[nfbmi-talk] camp t questions for lease.

Tue Oct 12 00:07:41 UTC 2010

There are some matters which we would like addressedFred Wurtzel wrote this list of questions concerning the FRP for Camp T. I thought members of the NFB of Michigan would be interested, so I am sending it to the list. Good job Fred!

I am writing on behalf of Larry Posont, President of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan.  There are some matters which we would like addressed regarding our potential proposal to secure a lease to operate Camp Tuhsmeheta. Running a camp successfully and effectively depends a lot on support and infrastructure.  This camp is not a for-profit activity and the number of potential participants is not large enough to create enough income to fully support all needed services.  For these reasons, the Michigan Department of Education manages a trust fund from witch funds may be utilized to subsidize the costs of operations for Camp Tuhsmeheta.  

Second, the programs which have been operated by Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind and any that may be offered by the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan support the goals and principles contained in the National Agenda and the Expanded Core curriculum as provided on the American Foundation for the Blind website (www.afb.org)  It is the intent of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan to fully support the efforts of the Michigan Department of Education, Low Incidence Outreach, Intermediate School districts and itinerant and classroom teachers by providing target training in Braille, cane travel, independent living  and the emphasis areas contained in the national emphasis in science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The questions below fall into the areas of physical infrastructure and support for efforts around STEM and the expanded core curriculum. 

Activity field -- There is a need for an activity field for providing a space for running and goal type sports like Goal Ball and similar sports.  There is a field west of the Perch Lane gate which could be graded and seeded that would make a suitable place where blind children could run and hold athletic games in a safe and open environment.  Our question is whether the Department could make improvements in this space or another similar space roughly the size of a football field to hold these described activities?

Coffee/hot drink station -- There is not presently a space in the dining room in White Pine Lodge to have a suitable hot drink station.  It is necessary to bring hot drinks from the kitchen to the tables which create a mixed traffic pattern during busy mealtimes.  This poses a potential safety risk and does not support the teaching of pouring and transporting hot liquids by blind individuals as part of daily living and travel training.  There is a space to the north of the dirty dish return window on the east wall of White Pine which would suitable for this function.  A minimum of a 6 foot counter with a water line and electrical outlets for 120v and 220v connections for coffee makers and other related hot drink and cooling spaces for coffee creamers, water and related products.  The question: would the Department be willing to build a minimum 6 foot counter with under counter storage with water and electrical service?

Water to garden -- Through the generosity of individuals and groups there is an extensive garden area north of White Pine Lodge.  Gardening is a highly enriching activity which contributes too many of the stem and expanded core curriculum goals.  Science, spatial relationships, and nutrition are just 3 of the many benefits that can be gained from gardening.  

It is presently necessary to either carry water or run hoses across the road area to get water to the garden during dry weather.  To create a more efficient and usable area, a permanent water source in the garden area is needed.  The question is whether the Department is willing to either connect to an existing water source or drive a point to ground water level and provide onsite water through a pump?

Door closures on bathrooms in white pine -- For many years, since the remodeling of White Pine Lodge to create a Dining room area, there has been a need for door closers on the male and female bathroom facilities.  The male bathroom is just a few feet from where diners eat.  It would be aesthetically and possibly a health consideration improvement to assure the doors is closed when meals are being served.  The question: Is the Department willing to install door closures on the male and female bathrooms in white Pine Lodge?

$100,000 for programming -- As mentioned above, there is not an adequate population of potential campers who could afford the fees necessary to fully cover the costs of providing quality state-of-the-art programming at Camp Tuhsmeheta that support the expanded core curriculum and the STEM goals recommended by national standards for educating blind children.  To fully staff camp, provide trained and credentialed teachers and fund a rich array of activities it costs approximately $1,00 per week per child, based on 20 children per session.  Historically the Department of Education has provided support for programming over and above that offered to individual campers who qualify for school reduced lunch subsidies.  OUB has, in the past, and NFBMI in the future would need to rely on foundation and individual support to cover the gap between support provided by the Indigent Blind Fund monies and the actual costs.  In this period of reduced incomes for foundations and individuals it is difficult to rely on this funding support.  In addition, the precarious nature of the present plan of a month to month lease makes it difficult to fully plan programming and promise funders a facility where programs may be presented.  The question is: Is the Department willing to partially or fully support the actual costs of operating Camp Tuhsmeheta from Trust fund revenues?

60 month lease with 1 year automatic renewals -- During informational meetings, it was said that the reason for the month-to-month lease is that it would take several months to get clearance through the Attorney General's office. As mentioned above, a month to month lease does not provide a stable base upon which planning may be made.  There is no guarantee that any organization will have access to the Camp facility more than 30 days in the future.  It would not be prudent for a funder to provide support for a program based on a plan where the recipient may not be able to provide the service or program when the time arrives for the project to take place.  Question:  Would the Department be willing to enter into a month-to-month lease until a multi-year lease can be negotiated? 

Please direct questions or comments to Larry Posont, President, National Federation of the Blind of Michigan at president.nfb.mi at gmail.com or call 313-271-3058.  Thank you very much for your attention to these important matters.

Best Regards,

Fred Wurtzel

--
I am using the free version of SPAMfighter.
We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam.
SPAMfighter has removed 301 of my spam emails to date.
Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len

The Professional version does not have this message