BOLD VENTURES April 2019
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
Editorial team: Veronique Schreurs, Nancy Leverett, Terri Winaught, Peggy Walsh
Email: boldwpa@gmail.com
Website: www.wpabold.blogspot.com
APRIL CALENDAR
Tuesday April 2 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM: Bold Board meeting at the Human Services building, 1 Smithfield St., downtown. All are welcome to attend. Please call Tammi 412-951-6528 by 9pm Sunday March 31.
Saturday April 6 & 20 from 9am to 12:30pm: Swimming party twice a month! Come party with us! (9:15-11:15am, then pizza) at: The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, 1405 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh PA 15217 in Squirrel Hill, optional donation: $5.00. It is a full sized warm indoor pool. Reserve with Penny Fleckenstein, 412-415-3871 by Wednesday April 3 & 17.
Thursday April 4 Friendship Walk and Talk at Ross Park Mall from 10am till noon. To reserve, call Pat DePasquale by Sunday March 31: 724-939-3969.
Thursday April 18 Friendship Walk and Talk at Ross Park Mall from 10am till noon. To reserve, call Toni Kelly: 412-965-4443 by Sunday April 14.
Wednesdays April 10 & 24: Mall Walking will be held at the Monroeville Mall from 9 to 11 AM. To sign up with Joyce Driben the Thursday before: 412-521-4385.
Thursdays April 4, 11, 18 & 25: Yoga at Squirrel Hill’s Schoolhouse Studio: 2215 Murray Ave, from 2:30 to 4 PM. Cost, $10 per person ($15 optional if the group is small). Reserve the Tuesday before with Veronique 412-225-4038.
Sunday April 14, 11am: Brunch at Mario’s Saloon 1514 E. Carson St, Pgh 15203, with possible hike following (weather permitting), 1pm until 2 or 2:30pm. Reserve by 9pm on Wednesday April 10 with Peggy Walsh 412-683-6070.
Sunday April 28, 2-5pm Talent show/dessert auction party. Read on under Fundraising facts.
FUNDRAISING FACTS: Talent! Talent! BOLD wants your talent!
On Sunday, April 28 from 2 to 5 PM, BOLD will host our third annual Talent Show and Fundraiser. Suggested donation: $5. We will have pop and pizza, we will do a 50/50 raffle.
Whether you want to showcase a gift or be a spectator, we’d love to see you in the Liberty Room at One Smithfield Street.
To reserve by 10 PM on Wednesday, April 24, phone Terri Winaught: 412-595-6187, cell. When reserving, let Terri know if you want to be a participant which you can do in the usual ways of singing, reading a poem, or doing a dramatic reading. A new way for you to be involved this year is to show off your baking by contributing something sweet to the dessert auction that will be incorporated into this event.
LOOKING AHEAD
Camp Kon-o-kwee weekend from Friday May 10 – Sunday May 12. Reserve with Joyce Driben 412-521-4385 by April 15, 9pm. Bring your medications and a change of clothes!
IMPORTANT! Note that the buildings and all the grounds are now smoke free! People will depart on Friday May 10 from the Human Services Building, 1 Smithfield St. downtown. Arrive by 5:30pm. Returning to the same location on Sunday May 12, set up your Access for 1pm.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Prime Stage Theatre: “In the Time of the Butterflies.”
Audio Description for the blind and visually impaired is available at the performance this Friday, March 15 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets at the door: $14 - $20.
Touch Tour pre-show begins at 7:00 p.m.
Audio pre-show begins at 7:45 p.m.
Location: New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square E, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
The play, adapted by Caridad Svich from the novel by Julia Alvarez, tells the dramatic true story of four courageous sisters (code name: "the Butterflies") who fought against the oppressive regime of dictator Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic during the late 1950s.
Pittsburgh Opera at the Benedum Center downtown will present two operas: “La Bohème” on April 2 and “Don Pasquale” on April 30.They are the final Audio-Described performances for the 2018-2019 season. To order $11 tickets call Regina Connelly, 412-281-0912, Ext 213.
