2020

SeniorS’ Chat

Don’s Column Hello, Happy Hands Members and Friends,

September is coming soon. It is unbelievable that Summer will be over soon. Let us get ready

to enjoy the beautiful Fall colors.

We had our first Zoom Play Date last May 6. This was when the Happy Hands members informed us how

they were doing since COVID-19 lockdown began. The second Zoom Play Date on June 3 was when

Donalda Ammons presented “Like it or not, we get older every day! Get organized today!” It was very

informative. The third one on July 1 was when we shared our memorable travels. It was fun. The fourth one

on August 5 was when we played a Kahoot! game of Deaf Trivia. We learned a lot. On September 2, we

will have another Zoom event, which will be on our TV watching habits (see page 2 for more information).

We are wondering about the members who did not show up at our Zoom gatherings. We missed them. We

met many new faces outside the Happy Hands area. If you wish to join us on Zoom meetings but don’t know

how, please let us know. NAD has a great tutorial [https://www.nad.org/zoom-tutorial/] on how to use

Zoom. This tutorial should help you understand better how to use Zoom. We want to see you!

Read this newsletter and you will discover who the amazing STAR is.

If you are interested in helping with our committees, feel free to let Nancy Rarus know. Remember, let us

know if you need help with getting into Zoom.

As usual, Stay Happy Safely with Our Awesome Hands!

~ Don

HAPPY BIRTHDAY…to the folks

with birthdays in September

Sharon Svenningsen [3rd]

Elsie Zekas [17th]

Ryland Thomas [24th]

PAGE 2

Happy Hands Zoom Meeting Sept 2, 2020 at 10:00 AM

We will have our 5th Zoom Meeting on September 2, 2020 at

10:00-12:00PM. Here is Zoom info:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87851600408

Meeting ID: 878 5160 0408

We will do polls and discuss our TV watching habits:

Do you like to watch TV? If yes, what is the average of hours

you watch daily?

Which cable service do you use? Verizon FIOS, Comcast, COX, etc.

Favorite Network? ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, etc.

What streaming service do you use? Netflix, Apple TV, Disney +, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc.

What genre do you prefer? Cartoon, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Game Show (i.e., Wheel of Fortune,

Jeopardy), Horror, Makeover, News, Reality TV (i.e., Dancing With The Stars, America’s Got Talent),

Sci-Fi, Shopping, Soap Operas, Sports, Talk Show (i.e., The View, Live with Kelly and Ryan), etc.

Favorite old show?

Favorite current show? Favorite Reality Show? Favorite Game Show? Favorite News? etc.

At the July 1 Zoom meeting, we had 32 participants. The topic was “Your Favorite Vacation Memory”.

Thanks to those below for sharing their memories. Here is URL for this at https://youtu.be/OG1bP4WvaQg.

Vicki Shank & Barry Harlan on “Memorable Travel Adventures”

Tom Dowling on “Steam Train 611J”

Paul & Peggy Daniels on “Canal Boat Experience in England”

Don Ames on “Awesome Trips”

Jill Moebus on Alaska

Melanie Williams on Yellowstone

Lois Herberger on recent experience flying home

Pat Beech on Alaska and National Parks

Nancy Rarus on “God Bless America” and “America Is Beautiful”

Rita Spencer on first trip to Ireland

Lois Herberger re: zipline in Costa Rica and restroom in London

Sam Yates on Alaska

Nancy Rarus on Finland for Olympics in 1961

Gary Viall on Alaska following Oil Pipeline

Tom Dowling re: arrival at port for Alaska Cruise

Here is a picture of the Zoom

facilitator’s set for the August

5 meeting. The facilitator

wanted to see what it looked

like on iPhone, iPad, and on

another computer. We had 24

participants. We played a

Kahoot! game of Deaf Trivia.

Sunshine

News

Bettina Zuber passed on July 5, 2020. She was born on August 11, 1924 in Brooklyn,

NY. During her childhood she attended P.S. 47 (a public school for the Deaf in

Manhattan). She married Robert Zuber on October 7, 1950. Bettina found

employment with the US Postal Service, where she worked as a mail sorter until the

birth of her first child, Josephine, in 1955. Arthur and Robert followed in quick

succession (1957 and 1959). Bettina moved to Northern Virginia in 1985 to be closer

to Josephine and Robert. She accepted a position as a postal worker within the

Central Intelligence Agency. She retired at age 72 in 1996. During the last 20 years,

Bettina did various activities such as traveling the world with her family. She is

survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Source: https://www.endersandshirley.com/obituary/bettina-zuber

Dr. Lottie Riekehof died on August 6, 2020, one week short of her 100th birthday. Dr.

