[Ct-nfb] hotel for convention

Tue Dec 15 12:23:02 UTC 2015

Good morning Justin & everyone,
Allow me to interrupt this conversation for just a bit. I personally think holding a state convention in Bridgeport might be good for a few different reasons, the 1st being that for many years the southern section meaning Fair field county, haven't been able to attend our state convention. Like the idea of New London, I personally believe that we need to reach out to the younger crowd that may be in that area. 

As for myself, you all know why I haven't been attending our conventions, and I don't believe you need to hear me whining about my personal life at this time.

On another note, let me say as far as the neighborhood, I have found that most folks no matter how poor or desperate as their lifestyle is, are usually sympathetic to the blind, or disabled if you will. As a young man I was afraid to carry a white cane because of the fool notion it would make me a target, well I was never so wrong in my life, in fact I am finding it just the opposite, people show a great deal of respect for me & my white cane when I'm cruising down the sidewalk, I'll have police offer to assist me walking across the street, Not that I need their help, but I don't wish to be rude, I don't mind them walking me as long as they don't try to steer me, and allow me to guide myself. But I'm digressing sorry.

Back in the day, I used to roam the streets of New Haven during my bar days, and I've never had any type of issues whatsoever. Yes I know New Haven, isn't Bridgeport, but just the same, areas' of poor reputation are the same.
Once while visiting a night club in New Haven, (Toads) my friends took off with their girl friends, and the bar actually closed before they returned, I had no choice but to leave, now my friend left his jacket in my possession, and when I was filing out with the crowd a man approached me and tried to say the Jacket was his, I refused to give it up, and after a bit of polite discussion I left with the jacket, no violence what so ever. Not because I'm some type of tough guy, but because people aren't the monsters we think they are.  

Oh sure growing up through public schools I have had my share of taunting sometimes I fought back you see in my day we stood up too bully's and other times I walked away not a happy person 

Another time while in Montreal Canada, I separated myself from my group of friends for whatever reason, and wondered the streets for a bit, managed to find my hotel & my room with no issues. 

I can tell you of many more events and adventures I've had over the course of my years, but my point is people are usually more understanding with us (meaning the blind) and aren't looking to knock you over the head, as we're given to believe. 

Now on the other hand if there's no place to park the dogs then that is an entirely different subject, because those of us who own dog guides are entitled to a place near or on the hotel grounds for their dogs relief, and if that's the issue for Bridgeport than I agree it's not the proper place to hold our state convention. Although I'm not a dog owner, I havve a great respect for those of us, who own dogs, and I believe they're entitled to the same privileges as we are.
Okay so now I'm done whining be safe my friends & I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season I hope to see you all in January.
Rich

    On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 2:44 AM, Justin Salisbury via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

