Vol. 31, No. 9
NOVEMBER 2006

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
MFCB OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW
2006 FCB MID-YEAR BOARD MEETING IN MFCB COUNTRY
EARLY VOTING IN ORANGE, OSCEOLA AND SEMINOLE COUNTIES
WHITE CANE DAY 2006 A SUCCESS
FCB TECH TALK
FCB E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST AND VOICE CHAT ROOMS
MFCB ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT OCLS
MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader
BIRTHDAY PEOPLE


MESSAGE FROM MFCB PRESIDENT RACHEL BADER

Hello Members and Friends of MFCB.

I first of all would like to send a big "Thank You" to all of you who were involved in the White Cane Safety Events on October 16th. Both events seemed to be a big success and I believe we were able to get our message out to the public traveling in these two areas that day. One exciting thing to come out of all this as well is that we now will have further open dialog with some of the city and county officials working on traffic issues, especially to discuss the installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals in some intersections throughout the area. This is definitely something to watch in the months ahead.

As I write this, I've just recently participated in the Early Voting process in Orange County. Thanks to the accessible voting systems available here now, which are also available throughout much of the state of Florida, I, for the second time ever, cast a secret independent ballot. What a great feeling to have been able to do this! I encourage all of you who can, whether it be through Early Voting or at the polls on November 7th, to get out there and vote using this new accessible system.

Speaking of voting and elections, it's time again for our own Election of MFCB Officers. This will take place at our November General Meeting on Saturday the 11th. This is the time when you have the opportunity to help shape the future of MFCB by voting for those candidates you feel will demonstrate affective leadership and take our organization in a positive direction, keeping with our purpose and mission. You may also feel you have some time and talent to contribute to MFCB in an elected capacity. If so, I would encourage you to consider whether running for office is something you might want to do as well.

In either case, I hope to see many of you at the November General Meeting when we, as an organization, determine who our next group of MFCB Officers will be. Until then, take care.


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NEXT MFCB GENERAL MEETING

The next General Meeting of MFCB will be at William Booth Tower, 633 Lake Dot Circle, Orlando, FL, 32801, on Saturday, November 11th, 2006, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The phone number at William Booth Tower is (407) 843-5533. It is highly recommended that if anyone uses paratransit, please plan your rides accordingly.

As this issue goes to press, there is no Guest Speaker scheduled for the November General Meeting. However, we will be holding the Annual Elections for MFCB Officers. MFCB encourages Members to participate in this process and hope to see many do so.

Also, final plans for the MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon on December 2nd will be discussed.


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MFCB OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING REVIEW

19 Members and Guests attended the MFCB October General Meeting held on Saturday, October 9th, at William Booth Tower in downtown Orlando. 1st Vice President Patti Land, in the absence of President Rachel Bader as she was out-of-town on business in New York City, welcomed Members in attendance and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the Secretary's Report was waived, as Recording Secretary Shelley Justice was unable to attend due to unforeseen transportation problems, and the Treasurer's Report was read and approved, Patti confirmed to Members that the November General Meeting would be held on Saturday, November 11th, at William Booth Tower. This was due to the FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting being moved to the first weekend in November this year. Patti added that for those who want to attend the FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting, it will again take place at the Sheraton Safari Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, near Walt Disney World. For more information, she told Members they can visit the FCB website or contact anyone on the MFCB Executive Board.

Patti then opened the floor for Committees to report. She began by reporting directly for the Activities Committee that White Cane Safety Events are coming up and will go into more detail later in the General Meeting. For the Membership/Telephone Committee, Membership Secretary Jay Bader reminded Members about the Annual MFCB Membership Drive and that renewals are being accepted and can be paid after the General Meeting, with dues being $12.00. The membership deadline is November 15th, 2006. For the Refreshments Committee, Jackie Gideons announced that she needs volunteers for the November General Meeting. She asked Pat Spoone, who handled the Treasurer duties in Dan Spoone's absence, about a refreshments fund from the 2006 Budget. Pat said that $100.00 was budgeted for social activities and had not yet been used. So Jackie thought that it would be good to have pizza served for the November General Meeting. Jim Lamb said that he will give Jackie information for a nearby Pizza Hut for ordering pizzas for the next Meeting. Elizabeth Bouyer offered to bring drinks, and Leslie Spoone will provide cookies for a snack.

