The Maryville Daily Forum from Maryville, Missouri • Page 1

Beryl Jordan A blind man who realizes many handicaps are worse than his By Charlotte Medsker Forum Staff Writer Beryl Jordan, Maryville, considers himself just an average guy. He works for a living, enjoys relaxing with a good television program and likes playing a joke on a friend or telling him a funny story. the way it is. too short to be said Jordan. fail to realize outside of one little detail no different than they he said.

Jordan has been blind since birth as have been two of his siblings. Making his living as a piano tuner, Jordan moved to Maryville about three years ago. He had been working at the University of Kansas at Lawrence servicing about 180 pianos and decided to quit and go freelancing. Freelancing in Lawrence was a hard way to make a living because there were several other piano tuners to compete with. Jordan received a call from a woman at Missouri Western College at St.

Joseph, to service a piano and worked there several times. He had tuned the piano there for a faculty recital and Mrs. Elizabeth Rounds of Maryville, heard the performance. She knew the piano had not been tuned by anyone locally. Mrs.

Rounds approached Jordan about doing some work in Maryville, and eventually he had enough jobs in the area to cause him to move here. Jordan became interested in tuning pianos while attending a school for the blind at Columbus, Ohio. His introduction to piano tuning came in the ninth grade, where he received some experience in piano assemblies, doing odds and ends of repair work and some tuning. During his first year of piano tuning training, Jordan said, could take it or leave In the tenth grade Jordan was given an old upright piano as his complete project. could do with it as I wanted he recalls.

The project started Jordan thinking. going to get out of here some day and have to do something. I hated school, but enjoyed doing something with my He recalls, came to the realization, the day was going to come when I was going to have to do something. I decided to get as much experience as I For advanced training, Jordan attended a piano tuning school in Vancouver, Wash. He was able to complete the program, which is set up on a two-year schedule for legally blind persons, in only one year.

Jordan does not play the piano himself. get enough of it working on he says. Jordan, who started receiving introduction to mobility training in the ninth grade, uses a cane to guide himself around town. He has had some training in the use of a guide dog but does not find the use of a dog necessary in a town the size of Maryville. He says there are advantages and disadvantages to both dogs and canes.

A cane can be left standing in a corner. A dog is another mouth to feed and take care of. However, a blind person can even run with a dog. to do that with a cane and heaven help you and everyone he says. Jordan also says he would feel uncomfortable taking a guide dog into many homes where he services pianos.

Jordan can find humor in his handicap and says there are other handicaps he would consider much more major. He likes to tell funny stories about his experiences to his friends. One favorite is about the time when he helped a blind man who made his living the across the street. After guiding the man through the traffic, Jordan let the man feel his cane. Jordan likes to visit his friends at Body Shop and go for rides with them.

Most of all Jordan would like people just to accept him for what he is a normal man who just happens to be blind. QCUS BERYL JORDAN, Maryville, who has been blind since birth, learned piano tuning as a trade while attending special schools for the blind. Jordan also had training in mobility enabling him to confidently walk around town with a minimum of assistance at traffic lights or in crossing streets. (Forum Staff Photos) Daily Forum Northwest Hometown Newspaper Vol. 67 No.

229 Singlo Conti Maryvlllo. Mo. 6446S Saturday, March 1477 Pagos Health council approved The Northwest Missouri Subarea Health Council, including Nodaway, Holt, Atchison, Gentry and Worth counties, has been approved by the Missouri Area II Health Systems Agency (HSA). According to James E. Lafoon, executive director, Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, the application from the Northwest Missouri Subarea Health Council was approved its entirety except for some minor details, at a meeting of the HSA held Thursday at Moberly.

lafoon, who participated along with 10 other region representatives from north and central Missouri in developing subarea councils, serves as staff liaison between the Northwest Missouri Subarea Health Council and the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, with whom the subarea council contracts for staff services. The subarea councils have been established to enable the HSAs to function more effectively in their tasks of health planning and coordination. Missouri Area II Health Systems Agency encompasses 60 counties in Missouri and 34,500 square miles. The subarea council application will be submitted for approval at the meeting Tuesday of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments at which time members of the council will also be confirmed. The subarea council will be composed of 27 members of which 14 will be consumer members and 13 health providers.

Submitted for confirmation at the Tuesday meeting will be Mrs. Mason Houghton, Mrs. Hal Davis, Gary D. Jensen, E.L, Niedermeyer, M.D., Claudine Supernaw, R.N., Gary Watson and Charles Harmes, Atchison County; Mrs. Millie Walkupand David Duncan, Holt County; Dr.

F. Patrick Wynn, Mrs. Natalie Tackett, FJdon Asbell, Mrs. Sue Gille, R.N., Gregory B. Vinardi and Keith Stanton, Nodaway County; and Mrs.

Richard VanVactor, Martha Musick and Ron Defenbaugh, Worth County. Four other council vacancies will also be filled at the same time. Area II Health Systems Agency was mandated by the Health Planning and Resources Development Act of Public 93-641. Missouri is divider! into five Health Systems Agencies. The primary purpose of the legislation is to reorganize the various entities dealing with health so that each state, local government and community has an opportunity to be actively involved in developing health programs.

involvement and community input are key words for the Area II Health Systems said Warren S. Hinton, chairman of the governing body of the Missouri Area II Health Systems Agency. Any person wishing to participate through involvement in the council, serving on a subcommittee of the council, or wishing to be on a general mailing list for health related information should contact the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of office Maryville, at 582-5121. THE NODAWAY COUNTY COMMUNITY FAIR, fund drive has been given another $100 boost. Shown at left is L.D.