 #yiv7267712199 #yiv7267712199 -- _filtered #yiv7267712199 {panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;} _filtered #yiv7267712199 {font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} _filtered #yiv7267712199 {font-family:Tahoma;panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} _filtered #yiv7267712199 {font-family:Verdana;panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}#yiv7267712199 #yiv7267712199 p.yiv7267712199MsoNormal, #yiv7267712199 li.yiv7267712199MsoNormal, #yiv7267712199 div.yiv7267712199MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;}#yiv7267712199 a:link, #yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv7267712199 a:visited, #yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199EmailStyle17 {color:#1F497D;}#yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199EmailStyle18 {color:#1F497D;}#yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199EmailStyle19 {color:#1F497D;}#yiv7267712199 span.yiv7267712199EmailStyle20 {color:#1F497D;}#yiv7267712199 .yiv7267712199MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;} _filtered #yiv7267712199 {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#yiv7267712199 div.yiv7267712199WordSection1 {}#yiv7267712199 Hi Joyce,    When I have been a part of state convention location decisions, the affiliate boards have focused on a number of factors, including but not limited to: cost of rooms, cost and type of meeting space, mass transit access, and overall probability that members will go there.    When I introduced the idea, I referred to it as a sensitive subject because I recognize that people do not take well to frank discussion of the reputation of a city which may be dear to them. I am not saying that Bridgeport is actually a bad place for people to be for a state convention, but I feel like getting people to attend will be an uphill battle because of its reputation. It does not mean that it disqualifies the city, but it is something that might matter. This is why I asked the question of how much it mattered.    Take care,    Justin    Justin Salisbury, NOMC Graduate Student Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Email:President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822 Twitter: @SalisburyJustin    "None can be free as long as any are enslaved"    Dr. Kenneth Jernigan    From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of blindhands--- via Ct-nfb
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 1:08 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List' <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    If you are concerned about Bridgeport it seems like you should have concerns about all Cities no matter where you are in this state or any other.  As you mentioned you want train and bus and transportation or you want country and fields.  You can’t have it both.    Now it also seemed in the past the place with the cheapest hotel rate  also got all the votes.  Are you looking for cheap, too?  We all need this information in order to know what is being looked for.    Joyce Kane    From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 11:19 PM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    Hi everyone,    Please don’t shoot me for this, but I have to ask a sensitive question here. I grew up with my only knowledge of Bridgeport being the poverty and crime that was constantly on the news about it. When I heard that the BELL program was going to be there this past summer, I was surprised that we ran a program in a city with such a rough reputation. I went, anyway, because it was our program, but I cannot help but wonder how many people held back because it was Bridgeport. To defend the city, I actually thought it was pretty legit when we were there, at least the part of town that we were in. The perception of the city that pervades our state will have more of an impact, though, than the realities of the city.     How much do perceptions like that matter?    Take care,    Justin    Justin Salisbury, NOMC Graduate Student Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Email:President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822 Twitter: @SalisburyJustin    "None can be free as long as any are enslaved"    Dr. Kenneth Jernigan    From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of blindhands--- via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 10:01 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List' <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    Perfect.  There is a hotel downtown that does all this conference stuff   It is like 2 blocks away from the bus station and Train station.  Paratransit is there, but you will need to contact them a few days before to put in for a ride.          From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Cookiechumper--- via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 8:55 PM
To: ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
Cc: Cookiechumper at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    Helllo,   I've got a friend  who knows all the major people  as corporate, political etc in Bridgeport  and can make something happen. He especially known for  disablity could get special  trasporttion on topo of the public  trasportation. As have already spoken to him to come up with a prospal which he'll get to me shortly to present.+ Thanks Elizabeth In a message dated 12/9/2015 8:07:03 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,ct-nfb at nfbnet.org writes: 
I expect that a lot of the public transit issue is going to take care of itself if we are already looking at the kinds of hotels that can accommodate our convention. This cannot be wisely assumed, but there is a pretty good shot. I say this because we don’t find hotels with many rooms, meeting space, catering, a restaurant/bar, etc., out in the boonies; these are in urban areas. Where do we find mass transit systems, such as buses, trains, and cabs? These are also in urban areas.     While we are certainly capable of holding a convention in a place that does not have mass transit access, I would not expect us to want to do that when so many options with mass transit access are available.    This project is so fun and exciting; it really makes me wish I was physically in the state 24/7. On that note, if anyone knows of any Orientation and Mobility jobs in Connecticut, not counting school systems or the V.A. (I have to work with RSA clients for about 3 years), please let me know!    Take care,    Justin    Justin Salisbury, NOMC Graduate Student Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Email:President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822 Twitter: @SalisburyJustin    "None can be free as long as any are enslaved"    Dr. Kenneth Jernigan    From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Edward Shaham via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 6:05 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List' <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Edward Shaham <personal.edward at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    I think a lot of us, including myself depend on the train or bus, to get to convention. Thanks, Edward       From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Carol Lemieux via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 6:43 PM
To: ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
Cc: Carol Lemieux
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention    How much good will paratransit and/or a train do most people travelling to the convention?  Paratransit will help locally, but not so much for people coming from across the state.  Few people have take the train in recent years.   Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 at 3:13 PM
From: "Deb Reed via Ct-nfb" <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
To: "NFB of Connecticut Mailing List" <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Deb Reed" <deb.reed57 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention The location should have paratransit, right? Southington does not. Also, should the location have a train? 

