BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION (BVA)
FLORIDA REGIONAL GROUP, INC.
3801 Coco Grove Avenue
Miami, Florida 33133
FRG NEWSLETTER, April 2010
FRG President's Message: We
are once again approaching our FRG State Convention.
A lot of work has gone into setting up more activities. Last year, we added the Thursday evening Pizza
Party, with the Hospitality Room being open one day earlier than at previous Conventions. this year, we have added an additional activity in
order to make the Convention more enjoyable. A
tour of the Talking Book Library has been arranged at 2 PM on Thursday afternoon. Others who have previously taken this tour say
that it is something that you don't want to miss. We
are asking all of those who are planning to take the tour, to meet in the hotel lobby at
1:15 PM. We also urge all who plan to take
the tour to add this information when they register for the Convention.
On another note. The new FRG List
Serve, that was established recently, is replacing the Distribution List with which many
of you are familiar. Unlike the Distribution
List, this List Service has the capability of two way communication. This means that all BV's who are signed up, can
send out emails on this new FRG List Serve. All
relevant information, pertaining to Blinded Veterans, from now on, will be put out over
this FRG List Serve. Which permits all BV's
to respond accordingly and can spread the word to others about new aids and devices that
can make your lives just a little bit easier. Those
who have not yet joined the new FRG List Serve, may do so by emailing Bill Stockslager at n9ws@embarqmail.com,or call Bill at (941)
743-8364 or Terry King at (941) 505-7747.
Now, that brings me to the Talking Thermostat.
A few weeks ago, I informed those BV's on the FRG List Serve about this Talking
Thermostat and for its advantages for those who can no longer see the numbers on their
home thermostat. The VIP is the first digital
with audio playback giving the day, time, in door temperature, temperature setting, and
programming instructions. This permits blind
users can easily manage their indoor comfort. Talk
to your VIST Coordinator or BROS and see if you qualify for this aid for those who no
longer can see their existing thermostat. This
thermostat is in the LS and S catalog. If
anyone has any questions, they may qualify either me at (941) 505-7747 or their District
Director. I am hoping to enjoy your company
at the FRG State Convention. Terry King, FRG
President. . .
FRG Auxiliary President's Message: Our FRG State Convention is really
expanding with its activities this year. Wow! It won't be long before we expand the days in the
future for even more exciting events. Stay
tuned. This year beside the Talking Book
Library tour and Pizza Party, as well as, the Dinner Dance and Banquet, the FRG Auxiliary
is having a coffee kloutsch . Yes, just like
we used to have with our neighbors. So, bring
your cup and join us in the Hospitality Room on Friday morning at 10 for some good old
fashion chit-chat. The big thing is that you
don't have to be an Auxiliary member to attend. Just
be a family member or friend of one of our very impressive Blinded Veterans. This might be the first of many coffee kloutsches
for the future. So, all of you Auxiliary
members, grab a friend and bring them along. Remember,
at 9 AM on Saturday May 1, the Auxiliary will hold our Annual Business Meeting. At that time, we will be holding elections for the
Board and Chair Persons. Since the FRG is
state wide, other than the FRG Scholarship Program, it is hard to have a particular
project. However, it is important to be a
member of the FRG Auxiliary because what we do to help Blinded Veterans in our home town
is important. Plus, with this stifling
economy, we need to stick together with the BVA in order to stand strong for the benefits
that are necessary for the Blinded Veterans. You
cannot believe how important it is for you to be a member of the FRG Auxiliary. Please do yourself a favor, as well as your
Blinded Veteran and join the Auxiliary. See
you at the FRG Convention. Joanne King. FRG
Auxiliary President.
FRG Convention Reminder: This
is your final reminder that The FRG State Convention
will be held at the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel , 640 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL
32118 April 30-May 2. The low guaranteed
group rates of only $79 per day, for 1 to 4
persons per room will be in effect 3 days before and 3 days after the Convention. All rooms are equipped with refrigerators and
microwaves and All rooms have ocean view balconies. The
low Convention rates are guaranteed for reservations made on or before April 13th. Reservations made after April 13th, will be at the
low Convention rate but only on a space available basis.
