Deafweekly December 20, 2006

deafweekly

December 20, 2006
Vol. 3 No. 8

Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers every Wednesday and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. Please visit our website to read current and back issues, sign up for a subscription and advertise. Deafweekly is copyrighted 2006 and any unauthorized use, including reprinting of news, is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly at no charge.

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EDITOR'S NOTE
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Deafweekly will not be published next week as we do not publish during the last week of the year. Best wishes to one and all for a happy holiday season, and see you all back here on January 3, 2007.

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NATIONAL
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GALLAUDET TO PURSUE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

Gallaudet University officials said last week that they will pursue disciplinary actions against students involved in the campus protests against former president-designate Jane K. Fernandes. The decision was met with outrage by those involved in the demonstrations, reported the Associated Press. “This is unacceptable,” said faculty member Diane Morton, who noted that one student was fired as a resident advisor and ordered to reimburse the school for housing that came with the job. Gallaudet spokeswoman Mercy Coogan said each student would be judged individually. “It’s based on evidence,” she said, “and they’re innocent until proven otherwise.”

INDIANA MOM GETS 10 YEARS FOR DEATH OF SON

A deaf Indiana woman who pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent in the January 30, 2004 asphyxiation death of her 18-month-old son was sentenced to 10 years in prison last Wednesday, reported the Lafayette Journal and Courier. Carmen Duenas, 29, received the maximum sentence under a plea agreement but could be released in about three years with time off for good behavior and credit for time served. Duenas said she found her son, Evin W. Norris, lying face-down in a bathtub of water, but prosecutor Bob Guy called her story a “sanitized version” of what happened and Judge Robert Mrzlack agreed that the evidence did not support her account.

CALIFORNIA MAN DIES FROM INJURIES IN HOUSE FIRE

A hearing-impaired and partially blind California man died several hours after being rescued from his burning home, reported the Vallejo Times-Herald. Miguel Aragon, 69, died at the hospital where he was being treated for smoke inhalation and moderate burns, said fire inspector Bill Tweedy. The fire started when heat from a wood-burning stove ignited a propane tank and propane candle lighter, he said. Firefighters had trouble entering the house because of burglary bars, and family members had recently removed smoke detectors because they were painting.

DEAF MOM’S DAUGHTER DIES WHILE IN FOSTER CARE

The deaf mother of a 2-year-old girl who died September 22 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the girl’s foster parents, a social services agency and others, reported The Detroit News. Anne Hirsch, 26, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., gave up custody of her daughter, Allison Newman, in January so that she could fight a drug addiction. Carole Poole, 40, the girl’s foster mother, was ordered last Monday to stand trial for felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and first-degree child abuse. Police say Poole offered four different versions of how the child died, but prosecutors believe she dropped the child over a railing during a spinning game.

HOMELESS MAN CONFESSES TO STARTING CHURCH FIRE

A deaf homeless man in Virginia pleaded guilty this week to setting a fire that destroyed a Charlottesville church on May 4. Jason Scott Santos, 25, did not intend to burn the church, prosecutors say, and Santos’ lawyer said his client “broke and entered with the intent to eat.” Santos hadn’t eaten anything in a couple of days and was looking for food, said prosecutor Claude Worrell. “We don’t believe that he had the intention to burn anything down,” he said. The fire caused $1.5 million in damage, of which $1.2 million was covered by insurance. Santos is being held in jail without bond and is facing up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in March.

TEACHER SENTENCED FOR RAPING MAN AT GROUP HOME

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced last Tuesday to 10 to 20 years in state prison for raping a deaf and autistic man at a Doylestown group home, reported the Bucks County Courier Times. James French, 47, was caught by a house manager assaulting the 37-year-old man in a closet on November 1, 2005. French, a sign language teacher, pleaded guilty in July to charges of rape of a mentally disabled person and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person with mental disabilities. He was also sentenced to 20 years probation upon his release and will be monitored for the rest of his life as a convicted sex offender.

