The PCB
ADVOCATE
Published by
the
Council
of the
Blind
Spring
Edition
2008
The PCB
ADVOCATE is a quarterly news publication of the
Please send
change of address and other matters to the PCB office,
June M Horst, Editor
John A Horst, Ass't Editor
Send articles
to: ADVOCATE, PCB Office, 931 N Front
St., Harrisburg, PA. 17102. Email
pcb1@paonline.com Articles can also be
sent directly to the Editor at: jjkhor95@epix.net
MISSION
To promote
independence and opportunities for people with vision impairments.
VISION
To continue
to be recognized as the leading advocacy organization for people with vision
impairments in Pennsylvania. The aim of
all of our efforts is to encourage and assist people in achieving their potential as valued members of
society. PCB assistance, advocacy, and
encouragement will be carried out in such areas as, but not limited to, all
aspects of accessibility, transportation, education, and employment.
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Articles in this publication
reflect the views of the individual writers.
They do not necessarily represent the views and policy of the
Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.
CONTRIBUTIONS: Contributions are tax deductible, and are
always much needed. They can be sent to
Anthony Evancic, Treasurer, at the PCB office address, at 931 N Front St.,
Harrisburg, PA 17102.
If you wish
to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the Council's work, the PCB
office will acknowledge contributions made by loved ones in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the PA Council of
the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament, may do so by including a
paragraph for this purpose. If your
wishes are complex, you may contact the PCB office.
SUBMITTING
ARTICLES: If you wish to submit articles
for consideration in the ADVOCATE, please do so. Deadlines for submission are:
March
1 June 1
September
1 December 1
You may send
them in any format, either to the PCB office, or email them to:
jjkhor95@epix.net. Your input is always
welcome.
From
the Editors:
This Spring issue of the ADVOCATE updates the activities, functions, and
critical concerns of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. Major contributions
to this issue have been made by committee chairs and chapter presidents,
keeping in mind the due date for articles.
We would like to hear from more chapter members as to what you are doing
and what the issues are that you discuss at your meetings. Are you using the PCB Reports' tapes? Do you hear them broadcast on your local
radio reading service? Do you know the
day and time of these broadcasts?
The
submission date for articles for the Summer edition of the ADVOCATE is June 1,
2008.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
President's
Report
7
From the
Director's Desk 8
Committee
Reports:
Employment
10
Fundraising
12
Governmental
Affairs 15
Long
Range Planning 16
Membership
17
Publicity
20
Transportation 21
Chapter
News:
Capitol Cities 24
Clearfield-Jefferson
County 25
Cumberland
Care & Share 25
Lancaster
Red Rose 26
Lehigh
Valley
28
Monroe County 29
Philadelphia Regional 29
Washington
County
30
2008
Regional Meetings
32
State News:
Governor Announces Resignation of
Labor
& Industry Secretary 33
PCB
Convention in 2008
34
PCB Reports - March 35
Primary Election Reminder 37
Voting Made Easier for Persons
With Reading Impairments 37
Perils of the Press 39
PIAT Update 44
National
News:
ACB
Legislative Seminar
53
Additional
Legislative Issues 55
Raffle
to Support BRAILLE FORUM 56
New
Commemorative Section
Of
ACB Convention Program 57
HumanWare
Products Star in
Extreme
Home Makeover 59
US
Senate Honors Louisville APB
60
Does
It Pay to Advocate?
64
Service
Dogs in NY School District 66
Robert
Roebuck
68
Board of
Directors
70
Chapter Presidents 70
Membership
Application 71
PRESIDENT'S
REPORT
George Holliday, President
The winter
snows are melting and the signs of Spring are finally near! The chapters throughout PCB are showing signs
of coming out of hibernation and exerting plenty of excitement about which
everyone needs to hear.
As your know,
the Publicity Committee has the "Project Outreach" program, which
will eventually involve all chapters.
Every chapter has ideas for advocacy, voting, fundraising, membership,
etc. Let's brainstorm about those great
ideas instead of wasting time "reinventing the wheel." I am planning to have a conference call every
two months, beginning in May, with chapter presidents and PCB officers. These conference calls will enable chapter
presidents to discuss different issues.
Also, the
Regionals are scheduled, and John Horst and I will be attending them to give
reports. In addition, I am planning to
have PCB Board members visit chapter meetings periodically. This will enable chapter members and board
members to discuss issues on a local basis.
