Vol. 30, No. 9
NOVEMBER 2005
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
PROPOSED REVISION TO THE MFCB BY-LAWS AND RECAP OF AN APPROVED REVISION
2005 FCB MID-YEAR BOARD MEETING IN MFCB COUNTRY
WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY IN ORLANDO A SUCCESS
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
PLAN AHEAD FOR MFCB ACTIVITIES AND ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
ACCESS LYNX HAS NEW ONLINE TRIP RESERVATIONS
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Hello to all of you. I hope you are all doing well. I'd like to begin by thanking all of you who participated in making our White Cane events in
Winter Park and downtown Orlando such a big success. Special thanks go to Patti Land and Jay Bader for your extra assistance, work and
coordination with the NFBF-Greater Orlando Chapter. The fact that our two organizations joined forces worked together to raise the
awareness of such an important issue, is something we can all be proud to have been a part of.
Job well done to all of you! It's my sincere hope that we can combine our efforts in the future, not as two separate organizations but as a
blindness community, to continue working on such issues and to ultimately increase pedestrian safety awareness among motorists in
Central Florida. Having worked together as successfully as we have on a united front, I'm very optimistic that we can also work toward
solutions for such issues as accessible pedestrian signals with positive results.
I want to remind all of you that our November General Meeting is a very important one as we are holding our Election of Officers for the
coming year at this Meeting. This is your opportunity to have some input into shaping the future of the organization or possibly even to
consider what your involvement might be in the next year. I hope to see many of you there.
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NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING
The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at Booth Towers, 633 Lake Dot Circle, Orlando, FL, 32801, on Saturday, November 5th, 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.
If you are using paratransit to get to the MFCB General Meeting, please contact Nicole Hugues at (321) 663-2007. She needs to be made
aware of the fact that if you ever use paratransit to get to the Meeting, a list can be maintained as to who uses the service at any given time
when trips are scheduled for the day of the Meeting.
The program for the November General Meeting will be a string quartet, made up of four ladies calling themselves "The Coventry Players."
No one can say we aren't a cultured group, now can they! Also scheduled are the annual Election of Officers as well as a second reading,
discussion and voting on another proposed Amendment to the MFCB By-Laws. In addition, as you will read later in this issue, the
November General Meeting will be your last in-person opportunity to pay Membership Dues for 2006.
Please attend, enjoy and take part in this important General Meeting.
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OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
20 Members attended the MFCB General Meeting held on Saturday, October 1st, 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 to the flag, those present made
introductions. Then the Secretary's and Treasurer's reports were read and approved.
Under Committee reports, Jay Bader reported for By-Laws and Membership. He read a proposed revision making mention of the Connie
Rotter scholarship award to the MFCB By-Laws (This will be printed later in this issue). Also, the proposed revision changing the deadline
for membership dues was read for the second time. Jay offered a friendly amendment making the deadline date November 7th, rather than
the 15th. After some discussion, this amendment failed. The original By-Laws revision passed.
Reporting for the Transportation Committee, Chuck Graham mentioned that the Trapeze program has been slowed down, making it easier
for drivers to meet their schedules. Refreshments Coordinator Jackie Gideons thanked volunteers for refreshment contributions. On
behalf of the Activities Committee, Patti Land reminded Members of upcoming activities. After some discussion, a motion was made to hold
this year's Annual Holiday Luncheon at the new Dixie Crossroads on Saturday, December 3rd. Then Jim Lamb reported for Public
Education on upcoming meetings and events. He added that if anyone in Orange County has any special needs during an emergency,
contact Carmen Weatherford, Special Needs Program, Orange County Medical Services Office, at (407) 650-4031.
For the Nominating Committee, Patti presented the proposed slate of MFCB Officers for 2006. The proposed slate of Officers is as
follows:
President - Rachel Bader
1st Vice President - Patti Land
2nd Vice President - Bill Freeman
Recording Secretary - Shelley Justice
Treasurer - Dan Spoone
Membership Secretary - Jay Bader
Election of MFCB Officers will be held at the November General Meeting. Following a short break, we moved on to discuss the White Cane
Safety Awareness event, which would be held on Friday, October 14th.