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WOULD-BE FIREFIGHTER REBUFFED IN COURT

A Massachusetts man who filed a disability discrimination suit after being barred from wearing his hearing aids to meet the standards of a firefighter lost in court earlier this month. Christopher Carleton, who has worn aids in both ears since early childhood, argued that the City of Marlborough’s refusal to let him use the aids to meet the state-mandated hearing standard for the job violated his right to reasonable accommodation. The Supreme Judicial Court disagreed, reported Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. “A level of hearing acuity ... is an essential qualification for a municipal firefighter ... and the accommodation sought ... is not a reasonable one,” wrote Justice Robert Cordy. The full decision can be seen here.

FAMILY FIGHTS MEDICAID OVER SECOND IMPLANT

The parents of an Oklahoma toddler who received a cochlear implant in his right ear in April wants Medicaid to pay for another implant in his left ear. According to KTEN News, the Johnson family in Ardmore is appealing a Medicaid decision to deny a second implant for 18-month-old Jacob, who was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when he was just 10 days old. The family can’t afford the $70,000 operation on their own, but Medicaid’s Dr. J. Paul Keenan said there is no solid evidence that a second implant creates much of an improvement in hearing. A court hearing on the matter will take place next month.

ARIZONA SUES SECOND MOVIE THEATER CHAIN

For the second time in a month, the state of Arizona has filed a lawsuit against a movie theater chain for allegedly discriminating against people with hearing and vision disabilities. Last month, it was the AMC theater chain. This time, it’s Harkins Theaters, which operates 262 screens in the state. None of Harkins’ theaters offer “closed captioning” (i.e. Rear Window Captioning), said the Arizona Daily Star, and only a single film is presently offered with open captioning. In addition, descriptive narration for blind viewers is not available at any Harkins theater. The suit followed unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a deal with Harkins, said the report.

UNEXPECTED GIFT HELPS FLORIDA AGENCY RECOVER

A Florida organization called Hearing Impaired Persons of Charlotte County was “saved from bankruptcy” last week by an unexpected $10,000 gift, executive director Kim Gaut told the Charlotte Sun-Herald. The donation came from AshBritt, an environmental service company that helped with recovery and cleanup from Hurricane Charley. Hearing Impaired Persons faced a number of setbacks in rebuilding its offices after the hurricane, with cost overruns of $30,000 and an extra $18,000 in rent. They learned of the gift on December 8, the same day they moved into their office. “We were down to our last pennies,” said Gaut.

ACCIDENT VICTIM USES SIGN LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE

A hit-and-run victim used sign language to tell police what happened, reported the Fresno Bee. Melissa Sortwell, 24, of Fresno, was hit by a blue Ford Focus driven by an unknown motorist as she and a co-worker crossed a street in Fresno last Monday. Her twin sister, Sabrina Strickland, said Sortwell had a breathing tube in her throat when an officer came to the hospital but was able to communicate through sign language, which she learned as a child because both her parents and a younger sister are hearing impaired. Sortwell, who was thrown more than 30 feet and landed on her head, is expected to recover from her injuries.

INDIANA MAN, 78, SENTENCED FOR SELLING COCAINE

An elderly hard-of-hearing man from Indiana was sentenced to six years in prison for dealing cocaine, reported the Northwest Indiana Times. Lee Kelsey, 78, who is nearly blind in one eye, uses a wheelchair and suffers from prostate cancer, arthritis and asthma, was then ordered to serve the entire six years on probation. Kelsey was caught selling the drug to a confidential informant, said his lawyer, Adam Tavitas. Noting that Kelsey’s only other source of income is Social Security disability, Tavitas said, “I think he just needed the money.”

