Vol. 30, No. 3
MARCH 2005
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
CORRECTION
NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING - NOTE SPECIAL MEETING DATE
FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
PROPOSED ADDITION TO THE MFCB BY-LAWS
LYNX TO INCREASE FARES
SIGHT & SOLE WALK
SOUTHEASTERN GUIDE DOGS WALK-A-THON
FCB HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
FCB RAFFLE TICKETS HELP MFCB
ONE MEMBER'S EXPERIENCE ON FLORIDA PUBLIC AWARENESS DAY
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Hello to all MFCB members and friends. I hope all of you are doing well. As you'll see later in this issue, many of our members have
been very busy with regard to transportation issues on behalf of the vision impaired and other disabled communities of the tri-county
area.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have attended meetings, made phone calls and sent written comments to express
concern with the Lynx proposed fare increases. It is largely through these tireless efforts that the Lynx Board of Directors became more
aware of the impact this increase would have on those of us exclusively dependent on paratransit services and, in turn, voted to
implement the increase in stages rather than all at once. This effort was true advocacy at work and what this organization is all about; it's
about striving to raise the awareness of such issues and working to maintain and improve services for the future.
Thanks again and great job! I look forward to seeing many of you at our March General Meeting.
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CORRECTION
In the February 2005 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, the phone number for New MFCB Member Sheila Young was not correct. Her
phone number is (407) 422-3587. We apologize for the error.
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NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING - NOTE SPECIAL MEETING DATE
The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at Booth Towers, 633 Lake Dot Circle, Orlando, FL, 32801, on Saturday, March 12th, 2005,
from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The phone number at Booth Towers is (407) 843-5533. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses
paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.
The Guest Speaker for the March General Meeting will be Marty Conway from the Orlando Sentinel. Marty will talk about how a daily
newspaper is put together and distributed, and how this process has evolved with technological advancements. Marty has worked for the
Sentinel for many years, and is a very knowledgeable and interesting individual.
Those of you who have read the Orlando Sentinel for years, as well as those who have only experienced it online, will enjoy this
presentation. Please make a note of this meeting date that this is the second Saturday in March. Many members will be participating in
either the "Sight & Sole Walk" for Lighthouse Central Florida or the Southeastern Guide Dogs' Annual Walk-A-Thon on March 5th
(Details on these later in this issue.)
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FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
27 members and guests attended the MFCB General Meeting on February 5th at Booth Towers in downtown Orlando. The meeting was
conducted by 1st Vice President Patti Land, in the absence of President Rachel Bader.
After the Pledge of Allegiance and the Secretary's and Treasurer's reports were read and approved, Nicole Hugues gave a Transportation
Committee report on behalf of Chuck Graham, who was unable to attend, concerning the Lynx rate increases (More on this later in this
issue.). Patti told the Members in attendance that February's MFCB activity will be a trip to the Orlando Science Center on Saturday,
February 19th; for those Members who could not attend this Meeting, the Membership/Telephone Committee would receive the specific
information about the trip and contact those Members about it. On behalf of the By-Laws Committee, Larry Turnbull read a proposed
change to the MFCB By-Laws, which will be discussed and voted on at the March General Meeting (This change will be printed later in
this issue.).
The Guest Speaker for this General Meeting was Jaime Negron from Social Security. Jaime presented a very interesting and informative
program concerning Social Security changes, and accepted and answered many questions from the Members in attendance. MFCB
Telephone Rosters for 2005 were also available at the February General Meeting as Joyce Hull brought the Braille version and Larry
Turnbull had them on Print and Cassette. The E-mail version of the Phone Roster was sent out prior to the Meeting to those who receive
the MFCB Newsletter that way.
Even though Refreshments Committee Coordinator Matt Roberts was not able to attend this General Meeting, Jim and Lois Huddle and
Sheila Young offered to bring refreshments for the March General Meeting. Jim Lamb was able to have a cabinet area in the kitchen next
to the Meeting Room reserved for MFCB to store supplies; Treasurer Dan Spoone and Jackie Gideons stocked it well.
