A quarterly publication of The American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. They are the views of the article’s author.
Product and service information is provided as a resource only, and not as an endorsement of a particular product or service.
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Catalina Martinez, Editor, E-mail:
catalina229@gmail.com
Marian Haslerud,
E-mail: marianhaslerud642@gmail.com
Nicky Schlender
E-mail: kb0ouf@pcdesk.net
Michael Lauf: Web Administrator
E-mail: info@myeffectivesolutions.com
Phone numbers of note:
SSB main number:
(651)539-2300
ACBM:
(612) 223-5543 Leave Message
Apple support for people with disabilities
(877) 204-3930
Microsoft support for people with disabilities
(800) 936-5900
Comcast Support for Persons with Disabilities
(855) 270-0379
You can press the letter H to move from article to article.
Table of Contents
President’s Message By Janet Dickelman
Nominating Committee Report
Baseball Anyone? By Janet Dickelman
7 Myths About the “Wild West By AUTHOR TONY DUNNELL
the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act by David Goldfield
Join Us In Jacksonville By Janet Dickelman
a New Way To Pay By Janet Dickelman
April Quarterly Meeting By Janet Dickelman
Tech Corner
Back Tap On iPhone by Joe Lonergan
Don’t Put Wet iPhones In Rice To Dry, Apple Warns By Oliver Haslam
How to find your new Apple Cash card number in iOS 17.4 By Chance Miller
PictureSmart AI for JAWS By Media Contact: Ryan Jones
craft corner
Crochet scrubby
round knit scrubby
Recipe corner
Glazed Ham In A Bag
Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats
Spring 2024 Calendar of Events By Marian Haslerud
Officers and Board of Directors
ACBM Standing Committee Chairs
President’s Message
Winds of Change
By Janet Dickelman
April is always a bittersweet month for ACBM with our elections. It is so exciting watching new individuals become ACBM leaders!
I encourage anyone who is interested in running for our open positions (see nominating committee article) to consider putting their name out there. Not everyone can be elected but give it a try!
On the flip side of the coin it is always hard saying good-bye to individuals who have served ACBM. This year it will be particularly hard when our vice-president Steve Robertson and Marian Haslerud will no longer be serving ACBM on our board.
Prior to serving as vice-president for four years, Steve served four years as an ACBM board of director.
Many of you know Steve as the voice of the calling committee along with his wife Bonnie. Steve serves as our zoom host for board and committee meetings. Anyone who knows Steve knows he epitomizes the word gentleman; he is indeed a gentle man. He is caring, kind and a calming and steady presence. He has been an amazing vice-president, not flashy or take charge but always there when called upon to complete a task or act as a sounding board!
The other individual who has chosen not to run for the board due to health issues is Marian Haslerud. Marian began with ACBM in the 1980’s when she served as secretary. More recently she was ACBM secretary, and served as president from 2017 to 2021 and currently serves on the board. She is a font of knowledge, always keeps me on my toes with reminders and is a great proofreader. She has served on many committees including the budget and editorial committees.
Steve and Marian thank you for your service and friendship we’ll miss you but know you will continue to stay involved with ACBM.
Nominating Committee Report
2024 ACBM elections
At our April quarterly meeting we will be electing several open officer and board positions. Vice-president, treasurer, and three board positions. Nominations are always welcome from the floor, here is the list of candidates we have thus far.
vice-president: Steve has termed out. We have four candidates running for this office: Nancy Schadegg, Mike Hally, Gary Boettcher, and Jeff Mihelich.
Treasurer: Patty Slaby, our current treasurer is able and willing to run for another term.
Board members: the terms held by Marian Haslerud, Gary Boettcher and Mike Vining are up for reelection. Marian has opted not to run again. In addition Charlotte Lang is running for the board and depending on the outcome of the election for vice-president the candidates not elected for vice-President are interested in running for the ACBM board.
If you are interested in running for an officer or board position please contact our nominating committee chair, Colleen Kitagawa
kitagawa@mysero.net
or By phone at 612-964-2005.