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INTERNATIONAL
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BUS DRIVER CLEARED IN CYCLIST’S DEATH

New Zealand officials have completed an investigation into the September 26 death of Peter Goldfinch, a Hamilton photographer who was hit and killed by a tourist bus while riding a bicycle. Goldfinch was an experienced cyclist who had hearing loss in both ears but tended not to wear his hearing aids when riding in traffic, said the Waikato Times. Coroner Bob McDermott said Goldfinch suffered a “lapse of intention” when he attempted a turn without checking for approaching traffic. Bus driver Valerie Morgan, who wept while reading a statement in court, was cleared of any wrongdoing.

MEN GET JAIL TIME FOR ATTACKING DEAF PENSIONER

Two men in England who attacked an elderly deaf man and left him for dead have each been sentenced to nine years in jail, reported This Is London. Barry Jemmett, 24, was high on heroin, Valium and alcohol when he and accomplice Christopher Crane, also 24, burst into the County Durham home of Jimmy Mundell, 76, intent on robbing the pensioner. “They both set about punching Mr. Mundell in the head and body,” said a prosecutor. “He was left with what can be described as life-threatening wounds.” The burglars rifled through the victim’s pockets and escaped with £1.06 ($2.08 US). Said Judge Guy Whitburn: “This is one of the worst cases of this type that I have come across.”

SCOTLAND NURSING HOME TO SHUT DOWN IN JANUARY

A Scotland nursing home for elderly deaf and blind people is being shut down by its new owners, reported the Glasgow Herald. The 19 residents of Bearsden Care Home were given only six weeks’ notice that they need to move out by January 19. The owners, Allan Water Ltd., acquired the home from Deaf Connections last summer and have been losing £20,000 ($39,296 US) a month because it is operating below capacity. Allan Water blamed the closure on the East Dunbartonshire Council, but a council spokeswoman said can’t subsidize a private operator, “and that is what we were being asked to do.”

LONDON WOMAN AIDS DEAF CHILDREN IN KENYA

Inspire Magazine did a story last week on 93-year-old Nelda Kroll, “a tireless worker who relentlessly battles and faces hardships for those she helps.” Kroll, who lives a simple life in London, is especially interested in 56 deaf children in a remote area of Kenya, “whom she loves as her own.” The children attend the Lambwe Christian School for the Deaf, which was founded by Jalou tribe member Enoch Aloo. In 1992, Aloo pleaded with Kroll on his deathbed, “Mama, don’t let the deaf children down.” Since then, Kroll has honored her promise through personal contacts, correspondence and constant interaction with “her children.” Said Kroll: “I am only a small link in the chain.”

MALAYSIAN GROUP HONORED FOR RAISING AWARENESS

A Malaysian group called Deaf Against Child Sexual Abuse (DACSA) was honored with a Team Humanitarian Award two weeks ago in Kuala Lumpur. The six-member, all-deaf team received the award from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. According to The New Straits Times, DACSA present awareness talks, workshops and education camps with help from the YMCA. In three years, the group has reached about 500 students, teaching them to identify safe touches, make good decisions and protect themselves from abuse. “This is a very pleasant surprise for all of us,” said team member Jessica Mak Wei-E.

INDIA’S PRIME MINISTER ASSISTS JOB SEEKERS

Twelve disabled people in India passed the civil service exams last year, reported the Times of India, marking the first time since the Disability Act was enacted in 1995 that a 3 percent quota for disabled people was filled. However, three applicants - all with hearing disabilities - failed to land jobs despite passing the exams. Two were judged to be too deaf to perform any of the civil service jobs, and the third was judged not deaf enough. Shortly after the Times reported on the situation, government officials took action, with India’s Prime Minister himself - Manmohan Singh - calling for their files. All three are now employed.

BAHRAIN GROUP RAISING FUNDS FOR IMPLANTS

A Rotary Club in Bahrain will sponsor a golf tournament next month to raise money for deaf children to get cochlear implants. According to the Gulf Daily News, 56 deaf children in Bahrain are on a waiting list for implants and about 15 new cases are added each year. The Health Ministry has committed to helping 40 children over the next two years and the Rotary Club of Adliya hopes to help fill the gap. “Hearing is the most vital sense for human communication,” a surgeon told Rotarians at a recent meeting of the club.