Better yet, as time is short, you should make your reservation by calling the toll
free reservation number at: (800) 874-7420. You may cancel your reservation and receive a full refund of your deposit, if you
cancel 24 hours before noon on the day you were scheduled to arrive. There are 22 hotels using that reservation number.
Be sure to specify the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel and that you want the guaranteed group rate
for the Florida Regional Group Blinded Veterans Association Convention. If you have any problem , call George Stocking at
(305) 446-8008.
Convention Registration Fee: The
Convention Registration Fee will be $35 per person (for each BV, family member, or friend
attending). However, an early registration
fee of only $30 per person will be in effect for registration received on or before April
13th. The registration fee will cover general
Convention activities, including the dinner-dance on Friday night, Hospitality Room, and
the Banquet on Saturday night. Please make
your check payable to the BVA and send it to: 3801
Coco Grove Avenue, Miami, FL 33133. Please
include the first and last name of each person registering.
For those who get to Daytona Beach on Thursday, April 29, there will be a tour of
the Talking book Library at 2 PM. That evening, the
BVA Hospitality Room will be open from 6 to 10 PM and will host a Pizza Party from 6-8. If you will take part in the TB Library tour or
the Pizza Party add that information to your early registration information so that we can
plan properly. AT 9 AM on Friday, the fourth
annual horseshoe pitching contest will be held on the beach behind the hotel. If you wish to participate
call coordinators Bill Burgess at (386) 445-4987 or Paul Kaminsky (904) 291-0576.
The Convention Late Registration Desk will open at 1 PM on Friday, April 30, in the
hotel lobby. If you have not pre-registered,
you may pay your late Registration at that time. If
you have pre-registered, please pick up your name tags and Convention Program. We need everyone to check in so that we can give
the chef the proper count for the dinner dance and Banquet.
The opening session will be held in the second floor Ball room at 3 PM on Friday,
with a presentation on Prosthetics and Sensory Aids for the Blind by Dan Fields, Prosthetics Representative from the
Bay Pines VAMC. Then, Ron Lester, BVA
Southeast Field Representative (FSP) from Atlanta will describe the BVA FSP Program. The Dinner dance will begin with dinner at 7 PM
followed by dancing.
Saturday, May 1, The Annual Florida Regional Group Business Meeting will be held at
9 AM in the 2nd floor Ball Room. In
addition to reports on the past year and planning the FRG Program for the coming year, you
will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and comments on future FRG activities. Elections for FRG Officers and District Directors
will be held. According to the BVA guidelines
and the FRG By laws, The election and instruction of a Delegate and Alternate Delegates to
the 65 BVA National Convention in August,
will also be held. Possible Amendments to the
FRG By-Laws may be considered. The FRG
Auxiliary will also hold its Annual Meeting at 9 AM on Saturday.
At 2 PM on Saturday, the second Informational Seminar will be held, starting with a presentation by Mike Gunde, Chief
of the Bureau of Brail and Talking Book Services, who will bring us up to date on Talking
Book Program. Michael Helper the new VA Regional Office Liaison for the Florida VIST
Program will provide information on veterans benefits.
David Johnson, Lake City BROS, will demonstrate the Victor Stream Reader for use in
down loading Talking Books.
The Hospitality Room will be
open from 5 to 7 PM. At 7 PM, the
Installation Banquet will be held in the Ball Room. Terry
King, BVA President will be Master of Ceremonies. The
Banquet will close with the Installation of FRG Officers and District Directors and FRG
Auxiliary Officers for the coming year. Join
us in the hospitality Room, after the Banquet for more socializing and refreshments.
