BOLD VENTURES May 2026
Western Pennsylvania Blind Outdoor Leisure Development
This BOLD Ventures is sponsored by Terri Winaught.
Terri thanks for your unwavering support of BOLD!
"Tra la! It's May! The lusty month of May!"
Can you name what musical that's from? While you are thinking of the answer, I’ll just let you know that the BOLD planners have awakened from their football draft induced nap to organize some good events for May! Some of the reservation due dates are coming up very soon, so make sure to review this newsletter as soon as you can. Have fun and enjoy May!
Important Note about 2026 dues: If you haven’t paid dues this year, they are overdue, and soon you will be receiving a personal email reminder about paying your dues. If we don’t have an email address for you, then will receive your reminder the same way you receive your newsletter. If you have already paid your dues and feel you are receiving the reminder in error, or if it is a financial hardship for you to pay the $15 annual dues, but you want to remain a member of BOLD, please contact Nancy at home phone 412-561-3972 or Nancy.leverett1@verizon.net. Thank you to everyone who has paid their 2026 dues.
MAY CALENDAR
Monday, May 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Board Meeting in-person at Western PA School for Blind Children, 250 N. Bellefield Avenue, Oakland. Any non-board Members who want to attend must call Carol at 484-318-9145 by Saturday, May 2.
Every Thursday in May, from noon to 1:30, Ice skating at the Mount Lebanon Ice Center, 900 Cedar Blvd., Pittsburgh, 15228. Cost is $7. Accommodations can be made for all experience levels. We need sighted ice skaters to be guides on and off the ice. Sign-up with Tammi by 8 pm on the Sunday before each date and let her know if you need a ride. Contact her by leaving a voicemail or text at 412-951-6528 or email at tswiantek@comcast.net.
Saturday, May 9 from 10 to 11:30 am, Birding by Sound and an optional hike, at Frick Park, Frick Environmental Center, 2005 Beechwood Blvd, Pittsburgh 15217. Cost is free. Enjoy a guided walk focused on birding by sound, open to all skill levels. We will meet our birding leaders at a designated tent during the World Migratory Bird Day celebration outside the Frick Environmental Center. Birding leaders will guide us from the tent to the quieter, Sensory Nature Trail away from the celebration activity. The trail is wheelchair accessible and is paved (asphalt and concrete) and meets ADA guidelines, with gentle to moderate slopes (up to 8%). Changes in paving help mark trail entrances and highlight sensory features along the route. Raised-line drawings of three bird species commonly heard on the trail will be available for participants to explore by touch. Outdoor chairs will be placed along the route to allow for rest breaks as needed. Sighted guides are needed. Make your reservation by calling or texting Carol at 484-318-9145 by 8 pm Thursday, April 30.
Tuesdays, May 12 and 26, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm, Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall. Cost is free. Lunch is on your own at the food court. Sighted guides and visually impaired walkers sign up by noon the Tuesday prior to the walk by calling Peggy at 412-683-6070 or text/call her at 412-977-2351. So, to sign up for walking on May 12, contact Peggy by noon Tuesday, May 5. And for walking on May 26, contact Peggy by noon May 19. Be sure to sign up so that if there is any change or cancellation for mall walking, you will get the information.
Wednesdays, May 13 and 27, from 7 to 9:30 pm, SE Wisconsin BOLD virtual bingo, for all the sign-up information, leave a voicemail or text Tammi at 412-951-6528 or email at tswiantek@comcast.net. Good Luck!
Saturday, May 16 from 11:15 am to 1:30 pm, Party Pedaler, North Shore Tour, 20 E General Robinson Street, 15212. We will begin on Vulcan Way. No cost. The tour will go rain, shine or cold, so be sure to dress for the weather. There are 10 seats for pedaling, 5 seats for passengers, and there is no room on the bike for guide dogs. Pedalers and riders will have to sign a waiver. If you like, bring something to drink. Snacks will be provided. Limit of 15, and there will be a waiting list if needed. Sign up with Glenn by calling or texting 412-370-5478 by 5 pm Friday May 1. Let him know if you want a non-pedaling seat.
