Miss Ruth
Vision Loss Community Advocate
Miss Ruth Here!
Home > Chronicle > April, 2025
The New Jersey Council of the Blind’s mission is to strive for the betterment of the blind and visually impaired community. The purpose of this publication is to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas, opinions and information that concern blind and visually impaired people.
As we move through the second quarter of 2025, it’s hard to believe how quickly time is flying. While it may not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, the sheer amount of change happening in our world, our nation, and even right here in our local communities is staggering. These are uncertain times, and many of us are left wondering how to navigate a society that is evolving right before our eyes.
One thing I want to make clear — the New Jersey Council of the Blind is not a political organization. We do not endorse any party or candidate. However, we are an advocacy organization, and when policies or decisions threaten the rights and benefits that blind and low vision individuals depend on, we must take action. No matter where we stand politically, we all share a common goal: ensuring that blind Americans have equal access to the resources, opportunities, and support that we are owed as citizens of this great country.
Right now, essential programs such as Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare are facing potential changes that could impact many of us. These services are not a luxury; they are lifelines that provide food, shelter, medical care, and a basic standard of living for millions, including members of our community. That’s why I urge you all to reach out to your local representatives and make your voices heard. Below, I’ve included contact information for key legislators so that you can advocate for the preservation of these critical services.
Making Your Voice Heard
Advocacy isn’t just about attending meetings — it’s about speaking up, whether through emails, phone calls, or direct conversations with those in power. Here’s how you can take action:
We may not always agree on politics, but when it comes to protecting our rights and benefits, we must stand together as one unified voice.
Upcoming In-Person Meeting: April 2025
I am pleased to announce that our next in-person meeting will take place in April 2025. We are honored to have Namecca Parker, the Executive Manager of Access Link, as our guest speaker. Ms. Parker will address:
Upcoming Changes to Access Link Services Adjustments to the Riders’ Choice Program, including the departure of Uber and Lyft from the program.These transportation services are essential for many in our community, and it’s important that we stay informed about any upcoming changes that may affect us.
A Revived Tradition: The NJCB Convention
On a lighter note, I am thrilled to announce the return of the NJCB Annual Convention! After more than 15 years, we are bringing back this cherished event, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Date: September 27, 2025
Time: 12 PM to 5 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
We’ve lined up some amazing speakers, including:
Debra Erickson, Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen, who will share insights on cooking safely and independently.
Salvador, an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Instructor from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, who will discuss smartphone apps that assist with everyday tasks.
Representatives from InnoSearch, an accessible e-commerce platform designed to make online shopping easier for those with vision impairments. The platform removes visual clutter and enhances compatibility with screen readers and magnifiers.
Since this year’s convention will be held virtually via Zoom, we understand that some members may have concerns about accessibility. We want to assure you that we will do our best to make the experience as user-friendly as possible so that all members can fully participate and benefit from the event.
Final Thoughts
NJCB is not just an organization — it’s a community. Whether through advocacy, education, or simply coming together, we are stronger when we unite. I look forward to connecting with many of you at our upcoming events and, as always, appreciate your dedication to our mission.
Stay safe, stay engaged, and keep advocating!
Sabastian Warren
President, New Jersey Council of the Blind
Our April Quarterly meeting will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025. We will meet in person at the Trinity United Methodist Church, 1985 Pennington Rd, Ewing NJ 08618, (Find directions at the end.) The meeting will begin promptly at 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. A Pizza lunch will be from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm. A cost of $7.00 per person is requested to cover the cost of the food and drinks. For those planning on attending in person and wanting to eat the pizza, please RSVP at 609-672-7059 no later than April 22nd. To attend virtually call 719-300-3278, no access code needed at 1:00 pm. We hope all of you will join us!
Our Guest Speaker
Namecca Parker is currently the General Manager of NJ TRANSIT Access Link Paratransit division. For over two decades, she has been actively involved in an assortment of functions in the passenger transportation industry. She truly exhibits and is an example of “working your way up.” Namecca began as a contract (temp) Paratransit Reservationist and has gone on to hold several other jobs in her rise to her current position.
She is currently a part of the ADA Access Link team. Access Link is a public transportation service developed to comply with the paratransit regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; it provides service comparable to the local fixed-route bus system.
With extensive experience in project management, contract enforcement, all facets of HR (non-agreement and agreement), contact center management, policy creation, communications, and emergency operations management, Namecca is a true advocate of accessible innovation, adaptive mobility, and all things transportation.
