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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Deb, Nathanael, and Jim.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Thank you for your feedback. I will give the other members a little more time to respond. Then I will make the recommended changes and send the letter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Best Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Maryanne Melley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>860-212-5549<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>maryanne.melley@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Jim McCollum <j.mccollum64@comcast.net> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 8, 2021 11:30 AM<br><b>To:</b> Deb Reed <deb.reed57@gmail.com><br><b>Cc:</b> Nathanael T. Wales <ntwales@omsoft.com>; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb@nfbnet.org>; erival@comcast.net; marysilverfox@gmail.com; rmirdi@aol.com; veronicalalston@gmail.com; bmartin1998@gmail.com; maryanne.melley@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [CT-NFB] Letter for Amy Porter<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Maryanne, <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>This letter is very concise and gets to the point, which I think is very good. I agree with Nathanael and Deb. Also, I suggest another change to point 1, to say, we don’t want services for the blind lumped in with those of other disabilities, because the blind have specific needs that would not be met. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Jim Y. McCollum <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Board Member and Legislative Coordinator <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>860-581-0430 <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:j.mccollum64@comcast.net">j.mccollum64@comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from my iPhone<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>On Dec 8, 2021, at 11:14 AM, Deb Reed <<a href="mailto:deb.reed57@gmail.com">deb.reed57@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Thank you Maryanne for this very thoughtfulVery thoughtful letter.<br> Very good edit Nathanael. In the sentence,”That is outrageous.“ Correct spelling of outrageous. In reference to Jolene Németh, you might soften criticism to say, although she is knowledgeable she is not a good instructor. I would replace the word “awful” with “ineffective”, in describing Jolene.<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><a href="mailto:Deb.reed57@gmail.com">Deb.reed57@gmail.com</a><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><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>On Dec 8, 2021, at 10:58 AM, Nathanael T. Wales <<a href="mailto:ntwales@omsoft.com">ntwales@omsoft.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Maryanne,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thank you. I have one suggestion that I think would strengthen our first point about not allowing BESB to be subsumed into the larger department. Your first numbered point should remove the qualifier phrase “if there is to be one”. You should edit it to:</span><o:p></o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>The new Director of BESB should be someone well versed in blind issues. They should only work with the blind. We do not want our services getting smaller and getting mixed in with other disabilities.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>We absolutely want there to be a BESB and a director, and phrasing it this way will make that even clearer. We may also want to add that we want someone with experience in best practices in the education and rehabilitation of the blind and the adjustment to blindness of blind seniors.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thank you for the quick and thoughtful turnaround of this letter. You’ve captured all of the concerns very well, and I hope my suggestion will make it all the better.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Nathanael</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></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 [<a href="mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org">mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Maryanne Melley via CT-NFB<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: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>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [CT-NFB] Letter for Amy Porter</span><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></blockquote></div></div></body></html>