My plans are to have the state membership interacting together more on
topics.
If there are
any questions or concerns, or you just want to talk, please feel free to
contact me at: 215-748-3556 or by email at: george.holliday1@verizon.net
Let's all
continue to advocate for issues for the blind in Pennsylvania and across the
United States.
FROM THE
DIRECTOR'S DESK
John A Horst,
Executive Director
The arrival
of the late winter and spring months are a challenge to the PCB office. We are in the process of wrapping up the PCB
membership records for 2008 with the chapters, members-at-large and ACB.
We have
planned for and participated in the American Council of the Blind's annual
Legislative Seminar. We are now
coordinating the five regional meetings, to take place throughout the state in
April and May.
There are a
number of projects that committees have developed, which are vital and are increasing
the effectiveness of PCB. There is also
PCB Reports to be distributed monthly, work with the newer chapters, and
current legislative issues that need attention.
This is in addition to the everyday work of the office in dealing with
correspondence, responding to telephone calls, and providing information.
The office is
busy, but the work of PCB is greatly increased by what our committees
accomplish. The newly-appointed
committees this year have been challenged to move beyond the discussion of issues,
and to take on selected projects and to carry them to fruition. There has been good response, but we need
more of PCB's "rank and file" members to be active on these projects.
We hope you
are listening to PCB Reports, which is aired on all Pennsylvania's Radio
Reading Services. The tapes are also
distributed to all chapter presidents.
If you would like your own personal copy of PCB Reports each month,
please let the office know and we will be happy to send one to you. Ed Facemyer and William Newland are doing a
great job with these reports.
This issue of
the ADVOCATE again reports on the work of PCB and what its committees and
chapters are doing. We also report on
issues and news, and what is happening in the blindness field. Enjoy reading. You may respond to any article or idea
presented. Letters of comment or
questions to the Editor are always welcomed. They will be published ONLY with
your permission.
COMMITTEE
REPORTS:
EMPLOYMENT
COMMITTEE
Carla Hayes,
Chair
New Goals for
a New Year
The
Pennsylvania Council of the Blind has entered a new era. Committee assignments have been made and it
is time to get down to the hard work of goal setting and planning for the
future of our organization. I would like
to take this opportunity to thank those of you who took the time to complete
the survey that the Employment Committee disseminated last year. Findings from this survey will be published
in a future column. Your survey
responses will greatly help us to decide the direction in which our committee
should go.
As we analyze
the survey data and set goals for the Employment Committee, I would like to
remind you that your input is always welcome.
Is there something that you would like to see covered in the Employment
column, or would you like to contribute an article to be published in this
column? If so, please contact me. Would you like to share information about
what you do for a living and how you do it with a visual impairment? Do you know of helpful employment-related
resources or valuable job search techniques which have been useful to you? Do you have an idea for a program that you
would like to see the Employment Committee conduct for PCB, or an
employment-related seminar that you would like us to present during the PCB
State Convention? Would you like to give
us feedback about articles that we have published or programs and seminars that
we have conducted in the past? In short,
if you have any employment-related concern, suggestion, or insight, please
contact me or any member of the Employment Committee. Your input would be
valuable to us. My contact information is:
Carla Hayes, 230 Robinhood Lane, McMurray, PA 15317. Phone:
724-941-8184. Email: lengual@concentric.net
Remember--PCB
is your organization, and the Employment Committee is your committee. Therefore, you have the right and
responsibility to help shape what we do so that we can continue to be a strong
and effective organization for people who are blind and visually impaired.
FUNDRAISING
COMMITTEE
Thomas Reid,
Chair
"As a
Village We Can"
Since 2008 is
an election year, it seemed appropriate to borrow some slogans from the
presidential candidates and apply them to PCB's fundraising efforts.
"It
takes a village…"
This African
proverb, popularized by Hillary Clinton, teaches the importance each individual
has in educating and raising children in the community.
In our PCB
village, all of us as members play a role in every aspect of the success of the
organization. This includes
fundraising. We participate in the twice
annual raffles, convention auction and media sale, and through various other
financial contributions. While we will
continue to ask for your support in these areas, we are welcoming input from
the community.
The PCB
Fundraising Committee met in February to begin planning various projects. This meeting included a brainstorming session
among the committee members. We
discussed some good ideas and will analyze each one further to determine the
most appropriate for PCB.
