October 2013 Newsletter

BEING OPEN IN OCTOBER

Many good things will be happening for BOLD members in October: Our monthly Board meeting on Tuesday the 1st; Ice Skating on Thursdays the 3rd and 17th; A Frick Park Hike on Sunday the 6th from noon to 2:30; the Speakers Series beginning on Wednesday the 9th; Mall Walking on Wednesdays the 9th and 23rd; Brunch at Cafe 1889 followed by a hike on Saturday the 19th; and the last two Touch Art classes on Fridays the 11th and 18th. (More info in calendar).

To mark your place with Tammi Swiantek for attending October's Board meeting, phone 412-488-6298 by 10pm on Sunday, September 29th. Feedback on existing events, ideas about new activities and your willingness to work on proposed programs are always appreciated. The 29th by 10pm is also the deadline to mark your place with Tammi for the Frick Park hike which Veronique Schreurs will lead.

To sign up with Mark Senk for Ice Skating on Tuesdays the 1st and 15th, phone 412-386-6513 by 10pm. Since Ice Skating times occasionally change depending on who is using the rink, this Editor will note any changes in the calendar.

To reserve with Joyce Driben on Sundays the 6th and 20th for the 9th and 23rd Mall Walking dates, call 412-521-4385.

The last two Touch Art classes mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter as being held on the 11th and 18th will continue to be at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Annex Building: 1047 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 (Shadyside). To mark your place with Terri Winaught by 10pm on Wednesday the 16th for the 1889 brunch, phone 412-263-2022.

1889 Cafe is located at 2017 East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's South Side; their food is reasonably priced; this restaurant is wheelchair accessible; and the time is 11am to 1pm. For those interested and weather permitting, brunch will be followed by a hike along the 18th Street South Side trails. Veronique Schreurs, who is very experienced, will lead this hike which will start at 1:00 and go until 2:30, so let Terri know when signing up if you will just go to brunch or if you will also hike.

PAST EVENTS

Waterskiing, as has so often been the case, was a success when held on Sunday August 25th. Nancy Leverett did her always well-organized job as reservationist; her family also provided all of the drivers with tons of thanks going to them, and the Golden Triangle Waterskiing Club were outstanding at getting people into the boats and giving folks chances to ski twice. About 9 people enjoyed this exercise-packed, exhausting but still fun-filled event.

On the same day, the "Knit the Bridge" celebration on which Kirsten Ervin worked so hard was a smashing success on the Andy Warhol Bridge from 4 to 7:00. (One snag, though, was when a yoga demonstration unexpectedly took this event over with people lying all over the bridge on mats. Everyone involved with the Knit the Bridge component did an exemplary job, though, despite the unexpected, with special thanks going to Kirsten, Aimee Yunt, Joyce Driben, Peggy Walsh, and others whom Kirsten recruited.

We had great weather and even greater people when the Catholic Alumni Club and other volunteer friends put on a perfect picnic which Ray Jablonowski hosted and organized by planning the varied activities and the food. Regarding this food- and fun-filled event, extra special thanks go out to the cooks who prepared such wonderfull meaty ribs that this Editor greedily ate three; it seems that the chicken was just as good; and I can certainly vouch for the corn on the cobb, baked beans, sensational snacks and decadent desserts. A lot of appreciation goes to everyone who helped in other ways, too, such as teaching people to do bean bag tosses and play bocce ball, encouraging even the slightest efforts and smallest improvements and those who patiently served the great and abundant food the capable cooks prepared.

When the first Touch Art class was held on Friday, September 20th, it was the success this Editor knew it would be and is certain that all of the upcoming classes will go just as well.

LOOKING AHEAD

Although November 5th is Election Day and United Cerebral Palsy is a polling site, the Board will still meet in Room 301 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Stay safe by being aware that people will be in and out and voting machines will be at various parts of the building.

December's meeting will be on Tuesday the 3rd at the usual time and place.

To follow up on the Slippery Rock first-time event mentioned in September's BOLD Ventures, the cost will be $20 per person with BOLD picking up the additional $13; we will drive to Slippery Rock rather than charter a bus though chartering a bus could be done in the future if this outing really takes off. This will be an all-day event with horseback riding going from 10:00 until noon. Lunch will follow from noon to 1:30 with the following options: Participants may bring lunches or buy them from the university. Additionally, Nancy Leverett will try to get lunch donated, but there is no way to know until closer to the date. Although swimming will be held at an indoor pool from 1:30 to 3:30, it has yet to be confirmed whether it will be a free swim in terms of being unstructured or if it will be a more structured activity such as water aerobics.