CHINESE FOUNDATION SELLS TEA TO HELP CHILDREN

The Audiology Development Foundation of China launched a year-long campaign this month to sell 30,000 boxes of tea to raise money to buy audiophones for deaf children and provide them with basic language training. China is home to an estimated 20 million people with a hearing disability, said People’s Daily Online, including 2 million under age 14 and 800,000 under six. ADFC vice chairman Liang Tao said the goal is to provide deaf children with language training by the time they are 3.5 years old. If treatment is postponed too long, said the report, “many of them will become dumb as they get older and become permanently deaf-and-dumb.”

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A new release: "What Are You...Deaf?” DVD, a solo play written by and starring CJ Jones.

Jones paints colorful, riveting pictures of his life experiences growing up in a tough St. Louis neighborhood. This insightful, comedic work portrays a man who is both Deaf and African American, confronting the sometimes absurd misperceptions that transpire between hearing and deaf.

Own “What Are You..Deaf?”, the only live performance of CJ Jones available for your home DVD collection. Enjoy it over and over again!

The first 250 sold will be autographed by CJ Jones.
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LIFE & LEISURE
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INTERNET CAFÉ FOR DISABLED OPENS IN TEXAS

An Internet café for people with disabilities opened in San Antonio, Texas last week, reported Happy News. The Good Bytes Café, one of only a few similar cafes in the country, offers computers featuring a joystick mouse, magnifying software and equipment that lets users point and click with eye movements. The café, funded with a $125,000 grant from AT&T Inc. and managed by Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, is designed to give more disabled people access to assistive technology. “This is absolutely awesome,” said Leticia Rodriguez, a deaf woman who attended Friday’s opening. “It’s wonderful for people with other disabilities, and I think it’s about time.”

IDAHO COUPLE HELPS DEAF PEOPLE BUY HOMES

Buying a home can be a challenge for anyone, reported KTRV in Boise, Idaho, but it’s especially difficult for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. As a result, sign language interpreter Holly Higby has teamed up with husband Bo, a mortgage broker with Wells Fargo Mortgage, to help people with special needs buy real estate. “I love putting people into homes,” said Bo Higby, who noted that the deaf community has traditionally been overlooked. Their efforts are appreciated by local deaf residents. Said Mark Svedin, who recently bought a home with wife Vicki: “They did a very good job and we got a house so if you want a house go see them.”

STUDENTS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE ALARMS

In the wake of a house fire that killed three people in San Antonio, Texas earlier this month, deaf students at Stevenson Middle School did some research into smoke alarms for the deaf. They easily found out how much the devices cost ($149 to $300), reported the San Antonio Express-News, but were unable to find anyone willing to donate the alarms. A fire department official said the department accepts donations of alarms and installs them free for elderly and disabled people, but no one has ever donated a special strobe alarm. Student Gabe Trujillo said his home doesn’t have a fire alarm. “We have nothing because it’s so expensive,” he said.

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The 16th Winter Deaflympics are fast approaching! Preparations and plans are on target for the best Winter Deaflympics ever February 1-10, 2007 in Salt Lake City. Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime. There will be something for everyone, Deaflympics Expo, International Deaf Coffeehouse, International Deaf Club, and great sporting events. Come and visit beautiful Utah, home of the "Greatest Snow on Earth"!

Teachers and families, don't forget to check out the Education Program on the website.

Adult and children's combo ticket prices are now posted on website. You can reserve rooms and order tickets online at www.2007Deaflympics.com. See you there!

