Deafweekly June 22, 2005

deafweekly

June 22, 2005
Vol. 1 No. 36

Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It is mailed to subscribers every Wednesday morning and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. For information, contact mail@deafweekly.com.

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NATIONAL
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SILENT NEWS DIRECTOR BREAKS SILENCE ON NEWSPAPER'S DEMISE

Nearly three years after the mysterious demise of Silent News, the newspaper's executive director broke her silence with a guest editorial in the June issue of SIGNews. Adele Wiggins, an interpreter whose deaf parents founded the deaf community newspaper in 1969, blamed the Internet and "escalating overhead and printing costs" for what she called the newspaper's "startling halt" in August 2002. Wiggins had taken control of Silent News in 1996 when her parents, Julius and Harriet Wiggins, decided to retire. She immediately fired the editor and relocated the business from Rochester, N.Y. to an office near her home in New Jersey. "I tried my best to reorganize the staff and set up shop, but it was no easy task," she said. "Every month's deadline caused stress in the office and it was difficult keeping expenses down." She admitted to changing the status of Silent News, which had operated as a non-profit corporation since 1975, to a private business in 2002, "with the belief that I could turn things around -- but that was not to happen."

HEAD OF BLIND SCHOOL NAMED INTERIM SCHOOL FOR DEAF SUPERINTENDENT

Carmen Grove Suminski, head of the North Dakota School for the Blind, has been named interim superintendent for the state's School for the Deaf. She began her new duties last week, the Grand Forks Herald reported, and will visit the school regularly while continuing to be based out of Grand Forks, at the School for the Blind. Suminski replaces Rocky Cofer, who resigned in May after 10 years with the school. State School Superintendent Wayne Sanstead said he has no intention of putting Suminski in the role permanently. "This is clearly an interim position," he said. Suminski, who has been with the School for the Blind since 1991, expects to work closely with Cofer during the transition. "I am not expert in deafness," she said. "I am in blindness."

BODY FOUND AT SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

Police in Sioux Falls, S.D. have arrested a man in connection with a body found yesterday morning at the South Dakota School for the Deaf. James Cottier, 35, of Rapid City, was arrested after an intense day of investigation, KELO-TV reported. Cottier and the victim, 35-year-old Cameron Redstar of Sioux Falls, were described by authorities as homeless. Authorities were able to track down the suspect by talking to the homeless community. Police say the suspect and victim knew each other, and that Cottier has spent time in the state penitentiary. He is expected in court today to face charges of murder and manslaughter.

MARYLAND APPEALS COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF GAY FATHER

A deaf gay father who was ordered to either give up his son or his partner won the right to a full evidentiary hearing from the Maryland Court of Appeals on Monday. According to the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, Ulf Hedberg and the boy's mother, Annica Detthow, separated in 1996 and Hedberg's partner, Blaise Delahoussaye, moved in with the father and son. In 2000, after Detthow sought custody of the boy, a Virginia judge awarded joint custody to the parents and gave Hedberg primary custody with the condition that Delahoussaye move out. The two men rented separate apartments and Hedberg filed a complaint, but it was dismissed without giving his lawyers a chance to present evidence. "The father is now given his day in court," said attorney Susan Sommer, who represents Hedberg and also works for the gay rights organization Lambda. The mother is represented by Liberty Counsel, a law firm that defends traditional families and marriage. Liberty Counsel president, Mathew Staver, said, "The facts will show that the best interests of the child dictate that the child should not be exposed to homosexual parents or homosexual activity."

MASSACHUSETTS DRIVER ARRESTED DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Damian Brown is expected to be arraigned tomorrow after being arrested last week during a traffic stop by a Massachusetts State Police trooper. According to The Boston Channel, Brown's arrest is being blamed on a failure to communicate. "I was arrested for simply a communication breakdown," said Brown. "The minute he got me out of the car, he immediately cuffed me. He doesn't read my (my Miranda rights). He doesn't explain why I had been arrested in the first place." Brown was released on his own recognizance after several hours in jail, and he faces charges of speeding and refusing to produce identification or a registration. State police would not comment on the investigation.

