THE MISSOURI CHONICLE (September, 2000)

We have a packed issue again, so I will keep my remarks brief, just my usual reminders. Let me know about address changes, so you don't miss your Chronicle. Those of you who use computers, remember we now have the Chronicle on disc as a text file. We're sending out about fifteen copies on disc, so let me know if you want to change your format to the disc edition. Readers who get discs usually get their copies before anyone else. Also let me know if you elect new affiliate presidents so we can keep the Insert up to date

I would like to offer my congratulations to Jerry Annunzio, who waged a tough battle and came out a winner in the election for a seat on Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind. We can all be proud of Jerry. I'm sure Jerry will keep us all informed on ACB activities and give us a strong voice on the ACB Board.
In this issue: Donna's eye surgery, convention information, the life of Carolyn Anderson, a book review, an award for Father Boni, the ADA torch relay, candidate's letters, affiliate news, the lower left-hand Drawer and more. So let's go.

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President's Message
by Edna Freeman

It is with the greatest pleasure that I congratulate Jerry Annunzio on his election to the ACB Board Of Directors at the ACB Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. He will serve a four-year term as a representative from the Missouri Council of the Blind. My congratulations also to the seventy-five members of MCB who gave their time and effort to make MCB'S ideas and values heard on the floor of the Convention and in the many meetings held during the week of the 4th of July. There were many important matters discussed. MCB members attended the meetings and our voices were heard expressing our need for expanded transportation, more older blind services, better employment for the blind, better protection for our pedestrians, easier access to information both on the Internet and in other methods of communication, access to descriptive video service on television, and many other areas of interest to our members and friends. MCB stood seventy-five members strong and we made a difference in setting the direction of ACB. Our finest hour was in the election of Jerry Annunzio to the Board of ACB.

We also shared information with other State Affiliates. We in MCB started a trend that I am sure will travel across the United States. Our success with the standards in the One-Stop-Shops and our success in enlarging the scope of the Telecommunications Bill were a victory for blind persons that will soon have a far-reaching effect. Our method of getting these two jobs accomplished and the supporting documents for these issues were given to many states. Since I have been back in Missouri, I have received two calls asking for information which will allow more states to move forward in these areas.

Ladies and Gentlemen, MCB is a progressive and strong organization able to make a positive difference in the lives of persons who are blind. We sweat together through processes which make our world better for everyone. We agree sometimes and sometimes we argue, but through it all we grow and become more cohesive in our determination to make MCB, our state of Missouri, and ourselves, wiser and more attuned to the mission of our organization. We truly believe in the premise of respect for all people and in the individual's right to be treated equally under the law in our communities. We still have a lot of work to do in order to make our state truly a safe place for all. In the past week I was contacted in regard to two acts of discrimination against blind persons. One issue involved housing and the other issue involved the protection of blind persons being harassed and stalked. Yes, these things still happen and MCB must always be here to help in the resolution of wrong actions against our fellow persons who are blind. It is very important that we strengthen our membership and strengthen our resolve to make a positive difference and stand strong against discrimination.

Your Affiliate is receiving referrals from Leroy Welch, our Membership Chair. Please follow up on these names and invite them to your meetings. We need new members to bring in new ideas and energy to carry on the work of MCB. We have made long strides toward total equality but we still have many issues of discrimination to face. Help make our voice even stronger and louder. We are an action organization and we need the combined voices of youth and older blind persons to join us in the positive work for the blind. There are intelligent and energetic persons who are blind waiting for the invitation to join us. Reach out and make them a working part of your affiliate.

See you in Branson in October. Edna.

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From The Executive Director's Desk
by Sheri Keller

Some as you may have had the chance to interact with our temporary secretary, Jonel Beach. She has worked in our office for most of the summer. She will be leaving on August 4 and she will be greatly missed. Good luck, Jonel!

I recently spoke to the Rehabilitation Services Student Connection, which was held July 28 through July 30. Both the Missouri Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind were represented.

During the month of May, I attended another 401 Committee meeting. Discussions are continuing regarding the current budget request.

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Education and Welfare Report
by Lucille Fierce

The lazy days of summer almost made me think there was not much that had happened since my last report, but I began to think of things which had occurred which you might find very interesting.

There were a number of message sent to our elected officials asking them to support a variety of issues such as MiCassa, HOUSE Bill 1111, and HR 3590. MiCassa (The Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act) is a bill to provide long term care reform for people with disabilities. The Missouri Council of the Blind urged Governor Mel Carnahan to sign HB 1111 (The Social Service Budget) with the Medicaid flexibility language intact as passed by the General Assembly. We did thank him for all of the support that he has given us and others with disabilities during his term as governor. Letters were sent to our Congressional Representatives asking them to vote against any suspension regarding HR 3590, which would weaken the ADA. HR 3590 would have weakened Title III of the ADA, referring to accommodations for public entities.

Since I am still on the Board of Paraquad, an organization for independent living in the St. Louis area, I was asked to participate in the the 4th of July celebration which was to bring attention to the tenth anniversary of the signing of the ADA. On the first of July, a parade preceded the weekend's activities at Fair St. Louis. In this parade, I was given the opportunity to carry the torch in the ADA Torch Relay. Rick Belcher, one of our new UWB members, also carried the torch in the parade. Darrell Lauer carried the Torch through Busch Stadium on July 4th. John and Donna Weidlich helped carry the Torch through Keiner Plaza and, along with Anna Schell, volunteered their time to maintain a booth for the Missouri Council of the Blind at Fair St. Louis on July 4th. Thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to aid in the celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the ADA.

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Public Relations Report
by Bill Burris

Seventy-five Missouri Council of the Blind members made their way by car and by plane to Louisville, Ketucky for the 39th annual convention of the ACB. Next year it's going to be in Des Moines, Iowa, a city comparable in size to Louisville and about the same distance for those of us who live in outlying areas of Missouri. Why not make your plans now for the 2001 convention in Des Moines? I think every member of the MCB had a fantastic time while they were in Louisville. However, some had car trouble and a lot of out of pocket expense. A group of five members limped into St. Louis from Springfield where their car gave up the ghost. When they finally got it to a garage and found out that it was going to cost them several hundred dollars and a week's wait to get it repaired, they rented another vehicle and made it on to Louisville. Another van bit the dust on the way to Louisville to pick up members from St. Louis. It was a costly trip for some, and we are sorry that these things happen. Hope you all made it home safely after your ordeal.

One of the main events in Louisville was the fact that we got one of our own elected to the Board. It's been many years since one of our members was on the ACB Board. Jerry, we're proud of you and we want you to know that if there is anything we can do to make your stint on the Board a better one, all you have to do is call on the Missouri Council.

Our Fearless leader, Edna, had really a soft job this year at the general sessions. She got Chip to get up and do all of her reporting while she enjoyed the sessions. You did a great job, Chip. Keep it up.

There were several tours available to the 1,401 members who registered for the Convention, such as a boat ride on the Ohio River, and a tour of the American Printing House. One evening nine of us enjoyed a ride on a horse-drawn carriage along the river bank outside the hotel, with some explanation of the old buildings in that area. Poor old Dobin had a heavy load to pull, and at the top of every hill, he had to stop and catch his breath. Too bad he didn't have a partner to help him pull that wagon. You can always get more accomplished when you have a partner working by your side to help get things done.
The sessions were long this year at the Convention and I hope that in the future they might decide not to have so many speakers and to take care of the business at hand. There were a total of fifty-nine resolutions that had to be read, reread, debated and finally voted on. We were there until 2:30 on Saturday afternoon before we were dismissed and allowed to make our way home.

Readers at the American Printing House for the Blind spoke briefly to us on Saturday and indicated a problem that they were facing at APH. It might help if you would contact the Printing House and encourage them to right out this troublesome labor dispute. (More details on this situation can be found at the end of Bill's report.) It would be terrible to lose such great readers as Roy Avers, Jack Fox and others that you enjoy. They put out 500 books annually as well as magazines such as Reader's Digest and Newsweek.
Speaking of the APH, they have come out with a new four-track cassette player-recorder. The cost is $225. It is the same size as your Talking Book player and very similar to the one they had several years ago except that it has stereo playback when you use headphones. The jacks are on the front for easy access. It has a switch which will enable you to monitor what you are recording. It comes with a nice canvas carrying case and rechargeable battery. It has a built-in microphone and a jack for an external mike. I believe it does an excellent job of recording.