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WORKING WORLD
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FEDERAL GRANT TO PROMOTE INTERPRETER EDUCATION

The Deaf Wellness Center at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) has been awarded a $500,000 grant to promote sign language interpreter education. The U.S. Department of Education grant will allow UR faculty members Robyn Dean and Robert Pollard to promote what they call “demand-control schema for interpreting work,” which stresses interpreting as a “practice profession” similar to medicine or law enforcement instead of a “technical profession” in which bilingual skills are all that is needed. Dean and Pollard are working with 15 interpreter programs around the country and plan to publish a textbook and DVD to share their findings.

NEW JERSEY SCHOOL UNVEILS HIGH-TECH KITCHEN

The Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in West Trenton, N.J. unveiled its new state-of-the-art kitchen last Tuesday, reported the Trenton Times. The $50,000 high-tech kitchen, funded by the state Department of Education, is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes appliances and a sink designed with wheelchair accessibility in mind. The new facility will help multi-handicapped students develop independent living skills, said David Sipe, the school’s technology coordinator. “Now they can do everything everyone else can do,” he said.

$1 MILLION GIFT TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE MEDIA

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has committed $1 million over the next six years to help Boston’s WGBH make media accessible to people with disabilities. The gift, announced last Thursday by WGBH President Henry Becton, Jr., will allow the public broadcasting station’s National Center for Accessible Media to research and develop new technologies and support the center’s efforts to advance public policy debate, said a news release. In recognition of the gift, WGBH’s new studio in Brighton, Mass. will be named The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH.

ARIZONA SHIPPING CENTER OFFERS EASY ACCESS

The Arizona Daily Star reported recently on a new Goin’ Postal shipping center franchise in Tucson that is operated by three family members who know sign language. The store is operated by Bruce Kerr, 51, and his wife Shelby, 35, who is deaf and also has cerebral palsy. Their son David, 20, is the store manager. In addition to offering easy communication for the area’s deaf community, the store also provides Video Relay Service along with shipping and packing, notary services, laminating, passport photos and mailbox rental. “I started it for them,” said Bruce, referring to his wife and son, “so if something happened to me, she could have an income and he could have a future.”

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Sorenson IP Relay™ expands communication possibilities for deaf and hard-of hearing individuals by enabling free text-to-speech relay calls with any standard telephone user in the U.S. Sorenson IP Relay calls can be initiated by visiting the Web site at www.siprelay.com from a personal computer, or can be made with a Sidekick, Blackberry, Trço or other mobile device. A trusted Sorenson Communications Assistant (CA) instantaneously facilitates the conversation between the Sorenson IP Relay user and a friend, doctor or business associate. Sorenson IP Relay calls are free for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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CHUCK BAIRD TO CREATE ARTWORK AT WINTER DEAFLYMPICS

Noted deaf artist Chuck Baird has signed on to create a new work of art at the 16th Winter Deaflympics, set for February 1-10 in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to a Deaflympics press release, Baird will allow interested participants to work side-by-side with him on the creation of the artwork. “Come spend 10 minutes. Come spend 2 days,” says the release. “Whatever time you have, you can have a hand in creating a brand new piece of artwork.” The creation will take place during the Deaflympics EXPO on February 2 and 3 at the Salt Palace. To register for the Deaflympics EXPO, click here.

DEAF PIANIST, 12, PERFORMS IN FIRST RECITAL

A 12-year-old deaf girl in North Carolina played in her first piano recital last Thursday, reported the Winston-Salem Journal. “I was very nervous,” said Kirsten Daley, “but I just kept my eyes on my hands the whole time.” Kirsten comes from a musical family of eight, and four other siblings participated in last week’s recital at a Morganton church. Several deaf community members turned out for the event to support Kirsten. “She performed at the beginning so they could leave after her songs, but no one left,” said Kirsten’s mother, Andrea Daley. “Everyone stayed the whole time.”

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Holiday Wishes from Harris Communications

Harris Communications would like to wish you and your family a Happy Holiday season.
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa!

May peace and prosperity greet you and your family in the New Year.

