Winter - Hearing Loss Association of America, California State

Winter
SHHHaring the News
JAN.-FEB. 2015
PRESIDENTS’ PAGE
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all our members for your ongoing support and
participating at our regular monthly meetings and donating generously to our General and
Scholarship Funds. We wish to thank the members who volunteered their time to serve on our
Executive Board and Committee Chairs. Indeed, your ongoing support and participation enabled
the Chapter to reach its 30th Year Anniversary milestone in 2014.
With the recent passing of 2nd Vice President Rufus Wesley, the Chapter lost a valuable and
dedicated member who served us in various capacities throughout the years. In spite of various
health issues, Wes dedicated his last days finalizing the Chapter’s By-Laws, a critical document for
non-profit organizations such as ours. We will certainly miss him, and wish to express our
sympathy to members of his family.
In addition to Wes, the Chapter also loss a member and 49’ers fan Andy Hinman. Andy once
served as Jim Oswald’s assistant, helping in the set-up of the Chapter’s public address/loop
system. We fondly remember Andy’s presence at our monthly meeting with his trademark 49’ers
jersey. We will miss Andy and send our condolences to wife Barbara and members of his family.
Early bird registration is now being accepted for the 35th Annual HLAA Convention to be held from
June 25 – 28, 2015 in St Louis, MO. An individual HLAA member saves approximately $60.00 by
registering on or prior to January 31, 2015. Having attended 2 conventions in the West Coast, we
can attest that the 3-day conference with its educational workshops, exhibits, and social events are
very informative. It is an event where you’ll meet, share and exchange ideas with other hard-ofhearing- individuals throughout the country.
In November, we had nomination and election for the 2015 officers. Each of the current officers
has agreed to serve another term. We are also pleased to announce that Mike Davis, a longtime
member, has volunteered to serve as our 2nd Vice President and chair the Advocacy/Outreach
Committee. Many thanks to you all!
We wish to extend our best wishes to you for a Happy New Year and the best for 2015!
Maggie
Iller
Earl
Mizuguchi
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Jan. 14th Chapter Meeting
Feb. 11th Chapter Meeting
Refreshments and Social time starts at 12:30
Meeting Starts at 1:00
By Pat Parsons
Refreshments and Social time starts at 12:30
Meeting Starts at 1:00
By Pat Parsons
General Technologies
Dr. Joseph R. Ferrito, Au.D/Doctor of
Audiology, will be our speaker. He was born and
raised in San Jose, CA. and has been a practicing
audiologist for over 30 years.
When he received his Master’s degree in
Audiology from S.J. State, he was appointed to
the faculty where he taught both undergraduate
and graduate courses in the Department of
Communication and Sciences.
Now, he is the founder and director of the
Hearing Center with offices located in San Jose
and Morgan Hill. He provides a Hearing Manual
and Hearing Guide for information equipment
made for iPhone. He also has a newsletter which
provides tips in how to protect your ears. He
understands that each patient has unique
communication and lifestyle needs. He and his
staff make an attempt to establish a long term
relationship with each patient.
They are located in Rancho Cordova,
CA. It was founded in 1991 by Joe Marin and
Bernie Frazelle.
General Technologies is a distributor of
devices for the hard-of-hearing. They carry
devices as FM and infrared systems for
watching TV. They have tour guide equipment
that enables language translations and provides
tour groups with FM devices so the group can
hear the tour guide.
They provide alerting devices for the
telephone or doorbell that light up and/or
vibrate. One such device is the “Screaming
Meanie 220". It has a 120 dB alarm and timer. It
uses a 9v battery which is not included. This
alerting device is so loud about 90% of those
with a hearing loss will be alerted. Suggestion:
When testing it, make sure you do so without
hearing aids in.
Santa Teresa Center
Phone: (408) 600-0856
For More Info, A Catalog, Or to Order by Phone:
1-800-328-6684.
Email [email protected].
Website http://www.devices4less.com/.
Morgan Hill Office
Phone: (408) 465-4557
http://www.thehearingcenter-ca.com/aboutus/audiologist
THANK YOU FOR DONATING
To the Scholarship Fund: Ivan Fawley and Earl
Mizuguchi 50-50 winnings, Colonel Bobby and Ruth
Moorhatch, Pat Parsons, Kristy Sermersheim, and
Doris Traber.
January
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22
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A Memorial Donation: for Andy Hinman
Memorial- Wilkes Joy. For Rufus Wesley MemorialWilkes Joy, Kay and Yoshiko Kanazawa, Stephen and
Lynne Kinsey, Joyce Kurotori, Earl and Amy
Mizuguchi, Evelyn Taravella, and Connie Turner
General fund by Colonel Bobby and Ruth
Moorhatch, Keith Peterson and Doris Traber.