As you you know, old time radio programs are made available through the Wolfner Library. The Secretary of State's office decided that we should not be spending our money on the Amos 'not Andy radio programs that millions of people have enjoyed since the 1930s. In fact, during those troubled years, when the Amos 'not Andy program came on and people were downtown, they would stop by an appliance store and listen while standing outside the door to the broadcast. If people were preparing their supper, everything stopped until the program was over. Movie theaters would stop the movie in progress while the show was on, so that theater-goers could listen to the latest adventures of these comedians. But the Secretary of State chose not to purchase this type of program along with the other types of radio shows that are available. The MCB has taken it on themselves to purchase some Amos 'not Andy radio programs. I have eighteen of them in my possession which I ordered and which I will present to Lisa at Wolfner Library the next time I am in Jefferson City. If you want more of them, let us know and we'll see if we can buy more to add to the collection. We spend about a thousand dollars every year on Descriptive Videos and I don't think it would hurt us to spend a little bit more and purchase the programs that people want to hear since the Secretary Of State's Office chose not to purchase them for us.

Don't forget the MCB State Convention coming up in October. Hope to see you there and that you make this an annual event. See you at the Convention.

Editor's note: Bill sent along with this report a tape made by several of the narrators at APH regarding their contract dispute. It is much too long to include here, but I will try to summarize what they had to say. In April 1998 APH narrators voted to join AFTRA (The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), of the AFL-CIO. They voted for union representation despite opposition by management at APH. Since then, narrators have been trying to negotiate a contract with management. The narrators claim that the government has charged APH with violations of Federal labor law during the the collective bargaining process with AFTRA. Three unfair labor practice complaints were filed against APH, resulting in an agreement to give narrators back pay. APH also agreed not to bypass the union when making changes in the retirement plan. Narrators accuse APH of jeopardizing the entire recording operation by threatening narrators with a lock-out. They are asking for your support to help them achieve a fair contract with the Printing House. Issues include health insurance and paid sick leave for part-time employees, changes in the work environment, and better wages for both part-time and full-time narrators. APH negotiators have reportedly said that their wage proposals are not based on financial hardships but simply on their desire not to pay narrators more than they are getting. APH narrators ask you to contact Dr. Tuck Tinsley, President of APH, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville Ky 40206-0085 or call 502 895-2405. They also suggest contacting Frank Kurt Cylke with the National Library Service, asking him to intervene in the negotiations for an equitable contract for talking book narrators at APH. The narrators say they are committed to their work of providing books and magazines to the blind but that they want a fair contract and fair treatment from APH.

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Branson 2000

October is fast approaching and the plans for the Convention are shaping up nicely. I hope you are excited about visiting "entertainment USA" for a productive and fun convention.

In addition to Yakov Smirnoff for Saturday night, we now have a commitment from Barbara Fairchild to entertain us on Friday night. If you are interested in other opportunities for shows, shopping or activities that will take you away from the Settle Inn, I will be available to help you with information and telephone numbers.

Transportation in Branson is a bit of a problem but after some research, I believe that A-OK Shuttle is the most reasonable in price and most accommodating in their service. They will shuttle from Springfield or around Branson. The telephone number for A-ok Shuttle is (417) 334-8687.

There are many places to eat in Branson but in the hotel there is only one restaurant. Because of limited time available to us for lunch on Saturday, there will be a box lunch for sale in the lobby for those who wish to avoid the crowd. The lunch will include a sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie and a drink for a price of $6.50. For breakfast, there is a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast that will be served in the Convention room each morning. The Friday evening meal will be provided by MCB with entertainment to follow. For the banquet on Saturday night the entree is prime rib. The ticket price is $16.50.

If you are arriving in Branson by car, the directions to the Settle Inn Hotel are as follows: Exit Highway 65 onto Highway 76 West (The Strip). Continue on 76 to Green Mountain Drive. There is a Walmart Shopping Center on the left. Turn left between Walmart and McDonald's. Follow Green Mountain Drive for about one mile, staying to the right. Make a left turn on Summit Drive. Go about one half block to the hotel. The Pirate's Cove Restaurant is across from the turn. The office is in the first building that you come to.

If you have questions that you would like to ask prior to the Convention, you may call me at ("417" 883-3484. To make hotel reservations, call (800) 677-6906.

Nancy Hodson, Convention Coordinator, Queen City Council

Here is information for dog guide users from Diane Diffey: This year the MCB state Convention will be held at the Settle Inn in Branson. Dog guide users will have a block of rooms on the ground floor. With your back to the registration counter, make a left and continue into Building B. Our rooms are at the end of the hall just before the door leading to the covered walkway that connects Buildings A and B. On either side of this walkway is a grassy parking area and disposal unit for dog waste.

We will have a table in the lobby near the registration counter. Don't forget the breakfast for dog guide users on October 13th.

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Guide Dog Breakfast

Attention All Missouri Guide Dog Users: There will be a Guide Dog Users breakfast at this year's MCB State Convention in Branson. The breakfast will be from 7:30-8:45 on Friday, October 13th in the Knights of the Roundtable Room of the Settle Inn. The Knights of the Roundtable Room is located on the same floor as the front desk. For more information as to the location of the Knights of the Roundtable room, you may check with the front desk or you may call the hotel at (800) 677-6906. The breakfast is free to all Missouri Guide Dog Users. All other interested parties will be required to pay for their own breakfast. The cost will be $8.00. Breakfast will consist of a fruit tray, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and orange juice and coffee. Please notify me, Chip Hailey, before October 10, if you are planning to attend. You can reach me at (417) 781-6728 or (417) 659-8086. Hope to see you and your special friend at the breakfast.

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Election 2000: The Candidates Speak

On Sunday, October 15, MCB members will elect four officers: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Secretary. This could be a very interesting election with some close contests. Since the Secretary cannot run for re-election and others have decided not to run for second terms, it is certain that some of these offices will be occupied by new people when the election is over. You can also be sure that many serious issues involving MCB will be hotly debated either on the Convention floor or in private conversations before the election takes place. Here are the letters from candidates for these offices received in the Editor's office as of August 8. These are probably not the only people who be running for office on Sunday, but these are the letters from candidates who asked for space in this article. All letters received have been printed here; none were left out.

Before we get to the candidates, however, here is a letter from someone who is not running for office. As most of you probably know by now, our President, Edna Freeman, has made the difficult decision not to seek a second term. I am including her letter because that decision will surely have a major influence on the election and on the future of our organization. Here is Edna's letter:

Dear Friends,

I will not be running for President of the Missouri Council of the Blind at our convention in Branson this year.

Many significant problems have recently occurred within my family. My time and energy will need to be focused on addressing these issues.

The Presidency of MCB demands the full attention, dedication of talents, and time to frequently travel back and forth across the state. I cannot at this time give you the time you deserve. Also, I will not be able to attend all of the meetings required by our Constitution.

I have loved being your President for six years. You honored me by allowing me to be the President of MCB. Every visit I made to the Affiliates and every moment I spent with you were stimulating and thought provoking. Together we accomplished many good things for the blind population. I, of course, will be with all of you as we continue forward with our mission. We have made a better world for persons who are blind and we will strive together for that status of equal rights we deserve.

See you in Branson,
Edna

As of this writing, one person, Chip Hailey, has declared his intention of running for the office of President. Here is his letter outlining his qualifications for the job:

Dear MCB members and friends,

As many of you know, we will be having elections at our state convention in October. One of the elections this year will be for MCB President. I would, therefore, like to announce my intentions of running for President. It has been my distinct pleasure of having served you as second vice president during the past year. I feel as though we have accomplished a great deal. Still, I feel as though a great deal more needs to be accomplished. I would now like the opportunity to serve you as President, and together, I believe we can accomplish even greater things in the future. I would be eternally grateful for your support in October. Thank you for your confidence and I will be looking forward to seeing you in Branson. A brief resume follows:

Raymond Howard Hailey II, #bidj West 17th Street
Joplin, Missouri 64801
(417) 781-6728

Education: Missouri Southern State College of Joplin, Missouri in 1991-93 with 3.2 GPA.

   Completed the Program for the Blind, now Center for Blindness and Low Vision, in Kansas City, Missouri in 1990-91.
  Received training in basic computer skills, orientation and mobility, Braille, activities in daily living (ADL), and attitudes towards blindness.
  Completed one trimester at Oklahoma State Tech 1977 with a 4.0 GPA.
  Memorial High School of Joplin, Missouri, 1970 graduate.

   Work Experience: Independent Living Specialist at the Independent Living Center in Joplin since May 1996. Counseled individuals and developed and implemented programs.
  Four years experience in Braille transcription. Worked as a production worker at Wichita Industries and Services for the Blind, now Envision, in Pittsburg, Kansas from January 1994, to April 1996.
  Became a licensed minister in 1982 and was ordained in 1983.