Visit us at: http://www.harriscomm.com/link/?www.harriscomm.com?sr=dw or contact us at mailto:info@harriscomm.com

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A perfect gift for Christmas, the gift of laughter!

A keith wann asl comedy dvd 'watching two worlds collide' in the stockings on the fireplace mantle will make any asl student happy! Deaf parents with hearing children will want this dvd to know the things codas try to get away with and often do. 'Watching two worlds' is a 70-minute comedy dvd performed in asl with voice over. $25.00. Pg-13. About a coda growing up in both the deaf and hearing world. Order forms on www.keithwann.com. Or email keith@keithwann.com for bookings and performing requests. Next performing January 25 in Phoenix, Ariz.

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SPORTS
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UNIQUE MEETING POSSIBLE ON BASKETBALL COURT

Two deaf basketball players are expected to meet on the court this Thursday night in what is believed to be the first match-up of its kind at college basketball’s Division I level. Dwight Brewington of Liberty University (Lynchburg, Va.) will most likely play against Ryan Daniel of Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.) at the Vines Center in Lynchburg. According to a Liberty University news release, Brewington has a 60 percent hearing loss and Daniel is completely deaf, and both players use hearing aids. Brewington may also meet up later this season with Division I’s other player with a hearing loss - Chris Devine of UC Santa Barbara - when both teams participate in this season’s ESPN BracketBuster.

DEAF PRO WRESTLER DEBUTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Deaf professional wrestler Zack McGuire made his New England Championship Wrestling debut in Quincy, Mass. during the Jingle Jam on Saturday night. A near sell-out crowd was solidly behind McGuire, said a NECW wrap-up, but opponent “Handsome Johnny” came out on top. McGuire, who divides his time between homes in Ohio and Florida, is one of the only deaf professional wrestlers in the history of the sport. A 2004 interview with McGuire can be seen here.

HARNESS DRIVER CAPTURES 1,000TH WIN

Harness driver Ricky Macomber Jr. won his 1,000th career race at Pompano Park in Pompano Beach, Fla. last Monday night, reported Standardbred Canada. Macomber, one of the only deaf harness drivers in history, is a third-generation horseman whose grandfather, Ed Hauck, Jr., and father, Dick Macomber, were on hand last week to help celebrate the milestone. Macomber, 36, a former Gallaudet University student who earned a degree in business management, began his career in 1997 with 43 wins. This year has been his best year of racing, with 160 wins and $1,255,000 in earnings with the horses he has driven.

CLERC CLASSIC VII SET FOR JANUARY 11-13

Girls’ and boys’ basketball teams and cheerleading squads from nine schools for the deaf will gather in Washington, D.C. shortly after the New Year to participate in the Clerc Classic VII. Also known as the National Deaf Prep Basketball Tournament and Cheerleading Competition, the event is set for January 11-13 at Gallaudet University. More than 1,000 fans have attended this tournament in the past, said a Gallaudet news release. To learn more, go to http://clercclassicvii.gallaudet.edu.

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** TWO NEW BOOKS BY TOM WILLARD **

-- A Sorry Stick of a Man, Indeed ... And Other Short Essays on Deafness
-- Deaf Haiku -- A GREAT STOCKING STUFFER!

Perfect for deaf and hard-of-hearing people and students of deaf culture, sign language and interpreting -- and ideal for parents of deaf children.

For more information, please visit www.canalstreetpress.com

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MILESTONES
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BERTT LEPENDORF, 86, RETIRED NEWSPAPER PRINTER

Bertt Lependorf, a career newspaper printer from California, died Monday, December 11, at age 86 from pneumonia caught while recovering from heart surgery. A member of the Oakland Typographical Union for 60 years, Mr. Lependorf’s career included 13 years at the Oakland Tribune and 22 years at The Daily Review, said Inside Bay Area. He retired in 1982 and remained active with the California Association of the Deaf, the Hayward Deaf Seniors Group and the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency (DCARA). Born in New York City in 1920, Mr. Lependorf attended Gallaudet College from 1940 to 1944 and worked in Maryland and Nevada before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Lependorf is survived by his wife of 62 years, Betty-jo; their four adult children, Bruce, Barry, Brenda and Brian, and 11 grandchildren.

