SVCB IN TOUCH

Newsletter of the SILICON VALLEY COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

A Chapter of the California Council of the Blind

January 2022

EDITOR: Sandy Quenzer, editor@svcb.cc

COPY EDITOR: Beverly Clifford, copyeditor@svcb.cc

ADDRESS: Silicon Valley Council of the Blind (SVCB), P.O. Box 4116, San Jose, CA 95125

DEADLINE: for the February, 2022 issue: noon, January 17, 2022

VOLUNTEERS: Naomi Grubb, volunteers@svcb.cc

MEMBERSHIP: Mike Keithley, membership@svcb.cc

LEGISLATION: Mike Keithley, legislation@svcb.cc

PHONE: 888-652-5333

EMAIL: svcb@onebox.com

URL: svcb.cc

Legislative Hotlines, current issues for blind persons:

CALIFORNIA CONNECTION:

800-221-6359, after 5 PM and weekends

WASHINGTON CONNECTION:

800-424-8666, 3 to 9 PM and weekends

DISCLAIMER: This publication contains announcements from the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind and is also a forum for opinions relating to blindness issues. Signed articles reflect the views, and research, of their authors.

STATUS: SVCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization under the California Council of the Blind.

CHANGES OF ADDRESS: Contact Mike Keithley, database@svcb.cc.

Monthly in-person meetings are held at the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center (Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Jose). Meetings run 9:30 AM to 1 PM the third Saturday of the month and are open to all.


IN THIS ISSUE


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: January 2022

by Rob Turner

As I sit down to write this message, it's Christmas week and we are preparing to visit my brother for a few days. Our tradition the last few years is to celebrate the New Year with friends in Half Moon Bay, and that's the plan again this year.

At our November meeting, I forgot to appoint a committee to produce our 2022 Business Calendar. Therefore, I decided to produce it myself and ask Mike Keithley to review it. The Board should have received the calendar before its December meeting. Thanks to the rapid communication provided by email, there is still time to get back on schedule. This should all be taken care of before you read this.

Another agenda item I forgot was to appoint a Budget Committee. I've asked Victor to act as Committee Chair, with Carol, Mike, and I as participants.

I hope all of you have a joyous and restful holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you at our January meeting.


***

MEMBERSHIP CORNER

by Mike Keithley

So here we are again, starting a new year. But I remember 2021 for several positive reasons:

We had our picnic in September rather than August. Having our picnic in September tends to remove competition for the Sylvandale site, which has been our popular picnic location for years. And the weather is still good, so why not? Of course, you can say "why not" at the January meeting, where we'll introduce the Picnic Committee Chair and officially approve a picnic site.

We restarted in-person meetings last August, and people are starting to feel comfortable coming to them. COVID isn't done, so we might have a roller coaster ride yet. But we're continuing to maintain a Zoom link, and those who can't come to in-person meetings can use Zoom to listen and interact during them.

Though we lost our ability to do fund-raising, we hope to be able to resume that activity when CCB has it's tax-exempt status renewed.

"And the dogs haven't left! In fact SVCB's hospitality reputation is first-rate." Thanks to you, I guess. "That's right, who else can do it?"

Our little weekly social hour is regularly attended by upwards of 10 people, and it's always open to all SVCB members.

"OK, Master, let's talk about the Christmas party." OK, do it! "Well, I had turkey, ham, and two pieces of pie." You did? Why did you keep that secret? "Because I was promised more, but she forgot." Glad she forgot. "Anyway, it was really nice getting acquainted with David Hoffman's dog. It was fun seeing Master dancing around in his chair during the fiddler music." Yes, that was fun. Too bad there wasn't more space.

But meeting Daveed Mandell from the San Francisco chapter was quite a groove, and he came all the way from Berkeley!

I want to thank everyone involved in making the party a success, including myself. "You, what did you do?" Uh... "Lazy old guy!"

We don't have a program for the January meeting, so stay tuned to the phone tree message. But the 2022 Business Calendar is published with this newsletter, and we'll approve it during the business meeting.

We hear that John Vandervort is in the hospital (a sad place to be during the Christmas season). At this time we don't know if it's appropriate to contact him, but contact Carol Silveria for info.

(Copy Editor's note: The latest news is that John is now out of the hospital, and is living at the White Blossom Convalescent Center in San Jose.)

Happy January birthdays to Roger Petersen, Lupe Medrano, and Margaret Hardy. And let's welcome our new newsletter editor, Sandy Quenzer. If you have stuff for the newsletter, just send it to editor@svcb.cc.


***

FUND-RAISING REPORT: January 2022

by Carol Silveria

Hello everyone!

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone, and we have now been dealing with the pandemic for almost two years.

