Friday, September 6, 2019

DSA Northwest Daily News

Friday, September 6, 2019 -- Issue #5

Interpreter Provided in Sheraton Lobby 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM & Starbucks 7:00 -9:00 AM

 

Friday's Highlights - September 6

• Conference Registration Open 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Various Workshops 9:00 - 11:45 AM and 1:30 - 2:45 PM
• HOT Tours: 8:00 AM - Mt. Rainier National Park, 1:30 PM - Starbucks Private Tour. (Must buy tickets online.)
• Exhibits & Trade Show 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Silent Auction 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM / Pick-Up Items 3:00 - 5:00 PM
• Sports Luncheon ($$) - Guest Speaker TBA will be a Seattle Seahawks Alum!
• Gallaudet "Sweet Re-Treat" with Gally President Cordano 6:00 - 7:30 PM
• DSA/DSA 2019 Live Auction - 7:30 - 10:00 PM
• Chat - Willow Room, 2nd Floor 8:00 - 11:00 PM (Conference registrants only)

Friday's Weather Forecast 

Mostly sunny. High of 81'F

Announcements & Housekeeping

• CHANGE OF VENUE! By popular demand, Dr. Jaime Wilson's workshop "Risk Factors for Dementia Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing" has been moved to the Grand Ballroom A/B on the 2nd floor. Please note the room change. The time is 10:30 - 11:45 AM.
• ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP: A repeat of the the popular workshop, "Living Wills and the Power of Attorney" will be presented by Michael Izak, Seattle's own Deaf lawyer, will be held in the Grand Ballroom A/B at 9:00 AM today.
• CLARIFICATION: The correct time for the Sports Luncheon today is 11:30 AM in Grand Ballroom D. 
• Unfortunately, Marina Fanshteyn, who twice presented on "Diabetes and Myths," is unable to repeat her workshop a third time because she is unable to change her flights at the last minute.
• DEADLINE! Silent Auction closes today at 1:00 PM
• BANQUET DEADLINE: If you are planning on attending the Gala Banquet tonight and have not yet picked your menu choice (Salmon, Chicken, or Vegetarian/Vegan) please see Rebecca Farovitch and let her know your choice by 5:00 PM tomorrow (Saturday).
• DSA Conference Registration is in the Spruce Room on the 2nd floor. Ride up the escalator  one flight from the lobby and turn around the corner on the left.
• If you have any questions regarding your hotel bill, please stop by the front desk Wednesday - Saturday between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM to straighten things out. The Sheraton is trying to avoid a huge rush of people on Sunday when everyone is trying to check out and catch planes, etc.
• DSA NEEDS YOU! New DSA Officers and Board members sought. Elections are at the end of the week and the deadline for your completed nomination form is 10:00 AM TODAY. Candidates may also be nominated by a member at the DSA General Meeting. Nomination forms are available in the Exhibit Hall at the DSA Booth. Check below to learn the latest on the candidate status.
• An ASL interpreted AA meeting will be held this morning (Friday) from 7:00 - 8:00 AM at the Denny Park Lutheran Church, about a 15 minute walk from the Sheraton Hotel. The address is:  766 John Street, Seattle. Questions: Please contact Laurel at  VP 206-452-0186.
• Silent Auction Closes at 1:00 PM today!
• Gallaudet President Roberta Cordano will be speaking at DSA today at 6:00 PM in the Grand Ballroom. You won't want to miss the "Sweet Re-Treat."
• REQUEST: If you were on the Dinner Cruise on Wednesday night and have any photos you would be willing to share on this blog, please send them to Sara at the NW Daily News (sarageballe@gmail.com) 

Guess Who Came to DSA? Melissa Yingst!
(Videographed by RaeVern DuMond)

John Taft interviews Melissa Yingst 

Don't Forget... Silent Auction Ends TODAY at 1:00 PM
Photos by RaeVern DuMond

Silent Auction in the Metropolitan Room at the back of the Exhibit Hall.

DSA Board Needs You! Candidate Status Update

So far the following members have offered to run for DSA Board positions:

President:

Alfred Sonnenstrahl

Vice President:

Phil Aielio

Secretary:

Ellen Scheppach

Board Member:

Lance Fischer

Elaine Navratil

Marcia Nowak

If you would also like to “throw your hat into the ring” as a candidate for one of these positions, please pick up and fill out a DSA Nomination form the at DSA Welcome Table table on the second floor.

HOT Tours Today
(See Monday NW Daily News for full HOT Tours schedule)

Meet at Starbucks in hotel lobby 15 minutes before departure!

8:00 AM Mt. Rainier National Park Tour - with RONISE

1:30 PM Starbucks Headquarters Tour - with PATTY

Photos from Wednesday/Thursday HOT Tours

Chihuly  Garden Tour (photo by Dan)

Snoqualmie Falls & Wineries Tour (photos by Darren)

Starbucks Thursday Tour (photos by Patty)

Housing Rights for Deaf Seniors

By Rosemary DiSiervi

     Craig Waletzko, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC), and Howard Rosenblum, Staff Attorney for NAD, jointly conducted a workshop titled: Fair Housing Rights for Deaf Seniors. Their goal was to inform DSA members about today’s fair housing rules and laws and our rights as Deaf individuals.  

