Insight: The Voice of

The American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc.

Spring 2012

President, Pratik Patel

Editor: Satauna Howery

The American Council of the Blind of New York is the largest consumer advocacy and support organization of blind and visually impaired people in the state. Your financial contributions help ACBNY’s work to promote the educational, vocational and social advancement of blind and visually impaired people in New York. Send your tax-deductible donations to ACBNY, 104 Tilrose Ave., Malverne, NY 11565.

If you’d like to become a member, you can fill out a membership application on our website at www.acbny.org, or call 800-522-3303.

Insight is available through e-mail, on audio CD and cassette, or via the ACBNY website at www.acbny.org. If you wish to change your subscription, please let the Newsletter Editor know by sending an e-mail to editor@acbny.org; or call 800-522-3303.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor’s Message: Presenting A New Sound For Our Newsletter, By Satauna Howery

Come To The 2012 Acbny Legislative Weekend, By Mike Godino

Get Your Half A Grand On Behalf Of A Grand Lady, By The Awards Committee

Love Notes: The View From Down Here, By Puddles

Braille Helps Cantor Sing A New Song, By Angela Cave

Joy, By Audrey Schading

Happenings On Long Island

Preparing For An Emergency, By Lori Scharff

Calendar Of Upcoming Acbny Events

Acbny Officers

EDITOR’S MESSAGE:

PRESENTING A NEW SOUND FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

By Satauna Howery

Ok, why exactly are you reading the spring issue of Insight? Wasn't last issue a fall edition? What happened to winter? Everyone in New York State is asking that question. Winter pretty much took a vacation this year. We've had so little snow here that the wind is still blowing around autumn leaves. It's March, and spring has sprung. Jack Frost is in the Bahamas and we've all lost an hour of sleep that we won't get back till October.

With the new season comes a new version of this publication. I am excited to announce that in addition to being available via e-mail, on cassette and through our website at www.acbny.org, you can now receive Insight on audio CD. This is so cool. You can't even get The Braille Forum on audio CD! Puddles' fans are going to love the awesome sound quality. Plus, each article of the newsletter is on a separate track of the CD, making navigation quick and simple. Play the disc on any CD player you can find! No computer is necessary. If you decide you're done listening and don't want the CD any more, help support and promote ACBNY by offering it to a friend or dropping it off at your local community center.

ACBNY would like to gratefully acknowledge Albany International Corporation for their donation of a CD duplicator. What a gift! We thank you for your contribution.

If you're interested in receiving a copy of Insight on CD, let me know by calling 800-522-3303, or by sending a message to editor@acbny.org.

Happy spring, everyone! I'll look forward to seeing some of you at the Legislative Weekend in Albany.

COME TO THE 2012 ACBNY LEGISLATIVE WEEKEND

By Mike Godino, ACBNY Legislative Committee Chair

You are cordially invited to participate in the American Council of the Blind of New York 2012 Legislative Weekend. This year the ACBNY Legislative Weekend will begin on April 14, 2012, with a Board meeting, and conclude on April 16, 2012, with visits to our State Legislators at the State Capital. ACBNY will be at the Albany Ramada Plaza, 3 Watervliet Ave. Ext., Albany, NY, 12206, 518-438-8431. Room rates will be $79.00 per night and are tax free when registering through ACBNY. Please remember that all incidentals, meals, phone calls, room service, etc, are not covered by ACBNY and are thus your responsibility.

WEEKEND AGENDA

Saturday, April 14

2:00 PM: ACBNY Board of Directors meeting

8:00 PM: Hospitality

Sunday, April 15

9:00 AM: Training on issues

12:00 PM: Lunch, $14.00 (See registration form)

Speakers until 3:00 PM

3:30 PM: Finalizing Monday visits

7:00 PM: Banquet with speaker, $25.00 (See registration form)

10:00 PM: Hospitality

Monday, April 16

8:30 AM: depart for the LOB

This year, like last year, we have planned the ACBNY legislative event to coincide with the April 17^th New York Vision Rehabilitation Association (NYVRA) Lobby Day. The hotel has agreed to honor the $79 room rate for Monday night if registered through ACBNY. I hope those of you who attend the Legislative Weekend will stay and attend the NYVRA Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 17^th.

