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The Night Owls
Volume
2-2007
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The Night Owls
Volume
2-2007
ALUMNI NEWS
Topics
v
Summary Notes of Business Meetings
(Apr, May, Jun)
v
Blinded Veterans Advisory Board
(BVAB)
v A Health Tip – Wash It First!
John
Sherrer……
Greeting Vets and Your families this warm, dry, and Smokey spring. A couple of weeks ago, an airline pilot flying from Texas to Birmingham saw the smoke at 28 thousand feet. I hope this smoky spring finds you out of harms way.
The VA Blind Rehab Program is going through a lot of changes right now. The VA will offer three levels of Low Vision care. The top level being close to that of a blind center and the lowest being like your current local low vision eye clinic. The top level will also offer mobility instruction. Add the BROS (Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist) program to this, we can see a major change to the care and rehabilitation of the Blind Veterans.
My concern is that blind and visually impaired vets will take this option instead of going to the blind center. This is not good because the healing and adjustment to blindness takes place at the blind center.
From my own experience, there are two parts of the healing, the first where the blind vets heal each other, and where the staff member encourages a vet by building his/her confidence. These two things cause a blind vet to feel that he/she can overcome his/her eye problem and not feel powerless to live a normal life.
In my own experience, I was very angry and felt very poorly about myself when I first came to the blind center. I was unable to get work and had lost a home and I had a wife and four children. I considered myself a confirmed failure. My interaction with the other blind vets at the blind center cause me to know that I can live a good life with my eye problem and that I can laugh at the things that I did which made me very angry in the past. I was given another start at life by the blind center.
Going back to our original discussion, I strongly support what the blind center does for the blind vet, and I would hate to see these new programs cause the blind vet to misout on the benefits that the blind center has for him/her. On the other hand, these new programs will give great support for those veterans who have already gone to the blind center and will help those who are the primary care provider in his/her home and it is impossible for that person to go to the blind center. Such a person can benefit greatly with local blind vet meetings.
For now, I will try to keep a neutral position on this issue and wait and see. Write me and tell me about your experience at the blind center. Do you have something to share with us? If you do, send it to me at john@abrcaa.com or call me at 336-659-8476.
Summary Notes of ABRCAA Business Meetings
(Apr, May, Jun)
v Just $25.00 to Sign Up For A Cruise in 2008
Website (www.abrcaa.com)
Back to Top – New Reconstructed Website is up and running effective 1 May 2007. Webmaster will be Cheryl Gajadhar.
Back to Top– All went well. Minutes are being posted on the alumni website (www.abrcaa.com) . A thank you memorandum from ABRCAA President, John Sherrer will be sent to the President of SCRG BVA for its generous contribution for the mini reunion. In reference to the fundraising of Tshirts and caps – the alumni received over $300.00 worth. All officers were there and did a great job!
Back to Top – Don Srail was appointed membership chairperson. All equipment has already been purchased. The earmark of funds will not be necessary for reimbursement (per membership chairperson).
Back to Top – The process is easy –
1. Register your organization (Agreement between ABRCAA and Car Program Inc. 70% - minor admin fees (ABRCAA) 30%(Car Program)(fill out short form)
2. Whoever donates car/truck, fill out forms and pick charity to get proceeds which are registered with the Car Program, Inc.
This information and forms will be posted on website. Cheryl Gajadhar volunteered to become the Chairperson for this program. A motion was made to be accepting the Car program and appoint Cheryl Gajadhar as Chairperson.
Back to Top –The Ambassador Program is where ABRCAA graduates will speak to groups about blindness and adaptive devices. Where can they speak? Schools, Civic Organizations, churches, Veterans Organizations and any other group.
We are looking for volunteers who might be
interested in being a spokesperson or either chairperson. If you are interested, email Will Holmes, Director of
Ambassador Program, at pwy4@aol.com.
Back to Top – Additional improvements to the new ABRCAA brochure is to have on the front cover larger lettering to the acronym ABRCAA… Adjustments are to be made and will be issued upon request from the Secretary, Cheryl Gajadhar.
Back to Top – Glenn Shirey is Chairperson. Henry McCoy and Roque Reyna will work with the chairperson. Several volunteers who will be at the Annual Reunion will be counters for votes.
Back
to Top
– The Secretary, Cheryl Gajadhar will make editable changes to the
Constitution/Bylaws for clarity. A mention
of these editable changes will be also posted on website. If any member desires to receive a copy of
these updated editable changes, contact Cheryl Gajadhar, Secretary (clgajadhar@aol.com) or call (803) 754-6764.
Back to Top – A new letterhead was mentioned to be created for ABRCAA. The present symbol is already copyrighted from the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center. All ideas for this new symbol will be posted in the newsletter and all entries will be sent to the Secretary, Cheryl Gajadhar. The entries will also be shared with all Officers and Board Members.
