April 2018 newsletter

BOLD VENTURES
April 2018

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
New Update Line Number: 1-773-572-3078
(updates recorded each Friday)

AMAZING APRIL

Members, Below is a document that will better enable us to track member data, especially birthdays since there are some people whose birthdays are always mentioned and others whose birthdays never are.

This information will help BOLD with record keeping. You have three weeks to submit your answer for it to be recorded in our records. Please click on the link that says “fill out this form”. My suggestions for filling out the form are as a JAWS user to arrow down through the form and fill in your answers and press the space bar to choose the yes or no radio box and then press the enter key on submit. Your responses will be very appreciated by BOLD’s board. Thank you, Nancy Leverett BOLD Birth Date Form

Please consider attending at least one of the many events listed in the calendar, all of which Programs Chair Nancy Leverett works very hard to plan and implement, with support from the Board and much-appreciated help from people willing to take reservations.

Tuesday the 3rd: The Board will meet from about 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the Pirates Room at One Smithfield Street. To let Tammi Swiantek know you want to attend, phone her by 10 PM on Sunday the 1: 412-488-6298. Also let her know if you planned to be there and then cannot.

Saturday the 7th: Swimming will be held at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind children, 201 North Bellefield Ave. The water is warm; the time is 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM; swimmers may bring snacks as long as they are eaten outside of the pool area, and swimming is followed by pizza for lunch. The cost is an optional donation of $5 per person. To reserve with Penny Fleckenstein the Wednesday before by 10 PM, phone 412-415-3871. Penny strongly encourages anyone who hasn’t attended this fun and exhilarating event to consider doing so.

Wednesdays the 4th and 18th: Mall Walking will be held at the Monroeville Mall from 9 to 11 AM, followed by lunch in the mall’s food court or at a nearby restaurant. To reserve with Joyce Driben no later than 9 PM the Thursday before, phone 412-521-4385.
Wednesdays the 4th and 18th: Also Mall walking at South Hills village 9:30 to 11:30. Reserve by 9pm the Thursdays before with Nancy Leverett, 412-561-3972.

Thursday the 5th: Mall Walk and Talk will be held at the Ross Park Mall from 10 AM till noon. To sign up the Sunday before by 9 PM phone Pat DePasquale: 412-492-1692.

Thursday the 19th: Mall Walk and Talk will be held at the Ross Park Mall from 10 AM till noon. To sign up by 9 PM the Sunday before, phone Toni Kelly: 412-965-4443.

Thursdays the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th: Yoga will be held at Squirrel Hill’s SchoolHouse Yoga Studio: 2215 Murray Ave. Call Veronique 412-225-4038 by the Tuesday before. The cost per person payable the day of each class is $10 with the option of paying $15 when the group is small. The time is 2:30 to 4 PM.

412-255-0564 is the number to call to reserve with Venture Outdoors for the April 21st Learn to Kayak workshop. This spring or summer we will continue learning more about kayaking by holding a learn to paddle kayaking workshop at North Park with a one on one Venture Outdoor Guide. For more information about Kayaking with BOLD and Venture Outdoors call Nancy Leverett at 412-561-3972.

Monday, April 16, Kon-o-Kwee weekend deadline. To pay and sign up for with Joyce Driben call 412-521-4385; Joyce can answer questions. Cost is $60.00 which includes 2 night stay from May 11 to 13 with meals and bus transportation. Arrive for pickup on Friday May 11 at 5:45 at 1 Smithfield St Pittsburgh PA, 15222. Make checks payable to WPA BOLD and send them to Veronique Schreurs, 2269 Tilbury Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Sunday, April 29 Tandem Biking. Start time 9:30 with lunch at 12:30, cost $5.00, at the same location as last year Tandem Connection 5 Georgetown Rd Canonsburg, PA 15317, call Nancy Leverett at 412-561-3972 to reserve by Saturday April 21 and choose either pulled pork, chicken, veggie burger, or hot dog sandwich for lunch.

PAST EVENTS

All who attended the February 27 tactile tour of the Children’s Museum thoroughly enjoyed themselves: Peggy Walsh had such a good time, in fact, that she wrote a Personal Perspective about it which will appear in May’s newsletter. Many thanks to Peggy; Joyce Driben for taking reservations, and to all of the guides whose help made this event both possible and fun.