The fundraiser for the February General Meeting was 5 boxes of chocolates brought in by Leslie Spoone, donated by Winn-Dixie, which
raised $37.00. The boxes were won by Louis Williams, Jim Lamb, Joyce Hull, who gave her box to Matti Hickson, Jim Lamb again, who
donated it back and it was won by Shelley Justice, and the last box was won by Sarah Brown.
Before the meeting adjourned, the following Door Prizes were given out:
A Set of 2 Colanders - Dan Spoone
Lunch Kit - Joyce Hull
Small Box of Valentine Candy - Jim Lamb
Pack of 2 Cassette Tapes - Machel Cooper
Congratulations to all the Door Prize winners!
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PROPOSED ADDITION TO THE MFCB BY-LAWS
As was read at the MFCB February General Meeting, there is a proposed addition to the MFCB By-Laws. This is as a result of a mandate
that was approved at the October 2004 General Meeting. Here is the proposed addition:
In Article V, Section A, change Subsection 5 to read "In order to be eligible for an office, a person must be a Member of MFCB for at least 1
full year." Then take the current Subsection 5 and make it Subsection 6. It would then resemble the following:
ARTICLE V, Officers and Committees
A. Officers
5. In order to be eligible for an office, a person must be a Member of MFCB for at least 1 full year.
6. The calendar year shall constitute the fiscal year.
Current wording:
A. Officers
5. The calendar year shall constitute the fiscal year.
Again, the proposed addition:
ARTICLE V, Officers and Committees
A. Officers
5. In order to be eligible for an office, a person must be a Member of MFCB for at least 1 full year.
6. The calendar year shall constitute the fiscal year.
This proposed addition to the MFCB By-Laws will be re-read, discussed and voted on at the next MFCB General Meeting on Saturday,
March 12th, at Booth Towers in downtown Orlando. Members are encouraged to attend and participate in this process. Help shape the
foundation of MFCB through maintaining its By-Laws.
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LYNX TO INCREASE FARES
On Thursday, January 27th, at Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando, the Lynx Board of Directors held its monthly meeting and one
that would impact all users of Lynx services. It was time for the Lynx Board to decide on increasing fares for its fixed-route bus service as
well as Access Lynx service under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Many members of Mid-Florida Council of the
Blind as well as those from the National Federation of the Blind-Greater Orlando Chapter and paratransit advocate Cheryl Stone attended
to speak at the appropriate time concerning the proposed fare increase for those who use Access Lynx under ADA and the Board
members listened carefully to those comments.
With neither Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer nor Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty able to attend, it was a Lynx Board of 3 members to make
the decisions. Here is what was noted about that decision on the Lynx website at
http://www.golynx.com:
"Lynx Board of Directors passed a proposed fare adjustment at its monthly (January) meeting, but settled for 50 percent of the proposed
increase for paratransit riders.
"The Board approved an increase from $2.00 to $2.50 for Access Lynx ADA fare riders inside the 3/4 mile radius and from $2.00 to $3.50
for Access Lynx ADA fare riders outside the 3/4 mile radius. Those fares will remain in place for one year while other sources of funding
are investigated.
(Editor's Note: The original proposed fare increase for Access Lynx ADA fare riders was from $2.00 to $3.00 for inside 3/4 of a mile and
from $2.00 to $5.00 outside 3/4 of a mile.)
"The Board also approved an increase from $1.25 to $1.50 for fixed-route passengers. The increases will begin March 20th, 2005. The
decision drew a round of applause from an estimated 100 people attending the meeting the second-floor boardroom at Lynx Central
Station.
"It's an unusual event when a fare increase gets applause," Lynx Chairman of the Board Atlee Mercer said. "But it happened because the
people that were using the service understood what our needs were and all they asked for was some reasonable consideration and they
got it."
"That was a very good compromise reached today," Lynx Executive Director Linda Watson said. "Lynx was successful in getting the
message out that we need the fare increase to recover more of the cost of the service, but the Board showed our riders some
compassion in withholding a full increase for a year."
MFCB appreciates the Lynx Board of Directors understanding the situation that many who are disabled face in paying paratransit fares.