 Deb Reed, President  National Federation Of The Blind Central CT Chapter Phone - 860-973-3679 Email -deb.reed57 at gmail.com 
On Dec 8, 2015, at 11:49 PM, Justin Salisbury via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hi Edward,   Thanks for opening the floor for such an important discussion! I bet you’re going to be attending the leadership seminar in Baltimore about planning state conventions. I really like the North Carolina model of having a host chapter for each convention. The chapters go out and put together competitive convention package bids with hotel details, pricing, and some info about public transit access, and then the state board votes on the best proposal. It’s really quite cool, and the host chapter is touted and praised; it’s a big deal. I’d like to see us move toward that here in Connecticut. Another benefit, of course, is that it gives us negotiating power to drive down the prices.   Some affiliates like to have a convention in a place with either no chapter or a weak chapter if possible to bring people to an NFB function that wouldn’t normally be able to attend. That’s nice, but I also like having local people in the local chapter available to help with details.   Let’s consider the city populations. I have collected a list of the 25 largest cities and towns. I like the idea of aiming for places with a decent population. Here is is:   1              Bridgeport          144,229 2              New Haven        129,779 3              Hartford               124,775 4              Stamford             122,643 5              Waterbury          110,366 6              Norwalk               85,603 7              Danbury               80,893 8              New Britain        71,254 9              Greenwich          61,171 10           Bristol   60,477 11           West Hartford   60,495 12           Meriden              59,186 13           Hamden               57,862 14           Fairfield                57,345 15           Manchester       56,385 16           Milford 55,907 17           West Haven       52,420 18           Stratford              48,853 19           East Hartford     48,571 20           Middletown       48,030 21           Enfield  44,895 22           Wallingford         44,859 23           Southington       42,250 24           Shelton 39,991 25           Groton 39,167   I might like to try Waterbury, Danbury, or New Britain. We could also try to do it in Storrs on the UConn campus using the Nathan Hale Inn and Rome Ballroom facilities, especially given its proximity to our birthplace of West Willington, but maybe we ought to save that for the 50th anniversary.   Yours,   Justin   Justin Salisbury, NOMC Graduate Student Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Email:President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822 Twitter: @SalisburyJustin   "None can be free as long as any are enslaved"   Dr. Kenneth Jernigan   From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Edward via Ct-nfb
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2015 10:27 PM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Edward <personal.edward at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention   Good question. Either a location, or a specific hotel, but I would like to get some ideas on the table. If you could let us know where you would like the convention held, NY, that will be a good start.
Thanks,
Edward 
Sent from my iPhone 
On Dec 8, 2015, at 10:21 PM, Hamit Campos via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
Are you asking about just a hotel or what city? Because the last 1 was a little too far for us.   From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org]On Behalf Of Edward Shaham via Ct-nfb
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 9:53 PM
To: ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
Cc: Edward Shaham <personal.edward at gmail.com>
Subject: [Ct-nfb] hotel for convention   Hello all, Does anyone have any ideas as to where to hold our next convention? If so, please email the list, and let us know what you think. Where would you like to see our convention held?   Thanks, Edward       

_______________________________________________
Ct-nfb mailing list
Ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/personal.edward%40gmail.com 

_______________________________________________
Ct-nfb mailing list
Ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/deb.reed57%40gmail.com 
_______________________________________________ Ct-nfb mailing listCt-nfb at nfbnet.orghttp://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/bustero%40mail.com 

_______________________________________________
Ct-nfb mailing list
Ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/cookiechumper%40aol.com 

_______________________________________________
Ct-nfb mailing list
Ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/rmcgaffin%40snet.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/attachments/20151215/8a6aef36/attachment.html>