In your planning to attend the Legislative Weekend, there are a few things I would like you to remember:

We will be starting at 9:00 am on Sunday to begin learning about the issues. Please arrive on time as we have much to cover in a limited time.
We are working on a lunch and Banquet menu with speakers on topics of the day. Please plan to attend the whole day on Sunday. We should look to conclude our work on Sunday at about 5:00 PM with the banquet beginning at 7:00 PM.
Each of you should make appointments with your Assembly Member and Senator to discuss the issues. ACBNY will be sure to match you with someone if necessary. No appointments are necessary for Tuesday as the NYVRA leadership makes the appointments for all those attending.

Finally, if you have any questions please feel free to write or call me at mikeg125@optonline.net or 516-887-1336 respectively. If you have no questions and wish to register, visit ACBNY.org for the registration information and application or send me a request for an application. There will be no mailing unless you make a request. All applications and payments should be set to Mike Godino, 104 Tilrose Ave, Malverne, NY 11565.

Thank you for joining with the Legislative committee to do the work of our organization. I look forward to seeing you in Albany.

GET YOUR HALF A GRAND

ON BEHALF OF A GRAND LADY

By The ACBNY Awards Committee

Did you know that if you've never attended an ACBNY state convention before, we've got a way for you to get there? All you have to do is apply today for the M.J. Schmitt First Timers Award! This award was established in 2008 in honor of M.J. Schmitt, one of the American Council of the Blind’s founding members. The award was created to bring more members from across New York to ACBNY’s statewide events and to give inspiration and experience to tomorrow’s ACBNY leaders.

This year's state convention will take place from November 1 to November 4, in Ronkonkoma, New York, on Long Island. If you receive the First Timers’ award, up to $500 of your convention expenses, including hotel accommodations, transportation and meals, will be reimbursed by ACBNY. You'll also have a mentor to guide you toward opportunities within the organization that interest you.

You can find the award guidelines by clicking on the Awards and Opportunities link of our website at www.acbny.org. You can also request them by calling 800-522-3303. The deadline for award applications is July 1, 2012. Apply today! We'll see you in November!

LOVE NOTES:

THE VIEW FROM DOWN HERE

By Puddles

dear first mommie,

i still really really really miss you. we used to do so many fun things. i do lots of fun things with new mommie now, which is nice, but its different.

new mommie and me didn’t go on plane or long train for a while now. we still go to meetings with her new mommies and new daddies friends and their guides sometimes but those meetings are near home, so we just take bus there. i like bus because i can look out bus door window and see when we get where we are going, which is better than on plane. i always stand up and shake when we get close to home so new mommie will know where we are just like i do. after that new mommie and me get off bus just like trainer showed us and new mommie says take me home and i do really careful just like she says. home is where food bowl and water bowl is. i like home lots.

new mommie sits up front on bus which is good cuz it means i can look out door and not just at feet and have to leave it bubbly gum on floor right in my face. i never did understand why people put bubbly gum on floor. new mommie says bubbly gum should be in garbage. woof to that! even i know where garbage is… but i have to leave it garbage, cuz trainer told me so.

i miss trainer, too. do you miss trainer? trainer never put bubbly gum on floor. it was fun when trainer taught me how to get on and off and stay real good on bus.

me and new mommie went to her ACB holiday party one day and saw all her new mommie and new daddie friends there and some stick wavers too. i keep hoping stick wavers will get their new guides soon. it sure must be hard to wait for guide like me to be done with school. i bet its even harder than staying on bus and leave it bubbly gum.

squirrel! right… leave it squirrls, too. i’m better at staying than leave it squirrels. at least its not cat. cats are funny when they stick to bubbly gum. i guess bubbly gum is good for something.

at holiday party i stayed real good under table right by new mommie’s feet just like i’m supposed to. i didn’t even try to fetch food and other stuff people dropped on floor. i wonder why new mommies and new daddies drop stuff so much. new mommie makes that over there face when she drops stuff. at home i can help by picking stuff up or showing new mommie where did stuff go, but i have to leave it stuff on floor in party, and really really when we are in restaurant. i can stay really good in restaurant and new mommie tells me so.