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READER RESPONSE
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May I please bring your attention to one error when you reported about Dwight Brewington transferring to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA in the Dec. 13 Deafweekly issue? Liberty University is NOT a Catholic university as mentioned but a Christian one. My husband, who is deaf himself, graduated from the same university back in 1989.

- CONNIE RUTTER

Just want to make this correction: Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, is not a Catholic college. It is a Fundamentalist Baptist College. Thank you,

- ANDREA PANELLA

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EMPLOYMENT
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You can advertise your job openings here for just $20 a week (up to 100 words, 10 cents each add'l word) and reach more than 6,100 Deafweekly subscribers. Our website gets an additional 5,000+ page views each week. Start spreading the news! To place your ad, send the announcement to mail@deafweekly.com.

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Non-Profit mental health agency in Edgewater, MD has positions available in Deaf Program. Applicants must be fluent in American Sign Language. Minimum qualifications are a high school diploma or equivalent, AA or BA/BS degree with coursework and/or experience in psychology or human services preferred. Must have valid drivers license.

Rehabilitation Specialist -- Part Time and Full Time; Responsibilities include providing daily living skills support, medication monitoring, transporting clients to appointments, and applying crisis intervention when needed in a day program or residential setting.

Send resume and cover letter to: Arundel Lodge, 2600 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, fax (410) 841-6045, email: Lmurphy@arundellodge.org.

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JOB OPENING
RELAY IOWA OUTREACH PROJECT MANAGER

Hamilton Relay, Inc. currently has a full-time position open for “Relay Iowa Outreach Project Manager”. This position will be staffed in the Des Moines, IA area.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES: Position is responsible for providing and gathering information which will help improve the quality of the relay service and the number of customers served by Hamilton. Objective is to offer an excellent one-on-one experience with relay users through a variety of means and venues. Individual will be required to travel.

Applicants with the ability to communicate through the use of American Sign Language are preferred. An Associate or Bachelor's Degree or comparable work experience along with a minimum of three years public relations experience is preferred. Strong written, analytical and interpersonal skills as well as a driver's license and ability to travel alone are required. Direct work experience with a Telecommunications Relay Service is also preferred. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are encouraged to apply.

Interested individuals may send all inquiries and/or resumes to www.hamilton.net/employment.html
Or to the attention of Cindy Blase in Human Resource Department by December 29, 2006.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.

Hamilton Relay, Inc. is a division of Hamilton Telecommunications based in Aurora, NE. Hamilton offers a competitive wage. Contact our HR Dept. at: 800.821.1831 or email at: www.hamilton.net/employment.html

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT GLAD

GLAD is an Affirmative Action Employer with equal opportunity for men, women and people with disabilities. For more information on the following positions, please go to: www.gladinc.org. The status of all positions is: Regular, Full-time, Non-Exempt, Full Fringe Benefits unless otherwise noted. All positions are open until filled.

- Building Manager - Los Angeles, CA
- Regional Director - Riverside, CA
- Community Interpreter - Riverside, CA
- Job Developer/Interpreter - Crenshaw, Norwalk, Riverside and West Covina, CA
- Community Health Educator - Los Angeles, CA
- Grant Writer - Los Angeles, CA
- Accounts Receivable Specialist - Los Angeles, CA
- Program Assistant/Interpreter - Los Angeles, CA

If interested for any of these positions then please submit resume and application to:

Jeff Fetterman
Human Resources Specialist
Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc.
2222 Laverna Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041
V/TDD: (323) 550-4207
Fax #: (323)550-4204
E-mail: jfetterman@gladinc.org

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