The following Door Prizes were awarded:
A Bowl - Jim Lamb
Coffee-scented Candle - David Land
Key Chain - Louis Williams
Small Clock - Catherine Potter
Figurine - Jackie Gideons
Bookmark - Paul Hutsko
Congratulations to all the Door Prize winners!
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PROPOSED REVISION TO THE MFCB BY-LAWS AND RECAP OF AN APPROVED REVISION
As the Membership of MFCB mandated at a General Meeting before the summer break, the MFCB By-Laws Committee has drawn up a
proposed revision to the By-Laws to formally reflect the Annual Connie Rotter Memorial Scholarship. Here is the proposal read at the MFCB
October General Meeting on Saturday, October 1st:
Under Article VI, Meetings, move the current section C to section D and add a new section C to state, "The Connie Rotter Memorial
Scholarship will be awarded at the Annual Awards Luncheon."
It would then read as the following:
"ARTICLE VI, Meetings
C. The Connie Rotter Memorial Scholarship will be awarded at the Annual Awards Luncheon.
D. Election of Officers shall take place at the November General Meeting."
Current wording:
"ARTICLE VI, Meetings
C. Election of Officers shall take place at the November General Meeting."
Again, the proposed revision:
"ARTICLE VI, Meetings
C. The Connie Rotter Memorial Scholarship will be awarded at the Annual Awards Luncheon.
D. Election of Officers shall take place at the November General Meeting."
This revision will be re-read, discussed and voted on at the MFCB November General Meeting at Booth Towers in downtown Orlando on
Saturday, November 5th. MFCB encourages Members to attend, be a part of the process and make your voice heard on this very important
part of business for the organization. If any changes are made to the proposed revision, those will be printed in the next issue of THE
MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
And here is the revision of Article IV, Dues, as approved by the Membership in attendance at the same October General Meeting:
"ARTICLE IV, Dues
Annual MFCB dues will be $12.00 payable no later than the 15th of November to the chapter, $8.00 of which will be forwarded to the State
Council. Members who wish to join after the due date may still pay dues but will not be counted as a voting member for the State Council
for that year."
Please make a note of this important revision. It will also be mentioned later in the Membership section of this issue.
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2005 FCB MID-YEAR BOARD MEETING IN MFCB COUNTRY
The next Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) Mid-Year Board Meeting is fast approaching. For the past couple of years, FCB has been proud
to hold its Mid-Year Board Meeting in the Orlando area. The 2005 FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting will take place for the third consecutive year
at the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista, November 18th through 20th.
This is an opportunity for everyone throughout the state to see how the various committees within FCB operate, as well as get an idea of the
direction the organization is headed for the next six months. MFCB invites all Members to spend at least one day attending the FCB
Mid-Year Board Meeting, either the day of the Business Meeting on the 19th or the Leadership Seminar on the 20th, sitting in and checking
out our state affiliate's activities.
If you would like to attend any of the activities on the first day of the Mid-Year Board Meeting on Friday, November 18th, or if you have any
questions about the entire weekend, please contact MFCB President Rachel Bader at (407) 658-2479 or 1st Vice President Patti Land at
(407) 521-9047. MFCB hopes to see those who can attend during this worthwhile weekend!
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WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY IN ORLANDO A SUCCESS
MFCB 1st Vice President Patti Land was one of those that represented the organization at the White Cane Safety Day activities in the
Orlando area. Here is her perspective on those day's events, which have also been submitted for printing in the November-December
2005 issue of the Florida Council of the Blind Newsletter, the White Cane Bulletin:
On Friday, October 14th, Mid-Florida Council of the Blind turned out in force to promote National White Cane Safety Day/Week. As you know,
October 15th is officially National White Cane Safety Day; however, we encountered some logistical difficulties with that date, and figured
there would be more motorists and pedestrians about on a weekday, so decided to go for Friday, the 14th. This event was a joint effort by
MFCB, NFB of Florida-Orlando, Blinded Veterans of Florida, the local (District 06) office of the Florida Division of Blind Services, and
Lighthouse Central Florida.
