Where did the months get their names?
The Romans borrowed parts of their earliest known calendar from the Greeks. The calendar consisted of 10 months in a year of 304 days. The Romans seem to have ignored the remaining 61 days, which fell in the middle of winter. The 10 months were named Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. The last six names were taken from the words for five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Romulus, the legendary first ruler of Rome, is supposed to have introduced this calendar in the 700’s B.C.E. Later, Quintilis was changed to July in honor of Julius Caesar and August was added to honor Augustus Caesar. http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-roman.html
The President’s Message
I hope everyone enjoyed our summer hiatus and is ready to meet on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10:30 in the Candler Heart and Lung building. Cheryl Brackin has arranged for our speaker: Anne Thompson, head of the physical therapy department at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Anne is very informed about post polio and will be showing us some exercises we can do to stay healthy, build stamina, and handle pain. She is aware that each of is physically challenged, and she will offer a range of exercises to meet our needs and limitations. After her talk and demonstration, we will have a question and answer session.
Over the summer several exciting events took place.
- Dianne Falgiano audited our books and gave them a good rating.
- Dianne also donated a scooter to CEPSA.
- Richard Graham has two scooters ready for use.
- Marty Foxx wrote and mailed in a grant request to the Knox Foundation.
- An anonymous donor gave us $500.00.
- Barry Turner gave CEPSA a donation.
- Cheryl Brackin gave a donation to CEPSA to honor Dianne Falgiano’s gift of a scooter. Cheryl uses the scooter at work.
- Sally Luck donated a scooter.
- Seventeen of us in July and eight of us in August met at Johnny Harris’ Restaurant for good food and lots of talk. A good time was had by all.
CEPSA also had some losses this summer.
- Jack Lightfoot, a member from Tiger, GA, passed away in his home.
- David Smith, from Brunswick, also passed away this summer.
- Velma Underwood’s brother also passed away.
- Dan Shehan’s brother also passed away.
- Patrina Johnson’s sister passed away.
Our sympathy and prayers are with the families.
June 28th Monthly Meeting
Since there were no minutes taken at this meeting I will try and relate what a very informative meeting we had. The meeting was called to order by Sandra Bath and after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, Dan Shehan introduced our speaker Mr. James Aberson. Mr. Aberson is the ADA Coordinator for Chatham County. He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Georgia. He has over twenty years of experience as a disability advocate. He strives to work with governments and institutions to ensure that they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He started out explaining exactly what his duties entailed and how he was going about correcting the buildings or businesses that are not in compliance with the ADA Act. He stated that he has corrected over 85% of the violations he has encountered, but there was still much more work to do. He explained what our rights were and what we might reasonably expect from problems we encounter. All problems cannot be solved immediately.
He then opened the meeting up for questions. We all had many questions regarding problems that we have come across in everyday life that has stymied us. He explained that not all were related or covered by the ADA Act. There are many exemptions.
He ended by asking us to help him find any problems that exist and to bring it to his attention. He promised he would personally look into them. He gave us his email address to notify him directly. JEAberso@chathamcounty.org.
After Sandra had a short business meeting and then she adjourned the meeting.
Voluntary Dues of $15.00 may be paid at any time throughout the year to Marty Foxx; her mailing address is: 21 East 61st Street, Savannah, GA 31405
Bylaw amendment proposal
The bylaws committee and the Board of Directors realized that there was no mention of what would constitute a quorum at a Board of Directors meeting. The committee is submitting this proposal for the general membership to vote upon at the September meeting.
Under Article V – Officers, Section A, No. 5
5. QUORUM – At a Board of Directors meeting the number of Directors present, which shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, shall be one (1) more than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of board members.
Maybe too late for this year, but file away for next year!
