first business
meeting provided to the entire state via Zoom. It went very well, and you can
expect to see more virtual ways to participate with the council, allowing us to
enjoy the many talents of all our amazing members throughout the entire state
of Utah.
I want to thank Cordie Weed
for her time spent on the board. She has always been a pleasure to work with,
and we appreciate her willingness to help and serve in many different ways. She
will be missed on the board, but she has agreed to help in other ways, for
which we are grateful.
Donni Mitchell will continue
as vice president. I enjoy working alongside her. She has such a positive
attitude and is always willing to step in whenever needed.
Vicki Flake will also continue
her service as the treasurer of the Utah Council of the Blind. We are so
grateful for her willingness it to keep all of our numbers, math, and
checkbooks balanced.
We are excited to have a few
new board members join us. Jeana Nielsen, Kira Larkin and Michelle Hendricksen
will add to our board in a positive way and bring fresh new ideas.
New bylaws amendments were
passed, with almost half of the vote being by absentee ballots. Each ballot was
counted and considered for each vote, and we are so glad that we could receive
opinions from everyone, either in person or through the absentee ballot process.
The Albert M. Talmage Award for
lifetime service was presented to Sandy Ruconich, and Dero Gertsch and Vicki
Flake received Leslie H. Gertsch Awards for lifetime dedication, service, and
outstanding leadership. We appreciate all for their selfless service to the
organization. They are wonderful examples to me and to the rest of our
membership.
With tears in our eyes and
love in our hearts, we remembered Leslie Gertsch who has made this great
organization what it is today. We miss her, but her inspiration drives our
commitment to carry on her life's work.
As the business meeting ended, we said a fond goodbye to friends we have not seen for a long time. But let’s remember that there is still lots of work to do. If you enjoy the programs that the UCB has to offer, please reach out to us and participate in the work of this great organization.
By Monica Youngdell
Friday, October 22nd, from 5:00-7:00 pm
at the DSBVI
250 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah
Costumes are optional
Costume Contest
Dinner and Drinks
Carnival Games and Prizes
Baked Goods
Games
Door Prizes
Come mingle and celebrate Halloween!
Cost is only $3.00 (please pay at the activity)
Call 801-245-9264 to make reservations for dinner count by Friday, October 15th
By Sandy England
Mark your calendars—November 6th we will be doing our first ever Zoom activity. This educational event will present a brief history and describe the programs of our organization. The officers and directors will be introduced, and there will be time for questions and answers after the presentations. Please tell anyone who might be interested in our organization or might want to become a member.
Plan to join us for this informative activity.
Date: Saturday November 6, 2021
How to view: Zoom link at www.utahcounciloftheblind.org
Phone number to call: 1-669-900-9128, meeting i.d. 791 909 9980, passcode 1234
Time: 11:00 am-12:00 noon
Any questions call or text Sandy England at 801-634-8002 or email at syeangel@comcast.net
By Sandy England
The Riverton High School Madrigal singers will be our entertainment for this year’s Sounds of Christmas party. We'll also have some Christmas caroling.
When: Saturday, December 4th, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (lunch at 11:15 a.m.)
Place: Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City
Deadline for Reservations: Monday, November 29, 2021. Call 801-245-9264 with your reservations.
Cost: $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
We are offering craft tables for those who are visually impaired or blind. For a free table donate a door prize or pay $10 for your table. No gifting table this year. Call Sandy England to reserve your table. We will have a silent auction and bake sale fund raiser during this party. For those donating baked goods, please mark the name of the item on the package before you come.
This year we will be offering Christmas pictures. (One picture per family.) Plan to bring your family and your kids and have a wonderful Christmas picture done by Kate Schofield Balzly of Schofield Photography (Leslie’s daughter). This will be a gift from the Council to you. Have your picture with Santa.
The food will be provided by the Golden Corral: ham, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, roll and green beans. We will also serve salad and dessert. We will accept credit cards for the bake sale this year.
For questions or to volunteer, call or text me, Sandy England, at 801-634-8002 or email: syeangel@comcast.net.
Do you or someone else you know who is blind or visually impaired have great skills in one or more of the following areas: daily living skills (cooking, cleaning, marking and using appliances, etc.), reading or writing braille, using technology (iPhone, Victor Reader, computer, etc.)? If you do, if you enjoy teaching others, and if you are interested in earning $12.50 an hour while you teach the skills you know, the Utah Council of the Blind (UCB) wants to talk with you!
Many people in Utah are losing or have lost vision and need help to learn how blind or visually impaired people do everyday things. The teachers UCB is looking for, with their drivers, will go into the homes of newly blind people to show them how to do things in ways that work for blind or visually impaired people. UCB will do our best to keep you and your driver close to the area in which you live and will provide you with materials and training that will make it easier for you to teach.
Interested? Whether or not you've taught for UCB before, we need every potential teacher, now called a "Skills Development Team Leader," to fill out an application. Please contact the UCB office for that application either via email at utahblind@gmail.com or by phone at 801-245-9264. The application can also be accessed on the UCB website, utahcounciloftheblind.org.
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. If you are making a special trip to visit the office, we recommend you call ahead at 801-520-3766 to be sure she is there when you come to make purchases or conduct other business.
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 December newsletter is November 15th, and articles must be submitted in their final form. 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 office. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.
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 ucb.board@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.
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. at DSBVI in Conference Room B (first meeting room to the left, just past the foyer, as you enter the building), or via Zoom.
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Utah Council of the Blind
1301 W 500 S
Woods Cross UT
84087-2224