   Community Service: Served as President, first Vice President, membership chairman, board representative, and chaplain of the Southwest Missouri Friendship Council of the Blind.
  Missouri Council of the Blind Youth Services Chairman 1996-2000
  Second Vice President of the Missouri Council of the Blind since 1999
  Represented the Missouri Council of the Blind before the state and federal legislators
  Served on the Missouri Youth Leadership Forum committee since 1997.
  A member of the Governor's Advisory Board for Rehabilitation Services of Missouri since September of 1993.
  Represented Wichita Industries and Services for the Blind of Pittsburgh, Kansas at the Sedgwick County Planning Event for developmental and physically disabled persons in March of 1995.
  Co-chairman of the Joplin ADA Access Committee since March 1996. Also served as chairman of the subcommittee on signage, interpretations, and public notices of the Joplin ADA Access Committee since May 1997.
  Chairman of the Joplin Public Library Access Committee.
   Served on the Board of Directors for the Independent Living Center in Joplin.
  The above work experience and community activities allow me to bring to you 20 years public speaking experience and knowledge of blind issues from behind the desk and from behind a machine, an understanding of solutions to remove community barriers, the ability to listen to an individual facing new choices because of a disability and finding common ground from which to gain independence, the knowledge of how to open dialog with community, state and national leaders in order to present disability issues and assist in developing solutions, organizational skills, and ability to set and reach goals.

Special Interests: Enjoy a variety of sports, such as basketball, football, and baseball and I am interested in bringing more opportunities to the disabled for active sports and competitive activities, community involvement and participation in outdoor recreation.
I bring to the Presidency a dedicated spirit focused on the well being of MCB and I ask for your support for my candidacy as President. May god continue to bless our endeavors as we strive together to achieve independence, equality, and opportunity for all blind Missourians. Most sincerely Chip Hailey

There are currently two candidates for the office of First Vice President. The incumbent, Dennis Miller, is being challenged for the office by Bill Benson. Here are their letters:

Dennis Miller
1014 N. Osteopathy Street
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 627-4857
e-mail: dennismiller`cableone.net

Dear MCB Members:

I am writing to announce my intent to once again seek the office of First Vice President of the Missouri Council of the Blind. As most of you know, I was elected at last year's convention to complete an unexpired term created by the untimely passing of Ken Emmons. Therefore, I will need to run again for First Vice President of MCB.

I have found this past year to be very challenging and also very rewarding. I feel I have learned a great deal about the way MCB operates and, through increased involvement in a number of activities, I have come to respect even more this great organization and the people in it.

Over the past year, I have had the distinct pleasure of helping to write and advocate for the passage of of Senate Bill 721 which will go a long way in ensuring that we will not be left out of the rapid advances in technology. I also helped in the planning of the Legislative day as well as advocating for a number state and national bills of interest to blind people. I also had the honor of representing the Missouri Council of the Blind while testifying for a number of bills before the State Legislature.

I am currently the Chair of the Wolfner Advisory Council as well as a member of the Friends of the Wolfner Library Board. I am also a member of the Region II Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities. In the past, I have served on the Governor's Council On Disabilities as well as several other state and national boards. I am also currently the President of the Northeast Missouri Council of the Blind.

Since I have been involved with the Missouri Council of the Blind, I have seen this organization expand and grow tremendously. I am proud of MCB and its members and am honored whenever I have the opportunity to speak on behalf of or represent MCB in any way. I feel very fortunate to be involved with MCB and I have greatly appreciated all the support everyone has given me in the past. It is my sincere hope that you will continue to place your trust in me and I will do everything I can to uphold that trust.

I look forward to discussing my qualifications with anyone or just discussing MCB in general. I greatly value your input and look forward to any input anyone has to offer.

   Again, it has been a pleasure serve MCB and I hope I am given the opportunity to continue to do so. I would greatly appreciate your vote for First Vice President on October 15. Thank you!
   Sincerely,
   Dennis Miller

Hello MCB Members,

In any election, it's always best if there are clear choices to be made. We may have heard two political candidates referred to as "Twedledee and Twedledum", meaning that the two were so much alike that, no matter which way we voted, the outcome would be pretty much the same.

I would like you to consider me for the office of First Vice President of the Missouri Council of the Blind, and I believe I bring with me some alternative viewpoints and positions which need to be presented.

Were I to be elected, hopefully, I would be very close to the President, and, in this position, you can be certain that another voice and view would be expressed regarding the direction that MCB is to take in the future.

I'm sure it is rather widely known that our President and I have some differing philosophies. To mention two or three for example: 1. Whether or not we need a new Constitution; (Our MCB Attorney has told us that, if we wish to do so, the MCB could easily continue to function in the way it has previously with no legal problems or difficulties.) 2. The extent to which the Board should exercise control of MCB, (I believe that our Constitution indicates that the Board is to act on the wishes of the membership, and not that the members are to act on the wishes of the Board.) 3. the degree to which we should be involved with so-called "umbrella" organizations which supposedly represent and benefit all people with disabilities.

I think having someone close to the President who would express these differing viewpoints would be a definite balancing factor and an asset to the MCB, and I will hope you will think so, too, and vote for me for First Vice President.

Thank you very much for your consideration.
Bill Benson

No letters were received from anyone seeking the office of Second Vice President, which is now vacant because of Chip's decision to run for President.

Debra Fitzpatrick cannot run again for Secretary as she has served her two terms. Here is a letter from Hank Pearce, who is seeking that job on the Board:

Dear Fellow MCB Members,
It is once again time to select a new secretary for our organization. I would like to ask for your support. I have enjoyed serving the organization as an affiliate representative, and I would like to continue to serve as your secretary.

I have done minutes for the ADA committee at Johnson County Community College, which is an ongoing committee. I have written other types of reports that require me to meet a deadline, so you could be assured that the minutes would be done in a timely manner.

This would mean that your affiliates would have them so that items could be discussed at your meetings. In other words, I would do my level best to see that information is current so that your board reps would not have to improvise their board reports, trying to remember what went on at the last board meeting.

As for those of you already on the board, I believe that you know me and know what I am capable of. Barring any complications, you will have your minutes in the time span voted upon. I have the technology experience needed to get the job done.

  If you vote for me to serve as your secretary, I will be honored to serve you to the best of my ability.
  Thanks very much for your time and your vote.
  Sincerely

Hank Pearce

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MCB Members Carry a Torch
by John Weidlich

In her Legislative Report, Lucille Fierce mentioned that several MCB members helped carry the ADA Torch during the July Fourth weekend. I thought I would give you a little more information about that very special event and share with you the thoughts of some of us who had the privilege of being a part of this activity. As you know, July 26 marked the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by President George Bush, a law which extended and expanded the civil rights of millions of people with disabilities. To honor this event, the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) helped organize a torch relay. In June, a torch was lighted in Houston, Texas by former President Bush. The torch was then taken to Los Angeles for the start of a twenty-four-city trip across the United States. The trip ended at the United Nations Building in New York City on July 26. In each city, activities were planned to call attention to the ADA and to the importance of legislation to meet the challenges facing the disabled. The torch (actually, there were several torches) were in St. Louis during Fair St. Louis from July first through the 4th. On July first, 26 disabled people were chosen by Paraquad to carry the torch in the Veiled Prophet Parade through downtown St. Louis. MCB members Lucille Fierce and Rick Belcher were among those chosen for this special honor. Here is what Rick Belcher wrote about the experience:

"On July first, I took Call-a-Ride from where I live to A. G. Edwards on Jefferson and Market. I carried the torch from 16th to 17th street with the help of a sighted guide who is also deaf from India. From there, the torch was carried by Lucille Fierce. After changing hands a few times, it was in the hands of Governor Mel Carnahan. A group picture was taken and I shook hands with the Governor. When we marched, we chanted "All The Way With ADA." I'm glad that I could participate in such a historical moment. This was a milestone for Missouri and St. Louis and i'm glad I was a part of it. It is something that people with disabilities who participated will remember for a long time. This was about disability rights, about disabled people having the right to live wherever they want, to work and enjoy life in many ways."

On July 4th, Donna Weidlich, Anna Schell and I went to Kiener Plaza to participate in more ADA festivities. The torch was presented and the sponsors of the event were recognized. The main corporate sponsor was Volkswagen, who supplied all of the vehicles used in the relay. Several law-makers, including Democratic candidate for Governor Bob Holden, signed a pledge to continue to support laws benefitting the disabled. The torch was carried to the FAIR St. Louis stage, where it was presented to the public prior to a concert by country singer Neil McCoy. The torch also figured in pre-game ceremonies at Busch Stadium before the Cardinals Game. Darrell Lauer carried the torch around the stadium and several disabled children had their pictures taken with Eric Davis, the Cardinals outfielder who recently recovered from cancer. I was one of many disabled people who carried the lighted torch in Kiener Plaza. I also shook hands with Congressman Gephardt, who was there to pledge his continued support for the ADA.

This was a great event, organized very capably by the folks from Paraquad. Colleen Starkloff was everywhere, making sure things ran smoothly and everyone who wanted to got to participate. What a dynamic leader she is! My only disappointment was the almost total lack of publicity from the local news media. I suppose if disabled people had decided to block a major highway or stage a protest march on City Hall, there would have been major news coverage. But an uplifting event such as this one didn't seem to garner any attention, even with the Fair going on. But we know what we did and how important it was, even if the news media didn't seem to care. It was a once in a lifetime experience, one I will always remember.