CALIFORNIA MAN BADLY BURNED, REMAINS IN COMA

Police in Lodi, Calif. are trying to find out how a deaf man was badly burned June 10 and learn if the fire was intentional or accidental. According to the Lodi News-Sentinel, Francisco Javier Rodriguez, 28, remained in a medically induced coma last week. Lodi Fire Department Capt. Bill Broderick said someone may have thrown a flammable substance on the victim, or he may have caught himself on fire while lighting a cigarette and wearing his mechanic's uniform. A witness to the incident who helped Rodriguez told police he mumbled something and pointed toward the back of a building, where the witness saw a black SUV drive away. Rodriguez's black Jeep Cherokee was found in north Stockton three days later, and police were looking for people who may have seen his vehicle over the weekend.

WOMAN MISSING NEAR FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

A woman described as nearly totally deaf was missing in the Flagstaff, Ariz. area yesterday. Mistie Jean McWhirter, 30, was last seen in the Woody Mountain area. According to KPHO-TV News, she is a white female, five-foot-one, 115-pounds with brown hair and eyes. Searchers were looking for her in an area southwest of Flagstaff, and anyone with information was asked to call the Coconino County Sheriff's Department.

TRAFFIC CAMERAS MAY BE INSTALLED NEAR ARIZONA SCHOOL

The city of Tucson, Ariz. may see its first photo-traffic-enforcement cameras installed by the end of the year due to concerns of police and officials at the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. An intersection near the school has long prohibited right turns on red to protect the students who cross there regularly. But more drivers are ignoring the signs, reported the Arizona Daily Star, leading school officials to ask the city to install photo-enforcement cameras. Such cameras are controversial due to concerns over privacy, cost and reliability, but one City Council member who voted against the cameras three months ago said the sensitivity of the location changes the issue. "We have a special population in a crosswalk that needs protection," said Councilman Jose Ibarra.

IOWA COLLEGE AWARDED FEDERAL GRANT FOR DEAF SERVICES CENTER

Des Moines Area Community College has been awarded a federal grant of nearly $400,000 to help create a Midwestern center for sign language education. The Iowa school plans to use the Department of Education funding as seed money to establish a Deaf Services Center, reported the Des Moines Register last week. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa democrat, announced the appropriation. Officials expect the center to provide interpreter training and support services for the deaf community. "There is a crucial need for interpreters for the deaf," said Steve Young, an ASL instructor at the college. "Our hope is to create a program that teaches interpreters the process at the top of their game." Young will spend the next two years working to get the center off the ground, and said about $4 million will be needed to hire instructors and construct a free-standing building.

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL'S GRADUATING CLASS 'UNUSUALLY INTERNATIONAL'

This year's graduating class at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf was "unusually international," reported the Providence Journal on Friday. Valedictorian Samyuktha Cherukuru came from India when she was 17, living with an aunt and uncle and riding a bus one hour each way for three years to attend the school. Classmate Jesus Colon, who gave the salutatorian's address, was born in the Dominican Republic and came to Rhode Island with his mother when he was 6. "I left my whole family behind to find a better future for him," said Viviana Salazar. Tema Kollie arrived nine years ago from Liberia, where she lost her mother in the Liberian civil war. Other graduates were born in Portugal, Thailand and Cape Verde. "It seems with each addition to the class, we, as a school, grew in richness and in character," said the school's interim director, John Plante.

