Vol. 29, No. 6
JUNE-JULY 2004
THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE
A publication of Mid-Florida Council of the Blind
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
NEXT MEETING - ANNUAL JUNE LUNCHEON
MAY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
FCB 51ST ANNUAL CONVENTION REMINDER
ORANGE COUNTY TALKING BOOKS SITUATION
FCB HAS A DISCUSSION LIST!
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER
Hello to all of you. As you will read later in this newsletter, this has been a busy time for MFCB, with the state Convention coming up in
just weeks and the ongoing discussions with the Orange County Library System (OCLS) regarding possible closure of the Talking Books
division of their services. Thanks to all of you who have either participated in attending meetings and discussions, or in some way
expressed your feelings on the situation through letters to the decision makers on this issue.
Here's what I wrote to Mary Anne Hodel, Director/CEO of OCLS, about the possibility of the Orlando Talking Book Library Program being
lost:
"On behalf of the membership of the Mid-Florida Council of the Blind, and the clients I serve as a Rehabilitation Technician for the Division
of Blind Services, I would like to express concern and disappointment that you are considering closure of the Subregional Talking Book
Library here in the Orlando area. Although I totally understand that funding and human resources need to be available in order to maintain
this program, I sincerely hope that continued consideration can be given to finding the resources to do so, so that the blind, vision
impaired, and otherwise print-disabled of Central Florida may continue to take advantage of and enjoy the excellent quality of service that
has been provided for many years with regard to the Talking Books program.
Although patrons can request and obtain Talking Books from other sources such as the Regional Talking Book Library located in Daytona
Beach, on a number of occasions, local patrons of the library with whom I've spoken have commented on how pleasant of an experience
it was to deal with someone on a local basis who could in a very personable and friendly manner, assist them in locating the types of
reading material they were seeking. We would sincerely hope that the Orange County Public Library System can continue to explore
alternatives for keeping this type of quality service available to serve the over 1280 current Talking Books subscribers as well as the
approximately 200 new subscribers each year.
Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter."
I'm encouraged that discussions are continuing and they seem to be enthusiastic about inclusion of the blindness and visually-impaired
community in their programs and expanding their services to better serve us. However, I believe that the Orlando Talking Books program
will likely not be included in that plan for expansion unless they see that it is something worthwhile keeping. So we must continue to use
the local Talking Book Library Program, especially if it has not been used in quite some time, since this is something we all believe is a
benefit to everyone, not only in the Orlando area blindness community but also the print-disabled in our area.
We'll keep you posted as a decision will likely be made during our summer break. Before that, though, I look forward to seeing you all at
our Annual June Awards Luncheon and hope all of you have a wonderful summer.
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NEXT MEETING - ANNUAL JUNE LUNCHEON
The next Meeting of MFCB will be the Annual June Luncheon, this year to take place at Logan's Roadhouse, 3060 West Sand Lake Road,
Orlando, FL 32819, on Saturday, June 12th, 2004, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. If you need more information from the restaurant, the phone
number is (407) 351-4599. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.
This is the time every year when MFCB gives the Awards and Scholarship Committee the opportunity to make their presentations. It is
also the chance for many members who are not able to attend the General Meeting to enjoy good food and company. Hope as many of
you can attend as possible as this will be the last time the membership will meet before taking a break for the summer.
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MAY GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
29 members were present at the April 3rd General Meeting at Booth Towers in Orlando to hear Guest Speakers from the Orlando Fire
Department. Lt. Glover and others from his team talked about general fire safety tips as well as additional precautions the disabled can
take, such as giving additional information about yourself to the Fire Department. If you need to do so, contact Vicky Robles, in charge of
the Fire Prevention Department, at (407) 246-3128; also, you can contact Orlando Fire Dispatch at (321) 235-5200 to be transferred to
Orange County Fire Dispatch for the location of the Fire Station nearest you.