We still have no news to report concerning CCB’s 501C3 tax exempt status. As soon as we do, we will let you all know. I know lots of you want to buy our fund-raising goodies, but until we get the word that we can fund-raise again, we just must wait.

On a personal note, I found my brother John Vandervort on his bedroom floor on Monday morning, December 13, 2021. I called 911, and he was transported to the hospital. He was in ICU for four days, and now at this writing he has been on a medical ward for the past three days. Not all the tests results are in, so we still don’t have all the information as to what put him in the hospital. Because of COVID, visitation is limited to family. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

I hope all of you have had a joyous holiday season and, as always, please keep yourselves safe and well!


***

TABARD THEATRE'S NEXT SHOWS

Submitted by Bev Clifford

In January, Tabard presents a Top of the Stairs production—KATE, THE UNEXAMINED LIFE. It is New Year’s Eve, 1999, and Katharine Hepburn, powerhouse of stage and screen, wheelchair-bound at age 92, tries to create a map for how the rest of her life should go. She reflects on her past, on the vagaries of aging, on her family, on lost loves, and on her battles as a producer and as a woman. Kate invites you to a night in intimate conversation with one of Hollywood’s most fascinating people, to find out about the depths behind her glamorous smile.

In February and March, Tabard presents a Mainstage production—TRIUMPH OF LOVE. Start with disguised lovers, mistaken identities, and flirty innuendo, then add catchy music combining pop, jazz, opera, and burlesque, and you get a show that is guaranteed to delight. This romantic farce pits clever wit against rigid reason, and shows the consequences of "doing anything for love."


***

TIDBITS

Compiled by Mike Keithley

Spoken RX at CVS Pharmacy

CVS Pharmacy is now offering Spoken Rx, its proprietary audio prescription label solution, in all its nearly 10,000 pharmacy locations nationwide, including more than 1,700 CVS Pharmacy locations within Target. Developed in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind, Spoken Rx is a technology that allows patients to have their prescription information read aloud, designed for those with visual impairments and those who cannot read standard print labels. It is available at no extra cost to patients. Learn more by visiting

acb.org/cvs-spoken-rx

To listen to our ACB Advocacy Update podcast about this initiative as well as the CVS v. Doe Supreme Court case, visit:

http://ow.ly/3akQ50H2Q80

ACB Advocacy Update

International Advocacy: On an episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Swatha spoke with Kim Charlson, President of the World Blind Union (WBU) North American and Caribbean Region, Meryl Shecter, ACB's International Relations Committee Vice Chair, and Sandra Sermons, International Relations Committee member, about advocacy on behalf of the global blind community. Listen by visiting:

http://ow.ly/OzoN50H84Yr

If you'd like to get involved with or learn more about WBU, email Kim at kcharlson@acb.org

To learn more about the International Relations Committee, visit

http://ow.ly/UH5M50H84Yq

All The Light We Cannot See

The American Council of the Blind would like to congratulate Aria Mia Loberti, a blind actress and disability advocate, on her role as Marie-Laure, for the Netflix limited series "All The Light We Cannot See", produced by Joe Strechay. Learn more by visiting

tinyurl.com/2p9xjcbu

Accessible Recipes on America's Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen has partnered with Perkins School for the Blind to make recipes on their website fully accessible for people who are blind and visually impaired. Last year, Perkins began advising America's Test Kitchen on their website. Their site now features information architecture that is straightforward and easy to use with a screen reader, as well as text and background choices specifically for users with low vision. Cooking demos on the site also have the ingredient list and instructions read aloud. Learn more by visiting (may be behind a paywall):

tinyurl.com/3e85evh9

Is There a Genetic Link to Being an Extremely Good Boy?

Guide dogs need the right personality, health, and training. This article by Wired, explores how scientists are studying the genetics behind the traits that make a dog suited to working. Read the article at:

tinyurl.com/ycktzkcn


***

YOUR NEW EDITOR

by Sandy Quenzer

Hello everyone,

In case you didn't catch Mike's announcement, you have a new editor, and I'm happy to say it's me. I look forward to this new endeavor, and hope you will be patient with any of my foibles, created as I get used to it.

Please feel free to contact me at editor@svcb.cc with any ideas or suggestions you may have, as well as any articles you would like included. However, it is imperative to get any articles to me no later than the monthly deadline, so I have plenty of time to include them. Otherwise, they will need to wait to be included in the following issue.

Thank you again for entrusting me with your literary input, and I look forward to seeing and including your future articles. (And yes, "King," that includes you—(wink, wink).


***

SNACK SHACK

Submitted by Noel Runyan

Deb's Grasshopper Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz. package of marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup green creme de menth
  • 2 tablespoons white creme de cacao
  • 1 Crumb Pie Shell made from Oreo cookies or Graham Crackers (Crumb Pie Shell instructions are included at the bottom.)

