Vol. 29, No. 10
DECEMBER 2004

THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind


TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT MFCB MEETING - ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
MFCB BY-LAWS FINALLY APPROVED
FCB ENJOYS MFCB COUNTRY
FCB HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
OCLS TALKING BOOKS UPDATE AND MORE
ACCESS LYNX PUBLIC HEARINGS FORTHCOMING
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE


MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER

Hi. I hope all of you are doing well. It's been a busy time for MFCB.

In November, we held our Annual Election of Officers. During those Elections, I was re-elected for another term as President. I thank the membership for your vote of confidence and I look forward to serving again to continue the work of MFCB. I also congratulate and look forward to working closely with the other newly-elected Officers whom I know will do a great job for the organization as well.

As you all may remember, our November General Meeting was held at the Main Branch of the Orlando Public Library. A big thank you goes out to Marcia Bruton and other OCLS Library staff for helping to make our November General Meeting an enjoyable experience for all who attended. The accommodations were great and Marcia was very pleasant and informative as she took us on a tour of the Library. It is my hope that with this Meeting, a long and successful relationship between OCLS and the vision-impaired community of Central Florida has begun and that we all will consider taking full advantage of the many resources and programs the Library has to offer.

I hope to see many of you at our Annual Holiday Luncheon in December. I'd also like to wish all of you and your families a very wonderful holiday season.


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NEXT MFCB MEETING - ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

The next MFCB Meeting will be the Annual Holiday Luncheon, which takes place at Logan's Roadhouse in South Orlando on Saturday, December 4th, 2004, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The location of this Logan's Roadhouse is 3060 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819, and the phone number is (407) 351-4599. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly, especially with the special location for this Luncheon.

Please take note that gratuity is not included in the total for food, even for large parties. This is the second time we're holding a luncheon at this location and want as many members as possible to be able to join us for a lot of fun. If you have any further questions, contact Jackie Gideons at (407) 854-0304.

Join MFCB as the calendar year approaches its end for food and fun on December 4th!


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NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW

23 members attended the MFCB November General Meeting, held November 6th at the OCLS Downtown Main Library in Orlando. President Rachel Bader began the meeting by thanking OCLS for having our organization there and 1st Vice President Betty Sparrow for setting it up. Before the General Meeting, Members were given a tour of many of the facilities at the Downtown Library, especially the new area where Talking Books are available, which is the 2nd Floor (More on this later in this issue.). During the tour, members had the opportunity to ask questions to OCLS Representative Marcia Bruton about the facilities as well as the changes with the Talking Books area.

After the Treasurer's Report was read and approved, Recording Secretary Shelley Justice requested that the Secretary's Report be moved to be done at either the December Holiday Luncheon or January General Meeting. That request was accepted. Also, a guest was at this General Meeting. Darian Darst, an accountant with Low Vision, had heard about a blindness organization meeting at the Downtown Library and since she usually visits this Library, she thought she'd check things out. Members appreciated her being there and she would stay for the entire Meeting. (After the General Meeting, she was impressed enough to join our organization.)

The Election of Officers then took place. Here are the results and MFCB Officers for 2004 - 2005:

President - Rachel Bader
1st Vice President - Patti Land
2nd Vice President - Bill Freeman
Recording Secretary - Shelley Justice
Treasurer - Dan Spoone
Membership Secretary - Jay Bader

The re-revisions to the MFCB By-Laws, which were read at the September General Meeting, were all re-read, discussed and approved. (The complete MFCB By-Laws are printed later in this issue.) Rachel also reminded the Members about the Annual Holiday Luncheon, which will be on Saturday, December 4th, at Logan's Roadhouse on Sand Lake Rd. in southwest Orlando. She requested the Membership/Telephone Committee to contact Members, especially those not at the General Meeting, so a final number can be given to Jackie Gideons in reserving a room at Logan's Roadhouse. Jay Bader and Elizabeth Bouyer said that the calls would be made in the next few days.

The following Door Prizes were given out, as the names were picked were given a choice of prize:

Dan Spoone - a 3-in-1 Slicer
Scott Larson - a Knife and Cutlery Board Set
Lisa Lawson - a Bamboo Pad
Patti Land - 12 Suction Cups
Rachel Bader - 8-piece Measuring Spoon Set
Matti Hickson - Metal Mixing Whiskers
Eddie Lee - Window Air Fresheners
Margaret Briggs - Executive Pewter Cuff Links
Bill Freeman - CD Storage Container
Shelley Justice - 6 Diet Cokes
Machel Cooper - 5 Diet Cokes

Congratulations to all the Door Prize Winners!