Baseball Anyone?
By Janet Dickelman
Join ACBM for a Minnesota Twins game!
We have 2 sets of tickets with a total of ten in each group.
Join us on May 26th, or August 4th.
Both games are at 1:10 pm.
All ten tickets are in a row and are on a first-come basis.
Please RSVP to the social committee by contacting Colleen via email
kitagawa@mysero.net
or by phone at 612-964-2005.
What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
7 Myths About the Wild West
By Tony Dunnell
As a testament to the power of this mythmaking, many ideas and iconic images associated with the Old West are still widely accepted today, despite being factually incorrect. Here are seven of the most common misconceptions debunked.
Myth 1: Wild West Cowboys Wore Cowboy Hats
Nothing says “cowboy” more than a classic cowboy hat. But the Stetson didn’t come onto the market until 1865¸, and the original hat didn’t look like the iconic Stetsons we know today (it had a high top and was missing the crease in the crown typical of cowboy hats). A more common choice among Old West cowboys was the derby hat, also known as the bowler hat, partly because it didn’t blow off easily in strong winds or while riding a horse. Many famous cowboys and outlaws, including Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Black Bart, and Billy the Kid, wore bowler hats.
Myth 2: Quick-Draw Gun Duels Were Common
Quick-draw gun duels are a staple of Western dime novels and movies, typically with two steely-eyed gunfighters facing off in a dusty street while nervous locals watch from behind saloon doors and dirty windows. These kinds of duels, however, almost never happened. Typical shootouts were normally chaotic and impulsive events, often involving more than two men and with bullets flying in all directions-not the slow and calculated high-noon face-offs depicted in popular culture. One of the very few examples of a one-on-one quick-draw duel in a public place is the famous encounter between “Wild Bill” Hickok and the gambler Davis Tutt. Hickok killed Tutt, becoming a folk hero in the process.
Myth 3: Banks Were Easy Pickings
If Westerns are to be believed, robbing banks was a common pastime for any self-respecting outlaw. The criminals would ride into town in broad daylight, hold up a bank, ride off with their saddlebags full of money, and disappear into the wilderness. But this is very much a Hollywood creation. According to historian Larry Schweikart, there were fewer than 10 confirmed bank robberies between 1859 and 1900 across 15 frontier states. Other sources suggest the number was higher than 10, but still fewer than you would suspect. As Schweikart wrote, “There are more bank robberies in modern-day Dayton, Ohio, in a year than there were in the entire Old West in a decade, perhaps in the entire frontier period!”
Myth 4: Cowboys Frequently Fought With “Indians”
The popular “cowboys and Indians” narrative has both parties constantly at each other’s throats. (The use of the word “Indian” originated with Christopher Columbus, who mistakenly believed he had reached the shores of South Asia when he arrived in America, and referred to the native population as “Indians.”) But cowboys rarely fought with Indigenous peoples, and certainly not to the extent shown in Western movies. Tension did exist between ranchers and Native Americans, but cowboys normally avoided potentially hostile encounters (they were more inclined to let soldiers deal with that). Native Americans, meanwhile, didn’t ambush pioneer wagon trains nearly as much as we are led to believe, they mainly tolerated wagon trains and were more likely to trade than attack. Between 1840 and 1860, Native Americans killed 362 emigrants (and even more were killed by emigrants), making them far less dangerous than many other threats in the wild west, including river crossings, hunting accidents, and falling off your own horse.
Myth 5: All Cowboys Were White
John Wayne, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood — think of nearly any actor known for starring in classic Westerns and they have one thing in common: They’re all white. The popular narrative, however, doesn’t tell the full story. Historians estimate that as many as one in four American cowboys were Black, as many formerly enslaved African Americans found work on the ranches out West in the wake of the Civil War. What’s more, the cowboy culture didn’t even originate in the United States; it came from a style of ranching introduced by Spanish colonists in the 16th century and adopted originally in Mexico, where cattle ranchers and herders were known as “vaqueros.” By the late 19th century, as many as one in three cowboys were Mexican.