Now, we want
to hear from you. Give us your ideas for
generating funds for PCB. Contact any of
the committee members listed below.
"Yes, we can!"
Finally,
Barack Obama's inspirational call for all to believe and take an optimistic
approach to the rebuilding of this country, I hope will inspire us all to work
together for PCB.
It's not too
early to begin donating items for our auction.
Contributions of new or unused items or gift certificates are
welcomed. As spring approaches, take a
look at the various media items you have, including audio books, music
CD's and descriptive movies, that you
can donate in order to make room for the new items on your wish list. All items can be sent to the PCB office. We ask, that if possible, you label each item
in Braille as well as print.
There are
other ways you can help. When discussing
PCB during any community meetings, be sure to get the word out that PCB accepts
car donations. For more information or
to receive fliers, contact the PCB office.
PCB's ability
to successfully promote the issues of the visually impaired and blind community
is based on all members believing and taking action. Get involved.
Will you?
Committee
members:
Thomas Reid,
Chair 570-421-2543
treid@ptd.net
Janet
Facemyer 610-647-3365
EFACEM@COMCAST.NET
John Freiss 610-759-676
jmfreiss@verizon.net
Mike Gravitt 412-344-2313
mgravitt2@concast.net
Bernard Joyce 724-495-7524
baj6090@hotmail.com
Sue Lichtenfels 412-429-1727
susan@lichtenfels.us
Caroline McFarlane 570-629-0034
luv2create4u@yahoo.com
Meg Miller 717-230-9331
megmiller@earthlink.net
Jeanette Schmoyer 610-797-5870
jmschmoyer@worldnet.att.net
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Rodger Simmons, Chair
It's that
time of year when everyone is urging us to vote. So, I won't say the usual things that you may
hear or read elsewhere. But here is a
couple of things to think about.
Think of all
the money that was spent to get new voting machines for this state. It is now possible for a blind or visually
impaired person to cast a private vote.
Isn't this what we were fighting to get for all those years? Now, our voice can be heard. But the problem is this: few blind and visually impaired persons
vote! Some day a politician may say that
after all the money that was spent, we still do not vote. They may put back the old machines that we
cannot use. So, it is important for all
of us to get out there and vote!
After the
voting is over in April, it is our duty to get involved in the campaign. Chapters should be asking questions of the
candidates in their area. The candidates
should be asked about how they feel concerning funding for transportation, APS,
and BBVS. The Governmental Affairs
Committee cannot get involved in every election around Pennsylvania, BUT YOU
CAN!
LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
Joe Wassermann, Chair
First, let me
thank the members of the Long Range Planning Committee who are: Tom Burgunder, Ernest Wright, Pam Shaw, John
Horst, and Helen Koshensky. Of course,
George Holliday, participates when possible.
Job
descriptions have been compiled for Rhonda Hanafi, Office Assistant, and John
Horst, Executive Director of PCB. A
proposal is being written for the purchase of equipment, which will allow us to
stream our convention proceedings at the PCB State Conventions. Pam and John
have begun work to secure an intern to work in the PCB office for the fall
semester. Plans are under way to contact
the support services at colleges in and around the Johnstown area. The plan is to seek out and encourage as many
blind and vision impaired students at these institutions, and give them
information about PCB. Further, we will
invite them to at least the activities on Friday afternoon at the state
convention, to be held in Johnstown next fall.
This will also give them the opportunity to see the displays. There will be more specifics in the next
issue of the ADVOCATE. -- Contributed by Joe Wassermann, chair.
MEMBERSHIP
COMMITTEE
Jeanette
Schmoyer, Chair
The Two
"R's" of Membership
Is your
chapter's membership growing? Are some
of your new members young, with new ideas, and providing new energy? If not, you may need to consider doing
something differently. Are you actively
trying to recruit new members? Are you
doing all you can to involve all members in the work of the chapter?
There are two
aspects of membership growth. One is
RECRUITMENT and the other is RETENTION.
These are the two "R's."
Membership recruitment and retention are important issues for each
chapter and affiliate of PCB. Every
chapter should have a Membership Committee among its standing committees.
How can we do
RECRUITMENT? Use the PCB brochure or
create a brochure for your own chapter.