Directions

  1. Place marshmallows and milk in 3 qt. casserole. Cover. Microwave at high for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture can be stirred smooth. Chill in refrigerator (about 30 to 40 minutes) or in pan of ice water until thickened, stirring occasionally.
  2. Whip the cream.
  3. Fold whipped cream, creme de menth, and creme de cacao liqueurs into marshmallow mixture. Pour into crust, and cover with stretch wrap. If there is too much for your pie plate, pour some in small bowls for Grasshopper Pudding.
  4. If you can keep the pie perfectly level in the freezer, put it in. If not, first refrigerate to thicken, and then place in the freezer. Serve frozen.

To loosen the shell from the bottom of the pie plate, we hold the pie upside down in its plate while running hot water across the pie plate. If you are not so brave, you might prefer to warm the bottom of the pie plate by setting it on a towel dampened with hot water.

Oreo Crumb Pie Shell

Ingredients

  • 18 Oreos (1/2 of a standard-sized package of Oreos, best if you use Mint Oreos)
  • 1/4 cup butter

Directions

  1. Place butter in 9-inch pie plate. Microwave on high for half a minute, until melted. Process the Oreos into fine crumbs. Blend the crumbs into the melted butter in the pie plate. Press firmly and evenly into pie plate. Microwave at high for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes, rotating dish after 1 minute.
  2. A pretty scalloped pie shell can easily be made by initially twisting 12 to 14 of the Oreos apart and saving the "clean" halves for the sides. Process the rest of the Oreos as above. Line the bottom of the 9-inch pie plate with the crumbs, then stand the saved bare halves around the sides of the plate.

***

EVENT CALENDAR: January to February 2022

Compiled by Mike Keithley

Notes

A weekly SVCB Social Hour is scheduled for 4 PM every Wednesday afternoon until forever. Dates are:

January: 5, 12, 19, 26

February: 2, 9, 16, 23

Join Zoom Meeting:

us02web.zoom.us/j/739825688?pwd=bk85ZUVmZ3UxUjEzVHN5aG1NRWZjUT09

One tap mobile:

+14086380968,,739825688##

Call in number: 408-638-0968

Meeting ID: 739825688

Passcode: 222638

When prompted for a participant code, press the Pound key.

Note that the above call-in information is used for SVCB's virtual link to in-person membership meetings.

Tabard Theatre Shows

To order tickets, call the TABARD box office at 408-679-2330 and speak to Marilyn Watts, or visit tabardtheatre.org. SVCB members and Vista Center clients should use Discount Code BC27 when ordering. Performances take place at The TABARD THEATRE, 29 North San Pedro Street, San Jose. The phrase "On Demand" means that the show can be viewed through your Internet provider's browser.

Shows Described by AudioVision

For all San Francisco productions (Golden Gate and Orpheum Theatres, Tickets are generally on sale four weeks before the production opens. To charge tickets and reserve receivers, call 888-746-1799 (SHN Theaters), or fax your order to 415-581-2121 and ask for AudioVision tickets. If you have any questions, please email didisalvo@msn.com.

San Francisco LightHouse

To hear weekly events at the San Francisco LightHouse, call 415-694-7325.

Let's Talk Low Vision

The monthly "Let's Talk Low Vision" conferences are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 8:30 PM Eastern. Archives are available at:

cclvi.info/2020/09/24/archive-lets-talk-low-vision/

Zoom information is distributed through the ACB Community Schedule email list, or by emailing: cclviwebmaster@gmail.com.

If you want to participate in these conferences, visit: cclvi.info/ltlv/.

Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors

Departs every Sunday at noon from Pier 40 in San Francisco. Call 415-281-0212 for information and reservations, or visit www.baads.org.

Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)

BORP believes that everyone should have access to the unique challenges that outdoor recreation provides, and makes every effort to accommodate each person's needs, including providing transportation and volunteer support. For event listings, call Lori Gray at 510-843-4398, or visit www.borp.org.

CALENDAR

January

January 5, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group meeting. Call-in: 605-715-4920; ID: 2776167. For questions, call Lori Scharff at 516-887-1336, or lorischarff@gmail.com.

January 6, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting. If you're not on the Board but want to attend this meeting, contact SVCB president Rob Turner.

January 14 through January 23: Tabard Theatre presents KATE: AN UNEXAMINED LIFE; see notes; on demand: January 24 to February 10.

January 15, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB annual meeting. New administration takes office. Approve Business Calendar.

January 17, noon: February SVCB newsletter deadline.

February

February 1, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group meeting.

February 3, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting.

February 11 through March 6: Tabard Theatre presents TRIUMPH OF LOVE; see notes.

February 19, 9:30 AM to 1 PM: SVCB membership meeting. Approve budget.

February 21, noon: March SVCB newsletter deadline.