BOLD VENTURES September 2016
Blind Outdoor Leisure Development
BOLD welcomes persons 18 and older with all degrees of vision: blind, low vision, partially sighted and fully sighted.
PO Box 8114
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Terri Winaught, Editor
Email: boldwpa@gmail.com
website: www.wpabold.blogspot.com
Update Line: 1-773-597-4222 (updates recorded each Friday.)
SENSATIONAL SEPTEMBER
CALENDAR
Thursdays the 1st and 15th: Mall Walking at the Ross Park Mall from 9:30 to 11:30 AM on the 1st, and 10 AM to noon on the 15th.
To sign up for the 1st by 9 PM on Sunday, August 28th, phone Pat DePasquale: 412-492-1692; To reserve for the 15th by 9 PM on the 11th, phone Tony Kelly: 412-965-4443.
Thursdays the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th: Yoga from 2:30 to 4 PM at Squirrel Hill's Schoolhouse Studio: 2215 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, 15217. Sign up the Tuesday before each date by 9 PM with Veronique Schreurs: 412-225-4038.
Tuesday the 6th: Board meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at One Smithfield Street, Downtown Pittsburgh. To let Tammi know you will be there, phone 412-488-6298 by 10 PM on Sunday the 4th.
Wednesdays the 14th and 28th: Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. To mark your place by 9 PM the Thursday before, phone Joyce Driben: 412-521-4385.
Saturday the 17th: Picnic and games at Ray Jablonowski's Greenfield home: 4551 Parade Street, Pittsburgh, 15207, from noon to 5 PM.
To sign up with Terri Winaught by 10 PM on Wednesday the 14th, call 412-263-2022.
Along with Darts and other Indoor Games, Ray will also lead interested attendees in walks and offer places in his house for quiet time.
Saturday the 24th: Tandem biking and a picnic meal at North Park starting at 3 PM. To mark your place by 10 PM on Saturday the 17th with Marty Mathews, phone 412-440-4909. (The person coordinating this outing by providing the bikes, food and paying for the grove previously biked with BOLD and reintroduced herself to Nancy Leverett at Waterskiing.)
PAST EVENTS
"The weather was beautiful and the day was fabulous!" were Nancy Leverett's comments about kayaking on July 17th.
Nancy added that the plentiful food was delicious, and the guiding by volunteers from Venture Outdoors was excellent. It was also Venture Outdoors members who provided the kayaks.
On July 31st, 33 people enjoyed the fun-filled Swim Party Leslie Gottschalk and helpers always provide. (More info? Peggy Walsh's Personal Perspective.)
Waterskiing on Saturday, August 6th was wonderful, with weather that was perfect; guides that were great, and picnic fare that was pleasurable. Seven BOLD members participated in this strenuous, exhilarating activity.
LOOKING AHEAD
In addition to coordinating the September tandem outing already mentioned, a former volunteer will also organize tandem biking on Saturday, October 22nd. North Park will again be the location; Saturday the 15th by 10 PM will be the reservation deadline with Penny Fleckenstein, who can be reached at 412-415-3871, and 2 PM will be the starting time.
Also in October, BOLD'S Board will meet on Tuesday the 4th.
Moving on to November, a tentative date for Horseback Riding is Saturday the 12th.
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE by Peggy Walsh on the July 31st Swim Party
From noon to 5 PM, over 30 people came to enjoy this popular BOLD event at the elegant Gottschalk estate in Moon Township.
Many thanks! to our hostess, Leslie Gottschalk, for her warm hospitality-plentiful grilled picnic meats and delicious baked beans, and of course the bathtub-warm ready-to-jump-into swimming pool. She greeted everyone, helped serve snacks we contributed, and made sure everyone left satisfied and with take-home "memories" (leftovers). Thanks also to Missy and Ray, our grillmasters, and to our many delightful volunteers for serving, guiding and transportation to and from this popular summer fun-fest.
REALISTIC REMINDERS
In her Personal Perspective, Peggy was very clear about how helpful and dedicated our volunteers are. Having said that with a lot of appreciation, it's important to note that even the best intentioned individuals can't help with everything: For example, members of a volunteer-driven group like BOLD cannot be expected to help with medical issues.
If you are someone who could use a little help from time to time with a medical concern like testing blood sugar, you are encouraged to bring someone who is capable of providing that assistance. After all: There's nothing wrong with needing and accepting help. Just remember that our sighted members are busy helping with an event's visual aspects, and our members who have impaired or no vision may have realistic limitations on the aid they can give.
Thank you in advance for cooperating and understanding that will keep you safe.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
With fall comes events like audio-described plays at the City Theatre, and the Speakers Series sponsored by Robert Morris University and held at Heinz Hall.