Distribute the brochures to eye doctors' offices, to blindness agencies,
to blindness groups (such as Blind Bowlers), and to other disability agencies
and groups. Give a brochure to your
friends who are not members. They may
know other visually impaired people. You
will want to include local contact information.
If you are using the PCB brochure, create a ship-in page with your local
contact information. You might consider
making the brochure available on cassette tape.
Challenge your members to bring in new members. A contest or awards may add excitement to the
challenge. Give time to visitors and
guests at your meetings to give a short biographical background of themselves. Encourage members to speak to visitors to
make them feel welcome.
Once we have
visitors coming to meetings, how do we keep them coming? Ask interested guests for contact
information. Keep in touch with them
between meetings. Encourage them to join
your chapter in order to receive the ADVOCATE and BRAILLE FORUM magazines, and
to support the work of your chapter, as well as PCB and ACB.
Keeping your
members happy is just as important as getting new members. Be aware of special events in the lives of
your members, such as birthdays and anniversaries. Acknowledge sad times in the lives of your
members, such as times of illness and death in their families. Encourage all members to be involved in
chapter activities, such as committee work, fundraisers, advocacy, peer
support, technical assistance, etc.
Every member of a chapter should have a copy of the chapter's membership
list so that members can contact each other.
This helps to foster friendships among members and provides all members
with the ability to "care" for each other. If a member misses a meeting, other members
can call to check if he or she is ill.
Also, members can call each other to arrange transportation to
meetings. Another important aspect of
retention is to appreciate new ideas and give them consideration. Avoid the attitude "we never do it that
way." Allow some social time with
meetings, either monthly or periodically, so members will have ample
opportunity to get to know each other and become friends.
If your
chapter has been successful in membership growth, write to the ADVOCATE Editor
and let us tell your story in the ADVOCATE, to share your ideas with other
chapters. Email your ideas to either the PCB office or to June Horst,
Editor, at jjkhor95@epix.net
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
Ed Facemyer and Bill Newland,
Co-chairs
The
Pennsylvania Council of the Blind (PCB) has successfully unveiled phase 1 of
Project Outreach. This phase includes
contacting all chapters and reviewing their accomplishments and plans for the
future. A number of chapters were
contacted and everyone was pleasant, cooperative, talkative, and looking
forward to some of our ideas. We will
continue to complete phase 1 by contacting the remaining chapters.
By the time
you read this article, you will have received either a large print letter, an
audio cassette, or an email, in an effort to complete a similar project which
was started last April when all chapters were asked to create a referral list
which we can use in our chapters and the PCB office files. We need to finalize this project and go
forward with others.
We continue
to aim for inter-chapter cooperation.
The plan is for all of us to be working similarly on a project of
importance to your own chapters and to PCB.
Time is on
our side, and I know as we progress, all things will fall into place, and we
will see results within your individual
chapters and on the PCB at-large level.
-- Submitted by Helen Koshensky, Project Outreach Coordinator
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Joe Perry, Chair
It's time for
an update as to what your Transportation Committee is dealing with. We have had two meetings this year. Our general coverage has been the same: mass transit, shared ride for persons under
age 65 with disabilities, pedestrian safety, and general accessibility of
transportation facilities for persons with visual impairment and blindness.
There is
still much concern about sources of
funding, designated by Act 44, the legislation signed by the Governor last July
concerning transportation. At this time,
privatization of the turnpike and exacting tolls on route 80 are far from being
implemented. There is much opposition to
both ideas. Many consider privatizing
the turnpike will present a risk, and some of our own congressional
representatives are opposed to tolling route 80. As far as I know, the Governor favors putting
the turnpike in private hands. As I sit
here writing this article, my thought is to contact the Governor's office to
get an idea of what our next step should be.
In the meantime, keep hoping that a solution can be reached.
The shared
ride situation seems to be optimistic.
As you may recall, the shared ride program for persons under age 65 with
disabilities was extended to all eligible counties. Allegheny and Philadelphia are not included. It is now up to the counties where shared
ride does not exist to apply to PENNDOT for inclusion in the program. It is my pleasure to inform you that
Luzerne and Lackawana counties have
applied and soon will be included in the program. Other counties have also applied, and it will
not be long until all 65 counties will have shared ride for persons under age
65 with disabilities.