Pittsburgh Opera events at headquarters in April: 2425 Liberty Ave., 25th street entrance, Pittsburgh 15222. Reserve in advance with Marilyn Egan, 412-281-0912, Ext. 242: Saturday April 13, 12pm: Brown Bag concert, lasts 1hr, coffee & cookies afterwards, followed at 2pm by Opera up close – “Don Pasquale”, lasts about 1 1/2hr.
BOLD BITS
Events at the Carnegie Library for the Blind (CLP-LBPH), 4724 Baum Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213: Wednesday, April 17 from 1 PM to 2:30 is our next Accessible Tech Training at CLP-LBPH. Join us for a hands-on tech training focusing on tablet and smart phone accessibility options.
The Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind will host their next meal on Saturday April 27 from 5 to 7 PM. To sign up, phone Sherri Crum no later than 6 PM on Saturday April 20: 412-682-1800.
Welcome to Bold to Bob and Arlene Shingleton! Bob is blind, Arlene is sighted.
Although Norma Caquatto recently had a health scare, she is well on the mend, and thanks everyone for their support.
Carol Platt asks for your continued prayers and Well Wishes as she continues to deal with health challenges, and Terri Winaught also asks for positive thoughts as she struggles to regain her voice from bronchitis and laryngitis.
All the best to Delbert Rankin who will be retiring after many years of service at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children.
Belated Happy Birthday wishes to Marcy Loughner who had a birthday in March.
Happy Birthday to Carrie Fisher, Karen Good, Ray Jablonowski, Jim Wiseman, Larry Wiseman, and anyone else with an April birthday.
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES
By Randi Shelton about Cross Country skiing with BOLD
It was a beautiful day to be on the trails. Conditions were perfect with about 15 inches of snow and no ice anywhere. Temps were in the high 20s low 30s in the morning, and the tips of the tree branches had a light dusting of frost. As Dom described it, "They look like they've been dipped in cotton." By afternoon, the sun had come out. The snow was beginning to drip from the trees, and the trail was becoming slick as the snow melted.
It's not just the skiing that makes these events so memorable. Dom's warm hospitality makes this the fantastic time it is. From checking up on his guides and skiers to the lunchtime feast, he makes sure it all runs smoothly. The only negative about these events is that we don't have the weather to do them more often. Thanks Dom for all you do to make these cross country ski outings the wonderful times they are.
By Penny Fleckenstein
February was an amazing month to be a member of BOLD. The first weekend I got an invitation from Tammi to go skiing on the Saturday we do the BOLD swimming. I chose the warm water option at The Children's Institute. I have no regrets. The four helpful interns for five swimmers eased our anxieties.
On Feb. 16th, Janet Jain held her Lunar New Year celebration. I felt honored to be peeling her tea eggs which she had marinating in tea and spices overnight. The tea eggs were delicious served with the chicken on a stick, marinated tofu on a stick, scallion rangoon, crab rangoon, and pork pot stickers. We were asked to guess how many sticks were in a bundle, the value of coins in a bag, how many pinto beans in a bag, and Janet's birth place. Although I got none of them right, I appreciated all of Janet's and Veronique’s hard work to put this party together. I was amazed at her ingenuity in having all the guests occupy her living room with the use of rented tables and table cloths. The days of preparation it took, the love and kindness with which she prepared all the food, and the hours of cleanup afterwards. I really enjoyed Mark Grasak's enthusiasm for tea eggs and the discovery that Ceinwen is also a knitter who has only visited China 23 times.
On Tuesday, February 19th, BOLD was given a tour of the Children's museum.
I felt beautiful scarves made on the loom and projects made of recycled material such as a little house made of cardboard and pill bottles. We crawled through the Tapescape, a maze of slides and tunnels made entirely of packing tape, and whirled round in the spinning top chairs. My favorite experience was a conversation I had with Clifford, who said: decide what you want to teach and be a willing and receptive student. It will boost your creativity and your fun in life."
Thanks to all who contributed to the making of this newsletter.
THE END