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   Carolyn Anderson
   by Lorene Brokaw, Her Friend and Driver

Carolyn Anderson passed away on April 23, 2000. She was born in St. Joseph, Missouri and attended grade school at Humboldt. She moved to California and lived for a time with her half-sister, but she moved back to St. Joseph and attended Lafayette High School and Carl Beauty University. Carolyn worked in several salon shops as a beautician until she lost her sight and was forced to quit working.

She joined the Pony Express Association of the Blind. While a member, she served as President, Secretary and Treasurer of the organization. She also served as Chairperson of PEAB'S fund-raisers. Carolyn was Pony Express's Legislative Representative and our Representative on the MCB Board. She was MCB'S Membership Chairman as well.

Carolyn was a valued member, the kind of member who is an asset to any organization. She was very devoted to her Pony Express members. She attended MCB Affirmative Action meetings and RSB Mentor training seminars. Carolyn helped coordinate the MCB public forums throughout the state. Carolyn was an advocate of the St. Joseph County Council of the Blind. She also served on the Wolfner Library Advisory Council. She received the Nathaniel Johnson Award for her dedicated service to the blind of Missouri. It was presented to her on the 15th day of October, 1994, in St. Joseph.

She was a charter member and President of the Library Users of Missouri. In 1996, she received an award from the Library Users of Missouri for her distinguished service as President, an office she held from 1988-1996.

Carolyn loved movies and music--and her talking books. She enjoyed traveling on cruises, especially to Alaska and the Caribbean Islands. Carolyn also loved going to MCB Conventions and making plans for ACB Conventions. She planned everything but her sleep.

She will be missed by all who knew her, but she is in peace now.

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Jim Henderson Member of the Year Award
by Jo-an Benson

The St. Louis Council of the Blind presents this annual award, consisting of a commemorative plaque and a check for $100.00, in memory of their long-time, faithful member, Jim Henderson.

MCB affiliates are invited to nominate one of their members to receive this Award as a way of honoring and thanking that member for years of dedicated service to his or her affiliate.

This year's nominees were: Alvera Albers, from the Allied Workers in Kansas City; Eujean Doddy, from the Lake Stockton Area Council; Lucille Fierce, from UWB in St. Louis; and Dorothy Moranville, from the Ozark Association of the Blind. We hope all of them will consider it, as we do, an honor to be nominated by one's fellow members to receive this Award.

All the nominees are to be congratulated, and all are deserving of the award. After much deliberation, the members chose Eujean Doddy as this year's recipient.

Congratulations to her, and to all of the nominees.

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Father Boni Receives Vision Award

On June 17, Retinitis Pigmentosa International (RPI) presented its 27th annual Vision awards at a dinner in Los Angeles. The Vision Awards are presented to individuals and companies who have used their "sight, foresight and insight" in the field of the creative arts. The recipient of the Agrama Harmony Gold and Light Award was Father Boniface (Boni) Wittenbrink, the founder of Radio Information Service and a man known and loved by MCB members. The Committee chose Father Boni to honor his commitment to the spirit of volunteerism and to honor his very special vision in his work for the blind. Father Boni is certainly in good company. Past recipients of the Vision Awards have included such luminaries as Bob Hope, Bill Cosby, Jody Foster, Tom Cruz, and Steven Spielberg. Father Boni, who has been a Catholic priest for 59 years, has been a champion for the cause of the blind and visually impaired. In 1972, he became the founder of the Radio Information Service for the Blind, which serves the St. Louis area from The Shrine Of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois. He has served on numerous committees dealing with eye research and prevention of blindness. He was recently honored by the Ophthalmological Society of the Phillipines for his efforts on behalf of the blind. He was awarded the Agrama Harmony Gold And Light Award for his special gifts of compassion and dedication and his innovative vision. Congratulations, Father Boni. You are, indeed, a man of vision and insight. Your work has benefitted thousands of blind people in this country and around the world.

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Baerveldt and Eye
by Donna Weidlich

Last January, on a routine visit to my eye doctor to check my eye pressure, he gave me some distressing news. He told me my pressure was much too high, although I was using eye drops seven times a day. He decided I should see a glaucoma specialist. This scared me very much. The doctor he wanted me to see was not covered under my insurance and this made things worse. However, finally my insurance company recommended Doctor Steven Shields, the Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at St. Louis University.

When he walked into the office, he made me feel much more at ease by shaking my hand (I noticed that he had very soft hands) and saying it was nice to meet me. He gave me the most thorough eye examination I have ever had and I have had many. This took about three hours and by this time it was very late. He asked me if he could call me later that evening to discuss my situation because he had to lecture to his students. I did not expect to hear from him, but I was wrong. He called me a couple of hours later and talked to John and me for about forty minutes, answering all our questions. He explained that he felt it was necessary to implant a valve about the length of a fingernail in my right eye to relieve the glaucoma pressure. He gave detailed information about the procedure and cautioned me that if I had the surgery there could be a five per cent chance of something going wrong. However, if I did nothing, there was a one hundred per cent guarantee that I would lose all of my remaining vision. Therefore, I felt I really had no choice but to go ahead with the operation.

Surgery was scheduled for March 22nd at the Annheusser-Busch Eye Institute here in St. Louis. This gave me several weeks to prepare for the surgery and worry about what could go wrong. Surgery day finally came. I could eat nothing after midnight and my surgery was not scheduled until 2:30 in the afternoon. When we arrived I began the process of getting registered and had an ultrasound done on mn eye. My family arrived, and I was taken into surgery.

I was awake through the whole process. Whatever they gave was very good. I knew they were operating on my eye, but I did not care. I could see the light over the table, hear the doctors talking and the radio playing. At one time, I heard them say the light bulb had gone out, not a very comforting thing to hear while having surgery on your eye. I was even having conversations with my doctor about the kind of implant they were using. He told me he was using a Baerveldt Implant because it covered more of the surface of the eye and I needed all the help I could get. After the surgery, they took me back to my room and I was able to stand up and get into my bed by myself. Best of all, I did not get sick from the anesthetic. Surgery went fine and I went home the next day. But I had to be very careful. I could not bend over and I could not lift anything over ten pounds. I visited the doctor almost daily for a while for pressure checks and my pressure was very good. However, it began to go up again gradually. This is when he told me he was going to open the tube in the implant, which consisted of removing a suture. Once he did this, my pressure went down to three, which scared me, but he said this was normal. He said the important thing was not to let it go down too fast. When the pressure was this low, I had to be very careful, even sleeping with my head elevated. Finally, my pressure began to come back up and stabilize. Now I am doing fine and only use drops twice a day.

I went back to Doctor Shields on July 21st. My pressure was 17 and I was ecstatic, but he wanted to keep it under 15, so he changed my medicine. My eyes feel wonderful and my vision seems to be about the same, which is all I could ask for.

Any surgery is scary but, as many of us know, eye surgery is especially scary when you don't have much vision to start with. Thanks to Doctor Shields, I still have what vision I started out with and my eyes feel so much better because of the Baerveldt Implant. I obtained a new parakeet shortly after the surgery and I named him Baerveldt.

I would like to thank everyone who called and sent cards. It meant so much to me. At times like this, you need your friends and family and I have some of the best.

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Book Review: Sight Unseen

You may remember that in the June issue I told you that I was about to read a book called Sight Unseen by Georgina Kleege and that if I found the book interesting, I would tell you more about it in September. I did indeed find the book to be very thought-provoking and stimulating and I would encourage you to read it for yourselves.

Georgina Kleege is a novelist, translator and teacher of creative writing and literature who was diagnosed at age eleven with macular degeneration, quite rare in someone that young. She was declared legally blind. As is the case with macular degeneration, she lost much of her central vision, but retained her peripheral vision. This is not however, a book about her life. It is, rather a book about blindness and sight, a book about her view of the world as a blind person and the world's view of the blind. It is about the way society has portrayed blindness in books and movies and the visual experience of someone with impaired vision. It is also about how she eventually stopped trying to conceal her blindness and began identifying herself as a blind person. The book is divided into three parts: blindness and culture, which deals with blindness in language, film and literature; phenomenology, which deals with aspects of the visual experience; and reading, which deals with her use of books on tape and her recent experience in learning braille.