WILDLIFE REFUGE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOCUSES ON DEAF AWARENESS

Representatives of the Wilson Regional Resource Center visited the Outer Banks in North Carolina recently to advise public service agencies on making their facilities and programs more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. According to the Outer Banks Sentinel of Nags Head, N.C., the team met with staff from the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to evaluate and improve the Visitor Center, North Pond Wildlife Trail and interpretive programs. A number of activities have been scheduled throughout the Outer Banks during Deaf Awareness Week, the last full week of September, "but we certainly want to encourage more awareness of the deaf and hearing-impaired all the time," said Stephanie Scott, the resource center's deaf services specialist.

NAD COMMITTEE SEEKS YOUR OPINION

The Fulton III Committee of the National Association of the Deaf is seeking feedback from people who are interested in the future of the NAD. Survey data collection began June 1 and will continue through November 20. "Survey feedback will help us greatly to develop recommendations for a new NAD vision for the year 2020" said Steven Florio, chairman of the committee, which will present its findings at the 2006 NAD conference in New Orleans. To take the short online survey, visit www.nad.org/f3survey.

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INTERNATIONAL
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REPORT SAYS LONDON TRANSPORT SYSTEM 'FAILING DEAF PEOPLE'

A report from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing says public transport services in London are failing deaf people. According to the Daily Mail, the report indicates that many deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel their safety is at risk due to a lack of suitable emergency procedures. The transportation system relies almost entirely on audible information and expects passengers to be able to hear announcements, the report claims. "It is really quite astounding that in the 21st century, one of the world's largest transport systems still relies almost entirely on its passengers being able to hear," said RNID chief executive John Low.

SCIENTISTS RECREATE SOUND DETECTORS USED BY CRICKETS

Laboratory scientists have recreated the super-sensitive sound detectors used by crickets, the London Daily Mail reported Monday. Crickets have a pair of hairy appendages on their abdomens called cerci, which can detect very small differences in air currents. Air currents drag on each of the hairs, sending nerve messages that allow the cricket to detect low-frequency sound with incredible sensitivity. Physicists at the University of Twente in the Netherlands have built their own version of the system with up to a few hundred artificial hairs, reported the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, and hope that studying the tiny artificial hairs will help lead to the development of new cochlear implants for the deaf.

INDIAN MAN'S SPEECH PROCESSOR STOLEN ABOARD TRAIN

A 19-year-old in India had the speech processor for his cochlear implant stolen while riding on a train last week. According to the New Delhi Indian Express, Vishal Gehani had just started to overcome lifelong deafness a year ago after receiving the implant. "Without this part, he is again deaf and dump [sic]," said his father, Bhagwan Gehani, who blames the train's staff for the theft. The family was sleeping in a private compartment with the hearing device in the handbag of Gehani's mother. When the handbag was discovered missing, the elder Gehani pulled the emergency stop chain in his own compartment and two others, but the train did not stop. He said the conductor and coach attendant refused to help him lodge a formal complaint, and railway police also would not assist him because he did not have the proper form. "I strongly feel that the entire running staff are all suspicious characters," he said.

FIJI COMPANY DONATES $2,000 TO PAY INTERPRETER'S SALARY

Three deaf students at Gospel High School in Fiji Island will be able to continue their studies next year, thanks to a $2,000 donation from Golden Manufacturers. The donation will be enough to cover the salary of sign-language interpreter Rita Miller for the rest of the year, said Sajendra Sharma, an officer with the Fiji Disabled People's Association. "We admire Ms. Miller's dedication in interpreting for deaf students so they may have a better future like everyone else," said Mohammed Ashif Razak, the company's managing director.

BASKETBALL CAMP FOR DEAF YOUTH KICKS OFF IN LITHUANIA

A basketball camp for deaf youth ages 14-18 that takes place this week in Vilnius, Lithuania was described by FIBA in Geneva, Switzerland as "the first international deaf youth camp ever in any deaf sport." The camp kicked off yesterday with 14 leaders and 75 participants from Balorussia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine. It runs through Sunday at the Sarunas Marciulionis Basketball Academy, and those involved will not only play basketball but also be informed about leadership roles, the risk of AIDS, doping and other issues. The camp is described as an experiment, and if successful it will be held every year at different places around the world.