Thursday, May 21 from 4 to 7 pm, BOLD Jeni’s Ice Cream Fundraiser. 173 Bakery Square Blvd, 15206. Gather all of your friends and family and come eat ice cream at Jeni’s between 4 and 7 pm. During that time the more people you can bring, the more funds will be raised for BOLD because from 4 to 7 pm 25% of the Jeni’s at Bakery Square sales will go to BOLD. Jeni’s had an incredible selection of flavors such as Strawberry Buttermilk, Frosted Sugar Cookie, and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. If you would like to see the list of flavors and learn about Jeni’s go to www.jenis.com. Come support BOLD and enjoy yummy ice cream! (By the way for speech output users, Jeni’s is actually pronounced Jenny’s.)
Sunday, May 31 from 3 to 6 pm, Envision Blind Sports and BOLD are partnering for a Sport/Recreation Event, North Park Tennis Courts. Participants will have the opportunity to play blind tennis, tandem bike and engage in outdoor recreational games like Cornhole, Ladder Ball and more. The event will be broken up into two main parts, the sports first with tennis and the recreation second with tandem biking and outdoor games. Scotto will be providing BOLD’s fleet of tandems for riding. Snacks and water will be provided. To sign up call or text Carol at 484-318-9145 by 8 pm Sunday, May 24.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, June 6, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Tandem Biking on the Panhandle Trail. No cost for bikes or lunch. The parking lot for the access point is across from the intersection of Main Street and Station Street, Sturgeon. The landmark is Hunner’s Pizza, 811 Station St Sturgeon, PA 15082. The Panhandle Trail is a very quiet ride, mostly level with some very gentle slopes. Total riding time will be about two hours. Riding starts and ends near Hunner’s Pizza. More details to come in June’s BOLD Ventures.
Mark your calendar for:
Sunday, June 14, A Ray Jablonowski Famous Summer Picnic, Highland Park, Lake Point Shelter. More details in the June BOLD Ventures.
More Tandem Dates:
Sunday, July 19
Saturday, August 15
Sunday, September 13
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Anyone interested in getting information about the availability of tickets for the Pittsburgh Symphony or chamber music concerts, please call Tony at 412-310-2508 or email tony.diana.rock@gmail.com.
BOLD BITS
A large bunch of BOLD get-well wishes go to Jim Wagner who is dealing with a serious illness.
My BOLD Take by Lisa Busch
On April 12th, a dozen BOLD members visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History where Curator Dr. Tim Pearce spent hours of his free time showing us the wonders of mollusks. Who knew snails and clams could be so varied in texture: from spiny like the comb snail--so sharp you could make your finger bleed if you pressed on it, to the cowry that was so smooth it seemed polished by an artist, to a ridged shell like the flat disk snails. Did you know that some snails release a painkiller venom that doctors are now using for hospice patients? Or that there are more types of mollusks in the world than mammals? Facts were far from boring when we touched the subjects of Dr. Tim's knowledge.
Thanks to Amy from the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh for her timely presentation on the BOLD Conference Line on April 15 about voting and the primary election coming up on May 19. If you would like more information on election issues go to www.lwvpgh.org.
Many thanks to Charlene and Pam of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, who gave up their Saturday afternoon April 18 to give BOLD members and volunteers a special tour of the Writer’s Landscape exhibit at the Center. The exhibit includes a room that contains the desk at which August Wilson’s did his writing, his books and papers. Then we visited ten rooms; each of the rooms is dedicated to one of August Wilson’s plays and provides information about and displays props from that play.
Happy May Birthday to:
Bruce Leverett, Joyce Mulkern, Erin Wagoner, and anyone else celebrating a May birthday!
Be a BOLD Ventures Sponsor:
As you probably know, 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. Your willingness to help is much appreciated. We have two levels of sponsorship. For $75 you can have your name, and a short greeting and a color picture of your choice in BOLD Ventures. You can either supply the picture or request one. If you donate $50, you can have your name and a short greeting of your choice in our newsletter. For more information and to set up your sponsorship, contact Debby at 412-742-4288 or dm-hill@comcast.net.
NEWSLETTER RECORDING:
Thanks to the great work of Marty Mathews, anyone can hear a recording of this newsletter by calling 401-252-0029 Access Code: 265365#.
CONTACT US
WPA BOLD
PO Box 10307
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
Donate: Donate
Email: boldwpa@gmail.com
Website: www.wpabold.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wpabold
Editors: Debby Hill & friends