BOLD VENTURES January 2024
Western Pennsylvania Blind Outdoor Leisure Development
This BOLD Ventures is Sponsored by Our Newly re-elected President Nancy Leverett, who wishes you a Happy and BOLD New Year.
Keeping you up to date
At the General Membership Meeting held during the Holiday Party organized by BOLD’s President Nancy Leverett, three new Board members were elected by acclamation for two-year terms: they are President, Nancy Leverett; First Vice-President, Bradlee Tebbs; and Corresponding Secretary, Veronique Schreurs (reinstated after a temporary medical retirement). Our other Officers are: Second Vice-President, Carol Lubecki; Treasurer, Ryan Leverett-Ptak; Recording Secretary, Karen Seligman; & Fundraising Chair Person, Terri Winaught.
Many thanks to our two retiring Board Members First Vice-President Jeff Mulkern and Corresponding Secretary Debby Hill. We look forward to your continuing participation in BOLD.
Here’s hoping you had a good holiday season! Don’t think for one minute that BOLD is going to let January be a long boring winter month. Just keep reading to see all of the fun stuff BOLD has for you to do in January!
Dues
Time to show support for BOLD, time to pay dues. In case you didn’t get a chance to pay your dues yet for 2024, make the New Year bright for BOLD by getting your dues paid. The dues for the 2024 are $15. There are two ways to pay your dues. You can send a check payable to WPA BOLD to WPA BOLD, PO Box 9101, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Or if you like you can use either PayPal or a credit card at the donate button at the bottom of this Newsletter or on our website www.wpabold.blogspot.com and use the “donate” button. If you use our website, be sure to write a note saying that you are paying your dues. If you are new to BOLD and paid your dues after September 30th, you are covered for 2024. If there has been any change in your contact information, please send it to our treasure Ryan Leverett at ryanjleverett1@gmail.com. Thanks for paying your dues!
CALENDAR
January
Tuesday, January 2nd, from 6 to 8 pm, Board Meeting in-person at Human Services, 1 Smithfield St, downtown. Any non-board Members who want to attend must call Nancy at 412-561-3972 by December 31st.
Tuesdays in January, dates to be announced, from 9 am to 12:30 pm, Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall. Cost is free. Lunch is on your own at the food court. Sighted guides are welcome and also need to sign up. For all of the dates and details including transportation and to sign up call Joyce at 412-521-4385.
Wednesdays, January 10th & 24th, from 7 to 9:30 pm SE Wisconsin BOLD virtual bingo, For all of the fun information contact Tammi, BOLD’s bingo guru, by text or voicemail at 412-951-6528 or tswiantek@comcast.net.
Thursdays, January 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th from noon to 1:30, Ice Skating at the Mount Lebanon Ice Center, 900 Cedar Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15228. Cost is $5. We need sighted ice skaters to be guides on and off the ice. sign-up by 8 pm on the Sunday before each date with Nancy at 412-561-3972 or nancy.leverett1@verizon.net.
Sunday January 14th 2:00 to 3:00 pm, indoor ice skating at the Hunt Armory Ice Rink, 324 Emerson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. There is no charge for ice time or skate rentals thanks to sponsorship by the Penguins Foundation. Actual ice time is one hour starting at 2:00. Please arrive early to sign a release, get skates, and pair up with guides. We need sighted guides to make our skating event a success. When signing up, please indicate if you are willing to guide a skater. Also let us know if you are a visually impaired skater who wishes to be paired with a guide. When leaving a message please provide a return phone number. Reserve by Tuesday, January 9th by 8:00 pm with Jeff at 412-487-9469 or going4walk@duck.com.
Sunday, January 21st, 9 am, Downhill Skiing at Seven Springs Resort. No cost for ski equipment and lift tickets. Everyone is responsible for their own lunch. If you are interested in being a guide for BOLD’s vision impaired downhill skiers on January 21st, contact Scotto Gray at scottog@yahoo.com by Thursday January 18th to sign up and get more information. For vision impaired skiers for the January 21st ski day make your reservation by 9 pm January 14th with Nancy at 412-561-3972.
Friday, January 26th, from 4 to 5:30 pm, Intro to Latin Dancing, Western PA School for Blind Children, (WPSBC) 201 N. Bellefield Avenue, 15213. No charge. Our instructor is Gloria, a BOLD member. To Enjoy the fun, sign up by 8 pm on Tuesday, January 23rd with Carol at 484-318-9145.