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LIFE & LEISURE
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BABYSITTER'S LETTER PUBLISHED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE NEWSPAPER

Don't be afraid of deaf people, Barbara LaDuke of Pembroke, N.H. wrote in a letter published Monday in the Concord Monitor. "I am frustrated and upset that people judge me because I am deaf and believe I am incapable of working," she wrote. "This could not be further from the truth." Having raised four children and cared for many others, LaDuke says, "I take pride in what I do and have keen eyesight to keep children out of danger minute by minute." She is currently babysitting children under the age of 5 and notes that she teaches them sign language if they are interested and writes detailed notes for parents about daily activities. "I love children and am a great caretaker," she said.

COLORADO BOY, 11, WINS CONTEST WITH ESSAY ON HIS DEAF FATHER

Wesley Sandoval's essay on his father was one of five winners chosen from more than 1,000 entries in the My Dad Is a Hero contest, judged by the Colorado Father's Day Council and community volunteers. Wesley's story was published Saturday in the Rocky Mountain News. His father, Wade Sandoval, 44, "has always been positive and there for me in my times of need," wrote Wesley. The elder Sandoval, a farmer-rancher in Colorado's San Luis Valley, has been profoundly deaf since childhood. "If your child speaks a different language, learn that language," Wade told a reporter. "If you can't learn their language, have them learn yours." Wesley, 11, did just that, learning ASL to communicate with his father. Wade said Wesley is an exceptional boy who helps by interpreting for him at livestock auctions, equipment sales, restaurants and elsewhere.

PARTIALLY DEAF DOG LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE

A dog that was shot twice with a nail gun and left blind in one eye and partially deaf is now learning doggy sign language. "Trucker" made headlines earlier this year for surviving the gruesome incident, KYTV of Springfield, Mo. reported Monday. Trucker is staying at the C.A.R.E. Shelter in Springfield, where dog trainer Brian Hall volunteers his time to teach him basic pet hand signals. Several people have applied to adopt him, and Trucker will soon visit the finalists in their homes. Shelter workers will observe Trucker's reactions and then decide who will get to adopt him.

TEACHING BABIES TO SIGN LEADS TO SMARTER KIDS, STUDIES SHOW

"Signing makes smarter kids," was the headline of an article Monday in the Daily Universe at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Said reporter Dallin Smith, "Recent studies show that signing children are generally smarter and learn to speak and read at much earlier ages." A study by two California college professors, for example, finds that babies who sign tend to speak sooner than their peers, and by age 2 have about 50 more words in their vocabularies than children who learn without signs. And a University of California-Davis study showed that six years after children learned to sign, they averaged 12 IQ points higher than those who did not sign. "Signing involves using both sides of the brain at the same time," said BYU graduate Adrienne Gabriel, who studied infant sign language. As a result, more synapses are formed in the brain, which provides greater space for information to travel.

FDA CREATES WEBSITE ON COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

Newsday (Melville, N.Y.) reported yesterday that the FDA has created an informational website to provide information on cochlear implants. The website includes an animated movie. It can be found at www.fda.gov/cdrh/cochlear/index.html.

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WORKING WORLD
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L.A. TIMES HIGHLIGHTS PAY DISPARITY FOR TEACHERS AT STATE-RUN SCHOOLS

A Los Angeles Times article Monday highlighted the disparity between teachers' salaries at state-run schools and public school districts. The top pay at the California School for the Deaf-Riverside is $64,224, for example, while a teacher in the local school system can earn as much as $80,760, or nearly 26% more. Teachers at the state's two schools for the deaf said they feel insulted when they earn lower salaries despite being bilingual, holding multiple credentials and having master's degrees. "Here's where they should be," said CSD-R's Shelly Rempe, "but they go elsewhere for more money." Just recently, a speech therapist with ASL skills joined the CSD-R staff, but after just two weeks she got a job offer from a public school district for $10,000 more per year. "And poof, she was gone," said teacher Pat Melvin.