Is available to use at Tybee Island -Call Amy
A DAY AT THE BEACH, LLC
This is the only rental company in the Coastal Empire that specializes in wheelchairs designed specifically for use on the beach. The construction and wheel designed allow for simple negotiation through both soft and hard packed sand. For more information email: amyrosene@aim.com
www.hhibeachwheelchairandbikerental.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Americans with Disabilities Act: Assistance at Self-Serve Gas Stations
People with disabilities may find it difficult or impossible to use the controls, hose, or nozzle of a self-serve gas pump. As a result, at stations that offer both self and full service, people with disabilities might have no choice but to purchase the more expensive gas from a full-serve pump. At locations with only self-serve pumps, they might be unable to purchase gas at all.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires self-serve gas stations to provide equal access to their customers with disabilities. If necessary to provide access, gas stations must –
a.. Provide refueling assistance upon the request of an individual with a disability. A service station or convenience store is not required to provide such service at any time that it is operating on a remote control basis with a single employee, but is encouraged to do so, if feasible.
b.. Let patrons know (e.g., through appropriate signs) that customers with disabilities can obtain refueling assistance by either honking or otherwise signaling an employee.
c.. Provide the refueling assistance without any charge beyond the self-serve price.
If you have additional questions concerning the ADA, you may call the Department of Justice’s ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TDD) or access the ADA Home Page at: (www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm).
Submitted by Beverly Jarvis
About our Newsletter …..
As the cost of postage keeps going up, the cost to CEPSA for mailing our Newsletter has become a large expense. This month, besides receiving your September Newsletter by mail I am also going to be sending it to you by email. You should receive it a few days after you receive your mailed copy. Please read it and print it out if you like. The attachment you receive should be exactly as this copy. If you have an email address and do NOT receive it, it is because I do not have your address. Please email me back with your address or any concerns you might have with receiving the Newsletter in this format. We will discuss this at our September meeting. If you are agreeable with this format we might be able to save enough in postage to purchase a few more scooters!!!
QUOTE of the MONTH
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
In light of recent efforts by Richard, many of us will be addressing this question.
Polio Survivors Ask…
Nancy Baldwin Carter, BA, M Ed Psych, Omaha, Nebraska, (n.carter@cox.net)
Q: I’m in the market for either a power chair or a scooter and am trying to make up my mind which would be better for me. I’ve heard there’s a stigma associated with using a power chair rather than a scooter. What’s that about?
A: Stigma? Really? I’ve used a power chair for over fifteen years, and I’ve never heard of this. It’s hard to imagine that something giving me the sense of joy and freedom my chair does could somehow brand me as unacceptable.
Is it possible others think ill of me not because I’m obnoxious or disagreeable, but simply because I use a power chair? I needed to check.
First stop: Talk with crackerjack experts. Goal: See if there is anything inherent in power chairs that could cause me shame or humiliation.
Their responses in a nutshell: Chairs are better for people with less mobility, for easier transferring, can turn on a dime, and can go places where scooters can’t.
On the other hand, scooters are fine for people who require less support, they weigh less than power chairs, usually take less effort to load, and cost considerably less than chairs.
Or not. Assessments differ. It’s smart to do the homework, test what’s in the showroom, and then ask for a trial run at home or at work before making a purchase. Lifestyle is a determinant. Needs differ. Comfort counts. To each his own.
Still, nothing in the equipment spells STIGMA. Could the problem lie in how the polio survivor in that chair is perceived?
Time for a small, informal poll. Thirty non-polio individuals were asked three questions to determine what using a power chair rather than a scooter says about the individual using the chair.
The results: About 43% believe those using power chairs are unable to walk much or are more disabled than those using scooters—who are considered to have trouble walking or to be less disabled (46%) and also to be elderly, overweight, or in one case, lazy. About 26% say those using power chairs are the same as those who use scooters. Others think people using power chairs are interested in keeping their independence or want to be active.
Forthright and thoughtful answers. Power chair users are not characterized in a derogatory way. No attempt is made to humiliate or condemn. If there is power chair stigma here, it’s not coming from these respondents.