Namecca is also an active member of the Greater New York chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS). She is a member of the Glass Ceiling Committee that researches the glass ceiling and the difficulties of women entering executive management in transportation. She hopes to be a continued outspoken advocate for public transit, women, the underserved, and people with disabilities.
It is not too late to apply for the 2025 Scholarship program. To apply, eligible candidates must be legally blind, will be a full-time college student, undergraduate or graduate, or vocational school student in the 2025 – 2026 academic year and be a New Jersey resident. The deadline to apply is May 15th and the winner will be awarded at our July Quarterly meeting. Full details, application forms and how to apply can be found on our website at www.njcounciloftheblind.org. You may also email questions to scholarships@njcounciloftheblind.org
Mercer County Happenings:
By President Wanda Williford
Spring is here, time to bloom! The season reminds us that life is ever evolving and full of promise. There's something to be said for planting a seed and watching it grow into a lovely flower. The Mercer County Association of the Blind will dig our collective hands into the soil to produce a bountiful spring. We will host a great group of speakers and engage in activities that delight.
Leading off our agenda, is the third annual trivia night. The answer is...FUN! The competition is fierce and the joy enormous. MCAB Secretary Dan Bausch, will host the evening’s festivities, doing his best Alex Trebek. There will be prizes for the winning team and refreshments for all.
Next up, we will look to plant our feet firmly on the ground with the help of podiatrist, Dr. Donald C. Manger. one of the perks of warmer weather, is the ability to get out and get in those 10,000 steps or tend to your crop of heirloom tomatoes. Dr. Manger will join us to offer advice from his over 30 years of experience on how to maintain proper foot and ankle health. We are looking forward to soaking in all the doctor has to share.
Rounding out the season, Mobile Meals of Hamilton for join us to share how we can eat delicious meals at an affordable cost. Meal delivery services have become ubiquitous and very costly. This local entrepreneur will share with us her vision on how to sustainably provide low-cost meals conveniently delivered to your door. Yummy!
Spring of 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the covid-19 global pandemic. I would like to take a moment to reflect on the impact of this unprecedented event. March 13th, 2020, the nation was put into lockdown, with the hope that we would only have to stay in baking banana nut bread for 2 weeks. We all know something much different was in store for us all. Lives were lost and we were forever changed. Who knew we would have driveway birthday parties or participate in meetings over zoom calls for the next two years. The uncertainty and challenges were fear invoking for so many of us. However, the thing I know for sure is our organization was resilient through it all. We supported one another through words and deeds. There were to see lots of phone calls and conversations assuring we would all make it through. And, the word that resonates with me is, strength. MCAB has come through the other side and thrived in the wake of the pandemic. We look forward to the continual growth of our membership and the ability to learn from one another. I have never known a stronger group of individuals. We are like the beautiful perennial flower that comes back every year stronger and more vibrant lighting up the garden. Recently, while listening to NPR, the host asked what lesson did you learn from the pandemic? My immediate thought was, how important human connection is. We all need one another for our mental and physical well-being. Therefore, none of us should ever take for granted our families and friendships. We must do all that we can to stay connected and build our relationships for a lifetime. The Mercer County Association of the Blind provides all of its members away to stay connected to the blind community and one another. Our garden is rich, diverse and ever-blooming. Happy spring!
A Conversation with Lisha Pottackal
By Joyce Sowa
Lisha Pottackal is currently our 2nd Vice President as of January 2024 and has been a member of NJCB for the last two years.
Lisha was low-vision as a child and became legally blind during college. She is a cane user who is extremely independent and driven. I found out that Lisha is participating in this year’s Special Olympics and thought I would share our conversation.
Lisha’s competition is March 30th at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange, NJ. Please plan to attend our Quarterly Meeting to hear from Lisha all about it.
I thank Lisha for her time and wonderful candor in describing her experiences and goals. I had fun listening to her and hope she did too. Thank you, Lisha!
Listening to the news these days, you can really start to feel tight and tense. I’ve decided to read headlines only periodically (hey, that's a pun!) even though things that affect the lives of People with Disabilities are in a state of flux. At this point, we aren’t sure we can count on programs we rely on being viable going forward.
As people living with vision loss, and as advocates, what can we do in a time such as this?