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Kaz Hamano
Ruth Gray
Mary Ann Shiosaka
Ted Santos
Katsumi Hikido
Nora Lyons
Anne Rose
Kittye Ryczkowski
February
8 Ruth
Moorhatch
12 Michael Davis
12 Howard
Kauffman
2015 Board Members
Left to right-
Earl Mizuguchi: Co-President
Lynne Kinsey: Secretary
Amy Mizuguchi: Treasurer
Mike Davis: 2nd Vice President
Pat Parson: 1st Vice President
Maggie Iller: Co-President
Best Wishes to Our New Board!
Congratulations!
Elizabeth Jenson was recognized for
her seven years of providing CART*
services to our Chapter. She was given
a gift card to Olive Garden to enjoy.
*CART services is real time captioning
whenever someone talks at our
meetings. Elizabeth is holding up her
CART typewriter.
October Dining Out
Ten chapter members joined together at
Famous Dave’s BBQ after the Oct. board
Meeting. We dined in Famous Dave’s
banquet room, located in the back of the
restaurant. We appreciated having a quiet
place to eat all by ourselves. Fun and sticky
fingers was enjoyed by all.
Left to Right-Connie Turner, Earl Mizuguchi,
Pat Parsons, Teri Butcher, Maggie Iller, Jim
Oswald, Judie Cordy, Lynne and Stephen
Kinsey. Amy Mizuguchi not shown.
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Classes in: Computer Skills, Cameras, iPads, iPods, for Adults 50+.
Four sessions of classes are held annually at the Willow Glen Community Center at 2175 Lincoln
Avenue (at Curtner). The computer lab and auditorium are looped. January registration is 1/10/2015.
Session 1 – 2015 class offerings will be on the website by 12/26/2014, or call 408-371-3991. Willows
SeniorNet Learning Center San Jose is a 100% volunteer, nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization that
provides low-cost, high-quality instruction in computer literacy and skills to adults age 50 and
over. Since 1994, more than 15,000 adults have taken classes with us.
The web address: http://www.snlcsj.org/willows.
Deep Sleep in the Big Apple
By Nanci Linke-Ellis
(reprinted from the HLAA CA Newsletter)
Life in the pre-digital, uncaptioned world was always an experience. And being young, fearless, and
definitely clueless in the 1970’s was not always a good combination. I didn’t really overthink my hearing
loss. That’s not to say, I didn’t stress about it, but once I was hired to do something -- whether it required
working ears or not -- I forged ahead.
I was hired to work as a production assistant on a live television special in New York. For reasons too
numerous to go into here, the entire videotaped event was a sheer disaster. What was intended as a live
two-hour star-studded event, turned into an overnight marathon of technical mishaps and producerinduced blunders. The network had us all stay in the New York Hilton for the event. (This way they
guaranteed we’d never leave until it was over).
Exhausted, we finally ended at 3 am, and I got to bed around 4 am. Checkout was 12 noon. In the preADA kit era, there were no wake-up solutions. Nor did I have any intention of waking up until I was good
and ready. Fast forward to a few hours later. I slowly opened my eyes as I felt a set of gentle hands on my
shoulders. Someone was pulling the sheets off of me. I thought it was my husband rousing me. Instead, I
looked into the eyes of 4 or 5 Hilton Hotel housekeepers. All I saw was the rainbow logos on their
uniforms. As bizarre as it sounds now, in my fog, I asked them, “May I help you?” They screamed and fled
the room. I thought that was odd. I headed to the bathroom, all the lights in the room were blazing, drapes
opened wide, message light flashing on the phone. Also, the security lock on the door was cut. I recalled
that the room wasn’t like this when I went to bed the night before. This was even weirder, I thought.
I threw my clothes together, put on my hearing aids, and went downstairs to check out. The front desk
attendants passed alarmed, awkward looks amongst themselves and checked me out fast as fast as they
could. They mumbled, “Thank you for staying at the New York Hilton”, handed me the bill, and rushed
away. I shrugged it off, grabbed a cab, and went home where I slept the rest of the day.
A few days later, I lunched with the Associate Producer for a post-mortem and to discuss the show edit
schedule. I related my departure from the hotel and her mouth flew open with a gasp. “That was you?” she
said. “You were the suicide?” “Huh?” I replied. There was brouhaha at the desk as she had checked out.
Security was escorting maintenance people with a lock cutter upstairs. The lobby crowd had mumbled
“Guess it’s another suicide.” She was shocked at the time.
Despite a pair of hearing aids parked right next to me on the night table, the thought never occurred to the
staff that I might have been deaf. They looked for evidence that I had killed myself, or worse, had been
murdered without any evident mess or fuss. I guessed that they never read the deaf versions of Sleeping
Beauty.