Starting with the City Theatre, their performances for the 2016-2017 season are:
• HAND TO GOD: Sunday, October 16th.
• FEEDING THE DRAGON: Sunday, November 20th.
• THE ROYALE: Sunday, February 12th.
• THE GUARD: Sunday, April 2nd.
• WILD WITH HAPPY: Sunday, May 7th.
• IRONBOUND: Sunday, June 4th.
All performances start at 2 and are preceded by 1 o'clock sensory workshops for the blind and vision impaired.
The number to call for tickets is 412-431-4900; their address is 1300 Bingham Street; audio description and Braille programs will be available upon request; and theatergoers who are blind or have low vision may bring a companion for free.
Regarding Speakers Series presentations, Jennifer Wilburn, 412-561-8155, is the person to call for the limited number of tickets. Jennifer asks that you call JUST ONCE and as soon as possible. If the tickets you requested are available, Jennifer will call you two weeks before the presentation to see if you are still interested.
The presentations-all of which are 8 PM on a Wednesday are:
October 5th: Rita Moreno, an actress who received an Academy Award for her performance in West Side Story.
October 26th: Ehud Barak (former Prime Minister of Israel).
November 16th: panel discussion about racism in America: Michele Norris, NPR commentator; Jayson Riley, Wall Street Journal columnist; and Morris Dees, Co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
January 25th, 2017: John Cleese: comedy star who was in the movie, "A Fish called Wanda" and Monte Python's "Flying Circus."
February 15th: General Martin Dempsey: Chief of Staff of the Army and Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Obama.
March 29th: Ted Koppel: (former host of ABC'S Night Line, and NPR commentator).
April 19th: Jon Meacham: Pulitzer prize winner who has written about the presidents and former Editor of News Week.
BOLD member Mark Grasak learned about a Carnegie-based venue called New Works which will be featuring free readings, and free audio-described dress rehearsals (information below):
Pittsburgh New Works Festival will begin its 2016 premiere of twelve new, short plays performed at 25 West Maine Street, in Carnegie. The festival will kick off with two evenings of readings; three new works on August 21st at 7 PM and three on August 28th at 7 P.m. (no cost to attend the readings.)
The twelve works, chosen and produced by various local theater groups, will be performed in four segments of three plays each; segments A, B, C, and D. These segments will be performed at various times between September 1st and September 25th. The cost for all four segments is $40, but each segment can be purchased separately.
New Works will provide audio description during their final dress rehearsals of all twelve plays. There will be no charge for those evenings. Dates for the dress rehearsals are: Tuesday, August 30th; Wednesday, August 31st; Tuesday, September 13th; and Wednesday, September 14th. All four dress rehearsals will be from 8 to 10 PM.
If interested in attending an audio-described dress rehearsal, call 412-944-2639. Leave your name, phone number and the dress rehearsal you want to attend. You can also obtain more information by visiting: www.pittsburghnewworks.org.
FUNDRAISING FACTS
To make up for the May 3rd Day of Giving that was cut short, you will have another chance to give to BOLD on Tuesday, September 21st from 8 AM to midnight. If you have no computer access or are having trouble navigating the website, Veronique Schreurs is willing to help, 412-225-4038
Thank you in advance for using this additional Day of Giving to donate to BOLD.
BOLD BITS
CONGRATULATIONS!! to Ashley Winaught who graduated on August 10th from a Penn Hills-based medical facility as a massage therapist.
Get Well Wishes to and prayers for Carol Platt who was recently in the hospital.
Mike Gravitt has asked me to share the following information, which guide dog users might find especially useful but can also benefit all pet and service animal owners:
University veterinary specialists are based in McMurray, PA, and offer a "pet ambulance" to their facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The cost is $50 for anyone within 15 miles of their location. The cost increases by $25 per every five mile increment. Note: the cost increases if a doctor has to accompany the ambulance. Also note that they do not transport the owner of the dog.
University veterinary specialists
2810 Washington Road
McMurray PA 15317
Phone: 724-717-2273
Website: http://www.uvscares.com
Their services are available to residents of Allegheny, Butler and Washington counties.
To read about a tandem bike trip Penny Fleckenstein took from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, visit her blog: notyouraveragesinglemom.com
Pat McCloskey also blogs about outdoor recreation. To read his posts and learn about discounts, visit: chroniclesofmccloskey.com.
Meals at the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind will resume on Saturday, September 24th with the deadline being Saturday the 17th by 6 PM. To sign up with Sherri Crum, phone 412-682-1800.
Happy Birthday to Ceinwen King-Smith, Stu Weissmann and anyone else with a September birthday.
Appreciation always to everyone who keeps BOLD Ventures accessible and available each month.
THE END