However, as was noted above, Lynx does have needs and those have to be dealt with. So in moving forward with Access Lynx services,
everyone who uses paratransit should be aware that working together with Lynx and not against Lynx will only better the ride for all that
use it.
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SIGHT & SOLE WALK
March is the time when 2 annual benefit walks take place. The first of those is one that is close to many MFCB Members: the "Sight &
Sole Walk," which raises money for Lighthouse Central Florida. This year's Walk will take place on Saturday, March 5th, 2005, at
Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in southwest Orlando. 1,500 walkers are expected to support Central Florida's Visually-Impaired
community.
Each walker needs to contribute or raise a minimum of $50 to participate in this year's "Sight & Sole Walk." Each participating
walker also receives a special commemorative "Sight & Sole" t-shirt to wear that day. After the Walk, walkers may spend the rest of
the day at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Theme Parks at no extra cost. Winners in each category who raise the most funds
receive special prizes.
Registration for the "Sight & Sole Walk" opens promptly at 6:45 AM, Kick-Off is at 7:15 AM, with the Walk itself beginning at 7:30 AM
and Awards Ceremony at 8:30 AM. For more information on "Sight & Sole," call Lighthouse Central Florida at (407) 898-2483 or on
the Web, visit http://www.centralfloridalighthouse.org. Good luck to those who go
and MFCB hopes this year a lot of money is raised for Central Florida's Visually-Impaired community at the "Sight & Sole Walk."
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SOUTHEASTERN GUIDE DOGS WALK-A-THON
The other annual benefit walk in March is very important to those who work with guide dogs: the Southeastern Guide Dogs (SEGD)
"Walk-A-Thon," which raises money for the guide dog center. This year it takes place on Saturday, March 5th, 2005, in Palmetto, Florida,
and it will start and finish at the Manatee River Fair Association and IMC Arena.
Registration for the SEGD "Walk-A-Thon" will be between 7:30 AM and 10 AM with the walk itself beginning at 8 AM. Entertainment &
lunch will be available between 10 AM and 1 PM. Raffle drawings and closing ceremonies begin at 11:30 AM. T-shirts and lunch will be
given free to all walkers who raise $75.00 or more.
MFCB Members who will be going to this "Walk-A-Thon" will be arriving a day early to pre-register at the Holiday Inn Riverview in
Bradenton, Florida, which is just a few minutes from the Walk. Southeastern Guide Dogs is another organization that is very close to
many MFCB Members. There are many Members, including President Rachel Bader and Recording Secretary Shelley Justice, currently
working with guide dogs from SEGD.
If you would like more information on the Southeastern Guide Dogs "Walk-A-Thon," please contact SEGD Projects Coordinator Michelle
Bass at (941) 729-5665 or on the Web, visit http://www.guidedogs.org. All the best to SEGD and
MFCB hopes that this year, just like last year, will raise a record-breaking amount for the school!
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FCB HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!
Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) is proud to have its members throughout the state participate in its E-mail Discussion List. The FCB
E-mail Discussion List is a way for members, locally and statewide, to express themselves freely on a variety of issues. These can range
from those on a local level to issues on a state or even national platform.
MFCB encourages all Members with E-mail and Internet access to sign up and participate in the various discussions as well as maybe even
starting a few. To sign up for the FCB E-mail Discussion List, and for more information about the List, go to the FCB website at
http://www.fcb.org and go to the link for “FCB E-mail Discussion List Information and Instructions.”
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MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Mid-Florida Council of the Blind has a presence on the World Wide Web. Through the Florida Council of the Blind web site,
http://www.fcb.org, there is information available on the Internet about MFCB, especially the
newly-approved MFCB By-Laws, as well as current and some past issues of the MFCB Newsletter, both in the previous name of
MUMBLES and the newer name of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. This is only the beginning as another option has been made available for
people to find out what is going on with our organization.
To specifically get to the MFCB section of the FCB website, go to http://www.fcb.org/mfcb.htm.
Feedback is strongly encouraged as to the accessibility and content of the website, so if you have any questions or suggestions, E-mail
webmaster@fcb.org. With your suggestions, changes can be made that will better what we
have on the Web.