ADVOCATES PUSH CONGRESS TO HELP FUND HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

Advocacy groups for the deaf tried to convince policymakers last week that high-speed cable connections could benefit everyone if they were more affordable and accessible, reported Kansas City InfoZine. Frank Bowe, author of the new report "Broadband and Americans with Disabilities," demonstrated how such connections would work, making a direct call to his secretary at Hofstra University in New York. "We have never done this before," said Bowe, who is deaf. "For the first time, we will not be communicating with text, I will be able to see her expressions over the phone." Advocates want Congress to require that broadband connections be available to everyone. "The most important thing is getting people to see this as a civil liberties issue," said Andrew Imparto, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

COLORADO NEWSPAPER EXPOSES 'HANG UPS' OF RELAY SERVICE

"Would you hang up on a deaf person?" was the headline of an article last week in the Summit Daily News of Colorado focusing on the telephone relay service. Relay user Cizzy Boggan said it takes an average of five tries before she completes a call and conveys the intended information, because people who are not familiar with the relay service tend to hang up before she can say anything. She makes about 10 relay calls a week, the newspaper noted, which means about 50 calls total. "I thought it was a hustle," said Woody Shelton, a veterinarian who hung up on Boggan three times when she was seeking help for her cat, who was having a seizure. "It was confusing," said Shelton. "I didn't know what it was or from where it was coming. It sounded like a mechanical recording." Sprint spokesperson Stephanie Taliaferro said she hasn't had any complaints about the service. "This is the first I've heard of this issue," she said.

RIT LIBRARY DIRECTOR RECOGNIZED FOR ONGOING COMMITMENT

Chandra McKenzie has received the Award of Excellence from the Deaf Professional Group at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. McKenzie, assistant provost and director of Rochester Institute of Technology Libraries, was recognized for her ongoing commitment to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. According to Keith Mousley, chairman of the award committee, McKenzie helped acquire films for the recent Deaf Film Fest; arranged for the library to obtain an Interpretype device; helped to organize an ASL and deaf culture video collection; and established the Deaf Studies Archive to house research, deaf artists' works and historically significant NTID information. "She always uses sign language with deaf faculty, staff and students," said Mousley, "and helps educate the library community about deafness issues."

BANK AWARDS GRANT TO FUND FREE SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES

Bank of the Sierra is partnering with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center of Visalia, Calif. to expand sign language class offerings in the South Valley. According to the Porterville Recorder, the bank recently awarded a Sierra Grant of $2,126.43 to fund free sign language classes in Tulare and Kings counties, where an estimated 42,000 individuals are affected by hearing loss. "We are happy to make a contribution," said James Holly, president and CEO of Bank of the Sierra.

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WELCOME TO CSDVRS
VIDEO: Welcome CSDVRS- www.csdvrs.com/abstract.html

There were telephone lines
To the homes of deaf and hearing.
Deaf who make phone calls,
Asking for help.

Then the world of teletype machines,
Those were loud houses.

And years later,
Telecommunications relay service agents facilitating calls.

Then things changed.

NOW we have small gadgets connecting users to video interpreters:
“You have reached CSDVRS...”

Have you tried CSDVRS?
Visit the CSDVRS website: www.CSDVRS.COM

VIDEO: Welcome CSDVRS- www.csdvrs.com/abstract.html

CSDVRS R o c k s !

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Want quicker access to Video Relay Service?
Hamilton VRS encourages all D-Link consumers to add call.hipvrs.com to their videophone speed dial list. This will also enable consumers to connect with their choice of VRS provider.