New VIST and BROS in Florida: During
the past several months, two new VIST Coordinators and one new BROS has been added to
serve BV's in Florida. Mandy Petroski-Moore
has recently been assigned as part time VIST
Coordinator in Tallahassee. The Jacksonville
VA Outpatient Clinic had a Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS) allocated to
the Clinic as part of the 35 new BROS the BVA got funded through the 110 Congress. There was a space problem at the Clinic and the
position has recently been filled by Lauren Brooks. Due
to the large number of BV's in the Tampa VAMC area, Rick Brown was hired to work with
Charles Nieberding in December 2008. However,
following Charles Nieberding's retirement in mid 2009, the 2nd VIST position
remained open. recently, Jessica Buccolo was
hired for that position. This brings to 14
the number of VIST Coordinators in Florida, 13 of whom are full time. We now have 10 full time BROS in Florida. Below, you will find brief biographies of the new
VIST Coordinator and BROS.
New Jacksonville BROS: A
native of Philadelphia, Lauren Brooks entered East Carolina University after high school. Upon earning a BS degree, she returned to
Philadelphia, where she worked a year as a Special Education Teacher. Returning to the East Carolina University, she
qualified as a Physical Education Teacher with additional courses in adaptive courses for
the disabled. After working a number of years
in that field in Durham, North Carolina, she returned to Philadelphia where she worked as
a Special Education Teacher for students with emotional disabilities. In2007, she earned a Master's Degree in
Orientation and Mobility from the Pennsylvania School of Optometry ( now Salus
University). Then, she moved to Arizona where
she worked 3 years as an O & M instructor. She
came to Florida as the New BROS at the Jacksonville VA Outpatient Clinic in December 2009. She and her 3 children (ages 7, 10, and 13) live
in the Jacksonville area. In her spare time,
she practices yoga and karate.
New
Tampa VIST Coordinator: Jessica Buccolo
was born and raised in Deland, Florida. After
high school, she earned an Associate Degree from Hillsborough Community College. While there, she worked as a reader and escort for
some blind students. Then, she attended the
University of West Florida (UWF) in Pensacola where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in
Social Work. While at the UWF, she worked as
a counselor in an inpatient facility for juvenile offenders, some of whom were disabled. Then, she worked for Community Solutions a family
agency out of Orlando, where she did family counseling.
Subsequently, she earned a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of
Central Florida.
While
in school, she did some volunteer work with the Division of Blind Services in Daytona
Beach. Then, she returned to the inpatient
facility in Pensacola where she worked as a case manager and therapist. Remaining in Pensacola, she worked as a counselor
in a Hospice for a year. She took up her
duties as VIST Coordinator in Tampa on January 19, 2010.
She says that she is looking forward to working with Blinded Veterans in the Tampa
area. Through some of her experiences at the
hospice and rehabilitation facility, she has worked with the multiple disabled individuals
and will also be working with the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Center at the Tampa VAMC,
where she is looking forward to the challenge.
New Tallahassee VIST Coordinator: Mandy
Petroski-Moore took up her duties as part time VIST Coordinator at the Tallahassee VA
Outpatient Clinic in January 2010, following the retirement of Luis Hernandez who had been
VIST Coordinator for many years. A native of
Tallahassee, Ms. Petroski-Moore earned a Bachelor's Degree from FSU. Subsequently, she moved to Oregon with her husband
where he was completing his degree. Following
several years of work, they returned to Tallahassee where she enrolled in graduate school
in 1999. upon earning her Master's Degree in
Social Work, in 2001, she worked 5 years as a therapist for Big Ben's Hospice. In 2006, she was employed as a Social Worker in
the Mental Health Clinic at the Tallahassee VAOPC. This
January, she transferred to Primary Care and is now working as the part time VIST
Coordinator. She, her husband and children
(ages 5 years and 9 months) live in the Tallahassee area.
At present, her main activities outside of work are taking care of her 2 Children. On behalf of the FRG and Blinded Veterans in
Florida, We welcome you to your new position as VIST Coordinator and look forward to
working with you in the future.
We look forward to meeting you at the FRG State Convention at the Plaza Ocean Club
Hotel in Daytona Beach. Remember to contact the hotel for your
reservations and to send your registration fee and information to the BVA in Miami.
BVA-FRG Meeting Schedule
April 30- May 2 FRG
State Convention Plaza Ocean Club Hotel Daytona
August 24-29
BVA National Convention in Washington, D.C.
Newsletter Staff
Terry King
FRG President
Joanne King
FRG Auxiliary President
George Stocking Editor