Riekehof was Gallaudet’s Dean of Women in the early 1970s, and a faculty member

and department chair until her retirement in 1990. She was the author of “The Joy of

Signing: A Dictionary of American Signs”. Lottie was born in Germany on August 13,

1920. She and her family moved to New Jersey in 1923. She learned sign language

from deaf parishioners in her church and from Dr. Elizabeth Peet at Gallaudet. She

became an interpreter and interpreter educator. Lottie was a long-time resident of

Arlington, VA. She is survived by her children, 41 great-grandchildren, and a host of

friends. Her memorial service can be seen on Potomac Deaf Church’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/227636333917676/videos/3131279900320237.

Sources:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/arlington-va/lottie-riekehof-9301838

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottie_Louise_Riekehof

Niel W. Augustine, 57, of Hagerstown, MD, passed on August 26, 2020. He was born

on January 24, 1963 in Brooklyn, NY to Aurea Feliciano and the late Walter

Augustine. He was a child of deaf adult (CODA). Niel is survived by his wife of 18

years, Charlene M. (Booth) Augustine; his children Jessica Burgess (Scott Shirley),

James Burgess (Lisa Durante), his grandson and best buddy Cameron Wyand,

grandmother Ernestina Montero, sister Michelle Hawkins (Bobby), and brother-in-law

Chuck Booth (Brenda). Niel was the Youth Pastor at Brownsville Church of God,

Fayetteville, PA. He was a sign language interpreter for Washington County Public

Schools. He was a pastor for the Deaf Congregation at First Baptist Church of

Alexandria in Alexandria, VA during 2005-2008.

Source: https://potomaccremation.com/book-of-memories/4311616/Augustine-Niel/

PAGE 3

Happy Hands Seniors - Profile Series STEVE WILLIAMS

Full name: Stephen Thomas Williams

Nickname: Steve

Where were you born? NC

Where have you lived the longest?

I have lived in Centreville, VA the longest (33 years and

counting)

Were you born Deaf? Yes

Did you come from a Deaf family or a family with all

Hearing members?

From a family with all Hearing members.

Did you attend the State School for the Deaf or regular public school?

I attended the Central Institute for the Deaf (an oral school) in St. Louis, MO and regular public high school

in my hometown.

What was your favorite subject in high school and why?

Algebra, science, geometry, and chemistry because of the fantastic teachers who took time to explain them to

me. Those courses provided a challenge and stimulated my interest.

What activities did you participate in after school?

Football (4 years) and Baseball (manager — 3 years)

Did you attend college after graduating from high school? If so, where? What was your degree?

Piedmont Aerospace Institute, Piedmont Aviation, Winston-Salem, NC

Aircraft & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic certificate, issued by FAA

Parks College of St. Louis University

B.S. degree in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering

Rochester Institute of Technology

B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering

If married, how did you meet your spouse?

I was working at the U.S. Naval Ship Engineering Center as an engineering aide to meet RIT’s requirement

for graduation (1 year of co-op). I would alternate between school and co-op work every semester (i.e., fall

and spring at RIT, summer and winter at NAVSEA. It was during the last week of the winter semester when I

decided to visit the tutoring center at Gallaudet College to see a friend who was one of the tutors; he was a

RIT graduate. Melanie was subbing for her roommate, the tutoring monitor, so she could attend an Ash

Wednesday service. We hit it off right away and went out on a date the following Saturday, my last day in

Washington DC. Thus we began a long-distance relationship. We will have been married for 41 years this

coming October. We have two children and three grandchildren.

Are you still working or are you retired? What was your occupation?

I have been retired since August 2018. I worked for the Navy as a mechanical engineer for 42 years.

- continued on page 5 -

PAGE 4

Steve with his family

Happy Hands Seniors - Profile Series STEVE WILLIAMS

(continued from page 4)

What is your favorite hobby?

Aviation. This includes flying, aircraft restoration, watching planes take off and

land at airports, watching acrobatic air shows, visiting aircraft museums, etc.

Unfortunately, 9/11 has made it more difficult to enjoy aviation today.

Do you like to travel?

I like to visit historical places, famous homes, great battlefields of the American

Revolutionary War and Civil War, national parks with unusual features, etc.