Myth 6: The Typical Frontiersman Was a Romantic Figure
Cowboys and Wild West lawmen are often portrayed as romantic types — either the strong, silent type or the gallant hero who rides to the rescue, looking quite dapper in his clean shirt and shiny boots. But these frontiersmen were nowhere near as neat and tidy as we see on our screens, and, to put it bluntly, they stank. Author and historian Harry E. Chrisman wrote that cowboys “smelled of cow and horse dung, and seldom bathed. They wore beards that easily became nests for lice, fleas, or other vermin and provided secure foci of infection for barber’s itch.”
Myth 7: Everyone Was Packing a Six-Shooter
In the movies, it seems like every cowboy, cowhand, and dubious wandering stranger carries a revolver or a rifle. In reality, guns were heavily regulated in many towns and cities on the frontier. Most people did own guns in the West, but when it came to entering a town, you either had to leave your weapon at home or hand it over to local authorities. Dodge City, a famously wild frontier town in Kansas, had a large sign in the middle of town reading: “The Carrying of Firearms Strictly Prohibited.” Indeed, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona — the most famous shootout in the history of the Old West — reached a head when lawman Wyatt Earp ordered a group of cowboys to drop their weapons in accordance with local laws. According to Adam Winkler, a specialist in U.S. constitutional law, “Tombstone had much more restrictive laws on carrying guns in public in the 1880s than it has today.
the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act by David Goldfield
Urge Congress to Pass the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act
As it appeared in a recent Tech-VI announcement written by: David Goldfield,
Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist
Since its enactment in 2010, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) has struggled to keep pace with the evolving landscape of technology, leaving individuals with disabilities, including those who are blind, low vision, Deafblind, deaf, and hard of hearing, without full access to essential communication and video tools.
The CVAA was implemented prior to online streaming video becoming a routine part of video entertainment and everyday life. As a result, the CVAA’s requirements for audio description, closed captioning, and accessible video user interfaces only apply to broadcast and cable programming. Unfortunately, video streaming applications are not required to be accessible to people who are blind, low vision, deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing.
Furthermore, the CVAA’s accessibility requirements for text and audio advanced communications services do not extend to video conferencing services. These services, vital for activities ranging from school to work, telemedicine, and social gatherings, remain undefined and lack corresponding accessibility requirements.
On July 25, 2023, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act (S. 2494 and H.R. 4858). This legislation reaffirms our nation’s commitment to accessible communications and video technologies for all individuals. It aims to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to mainstream communication products and services. This will enable equal participation in professional, educational, recreational, and civic contexts, while also establishing a foundation for accessibility in future technologies.
Urge your lawmakers to co-sponsor and work to pass this critical legislation!
Join us in Jacksonville
By Janet Dickelman
The 2024 American Council of the Blind Conference and convention is fast approaching!
We know many of you are planning to travel to Jacksonville to take in the tours, in-person events, and the camaraderie that can only be found in-person. Whether you are joining ACB in Jacksonville, or attending from home, here is some basic information.
In person dates are July 5 through July 12 in Jacksonville Florida. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Blinded Veterans Association, we will share the exhibit hall, opening general session and members from both groups are welcome to attend each other’s events.
During the in-person portion of the conference some of our sessions will be hybrid; they will be available via zoom and broadcast on ACB media. We will also hold zoom only sessions, and in-person only sessions that will be available as Podcasts.
In addition to the in-person conference days there is so much more that will be available via the zoom platform and ACB Media.
Learn about candidates running for board positions at the Candidate’s forum on Wednesday, June 19. Don’t miss the ACB virtual summer auction on Saturday, June 22 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time, proceeded by two days of appetizer auction items.
The convention will officially open virtually on ACB Media and the zoom platform on June 24th with the reading of the convention standing rules and the first credentials report, followed by the nominating committee session.
Beginning on June 27 we will offer 3 days of zoom only sessions for special-interest affiliates, ACB committees and our business partners.
These sessions will be part of the convention and will be listed on the convention registration form, in the convention program and announced via telephone and on ACB media.