The Secretary's reports was read and approved, with Jay Bader adding a friendly amendment noting the First Timers selected for the
upcoming FCB Convention, those being Lisa Lawson and Larry Turnbull. Then after the Treasurer's report was read and approved,
Treasurer Dan Spoone, along with Pat Spoone, talked briefly about the Budget Committee Meeting held before the Board Meeting. With
the specifics mentioned of income and expenses for the year, everything has evened out with exactly no gains or losses.
2nd Vice-President Jackie Gideons then reminded the Members in attendance that the MFCB Annual June Luncheon would be taking
place on Saturday, June 12th, the second Saturday in June due to the FCB Annual Convention being held the first weekend of the month.
It would be from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Nicole Hugues spoke for the Transportation Committee on behalf of Chuck Graham, who was unable to attend. She said that pickup
times for Access Lynx are ongoing issues, especially when it comes to the MFCB General Meetings. The overhang at Booth Towers is
also a concern as the MV Transportation vans cannot pull up to the Booth Towers Lobby doors due to that overhang. It was decided to
table this issue until a future meeting.
With no Old Business to discuss, Rachel announced that raffle tickets for the
FCB Convention are still available. She urged Members in attendance to get theirs
and give completed ones to Dan Spoone as soon as possible. She also reminded Members
that MFCB keeps 65 percent of the money raised from the raffle.
The primary item of New Business is an issue becoming very important to the blindness community in Orange County. Rachel
announced that the Orange County Talking Book Library is in danger of closing. MFCB is working in cooperation with other organizations,
such as NFB-Orlando, Division of Blind Services and CITE, Lighthouse for the Visually-Impaired, to do all possible to prevent this from
happening. The reason the Orange County Library System (OCLS) is considering closing the program is that they currently have no one
filling the position to keep it running.
As a result, MFCB would like to have a group attend the OCLS Board Meeting that would be held Thursday, May 13th, at the North Orange
Library in Apopka. Rachel thought it would be a good idea to have a document to bring to this Meeting on behalf of MFCB. It was approved
that Rachel would speak and present this statement. Scott Larson also reminded Members to write a letter to their Congressman to
express concern regarding the possibility of the Orange County Talking Books Program being shut down.
Delegate changes were announced for the upcoming FCB Convention. First Timers would now be listed as delegates and Rachel would
also be a delegate.
A 50/50 Raffle was then held, which raised $38.00. The $19.00 prize was won by Marlene Moore.
The following Door Prizes were given out, which were picked as the winners were selected:
Alice Wolf chose Wind Chimes
Lois Huddle picked Cadbury "Dairy Mint" Milk Chocolate
Catherine Potter selected a Cinnamon Apple scented Candle
Shelley Justice chose a tin of Decorated Butter Cookies, which she the gave to Leslie Spoone
Nicole Hugues got the last Prize left, which was a Mickey Mouse Keychain
Congratulations to all the Prize Winners!
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FCB 51ST ANNUAL CONVENTION REMINDER
The 51st Annual Convention of the Florida Council of the Blind will be held from Thursday, June 3rd, 2004, thru Sunday, June 6th, 2004, at
the Doubletree Hotel Tampa Westshore. The hotel is located at 4500 Cypress Street in Tampa and has a complementary shuttle from
Tampa International Airport.
Hotel reservations can still be made but there is no longer a special FCB group rate. You may call the hotel's toll free line at
1-800-355-0524 for more information.
If you are interested in registering for the FCB Annual Convention, you must do so at the Registration area designated at the
Doubletree.
For further questions or information regarding the FCB Annual Convention, please contact Project Insight at 1-800-267-4448. We hope
many MFCB Members take the trip to Tampa and join us at the FCB 51st Annual Convention!
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ORANGE COUNTY TALKING BOOKS SITUATION
As this issue goes to press, the issue of the Orange County Talking Book Program has been an important concern. Both MFCB President
Rachel Bader and myself, Jay Bader, have been seriously involved in meetings with the Orange County Library System (OCLS). While
nothing has yet been decided on the future of the program in Orange County, there are signs that there is a rough road ahead.