Young, president, Skidmore Lions Club, presenting a $100 donation from the group to Scott Graham, secretary, Nodaway County Community Fair, Inc. The Nodaway County Community Fair. has set a $50,000 in their drive to erect a community building near the Maryville airport. (Forum Staff --si Nodaway County Community Center Contributions Now Total 8 479.91 Contributions at Extension Office 112 W. Third, Maryville SATURDAY Brie High in 40 TODAY'S FORECAST Clear to partly cloudy today, with the high in the 40s and winds from the northweet at 10 to 20 mph.

Low tonight in the 20s, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies Sunday, and a high in the 40s again. Service clubs help canvass Members six Maryville service clubs have started canvassing Maryville and will continue doing so until Marc 15 in an effort to assist the Nodaway County Community Fair, fund drive in raising the $50,000 which lias been set as a goal to erect a community building near the Maryville airport. Scott Graham, secretary of the Nodaway County Community Fair, said the names of all persons and businesses who donate $100 or more to the drive will be enscribed on a plaque which will be permanently displayed at the community building. Service clubs whose members will canvass Maryville are Soroptimist International of Maryville, businesses south of the square; Maryville Rotary Club, Southeast Maryville; Maryville Optimist Club, Northeast Maryville; Maryville Lions Club, Southwest Maryville; Maryville Kiwansis Club, Northwest Maryville; and Maryville Jaycees, businesses north of the square. Loss of family member leaves hurt IftANK EXIfeessions The couple walked slowly into the building, a look of anquish present on their faces.

Announcing themselves at the reception desk, they inquired about the status of a patient and member of the family. getting along as well as can be exclaimed the young girl at the desk. like to see him, in the first room on your right down this she pointed out. he probably respond since he has been she added. They walked toward the room and stopped hesitantly to speak to the two doctors who were standing in the doorway.

is he getting along, asked the woman. we think we have the convulsions under control now, but know more after tonight if he is going to make replied one of the doctors. got a heavily concentrated dose of poison in his system. By sedating him, we can control the convulsions and hope that his body can get rid of it. Tonight will tell the story whether or not he will recover or the other doctor volunteered sym- pathically.

A ray of hope spread over the faces as they peered into the room. The patient was breathing normally with no sign of pain on his handsome face. As they watched him intently, a convulsion racked his body and a glimpse of helplessness appeared as they looked at the slight figure which had been part of their family life for eight years. As if to alliviate their own anquish, the couple expressed their thanks to the doctors, turned quickly and walked out. It was three days later that the sad news came.

Corky, the faithful family dog was dead. Here is a strange tale about a woman who asked a Methodist minister to do a burial ceremony for her dog. The person who wrote it for another newspaper vows that it is a true story. The preacher want to do it and tactfully suggested she see the Baptist if she had no objection to 4 another denomination. That made no difference to the dead owner and she asked how much she should offer to pay the Baptist minister.

you can the Methodist advised. much did you have in The woman said she thought $300 would be about right. The Preacher looked at his schedule again and said, see I can squeeze you in tomorrow, after all. Why you tell me your pet was a The sixth annual Home Show, sponsored by the Maryville Business and Professional Gub, will get underway Saturday, March 12 and will continue through Sunday, March 13. There are already 25 display booths spoken for at the show which will be held in the National Guard Armory.

The popular show will open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. 5 p.m. Did you hear about the two woman who walked into a local business recently and asked if they could use the large scales.

It seemed the gals were members of Weightwatchers and needed scales that would weigh persons of a larger proportion. After they were gone, curiosity got the best of the owner who promptly ventured back to see where the weights were left indicating the weight but they had been moved back to the zero mark. The single-engine plane that crash- landed last Saturday near Skidmore was piloted by the younger brother of Craig Stephenson of Maryville. Escaping with superficial facial injuries, Robert Stephenson was flying from Albuqurque, New Mexico to the Fast Coast with an intermediate stop at Maryville when the plane ran out of gas. We bet the next time Robert will be more aware of his gas guage when he wants to on his brother.

Note laying on a desk in our office this week. Addressed to Frank the note BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) A major earthquake struck southeastern Europe late Friday, devastating areas of Bucharest and causing deaths and damage south into neighboring Bulgaria. The Romanian government had not released any casualty tolls, but a spokesman for the Yugoslav embassy said today at least 1,000 were believed dead in Bucharest alone. Many residents, he said, had moved into the countryside and into parks for fear of new tremors. An early official report from Bulgaria said at least 20 were dead there, 167 injured and 60 buildings destroyed by the quake, described as one of the strongest ever recorded in Europe.

Bucharest was apparently the most severely hit major city. Apartment buildings were reported flattened, streets buckled and thousands driven from their homes. Bucharest radio said, Doc Pierce called this morning and said he hoped your staying up last rught spoiled your bowling. He said he stayed up to see J. Ray Cook on the Tonight Show and no J.

Ray Our apologies, John, we hope you caught up on your sleep. We have noticed the confusion by motorists concerning right hand turns on a red light which is legal in this state. A right hand turn can be made on a red light after coming to a complete stop. A right hand turn on a red light cannot be made at those intersections which have flashing predestrian crossings. The latter is illegal, you must wait until the light changes.

said there had been no casualties in the worst hit city area, the downtown district of stores and warehouses. The radio said emergency hospitals had been set up on the fields of two stadiums. It said there was enough blood and oxygen on hand to treat all casualties. President Nicolae Ceausescu rushed back from Nigeria, cancelling a Mallorca meeting with Spanish King Juan Carlos, and immediately began inspecting damage in the Romanian capital. Ambulances were rushed to Ploesti, 35 miles north of Bucharest, which the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug said was heavily damaged.

Red Cross officials reported damage to the towns of Alexandria and Iasi and several villages. The spokesman for the Yugoslav embassy, reached by telephone from See APARTMENTS Page 5 Quake hits Rumania.