Home > Newsletters > Spring, 2015

Logo of The Friends of The New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped: Within a circle is a family with their pets. Around the circle is our organization name, The Friends of the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped. THE FRIENDS OF THE NEW JERSEY LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND AND HANDICAPPED, INC.
 
Spring 2015 NEWSLETTER

 

Message from the President

Welcome to the Spring, 2015 Newsletter of the Friends of the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped. In this issue of the newsletter, you will find an interview with former NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NJCBVI) Director Vito DeSantis discussing his experiences as a blind golfer and another article with information concerning this year’s Golf Outing fundraiser.

The next meeting of the Friends of the Library will be held on Saturday, June 6, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM followed by lunch from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at the Joseph Kohn Training Center (JKTC) located at 130 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, N.J. 08901.The meeting room in the basement for this meeting. Directions will appear at the end of this newsletter. Anyone wishing to stay for lunch will be asked to contribute $5.00 toward the cost of the food. Please call Mary Jo Partyka at (609) 888-5459 by May 31 to advise her of your attendance. This call helps the Friends plan for lunch. I hope you will consider joining us for an informative meeting.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 10, 2015 which is the date of NJSLTBBC’s biennial Fall Festival. TBBC will again partner with the Grounds for Sculpture to host this exciting event. Details on the day’s events will be announced in the coming months.

This is a friendly reminder that our annual dues for FY 2015 should be sent in now. Please send your dues and donations to the Friends mailing address and write your check out to the Friends of the Library for the Blind and Handicapped. The Friends appreciate your efforts and your participation in helping the NJSLTBBC meet its goals. A membership form is attached to this newsletter for those who wish to join the Friends or pay dues. Dues are $10.00 for an individual membership and $25.00 for a family membership. These dues cover the 12 month period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

Mary Jo Partyka, President
choirnfb@gmail.com

Meet Vito DeSantis, Golfer Extraordinaire

Editor’s Note: Vito DeSantis is the immediate past Director of the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NJCBVI), where he served for 12 years. Now retired, he spends as much of his spare time golfing as possible and is an ardent supporter of NJSLTBBC’s annual golf outings.

“Even if you think you can’t accomplish something, try it,” enthused Vito as he spoke of his love of golf.

According to Vito, he decided to play golf five years ago because it’s a popular game. He finds that golf allows him to play as an individual rather than as a member of a team where each person is dependent on the strength of its members in order to score points. Vito views golf the same way that he sees other things in his life. He has done many things; is not afraid of a challenge and has an eagerness to learn. “Golf is a great equalizer in the sense that whether you have sight or not, you’re not hitting the ball if you don’t swing properly.” As a blind golfer, Vito explained that he is dependent upon the person coaching him. He pointed out that the coach is responsible for making sure that the club face is behind the ball and that the blind golfer is set up properly to hit that little white ball. According to Vito, a coach must also provide a blind golfer a good description of the fairway and how to play each hole so he can have a good feel of the course. Vito noted that golf is not always relaxing and that it can even be frustrating sometimes. However, he concluded our interview by pointing out that “a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at the office.”

TBBC’s Fourth Annual Golf Outing

TBBC is excited to announce its fourth annual Golf classic to be held on Tuesday, June 16, at the Hopewell Valley Golf Club. Registration and lunch begin at 11:00 AM with a 1:00 PM shotgun start. Registration for individual players is $150.00 and a foursome can register to play for $580.00. The cost includes cart, greens fees, lunch, and refreshments on the course, cocktails, dinner, contests, prizes and auction! The Friends will be donating $1,000.00 for this year’s fundraiser. Our donation will be split between the luncheon and prizes. Each year, this fundraiser nets more money for TBBC services not covered by federal and state funding. If you know anyone interested in golfing, sponsoring, or volunteering, please contact Linda Cerce in the Library’s Development Office at 800 792-8322, extension 835 for more information, or go on line at www.njstatelib.org/tbbc

