[Nfb-editors] North Carolina "News and Views" October

[Robert Leslie Newman]

NEWS AND VIEWS

 

Gary Ray, President                                         Katherine W.
Barr, Editor

18 Sandon Dr.
3326 Sharon Road

Asheville, NC 28804
Charlotte, NC 28211

(828) 505-0299
(704) 364-4808



 

Newsletter of the

National Federation of the Blind

of North Carolina

 

nfblogo


 


OCTOBER, 2012




Federation Board Members 2012-2013


NFB of NC


(Revised 9/28/12)


 




President

Gary Ray

18 Sandon Drive

Asheville NC 28804

phone 828-505-0338

cell phone 919-417-2885

NFB of NC line 828-505-0299

e-mail: ghray at charter.net

 

First Vice-President

Tim Jones

76 Silver Lake Pt.

Sanford, NC 27332

cell: 704-491-1486

e-mail: tmjnc2 at gmail.com

 

Second Vice-President

Lusi Radford

3604 Octavia Street

Raleigh, NC 27606

phone: 919-851-4817

cell: 919-341-6526

e-mail: Lusi98 at nc.rr.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secretary

Sharon Weddington

137 Kristens Court Drive

Mooresville, NC 28115

phone: 704-660-3481

cell: 704-302-7308

e-mail: locagirl at windstream.net

 

Treasurer

Boyce Locklear

P O Box 2633

Lumberton, NC 28359

cell: 910-734-4431

e-mail: blocklear44 at gmail.com

 

Board Members

Joy Scott

1111 Ivey Church Road

Maiden, NC 28650

phone: 828-428-3239

cell: 864-483-3455

e-mail: joynjesus at live.com

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Parker

105 Old Barn Lane

Rocky Mount NC 27804

phone: 252-977-1960

e-mail: angusparker at suddenlink.net

 

Julius Locklear

2228 Leadenhall Way

Raleigh NC 27603

cell: 910-740-1129

e-mail: julius.locklear1 at gmail.com

 

Ronald Broadnax

405 Southshore Parkway

Durham, NC 27703

phone: 919-596-0837

cell: 919-740-9131

e-mail: rbroadnax at frontier.com

 

Laurancene Murphy

2930 Zion Renaissance

Charlotte, NC 28269

phone: 704-971-0303

e-mail: lsm4 at ctc.net

 

 

Dr. Gary Davis

28 Eden View

Black Mountain, NC 28711

phone: 828-686-9180

cell: 828-776-9180

e-mail: gl28davis at aol.com

 

Editor

Katherine Barr

3326 Sharon Rd

Charlotte, NC 28211

phone: 704-364-4808

e-mail: harrysbarr at gmail.com

 

NCABS President

Alan Chase

1217 Mannassis Court

Raleigh, NC 27609

phone: 910-612-2220

e-mail: achase11 at nc.rr.com

 

POBC President

Cordella Fox

5908 Heartwood Ct

Harrisburg, NC 28075

home: 704-707-3984

cell: 704-787-3206

e-mail: foxca01 at gmail.com




 

 

 

 


EDITOR'S NOTE


 

October's bright blue weather is a lovely respite from the summer heat.
Before we know it, the holiday season will be here. We wish each of you much
joy. Kudos to Sharon Weddington and all her hard-working crew at Camp
Dogwood for the outstanding State Convention! The tribute to our beloved
Herman Gruber was very moving. We shall miss his eloquence, his wisdom and
his innate kindness. For the first time in eighteen years, there were no
chapter reports submitted. Deadline for the February, 2013 Newsletter is
January 30, 2013.

 

The Editor

 

 

 


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE


By Gary Ray


 

Anyone who did not attend the State Convention at Camp Dogwood last month
missed a huge dealt I know I had a great time! And, I was in a good mood!
Sharon Weddington and the South Iredell Chapter did a fantastic job. There
will be an article on the Convention later in his newsletter.

One of the reasons I was flying high at the Convention was due to our
success in all our legislative endeavors this year. Everyone's been forced
to listen to me complain over the past year about our problems with the
current Legislature, but when all the dust had settled, we "ran the table."
For those who did not grow up in a pool hall, it means we won all our
battles. Briefly, we had four issues in front of the Legislature. First, we
got the Governor Morehead School re-opened and then Newsline was funded for
another year. We blocked the merger of the Division of Services for the
Blind into a super VR agency. And lastly, we got the Consumer and Advocacy
Advisory Committee for the Blind taken off the Governor's hit list. I want
to thank Tim Jones, Sharon Weddington, Lusi Radford, Julius Locklear, and
many others for all the hard work that made these victories happen. Of
course, everything will change with the upcoming elections; so we will be
confronting a whole new situation in 2013.