Regarding the horseback riding, the University has 12 hourses which we will not only ride but also groom, saddle, and tack. The riding will take place in an indoor arena and will last for about 45 minutes which means that combining the grooming, tacking, saddling, and riding will take at least an hour and possibly closer to an hour and a half. Although wall climbing and a ropes course both were mentioned as possibilities in September's newsletter, they will not take place. If a lot sign up, half will horseback ride in the morning, with the other half swimming in the morning. If only a few reserve, though, the schedule will be as given above.

To reserve with Nancy Leverett by 10pm on Tuesday, October the 8th, phone 412-561-3972 (Nancy's daughter Alison will be playing a key role since she is a therapeutic Recreation major at Slippery Rock). It is important to note that this early deadline is not intended to exclude anyone but instead to give University Therapeutic Recreation staff at least a ballpark figure of how many people are likely to attend. This being the case, we will decide on a final sign-up deadline at October's Board meeting.

Finally, though a date for the Holiday Party has yet to be set, the dates we are considering are Saturdays December the 21st and 28th and the first Saturday in January, 2014 which will be the 4th. (A definite decision will be made by the October Board meeting.) Tammi Swiantek will take reservations with the deadline being in November's newsletter just as the caterer, menu, and cost will also be in November's BOLD Ventures. The location is likely to be what it has been: The Church of the Redeemer: 5700 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. An alternate location we will also be discussing is Crafton Towers because of the size of their parking lot and that of the first-floor Community Room. Again, more definite info about what choice we make will be in November's and December's newsletters.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Whether BOLD would ever consider going to a "dude" ranch like the one where Marty Mathews recently vacationed is hard to know. What I do know, though, is that "dudes" Marty Mathews and Maurice Johnston just had themselves a good old time.
Marty began describing this activity-filled outdoor sports and recreation by saying: I rode horses for three days. For two days, I went on water slides, swam, and rode in a banana boat-so named because it was yellow like a banana and also shaped like one.

"There is a strap you put between your legs and holding that strap is how you stay safe on the boat. The banana boat is pulled by a motor boat as is the case when we waterski.

Both Marty and Maurice shared that they were unsure what the difference was between being "a dude" and a rancher. They may not know that, but both know what a great time they had.

"Even though there was a little bit of a delay in the beginning, we really made good time once the bus driver got going," Marty concluded.

Knowing what fun-loving travelers Marty and Maurice are, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they do it again. As for this Editor, she would love to do this for the first time.

Thank you for remembering that you may share a Personal Perspective by bringing it to a Board meeting; phoning Terri with your information and either writing on your own or having Terri interview you. Phone 412-263-2022 with any ideas you'd like to share.

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

Because Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church is under construction as of this writing, Tuesday Music Club concerts will be at Calvary Episcopal Church until further notice. Address? 315 Shady Ave, and their number is 412-361-0110.

With questions about the October 8th performance which will begin at 12:30, phone 412-682-0439 or visit tuesdaymusicalclub.org. When calling the Tuesday Music Club, keep in mind that you may get voicemail since their staff is part-time.

The Robert Morris University Speakers Series, starting on October 9th at 8pm in Heinz Hall will be on the following Wednesdays: October 9th: George Papandreou; October 30th: Bill Bryson, writes travel books; November 20th: Robert Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; January 29th, 2014: Steve Wozniak: co-founder of Apple Computers; February 26th: Olympia Snowe: former U.S. Senator from Maine; March 26th: Dan Rather: former CBS news anchor; and April 23rd: Doris Kearns-Goodwin: Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

To let Jennifer Wilburn know what speakers you would like to hear, phone 412-561-8155. Even if you have already called Jennifer, call once more just to confirm.

If interested in attending 2013-14 Chamber Music concerts-for which BOLD gets a limited number of free tickets-phone Joyce Driben: 412-521-4385. If you have asked for tickets and then can't go, please let Joyce know as soon as possible so that she can then give your tickets to someone else. Because the Chamber Music Society will be tracking ticket usage, it is more crucial than ever that the tickets given be used. (As soon as this Editor gets concert dates-all of which will be at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, she will put them in an upcoming newsletter and post them on the Update Line: 1-773-597-4222. Also phone the Update Line for any Civic Light Opera and Pittsburgh Opera dates, none of which have yet been given to this Editor.)