On Tuesday morning, May 11th, 2004, Rachel and I were part of a small meeting of organization representatives, including the Orlando
area Division of Blind Services (DBS), CITE, Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and NFB-Orlando, at the Orange County Main Library in
downtown Orlando. Also attending was Orlando City Commissioner Vicky Vargo. OCLS was represented by Mary Anne Hodel,
Director/CEO, Debbie Moss, Assistant to the Director, and Marilyn Hoffman, Community Relations Department Head.
It was over an hour of discussion of the issues regarding Talking Books and what role, if any, they would play in the direction OCLS is
taking in improving services for the visually-impaired. Rachel and I both spoke on behalf of MFCB, expressing our concerns on Orange
County being dropped as a Subregional Talking Book Library. It was decided that another meeting would be scheduled within the next
month after OCLS does some follow-up research into what the other state Subregional Libraries are doing and how much service OCLS
actually has in the current picture. As this issue goes to press, that next meeting will be scheduled before the middle of June.
After that meeting, Rachel and Dwight Sayer, President of NFB-Orlando, thought it best not to express concerns strongly at the OCLS
Board Meeting two nights later. I attended the OCLS Board Meeting at the North Orange Library in Apopka, along with Recording
Secretary Shelley Justice, Nicole Hugues and Lisa Lawson, as well as Evelyn Dawursk, Vice President of NFB-Orlando. The Meeting
began with a presentation given to the Board by one of the OCLS Librarians who had some background with the Talking Books program,
which included the current services for the disabled and what would like to be offered at every branch Library. After that presentation, a
group of us who attended, which included NFB-Orlando, was granted the opportunity to speak by the OCLS Board President, Thomas
Kohler.
Since none of us who attended planned to speak due to the follow-up meeting being scheduled, I decided to represent MFCB and briefly
address the Board on the general opinion of our membership. While it was a little awkward, I was encouraged when Mary Anne Hodel
responded positively to my saying that we look forward to continued dialogue with her on these services.
The OCLS would like to continue providing services to the disabled, including the visually-impaired. They would very much like to provide
these services evenly amongst their entire 14 branches. However, it is apparent that Talking Books is a program that may not be a factor
in these services so it looks like it will be an uphill climb to keep it in the fold.
The obvious question to be asked is, what else can be done to keep OCLS as a Subregional Library for Talking Books? Based on the
information given at the Board Meeting, that is a difficult question to answer. Yes, we can continue to express our concerns to Mary Anne
Hodel as well as our local elected officials, and we can even contact members of the OCLS Board of Trustees. However, that may not be
the only way to have OCLS understand our concerns.
In the next meeting Rachel and I will attend, a representative from the Daytona Beach Regional Talking Book Library will be on hand.
Maybe that will help answer the question further, maybe it will convince OCLS that they continue to be a Subregional. But the one thing
that has come out of the meetings thus far is that when push comes to shove, the blindness community needs to stand up and be
heard.
We will follow up on this situation in the next issue of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE.
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FCB NOW 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 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 so far, there will be some changes
forthcoming that will better what we have on the Web.
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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
Notes from Jay: With the summer break coming up, things will be quiet for Membership issues. However, when we return, it will be time
for the annual MFCB Membership Drive, in cooperation with the Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services in Daytona Beach.
Those mailers will begin in September with the hope that there are those who receive it interested in becoming members of MFCB.
There will be those who receive it 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.
More on this in the next issue.
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 (for the August-September issue, the deadline is July 30th). 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 the Annual June Luncheon! If you cannot attend, enjoy the summer.
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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE
JUNE
10 - Catherine Potter
11 - Mildred Murphy
12 - Betty Sparrow
20 - Louis Williams
24 - Paul Wolf
JULY
7 - Shirley Singhofen
9 - Nicholas Perez
10 - Jackie Gideons
21 - Michael Collins
22 - Ken Norman
23 - Kathy Hutchings
28 - Lucille Ellis
30 - Lee Nasehi
31 - Larry Turnbull
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