March 14, 2008
This is the weekly e-mail newsletter from the Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Volunteers needed for State Tournament
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1. Legislators invited to March Board of MR/DD meeting
Our state legislators are being invited to attend the March Board meeting, March 17. The event will be part of our commemoration of MR/DD Awareness Month. Prior to the Board meeting, legislators will be taken on a tour of Educare followed by a visit to the Hill Avenue facility. The Board meeting will begin at 5:30 at Hill. Plans for this special event are still being developed. Circle the date and join the Board for its March meeting. Hopefully, the more people present, the more impact it will have on legislators that mr/dd issues should receive priority attention. Remember, the location for the meeting has changed to Lott Industries on Hill.
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2. The Mobility Alliance Opposes - House Bill 480
The Mobility Alliance opposes Ohio House Bill 480. The bill, if passed, would give political entities / suburbs that are members of TARTA the right to withdraw unilaterally from this Regional Transit Authority (RTA). The Mobility Alliance believes this action, if taken, would ultimately undermine local transportation options for individuals with disabilities, first-time workers, senior citizens, and others who depend on public transportation in their daily lives.
While the bill’s major sponsors have characterized this bill as a “voters’ rights issue,” the members of the Mobility Alliance fear this proposal may result in its members losing the ability to move about freely within the communities in pursuit of employment, medical assistance, education, family visits and social opportunities.
"The bill’s enactment will threaten available public transportation to individuals in Northwest Ohio who rely on this service, without providing a plan to fill the gap. TARTA has been assembled with great skill and care over the years and currently provides effective public transit options. We need assistance to improve, not eliminate. To deny our members transit services now will disrupt lives and, in many instances, will make it difficult for our members to maintain their standard of living."
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3. Recreation/Leisure information
The IREC committee has another fun event for adults coming up on March
31. Bingo Bonanza! See attached for
more information.
CheerWorks Gym has a cheer team for kids with Special Needs called Sparklers. They meet on Mondays from 6-7:30 pm. There is no membership fee or competition fee. CheerWorks is at 5270 Lewis Ave, Toledo. For more information contact Brittany Gessner at 419 476-6764, or go to www.Sparksignite.com
Gliding Stars is a not for profit organization that provides adapted ice skating instruction to kids and adults with disabilities. There is a Gliding Stars group that has been meeting in Findlay for a few years. A local group is now forming. They must have a certain number of skaters to begin their program, so if you are interested, please contact Bill Himmel, 419 882-1582 (himmel6163@verizon.net) or visit www.glidingstars.org. Skating instruction is scheduled to start in Sept. 2008 in Sylvania. There is a fee for this program, however, scholarships will be available.
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4. Volunteers needed for State Tournament
Volunteers are needed for the Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament in Bowling Green on March 28-29. An information flyer is attached.
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5. Self-Advocate Leadership Academy scheduled in April
The Arc of Lucas County is hosting a leadership academy for self-advocates. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays through April from 10:00 to 2:15 at the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, 5605 Monroe Street. All materials, a certificate of completion, and lunch at each session are provided for all participants. At the academy, sessions will focus on improving self-advocacy skills, learning about current issues in Ohio, and how to organize other self-advocates for action. Registration will be limited to 25. For more information or call 419-882-0941 ext. 1. An information flyer is attached.
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6. Second Core Values Survey
Families, providers and advocates are again being asked to participate in a survey to determine just how well the Board is addressing its Core Values:
The survey helps the Superintendent and Board plan for future services and supports. Surveys should be returned by March 28. If you did not receive a survey and would like to complete one, you can download it at www.lucasmrdd.com There are several discussion sessions scheduled to review the topics in this survey. They are scheduled throughout the community starting April 21. For a list of dates, times and locations check the website or call the Office of the Assistant Superintendent at 419-380-4000.
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7. Upcoming Events
The VSA Accessible Expressions Ohio 2008 Art Show Opening Ceremony that was scheduled for last weekend at the Toledo Botanical Gardens was canceled due to the weather. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 15 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Artists with disabilities throughout Ohio will have their artwork shown and judged. If you would like to attend the Opening Ceremony on 3/15/08 please RSVP to 614-241-5325, info@vsao.org. (If you RSVP'd for the 3/8 event, your name still remains on the list, no need to RSVP again). If you are unable to attend the Opening Ceremony, please plan on stopping by the Toledo Botanical Gardens Conference Center to see the artwork on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Saturdays for the rest of the month of March from 1:00 -5:00 pm.
Bittersweet invites you to explore successful ways of working with persons with autism by learning the methodology of support developed by Bittersweet Farms over 25 years. The interactive academy will be held on the 80 acre farm in Whitehouse, Ohio, Wednesday through Friday - April 2, 3, 4 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For more information or to access our brochure, go to www.bittersweetfarms.org
Superintendent John Trunk's next public forum will be April 8, 7:00 p.m., at the EduCare Center.
The annual Sibling Conference will be November 7-8 in Columbus. For more information visit the website.
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Please forward this newsletter to others interested in activities, events and issues concerning individuals in our community with mr/dd. To subscribe, send your e-mail address to comments@lucasmrdd.com
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