In July, I ran a two-week summer camp for 11 blind kids. Imagine that! Gary
Ray running a summer camp for blind kids! It was our second Braille
Enrichment for Learning and Literacy (BELL) program. The funding for this
program comes from the Friends of the NC Library for the Blind to the tune
of around $7,000. There should be an article in the Braille Monitor about
BELL. Next year, in 2013, we hope to do two BELL programs in the state. One
will again be housed in Raleigh and we hope to put the other one somewhere
in the western part of the state. All the BELL states won Dr. Jacob Bolotin
awards at the Dallas Convention. The award included a check for $3,000 to be
used for our BELL program next year. This was a really big deal! I must say
that it was really a good program and it is gratifying to be part of an
effort to change the lives of young blind kids.

Back in August, 23 NC Federationists from across the state gathered in
Winston-Salem to demonstrate in front of the Goodwill headquarters. Sharon
Newton and Charles Parker headed up a Task Team to handle the Sub-Minimum
Wage matter. I also want to thank Easter McCall for her work as local
Chapter President. She got our permit and put our signs together. North
Carolina showed that we support the rights of all Americans with
disabilities to be paid the Minimum Wage!

In August, we lost one of the giants in NC Federationism, Herman Gruber.
Herman had A. L. S. or Lou Gehrig's disease. Frankly, my brothers and
sisters, this was a crushing blow to me personally. I was unable to cry
until the memorial several members put on during our business meeting at
Camp Dogwood. I miss Herman terribly. I know he will be missed. Our whole
Convention was in his honor.

During our business meeting at the Convention, a number of new folks were
elected to the State Board. New Members at Large are Joy Scott of Lincoln
County, Laurancene Murphy of Mecklenburg County and Dr. Gary Davis of
Buncombe County. Lusi Radford of Wake County was elected to be our new
Second Vice-President Ron Broadnax of Wake County was elected to fill out
the term of Lusi Radford as a Member at Large. The elections got pretty
exciting, I can tell you!

I want to say thank you to those who were defeated in the elections or
decided not to run for re-election: Easter McCall of Forsythe County, Sharon
Newton of Mecklenburg County and Patricia Tessnear of Wilson County. All of
these folks have worked very hard. I hope to keep drawing on their
experience and skill!

Our next big event is the Washington Seminar. I am planning to schedule all
the appointments myself this year so I'll know what all it entails. I hope
local chapters will support their members who want to attend. The State is
not wealthy enough to offer a lot of financial support and the Seminar is an
expensive trip. If you are interested in going, talk to your Chapter
President. The dates for the Seminar are Monday, February 4 through
Thursday, February 7, 2013.

And, of course, our National Convention returns to Orlando for an extended
run. The dates for the Convention are Monday, July 1 through Saturday, July
6, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


NEWS FLASH!


 


Our convention Experience


by Jerry Moreno


 

Our thanks go out to our state affiliate president Gary Ray for all the
planning and organizing that needed to be done to have a successful
convention. I am told that over 130 folks attended. As Sharon Weddington
well knows, it's a lot of hard work coordinating accommodations,
transportation and meals for that large a crowd. Our thanks to all who put
their hand to the plow to make our convention experience so enjoyable.

 

To those who have never attended a convention, I am reminded of an
admonition that my father often had to tell me; you don't know what you're
missing! Attend a convention and find out for yourself. You will be
motivated, inspired and yes, somewhat tired at the end of the convention,
but you'll soon realize it was all worth it.

 

We had a wonderful time at the NFB of NC convention last September. Madeline
and I thoroughly appreciated the food, fellowship and fun we had, starting
on Thursday until Sunday, renewing old acquaintances and meeting new
brothers and sisters in the Federation.

 

Of noteworthy mention was the Friday night dance. After a long, and I do
mean long, time absence from the dance floor, I got up and danced until I
hurt and then some. Madeline and I even entered the Twist contest, but alas,
we were outclassed. However, it didn't matter because we had a whole lot of
fun. When Madeline saw me huffing and puffing, she warned me that in the
morning I would pay. She was right, as usual!

 

Of special significance to Madeline was when everyone sang happy birthday to
her on Thursday. It's always good to share your birthday with your family,
especially your federation family.

 

On a more serious note, the seminars and speeches were both enlightening and
informative. Topics such as chapter building and technology always draw a
crowd. Sometimes you wished you could attend two seminars at once because
you don't want to miss a thing.

 

One highlight of any convention for me is to talk to the students. They
always seem to inspire me, a long-time federationist, to pick up my slate
and stylus and not to rely on technology so much. Even though I consider
myself proficient with a computer or my iPhone, I am still lacking because I
can't read and write braille as I should. The weekend at Camp Dogwood
reinforced my desire to study and practice braille.

 

Another highlight of attending a convention is sharing our experiences over
the past year and hearing of the triumphs that friends shared with us. The
hospitality room is a great place to do this. Madeline and I took advantage
of every opportunity to sit down with our brothers and sisters and try to
inspire those that need encouragement and also to be encouraged. We have
been attending conventions since 1995 and we have never been disappointed.
There have always been folks to share with as well as those that lift our
spirits.

 

Hearing the accomplishments and events held by our chapters on Sunday always
lifts me up and rekindles the federation fire shut up in my bones. I'm
always looking for ideas and events that I can take back to my chapter for
us to do.

