[il-talk] September HAWK TALK

[Lmm3527 at aol.com]

National Federation of the Blind
of Illinois
Blackhawk  Chapter
 
 
 
HAWK TALK
 
The monthly newsletter of the Blackhawk Chapter,
National  Federation of the Blind of Illinois
 
September 4, 2013
 
Contact info:
Lois Montgomery, President
3527 - 12th  Avenue
Moline, IL 61265
(309)236-1675
_Lmm3527 at aol.com_ (mailto:Lmm3527 at aol.com) 
 

It’s September!  Fall has just begun and school is back in  session.  Time 
to get back in the swing of things.  Be sure to make  attending our monthly 
chapter meetings a part of your routine!  We’re all  looking forward to 
seeing you on Saturday, September 14th.   Get the  date marked on your calendar 
now and make plans to meet with your Federation  family – you’ll be glad 
you did!  See you there!
 

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, September 14th, at  1:30 p.m., 
at the South Moline Township Center located at 637 - 17th Avenue in  East 
Moline.  This month we will vote on the amended constitution brought  forth at 
the May meeting.  Make your vote count!  Also, for those  interested, we 
will play Bingo at the end of the meeting.
 

LAST MONTH IN REVIEW

The May meeting was held at Benningan’s Restaurant in downtown  Rock Island 
with fifteen in attendance. Eight persons met at Center Station and  
practiced their mobility skills by traveling to the restaurant via the #10 West  
bus and then walking several blocks to the restaurant.
 

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello to all!  I’m glad to be back in the swing of things.  It’s  been a l
ong summer.  Hopefully, you were able to enjoy it.
 
A special thank you to vice president Patrick Olson for stepping in at  
short notice to fulfill the chapter responsibilities throughout the spring and  
summer months.  
 
Don’t forget to pay your pledge for Birdies for Charity.  Invoices  have 
been mailed out.  The were 2,142 birdies this year made by the  pros.  This is 
our largest fundraiser of the year which helps fund  assistance to 
conventions and seminars, the Christmas party, etc.  During  the November meeting, 
cash prizes will be awarded to several chapter members as  a token of 
appreciation for their help in making this a successful  fundraiser.
 
We continue to seek youth for Stepping Out, a local program for junior and  
senior high students.  A flyer has been completed – would you help  
distribute it throughout the QC area?  If interested in mentoring or  helping in 
any way, please contact me.
 
The 2013 NFBI State Convention is fast approaching!  Make plans now to  
attend.  Mark your calendar now!  It will be held October 25th - 27th  at the 
Park Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington.  Room rates are  $99/night 
plus tax which includes a continental breakfast buffet.   Reservations may be 
made by calling 309-662-4300.  If you are planning to  attend, you may want 
to preregister and save!  Preregistration is available  online at 
_www.nfbofillinois.org_ (http://www.nfbofillinois.org) .  Those  wishing to apply for 
assistance from the chapter are encouraged to contact  me.  Remember, 
conventions change people’s lives forever!
 
We, as a chapter, must work together to accomplish our goals. There’s  
plenty for each and every one of us to do, regardless of your interests or  
skills.  Help with making reminder calls, transportation, or whatever you  see 
that needs attention; a few minutes of your time will go far and would be  
greatly appreciated.
 
I look forward to working with you. Any concerns, comments, and/or  
suggestions are welcome.
 

PEOPLE REPORT

Patrick Olson has resumed his studies at Western Illinois University, Quad  
City campus.
 

BIRTHDAY CORNER

The following chapter members celebrate birthdays in  September:
3 Alma  Sowers
9 Bob  Gardner
11 Don  Olson
19 Larry  Hines
20 Lois  Montgomery
 

FUND RAISING

The chapter has begun another 50/50 raffle.  Have you purchased your  
ticket yet?  If not, be sure to see Lois Montgomery for your chance to win  the 
pot!  $1 each or 6/$5.  The drawing will be held at the Christmas  party.  
Good luck!
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 11th – Chapter meeting.
 
October 25th - 27th – NFBI State Convention at the Park Hotel and  
Conference Center in Bloomington.
 
November 15th & 16th – Community Days at Younkers.
 
December 14th – Chapter Christmas party.  More info as time  nears.
 

TECH TALK
Copying the URL (address) of a website or a web page using a  JAWS screen 
reader
 
Have you ever gone to a particular website or webpage on the Internet, then 
 wished you could send the address of that to a friend?  Or maybe you’d 
like  to copy down the address into a document you’re writing, or maybe just 
record it  for future reference.
 