In regard to
pedestrian safety, we have learned of a way that local chapters might implement
the installation of accessible pedestrian signals: that is to contact the Federal Department of
Transportation, informing them that your rights have been violated under
ADA. The exact address is: US Department of Transportation, Departmental
Office of Civil Rights, 1200 New Jersey Avenue Southeast, Washington, DC
20590. We would like to compliment the
local chapters of PCB on their success in having accessible pedestrian signals
in their localities.
The
"quiet car" issue is now very prominent among organizations of the
blind. The American Council of the Blind
(ACB) has developed a resolution which urges Congress to pass legislation for
the US Department of Transportation and other entities to study the issue, with
the object of coming up with a solution to the problem. We will try to keep you informed as to the
outcome. Another related issue is
"quiet buses." Cynthia Lister,
of SEPTA, spoke to the Philadelphia Regional Chapter about these vehicles. She seems to believe that, although they are
quieter than regular buses they can still be heard. However, she went on to say that there is a
willingness on the part of SEPTA to demonstrate these quiet buses for anyone
who wishes.
Finally,
Amtrak needs money to repair their tracks and other equipment. They are asking for $23 million for this
purpose. At this time, there does not
seem much hope that Congress will act on this matter. You may want to contact your representative
in this regard.
If you have
any questions, or wish to contact me for any other reason, you may do so at
4753 Brian Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.
My telephone number is 717-761-1920, and my email address has been
changed to: joleperry@comcast.net
CHAPTER NEWS
Capitol
Cities: Ray Bogardus, a member of our chapter
and our Legislative Representative, had hip replacement surgery in
January. He developed an infection,
which put him back in the hospital. Upon his release from the hospital, he
spent several weeks in Manor care. He is
now at home recuperating and will be doing therapy 3 times weekly. To reach him
with cards or phone calls, his address is:
214 Bailey Street, New Cumberland, PA 17070. Phone: 717-774-6896. His email address is: raybosr@paonline.com
June Horst,
ADVOCATE Editor, is recuperating from rotator cuff and torn muscle surgery,
which was performed in January. For 6
weeks she was not permitted to drive, which was a real hardship! Because of the severity of the tears, she was
original told that therapy would take at least a year, but she is doing so well
that she is now told that she will finish therapy by May! She still has limited use of her right arm,
but she learned to eat left handed
pretty quickly!
Clearfield-Jefferson
Counties: The traffic control project is due to
begin construction on June 1, 2008.
Members of the task force committee, along with Donna Zierer (Altoona
PAB) and Jim Joyce (BBVS Erie) met with city planners.
The Wal-Mart
sensitivity training program in February, had a good response to the video and
sight loss kit. The Braille display
generated much interest and many questions about eye diseases. A follow-up call to Wal-Mart will be made to
continue the training possibilities.
Sheetz
coupons are ready for distribution. Fund
raising options were presented for review.
We now have
30 paid members, and are actively seeking new ones. Our group picnic committee is planning for
our annual summer picnic.
Cumberland
Care and Share:
Ruth Ann Gilbert, former president of our chapter, passed away on March
9. She had been in a nursing home for
several months. Her sister, Eldereen
Paules, who lives in Connecticut, is also a member of our chapter, and was here
for her sister's funeral. Their sister,
Beverly Garman, is also an active member
of our chapter.
Lancaster
Red Rose:
Since we reported in November that we had 15 members, the Red Rose
Council of the Blind (RRCB) now has a total of 22 members. We have been meeting the 2nd
Saturday morning of the month at 10:30 in the County Library in downtown
Lancaster.
We have been active with many advocacy
efforts, including successfully convincing Millersville University of the need
for an Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) on campus. We are working with Millersville Borough
officials to obtain APS at several other intersections in the town of
Millersville. Positive progress has been
occurring.
In the city
of Lancaster, we have had a more difficult time advocating for APS. Eight of our members attended a city council
meeting and several of us have subsequently met with city officials, but
funding seems to be a critical obstacle.
We are now searching potential funding sources for APS in downtown
Lancaster.
Two of our
members attended the ACB Legislative Seminar in Washington, DC in
February. We visited the offices of
several US Congressmen from our area. We
assisted with advocacy efforts for 3 specific pieces of legislation related to
quiet vehicles, web site accessibility and audible telecommunication devices
access. -- Submitted by Ed Hersh, President
Yvonne Garris
is a student at Harrisburg Community College in Lancaster and a two-time PCB
scholarship winner at our annual ACB convention. Because of her efforts, working with John
Horst and several others, the Lancaster Red Rose Chapter of PCB was
organized. She has sent in the following
statement: "I wanted to take a
moment and thank you for the honor of receiving the William Cory scholarship
for the second year in a row. This
scholarship helps me in my academic goals.