In the first chapter, "Call it Blindness," Georgina says she now refers to herself as blind or legally blind, rather than using such terms as "visually impaired" or "partially sighted," even though she has a good deal of usable vision. But that wasn't always the case. For years after her doctor told her, at age eleven, that she was legally blind, she tried to hide it. She read by holding books close to her nose; she pretended she could see more than she could; the most she would admit to was that she had "a problem with my eyes." This was in 1967, before many of the low vision devices that are so popular now were available. She was also told nothing about her eye condition or what she could do to compensate for her lost vision. In this chapter, the author discusses the word blind, as it is viewed by many people in society. The word "blind" has always meant in our language more than just the inability to see. In common usage, the word has come to mean a lack of understanding, ignorance, being unaware of things, or something meant to deceive or conceal. Thus, we say things like, "You'd have to be blind not to be aware of that," or "He was blind to his surroundings." We act on blind faith, blind luck, blind trust; we fly into a blind rage; we follow blindly when we're not aware of what we're doing; we go on blind dates when we don't know the person we're going out with and we take blind taste tests. And of course we know that love is blind and justice is supposed to be. All of these metaphors, she says, connect blindness with ignorance, confusion, indifference, or ineptitude. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that individuals who lose vision are often reluctant to use the word "blind" to describe themselves. In this chapter, she also tries to analyze the fear that many people have of blindness, which she thinks may ultimately be related to our fear of old age and death. She concludes that "The belief that human experience, both physical and mental, is essentially visual, and that any other type of experience is necessarily second rate, leads to the conclusion that not to see is not to experience, not to live, not to be." However, blindness, unlike most of the things that we fear, can be simulated. She encourages sighted people to try an experiment; close your eyes, use your other senses and try doing things without sight.

This chapter is followed by a chapter on blindness as it has been portrayed in movies. Blind characters in movies, she says, are a sorry lot; timid and passive, or resentful and angry. Blindness is generally, in the movies, "not an inconvenience to work around, but an insurmountable barrier to normal life." Blind women characters are particularly vulnerable and helpless and are often being stalked by killers, as in Wait until Dark and Jennifer 8. Several movies are analyzed in detail here. However, Kleege points out that "movies with blind characters are not about blindness at all. They are about sight. Bringing blindness into the picture allows the filmmaker to explore ideas about the virtue and necessity of seeing correctly." This idea is explored in detail in the remainder of this chapter.

There is also a chapter on blind characters that have appeared in several books, including Eden Close by Anita Shreeve, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronteea The Light That Failed by Rudyard Kipling, and H. G. Wells parable "Country of the Blind."

In the second part of the book, the author dwells on her visual experience, what she can and cannot see and how she views her surroundings. In this section, there is an interesting discussion of the importance of eye contact to sighted people, a subject which the author finds confusing. She recounts a news story she heard about a woman who shot and killed a man who molested her child. Before killing him, she wanted to look him "dead in the eye" to see if she could see any sign of remorse or regret for what he had done to her child. She saw only fear in his eyes and so, she killed him. But, Kleege wonders, what does remorse "look like?" This reminded me of the time many years ago when I was told that I had very "expressive" eyes. As a person who has been totally blind from birth, I have wondered after that conversation what my eyes in fact express to others. I assume that they express the normal emotions I am experiencing at any given time, but what do those expressions look like to others and how are they distinguished from one another by sighted people?

Part Iii of the book deals with the ways blind people read. In Chapter 7, she discusses listening to books on tape and the fact that sighted people are relying more heavily on this form of reading, which the blind have used for so many years. Here she discusses the differences between reading, "a private, silent, almost secret act" and and listening to a text read aloud, which is essentially a theatrical performance.

The final chapter recounts her decision, made a few years ago, to learn to read braille. This begins with an account of how she struggles to read print with magnification and the resulting eye pain when she does this for too long. She also talks about her reluctance to learn braille, and the all-too-familiar story of how she was told by teachers and social workers that she didn't need it. Here is what she says about braille:

"On my desk at this moment is a closed circuit TV, and a number of magnifiers meant to allow me to read print visually, however ineptly, and thus to preserve what the sighted presume to be so valuable--my identity as sighted. There are also three tape recorders that allow me to experience text aurally when the inefficiency and strain of reading visually becomes intolerable. Braille will not replace these things. But braille offers me a freedom I have not known since childhood. With braille, I can take a book under my arm and read anywhere, without electricity, without a mediating voice in my ear, without pain."

Using braille has also improved her ability to give public speeches. Before learning braille, she had to speak while reading notes held an inch from her eyes. She had to face her audience in profile, throwing her voice over her shoulder. She needed extremely good lighting and she had to read sitting down, often experiencing pain while doing so. With braille, she can read standing up. Her whole face is visible to her audience. She doesn't worry about lighting and she can focus on her performance, articulation and tone. "My blindness is less visible to my audience. They don't need to watch my struggle. They can simply listen to my words. For this pleasure alone braille is worth the effort it has taken to learn."

The author concludes the book with an account of a visit to Coupvray, France and the home of Louis Braille. She reflects on the life of Louis Braille, especially the courage it took for Louis Braille to devise his revolutionary system and to teach it to students at the school for the blind for so many years when he had been forbidden to do so.

In concluding her book Georgina Kleege says that she announces her blindness "without apology," although some might question her right to call herself blind when she sees as much as she does. She hopes that by so doing she can help "revise the image of blindness." This new image of blindness will be a matter of seeking "practical solutions to everyday inconveniences." It will be free of the old cliches that equate blindness with ignorance and despair, and sight with virtuous wisdom. In the meantime, she says to the sighted, "you see things your way and I'll see them mine. But when we close our eyes, maybe we'll see everything the same."

Sight Unseen is available from Wolfner Library in Braille with the order number BR 12149 (366 braille pages. It is probably also available on cassette, but I don't have the order number. It's certainly worth while reading.

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Affiliate Affairs
Where we find out what's going on in your part of MCB

Agape Council of the Blind Update

I bid you each a hearty hello from the members of the Agape family. Our blessings have been so plentiful that to tell them all would be too great a task for me. So, instead, I submit this summary.

It is an honor to introduce those who have become most recently members of the Agape Council of the Blind. They are: Senator John F. Bass, Ms. Janice Davis, Mr. Jesse Jones, Ms. Linda Parsons, Representative Betty Thomas, Mrs. Vivian Womble, and Ms. Bertha Womble. Agape extends a from-the-heart welcome to these and all our new MCB members.

This year's walk-a-thon was a tremendous success. What an absolutely delightful day for a walk in the park. Wilma Chestnut House and her stepping partner, Pastor Juliette Hite, led the pack by tallying up six miles. Of course, there were those of us with more conservative distances; for instance, the trio consisting of five-year-old Ron Toomer, Jr., his ten-year-old sister Alicia, and their friend Carlos, who walked two miles. This beat the socks off "The Gimp Patrol." You're probably wondering who on earth is that? There were three members: Jan Davis, Lanel Nobbe and yours truly, Elizabeth Moore. We chose this term of endearment for ourselves when it became quite apparent that we were much better at cheerleading than we were at distance walking. However, we are proud to say that we walked just short of a mile. So let's hear it for the gimp patrol! We all enjoyed the fresh air and good company and the wiener roast was um-um good. To the walkers, to the sponsors of our walkers, to those who desired to be there but couldn't, and, of course to those who sent up prayers for safety, success and superb weather, thank you very much. God will surely bless you for being such a blessing. Plans are under way for next year's walk. So if you are among the unfortunate ones who missed this one, don't be caught wishing you were there this time next year. Walk 2001 promises to be even better.

We were well represented at MCB'S past Legislative Day at our state Capitol. This was an illuminating experience, a true revelation to those who have been less active and especially meaningful to our new members. As a whole, we left feeling inspired, empowered and even more determined to do our part to make this world a better place for people with disabilities, as well as for those with whom we share it. So, you see, God has given us good reason to have an attitude of of gratitude.

We are all looking forward to the upcoming State Convention in Branson. Until then, keep us in your prayers, and remember, Jesus loves you with an Agape Love.

Elizabeth Moore, President

Blind of Central Mo

Summer camp was lots of fun,
There was fun and activities for everyone.
Hello to everyone from Bcm.

Our outreach picnic has been changed to Tuesday, August 1. We will have more members and guests attending our outreach picnic on this date. We will have approximately 40 people attending the picnic.

We may have some new people joining our club soon.

We hope to see a lot of you at convention in Branson Mo. So until next time, keep smiling and keep a song in your heart.

Trudy Howard
Blind of Central Mo
Recording Secretary

Braille of Missouri

At its meeting on July 21, the members decided that a summary of the Minutes should be included in the Chronicle.

BRAILLE met on July 21 with sixteen members and one guest present. The Minutes and the Treasurer's reports were accepted. Work is still going on to complete the 501ggcggblec application. Jack and June Lenk are looking into a candy sale to raise money for BRAILLE. They will contact the local Representative for World's Finest Chocolate.

At the ACB Convention, the Alma Murphey Scholarship was presented to college student Dana Patrick. It was mentioned that some members did not receive the BRAILLE Memorandum.

The Braille Revival League of Missouri luncheon at the State Convention will be held on Saturday, October 14. Lunch will consist of soup, pasta salad, a poor boy sandwich, chips, desert and a beverage. The price, we think, will be $8.00. Notices will be sent out to all BRAILLE members. Reservations should be mailed to Jack Lenk, 6347 Mardel, St. Louis, Mo 63109. Dues should be included with your lunch reservation. Money for lunch and dues should be sent to Jack Lenk by October first.