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MFCB BY-LAWS FINALLY APPROVED

At the FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting during the weekend of November 12th thru 14th, 2004, after months of revising and approving on a local level, the Mid-Florida Council of the Blind's By-Laws have been fully approved. With just a minor wording change in the last section made at the Mid-Year Board Meeting, here are the new MFCB By-Laws:

MID-FLORIDA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND BY-LAWS

ADOPTED: 1974
REVISED: 1992, 2002, 2004


ARTICLE I, Name

This organization is the Mid-Florida Council of the Blind, hereafter referred to as MFCB, a chapter of the Florida Council of the Blind.


ARTICLE II, Purpose

The purpose of this chapter shall be:

A. To afford the blind of Florida an equal opportunity to circulate their views on the local, state and national problems of the blind.

B. To promote better understanding between the blind and sighted communities.

C. To promote the social and economic welfare of the blind.


ARTICLE III, Membership

A majority of the MFCB Membership shall be legally blind.


ARTICLE IV, Dues

Annual MFCB dues will be $12.00 payable no later than the 7th of January 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. Dues for a 6-month membership of $5.00 can be paid midway through the year.


ARTICLE V, Officers and Committees

A. Officers

1. The Officers of MFCB shall be President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary.

2. Officers shall be elected at the November General Meeting for a term of 1 year. The President and Vice-Presidents shall not serve in the same office for more than 4 consecutive terms. There shall be no restriction on the number of consecutive terms the Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary may serve. In case of a vacancy, the Board of Directors may fill the office until the next regular election.

3. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be legally blind. This restriction does not apply to all other elected Officers.

4. The Executive Board of Directors shall consist of the elected Officers and the Immediate Past President.

5. The calendar year shall constitute the fiscal year.

B. Committees

Standing and special committees of MFCB, including their chairs, shall be appointed by the President with the exception of:

1. The Budget and Finance Committee, which shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Board of Directors.

2. The Nominating Committee shall be formed at the September General Meeting. The 1st Vice-President shall chair this Committee, and up to 3 additional members will be selected and approved by the membership.


ARTICLE VI, Meetings

A. There shall be a minimum of 8 MFCB monthly meetings a year, 6 of which must be General Business Meetings, as determined by the Executive Board of Directors.

B. Committee reports can be given at every MFCB monthly meeting.

C. Election of Officers shall take place at the November General Meeting.


ARTICLE VII, Parliamentary Authority

The conduct of the MFCB General Meeting and other orders of business shall be in agreement with the established rules of parliamentary procedure in the most recent revision of Roberts Rules of Order Revised.


ARTICLE VIII, Quorum

A. 1/5 of the registered MFCB membership shall constitute a Quorum at any monthly Meeting.

B. A majority of the Officers shall constitute a Quorum at an Executive Board Meeting.


ARTICLE IX, Amendments

The MFCB By-Laws are to be amended in the following manner:

1. Any proposed revisions must be first formally read at a monthly Meeting.

2. Those revisions must then be printed in the following MFCB Newsletter.

3. The same revisions would then be re-read, discussed and voted on at the next monthly Meeting.

4. Revisions must be approved by a majority vote of those members present at any monthly Meeting.

These will also be posted on the MFCB section of the FCB website, so for those with a computer and Internet access, please check them out. Thanks to the MFCB By-Laws Committee for all their hard work in revising this important document. Thanks also to all members who participated in making their organization that much stronger through the words in the MFCB By-Laws.


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FCB ENJOYS MFCB COUNTRY

During the 2004 FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting, it was announced that the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista would continue to be the site for the next 3 years of Mid-Year Board Meetings. This means that MFCB would be the host chapter for these meetings through the year 2007. It also means that the Sheraton Safari will have hosted 6 consecutive Mid-Year Board meetings, which is unprecedented in the state organization.

In addition, it was announced that the 2006 FCB Annual Convention would be held at the Sheraton Safari, which will be from May 11th through 14th. Since the hotel has 2 separate buildings, the larger of those, which is not the one used for the Mid-Year Board Meeting, would be used for the Convention. Again, this is a historic move as the same location will be used in 2006 for both the Convention and Mid-Year Board Meeting.

MFCB congratulates our state organization for these decisions. When it comes time for FCB to arrive again in MFCB country, let's show our support and appreciation. If any members have a chance, pay a visit to the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista and check out why this hotel has been so good to the Florida Council of the Blind.


