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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Good morning everyone:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Per the subject line, I am very excited to share this moment in my life, if you are on Facebook or LinkedIn, you will read about this as well. I was nominated last night by my peers in the business community and elected as Corresponding Secretary for the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For those of you reading this that live on Long Island or close to Long Island. We are having an Installation Dinner for the Board of Directors, it will be December 12, 2014 at 7pm - Tango Restaurant located at 99 W. Suffolk Avenue, Central Islip, NY, 631-234-6623. Dinner is $30 per person, please RSVP at <a href="mailto:info@brentwoodchamber.org">info@brentwoodchamber.org</a>, we need a head count to give to the restaurant. Please come out and show your support, you can pay at the door.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Since being a small business owner here in Brentwood, NY; located in Suffolk County, NY. I have joined many of the local community organizations, not only for business; but to show the people of our community, that the blind are involved, that we exist, that we have jobs, pay taxes, own homes, have families, own businesses, that we are living the life we want. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I recently did a presentation at our Convention here in NY, about being involved in our community, whether you own a business, or not. A few years ago at our National Convention in Dallas, TX. We had a back to basics seminar and one of the things we spoke about was being involved not only in the blind community, but the community where we live.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Many issues affect all of us, whether there are issues with your water authority, or like here on Long Island, we have the Town of Islip, and Brentwood is a Hamlet of the Town, where we have had issues of Illegal dumping of asbestos and other illegal materials in our local park, that has been not only a focus of the local news, but has gone viral across the country, on how this town contracted with a supplier that has done this to our local town. It is now a criminal investigation and that the District Attorney is involved with find out the truth. Many rallies and protests I have been in over the last few months. I have also been the representative from the Chamber of Commerce at our Town of Islip Meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We have had toxic material being brought through our town, to the only rail spur that will allow it to be removed off of Long Island, which had to go through local residential communities, and historical sites wanted to be demolished.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>These things might not be going on where you live, but hey, what about your local transportation committees to get better paratransit, or possibly go to a Board of Education meeting, or a PTA meeting to talk about services for those children that are legally blind, they will not know about the NFB and what we do unless we are involved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I hope to write up a story for the Braille Monitor about being involved in our local communities and not just as a blind person, but as a person who lives in these communities, we do make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cheryl Echevarria, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>A proud division of the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>NATIONAL FEDERATION <b>OF THE BLIND - "Live the life you want"<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>www.nfbtravel.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>631-236-5138<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>cherylandmaxx@hotmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",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 of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cheryl Echevarria is also the owner of Echevarria Travel www.echevarriatravel.com; 631-456-5394 or reservations@echevarriatravel.com and has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs. Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>