Chris Gray, President of BRAILLE has offered to come to our state Convention at his own expense, to speak about the Unified Braille Code.

The date of the January meeting will be the 19th.

Carol and Kevin Papin gave $20 to the Treasurer which they received from a friend to whom they gave books to learn Braille.

Assunta Lilley, Secretary

Delta Area Association

Hi, everyone, hope all is well,

Thank God we are not having as much illness as last time I wrote. Mickie Ormsby was in the hospital for a couple of days in June with an asthma attack. Both Barbara and Marvin Shelton have had health problems. Tony Blurton fell and broke his collar bone.

We have a new member. Her name is Laura Craig. We also have several prospects.

Andrew and Mickie Ormsby went to the picnic held by the River City Workers in Cape Girardeau. We had a great time even though it rained while we were there. Wouldn't you know, the sun came out just as we were leaving!

Well, bye for now from the Delta Area Blind.

Mickie Ormsby

Joplin Service Club

Greetings from dry and Hot Southwest Missouri,

Again the calendar tells me that August first is here and I need to get the article written for the Chronicle. This will be my last article for the Chronicle as my term as PR comes to an end and I chose not to run for another term. I dedicate this article to Letha Dangerfield, our outgoing President. She has been a member of the club for 40-plus years and has served on our Board as President, Vice President and Secretary at various times. She has truly been a faithful member.

Our elections are over. The new officers are: Lymon "Jim" Kaufman, President; Lynda Purdy, for vice President; Janie Clemens, for Public Relations; Bill Eden for Treasurer; and Helen Green for Secretary. Several of our members plan to attend the Convention in Branson.

   One of our members, Dick Green, is very ill. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his wife, Helen.
   submitted by Valva York
   From The Editor: Valva also sent me a delightful poem about hugs, which I'm saving for a later issue. Thanks, Valva.

Progressive Council of the Blind

Hello again Fellow MCB Members,

It is time once again for the Progressive Council of the Blind to submit their report. It seems as though we just did one. Well, time does indeed fly when you are having fun.

During the month of April, Rebecka Nash, her daughter, Evie, and Ed Rayes all went skiing. They went at different times, but they all said they had a great time.

One of our members, Clint Campbell, has decided to run for State office. He has made the decision to run for the State House of Representatives from his District in Kansas City. We wish him the best.

At our May business meeting, we had a couple of visitors from the Allied Workers. They were Gregg Hollins and Rene Deggs. IT was a real treat to have them there.

In June, we elected new officers. They are: President, Clint Campbell; Vice President, Eldon Cox; Second Vice President, Hank Pearce; Secretary, Rebecka Nash; Treasurer, Pat Reyes; and Member At Large, Barbara Dewberry.

Five our members attended the National Convention and had a great time. One of them brought home the $500 sweepstakes prize.

Our affiliate is planning a picnic in September and a couple of fund-raisers. PCB is going to be selling bears and angels with pure honey inside. The bears are $3.00 and angels are $5.00. The angels have 14 ounces; the bears have nine.

We are looking forward to seeing each and every one of you in Branson October 12-15.

Hank Pearce

The RITE Report

Our greetings to you all,

At this writing, the July weather is unbelievable--cool temperatures and low humidity. We did have a number of days with the three H's--heat, haze and humidity--covering the area, but it went South. The air-conditioning in the RITE Center stopped, but it happened after the three H's had left. Perhaps, by the time you read this, summer will be on its way out. Keep your fingers crossed.

Verneiah Abbott has been working diligently with MCB'S newest affiliate, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Missouri, but she took time off to go to Hawaii for a two-week vacation with her church group. As of this writing, she has been gone one week, so she has one more week to complete a tour of four islands. Wonder if she'll try poi? We did, but enough said about poi. You take that to mean it wasn't good? It should be sampled again, but it may not be available outside of Hawaii.

And now to the East: Via TWA and Cape Air, Assunta Lilley arrived in Hyannis on June 13. The ten-day tour began the next day, a tour of Hyannis, the Kennedy Museum, a boat trip to Nantucket Island, Martha's Vineyard, Falmouth and the Glass Museum at Sandwich. I went on board a Coast Guard boat that helped in the search for the bodies when John Kennedy's plane went down. There was also a day in Plymouth and Provincetown and a clambake in a park. There was also a walk on the Braille Trail where we read Braille descriptions of trees, flowers and bushes along the trail and a visit to the Audio Ledger, their equivalent of our Radio Information Service. The group of fifteen visually impaired people were mostly from New York, but there were ladies from Connecticut, Alberquerque, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and a 94-year-old lady from San Francisco. There was one guide for two blind people, and the hotel provided had very good accommodations. It was a wonderful trip with much history, which I love, but, after ten days, I was glad to get home.

A first for me was to fly in a nine-passenger plane from Boston to Hyannis. Did you ever have to give your body weight before you were given your boarding pass? That was a first, too.

According to the RITE members who attended the ACB Convention, it was a good one, and Missouri had a large delegation there to vote for Jerry Annunzio, no doubt. Congratulations are in order for Jerry, who made it to the ACB Board. Since that day in 1961 in Kansas City, when ACB was organized, three Missourians have served the ACB--Alma Murphey, elected as Vice President and active until her death; Fred Lilley, who served as Parliamentarian under Grant Mack; and now Jerry Annunzio.

Maryan Harrison has been a guide dog user for many years, 56 I think she said. She is now in the process of getting another one and will be leaving on August 27, sponsored this time by the Melleville Lions. She and George Barnes are RITE'S two guide dog users.

The weeks at Cobblestone and the other campsites in the past have given many of our members much pleasure. All of the applications sent to RITE were snapped up, some for the first week, others for the second week. This MCB program has been going on for years and our state organization should be commended for having such a vacation time for its members. Thank you, MCB, from RITE.

At its last meeting, RITE voted to send a generous contribution to the National Braille Press to thank them not only for the brailling they do but but for making possible the purchase of the material at such a reasonable cost. We feel that by making such a contribution we are helping all blind people who read Braille. (Editor's note: National Braille Press is the producer of the Braille edition of the Chronicle. I feel they do an excellent job and are very easy to work with.)
Submitted by Assunta Lilley

From The editor: As of this writing, Assunta Lilley is in St. Mary's hospital here in St. Louis. Please keep Assunta in your thoughts and prayers. She is a very hard worker for RITE and BRAILLE.

South Central Missouri Ozark Association of the Blind

When the South Central Missouri Ozark Association sent in its membership list prior to the ACB Convention, we listed 30 members and two others rejoined after we sent the list to the office. We're happy that we are moving upward in our membership and we're hoping that other affiliates will continue to see an increase in theirs as well.

In August we had our annual picnic in the high rise building where we have our monthly meetings. It's just too hot for many of our members to enjoy an outdoor picnic.

Due to the extreme heat that we are experiencing, we're not getting out and doing as many activities as we would normally be doing. We did not participate in the health fair this year, but we hope that next year we will be able to join in and publicize not only our local affiliate but the Missouri Council of the Blind as well.

We have a well-rounded program at each of our meetings. Many times we discuss things pertaining to MCB. We have been talking about camp this year, trying to encourage some more members to go. Bill and Linda Burris went to the July session. We hope that others might want to go but most of our members are up in years and just prefer to stay in where it's cooler.

If you've never been to camp, you really don't know what you're missing. You ought to try it at least once and see what you think of it. Our thanks to the Council for paying for most of the expense that we incur at camp during the week. You are responsible for your own spending money, but the stay at the camp is financed primarily by the Council. Each member is required to pay $50 to go. Come join us next year in June or July or even September, which is primarily for adults.
by Bill Burris

Southwest Missouri Friendship Council of the Blind

Hello to all the affiliates, wherever you may be,

On June 4 three of our members left on Old Blue, our van, to go to summer camp at Cobblestone Lodge in Steeleville where they had a beautiful week. It was the first time I didn't get to go in ten years. Harold Griffiths went for the first time and said he had a great time, singing in the talent show, talking to everyone and taking pictures. Linda and Chip Hailey and Linda Gwin attended camp in July. (Editor's note: Flash! I beat Linda Gwin in a Scrabble game. ActUally, I came in in second place; Linda was third. Jack Lenk won the game; what else is new. Jack even beat his daughter in the first game we played.)

In August we will have Award night in our club. Lisa Jackson and I volunteered to select two people to receive awards for things they have done for our affiliate.

Chip and Linda Hailey went to Louisville for the ACB Convention.

We are still selling candy bars, many of which were sold at camp.

I am very proud to be a member of the Friendship Council. We have a wonderful club, a fun-loving club full of love.

   On July 6 Lisa Jackson had shoulder surgery.
   On July 5 we went to the Bamboo Gardens in Carthage for Chinese food.
    Submitted by Helen Highley

Springfield Service Club

Greetings from Springfield,

We have one new member and a couple of good prospects. Our new member is Cathy Stallnaker.