To add the IP address for Hamilton VRS to your list:
1. Go to "Dial" button and click on the button to enter another prompt.
2. Go to "Add" to add the video relay service address in the Speed Dial list. You will see a prompt immediately after hitting the "Add" button that will contain information such as name, telephone number field, and address field.
3. Go to the address field and enter "call.hipvrs.com" and click on the "OK" button upon completion to save the address.

Contact Customer Support
Via Phone: 1-877-283-7687 V/TTY
Via Instant Messaging (AOL, Yahoo or MSN) at HamiltonVRSHelp
(from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (EST), Monday - Friday
Via E-mail: hipvrs@hamiltonrelay.com
Hamilton VRS hours are from 7:30 AM to Midnight EST daily.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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CANADIAN TV PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

For the Record Productions Inc., a video production company in Toronto, has announced that video copies of Deaf TV and Deaf Pride are now available for purchase. Deaf TV is a pilot for a weekly TV program broadcast entirely in ASL. It features interviews with Deanne Bray, Christy Smith, Gary Malkowski and Brent Pinch. Deaf Pride is a documentary about the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, held in Montreal. Both programs are completely accessible, with sign language, subtitling and voice-over interpretation, which producer Peter Reynolds calls a Canadian first. VHS and DVD copies are available for $15 (US) plus shipping. To view sample video or to learn more, visit www.deaftv.ca.

RIVERSIDE COMMITTEE SAYS LOCAL THEATER NOW SHOWS CAPTIONED FILMS

The Model Deaf Community Committee of Riverside, Calif. has announced that Regal Entertainment Group is now providing open-captioned films at Riverside Plaza Stadium 16 Theaters. According to committee chair Zibby Bayarsky, technology called DTS-CSS (Digital Theater Systems, Inc. - Cinema Subtitling System) is being used to provide the captioning. No special equipment is needed and moviegoers can sit anywhere they want and still view the text. The sound is on so that deaf and hearing friends and family can enjoy the movies together. For more information, go to www.REGmovies.com and click on Open Caption.

BOOK PUBLISHERS TO DISCUSS THEIR WORK AT D.C. LIBRARY

Literary artist Walter Kelley and visual artist Tony MacGregor will be in Washington, D.C. July 20 to discuss the books they have published under the company they founded in 2003. Buto Limited Publishers of Austin, Texas, publishes children's books about deaf and disability culture and history. Among their works are "Hearing Loss: An Alphabet Book," which helps children learn about people with hearing loss; "The 'I Love You' Story," which describes how the ILY hand sign in American Sign Language came into being; and "Deaf Culture: A to Z," which features hand shapes of the 26 letters of the alphabet. They will discuss their work at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, and more information may be obtained by writing to library_deaf_dc@yahoo.com.

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"English Idioms" Now at Harris Communications

How do you interpret English idioms using ASL? Would you make different choices if you were in a classroom and the Deaf child will see these idioms on a test? Interpreters Jenna Cassell and Joni Dunn show you how to do each in this new video (or DVD). Harris Communications is pleased to be a distributor of Sign Enhancers Products. Find out more at http://www.harriscomm.com/link/?www.harriscomm.com?sr=deafweeklynews or contact us at mailto:info@harriscomm.com

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Sprint Relay Wireless, powered by GoAmerica®,
is available on the Sidekick/HipTop wireless devices. Sprint Relay Wireless is also accessible through the RIM 850, 857 and 950 devices running WyndTell® service.
Sidekick and HipTop wireless device users access Sprint Relay by clicking on the bright TTY icon directly from the chooser screen. To download and install Sprint Relay Wireless, access the device’s Catalog download feature. In the catalog, simply select Sprint Relay Wireless from the Applications list, and select Purchase to download and install the service for free. For more information on Sprint Relay Wireless, visit http://www.sprintrelay.com/ or email srw@goamerica.com.