Just $25.00 to Sign Up For A Cruise in 2008
Back to Top – There will be a cruise date for persons desiring to go on a cruise. From 30 August – 6 September 2008 (7 Day – Western Caribbean from Miami, FL (Cozumel, Mexico | Grand Cayman, Mexico | Ocho Rios, Jamaica) All persons interested pay $25.00 per person to secure you a room no later than 10 Jul 2007. Call or email Cheryl Gajadhar (803) 754-6764 or clgajadhar@aol.com for more information. See website for sign up and more information! www.abrcaa.com.
Blinded Veterans Advisory Board (BVAB)
Duties/Responsibilities – BVAB is a group that was formed to provide advice and recommendations to the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center. The group is comprised of blinded veterans, such as yourself, who reside in the primary Augusta service area (Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina). The BVAB will provide ABRC with a consumer viewpoint on what veterans expect the VA should be doing to keep and maintain quality management/health services for the blinded veteran at the ABRC, Augusta, GA. The BVAB member is responsible for attending meetings, disseminating updated news from these meetings to the blinded veterans in their prospective areas either by (VIST) support groups or newsletters. Your suggestions and recommendations are always welcome. Until a Chairperson is elected or volunteers, Mr. Paul Whitten will conduct these meetings:
Business
Meeting Notes
1 May 2007
ANNOUCEMENTS
Information for
Improved Blind Services
(Ongoing -
Within the next 3 years)
Back in late January 2007, an article came out which VA announced it was to
improve services for Blinded and Low-Vision Veterans. Under the
reorganization plan, each of VA's 21 regional networks -- called Veterans
Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs -- will implement a plan to provide eye
care to veterans with visual impairments ranging from 20/70 to total
blindness. .
Presently, some low vision services are available to all veterans whose
visual impairments range from 20/70 to total blindness (See your VIST
Coordinator, Terry Thorne, or Karen Petty, or Todd Turansky)
The goal is to provide basic low-vision services available at all VA eye
clinics, in every VISN. In each VISN, there will be intermediate
and advanced low-vision clinics, including a full spectrum of optical
devices and electronic visual aids.
Making it simple –
Intermediate
Low Vision Clinics
Within
Next 3 Years
For VISN 7 – Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn
VAMC, Columbia, SC
For VISN 6 – Hampton, VA VAMC
|
SPACE
REQUIREMENTS: INTERMEDIATE LOW VISION |
|
|
|
|
|
Sq. FEET |
|
CLINICAL EXAM ROOM |
12X16 |
192 |
|
CLERICAL SPACE |
0 |
0 |
|
THERAPY ROOM (and office): ADL, LVDs, VISUAL SKILLS |
20X20 |
400 |
|
Hoptel beds (two beds, shared room) |
15X20 |
300 |
|
|
TOTAL |
892 |
Note: The budget does not include any funds for facility
construction costs.
Advanced
(Ambulatory) Low Vision Clinics
Within
Next 3 Years
For VISN 7 – Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, GA
For VISN 6 – Winston
|
SPACE
RECOMMENDATIONS: ADVANCED LOW VISION CLINIC |
|
|
|
|
|
Sq. FEET |
|
CLINICAL
EXAM ROOM |
12X16 |
192 |
|
CLERICAL
SPACE |
0 |
0 |
|
INTAKE/ADJUSTMENT
COUNSELING (office) |
10x14 |
140 |
|
THERAPY
ROOM 1 (office): ADL, NEAR AND INTER. LVDs, VISUAL SKILLS |
20X20 |
400 |
|
THERAPY
ROOM 2 (office): DISTANCE LVDs, O&M, VISUAL SKILLS |
20X20 |
400 |
|
Hoptel beds
(two beds, shared room) |
15X20 |
300 |
|
|
TOTAL |
1432 |
Note: The budget does not include any funds for facility construction costs
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Go
to the South Carolina Regional Group Blinded Veterans Association website – (www.scbva.com) Click on the BVAB
link/button.
ADJOURNMENT
The next BVAB Conference
Call is scheduled for Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007, at 10a.m. (EST). The call in
number is 1-800-767-1750, Access # 48544. Mr. Whitten requested the members to
solicit for new members. There are 16 lines available to call in for these
calls and the first 16 that call in will be able to participate. We will need
to select a veteran to be the Chairperson of this group in the next couple of
months.
Financial
Report –
Tentatively
today we have approximately $2358.05
Annual
Charleston in November
(The Beginning of an Adventure)
Date
– 1-4 Nov 07
Hotel
- Radisson Inn
5991
Rivers Avenue
(888)
744-5340 (toll free number)
(843) 744-2501
Room
rate - $89.00 plus tax before 15 Sep 07
This year, we have worked to keep the reunion registration the same as last
year. ABRCAA members pay $40.00 or $45.00 after September 15, 2007.