Five of our members attended the ACB Convention. Three members, Donna and Leo Giger and Charlotte Thornsberry attended camp in July. Several members plan to go to camp in September for the weekend.

We have a new fund-raiser in progress. We are selling candy and nuts.

On July 15 we met at Phyllis Lovett's home for a swimming party where we enjoyed pizza, salad and drumsticks.

Blanche Burrel left in July to get a guide dog.

In August, several of our members made the trip to Bolivar for the dinner and auction put on by the Lake Stockton affiliate.
Marilyn Tuso

UWB Report

Greetings from the United Workers of the Blind,

It is with sadness that we report the death of one of our members, George Von Seelen. George was a vendor for many years in St. Louis. He has spent much time in the hospital during the past year. He was seventy-five nears old.

We have two new members. They are Manjusri Welikala, a blind man who came here from Sri Lanka, and Debby Hoppy, a sighted member. This brings our total membership to eighty-two.

Elections were held in June. Our officers are: President, Jack Lenk; First Vice President, Rena Holmes; Second Vice President, Ina Taylor; Secretary, John Weidlich; Corresponding Secretary, Charles Smith; Treasurer, Jim Schonlau; and Members At Large, Peggy Smith and Linda Ledford.

Several of our members attended the ACB Convention and camp. Don't believe everything you hear about the second week of camp, especially rumors about my underwear. I do confess, however, since Donna has a picture, that I did let Chrissy paint a heart on my forehead with the name Don inside. Yes, wild and crazy things go on at cobblestone when MCB is there!
by John Weidlich

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From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

As usual, we have a number of interesting items for you, including more about Freedom Scientific, some book reviews, new phone services and new gadgets. The mention of a product or service in this column is not intended to reflect an endorsement by MCB or the Editor of the Chronicle. If you run across anything that you think others would like to know about, please share. Let's get started:

Correction: The phone number for the new St. Louis Christian Outreach Center was incorrectly given in the last issue. The correct number is (314) 776-3694.

In the last column, I told you about the acquisition of Blazie Engineering and Henter-Joyce by a new company called Freedom Scientific, a company hoping to become the global leader in the assistive technology market. Well, now there's more to the story. Freedom Scientific has now purchased Arkenstone, one of the leading developers of reading devices and software. Here's where things get a little confusing. We told you that Blazie and Henter-Joyce will continue to operate as separate entities as part of Freedom Scientific's Blind-Low Vision Group with headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. There will no longer be a company known as Arkenstone. Arkenstone will remain in California and be renamed Benetech. Benetech will develop new assistive technology products and issue upgrades on former Arkenstone products. Arkenstone's founder and President, Jim Fruchterman, will head the new company. The Open Book product line will now be handled by Henter-Joyce while the Vera Reader will be sold by Blazie. The toll-free number to call to order any of the Blazie, Henter-Joyce or Arkenstone products from the Freedom Scientific Blind-Low Vision Group is 800 444-4443. That's the number that formerly belonged to Arkenstone. Blazie's Technical support number is now 561 223-6443. Henter-joyce's technical support number is 727 803-8600.

Now let's deal with some correspondence. Jeanne Wisa Fike writes to say that she is currently trying to learn to use Window Eyes and would like to talk with anyone who is working with the Window Eyes Screen Reader or Jaws for Windows screen reader. Her address is 11286 Ashcroft, St. Louis Mo 63136. Her phone number is (314) 355-3306. I also received a letter from Mrs. Carol Moore from Andalusia, Alabama, who says she and her husband plan to move to Missouri soon as she has family in in Stockton. She would like information about low-income housing, transportation, blind organizations and benefits available in in Lake Stockton, Bolivar or El Dorado. She also says she attended MSB briefly in the 1950s. Her address is 104 Sun Pointe Apartments, Andalusia Alabama 36420. You can write her in Braille or send a cassette; she does not use a computer.

I have recently read several biographies written by blind people. I've reviewed the best of them, Sight Unseen for you in a separate article, but I'll briefly mention the others here. Slackjaw by Jim Knipfel is a book about blindness that will certainly amuse some of you and very likely offend others. Jim was told in his twenties that he had RP and would probably be totally blind in a few years and that he had an inoperable brain lesion which explained his frequent bouts of suicidal depression and violent rages. He also drinks too much and has no job skills, although he did obtain a degree in philosophy. He is, however, a pretty good writer. Slackjaw is the author's darkly comic account of his early life, dealing with his blindness, his suicide attempts and his failed marriage. His stories of encounters with what he calls Blind Man Trainers are both disturbing and funny. He does come to terms with his blindness (he carries a white cane), but admits he is uncomfortable around blind people and has no interest in joining what he terms "the blind subculture, full of blind people talking about blind things all the time."

And There Was Light: The Autobiography Of Jacques Lusseyran, Hero of the French Resistance is a quite different story. The author was born in Paris in 1924 and became totally blind at the age of eight due to an accident. A teenager when the Nazis invaded France, he formed and directed a Resistance movement of 600 young people. He was then betrayed by one of his recruits and spent nearly two years in German concentration camps. This book is an account of the first twenty years of his life. He later came to the United States and taught at where he taught at Western Reserve University in Cleeveland, Ohio. From what I have told you, you would probably think this would be a very exciting book, filled with hair-raising adventures and narrow escapes; however, it is actually a very philosophical book. He concludes that he believes that "joy does not come from outside, for whatever happens to us is within" and that "light does not come to us from without; light is within us even if we have no eyes." Both of these books are available from Wolfner Library.

Henry Grunwald, the former managing editor of Time Magazine and former United States Ambassador to Austria, has just written a book called Twilight: Losing Sight, Gaining Insight about his experience with macular degeneration. I don't know whether the book has been produced by NLS as yet, but an audio version is available from The Lighthouse in New York City. To order, call (800) 829-0500.

The American Foundation for the Blind has just produced a book called To love This Life: Quotations From Helen Keller. The book has a foreword by former President Jimmy Carter and a preface by Helen Keller's Great-grand-niece. It is available in print or on cassette for $21.95 by calling (800) 232-3044 or by writing to Afb Press, Box 1020, Sewickle, Pa 15143-1020.

AFB has once again presented its Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year awards to talking book narrators nominated by talking book users. The winners this time were: Graci Ragsdale for fiction, and James DeLotel for non-fiction. Tom Martin received an award for classic fiction and Ray Hagen was given a lifetime achievement award. Talking book Narrator David Palmer died on April 25. He recorded several hundred books over a twenty year period for the American Printing House. He recorded mysteries, ghost stories and classic British and American fiction, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

No doubt, you have all heard of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), but how many of you know about the AAPD? The AAPD is the American Association of Persons with Disabilities. It was founded in 1995 as a national, non-partisan membership organization representing people with disabilities. It now has around 12,000 members, about a fourth of whom are blind or visually impaired. Its main purpose is to support programs that further the independence, full participation and total integration of people with disabilities. It also intends to be a unifying voice for the disability community and to guard and promote the ADA. The AAPD offers many membership benefits, including a mail-order pharmacy service, similar to that which is operated by AARP. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter which is available on tape, in braille and computer disc. Membership is $19.95 per year. For more information, or to obtain a membership application, contact the AAPD at (800) 840-8844.

Now let's look at some new things you can do with your telephone. There are at least three new services that allow you to obtain all kinds of information over the phone, such as news, weather forecasts, stock quotes and sports updates, by using voice commands. They all operate in a similar manner. You speak the name of the category of information you wish to hear. You also have choices within each of the various categories. You have to follow the instructions to know what key words to say in order to get the information you want. My Quack, (800) 737-8225, has weather, sports, traffic, restaurant listings, movie listings, and stocks. Audio Point, (888) 382-8346, provides current news, entertainment news, movie and book reviews, sports news, business news, traffic information for various cities and horoscopes. One of the features I like on Audio Point is sports transactions, which gives daily information about trades and rooster changes on major league teams. The most comprehensive service seems to be Tell Me, (800 555-8355. The categories for this service include: weather, news reports from Cnn radio, sports news, movie listings, lottery information, horoscopes, soap opera updates, stock quotations, and restaurant information. Tell Me has some very unique services. It will connect you with a taxi service in the city from which you are calling and give airline information. The phone booth service allows you to make a free two minute long-distance phone call to anyone just by entering the number of the person you wish to call, although I think you have to listen to a commercial first. You can also play blackjack on Tell Me. You don't need a computer to use any of these services; just a phone. They are all free, but you do have to listen to some advertising messages.

Almost everyone I talk to recently seems to be using a new free voice-mail service called e-voice. Apparently you can use e-voice to leave free phone messages to other e-voice users. Your mailbox holds up to twenty messages, each of which can be up to two minutes long. To sign up for e-voice, call (800) 438-3864. To send a message to an e-voice user, you call (800) 222-6000 and enter the number of the mail box or the phone number of the person to whom you want to send a message. Even if you are not an e-voice subscriber, I believe you can send a message to someone who has e-voice if you know their number. The service is free to customers and is paid for by sponsored advertisers, so again, you have to listen to brief advertising messages when you use it.