The zoom only sessions will also be broadcast on ACB Media.
Those evenings will be dedicated to resolutions and bylaws.
Convention information will be posted at the ACB 2024 Convention Website
Convention registration is $45. And will open on May 13th. To register go to the
ACB National Convention Registration Page
To subscribe to the convention email list, send a blank email to
ACBConvention-Subscribe@ACBLists.org
A New way To Pay
By Janet Dickelman
For the last several years we have had difficulties with PayPal. Treasurer Patty doesn’t receive information in a timely manner and their costs have increased. We also have been unable to update pertinent information on our PayPal account.
In conjunction with our webmaster, we have decided to no longer accept PayPal. We understand this might take a bit of getting used to for those of you who have a PayPal account and select ACBM from your payment list. For this we apologize. We are now exclusively using Square from our website. Just go to
https://acbminnesota.org/
find the link for our quarterly meetings, open the link and there will be edit boxes you can tab to enter your information including your credit or debit card number, expiration date and CVB code.
You of course can still pay via check or cash, or Call Patty with your card information; see all the payment options in the quarterly meeting information article.
April Quarterly Meeting
By Janet Dickelman
Hello ACBM members and guests,
Our quarterly meeting will be held on Saturday, April 27 at Joseph’s
Grill 140 S Wabash in Saint Paul.
Our social hour will begin at 11:30, lunch will be served at 12:15, the meeting will conclude by 2:30 PM.
lunch choices:
Please note that only coffee and water are complimentary. Anything else you wish to drink must be purchased.
There are free refills of soda.
1. Cheeseburger
2. HAWAIIAN CHICKEN SANDWICH
Grilled Chicken Breast with Grilled Pineapple, Canadian Bacon, Swiss and Cheddar Cheeses with Mango Mayo.
3. TACO SALAD
An Edible Tortilla Bowl Packed with Shredded Ice Berg Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Seasoned Ground Beef, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Our Spicy House Salsa.
Agenda items:
Officer elections: treasurer, vice-president, and 3 board of directors
Committee reports
Updates on 2024 ACB national convention and 2025 ACBM state convention
additional items will be added to the agenda at the meeting.
RSVP:
We would appreciate hearing from you by Sunday, April 21.
E-mail Steve Robertson with your meal choices
or call him at (612) 223-5543.
payment methods:
select and pay for your lunch from our website
contact ACBM treasurer Patty Slaby at (608) 323-3614 to pay by credit card,
send your payment to
Patty Slaby
837 Jefferson St, Arcadia WI 54612
pay by check or cash at the meeting.
Please remember when paying via credit card ACBM does incur a cost, if possible, please add in $1.20 to your payment to cover the cost.
Cancellation policy: If you make a reservation and then find you are unable to attend, please call Steve by noon on Friday, April 26th.
If you cancel after that time, you will be responsible for paying for your meal.
We look forward to seeing you in April.
TECH CORNER
Back Tap on iPhone: the forgotten accessibility action
by Joe Lonergan
A lot was made of Back Tap when it came out a few years ago, but so much has happened since I think it has been passed over by some other features.
Back Tap is an Accessibility action introduced to the iPhone that allows you to double tap or treble tap the back of your iPhone to perform a shortcut.
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
Scroll down, then select Back Tap.
Select either Double Tap or Triple Tap.
Scroll down to the Shortcuts area, then choose a shortcut.
Tap Back Tap to apply the setting.
Double-tap or triple-tap the back of your phone to run the shortcut.
So why would we use it?
It is situated in the touch area of accessibility settings so we can presume it is there to help people that have trouble interacting with the touch screen.
It can be used for many shortcuts and for launching many applications, read on for some use cases.
If you have an iPhone with no home button you can set Back Tap to launch the app switcher or unlock the phone, these actions can be difficult for some users, and tapping the back of your phone to launch can make it so much easier.
You can use it to launch the magnifier app, there are many occasions throughout the day that you may need to use the magnifier app, and having an action to launch it quickly is good.