What is your favorite food?

I like a wide variety of food – BBQ, seafood, southern cooking, etc.

Do you have any pets? If so, what

kind and what name do you give it?

Two shorthair cats – the gray female is

named Dixie and the black male is

named Puma. They are brother and

sister, and they were rescued by a rescue

agency.

What is the most memorable thing

that has happened to you?

Whenever I returned to the school in St.

Louis, I would fly on Eastern Air Lines

Martin 404 (a twin-engine 40-passenger

airline plane) from Charlotte NC to St.

Louis with five stops. One time when I

was about ten years old I asked a

stewardess if I could see the cockpit.

She checked with the pilots and came

back and took me there. I was awed by

all the gages and switches in the

cockpit. The captain got up and told me

to sit in his seat and take over the

control wheel. I was terrified but he said

to turn the wheel slowly, and the plane

responded to my hands. I sat in the seat

holding the wheel for maybe five

minutes (of course the co-pilot was

there). The view was incredible, and I

- continued on page 6 -

Eastern Air Lines Martin 404 Eastern Air Lines Duck

Hawk Tie Clip

Steve Williams flying

Landmarks of St Louis

Busch Memorial Stadium is a beautiful stadium designed with arches around the top. The Arch is another famous arch.

PAGE 5

Happy Hands Seniors - Profile Series STEVE WILLIAMS

(continued from page 5)

felt as if I was on Cloud 9. Then I got off the seat and the

Captain gave me his duck hawk tie clip (Eastern used duck

hawk as its logo). I still remember everything as if it happened

a few days ago.

Of course I have many cherished flying memories (including

flying low over the mighty Mississippi River in a plane,

taking flying lessons, and taking the flight test with FAA

examiner), but the Martin 404 experience tops everything.

What is the second most memorable thing that has happened to you?

One Saturday while in college in St. Louis, I went over to the airport to hang around. I noticed a group of

students near the end of a runway, and I decided to go over and see what was going on. One guy told me that

they were trying out a new American Traveler, a two-seat training plane. Its unusual feature was its swivel

nose wheel – meaning that you can’t control the nose wheel with rudder pedals. The guy then asked me if I

wanted to fly the plane. This surprised me, and I thought, why not, and said yes. Then he yelled to someone

and I got on the plane. I recognized the instructor on the right seat – a fellow student who lived in my dorm

hall. I had zero flying experience (beside the Martin 404). After strapping on the seat belt, we taxied to the

end of the runway and he lined up the plane on the center line of the runway and told me to take over. I

thought it would be easy and put my left hand on the wheel and my right hand on the throttle stick and pushed

the throttle stick all the way in. As the plane accelerated down the runway it started to drift to left. I turned

the wheel to right, but no response. Then I started

pushing the right pedal, but I couldn’t correct the drift.

After pushing the right pedal all the way to the limit, I

finally yelled for help, and the instructor laughed and

corrected the drift by using right brake lightly to bring

the plane back to the center of the runway and pulled

the wheel back and the plane started climbing. I asked

him why the plane was drifting to left, and he

answered with one simple word – TORQUE. He

explained that while the propeller is rotating to right

(clockwise as viewed from the cockpit) the plane is

trying to rotate to left (counterclockwise). According

to the third law of Physics, every action has an equal

and opposite reaction. This was my first hard lesson in

Physics, and I have never forgotten it ever since. He let

me take over the controls as we climbed around the

pattern of the runway. Then I pulled the throttle stick

back as we prepared to land the plane, and I decided to

let the instructor land the plane. I realized that flying

- continued on page 7 -

American Traveler

Cessna 150 in Fall 1971

Bill Sale, Bob Crowell, and Steve Williams

Winter 1971-72

PAGE 6

Happy Hands Seniors - Profile Series STEVE WILLIAMS

(continued from page 6)

wasn’t simple. Flying a plane was 3-D

while driving a car was 2-D.

Furthermore, you don’t experience the

torque in your family car whereas you

have to deal with the torque in the

plane. Also, speed is more critical in

flying; you cannot go too slow or your

plane will stall. And you cannot go too

fast as it will put too much stress on

your plane.

What kind of car do you drive?

I have a Toyota Avalon car in my

favorite color, Classic Silver.

What do you do for fun?

I love fishing, bike riding,

photography, Sudoku, etc. I also enjoy

watching sports games (high school

football, Duke & UNC Basketball, St.

