[il-talk] 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
 
January 1, 2014
 
Contact info:
Jay Blanchard, President
421 - 19th  Street
Moline, IL 61265
(309)749-7482
_jayblanchard2 at gmail.com_ (mailto:jayblanchard2 at gmail.com) 
 

Happy New Year to all!  Let’s begin the New Year by attending the  monthly 
chapter meeting on Saturday, January 11th.  Come join us – the  company and 
conversation will warm you up! Get the date marked on your calendar  and 
make plans to meet with your Federation family – you’ll be glad you  did!
 

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, January 11th, at 1:30  p.m., at 
the South Moline Township Center located at 637 - 17th Avenue in East  
Moline.
 
For our program this month we will brainstorm. What programs interest you?  
How and what can we do as a chapter to increase membership? What activities 
 would inspire you to participate more? Come join us and let your voice be  
heard!
 
For those interested . . . there will be BINGO at the end of the  meeting.
 

LAST MONTH IN REVIEW

Our annual Christmas Party was held on Saturday evening, December 14th at  
Christ United Methodist Church with 40 in attendance.  A special thank you  
to all who helped to make it a successful event!  We enjoyed good food,  
fellowship, entertainment, door prizes and a silent auction.  A 50/50  raffle 
was held, the winner being Kathy Crooks who pocketed $70.   Entertainment was 
provided by chapter member Alfonso Ayew-ew.  A good time  was had by all.
 

ELECTED

The following have been elected to serve the NFBI Blackhawk  Chapter:

Serving a two-year term
President – Jay  Blanchard
Vice-President – Patrick Olson
Secretary – Jean  Rauschenbach
Treasurer – Lois Montgomery
 
Serving a one-year term
Board Members – Mark Clayburne,  Jr., Leah Slightom, & Donna Miles
 

PEOPLE REPORT

Congratulations to chapter member Mark Clayburne, Jr., who has earned a  
spot on the bowling team at Bettendorf High School.
 
Jean Rauschenbach is recuperating from recent surgery.
 
Patrick Olson will resume his studies at Western Illinois University’s Quad 
 City campus in January.
 

MEMBERSHIP

It’s time to renew your membership for 2014. Not a member? No  problem! 
Bring $2 to a chapter meeting or mail that amount to
Lois  Montgomery
3527 - 12th Avenue
Moline, IL 61265
 

BIRTHDAY CORNER

The following birthdays will be celebrated in January:

4 Louis Braille
12 Alfonso  Ayew-ew
 

FUND RAISING

We’ve started another 50/50 raffle.  Be sure to see Lois Montgomery to  
purchase your tickets: $1 each or 6/$5.  Good luck!
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 26 - 30 – Washington Seminar
 
February 8 – Next chapter meeting
 
July 1 - 6 – NFB National Convention at the Rosen Center Hotel in Orlando,  
Florida
 

TECH TALK
Selecting Text

When working in various applications, whether it be a word processor,  
E-mail, or the Internet, it’s often necessary to select (highlight) all or part  
of a document.  That may be needed to delete text, bold or underline text,  
or move text to the clipboard.  Here is a list of the key commands to  
select various parts of a document.  
 
select                             key  command
letter                               shift-right  arrow
word                               control-shift-right  arrow
whole  line                        shift-down  arrow
line to right of curser          shift-end
line to left of  curser            shift-home
sentence                         F8  (hit 3 times  quickly)
paragraph                        control-shift-down  arrow
page                               control-shift-end
whole  document              control-a
 
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.
 
After the Rains
by Deborah Raney
 
Inspirational
Religious Fiction
Romance
 
High school student Natalie Camfield, just a child in Beneath a Southern  
Sky (RC 57150), is involved in a tragic alcohol-related car accident killing 
her  best friend. Later Natalie leaves college and her boyfriend to assist 
her  missionary father in Colombia where she confronts her guilt and finds 
new love.  2002. – 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  Lois Montgomery, 3527 - 12th Avenue, 
Moline, IL 61265.  Thanks!  We  can’t wait to test our taste buds!
 
 This month’s recipe comes from Healthy Exchanges.
 
Garden Pasta Salad
 
3 cups cooked rotini pasta, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped  carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup diced  green bell pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/8  teaspoon lemon pepper
1 cup Kraft fat-free French dressing
 
1. In a large bowl, combine rotini pasta, carrots, celery, peas, green  
pepper, onion, and broccoli.
2. Add lemon pepper and French  dressing.  Mix well to combine.
3.  Cover and refrigerate for  several hours.
 
Hint: 2 ½ cups uncooked rotini pasta usually makes about 3 cups  cooked.
 
Serves 8 (1 cup serving)
 

MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
LEAH SLIGHTOM
 
Leah has been a member of the Blackhawk Chapter for five years.  She  
currently serves on the chapter board, having been elected in November.
 
Born with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), Leah has been blind her entire  
life.  Her parents didn’t realize this until she began crawling and bumping 
 into things.  As a teen Leah developed glaucoma.
 
Leah was born in Peoria where she lived with her parents and two brothers  
until age six when they moved to Toulon.  She lived here until age  
twenty-one.  She now makes residency in Moline with fiance Jay  Blanchard.
 
A graduate of Stark County High School, Leah attended Blackhawk East  
College and later transferred to the University of Illinois, Springfield.   
Interested in social work, Leah volunteered time and was fortunate to shadow a  
social worker.
 
Activities and hobbies include listening to music, watching TV and movies,  
playing with her dog, surfing the internet, and exploring technology.  She  
enjoys chatting with other blind individuals through “the zone”, a website 
where  blind persons interact with one another through discussions.
 
Travels have taken Leah to Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, and  
Chicago.
 
Leah is proficient in Braille and uses the long white cane.  She uses  the 
KNFB reader, JAWS, audio books from the BARD website, and the Pac  Mate.  
Time was spent at ICRE-Wood learning blindness skills.
 
Leah’s goal is to complete her education and specialize in working with  
blind individuals.
 
Advice she would pass along to others: “ . . . people don’t always  
cooperate because they don’t understand . . . be patient . . . never give up . .  
. “