Sunday, January 28th, from 1 to 4 pm, an Afternoon of Games at Ray Jablonowski’s home, 4551 Parade St, Pittsburgh, Pa, 15207. Cost is free. There will be snacks and drinks. There is room for 12 people, so sign up really soon. Make your reservation with Linda at 412-681-9686 by 8 pm Wednesday, January 24th.
Wednesday, January 31st, starting at 6:15 pm SE Wisconsin BOLD virtual Family Feud, If you would like to be on a WPA BOLD team or you just want to play, contact Tammi, by text or voicemail at 412-951-6528 or tswiantek@comcast.net to get all of the information.
February
Sunday, February 4th and 25th, 9 am, Downhill Skiing at Seven Springs Resort. Sighted guides contact Scotto Gray at scottog@yahoo.com by the Thursday before and vision impaired skiers make your reservation by 9 pm the Tuesday before with Nancy at 412-561-3972.
Wednesday, February 7th, 1 to 2 pm, Swimming at the Athletic Club, Carnegie of Homestead. 511 East 11th Ave, Munhall, 15120—this entrance has no steps. There is no charge. When you arrive, use the elevator on the left to go down to the ground floor. The locker rooms, restrooms and pool are on that level. Come have some fun in the water! You might want to arrive by 12:50 to enjoy all of our time in the pool. Sign up with Debby by 8 pm Sunday February 4th at 412-742-4288 or dm-hill@comcast.net.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Anyone interested in getting information about upcoming audio described plays or in finding out what tickets are available for cultural events such as symphony or chamber music concerts, or operas, please call Joyce at 412-521-4385.
BOLD BITS
Congratulation to our BOLD Treasurer Ryan Leverett who boldly got married to Chelsea Ptak on November 25th. May you have many beautiful years together as Ryan and Chelsea Leverett-Ptak.
We are sending prayers and lots of get-well wishes to Diane Popoleo who suffered a fall while getting her new guide dog. Hopefully they will be reunited very soon.
Condolences to the family and friends of Jim Winaught, a long-time BOLD member, who passed away on November 23rd. Also, Jim’s long-time partner Terri Winaught, would like to express her gratitude for all of the support she has received since his passing.
MY BOLD DELIGHT by Peggy Walsh
On Sunday December 10th from 2 to 5 PM, we members and friends of WPA BOLD had our first holiday party since 2019. About 45 people attended, enjoying generous appetizers and a scrumptious healthy catered buffet. To add to the enjoyment, anyone who wanted leftovers had multiple choices of take-home deliciousness. Thanks to Carol Lubecki for the lovely chocolates-filled favors. Thanks also to Rob Stemple for the cheery festive music that added Christmas-tree atmosphere to the occasion. Eight BOLD Loved ones passed on in 2023. After their names were mentioned, we had a moment of reverent silence. We wish comfort to everyone left behind. All of us who needed help throughout the party-hearty, warmly thank, volunteers from Pittsburgh Cares, new & long-time fellow BOLD members and friends. What a complete success!
My Quick BOLD Take by Debby Hill
As you might be suspecting from our recent change of officers, come January, I will not be BOLD’s Corresponding Secretary. So, this is my last BOLD Ventures as editor, but I will still format and emboss the braille version. I had fun, and I enjoyed letting my creative side run a little wild, sometimes maybe too wild. Now I leave you in the capable hands of Veronique. Good luck to all for a bright BOLD future!
Be a BOLD Ventures Sponsor
Bold prides itself on the fact that our monthly newsletter, BOLD Ventures, is made available to our members in the format of their choice—email, braille, print and large print. But doing this involves various costs. You could help defray some of the cost by being a BOLD Ventures sponsor for a month. If you would like to sponsor one of the BOLD Ventures, just make a $50 donation to BOLD. If you wish, for your donation, you will get your name and a short greeting of your choice in BOLD Ventures. For more information and to set up your sponsorship, contact Debby at 412-742-4288 or dm-hill@comcast.net.
Happy January Birthday to:
Joyce Driben, Penny Fleckenstein, Nancy Kreuzer, Nancy Leverett, Cindy Perseo, Dave Popoleo, Sam Wagner, Tobi Williams and anyone else celebrating a January birthday!
NEWSLETTER RECORDING:
Anyone can hear a recording of this newsletter, call 401-252-0029 Access Code: 265365#.
Contact Us
WPA BOLD
PO Box 9101
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Donate
Email: boldwpa@gmail.com
Website: www.wpabold.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wpabold
Editors: Debby Hill and team