Actually, there were two events! At 7:30 AM, approximately 30 people (not counting law enforcement) gathered in front of the Center for
Independent Living in Winter Park, which is the location of the only audible crossing signal in the Orlando area. Groups and individuals,
carrying signs featuring the logos of all five participating organizations, crossed and recrossed the intersection, and handed out copies of
the White Cane Law with little white candy canes attached. It was a misty, drizzly morning, and many motorists had their windows rolled up;
however, generally folks were responsive. Law enforcement, including Winter Park, Orange County, and Florida State Highway Patrol, were
quite in evidence, and very supportive.
In fact, while our walk was in progress, a car hit the rear of another vehicle which had stopped to allow a young lady in a wheelchair to cross
at the flashing light! Now if this doesn't profoundly speak to the fact that motorists need to be made aware of disabled travelers, I don't know
what does! It was a treat watching police issue that individual a citation, then the wrecker come and take away his car! No one was injured
in this accident; however, I bet a few people observing, and watching the coverage later on local television stations, will remember this the
next time they see anyone, disabled or not, attempting to cross a busy street!
We then all relocated to Orlando City Hall, many of us utilizing the fixed route bus system, and others employing paratransit. A few additional
folks who were not able to make the early morning event joined us at City Hall, where Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan read
proclamations regarding White Cane Safety and Low Vision Awareness from the city of Orlando, Orange County, and Governor Bush. Mayor
Buddy Dyer of Orlando was supposed to be present, and had even committed to cross the intersection at South Orange Avenue and East
South Street blindfolded. However, he was called away at the last minute and did not participate. (Second thoughts, maybe?) By this time
the rain had cleared, and several local dignitaries, as well as local media coverage, showed up.
Around 1:00 PM, when the temperature was increasing and our feet were tired, several of us again boarded a fixed route bus and had a
wonderful lunch together at a local restaurant, Houlihan's. I think everyone had a good time; however, as we all know, this is much more
serious than a social event. It is most encouraging, and inspiring, to see these five groups working together for such an important
cause.
We at MFCB thank all of you for your participation, and assistance in planning and pulling off these two events.
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FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) is proud to have its members throughout the state participate in a couple of ways on the Internet. 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."
And FCB has opened up 2 chat rooms for members of the organization. One of these is for general chat, the other is for the FCB Board and
its respective committees to meet. Everyone is invited to sit in on these chats, especially to participate with those in the general chat
room.
For more information about the new FCB chat rooms, especially if you want to know how you can join in on the chats, click on the link
"Voice Chat for FCB" at http://www.fcb.org.
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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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PLAN AHEAD FOR MFCB ACTIVITIES AND ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
MFCB 1st President and Chair for the Activities Committee Patti Land wanted the MFCB Membership to be aware of the final activities
scheduled for 2005. Make a note of these and hope to see many Members attend either or both of these events.
On Saturday, November 12th, MFCB has been invited to join our own Betty Sparrow and the Betty Sparrow Support Group in their first
fundraising activity. This will be "The Autumn Leaves Festival," and will be held from 1:30 until 5:30 PM at the Marks Street Senior Center,
located at 99 East Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32804. There will be plenty of delicious refreshments, entertainment, lots of door prizes, and a
bunch of friendly people.
Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 12 years of age and up, and children under 12 are admitted free. Be sure to hang on to your
tickets, as there will be drawings for numerous and interesting door prizes. Tickets will be available at the MFCB November General
Meeting, the Christian Fellowship meeting, or by contacting Betty Sparrow directly at (407) 290-2248.
Please join us for this event, and bring the family!
And the MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon this year will be held at Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant. No, we're not going all the way to
Titusville; there's a new one right here in Orlando! If seafood is not on your diet, they also feature steaks, chicken prepared many ways, and
ribs, as well as a variety of scrumptious and filling salads. Prices range from $7.00 to as much as you care to spend!