Louis Cardinals, Washington

Nationals, etc.). And there are also the

Indianapolis 500 race and the Tour de

France.

If you were President of the United

States, what would be your most

important goal (s)?

Trying to please everyone which is

impossible. Trying to get the

congressmen & congresswomen to

work together. Trying to promote unity

of all American people. Trying to keep

peace when there are so many countries

hostile to USA. Trying to maintain

strong defense and guard against

USA’s enemies. In summary, trying to

stay sane!

If you had a million dollars, what

would you do with it?

I probably won’t see any of it; my wife

would take it and build a log cabin in

the mountains of North Carolina.

PAGE 7

Note: Steve got his

private pilot’s

license on October

5, 1971. He gave Pat

Beech a ride around

Statesville, NC and

Lake Norman on

December 26, 1978.

Deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration is Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

Deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you is Friday, October 23, 2020. Your request must be

received by your Registrar by 5:00PM.

For more information, see:

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/calendars-schedules/upcoming-elections.html

PAGE 8

Election on

November 3, 2020

COVID-19 in

Virginia

From the Virginia Department of Health’s website:

VDH urges all Virginians to continue to limit exposure by staying 6 feet from others and wearing a cloth

mask while in public settings.

Wash your hands often, stay home if you are sick, and disinfect high-touch surfaces. These are all very

important ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

It is important for people at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19, such as older adults and

people of any age with certain medical conditions (and those who live with them), to protect themselves

from getting COVID-19.

All Virginians should limit group gatherings of more than 250. Continue to practice social distancing,

avoid mass gatherings and crowded places.

For more information, see:

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/

HH Committee for 2020-2021

Chair — Don Ames

Vice Chair — Jill Moebus

Secretary — Cheryl Rockburn

Treasurer — Steve Williams

Member At Large — Tom Dowling

Member At Large — Ross Gilson

Member At Large — Kea Manfredonio

Member At Large — Rocky Rockburn

Ex Officio — Nancy Rarus

Sunshine Club — Lynn Keefe

Membership — Pat Beech

Newsletter Editor — Pat Beech

Memorial — Pat Beech and Peggy Daniels

Historian — Pat Beech

Food Committee — Ann Marie Swiatkowski

Events for September 2020

Happy Hands

Zoom Meeting

Happy Hands

Fine Tuners

Zoom Meeting

COVID-19 [https://nvrc.org/the-coronavirus-outbreak/]:

Captioned Videos for Elderly in English and Spanish

ASL Videos from CDC

COVID-19 Hospital Communication & Technology Information

At-Home Resources for Language Instructions/Education of Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

How Do I Communication with Doctors, Nurse and Staff at the Hospital

Dedicated Shopping Times for Senior Citizens

Message from NAD about COVID-19

Webinars at NVRC [https://nvrc.org/nvrc-services/classes-workshops/]:

“Technology and APPS Web based and Mobile” on 04-28-2020 [https://youtu.be/HHSUKJQUDgo]

“Mental Health Toolbox for Surviving Isolation” on 04-30-2020 [https://youtu.be/gU9S110nHg4]

“Navigating the Latest Technology Options Available to Hearing Aid Users” on 05-09-2020 [https://youtu.be/OcqB4Qwk0S0]

“Financial Literacy and Employment in the Age of COVID-19” [https://youtu.be/muKkpgKBAh4]

“Bridging the Gap Between the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community and the Police” on 07-22-2020 [https://youtu.be/-wESQMEirMo]

“NVRC Demonstration Room and Accessible Technology” on 08-19-2020 [https://youtu.be/70Z8kj6q4Bk]

NVRC

Resources

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

Thanks to:

Pat Beech for facilitating the Zoom meetings on July 1 and August 5

Presenters (listed on page 2) for sharing their travel memories on July 1

Pat Beech for preparing Kahoot! Game of Deaf Trivia questions on August 5

Melanie Williams for proofreading the Deaf Trivia questions for Kahoot! Game on August 5

Participants for participating in the Kahoot! Game of Deaf Trivia on August 5

Selina Gilson for being treasurer of Happy Hands during 2016-2020

Pat Beech for doing the monthly HH Newsletter issue

Sharon Svenningsen, Melanie Williams, and Nancy Rarus for proofreading the monthly HH Newsletter issue

Debbie Jones for stuffing the monthly HH Newsletter hardcopies and getting them ready for mail