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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 everyone 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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OCLS TALKING BOOKS UPDATE AND MORE

The Orange County Library System (OCLS) has been busy in regards to a couple of situations for the disabled. OCLS has been in the process of moving its inventory of Talking Books at the Downtown Library and acquiring JAWS screen-reading software to install on computers at various branches. Here's the latest on these:

At the Downtown Orlando Library, which is the OCLS Main Library as well as the Subregional Talking Book Library, all Talking Books have been moved from the basement to the Second Floor. By doing so, OCLS has indicated that it wants to make these books easier to access for the disabled. In order to deal with these books, a registered Talking Books subscriber would visit the References desk. A person at the desk can assist with checking out a Talking Book, having a machine serviced, or just getting an idea about what Talking Books are available.

OCLS also now has an Events Line, which is an automated phone line that will allow people to hear about various events that are occurring at the branch libraries. The phone number is (407) 835-7320. That number again is (407) 835-7320.

In addition, computers with the JAWS screen reader are located at the following OCLS branch libraries:

Downtown Main Library
101 E Central Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 835-7323

South Trail Library
4600 S Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 858-4749

Southeast Library
5575 S Semoran Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32822
(407) 249-6210

North Orange Library
1211 E Semoran Blvd.
Apopka, FL 32703
(407) 814-6150

MFCB recommends that members keep in touch with their local Library, especially those in Orange County, so they are aware of what services are available to the disabled. More on these and other OCLS news in future issues of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.


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ACCESS LYNX PUBLIC HEARINGS FORTHCOMING

Access Lynx will be holding public hearings regarding fare increases the organization has proposed. These are the dates and places for those hearings:

Tuesday, November 30th, 2004
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Osceola County Public Library
Buenaventura Lakes Branch
405 Buenaventura Blvd.
Kissimmee, FL 34743
(407) 348-8767

Wednesday, December 8th, 2004
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Altamonte Springs City Hall
225 Newburyport Ave.
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
(407) 571-8152

Tuesday, December 14th, 2004
5:30 - 7:30 PM
LYNX Central Station, 2nd Floor
455 N. Garland Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 841-5969

Here are the current fares and proposed fare increases, as first printed in the November 2004 MID-FLORIDA VOICE:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Current fare: $2.00 each leg of trip with no restriction on mileage.
Proposed fare: $3.00 each leg of trip WITHIN 3/4 of a mile of fixed-route bus;
$5.00 OUTSIDE of the 3/4 mile corridor.

TITLE II of the ADA ACT does state that paratransit fares may not exceed twice the fare that would be charged in the fixed-route system. Increases in fixed route rates at Lynx are being considered also, although those increases are not as significant as paratransit. Roughly, it's a 25-cent increase to the current cash adult fare of $1.25, bringing it to $1.50 for the fixed-route amount.

TD (Transportation Disadvantaged) based on mileage
Current fare: 0-5 miles is $1.00; 5-10 miles is $2.00; more than 10 miles is $3.00 Proposed fare: Will increase each category by $1.50. The resulting fares: 0-5 miles would be $2.50; 5-10 miles would be $3.50; more than 10 miles would be $4.50

Also, the Lynx Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) usually holds meetings on the third Wednesday of every month. However, the November meeting has been changed and will take place Tuesday, November 23rd, from 2 to 4 PM at the new LYNX Central Station, 455 N Garland Ave., Orlando, FL 32801, on the 2nd Floor. It gives the public an opportunity to express their opinion on paratransit issues.

For further information about any of these meetings or the LYNX Public Hearings, contact Chuck Graham at (407) 239-6875 or Nicole Hugues at (321) 663-2070. If you can attend any of these meetings, please do so to let your voice be heard on the importance of LYNX paratransit to the disabled community.


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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 holiday homestretch. Those mailers have been sent 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.

Dues are currently being accepted for new members as well as renewals. For those who have already paid, thank you for your timely payment. Please note that the dues for 2005 are increasing to $12.00, as approved in the revised MFCB By-Laws, and are due no later than January 7th, 2005. If you attend the upcoming Annual Holiday Luncheon or January General Meeting, this is payable by cash, check or money order; otherwise, please send your dues 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 welcome the following New Members to MFCB:

Margaret Briggs
1913 Harbor Bay Ct., Apt. 1C
Kissimmee, FL 34741
(407) 935-0113

Darian Darst
13325 Old Dock Rd.
Orlando, FL 32828
(407) 375-7865 (Cell Number, which she says it's better to reach her on than her Home Phone)

And a reminder that I am accepting any 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. I will make sure you are 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 Logan's Roadhouse for the Annual Holiday Luncheon, and Happy Holidays!


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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE

DECEMBER
3 - Liz Freeman
9 - John Wimberly
13 - Wes Keister
13 - Leslie Spoone
21 - Richard Dreyer
25 - Patti Land


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