     They provided informational materials as well as referrals to organizations that can assist with our needs. Craig and Howard both emphasized why it is so important to create an effective communication plan if and when the times comes to move into an assisted living facility or a nursing home.

    To illustrate this, Craig and Howard showed the film, “A Home for Henry.” Here is the YouTube link: 

https://youtu.be/E2XDMvIenEg.  

     If you have any questions about fair housing, please feel free to go to the NAD booth in the 3^rd floor Exhibit Hall. The staff there will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Craig Waletzko & Howard /Rosenblum (photo by Mirna Castrejon)

Workshops Aplenty on Thursday

Photos by RaeVern DuMond, Sally Taylor, Nikki Ekle, and Mirna Castrejon

"Living Wills & Power of Attorney" with Michael Izak

"Declutter Mind Map" with Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick

"Igniting Your Desire to Dream" with Laura Brecheen

"Planned Giving & Your Legacy" with Jonathan Cetrano and Greg Hlibok

"Scam & Frauds - The Latest" with Andy Lange

"Your Rights to Access and FCC" with Suzy Rosen Singleton

"Google Slides" with Karen Beiter

Myths & Truths about Sugar & Diabetes" with Marina Fanshteyn

"Moving Forward On You Own" with Kathleen M. Rehl

Disaster Survivors Panel with Donna Platt & Jim House

Panelists: Jerry Cohen, Patricia Bailey and Kathy French (photo by Bonnie Rudy)

"Communicating in the Digital Age" with Ryan Bondroff & Arthur Moore

"Senior Companion Service" with Deborah O'Willow

10 Minute Warning!

Break Time!

Don't Forget:  We Want Your Conference Photos!

     Since arriving at the DSA Conference, have you taken some fun photos you would like to share with the rest of us? Please email your best photos with captions to DSA NW Daily News at sarageballe@gmail.com. We will do our best to include as many as we can.

Quotes From DSA Attendees

Younisi Hunter - Recently moved to Tacoma, Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. 
“Wonderful experience to be here!”

Deborah Cannady - Retired accountant with US Department of Veterans Affairs from Stevensville, Maryland.
“The best Deaf friendly workshop for learning about wills.”

Nancy Rourke - Artist from Colorado
“Great accessibility needs for Deaf people in the exhibit room.”

Felix Macias - Yaquai-Mexican from Portland, Oregon. Works as a caregiver.
“Champ workshop about caregivers.”


Twins!
Did you know there are a pair of identical twins here at DSA this week? Meet Dianna Scott and Deanna Kuhn from Kentucky. Do you know which one is which? (Hint: Zoom in on their name badges to find out.)

Which one is Deanna and which one is Dianna???

************************************************************** Sports Luncheon Today at 11:30 Grand Ballroom D            [ASL Interpreted & CART]

     As of press time on Thursday afternoon, we still didn't know which Seahawk Alum would be speaking at today's Sports Luncheon. But what we do know for sure is Robert Born will give some of his personal reflections on sports. He will be followed by Mike Flood of CenturyLink Field and the Deaf man who designed CenturyLink, Jason Biglianco! You'll have to come and join us to find out which Seahawk Alum you will meet!

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Sampling of Friday Workshops... 

(Be sure to review your Conference Program Book for a complete listing of all workshops.)

Social Security??? What Can You Do Online?                         9:00 AM    Kirkland Room

     Do you always struggle trying to get answers from Social Security? Come and find out how to set up your Social Security account online so you can get the answers to many of your questions from your computer at home. Do you need to report a change of address, the death of a spouse, are you moving into senior housing? Join Nancy Opheikens and Ann Mohageri, who both work for Social Security, to learn important tips on easily working with Social Security online.

Is Hospice For Me? End of Life Planning                              9:00 AM     Greenwood Room

     Do you know what a “Death Doula” is? It’s a non-medical person who is trained for someone as they prepare to die. They are sometimes called soul midwives, transition guides, death coaches, death midwives, or end of life guides. Learn about this practice from Jazzy Jones. She will also discuss hospice care and end of life planning.

Learn About ADWAS Services &                                             10:30 AM    Greenwood Room
Different Forms of Abuse                                                        

     Join ADWAS (Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services) staff Jimel Wright and Jennifer Mendoza-Morales in recognizing abuse, violence, and trauma in our communities. With knowledge you can be part of the change towards healing. 

The Journey Through Grieving                                                    1:30 PM     Issaquah Room

     Join presenters Char Parsley, Elaine Navratil, and Vicki Moseley as their share their personal stories of loss, grieving, coping, and healing. Char lost two family members on the same day. Elaine cared for her husband for many years after he was badly burned in a car accident as his health slowly declined. And Vicki lost her husband suddenly. All will share their coping strategies for working through their pain and moving on with their lives.

Last Chance for the Silent Auction...