The Annual Holiday Luncheon will be on Saturday, December 3rd, 2005, at 1 PM at Dixie Crossroads, 5250 International Drive, Suite 53,
Orlando, FL 32809. Dixie Crossroads is located in Festival Bay, next to Bass Pro. The restaurant's phone number is (407) 226-3772.
If you are scheduling paratransit transportation, this location is within the three-quarter-mile range. Please allow sufficient time to eat and
enjoy your meal. If you utilize fixed-route transportation, you can reach this location via Link 8, although you will have to walk a little in to the
shopping plaza, and cross International Drive for the return trip.
Hope to see you all there as MFCB wraps up 2005 with great food and even better company with you, the Members of our organization!
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ACCESS LYNX HAS NEW ONLINE TRIP RESERVATIONS
MFCB Member Nicole Hugues has been working closely with Orlando area paratransit and wanted Members to know about an additional
way to reserve a trip. ACCESS LYNX, the paratransit service for the disabled in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, has announced a
new way for those with Internet access to make a trip reservation. Please read the following, which was first printed in the October 2005
issue of that organization's ALL ACCESS newsletter:
Do you get tired and frustrated by the wait time when calling to make a trip reservation request for ACCESS LYNX?
Eliminate the hassle by going online at http://www.golynx.com for the new ACCESS LYNX Online Trip
Request. This will allow ADA and Medicaid customers to request trips at any time - even when our Reservations Department is closed! No
more waiting on hold for a reservationist.
To request a trip, go online to http://www.golynx.com, which brings you to the homepage of the LYNX
website. Click on Ridership Services (blue-shaded box) and then click on ACCESS LYNX Trip Request from the drop-down menu (sixth
selection down).
That will bring up the reservation request form, which must be filled out and submitted. You'll need to enter all of the pertinent trip
information that you're currently giving to your reservationist when you call.
ACCESS LYNX will review trip requests each day and email a confirmation notice back to you. If you do not receive a trip confirmation,
please contact Customer Service at 407-423-TRIP (8747) before 5 PM of the day prior to your trip to verify that the information was received
and a reservation was created.
The direct link to the Online Trip Request web page is
https://www.golynx.com/?formid=18.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: The Annual MFCB Membership Drive, in cooperation with the Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services in
Daytona Beach, is in the homestretch. Those mailers began with the hope that there are those who receive it interested in becoming
members of MFCB.
There will be those who get this mailing that are already members but please keep in mind that if you are a Talking Book subscriber in
Orange, Osceola or Seminole County, this will arrive. So if you know someone who you think may be interested in becoming a Member of
MFCB, or if they would like to donate to our organization, pass it along. Just as they do on the state level, donations are always gladly
accepted.
As has been noted earlier in this issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE, the deadline for paying Membership dues, as approved at the October
General Meeting, is now November 15th. So for those of you who were not planning on paying your dues until after the holidays, please be
aware that if you do not pay by this new deadline, you will not be included in the final count MFCB gives to our state affiliate for voting
members at the next Annual FCB Convention. On behalf of the organization, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
For those who have already either joined MFCB or renewed their existing Memberships, thank you for your timeliness as it is greatly
appreciated. I am also accepting dues for new members as well as renewals. Please note that the dues are $12.00. If you attend the
November General Meeting, this is payable by cash, check or money order; otherwise, please send your dues to arrive no later than
November 15th, 2005, by check or money order to the following address:
MFCB Membership Secretary
5611 Pecos St.
Orlando, FL 32807
Make your check or money order payable to MFCB.
Please note the following Member's CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
SHEILA YOUNG
2304 Amherst Ave.
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 999-8929
And here is a reprint of the new information for Larry Turnbull that corrects a zip code error in the October 2005 issue of THE MID-FLORIDA
VOICE:
LARRY TURNBULL
7838 Toledo St.
Orlando, FL 32822
(407) 281-4277
And I always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions for the December issue must arrive by regular mail or
e-mail to me by the 15th of November as it will be 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 November General
Meeting!
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
NOVEMBER
12 - Craig Marquis
22 - Paulette Gordon
26 - Chuck Graham
27 - Ida Williams
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