For Old Business, Patti announced the results of the Nominating Committee for the slate of MFCB Officers for the election to be held at the November General Meeting. Here are the recommendations of the Nominating Committee:

President - Shelley Justice
1st Vice President - Jack Jordan
2nd Vice President - Bill Freeman
Recording Secretary - Larry Turnbull
Treasurer - Dan Spoone
Membership Secretary - Jay Bader

The focus of the Meeting then turned to the upcoming White Cane Safety Events. Patti reminded Members that on Monday, October 16th, MFCB would again be joining with: Lighthouse Central Florida, Division of Blind Services, NFB-Greater Orlando Chapter, Blinded Veterans Association and the Orange County Community Traffic Safety Team at 2 locations. The first would be from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM at the corner of Chickasaw Trail and Valencia College Lane in east Orlando. For those using Access Lynx, the location to meet would be at the Kangaroo/Chevron Station, 808 North Chickasaw Trail, Orlando, FL 32825. For Lynx bus riders, it would be Link 15. For more information, Patti urged Members to contact herself, Rachel or Jay. Patti added that O & M instructors from LCF would be there, and MFCB would be handing out flyers and participate in crossing the intersection.

The second location for White Cane Safety Events would be from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM at Orange County Administration Building, 201 South Rosalind Avenue in downtown Orlando, near the intersection of Rosalind Avenue and Jackson Street. There would be the Link 15 bus to take those participating from the first event into downtown Orlando, then it would be a short ride on the Lymmo to the Administration Building. Again, MFCB would be handing out flyers and participate in crossing the intersection.

Since there were no Door Prizes to be awarded due to Shelly not being able to attend, Patti opened the floor for New Business. Sheila Young suggested that every couple of months, MFCB should meet at a restaurant, such as Logan's. Patti said that meetings at restaurants do not get much accomplished, but activities have been held at restaurants and will continue to be held from time to time. Patti also mentioned that the MFCB Annual Holiday Luncheon will be held on Saturday, December 2nd. One possible suggestion was the Olive Garden location on East Colonial Drive, near Orlando Fashion Square. Members were in general agreement on that suggestion, so Leslie Spoone offered to call that Olive Garden to tentatively set it up. Patti thought that would be fine.

Jay then reminded Members about accessible voting. Since the next General Meeting would not take place until after Election Day, he told Members that Early Voting is now a viable option for Members to take advantage of, as Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties all have accessible voting machines. He urged Members to use these machines and tell those they know about them. Jay added that the time should end for anyone to be assisted in use of absentee ballots and cast a secret, independent ballot using Early Voting if they cannot vote on Election Day.

After the General Meeting adjourned, Patti introduced Sherlock Holmes from the Sleuth Mystery Dinner Theater, which is located on International Drive, near Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum and next to the Crab House Restaurant. Mr. Holmes, who was not joined by Dr. Watson, talked about the theater being a "Living Game of Clue," as well as the history of the theater and what it offers, especially for those who are visually-impaired, and its plans over the next couple of months. Everyone in attendance at the General Meeting enjoyed the presentation, with Sheila Young adding that going to the Sleuth Mystery Dinner Theater was a lot of fun during the 2006 FCB Annual Convention this past May.


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2006 FCB MID-YEAR BOARD MEETING IN MFCB COUNTRY

For the past three years, the Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) has been proud to hold its Mid-Year Board Meeting in the Orlando area. The 2006 FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting takes place for the fourth consecutive year at the Sheraton Safari in Lake Buena Vista, from Friday, November 3rd, to Sunday, November 5th, 2006. The Sheraton Safari is located at 12205 Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32835. The hotel's phone number is (407) 239-0444.

The agenda for this year's Mid-Year Board Meeting is available through the weekend of the Meeting on the FCB News and Events Page at http://www.fcb.org.

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, either the day of the Business Meeting on the 4th or the Leadership Seminar on the 5th, to sit in and check out our state affiliate's activities.

If you have any questions about the 2006 FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting, especially about the agenda for the weekend, contact President Rachel Bader at (407) 658-2479 or 1st Vice President Patti Land at (407) 521-9047.


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EARLY VOTING IN ORANGE, OSCEOLA AND SEMINOLE COUNTIES

With many of our MFCB Members having busy schedules during the week, it may be useful to take advantage of Early Voting in our tri-county area. Early Voting was created for those with work schedules that prohibit them from participating in the voting process on Election Day, which this year is November 7th. With accessible voting now a reality in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, the time has come to end the use of absentee ballots and begin the use of a system that allows the casting of a truly secret, independent ballot for the blind and visually-impaired.

Here are the dates and times for Early Voting in our tri-county area leading up to the November 7th, 2006 General Election:

ORANGE COUNTY

Early Voting takes place through Sunday, November 5th, 2006.

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM


EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS:

Orlando Public Library (Downtown)
101 E. Central Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32801
Entrance on Central Blvd.

