February 2014 Newsletter

BOLD VENTURES February 2014
Western PA BOLD (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
Number for updates: 1-773-597-4222 (Updates recorded each Friday)
Email: wpabold@gmail.com
Website: wpabold.blogspot.com.

BOLD group on Yahoo: wpabold@yahoogroups.com. (When posting on this group, one must wait for Moderator approval.)
Update Line: 1-773-597-4222 (recordings made each Friday)
Terri Winaught, Editor

BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development) is a sports and recreational group open to persons 18 and older with all degrees of vision: fully sighted, partially sighted and totally blind.

FEELING FINE IN FEBRUARY
Though February can still be a very cold month, here’s hoping that as many activities as possible which BOLD has planned will keep you feeling fine in February.

To give you an overview, our Board meeting will be on Tuesday the 4th;Mall Walking will be on Wednesdays the 5th and 19th; Downhill Skiing will be on Sundays the 2nd and the 23rd with Ice Skating being on Thursdays to be announced on the Update Line: 1-773-597-4222.

From skiing to cultural events, The City Theatre will host The Mountaintop, complete with audio description and Braille programs upon request. When requesting a headset, you will be required to show I.D. which will be returned when headsets are returned. This play will be performed on Sunday, February 9th, with more info in Cultural Connections and on the Update Line closer to the date: 1-773-597-4222. On Sunday the 16th, The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater will present Swan Lake, to be performed at the Benedum Center. To order tickets specifically for audio-description, call the ticket manager at 412-454-9107.
There will also be a Tuesday Music Club concert on February the 11th (see Cultural Connections).

Reservation and cancellation deadlines for skiing will be in the calendar at the end of this newsletter.

PAST EVENTS
About 40 BOLD members and guests attended the December 21st Holiday Party. Jim Musto did such an excellent job playing Christmas carols and songs on the accordion that Nancy Leverett made an announcement acknowledging Jim’s talent, and Ray Jablonowski mentioned the possibility of a sing-along at his Greenfield home where Jim would play his accordion. Accomplished pianist Ceinwen King-Smith also played many carols beautifully on the church’s new piano, and Marty Mathews was prepared with flute accompaniments though she didn’t get an opportunity to showcase her abilities.

Tons of thanks to Gators Grill for catering the party, and all who helped by driving, serving, and escorting persons needing help through the food line.

Because the weather was not conducive to skiing on December 22nd, the Downhill Guide clinic scheduled for that date had to be postponed until January 5th, 2014. A lot of appreciation to Dom Ceresa and Nancy Leverett, both of whom work very hard to keep skiing running smoothly and successfully.

LOOKING AHEAD
March’s Board meeting will be on Tuesday the 4th with an April date yet to be decided. March is also when the winter ski program will end, those dates being the 9th and the 23rd.

As a “Save the Date” event, the Camp Kon-o-Kwee Weekend will be from Friday, May 9th till Sunday, May 11th with Joyce Driben as the reservationist. Though the cost will likely remain the same as the past several years, that has yet to be confirmed as does the sign-up deadline, so look for those details in the next two newsletters.

ADMINISTRATIVE ADD-ONS
If you haven’t yet renewed your dues, bring them to a Board meeting, ask a Board member to bring them for you, or send a $12 check or money order to 2269 Tilbury Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217.
As First Vice-President, Nancy Leverett plans our activities, and Penny Fleckinstein, Second Vice-president, recruits reservationists and arranges transportation for events like the Kon-o-Kwee Weekend. To ask how you can help in those areas, you are encouraged to attend a Board meeting, but if that is not feasible, phone them at the numbers in the Membership Directory.

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
On Sunday, February 9th, the City Theatre will host The Mountaintop at 2 p.m. preceded by a 1 p.m. sensory workshop for persons who are blind or vision-impaired. To order tickets at least a week ahead of time, phone 412-431-4900. When placing your order, mention any special needs and ask if the play will be followed by a feedback session with the actors/actresses.
If you are a music lover, you won’t want to miss the Tuesday Music Club concert on February 11th, with a 12:30 p.m. start time and Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Ave. as the venue. Although these concerts are usually free, occasionally they serve as fundraisers, so call 412-682-0439 to be sure.

If exquisite dance and beautiful music are your cup of tea, then Swan Lake is a ballet performance you won’t want to miss. To get the 50 percent discount that the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater makes available to individuals using audio description, phone 412-454-9107. When phoning, ask if the 2 p.m. performance at the Benedum Center will be preceded by a tactile workshop; and, if so, at what time.

Finally, classical music lovers will be delighted to know that they may still contact Joyce Driben for free symphony tickets made available through an outreach program called Heartstrings. To ask about the Friday, Saturday and Sunday performance dates, call 412-521-4385.

FUNDRAISING FACTS
Starting on Monday, January 27th and ending on Monday, March 31st, Terri Winaught will be taking orders for the following items: chocolate-covered popcorn at a cost of $4.95 for a 4-ounce container; English toffee; fudge at a cost of $6.75 per half pound box, the flavors being plain chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, and maple walnut; gourmet pretzels at a cost of $3.50 for very large pretzel; and peanut brittle. Except for the cookies and cream, all of the fudge is gluten free and has a shelf life of between 6 weeks to 2 months. To ask questions and give Terri your orders, phone 412-263-2022, home; 412-737-8004, cell to which you may text or phone; and t.winaught@verizon.net.