You can use Back Tap to invoke a Siri Shortcut. If you have set up some Siri shortcuts in the shortcuts app you will now see them in the list of actions available in the Back Tap section. Siri Shortcut could play your favorite radio station, tell you your current location turn on the lights, and more.
Note, You can add two actions to Back Tap, one to double tap and one to treble tap.
So, if Back Tap is something you have not checked out in a while, revisit it, and see if it could be useful for you.
Don’t Put Wet iPhones In Rice To Dry, Apple Warns
By Oliver Haslam
We’ve all seen the advice that claims that putting a wet iPhone into a bag of rice is the way to go if you want to try and bring it back to life, and that’s what many of us have been told for more than a decade now.
But it turns out that isn’t what you should do at all, and that’s coming from a source that should know.
That source is Apple itself after the company shared a new support document that outlines what you should and should not do if your iPhone finds itself sodden. And rice is called out as something that shouldn’t be anywhere near your iPhone.
According to Apple’s support document, there are three things that should not be done when trying to resurrect an iPhone.
Don’t dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air.
Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector.
Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.
As for what you should do, Apple says to give the iPhone a tap or two with the charging port facing down to clear it of water and then leave it somewhere dry for 30 minutes. If that doesn’t work, leave it for a day and try again. If it’s still no good you can try disconnecting all of your cables, plugging them back in again, and crossing your fingers.
After that, it’s off to the Apple Store, unfortunately. But just don’t be tempted to use rice, it seems.
How to find your new Apple Cash card number in iOS 17.4
By Chance Miller
iOS 17.4, which is now available to everyone, includes a significant change for Apple Cash users. As first spotted by Reddit user u/simpledsp last month, Apple Cash users can now set up a virtual card number that can be used for shopping when Apple Pay online isn’t an option.
Apple Cash is Apple’s prepaid debit card that users have historically been able to use exclusively with Apple Pay, with no card number available whatsoever. Money on an Apple Cash card can also be sent to friends and family, transferred to a bank, or applied to an Apple Card balance.
How to find your Apple Cash card number
With iOS 17.4, Apple is giving Apple Cash customers a new way to spend their balance even if Apple Pay isn’t available. A new popup message in the Wallet app walks you through the setup process:
Set Up Virtual Card Number
Keep your card information safe with a new security code for every transaction.
Easily access this card number in Safari AutoFill and use it to shop online where Apple Pay is not available.
Once you opt into setting up your Apple Cash virtual card number, you can view that card number, generate new card numbers and security codes, and more. This is essentially the same functionality that’s been available for the Apple Card credit card since it launched, but for the Apple Cash debit card now.
To find your card number after you’ve gone through the setup process, just tap the three dots in the upper-right corner.
The new Apple Cash virtual card number feature is available as part of iOS 17.4, which is rolling out now to everyone. As always, remember that Apple Cash is only available in the United States.
PictureSmart AI for JAWS
By Media Contact: Ryan Jones
Freedom Scientific Unveils Revolutionary PictureSmart AI for JAWS – Transforming Accessibility with AI-Powered Image Descriptions
Freedom Scientific, a leading provider of assistive technology for individuals with vision impairments, is proud to announce the launch of PictureSmart AI, a groundbreaking feature in the JAWS screen reading software that leverages artificial intelligence to provide detailed descriptions of images. This innovative update marks a significant leap forward in accessibility technology, offering never before seen support for visually impaired users navigating digital content with screen reading technology.
Empowering Users with AI Technology
PictureSmart AI, found in JAWS and as part of Fusion, represents a major enhancement over its prior version, utilizing advanced AI algorithms to analyze and articulate what’s in images, including those found on web pages, in emails, or within screenshots. This feature is designed to address the challenges visually impaired users face when encountering graphical content, transforming the way they access and interact with digital information.
