<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:12pt;"><div style="font-size:12pt;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>Now that we have met with staff from the hotel, here is some updated news about our state convention being held on Saturday, November 5th and Sunday, November 6th. Please share this informaiton with anyone you know that plans to attend and is not on this listserve.</FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(1)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>The hotel is now a Ramada Plaza. It’s address and phone number remain the same: 50 Morgan Street, Hartford; 860-549-2400. The computer conversion from the Crowne Plaza to the Ramada Plaza should now be complete, so there should be no more reservation problems. If you made reservations over the past several days, I'd suggest calling the hotel to confirm your reservation now that the computer conversion is done.</FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(2)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>The hotel offers free wi-fi for guests<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(3)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>There is <B><U>NO</U></B> free shuttle offering, either to the bus/train station or the airport. The hotel is under contract with some airlines to shuttle the airline employees between the airport and the hotel. Occasionally if there is space on such a shuttle, hotel guests can purchase a ride to the airport. This happens rarely and no one should count on a ride or from the airport in this manner.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(4)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>The City of Hartford and CT Transit offer a free shuttle bus that circuits Hartford stopping at major attractions. One stop is the bus/train station; another stop our hotel. This shuttle has set stops and runs its circuit of Hartford approximately every 12 minutes. It will be running on Friday from 7 AM through midnight; Saturday from 7 AM through midnight; the shuttle does NOT run on Sundays. The stop for the train/station appears to be on the corner of Union Place and Allyn Street. The stop for the hotel appears to be on the Trumbull Street side of the Ramada Plaza. For more information: <A title=www.cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/starshuttle.asp href="http://cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/starshuttle.asp" target=_blank mce_href="http://cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/starshuttle.asp">www.cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/starshuttle.asp<o:p></o:p></A></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(5)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>We have confirmed a dog relief area with the hotel. From the front lobby of the hotel, go out the main entrance and turn right. You will be on a sidewalk that runs along the hotel. The sidewalk ends at Morgan Street where you will turn left and cross the end of the driveway. There is a grassy area on the left after the driveway. There are trash receptacles near the main entrance. We will have a supply of extra doggie bags at the registration table should anyone need them.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(6)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>We have received a copy of the menu from the hotel restaurant. The office will be producing large print and Braille copies. These will be available at the restaurant for anyone eating there Friday evening, or at any point during the weekend.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(7)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>We have provided information about blindness to be distributed to the hotel staff who are working that weekend. We gave them copies of our NFB of CT brochure, which includes the Courtesy Rules of Blindness, and NAGDU’s brochure “Meeting a Working Guide Dog Team”. This information should go a long way to help staff work cooperatively with our convention attendees. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
<div style="font-size:12pt;TEXT-INDENT: -19.5pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 37.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>(8)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma>We are going to try something new this year: a $5 gift card swap. If you are interested, please bring a $5 gift card in an envelope with your name on it to the registration table. We will be holding drawings throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></div>
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