Non members pay $45.00 or $50.00 after September 15, 2007. The
registration form will be on the Registration link of the www.abrcaa.com
website and also within this newsletter..
When you call to reserve your room, you will be speaking to a reservation specialist at the hotel. Any questions or services needs to be answered directly by the staff and management of our reunion location, not an answering service in Kalamazoo.
A station will be set for guide and service animals. Awareness training will be conducted prior to the reunion for all staff and management. There will be information and day room set up and manned for answering any questions or helping with any issues that may arise.
**Please, if you have any questions regarding anything about the hotel or the reunion, please call Gary Rice at (843) 553-6305 or Milton Ackerman at (843) 257-2830.
***Need to know what you want to do in
Charleston for Reunion Activities Friday and Saturday. We welcome all suggestions.
The
Radisson Hotel Charleston Airport is centrally located just minutes from the
Charleston International Airport and provides complimentary airport
transportation. The hotel is easily accessible via Interstate 26 just off Exit
211 B or Interstate 526.
We are adjacent to all the area's attractions and things to see and do. Such as
Magnolia Plantation, Boone Hall Plantation, Drayton Hall, Isle of Palms, Folly
Beach, South Carolina Aquarium, historic downtown area, championship golf
courses, as well as great shopping in the area. The hotel is located near the
Charleston Convention Center and Charleston Air Force Base.
About Charleston
Like a picturesque memoir of the past, Charleston offers itself as a genteel
world of cobblestone streets and stately antebellum plantations. Stroll along
the famous Battery and through the Public Market, where voices from a bygone
era still resonate. Or enjoy an intimate glimpse of the port city while riding
on a romantic carriage, as your cares drift away. After building up an
appetite, dine on a breezy piazza at one of the many quaint cafes and seafood
restaurants overlooking the harbor. As night falls, let the enchanting mixture
of music and laughter guide you into one of the trendy downtown nightspots. And
of course, gentle island breezes from nearby beaches always beckon.
Did you know?
Gullah, one of the purest forms of Creole, originated on the plantations of the
SC coast. It's still spoken today, and one of your best chances to hear it is
at the Public Market or alongside Route 17, where the flower ladies gather to
weave and sell sweet grass baskets – a traditional craft that's been handed
down from generation to generation. These ladies sing soft Gullah hymns while
weaving. You can expect to pay a pretty penny for one of these pieces of art –
no two of which are alike.
Milton Ackerman, Annual Reunion Chairperson
A Health Tip Always Wash It First!
A stock clerk was sent to
clean up a storeroom in Maui , Hawaii
When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was
Really filthy and that he had noticed dried mouse or rat droppings in some
areas.
A couple of days later, he started
to feel like he was coming down
With stomach flu, complained of sore joints and headaches and
Began to vomit. He went to bed and never really got up again.
Within two days he was severely ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to
66, and his face and eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency at
Pali-Momi, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from massive organ failure.
He died shortly before midnight.
No one would have made the connection between his job and his death, had it not
been for a doctor who specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or
exposed to dried rat or mouse droppings at any time. They said there is a virus
(much likes the Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings. Once
e dried, these droppings are like dust and can easily be breathed in or
ingested if a person does not wear protective gear or fails to wash face and
hands thoroughly. An autopsy was performed on the clerk to verify the doctor's
suspicions.
This is why it is extremely
important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off
The tops of canned sodas or foods, to wipe off pasta
Packaging, cereal boxes, and so on. Almost everything you
Buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another and
stores themselves often have rodents. Most of us remember to wash
vegetables and fruits but
never think of boxes and cans.
The ugly truth is, even the most
modern, upper class, super stores
Have rats and mice. And their warehouse most assuredly does!
Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top
with running water and soap or, if that is
Not available, drink with a straw.
The investigation of soda cans by
the Center for Disease Control in
Atlanta discovered that the tops of soda cans can be encrusted with
Dried rat urine ,
which is so toxic it can be lethal. Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are
stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents, and
then they get transported to retail outlets without being properly cleaned.
Message forwarded by Agnes Jefferson
(Concerned Veteran)
Hi everyone! I am Cheryl Gajadhar, a veteran, female and
always in trouble! I use to be
Newsletter Editor about 3 years ago and now I am back. I hope to see you all at the mini reunion in
April and the annual reunion in November.
I hope this newsletter was informative, and most importantly – you
enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Your next newsletter
will be out in October 2007.
NOTE: Starting immediately, all articles need to be
less than one page at 16 font size, send a copy of a picture (if desired) and
sent to the below address or email the article no later than 1 Sep 2007.
Cheryl Gajadhar,
(803) 754 6764