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Executive Board
Date: ____________________ New________Renewal ________
0Name: _______________________________________________
Co-President408-997-6377
Earl Mizuguchi
[email protected]
Co-President408-872-2395
Maggie Iller
[email protected]
Address: _____________________________________________
Past President408-923-9205
______________________________________________________
1st Vice President831-471-8625
Pat Parsons
[email protected]
2nd Vice PresidentH-408-376-0786
Mike Davis
W-408-866-0141
City, State, Zip: ________________________________________
Telephone : ___________________________________________
E-mail: _______________________________________________
Membership Information is kept Confidential
Birthday: His_________________
Hers__________________
Month and Day
Judie Cordy
[email protected]
Secretary408-265-4038
Lynne Kinsey
[email protected]
Treasurer408-997-6377
Amy Mizuguchi
[email protected]
Month and Day
Committee Chairs
DUES:
Silicon Valley Chapter Membership Dues
Includes bi-monthly Newsletter
☐ $15 Individual/Couple/Family
HLAA Membership (National) includes Hearing Loss
Magazine bi-monthly and The Hearing Loss Californian
quarterly
☐ $20 Student
☐ $45 Couple
☐ $35 Individual
☐ $60 Professional
Advocacy and OutreachH-408-376-0786
Mike Davis
W-408-866-0141
Cheer & Courtesy408-629-2428
Evelyn Taravella
[email protected]
Dining Out/Social-
OPEN
Historian-
OPEN
Hospitality and WelcomeStonehouse
Memorial Donation: _____________
Library408-265-4038
Chapter Donation: ______________
Looping Initiative-
Scholarship Fund: ______________
Newsletter-
Jenny
408-448-5280
Lynne Kinsey
[email protected]
OPEN
Teri Butcher
[email protected]
TOTAL ENCLOSED $ ___________
We are a 501(c) (3) Exempt Organization. Your dues and
Donations may be tax deductible
Mail to:
Publicity and White ElephantDorothy Mensinger
408-251-9055
[email protected]
Make checks payable to:
HLAA-SV
Scholarship408-997-6377
Amy Mizuguchi-Treasurer
6136 Oak Forest Way
San Jose, CA 95120
Sound Systems408-978-1189
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Earl Mizuguchi
[email protected]
Jim Oswald
[email protected]
In Remembrance
Rufus Olan "Wes" Wesley
June 24, 1933 - Oct. 27, 2014
Wes was born in central Texas
near Waco. He was preceded in death by
his twin brother "Nolan" in 1996. He is
survived by his wife Rose Marie, son
Victor, daughters Lisa and Victoria, two
grandsons Kyle and Jacob Jordan.
Wes spent 35 years in the air
conditioning industry of which 32 were
with CAL AIR and 18 as a service
manager. He was a member of Plumbers,
Steamfitters, and Refrigeration Fitters
Local Union 46 in San Mateo County,
including 20 years on the JATC. After
retiring in 1992, he became a member of
the Federation of Retired Union Members
"FORUM" currently as past president.
He was very active in the South
Bay Labor Council. Also, he also was a
very active member of the Silicon Valley
Chapter of the Hearing Loss Assoc. of
America.
Wes enjoyed his free time with his loving
family and friends, camping, fishing, and
traveling. He will be dearly missed by all
of us.
See more at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercury
news/obituary.aspx?pid=172998587#stha
sh.x7dn5YEE.dpuf
www.valleyvillageretirement.com
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Cont.
DISCLAIMER
Opinions
Expressed in
Articles
appearing in this
newsletter are
those of the
author.
Mention of goods
and services in
articles and
advertisements
does not mean
HLAA-SV
endorsement, nor
should exclusion
suggest
disapproval.
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245 Hazelton Court
Morgan Hill, CA
Your dues help support our chapter!
Hearing Loss Association of America websitehttp://hearingloss.org/
Shirley Donkers, Kaz Hamano,
Gerald Preston, Margie Stephen, Jennie
Stonehouse, and Ted Witrykus.
HLAA-SV Chapter info on the HLAA CA websitehttp://www.hearinglossca.org/chapters/siliconvalley-chapter
THANK YOU FOR RENEWING!!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING
Meets every 1st Wednesday of the
month, September through June
SAN JOSE MASONIC CENTER
In the Library
At 10:00 a.m.
Come Join Us and Get Connected to
Your Chapter!
MONTHLY CHAPTER MEETINGS
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of
the month, September through June
Meetings start at 1:00 p.m.
Captioning and Looping are provided.
San Jose Masonic Center
2500 Masonic Drive (on top of the Hill)
San Jose, CA 95125
Everyone is Welcome to Attend!