One of our readers has suggested that I give the information on how to subscribe to the MCB List that we gave you about a year ago. Good idea. To subscribe to the MCB list, send an e-mail message to majordomo`telepath.com1 & write subscribe missouri-l4 ,l1ve ! subject l9e blank if y c4 ,y c !n po/ a message 6! li/ 0s5d+ ;e-mail to _+_missouri-ltelepath.com and everyone on the list will be able to read your message.

The Missouri School for the Blind will be 150 years old next year. Bill Benson wants you to know that the MSB Boosters is organizing a choir for the purpose of making a professional recording of the song "Send Out Thy Light", which will be used as part of the school's next graduation ceremony. The recording will be made at the School on November 12th. Parts will be provided in advance. Anyone interested in being a part of this special Boosters Club project should call Bill Benson at (314) 863-6353 before October first. You must call to register in order to participate.

Speaking of the Missouri School for the Blind, former MSB teacher Helen Berry died on July 18. She taught at MSB for 34 years, from 1951-1985. She was 85 years old. I believe she taught mostly in the lower grades. When I had her as a teacher in second grade, she was Helen Burhop. I have also been told that Josephine Thompson, the wife of former MSB Superintendent Robert Thompson was killed in an automobile accident around the end of July. She was, I believe, 86 years old.

When I first read about this new line of magnifiers, I thought they were called Magoo, after the near-sighted cartoon character. Magnifiers called Magoo? Funny idea, but surely not after the flap over the Mr. Magoo movie. But my Braille-reading fingers deceived me; the name isn't Magoo; it's Magno. Magno is the name of a new line of hand-held magnifiers, stand magnifiers and binoculars being sold by a company called Sight Connections. The address for the company is Sight Connection, 9709 Third Avenue, Suite 100, Seattle WA 98115-2027. The phone number is (800) 458-4888.

The Road Runner Talking Bible is a device about the size of a cassette that contains the entire text of the Bible, which you can listen to with a headphone or external speaker. Buttons on the device allow you to easily find individual books, chapters or verses. The road Runner Talking Bible comes in four versions: King James, American Standard, New American Standard or New International Version. It runs on two AA batteries which are included and sells for $199. It is available from ShrinkWrap Computer Products, 11706 Saddle Crescent Circle, Oakton VA 22124-2342. Phone: (800) 377-0774.

BST is a new e-mail list for people who have items they want to buy, sell or trade. The list also includes reviews of new products. To subscribe, send e-mail message to _>bst-_<subscribeonelist.comdis

The Medicare And You 2000 handbook is available in Braille or on tape through the Federal Health Care Financing Administration. The book describes privately sold health insurance policies that supplement Medicare. To order call the Medicare Hotline, (800) 633-4227.

The I.D. Mate is a portable electronic device that reads bar codes. If you can't locate the bar code, you just rotate the scanner around the item until the bar code is found. It can be used to identify cans, jars, boxes, bottles, clothing, prescription drugs, compact discs or anything containing a bar code label. You can also record your own bar code labels. I don't have the price for this item, but it is available from En-Vision America, 1013 Porter Lane, Normal, IL 61761, Phone: (309) 452-3088.

Did you know that there is an asteroid circling the Sun between Mars and Jupiter named Braille? It seems that the Planetary Society sponsored a contest last year to name an asteroid that was explored by a spaceprobe. The idea was to name the asteroid after an inventor. Five hundred entries were submitted. The winning entry came from Jerry Babcock, an engineer with the Kennedy Space Center, who is so interested in the work of Louis Braille that he also named his daughter Braille. The deep Space 1 probe flew to within nine miles of the asteroid's surface last year, exploring its size, makeup, shape, volume and density. Braille is one mile in diameter. Why Braille? Babcock said that Louis Braille provided a method of communication for people who could not see the outside world while the space probe provided all of us with the ability to see other worlds.

Judy Dixon with the National Library Service, who believes that the slate and stylus is still a vital literacy tool for the blind, has a web site describing her collection of 190 slates from 25 countries. She also believes that slates can be made more cheaply and be more practical to use. Visit her Web site www.brailleslates.orgto find out more.

Captain Cook's Travel and Cruise is a new travel agency, operated by blind people, planning cruises and vacation trips for blind people. A Caribbean cruise and trips to South Africa and Ethiopia are being planned. A newsletter on vacations and cruises is also available from the agency. Call (888) 567-8501 for more information or send e-mail to rick`cookstravel.com4

About Music Etc is an e-mail list for people who enjoy discussing music,, movies, tv, books and hobbies. Send a blank e-mail message to aboutmusicetc-subscribeonelist.com to subscribe to the list.

Sharing and Caring is a new Christian support group for the blind. Each month members receive two 90-minute cassettes containing Gospel music, a sermon, a Bible quiz, recipes and more. Readers are encouraged to submit music or poetry. The subscription rate is $15 a year, $20 if you want to keep the tapes. Contact: Rev. Douglas Lee, 210 North Jackson Street, West Frankfort Il 62896, Phone: (888) 568-7308.

HumanWare has just introduced Braille Note, a braille notetaker with a Windows operating system that allows users to send and receive e-mail attachments that can be converted into voice, text or Braille. Braille Note has an 18 or 32 character Braille display. It also comes with an internal modem. The price is $3,835 or $5,435 depending on the model. For more information, call HumanWare at (800) 722-3393.

Horizons for the Blind sells a wide variety of items including a series of Braille and large print craft books, books on kitchen techniques, food preparation and gardening, a book of mind benders and brain twisters and a monthly magazine called "Seeing It Our Way." To get a catalog write to Horizons for the Blind, 2 North Williams Street, Crystal Lake Il 60014 or call (815) 444-8800.

Finally, there's a new disability magazine on the market. It's called Disability Life and the publisher is Homer Page, a blind man from Colorado who just happens to be the sister of MCB and UWB member Patty Schonlau. Disability Life will report on public policy issues and spotlight the lives of individuals living with disabilities. It's a bimonthly magazine, available in print and on cassette. Disability Life will be available on newsstands and in bookstores as well as by subscription. The publisher seeks submissions of art, cartoons, poetry, fiction and reviews from readers. The subscription rate is $21.00. Contact Disability Life, Box 442125, Aurora CO 80044 or you can order by calling (800) 321-0708.

That's all for this time. We'll open the drawer again in December.

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The Bland and Usually Impaired

The April, 2000 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, a scholarly publication not usually noted for humor, contained an article by Dr. Corinne Kirchner with the American Foundation for the Blind, in which she compiled a series of amusing errors found in research papers, grant proposals, books, speeches and articles dealing with blindness. The article is much too long to reprint here, but I thought I would give some examples:

A letter was sent to the American Foundation for the Bland, leading to speculation by the author about whether there are people who are totally bland or just partially bland. What is the definition of legal blandness? Another researcher writing about the blind and the sighted combined them to create a population of the blighted. The title of an article on vocational issues referred to the "blind and usually impaired." The author of the article received an invitation to speak about "the groaning population of older adults becoming blind or visually impaired."

A grant proposal for a doctoral research report which would be presented as a bound volume included a budget item calling for $200 for "typing and blinding." A leader in the vocational rehabilitation field proposed that blind people could be hired by the U.S. Census as "enucleators;" it is hoped that he meant enumerators. Someone at an advocacy meeting signed in on behalf of the "death blind coalition" and a mailing list at Afb listed a "state school for the Dead and the Blind." Many blind people have Web sites, but a newspaper article reported on a blind Internet user's "sight on the web."

A report on orientation and mobility services dealt with training in the use of the "long can" while another writer may have come up with a whole new field of service: "Leader Gods for the Blind." With all of the controversy surrounding the installation of detectable warnings on subway platforms, perhaps it's not surprising that a grant proposal was written seeking funding to study the issue of "detestable warnings." Another grant proposal stated that there is a serious need to help blind people acquire "assertive technology." Obviously, these writers failed to heed a piece of advice I was once given in schorl: It's always important to preafrood your papers. It sounds like those writers should heed the advice of a friend of mine back my MSB days who once stated the obvious: It's important to "preafrood your papers."

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Thoughts From A Columbine Student

I thought I would leave you this time with this piece of writing from a student from Columbine High School, the scene of last year's tragic shootings, which have been circulated on the Internet. These are powerful observations from a young person about the times in which we live.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but fewer solutions; more medicine but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to our life, not life to our years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we've become long on quantity but short on quality. These are the times of tall men and short character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to forward this message and make a difference ''' or just hit delete.

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THE MISSOURI CHRONICLE September, 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE MISSOURI CHRONICLE
September, 2000