Washington Park Branch Library
5151 Raleigh Street, Suite A
Orlando, FL 32811
In the Lila Mitchell Community Center

Alafaya Branch Library
12000 East Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32826
East of Alafaya Trail

West Oaks Branch Library
1821 E. Silver Star Rd.
Ocoee, FL 34761
East of Clarke Rd.

North Orange Branch Library
1211 E. Semoran Blvd.
Apopka, FL 32703
Corner of SR 436 and Thompson Rd.

Winter Park Library
460 East New England Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789
Across from Rollins College

South Creek Branch Library
1702 Deerfield Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32837
East of South Orange Blossom Trail

Southwest Branch Library
7255 Della Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
East of Dr. Phillips Blvd. off Sand Lake Rd.

Southeast Branch Library
5575 S. Semoran Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32822
Corner of SR 436 and Hoffner

Supervisor of Elections Office
119 W. Kaley Street
Orlando, FL 32806
Between Orange Ave. and I-4

For further information, especially for phone numbers of each Library, please call the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office at (407) 836-2070 or Orange County Library System (OCLS) at (407) 835-7323.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

Early Voting takes place through Saturday, November 4th, 2006.

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS

Kissimmee Supervisor of Elections Office
330 N. Beaumont Ave.
Kissimmee, FL 34741
(407) 343-3900

St. Cloud Supervisor of Elections Branch Office
1322 10th Street
St. Cloud, FL 34769

BVL Public Library
405 Buenaventura Lakes Blvd
Kissimmee, FL 34743
(407) 348-8767

Poinciana Public Library
101 Doverplum Avenue
Poinciana, FL 34758
(407) 935-1177

For further information, please call the Kissimmee Supervisor of Elections Office at (407) 343-3900.

SEMINOLE COUNTY

Early Voting takes place through Sunday, November 5th, 2006.

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Please contact the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office at (407) 708-7700 for days and times of Early Voting.

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS

Oviedo Library
310 Division Street
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 366-8150

Lake Mary Library
580 Greenway Blvd.
Lake Mary, FL 32746
(407) 321-2419

West (Wekiva) Library
245 N. Hunt Club Blvd.
Longwood, FL 32779
(407) 862-2282

Central (Casselberry) Library
215 N. Oxford Rd.
Casselberry, FL 32707
(407) 339-4000

Supervisor of Elections Office
1500 E. Airport Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 708-7700

For further information, please call the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office at (407) 708-7700.

MFCB encourages all that read THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE to make your vote count, especially since we have the opportunity to do so via Early Voting.


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WHITE CANE DAY 2006 A SUCCESS

MFCB was proud to again be part of White Cane Safety Events on Monday, October 16th. These events were held in making the public aware of the laws that protect the blind and visually-impaired when crossing the streets and intersections in the Orlando area.

Along with the Orange County Community Traffic Safety Team, National Federation of the Blind-Greater Orlando Chapter, Lighthouse Central Florida, Blinded Veterans Association and the Florida Division of Blind Services, MFCB celebrated White Cane and Guide Dog Safety Day. The group first met at the intersection of Goldenrod and Lake Underhill Roads in East Orlando. Blind and visually-impaired people demonstrated to the public how they can effectively and competently cross a busy intersection with the use of their skills, guide dogs and/or white canes. White candy canes with Florida’s White Cane Law, 316.1301, in both English and Spanish, attached were passed out to those who visited. Orange County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez attended this event and experienced what it was like to cross a traffic intersection while blindfolded, with the help of Dianne Ketts of LCF. Orange TV and Rumba 100.3 covered the event and talked with various participants there.

Another White Cane Safety Event took place later in the day in downtown Orlando in front of the Orange County Commission Building. Blind and visually-impaired people navigate a nearby street crossing, more white candy canes with Florida's White Cane Law were passed out and information from the various participating organizations were distributed. Also, representatives from the City of Orlando, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, as well as Orange County, presented White Cane Day Proclamations. Several speakers talked regarding the history of White Cane Day and its impact on the blind and visually-impaired of Florida. These speakers and legislators were also invited to join in a few street crossings while blindfolded, with the assistance of those from Lighthouse Central Florida. WKMG Channel 6 and WFTV Channel 9 covered this event, among other media, especially interviewing those in attendance as well as participants.

One important consideration that has resulted from this year's White Cane Safety Events is the fact that there are no Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at any intersection in the Orlando area. The city of Orlando is in the early stages of considering APS at various intersections, with the goal of having APS in as many intersections as needed to make pedestrian travel in Orlando safer, especially for the disabled. MFCB is looking forward to continuing efforts with the various blindness and disability organizations to making APS a reality in Orlando, and overall making travel for pedestrians more accessible.