“This feature is more than just an innovation; it’s a gateway to untapped potential, allowing our users to use JAWS to interact with images and graphics in ways previously unimaginable,” said Ryan Jones, Vice President of Software and a JAWS user himself. “By weaving the latest AI technologies into JAWS, we are not just enhancing user experience; we are redefining what’s possible in accessibility. PictureSmart AI is a significant step forward in our commitment to empowering individuals with vision impairments to navigate the digital world with the same ease and depth as everyone else. We are excited to see how this technology will open new doors for our users, fostering greater independence and enriching their digital interactions.”
Breaking Down Barriers
With PictureSmart AI, JAWS users can now explore a whole new world of digital content. From detailed descriptions of charts and diagrams to social media posts to insights into screenshots of application windows, PictureSmart AI removes the longstanding barrier between visually impaired users and graphical information, ensuring everyone can fully participate in the digital age.
“In our initial testing phase, we’ve observed an incredible range of applications by our users,” remarked Roxana Fischer, Product Manager for Blind and Low Vision Software. “The introduction of PictureSmart AI has empowered them to embark on activities previously out of reach, from exploring family photos to actively participating in screen-shared presentations and even navigating complex diagrams at school. This diversity in usage underscores the transformative potential of PictureSmart AI.”
Innovation Inspired by Users
The development of PictureSmart AI underscores Freedom Scientific’s commitment to innovation driven by user needs. By harnessing the power of AI, Freedom Scientific aims to enhance screen reading technology further, enabling users to navigate the digital world with greater ease and confidence.
Availability and Continuous Improvement
PictureSmart AI is available in the March update of JAWS and Fusion version 2024. Visit the JAWS 2024 release notes to learn more and see examples. Freedom Scientific is committed to continuous improvement, ensuring PictureSmart AI evolves to meet the needs of our diverse user base.
CRAFT CORNER
CrochetScrubby
This crochet version is 20 stitches by 22 rows
Materials: Size H or I crochet hook. Use choice cotton yarn.
Gauge is not important.
Crochet in back loop to create ridges.
Row 1: (Leave long end of yarn to tie off when finished). Ch21 sts. 2 sc in second ch from hook, sc across to the last 2 chs, sc last 2 chs together. (20 sts)Ch1, turn.
Row 2: Sc first 2 sc sts together. Sc Sc in each st to last sc, then 2 sc in last sc, ch1, turn.
Row 3: 2 sc in first sc, sc in each sc across to last to last 2 sts, sc sts together, ch1, turn.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 for a total of 21 rows. Cut yarn, leaving second long end long enough to weave through and gather edges. Sl st beginning and ending row together (right sides together). Using the end of the yarn, weave in and out of circle. Pull tight.
Round Knit Scrubby Pattern
A quick and easy circular scrubby that can be made in just 30 minutes.
Knitting Abbreviations:
K2 Tog = Knit 2 together
Kfb = Make an increase by knitting into the front and back of the stitch
Equipment:
Size 8 Straight Knitting Needles
Large Eye Blunt Needle (for sewing)
Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle Yarn (Approx 1 oz needed per scrubby)
Note: Use 2 strands of the Scrubby Sparkle yarn held together throughout the pattern.
Instructions:
Cast on 18 stitches
Knit 1 row (this will be a foundation row).
Begin pattern rows:
Row 1: K1, K2 Tog, K13, Kfb, K1
Row 2: K1, Kfb, K13, K2 Tog, K1
Repeat these two pattern rows 10 more times for a total of 22 pattern rows.
Bind off, leaving a long tail of one of the strands for sewing.
Sew together the cast on edge to the bound off edge, which will create a tube.
Then draw the yarn through the stitches at one end of the tube, and pull tight to gather.
Draw yarn through the stitches on the other end of the tube, and pull tight to gather. Tie a small knot to finish, and weave in the end.
RECIPE CORNER
Glazed Ham In A Bag
Ingredients:
1 (5 pound) cooked ham
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions;
Rinse meat. Place in cooking bag. Combine orange juice and mustard. Spread over ham. Seal bag with twist tie. Poke 4 holes in top of bag. Place in 6 to
7 quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. To serve, remove ham from bag, reserving juices. Slice ham and spoon juices over ham. Serve additional
juice along side in a small bowl.