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FCB RAFFLE TICKETS HELP MFCB
It's not too early to help raise money for the Florida Council of the Blind. FCB has made its raffle tickets available to its chapters
throughout the state. MFCB has many available and would like all Members help out in the sale of these tickets.
Every year, FCB holds a raffle during the Annual FCB Convention, with the 2005 Convention taking place at the Sheraton Ft. Lauderdale
Airport from May 12th through 15th. There are many prizes awarded during the raffle, from $1000.00 to gift certificates. In addition, there
are additional prizes made available that are not announced in advance, and the best part is anyone who purchases raffle tickets need
not be at the FCB Convention to win.
Each ticket is $1.00, with 65 percent of the monies raised by each chapter going back to that chapter. It is the biggest fundraiser every
year so if you would like raffle tickets to sell, they are available at the MFCB General Meeting, or if you cannot attend the General Meeting,
contact Jay and Rachel Bader at (407) 658-2479 or Patti Land at (407) 521-9047 and arrangements can be made to acquire them. Help
FCB and, in turn, MFCB through selling these raffle tickets.
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ONE MEMBER'S EXPERIENCE ON FLORIDA PUBLIC AWARENESS DAY
MFCB Member Nicole Hugues recently had the chance to be a part of a special day in the state of Florida. It was Florida Public
Awareness Day, a day to show people in the community what various people do throughout the state. Here is what Nicole did in her own
words:
"On February 4th, 2005, I was presented an opportunity to participate in the Assistive Technology Education Network of Florida Public
Awareness Day. This is part of the school system. I participated with the coordinating unit, which is located in Seminole County. They
specialize in augmentative communication.
"This opportunity was presented to me in an E-mail that I had received at 12 NOON the day before. I took materials on Newsline,
applications for the Talking Book Program, brochures about the various services that are provided by the Library in Daytona (and) also
took information on the Florida White Cane Law. I had also taken my Braille 'N Speak, Language Master Calculator and a set of
dominoes that I found at a regular store. I had a few Braille and Print Alphabet Cards and took them as well. The event was from 9:00 AM
until 4:30 PM.
"In addition, I had a few brochures on the assistive services that are provided at OCLS (Orange County Library System). I also had
bookmarkers with the automated event phone line number on them. There were parents and teachers who were interested (in my
materials).
Though the weather was quite cold, I had a nice time. I have also been invited on the Advisory Board for Assistive Technology Education
Network of Florida. Next year, I would like more people to participate if at all possible. I also took literature on both advocacy
organizations."
Even with the short amount of prior notice she received, Nicole wanted to do her part to make others aware that the disabled don't just "sit
at home and do nothing" all day. That contribution shines through her words. MFCB reminds Members that they can and do make a
difference in Central Florida.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: The MFCB Phone Roster for 2005 is now available in Print, Cassette, Braille and E-mail formats. They can be picked up
at the March General Meeting if you did not take one at the February General Meeting or were unable to attend. If you are not able to
attend either of these upcoming Meetings and are interested in a copy of the Phone Roster in any format, please contact me by phone or
E-mail so arrangements can be made.
Since the Braille version of the 2005 Phone Roster was prepared before all other ones, there are 3 corrections to be noted if you do want
that version. Scott Larson has changed his phone number and Sheila Young's one was listed incorrectly:
SCOTT LARSON
(386) 257-7779
SHEILA YOUNG
(407) 422-3587
And on the Committees page, for the Sunshine Committee, Nicole Hugues can be contacted on her cell number, (321) 663-2007, which
is correctly listed in the Main section of the Phone Roster.
Also, please note the following Member's CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
OLIVE WRIGHT
409 Ipswich St.
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
NO PHONE NUMBER LISTING
And I always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions must arrive by regular mail or e-mail to me by the 15th
of the month as issues are prepared shortly after that. You will be properly credited with the submission.
If you have any further questions, please call me at (407) 658-2479 or E-mail at
mfcbinfo@bellsouth.net. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the March General
Meeting!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MARCH
10 - Sarah Brown
14 - Matti Hickson
14 - Marc Letzkus
18 - Pat Halferty
22 - Joseph Musil
22 - Olive Wright
23 - Darian Darst
23 - Arline Graham
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