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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Deb and All,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>These are all excellent, excellent points. I have learned something here, too, and I think we all may have as a result of reaching out to Dr. Bell. New Mexico is, indeed, another great example of a state following best practices.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Consolidation is exactly what Governor Maloy partly did back 10 years ago, and he would’ve done more if we hadn’t pushed back. It’s why BESB isn’t its own board as it used to be and why it’s now under the Department of Aging and Disabilities Services. We already lost a commissioner-level appointee. I’m glad that our first point, strong and repeated, is that we want no more consolidation. And we still want a BESB director.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>As President Riccobono quotes from our mutual birth state (Wisconsin)…Forward!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Nathanael<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Deb Reed via CT-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 08, 2021 1:58 PM<br><b>To:</b> Elizabeth Rival<br><b>Cc:</b> Deb Reed; bmartin1998@gmail.com; rmirdi@aol.com; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [CT-NFB] Letter for Amy Porter<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Good information back with lots of questions to answer and legislative work ahead. I do not know Greg<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Deborah J. Reed<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Central Chapter President<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>NFB of CT<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Deb.reed57@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>860-378-5370<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“Live the life you want, blindness is not what holds you back.” National Federation Of The Blind <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>On Dec 8, 2021, at 12:35 PM, Elizabeth Rival <erival@comcast.net> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi again, after talking to Eddie Bell at the Louisiana center… What is the OID plan in CT? Older individuals for blind seniors plan? Vo rehab only serves 14 and older legally in CT. That would have to be changed in the legislature. Used to be 18 years old till 2014. Now its 14 years old. New Jersey serves down to infancy, for instance. That’s a state law to change. CT. would say that schools should be paying for under 14in CT. Ask Gregg Trapp in New Mexico for more, if anyone knows him? Where is the OId money going to? How does the state of CT. Match the federal allotment money from the federal government? Do we have a commissioner n for the blind? Or have they consolidated? Beth ? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Elizabeth Rival <erival@comcast.net> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 08, 2021 12:05 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'maryanne.melley@gmail.com' <maryanne.melley@gmail.com>; 'marysilverfox@gmail.com' <marysilverfox@gmail.com>; 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List' <ct-nfb@nfbnet.org>; 'rmirdi@aol.com' <rmirdi@aol.com>; 'j.mccollum64@comcast.net' <j.mccollum64@comcast.net>; 'deb.reed57@gmail.com' <deb.reed57@gmail.com>; 'veronicalalston@gmail.com' <veronicalalston@gmail.com>; 'bmartin1998@gmail.com' <bmartin1998@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> RE: Letter for Amy Porter<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi, the comment , director, if there should be one… take that out, of course there needs to be a director. I also agree with rest of comments, still waiting to here from Louisiana and national. Beth <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 08, 2021 10:29 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:erival@comcast.net">erival@comcast.net</a>; <a href="mailto:marysilverfox@gmail.com">marysilverfox@gmail.com</a>; 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List' <<a href="mailto:ct-nfb@nfbnet.org">ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>>; <a href="mailto:rmirdi@aol.com">rmirdi@aol.com</a>; <a href="mailto:j.mccollum64@comcast.net">j.mccollum64@comcast.net</a>; <a href="mailto:deb.reed57@gmail.com">deb.reed57@gmail.com</a>; <a href="mailto:veronicalalston@gmail.com">veronicalalston@gmail.com</a>; <a href="mailto:bmartin1998@gmail.com">bmartin1998@gmail.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Letter for Amy Porter<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Hello Board Members,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Please review the attached letter for Amy Porter. Edit as you feel appropriate. I will then email it to her.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thank you,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Maryanne Melley</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>860-212-5549</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>