     It's not too late. Feast your eyes on gorgeous gift baskets, fine wine, handmade crafts, charming garden decorations, sports memorabilia, lovely wall hangings, and much more. Bidding closes at 3:00 PM today in the Exhibit Hall. All Silent Auction lucky winners can pick up their items between 3:00 - 5:00 PM.

"Sweet Re-treat" with Gallaudet Prez Cordano

     Come meet Gallaudet President Roberta Cordano from 6:00 - 7:30 PM in Grand Ballroom A/B.

Don't Miss Tonight's Live Auction Starting at 7:30 PM

     DSA auctioneers Phil Aiello and Sally Taylor will get the bidding started at 7:30 PM at tonight's Live Auction joined hosted by the DSA National Board and DSA Seattle 2019.. Amazing prizes await you, including: a week-long stay at a private villa in Los Cabos, Mexico; a beautiful and relaxing beach weekend on Lummi Island near Bellingham; unique artwork by Deaf artists Erik Jensen and Matt Willahan (see articles below), and a unique handmade quilt depicted the beauty of Washington State. You won't want to leave empty-handed! 

Beautiful handmade quilt

How about bidding a dream vacation in Cabo?

Thursday Night was SEAGO Game Night

Photos by Mirna Castrejon

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Two Deaf Artists Featured in Tonight's Live Auction

Meet Erik Jensen

     Two of Erik's original artworks will be available for you to bid on at this evening's Live Auction.

     Erik Jensen is a Deaf artist who creates unique upcycled art pieces made from the keys of old computer keyboard that have been trashed. They are parts that even recycling companies cannot reuse. Erik takes the old keyboards, popping off the keys, cleaning them, and sorts them. Then he carefully dyes the keys using his own perfected technique so that the letters, numbers, and other characters on each computer key is not erased or smudged. He creates a rainbow of colors.

     The keys are like his mosaic tiles and the building blocks for any artwork he creates. Erik figures out which keys he wants to lay where and one-by-one glues each computer key tile into place. Each computer key is like laying down a pixel of color, so that when viewed up close, the artwork looks very pixelated and then when viewed from a distance it transforms itself into a whole and complete image.

     Erik started this work when he was still a college student at Utah Valley University and his professor asked the class “to make art from things no longer wanted.” Erik started experimenting with old computer keyboards and thinking the individual keys could be his preferred medium. He really likes the idea taking things that are not valuable (recycled waste) and making them valuable.

     Today Erik receives huge numbers of keyboards from recycling companies. Some of the keyboards date back to the 1980s and 1990s and come from many different brands of computers. This means the computer keys come in of all different shapes, sizes, and heights. His finished artworks are never flat.

Eric with John Taft, Sally Taylor, and Lucy Taylor.

     When Erik is in the actual process of designing a new work of art and playing the dyed computer keys on his canvas, he removes his cochlear implant because he prefers to work in complete silence and let his hands feel the design as he places one key down at a time. He also enjoys using the letters printed on the computer keys to hide words or phrases in each artwork.

     Erik can reproduce famous works of art by the Masters – from Michaelangelo to to Van Gogh to Jackson Pollack, or he can create virtually any kind of image customers want. 

Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

     Be sure to see lots of examples of Erik’s artwork on his website:  www.erikjensenart.com, and definitely check out Erik’s video on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/seektheworld2015/videos/1831672483614830/

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Meet Matt Willahan

     Two of Matt's original artworks will be available for you to bid on at this evening's Live Auction.

     Meet Matt Willahan, artist owner of All About Pallets. Matt uses wooden pallets as the basis for all his projects – from original artwork to hang on your wall to all sorts of wooden furniture. The pallets he uses have been abandoned and no longer in use. Matt’s motto it: “Saving Trees – One Pallet at a Time.” Two of Matt’s unique pieces, made from wooden pallets, metal, and paint, will be up for bid at the DSA Live Auction today. 

John Taft holding one of Matt's artworks to be auctioned today!

     To learn more about this talented Deaf artist, look at this video on Facebook: www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=seek%20the%20world%20Matt%20%20Willahan&epa=SEARCH_BOX. Or visit Matt’s website at www.allaboutpallets.com
. 
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Fun Shots In & Around DSA
Photos by the DSA NW Daily News Staff

Your DSA Northwest Daily News Staff
We are located in the Ballard Room on the 3rd floor of the Sheraton. Drop by and see us!

Rosemary

Cindy

Sara

(Special thanks to Stephen Hucke for his technical assistance with videos & YouTube)

Stephen Hucke

Your DSA Northwest Daily News Staff

We are located in the Ballard Room on the 3rd floor of the Sheraton. Drop by and see us!
Editor: Sara Geballe, sarageballe@gmail.com 

Contributors:  Mirna Castrejon, Rosemary DiSiervi, RaeVern DuMond, Nikki Ekle, Cindy Cox McNeely, Linda Reaves-Randall, Van Scheppach, John Taft, and Sally Taylor.
Technical Support: Stephen Hucke, IT/Visual Communications Specialist at Tilikum