Does this mean I’ll never see a shopper at the market stare as my power chair zips me down the aisle? Of course not. People are curious—a woman wearing an Eiffel Tower hat, a street brawl—anything different draws attention. And there’s a mean-spirited jerk in every crowd. But if I find stigma here, it’s only in MY mind. It’s merely what I THINK—it is not a FACT.
Accepting disability can be tough. Coming to terms with who we are often requires making formidable choices, dealing honestly with our very souls. In the end we must come out whole.
Why not help people understand? If they see enough of us tooling around in our power chairs, we’ll no longer be a curiosity. No need for our defensiveness.
What we can’t do is perpetuate this “stigma” myth. It’s said that if you tell people something long enough, they’ll believe it. Do we really want to play into the hands of discrimination like this? What do we expect of others, if we ourselves keep repeating such specious nonsense?
So to answer your question: There ain’t nothin’ to it.
Nancy Baldwin Carter, B.A, M.Ed.Psych, from Omaha, Nebraska, is a polio survivor, a writer, and is founder and former director of Nebraska Polio Survivors Association.
Source: Post-Polio Health International
Belated birthday wishes ……
July 21 – Cornelia Rollins
August
Dave Vance – 1
Gene Goff – 7
Angelo Foster – 8
Tony Calandra – 11
Idella White – 21
Ron Gay – 26
Jim Veccia, – 27
Bob Parkhurst – 29
Happy birthday wishes ……
September
James Smith – 3
Cheryl Brackin – 6
Danny Jenkins – 10
George Frick – 11
Ed Luck – 11
Betty Johnson – 16
Patrina Johnson – 19
Gene Jarvis – 22
Richard Hall – 24
Dot Parkhurst – 27
A note from Nancy
August 4, 2008
Dear Sandra and CEPSA,
I would like to take a moment to thank you for the scooter you gave me to use. To just say thank you for such a generous gift seems inadequate. With your help, I will now be able to go places where I have been limited because of my scoliosis and inability to walk very far. Steve and I can now enjoy doing these things together.
Attending your meeting and lovely lunch July 26th was not short of a miracle for me.
Love, Nancy Hess (Statesboro, GA)
Member Concerns
Cheryl Brackin, Diane Davis,
Richard Graham Beverly Polin
Adrienne Stallworth, Velma Underwood
Harvey Varnadoe
It Was Our Past That Brought Us Here Today
by Ruth Parham
It was our past that makes us fight the way we do today. It was our past that makes us care for one another the way we do. It was our past that brings to our remembrance the sounds of iron lungs and the smell of a cast being removed—the sound of the drill and hoping it doesn’t cut all the way through.
It was our past that brings on this second coming of what’s called post-polio syndrome. It was our past the brought us back together at a hospital where we all ended up. And now we hold each other up and know more about ourselves than the doctors do.
It is our future to keep searching for the survivors that still don’t know what is happening to their bodies now. If it were not for our past, our paths would not have led us to meet the best polio survivors in the world. It was your past, my past, his past, and her past that brought us here together today.
Living with Polio in the 21st Century …..
Go to the website below and read about the Post- Polio International conference at Warm Springs.
www.post-polio.org
CONTRIBUTIONS The Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association is a non-profit corporation which is tax exempt under IRS code 501c(3). We have no paid employees, only volunteers dedicated to helping all polio survivors.
Your financial support is appreciated at any level suggested below:
* CEPSA Member – $15.00 annual voluntary donation
* CEPSA Supporter – $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $300.00
* CEPSA Memorial or Honor Gift – any amount
* CEPSA Sponsor – any amount
Your contributions are tax deductible and will be acknowledged appropriately.
Please complete this form and mail it along with your check to: CEPSA, Marty Foxx, 23 East 61st Street, Savannah, GA31405.
Name __________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________
City ___________________ State_____________ Zip ___________
Phone _______________________ E-mail _________________________________
Are you a relative or friend of a CEPSA member, if so _________________________________
Name of member
Thank you for your support and encouragement.