I have been
so inspired by what I have learned and through the people I have met, I have
the desire to become more involved in the blind community, and advocating for
our rights.
Again, thank
you for choosing me for a second year and for all the inspiration you have
given me."
Lehigh
Valley:
The officers of the Lehigh Valley Council of the Blind are: President--Sherry Hancik; Vice
President--Rita Lang; Recording Secretary--Josh Young; Corresponding
Secretary--Jameel Memon; and Treasurer--Adam Shive.
The dues for
the LVCB chapter are $20.00. Of this
amount, $5.00 goes for ACB, $5.00 for PCB, and $10.00 for LVCB dues. Our dues provide to us both the quarterly PCB
ADVOCATE magazine and the monthly ACB BRAILLE FORUM magazine. It also helps to pay the salaries of a
skeleton staff in both the ACB and PCB offices.
The Executive Directors of ACB and PCB are responsible for the advocacy
for legislation that will benefit people who are blind or visually
impaired. Advocacy and blindness/low
vision education are the two most vital task of our state and national offices.
In 2007, the
LVCB had several interesting speakers and programs, but perhaps among the most
interesting was a tour of the Rehability Store, which sells adaptive devices
for people with disabilities. Among the
most interesting items for sale there for people who are blind or visually
impaired was the Hamilton Beach talking microwave and a talking alarm clock that
also speaks the indoor temperature.
Staff at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center, in which the store is
located, provided us with a continental breakfast from their snack café, and
also provided tables in the lobby outside the Rehability store for our meeting
and bag lunches after the tour.
Rosalie Mayer
and Joanne Rath are co-chairs of the LVCB Program Committee, and are looking
for ideas for programs. If you have
suggestions, please contact Joanne Rath
at jrath1@rcn.com
We welcome
ideas from other chapters as well. What
has worked for you in terms of interesting speakers?
We hope you
all enjoy the coming spring! --Submitted by Jeanette Schmoyer
Monroe
County: See article under STATE NEWS, entitled
"Reading Made Easier for Persons with Reading Impairments," by Mary
Ann Alexander, Chapter President.
Philadelphia
Regional: Rudolph Thompson, a long-time member
of our chapter is receiving care at home
for terminal cancer. He had been a
patient at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, but is now at home. To
contact Rudy and Anne, it would be best to call on Friday. Their telephone number is: 215-877-9729.
Address is: The Duffield House,
3701 Conshohocken Avenue, Apartment 203, Philadelphia, PA 19131. They would
love to hear from you. We are not sure
how long we will have Rudy with us, but as you all know, Overbrook, PCB, and
ASB has always been dear to his heart. -- Submitted by Bernadette Giddens
Washington
County:
Our chapter has lost another member and beloved friend. On February 21, Pat Dorgan of Houston, PA.,
passed away at the age of 75, after losing a battle with cancer.
Pat was a
high school graduate and had an interesting and varied work history. After she worked for 14 years in retail at
the Fashion Bug, she was employed as a babysitter, helping to raise more than
30 children. In her later years, she
worked as a tour guide for several bus companies, and later organized her own
tours under the name of Pat Dorgan Tours.
She had a special knack of making her tours fun, exciting, and
memorable. Several of our chapter
members had the privilege of touring with her.
She was also
a generous volunteer and a strong advocate for people who are blind and
visually impaired. She was active in the
Washington Green County Blind Association and a dedicated, hardworking member
of the Washington County Chapter of PCB.
She volunteered her time to speak to children at various schools
regarding blindness diseases and counseled individuals with visual impairments. Among her many surviving relatives and
friends are her son, Dan, who is on our chapter's Board of Directors, Dan's
wife, Karen, who is our treasurer, and all the
members of the Washington County Chapter.
In saying
"goodbye" to Pat, we will always have many special memories of
her. We remember how she and the other
residents of the Heritage House, where she resided, often welcomed our chapter
into their Community Room, and all the memorable parties, meals and chapter
meetings we had together in that place.
We have fond memories of the many hours we spent together on bus tours,
her endless enthusiasm and energy, the stories she told, and the compassionate
way she treated all the travelers.