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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><h1><a name=Start></a>NEWSWIRE<o:p></o:p></h1><h1>National Federation of the Blind of<o:p></o:p></h1><h1>North Dakota<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1>Vol. 1, No. 13<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 align=center style='text-align:center'>SAVE THE DATES!!!<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our next monthly meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota will be on Saturday, November 18, 2017. Tentatively the room has been reserved from 1 PM to 4 PM. I would like those planning to order food and drinks as part of their lunch to arrive around 1 PM so that you can place your orders before the meeting begins so that we are not disturbed by the wait staff taking orders and bringing food while the meeting is going on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So, the place will be at Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream at 2511 South University Drive in Fargo.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For those who are unable to be present, you can join the meeting at 2 PM by phone by dialing (712) 832-8300 and entering the room ID 9381122 # The call should last around 2 hours.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We will be continuing our discussion of the Branding and Philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. We will also have a regular agenda items at the beginning of the meeting. Should you have questions, call President Milton at (701) 731-0511 or send an e-mail message to <a href="mailto:mota1252@gmail.com">mota1252@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In December, on the second Saturday of the month, if it all works out, we will have a Christmas Party. Stay tuned for more details to come.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 align=center style='text-align:center'>LEGISLATIVE ALERT<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Editor’s Note: The following comes from President Riccobono in his November 6 Presidents Notebook to affiliate presidents.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>Critical Actions This Week:<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I wish to call your attention to a very pressing item today. There is immediate need to get the word out about the elimination of the blind exemption in the tax proposals that are moving on Capitol Hill now. Please take a moment to call Congress, distribute the call-to-action to other members, and encourage our members to make calls as soon as possible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Action Needed Regarding the Proposed Tax Bill:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (H.R. 1) was introduced last Thursday, November 2, in the United States House of Representatives. Beginning in tax year 2018, this bill will repeal the standard deduction for blind people valued at $6,350 for the 2017 tax year. Please call your representative and urge him or her to maintain this critical tax deduction for the blind as soon as possible. The House Ways and Means Committee begins mark up on this bill today, Monday, November 6. The best way to contact your member of Congress is to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office in question. Emailing your member of Congress is also a good idea. If you do so, please copy <a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org">JPare@nfb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>NFB Scholarship Program:<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>We are accepting scholarship applications from November 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018. This annual program offers thirty scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000 to eligible students, from high school seniors beginning their freshman year in the fall semester of 2017, up through graduate students working on their PhD degrees. Go to <a href="http://www.nfb.org/scholarships">www.nfb.org/scholarships</a> for complete rules and requirements.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'> <o:p></o:p></p><h3>Santa Letter Program:<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>Santa’s coming, Santa’s coming, and he’s sending Braille letters to children all over the country. That’s right it’s the time of the year for the NFB Santa Letter Program. Beginning next Monday, November 13, parents can submit an application for their young blind child to receive a Braille letter from Santa. This letter also comes with a coloring page, a recipe, a craft, and song lyrics. The print for each of these items is sent along as well. Once the program is open, you will be able to apply at <a href="https://nfb.org/santa-letters">https://nfb.org/santa-letters</a>. The program runs until December 15.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>NAPUB Call:<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) is pleased to announce its first telephone conference/presentation/discussion on issues surrounding Braille in the United States. On Thursday, November 9, NAPUB will be pleased to have Curtis Chong share his experiences with the Orbit Reader 20. The Orbit Reader 20 is a twenty-cell, eight-dot refreshable Braille display. The call will take place at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 5:00 p.m. Pacific. The call-in information is (605) 472-5772, code 154426#. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph> <o:p></o:p></p><h3><span style='border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>BRAL Contest:<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p class=MsoNormal><span style='border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>The NFB of Illinois, in partnership with the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) is pleased to extend the 2017-18 Braille Readers Are Leaders (BRAL) contest to any NFB affiliate that wishes to participate. If your affiliate submits $100 to the NFBI, an unlimited number of children in your state can enter the contest. The kids can start reading on December 15, so that amount should be received by the NFBI before that date. Contact Patti Chang at </span><a href="mailto:pattischang@gmail.com"><span style='border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>pattischang@gmail.com</span></a><span style='border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'> for transaction details. The NFB of Illinois will take care of the administrative details for the contest, including providing and mailing out all prizes. Each participating affiliate, however, will be responsible for publicizing the contest within its own state. </span>The complete contest rules, registration form, and the reading log form will be available by November 8 on the website, <a href="http://www.nfbofillinois.org">http://www.nfbofillinois.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>DATES TO KEEP IN MIND<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>2018<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>Jan 29 – Feb 1: Washington Seminar – Holiday Inn Capitol <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mar 31: Deadline for 2018 NFB Scholarship Application<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Juul 3-8: NFB National convention, Orlando, Florida, Rosen Shingle Creek<o:p></o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:dotted windowtext 3.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Should you have questions regarding any of the above items, please contact the Editor/President Milton Ota at (701) 731-0511 or send e-mail to <a href="mailto:mota1252@gmail.com">mota1252@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please feel free to forward the NEWSWIRE to anyone who you think might be interested in reading about what is going on with the National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you have something you want the members of the National Federation of the Blind to know about, send your information to <a href="mailto:mota1252@gmail.com">mota1252@gmail.com</a>. You can submit your information either in the body of the message or as an attachment in Word.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Milton Ota, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Web: http://nfbnd.org/<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>909 8th St., S.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Fargo, ND 58103-2723<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Cell: (701) 731-0511<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>E-mail: mota1252@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>With Love, Hope and Determination, We Turn Dreams Into Reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Together We Change What It Means to Be Blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>