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FCB TECH TALK

Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) invites all Members throughout the state of Florida to participate in Tech Talk, a monthly get-together for anyone who needs help with their computer and respective applications. John Richards, FCB 2nd Vice President and Chair of the FCB Technology Committee, who organized this voice chat, says, "Please take advantage of this free tech support session. Have you paid for tech support lately? If so, then you're aware of the cost."

Tech Talk takes place on the first Monday night of every month at 8 PM. To be a part of Tech Talk, grab a headset and microphone and head to the FCB General Chat Room at the following link: http://www.fcb.org/FCBGenRSigIn.htm. From there, just sign in and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.

There are some Members of MFCB that are part of the FCB Technology Committee and they may even be able to help you. So if you need help with your computer, join in on Tech Talk. And keep the change in your pocket.


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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 2 voice 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 these 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 website, http://www.fcb.org, there is information available on the Internet about MFCB, especially the MFCB By-Laws, as well as current and past issues of the MFCB Newsletter, both in the previous name of MUMBLES and the newer name of THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. MFCB is proud to have people find out what is going on with our organization in this global manner.

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 better what we have on the Web.


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SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT OCLS

The Orange County Library System (OCLS) will have many interesting events during the month of November.

"Paws to Read" returns to the following OCLS libraries in November:

Saturday, November 11th, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
North Orange Branch, 1211 E. Semoran Blvd., Apopka, FL 32703

November 25, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Orlando Public Library, Children’s Library, 1st Floor
101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801

Alafaya Branch
12000 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32826

West Oaks Branch
1821 E. Silver Star Rd., Ocoee, FL 34761

Sign up to practice your reading skills by reading aloud to a lovable, furry listener. Be An Angel Therapy Dogs Ministry presents this reading program for children with certified therapy dogs. Seating is limited; call today to reserve your spot at (407) 835-7323.

On Saturday, November 18th, at 10:30 AM, "Pamper Yourself for the Holidays" will take place at the South Creek Branch Library, 1702 Deerfield Blvd., Orlando, FL 32837. Sit back, relax and immerse yourself in the spa experience with Orlando’s newest day spa. LT Rain Spa focuses on delivering the best products, services and the ultimate pampering experience. Learn how to take care of yourself this holiday season, plus learn exciting tips and tricks that will help you look your best! Facial and massage demonstrations will be offered, and one lucky winner will take home a spa gift pack, featuring a gift certificate for a signature service.

On Saturday, November 18th, at 2 PM, "Relieve Holiday Stress Through Massage and Yoga" will take place at the Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801. Pre-holiday jitters? Calm down with Heather Johnson from Tranquil Oasis. Learn self-massage techniques and yoga poses to relieve stress. Give yourself a treat - forget the turkey, rub your feet! You’ll be thankful you did.

For more information about these events, contact OCLS at (407) 835-7323.


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MEMBERSHIP - from Jay Bader

Notes from Jay: The Annual MFCB Membership Drive is in its final days. Done in cooperation with the Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services in Daytona Beach, those mailers are sent with the hope that there are those who receive it interested in becoming Members of MFCB.

There are those who receive 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.

Renewals on current MFCB Memberships are being accepted, especially at the November General Meeting. Dues for new Memberships or renewals are $12.00 and payable by cash, check or money order, if you attend the General Meeting; otherwise, it is payable by check or money order through the mail. The deadline for new Memberships or renewals is November 15th, 2006. This deadline does not change and is important especially in processing information in a timely manner to our state affiliate, the Florida Council of the Blind (FCB).

If you cannot attend the November General Meeting, or know someone who wants to join MFCB, checks and money orders can be sent to the following address:

MFCB MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
5611 Pecos St.
Orlando, FL 32807

Please welcome the following NEW MEMBERS of MFCB:

ARNOLD ANDERSON
1550 Lakeview Dr.
Kissimmee, FL 34744
(407) 847-7446

SANFORD & MARGOT SUSSELL
5420 Alligator Lake Rd.
St. Cloud, FL 34772
(407) 957-4394

MARY VAN PALA
13601 Hawkeye Dr.
Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 438-5881

GLADYS PILOIAN
585 W. Church Ave.
Longwood, FL 32750
(407) 332-7162

CHARLES PRIZMONTE
3509 Bermuda Circle
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 359-2296

And I always accept submissions to THE MID-FLORIDA VOICE. All submissions for the December 2006 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 FCB Mid-Year Board Meeting in Lake Buena Vista and the next MFCB General Meeting in November!


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BIRTHDAY PEOPLE

NOVEMBER

12 - Craig Marquis
17 - Margot Sussell
22 - Paulette Gordon
26 - Chuck Graham
27 - Ida Williams



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