I know this seems like a small thing that won’t make much of a difference, but I believe the best thing you can do for yourself — and for the world — is to start the day ensuring you are centered and calm.
Easier said than done, you say? Perhaps, but it’s worth a try!
My morning routine starts with Jacobsen’s Stretch, which entails tensing and releasing each muscle group in your body progressively. So, starting with your face, you would shut your eyes and clench your jaws for several seconds and release. Then, you would shrug your shoulders and release, and so on.
Next, I take in three deep, full breaths, breathing in through my nose as if smelling roses, and out through my mouth, as if blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
Then I use an app on my phone called Insight Timer to do a meditation to ground and shield myself from taking on other people’s energy. Have you ever had an interaction with someone whose energy was chaotic? Oh, boy, I have!
When you plug into their energy, it’s like shaking hands with someone holding a live wire. Don’t do that to yourself! Protect your own energy and get away from all of that drama. It will drain you for days if you stick around them.
Now, this may not seem like part of a self-care routine, but I also sing and dance as I go through my day, all day long. Music and movement are medicine!
I love to sing as I clean, cook, and do the dishes. It adds a dose of joy to the mundane things on my to-do list. I love it when my cat decides to sing along with me, as he did during the recording of this song (Click Here) that I start our day with, “Heyday”, also called “Squeaky’s Song.” Listen for him saying, “Yeah!” as I sing the word “Heyday”.
Throughout the day, I also do somatic stretching. It’s essentially any kind of stretch your body says it needs you to do, such as yawning. When you yawn, you’re not just expelling breath, you’re also stretching your mouth wide open and releasing stale energy or “chi” that no longer serves you.
I’ve created a stretching routine that I do each day.
Standing up straight, I start with what I call "the Ed Grimley." That was a character played by Martin Short on Saturday Night Live a long time ago. For some reason, he always wore his pants up high over his navel and pushed his pelvis forward.
Ed Grimley with his hair slicked up into a point and a grimacing expression. He is wearing a short-sleeved, red-checkered shirt and black pants with the waist hoisted high up above his natural waistline.
Then I do a “Butt Jut," arching my back and, you guessed it, jutting out my butt! I also call this move the Arch. I say it like a pirate - Aaarrrch! Why? Why not! And lastly, I move my hips from side to side.
So that’s: Grimley, Aaarrrch, Hip, Hip. Voila! Feel free to use this stretching routine yourself, but each time you do, be a dear and send me a dollar. Ta!
Yep, all of this is a lot of silliness. But that’s the tone I’d like to establish for my day. Light and airy. It leads to pleasant interactions and makes working on projects more enjoyable.
And then, in this centered state, when things go awry, you’re able to see that problems are projects in disguise.
You’ll detect that people causing you pain are in pain themselves, and it’s easier to extend grace when you are breathing fully and feel at peace.
When you get to the place where you value your own well-being above all else, you start to realize that everything is energy. Emails, texts, phone calls, conversations... all of these are exchanges of energy.
Keep this in mind next time someone chooses to speak to you in a tactless way, as they have likely done so knowing it will affect you adversely. There is no need to react to them viscerally; often, that is what they are seeking anyway. They like to mix it up and "set people straight."
My goal in a situation fraught with emotion and conflict is to resolve the energy. If the other party doesn’t want to do this but actually wants to “duke it out” with you, engaging with them is not a good use of your time. It will sap your zhoosh, which is my word for one's essential energy.
Zhoosh is the energy you need just to exist. I don’t know about you, but I want to do more than just exist. I want to thrive!
So, I’ve learned not to give my essential energy away, even when a friend tells me there is an urgent issue we MUST discuss right away. An action you MUST do right away, or all hell will break loose.
That is a dead giveaway: someone telling you what they want you to do, and not a request to discuss a situation. They also tend to hype things up, as if it is a matter of life and death. Those are people I generally stay away from these days, now that I’ve come to appreciate the importance of protecting my own energy.
Even if you do just a little bit to loosen up your body and clear out the clutter in your psyche, it will shore you up so you don't need to "take on" the day. A peaceful mindset allows you to "take in" the day. Breathe it in and let it unfurl organically.
You may not have time to do the type of fanciful, free-spirited morning routine that I do, but even if all you do each morning is breathe fully and lighten your spirit, it will start your day off right.
Take care,
Miss Ruth
Vision Loss Community Advocate
Miss Ruth Here!