Depending on your particular computer setup or your operating system,  
getting down the exact URL of a webpage may not be an easy thing to do.   One of 
the simplest ways to accomplish this task is to do the following:
 
1.  Once you are on a particular website or you’ve clicked to a  particular 
page within that website, you can highlight the address by hitting  alt-d.
2. Copy the address to the clipboard by hitting  control-c.
3. Go to the document or E-mail you want to insert the  address of that 
webpage into, then paste it there by hitting control-v.
 
That’s all there is to it.
 
If you have questions, contact me.  
Bob Gardner
_rgardner4 at gmail.com_ (mailto:rgardner4 at gmail.com) 
309-236-6606
 

BOOK REVIEW

Got a book you found rather interesting to read?  Why not share it  with 
others?  Contact me with a short overview.
 
Tuesdays with Morrie:
An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s  Greatest Lesson
by Mitch Albom 
 
Inspirational
Bestseller
 
Some twenty years after college, Mitch Albom rekindles his relationship  
with a former professor who is terminally ill. His weekly visits with his 
dying  mentor become a colloquium on the meaning of life, and Albom gains 
insight into  "love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and, finally, 
death." – BARD  annotation
 

RECIPE CORNER

Help!  We need your favorite recipe to share with other chapter  members.  
Bring it to a chapter meeting, email it to _Lmm3527 at aol.com_ 
(mailto:Lmm3527 at aol.com)  or send it by snail mail to  3527 - 12th Avenue, Moline, IL 
61265.  Thanks!  We can’t wait to test  our taste buds!
 
This month’s recipe comes from chapter member Kathy Abbott.  I’ve  tried 
it and it’s delicious, quick, and easy to prepare!
 
MAC & CHEESE
 
Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
2 cups shredded cheddar  cheese
1 cup velvetta, cubed small
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1  cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon  pepper
 
1. Mix all together, sprinkle top with bread crumbs & parmesan  cheese (I 
don't always do this) to keep from drying out. 
2. Bake at 350  degrees for 45 minutes.  
3. This freezes well either before or  after baking. When I have extra 
cottage cheese, I mix up a batch and save in two  packages in the freezer for 
later use. 
4. If baking from freezer, allow  15 - 20 minutes extra time to defrost in 
oven.
 
Enjoy!
 

MEMBER PROFILE
MARK CLAYBURNE, JR.
 
Mark is one of our younger chapter members and definitely has a positive  
outlook on life!  He has been a member for two years and currently serves  on 
the chapter board.
 
Born with iris optic nerve coloboma and glaucoma, Mark has dealt with low  
vision throughout his life.  He looks forward to meeting other  
blind/visually impaired teens.
 
The oldest of four children, Mark lives in Bettendorf where he attends  
Bettendorf High School as a sophomore.
 
Homework comes first for Mark but, when time allows he is a typical teen  
who enjoys bowling, video games, going to movies, weather, technology, and  
walking.  If you’re interested in what the weather forecast will be  tomorrow 
or next week, Mark’s your “go-to” person.  He’ll tell you anything  you 
want to know.  So goes for technology.  He can solve a problem  which stumps 
a tech specialist!
 
Each summer Mark travels with his family to Adventureland in Des  Moines.  
He has also visited relatives in Arizona.
 
Mark uses the long white cane and has just recently learned Braille.   
Until his freshman year in high school Mark had little or no access to any  
accommodations.  He now uses the Braille Note, JAWS, Magic, Kurzweil 1000  
scanning software reader, Duxbury and braille embosser, Perkins brailler, Optron  
Video Magnifier, Apple products (Mac Book Pro, iPhone, iPad), Talking 
LabQuest,  talking calculator, Read2Go, Learning Ally, and audio textbooks.  
Because  of his persistent advocating (along with the help of his mother), Mark 
was  finally provided with accessible accommodations in high school.
 
Mark’s eyes tire more quickly than the average sighted person thus creating 
 migraines.  Since his accessibility to adaptive technology, these have  
become fewer and less frequent. 
 
When asked what advice he would pass along to other blind individuals, his  
response came quickly: “For those who are visually impaired, don’t let 
anyone  else get you down because if you put your mind and your heart to it, 
you can  accomplish anything.”
 
Mark’s goal is to attend Iowa State University and then become a  
meteorologist.  There’s no doubt in my mind with his positive attitude and  
perseverance he will achieve this and we’ll see him forecasting the  weather!