CHOCOLATE RICE KRISPY TREATS
Ingredients:
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup crushed graham crackers
* additional chocolate for drizzling or decorative sprinkles
Directions:
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and butter together in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and fully melted. Add the Rice Krispies cereal to the melted marshmallow mixture and stir until well combined. Mix in the chocolate chips while the mixture is still warm so they begin to melt slightly. Gently fold in the crushed graham crackers until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Press into Pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly using a greased spatula or your hands. Add Toppings (Optional): If desired, sprinkle additional chocolate chips or sprinkles on top of the mixture while it’s still warm. Allow the mixture to cool and set for about 30 minutes at room temperature before cutting into squares.
Spring 2024 Calendar of Events
By Marian Haslerud
I hope you are enjoying spring this year. Bowling will end in April. For more information, contact Linda Hoeppner. Her phone number is: (952) 857-9958. Audio darts will also take a break and resume in the fall. For more information contact Phil Sporer. His phone number is: (651) 269-5421.
ACBM has two coffee events. The first one is held the first Thursday of the month. It is at IHOP located at 2231 Killebrew Dr, Bloomington, MN. The second one takes place on the second Saturday of the Month. The location is Day by Day Café. The address is 477 W 7th St., St Paul Minnesota. Emails will be sent to inform you of the date of each coffee event.
ACBm board meetings are held on the third Monday of each month. If you wish to attend contact Steve Robertson. His phone number is (612) 819-5222. You can also reach him by email. His email is:
stevetrobertson@gmail.com
The quarterly meeting will take place at Joseph’s Grill. The address is 140 Wabasha, St Paul, MN More information will be provided in another article.
The Minnesota Christian Fellowship of the Blind (MCFB) will hold its banquet on May 11, 2024, at Elsie’s, 729 Marshall St NE. MCFB will hold its auction on June 8, 2024 at Real Life located at 8641 Wentworth, Bloomington, MN. For more information contact Marian Haslerud. Her phone number is (612) 206-5883. You can also reach her by email. Her email address is:
Marianhaslerud642@gmail.com
I wish everyone a happy spring and summer.
Officers and Board of Directors
President: Janet Dickelman, Saint Paul, MN
Second term ending 2025 | (651) 428-5059
E-mail: janet.dickelman@gmail.com
Vice president: Steve Robertson, Minneapolis, MN
Second term ending 2024 | (612) 819-5222
Email: stevetrobertson4@gmail.com
Secretary: Nicky Schlender, Minnetonka, MN
1st term ending 2025 | (612) 618-4335
E-mail: kb0ouf@pcdesk.net
Treasurer: Patty Slaby, Arcadia, WI
1st term, ending 2024 | (715) 497-9849
Email: Pattyslaby135@gmail.com
Board Of Directors
Coleen Kitagawa, Richfield, MN
Second term ending in 2025 | (612) 964-2005
E-mail: kitagawa@mysero.net
Jennifer Dubbin, Saint Paul, MN
1st term ending 2025 | (651) 334-8895
E-mail: lyndidog@comcast.net
Gary Boettcher, St Paul, MN
1st term ending 2024 (651) 200-7020
zorrogates@yahoo.com
Marian Haslerud, Bloomington, MN
First Term Ending 2024, (612) 206-5883
marianhaslerud642 @gmail.com
Mike Vining, Minneapolis, MN
First Term Ending 2024, (612) 408-7652
mevining@peoplepc.com
ACBM Standing Committee Chairs
To reach any of our standing committees, see chair info below.
Membership: Nancy Schadegg (612) 798-5178
Email Nancy.schadegg@comcast.net
Budget and Fundraising: Patty Slaby (608) 323-3614
Email Pattyslaby135@gmail.com
• Advocacy: Jeff West (763) 479-9709
• Email WestJeffrey123@gmail.com
Editorial Committee: Catalina Martinez (612) 227-3011
E-mail: catalina229@gmail.com
Social Committee: Colleen Kitagawa (612) 964-2005
Email: kitagawa@mysero.net