Outstanding Commitment and Dedication to Volunteering
Your selfless contributions have made a significant impact on our committee, your generosity has touched the lives of many. Whether lending a helping hand supporting those in need of help, contributing financial assistance, working with actions, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. I thank you for your tremendous willingness to help prepare and print my cookbook notebook, to distribute it to as many people who live alone and can no longer cook in their prior way.
With your generous help we can reach visually impaired, blind, hearing impaired, and others to eat healthy. I have been working on this cookbook notebook for two years. Now finally, we are at the reproduction finish line. My dream is to reach at least 50 people and so continue to share.
My sincere thank you!
Mrs. Patricia Musico,
Facilitator
Aspire Outreach Program
As 2025 is an election year, we are seeking members to join our Nominating Committee. We need someone to Chair and up to 2 additional members.
Up for election for the 2025-2026 term is President, 1st and 2nd VP, Secretary and Treasurer. Responsibilities for this committee is to first verify if current board members want to stay in their positions and if not, then the committee will need to seek out new nominees. The slate will be voted on during the October quarterly meeting. Please contact Sabastian for more information.
Executive board descriptions
ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1 - President
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation; he/she shall preside at all meetings, shall be Chairperson of the Executive Committee, and appoint all committees. The President shall serve no more than two consecutive elected terms and shall be legally blind.
Section 2 - First Vice-President
The First Vice-President shall assume all of the duties of the President when he/she is unable for any reason to fulfill them. This person shall be legally blind.
Section 3 - Second Vice-President
The Second Vice-President shall assume all of the duties of the President when both President and First Vice-President are unable for any reason to fulfill them. This person shall be legally blind.
Section 4- Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for receiving and sending all correspondence carried on in the name of the Corporation. He/she shall maintain custody of all said correspondence. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of all meetings of the Assembly and Executive Committee. He/she shall have custody of all minutes and correspondence of the Corporation.
Section 5 - Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and disbursing the funds of the Corporation, subject to the supervision of the Executive Committee and in line with the general policies of the Corporation, as set forth by the General Assembly. Such funds are to be deposited in a bank approved by the Executive Committee, and easily accessible by the Treasurer. He/she shall have custody of all financial and corporate records of the Corporation.
NJCB is on Facebook. Anyone interested in contributing to the success of this page please send your ideas and posts to our email address at njcounciloftheblind@gmail.com Please note all posts must be related to activities relating to your membership with NJCB or its affiliates. The page is www.facebook.com/groups/2255314534793147/. Just search for New Jersey Council of the Blind in Facebook.
Saturday July 26th Conference call
Saturday September 27 Virtual Conference
Saturday October 25th location TBD
Saturday January 24th Conference call
The NJCB Chronicle is also available on Newsline. If you do not have a Newsline subscription, contact Reader Services at the New Jersey Talking Book and Braille Center at (800) 792-8322 to get signed up for a Newsline subscription. Four quarterly newsletters are sent to members free of charge by E-mail. You may obtain the current and back issues of the Chronicle and other information from our web site www.njcounciloftheblind.org. Feel free to write us at njcounciloftheblind@gmail.com
The New Jersey Council of the Blind (NJCB) is a 501 (c) 3 corporation. Much appreciated tax-deductible donations may be sent to the Treasurer of NJCB.
The NJCB officers are.
President, Sabastian Warren (609) 672-7059
1st Vice President, Wanda Williford (609) 375-6682.
2nd Vice President, Lisha Pottackal (215) 948-2210
Secretary, Dan Bausch
Treasurer, Steve Sowa (848) 999-2079 or by mail to PO Box 434, Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Directions
Get onto Route 95 heading south. (From Route 1 south, from Route 295 heading north or Route 195 heading west to Route 295 north)
Get off at Exit #4 making a left turn onto Pennington Road (Route 31 South toward Ewing)
Turn right at the 4th traffic light, Carlton Avenue. It is across the street from The College of New Jersey. Make the first left to enter the church parking lot. The meeting will be held in the lounge. And the entrance is to the left of the door we usually use and about halfway down the side.
NOTE: Disclaimer. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the New Jersey Council of the Blind officers and/or members. The editor reserves the right to edit articles submitted for both space and content.
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Annual Dues: $10.00 due in January
Make check payable to NJCB and send to:
Treasurer- Steven Sowa
PO Box 434
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848-999-2079