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SPORTS
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DEAFNATION SIGNS ON TO SUPPORT 2007 DEAFLYMPICS WINTER GAMES

DeafNation, Inc. of Frederick, Md. has become a Bronze Medal Partner for the 16th Deaflympic Winter Games, scheduled for February 2007 in Salt Lake City, Utah. DeafNation CEO Joel Barish and Deaflympics chairperson Dwight Benedict signed an agreement calling for DeafNation to provide promotional media support through its expos, golf tournaments, art festivals and website before, during and after the 2007 Games. Other major sponsors include Sorenson Media, Gallaudet University and CSD. Information may be found at www.2007Deaflympics.com.

NEW JERSEY SOFTBALL PLAYER BLENDS IN WITH TEAM

Jan Johnston, head coach of the Tri/Cape softball team in southern New Jersey, didn't know her rightfielder was deaf until a reporter asked about it recently. Erin O'Neill usually wears hearing aids in both ears, but on Monday she wore just one because the other aid was not working correctly. Her team was victorious, 7-2, in the first round of the Carpenter Cup Softball Tournament in South Philadelphia, the Bridgeton (N.J.) News reported. "I have no clue what people are saying in the dugout," said O'Neill. "We were in a huddle and I said, 'I'm deaf so you have to be really loud.' They said, 'that's OK, we have big mouths, don't worry.' They are very funny."

ST. LOUIS DENNY'S ANNOUNCES DONATION TO HELP BASEBALL CAMP

Denny's restaurants in the St. Louis, Mo. area will donate 20 cents from the sale of each All-American Slam and Hickory Burger Combo to the Mike Bush Fantasy Baseball Camp, the restaurant chain announced Monday. Denny's will donate up to $5,000 to help support the camp, which provides deaf and hard-of-hearing children ages 7-14 the chance to learn basic skills from baseball greats. "We're so pleased to offer a chance for St. Louis residents to enjoy one of these hearty meals and at the same time feel good about supporting such an important charity," said Brian Tademy, director of field marketing for Denny's.

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MILESTONES
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FRANK LYMAN EMMER, 75, FOUNDED PILGRIM TOWERS IN LOS ANGELES

Frank Lyman Emmer, 75, of Riverside, Calif. died June 14, just 11 days before he and his wife LaRue were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Emmer was the founder of Pilgrim Towers, a residence for deaf seniors in Los Angeles. He was born in Schenectady, N.Y. in 1930 and graduated in 1950 from the Berkeley School for the Deaf (now the California School for the Deaf-Fremont). He worked at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside for 24 years before retiring in 1993. He is survived by his wife LaRue, four sons, four grandchildren and two sisters. A memorial will take place July 30, 1-6 p.m., at the Church of LDS in Riverside.

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READER RESPONSE
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I feel a need to share my opinion with you concerning one article from DEAF DIGEST which came this morning. This is about its editor's request for school interpreters to submit their "horror stories" in an educational setting.

I taught in the Deaf Program for over 25 years and I know too well what some interpreters from my program had gone through in the Regular Program. I do not feel that the editor of DEAF DIGEST should have the sole right to know of the interpreters' names from their e-mail addresses. I feel that there should be a better way to allow school interpreters to share their stories openly on a website that is focused on educational issues, not from someone who runs an electronic newsletter. This will allow other interpreters to come forward with their stories to make way for young sign language interpreters to feel that they are not alone with the problems in the mainstream.

The editor from DEAF DIGEST does not cite his sources for the articles which appear on his website.

Irene Tunanidas (Deaf)
Retired Teacher
Youngstown Public Schools
Youngstown, Ohio

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EMPLOYMENT
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-->ARE YOU A FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER?<--

Then you're who we're looking for!

T.S. Writing Services, a Deaf-owned and Deaf-operated company, is hiring freelance graphic designers who have experience with:

* InDesign
* Illustrator
* PhotoShop
* PowerPoint
* And other design software.

Web design experience is a plus. College students are encouraged to apply.
E-mail resume and portfolio or sample work to info@trudysuggs.com.

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