Victoria’s Fudge-alicious, the South Hills company that sells the products listed above, came to January’s Board meeting where everyone was delighted with the samples they brought. This company will also deliver and there is no minimum order for it to be a fundraiser. Though the products are a bit more expensive than Joyce’s Copper Kettle, we thought we would at least try this company because they sell more than just fudge and also because of no minimum order. This does not mean, though, that we will stop using Joyce’s Copper Kettle. In fact, depending on how this works out, we may well alternate between the two companies.

Finally, BOLD will earn 30 percent of total sales though the Fundraising Chair will be confirming that and mentioning any changes in future newsletters.

BOLD BITS
Congratulations!! To Joyce Driben who has been a guide dog user for 50 years, for which she received a congratulatory letter from Seeing eye® and a statue of a dog. Tutor, Joyce’s current dog, is her 7th.

Congrats also to Missy Folmer and Mitch, her fiancé, who announced their engagement at the 2013 Holiday Party.

Welcome Back to returning BOLD member Bonnie Newland, and Welcome to new members Dave and Diane Papaleo.

February’s meal at the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind will be on Saturday the 22nd from 5 to 7 p.m. To sign up by 6 p.m. on Thursday the 20th, call Sherri Crum: 412-682-1800. You can also sign up via email at director@pclb.net.

Happy Birthday to Sherri Crum, Mitch, Missy Folmer’s fiancé, Maurice Johnston, Aimee Yunt, and anyone else with a February birthday.

Submit BOLD Bits by phoning Terri Winaught at the numbers given above or email her at the address also listed in the body of this newsletter.

JANUARY CALENDAR
Wednesday the 22nd: Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall with a 9 a.m. start time and a meeting location of the mall’s food court entrance.

Thursday the 23rd: Ice Skating at the Mount Lebanon Recreation Center: 900 Cedar Boulevard, Pittsburgh, 15228 from 2 to 3 p.m. (There may be some delays due to the ice being cleaned after previous hockey games, so ask Mark Senk for more info when you sign up at 412-386-6513.)

Monday the 27th: Terri Winaught will begin taking orders for products from Victoria’s Fudge-alicious (see body of newsletter for Terri’s numbers and email address).

Tuesday the 28th: Dark Sisters will be presented by the Pittsburgh Opera at CAPPA (School for the Creative and Performing Arts), 111 9th Street, Downtown Pittsburgh. To order tickets for this performance which will last from 7 p.m. until about 10, phone Randy Adams: 412-281-0912, x213. (Many thanks to Education Director Marilyn Egan for her excellent job making operas accessible through audio description, and the Braille Outreach Team under the exceptional leadership of Tina Wassermann for transcribing opera programs into Braille.)

Tuesday the 28th by 10 p.m. is also the sign-up deadline with Dom Ceresa for Downhill Skiing: 724-527-1857.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR
Saturday the 1st: 8 p.m. skiing cancellation deadline with Dom Ceresa (number above).

Sunday the 2nd: Downhill Skiing will be held at Seven Springs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 10 p.m. deadline for letting Tammi Swiantek know you plan to attend the Board meeting, and 10 p.m. deadline to mark your place for Mall Walking with Joyce Driben.

Tammi’s number is 412-488-6298, and Joyce can be reached at 412-521-4385.

Tuesday the 4th: Board meeting at UCP: 4638 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, 15213. (Although our meetings are usually held in Room 301, this is sometimes changed, so be sure to ask anyone in the lobby who identifies him/herself as a security guard or agency staff member.)

Wednesday the 5th: Mall Walking, with participants meeting at the Monroeville Mall’s Food Court entrance at 9 a.m. If staying for lunch, thank you in advance for bringing not only enough money for your meal but also for the appropriate 15 to 20 percent tip for wait staff.

Sunday the 9th: The Mountaintop will be performed at the Pittsburgh City Theatre: 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood.

Tuesday the 11th: Tuesday Music Club concert at Calvary Episcopal Church: 315 Shady Ave., starting at 12:30 p.m.

Friday the 14th: Happy Valentine’s Day.

Sunday the 16th: Swan Lake will be presented by the Pittsburgh Ballet theatre at the Benedum Center, Downtown Pittsburgh.

Time? 2 p.m. with the possibility of a tactile workshop an hour and a half before the performance. Audio description headsets and Braille programs will be available upon request.

Sunday the 16th by 10 p.m. is the sign-up deadline for Mall Walking with Joyce Driben: 412-521-4385.

Monday the 17th: enjoy a day off of work or school for Presidents’ Day.

Tuesday the 18th: 10 p.m. time by which to mark your place with Dom Ceresa for Downhill Skiing: 724-527-1857. (Be sure to leave your phone number when reserving.)

Wednesday the 19th: Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall.

Saturday the 22nd: 8 p.m. cancellation deadline with Dom Ceresa if you signed up to ski and cannot attend.

Sunday the 23rd: Sking at Seven Springs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thank you to Marty Mathews, Veronique Schreurs, and the Braille Team for generating BOLD Ventures in multiple formats.

THE END