March saw not only the end of winter but also the end of the Downhill Ski season, with a lot of appreciation going to Dom Ceresa, Nancy Leverett, all of the ski guides Nancy so effectively recruits, and Seven Springs for giving BOLD use of their facilities.

LOOKING AHEAD

On Saturday, June 2nd from noon to 5 PM, ray Jablonowski will host a picnic at Highland Park’s Sycamore Grove. Peggy Walsh, 412-683-6070, will be the reservationist with the deadline and more information in May’s newsletter.

Although a date has yet to be set, there will be a Gottschalk Swim Party this summer, so be sure to check future newsletters and the new Update Line number: 1-773-572-3078.

On Sunday, August 26, Waterskiing will be held with Nancy Leverett as the reservationist (see newsletter closer to that date for more).

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

April 13 & 14 at 8pm, Bricolage “Wordplay”, 937 Liberty Ave 1st floor, 15222. Description: With brazen honesty and creativity, actors, comedy writers, and everyday people read their own stories while our DJ spins a real-time soundtrack using anything from Brahms to BeyoncĂ©. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll get an extremely intimate look into the life of a total stranger.

For tickets, $15 (discount price with code BOLDWP), call Fred, 412-471-0999.

To see if Joyce Driben has any Pittsburgh Symphony tickets left, phone 412-521-4385. Also feel free to ask Joyce if there are any tickets left for Chamber Music concerts, which are held in Oakland’s Carnegie Music Hall: 4400 Forbes Ave.

Sunday April 29 “The White Chip” at City Theatre 1300 Bingham St, South Side. 1pm: Blind/vision impaired workshop, 2pm: Audio described performance. Tickets: $22. To order call 412-431-0912, option 3.

Opera: for events at Opera headquarters call Marilyn Egan 412-281-0912, X 242. Address: 2425Liberty Ave., Strip District, 25th St entrance.

Sunday April 8, 2pm Opera Headquarters, “opera up close” of “Elixir of Love”.

Sunday April 15, 2pm, Opera Headquarters: Art Songs Recital.

Tuesday April 24, 7pm, the Benedum Center, Audio-described performance of “Elixir of Love”. Tickets: $10, call Regina Connelly, 412-281-0912 X213.

FUNDRAISING FACTS:

Personal Perspective on a Fundraising effort by Veronique Schreurs.

"I often teach French at a Lifelong Learning program. This past winter, I invited my students to come every week to my house instead. For the last week of the class, I told them we were going to do a fundraiser for BOLD. I told them about BOLD, in French. I invited Ceinwen to join us. She told hilarious stories in French about misunderstandings when she first lived in Canada, before she could speak French.

It was fun and a success: we collected $235 for BOLD

BOLD BITS

Saturday the 28th: meal at the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind, 535 North Neville Street. A topical Bible study will be held from 4 to 5 PM; the meal will be served from 5 to 6; Sherri Crum will take petitions and offer prayers from 6 to about 6:25, and Vespers will be held from 6:30 to around 7. To sign up for this meal by 6 PM Saturday the 21st, phone 412-682-1800. If the 25-person maximum has been reached by the time you reserve, Sherri will put you on a wait list.

Devon Evans from the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped wants patrons to know that an accessible movie will be shown on Friday, April 13. This movie tells the story of an Irish woman as she tries to decide whether to accept old ways or a new romance. Irish and Italian-themed refreshments will be served.

April 19, which is the third Wednesday, is when Library staff will conduct access technology training on Android and iOS smart devices. If you don’t have a tablet or smart phone, the Library has tablets on which you can practice. Reserving in advance by phoning 412-687-2440 is greatly appreciated.

Happy Birthday to Carrie Fisher, Karen Good, Ray Jablonowski, Jim Wiseman, Larry Wiseman, and anyone else with an April birthday.

Many and ongoing thanks to Devon Evans from the Library for the Blind, Nancy Leverett, Marty Mathews, Veronique Schreurs, Peggy Walsh, the Braille Team which Tina Wassermann leads, and everyone who writes a Personal Perspective for their invaluable help making this monthly newsletter excellent and accessible.

THE END