 

 


North Carolina Association of Blind Students


By Alan Chase, Pres.


 

NCABS filled the dorms and meeting spaces of Camp Dogwood this September
with the most attendees out of any division or chapter! The division has
continued its great work by hosting yet another student track. Sessions
included disability rights, transportation, Apple product accessibility,
dating, and the annual business meeting. Of course, there was lots of time
to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and simply take a break from
studying.

We were excited to welcome national scholarship winner Elizabeth Troutman to
the ranks of NCABS. Elizabeth is pursuing both a degree in law from UNC
Chapel Hill and policy from Duke. We were also pleased to have NCABS member
Alan Chase selected as state scholarship winner. Alan is pursuing a
doctorate in educational administration.

The NCABS membership elected new officers during its annual business
meeting. The 2012-2013 officers include: Alan Chase, Pres., Kevin Currin,
First Vice-Pres., Bobbi Pompey, Second Vice-Pres., Ashley Coleman, Treas.,
and Veronica Puente, Sec. Members and officers have already begun discussing
plans for the coming year. Talk of starting a mentoring program, regional
seminars to reach more students, and some social activities are just a few
ideas.

The NCABS website has been updated to reflect these recent changes and will
soon be updated further to keep us all informed as to the exciting things to
come! Please visit us online at www.ncabs.org. You can also contact Alan
Chase at aachase1 at gmail.com.

 

 

 


Attention All Guide Dog Lovers


 

My name is Ashley Coleman and I'm from Bladenboro, NC. I am currently a
student at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. I got my first
guide dog in 2010 when he was two years old, and he has been the most
wonderful teammate!

I recently joined the National Federation of the Blind and urge members to
consider forming a North Carolina division of the NFB's National Association
of Guide Dog Users. Many of our youth are getting guide dogs and I think it
would be good for them to have someone at a state level they can turn to
with questions or concerns about problems they are having with people in the
public.

The NAGDU is for blind individuals who are currently using a guide dog who
have used a guide dog, and people who want to know more about getting a
guide dog. The NAGDU works to promote sound practices in the training and
use of such dogs for mobility by offering input and advice to guide dog
training programs. They also are committed to educating business owners, law
enforcement officers, and the general public about state and federal laws
that give disabled people the right to be accompanied by their guide dogs.
It also can serve as a support system for guide dog users.

If you are interested in starting a local chapter or have questions or
concerns, feel free to contact me.

 

Ashley Coleman

2103 Cabbage Road

Bladenboro NC 28320

Phone: 910-234-2306

Email: amc05111 at gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Get to Know Blinksoft

 

Note from the President: In an effort to support NC businesses, we are
including a brief article about Blinksoft. They originally started out on
the West Coast, but moved to Weaverville a couple of years ago.

Blinksoft is a company with one focus - providing outstanding assistive
technology products and extra-mile service for blind and low-vision people.
Our company was founded in 1995 by Pam Retzloff who is blind herself, so we
share this common ground with our customers and our service comes from the
heart At Blinksoft we listen to your needs and then help you find the best
technology to meet them, accessible computer systems, software, and devices
that will work for you by enlarging, talking, or showing information in
Braille. We carry many product lines and are always looking out for what's
new. This allows us to consider many possibilities in finding you the very
best solution, whether for work, school, around the home, or just for fun.

Here are a few popular product lines that may be of interest to you:

.         ZoomText magnification software for your PC

.         Window-Eyes screen reading software for your PC

.         Victor Reader Stream and PLEXTALK Pocket talking book players

.         Vision Free HD Radio - all the dials and settings speak

.         Various Braille displays for your PC, Apple computer, and even
Apple iDevices

.         Readit Wand - scans printed material, reads it out loud, and shows
it in magnified reading views

.         PenFriend - records and plays back audible labels for your things

.         BrailleNote (South Carolina only)

.         Index Braille and Enabling Technologies Embossers

Although we had our beginnings in the Seattle area, about three years ago we
relocated to sunny Weaverville, NC. We are truly enjoying the weather and
the extra nice people here.

Please check out our websites and feel free to give us a call if you have
questions. Our no-pressure staff will be happy to help.

 

Blinksoft, Inc.

Phone: 425-430-8800

Toll Free: 866-206-7249

Website: www.blinksoftinc.com

Ecommerce website: www.ICanSeeMyPC.com

 

 

 

LET'S LAUGH!

by Gene Buccelli

 

An Elderly gentleman was dating a younger woman and said:

 

"Mary, I love you and want to marry you, Think about it this week and let me
know next week...Oh by the way, before you decide I want to tell you
something.

My father is a multi-millionaire, and when he dies, I am going to inherit
all his money. I just wanted you to know this before you decide."

Next week comes and he greets Mary and asks her, "Well, Mary have you
decided what you are going to do?" She says, "Yes I have...I have thought
long, and hard about your offer... And I am going to start dating your
father!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Leslie Newman

Personal Website-

Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment

http//www.thoughtprovoker.info

NFB Writers' Division, president

http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 

Chair of the NFB Communications Committee   

 

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