TBBC Book Club

TBBC hosts a wonderful Book Club facilitated by Karen Carson. The discussion groups meet quarterly both at TBBC and on the phone. Below are some titles that have been recommended and the last two were chosen for book discussions. If interested in participation, call Karen at (800) 792-8322.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption DB72129

Laura Hillenbrand. Reading time: 16 hours, 32 minutes.
Read by Faith Potts.
Biography, War and the Military

Author of Seabiscuit (DB 51968) details the life of Louis Zamperini (b. 1917), an Olympic runner and World War II bombardier, who survived a plane crash and forty-seven days adrift at sea only to become a POW in Japan. Relates Louis's later religious awakening under Billy Graham's ministry. Violence. Bestseller. 2010.

The TBBC’s Book Club selection for March was:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: a novel DB71540
Jamie Ford. Reading time: 10 hours, 15 minutes.
Read by Barry Bernson.
Historical Fiction, Family

Seattle, 1986. Newly widowed Chinese American Henry Lee reminisces about his World War II boyhood when he was in love with another student, Japanese American Keiko Okabe. Henry recalls visiting the Okabe family, despite his father's objections, during their internment in Idaho and waiting--in vain--for Keiko's return to Seattle. 2009.

The book selection for Monday, June 1st is

Guilt: An Alex Delaware Novel
Jonathan Kellerman DB76256

Jonathan Kellerman
Reading time 11 hours 20 minutes
Read by David Hartley-Margolin

A toppled tree reveals a baby's decades-old skeletal remains. As LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware search for a way to identify the victim, an oddly polished, more recent infant skeleton is found nearby--as is a female corpse. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2013.

A Heartfelt Thank You

The Friends would like to thank the following people for their very generous donations: Mary Gleason, Carolyn Woodhead

Options for Reading The Friends’ Newsletter

Since the NLS cassette players are being returned to TBBC and many patrons no longer have the means to play even standard speed cassettes, The Friends are discontinuing this format of our newsletter as of the this issue. The newsletter will still be available in Large Print, E-Mail, on our website friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org and for those who do not have computers, by telephone on Newsline.. You can access these Newsletters with a Newsline subscription and a touch-tone telephone. If you do not have a Newsline subscription, contact Reader Services at the New Jersey Talking Book and Braille Center at 1-800-792-8322 to get signed up for a Newsline subscription. If you have a Newsline subscription, but do not remember your login information, contact Christian Riehl at the above number extension 821. Once you have secured your login information, dial in to the service by calling 1-888-882-1629, or the local dial up number provided to you for accessing the service. Follow the prompts for logging in and reading the Newsletters. Choose option 2 off the main menu for your state’s information channel, followed by option 4 the New Jersey information channel, and then option 11 for the Friends Newsletters. Happy reading.

Please check out our website for information on community services as well as present and past copies of our newsletters at friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org

Directions to the Next Meeting

Address:
JKTC
130 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-2421

Cross Street: Seaman Street

From the North
South on Route 1 to Route 18 heading toward New Brunswick.
Get off Route 18 at the New Street ramp.
Turn slight right onto New Street/ NJ 26.
Take the 2nd left onto Livingston Avenue/NJ 26.
Turn left onto Seaman Street and left into the JKTC parking lot.

From the South
North on Route 1 to Livingston Avenue/NJ 26 toward New Brunswick.
Turn right onto Seaman Street and left into the JKTC parking lot.

THE FRIENDS OF THE NJ LIBRARY for the BLIND MEMBERSHIP FORM

 

Name: ___________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ____________________________________________

Telephone (with area code): __________________________________

E-mail address: ____________________________________________

Preferred Media Format:

LP____ E-mail_____ or None I will read online_____

I am eligible for TBBC Services: Yes ___ No ___

Individual Member $10.00 ___ Family Membership $25.00 ___

Donation $ _________

Donation in Memory or Honor of Name: __________________________

Send acknowledgment for memorial gift to:

Name: ____________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________

 

I have made a bequest in my will _____

Please return this form together with your check payable to:
The Friends of the NJLBH
PO Box 434, Woodbridge, NJ 07095