To conclude with the 2013-14 audio-described City Theater plays, they will take place on the following Sundays starting in November and an extra special presentation on December22nd entitled, TWO PIANOS, FOUR HANDS.

They are as follows:
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE-Nov. 3
CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME-Dec.15
THE MOUNTAINTOP-Feb.9
TRIBES-Mar. 30
GROUNDED-Apr. 27
HOPE AND GRAVITY-May. 18 Link
CITY THEATRE COMPANY
t. 412.431.4400 x 225
f. 412.431.5535
www.citytheatrecompany.org/education

FUNDRAISING FACTS

At October's Board meeting, we will discuss whether to have a live auction at this year's Holiday Party or whether to alternate by having it every other year. We will also be deciding at our next Board meeting whether to have a fudge sale before Thanksgiving or wait until next year.

BOLD BITS

Safe travel and best wishes to all attending the PCB Convention from October 4th through the 6th; all of the best also to those who will be attending October's Darts Tournament in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and advanced congratulations to all who will be participating in upcoming rowing competitions.

Get Well wishes to Carol Platt, Margie Singer and Jim Winaught; congratulations to Nancy Leverett on how well she and Helen, her Seeing Eye dog are doing as a great team; and Happy Birthday to Mark Grasak, Margie Singer, and anyone else with an October birthday.

October's meal at the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind will be on Saturday the 26th from 5:00 to 7:00. To sign up with Sherri Crum by 6pm on Thursday the 24th, phone 412-682-1800.

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

Sunday the 29th: 10pm deadline for letting Tammi Swiantek know you plan to be at October's Board meeting, and the same deadline with Tammi for the October 6th Frick Park hike which Veronique Schreurs will lead: 412-488-6298.

Monday the 30th: Touch Art class from 1 to 3 at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Building Annex: 1047 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232.

OCTOBER CALENDAR

Tuesday the 1st: Board meeting at United Cerebral Palsy: 4638 Centre Ave., Room 301, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Room 301 from 6:30 to 8:30. All are welcome.

Tuesday the 1st is also the Ice Skating sign-up deadline with Mark Senk: 412-386-6513.

Thursday the 3rd: Ice Skating at the Mount Lebanon Recreation Center: 900 Cedar Boulevard, from 2 to 3pm.
Sunday the 6th: Frick Park hike from noon to 2:30. Meet at the former Frick environmental Center: 2025 Beechwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill. In addition to leading this hike, Veronique is also willing to meet hikers at the Forbes and Dallas bus stop as requested.

Sunday the 6th is also the 10pm time to mark your place for Mall Walking with Joyce Driben: 412-521-4385. If you sign up and then can't go, thank you for letting Joyce know as soon as possible.

Tuesday the 8th: 10pm tentative deadline for letting Nancy Leverett know that you are interested in the November 9th day at Slippery Rock University: 412-561-3972. This early deadline will give therapeutic recreation staff a ballpark number of how many might be at this first-time outing.

Wednesday the 9th: Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall with a 9am start time and a meeting place of the mall's food court. For those interested and able to stay, lunch will follow at the food court or at a nearby restaurant.

Friday the 11th: Touch Art class with Kirsten Ervin at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Time? 1 to 3pm.

Monday the 14th: A relaxing and restful day to persons off of school or work for the Columbus Day holiday.

Tuesday the 15th: Ice Skating deadline with Mark Senk: 412-386-6513.

Wednesday the 16th: 10pm sign-up deadline with Terri Winaught to go to 1889 Cafe. Let Terri know if you will only attend brunch or if you will also hike the South side trails from 1 to 2:30.

Thursday the 17th: Ice Skating at the Mount Lebanon Recreation Center.

Friday the 18th: Kirsten Ervin and trained volunteers will teach the final Touch Art class from 1 to 3.

Saturday the 19th: Brunch at 1889 Café: 2017 East Carson Street, South Side. Brunch will be from 11am till 1pm with a hike to follow from 1 to 2:30 if there is enough interest and weather permitting. Veronique Schreurs will be the hike leader.

Sunday the 20th: 10pm Mall Walking reservation deadline with Joyce Driben.

Wednesday the 23rd: Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall

Thursday the 31st: Happy Halloween!

THE END.