holiday party was fun cuz there was no bored meeting. there was lots of music and even some harm-onicas but no piano. i wonder why nobody danced though. it must be easier to dance with four legs than with two i guess. stick wavers look like they have three legs. hmmmm… maybe that makes it harder to dance, too. to me stick wavers always look like they are dancing with their sticks. new mommie says walking with a guide like me is just like dancing. i really like walking with new mommie.

i can stay really good by myself when new mommie wants to dance. i want to wiggle around and jump too, but i just stay real good and watch out and wait for new mommie to say come and then i run right over to her, just like i always did for you. new mommie says come now, so i’ll just say like you always did i wuv ooo!

wags and kisses,

puddles

BRAILLE HELPS CANTOR SING A NEW SONG

By Angela Cave

[Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted with permission from The Evangelist, newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, N.Y. To subscribe, call (518) 453-6688.]

Jean Mann, like other cantors and choir members at Christ the King parish in Westmere, Albany, is dedicated to her ministry. She attends cantor rehearsal even if it's not her week to serve, fills in for sick cantors and takes a cab to Mass if her rides can't make it.

But Ms. Mann's learning curve for new songs is different: She receives the lyrics through email, which she reads using a special keyboard and then types up in Braille. The parish's director of music and liturgy records the melody for her.

"I send music clips to my whole choir, but it kind of started with Jean," said LouAnn Cleary, the director. "God bless her; I don't know how she keeps it all straight. She's amazing."

Ms. Mann, a soprano, is the only member of the choir who is blind. Her home office has two bookcases filled with hymns she has translated into Braille, a system of writing in which characters are formed by patterns of raised dots felt with the fingers.

She also archives books of the Bible and parts of the Mass sent to her by the Xavier Society for the Blind.

Always around

Ms. Mann worked as a computer programmer for the State of New York for 30 years; she retired three years ago. She has sung at Christ the King for two decades and often gets recognized in town.

"Sometimes it's a little embarrassing, because I don't think I'm better than anyone else," she said.

But her presence inspires others, said Rev. James Fitzmaurice, pastor, calling attention to "her willingness to make up for the things that we take for granted. She's always present and doesn't let anything stop her. She's got a real love for the Church and for music."

Ms. Cleary agreed, saying: "She's a very happy person - and that comes through when she's cantoring."

She noted that Ms. Mann finds her way to music stands and microphones with ease: "When they realize that she's blind, they're just amazed.

"She's always willing to help," Ms. Cleary continued. "We were sorting music and she said, 'If someone can just tell me where the piles are and how you want them organized, I can help.'"

Ms. Mann sings at Sunday morning Masses, at funerals as needed and also occasionally at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna. She doesn't know how many other blind Catholics live in the area and hasn't shared her hymnal binders; she worries that her Braille style wouldn't be universally understood.

Always musical

Singing, Ms. Mann said, "comes naturally to me." Her father sang and she took piano lessons as a child. "It's a way to be involved. They say that you should share your time, your talent and your treasure."

Ms. Mann was born two months premature and received too much oxygen, leading to complete blindness. Her twin brother was also born legally blind, but was able to see with glasses.

She attended public school in Tonawanda, a suburb of Buffalo, until high school, when she started at the New York State School for the Blind in Batavia. She took two years of college classes before moving to Albany and receiving training in typing, filing and mobility from the Northeastern Association for the Blind.

Ever-faithful

Ms. Mann was Catholic from birth, but struggled and left the Church for a time as a teenager. But "when my brother asked me to be the godmother for my nephew, I decided I'd better go back," she said. "I can't imagine not having [my faith] now."

She said her faith helps her cope with death and the evil in the world: "It makes you less angry. I look at things differently. I look at the good in people. When you stay angry, you're only hurting yourself. If I wasn't going to church, I wouldn't know that."

Ms. Mann's blindness rarely frustrates her. "The only thing I get angry about is that I can't jump in my car and go someplace," she said, noting: "Everybody has challenges, whether you can see or not."

JOY

By Audrey Schading

“You have a very rich life,” a friend commented to me when I was preparing to travel to Bahrain to participate in a professional/cultural exchange program with MIUSA, (Mobility International USA), an organization which orchestrates many global, innovative programs for teens and adults with disabilities. She’s right. My life is very rich; and when I think about its richness, I am ever amazed!

I believe I agreed to a specific soul contract before birth; one in which I chose to live life as a blind American woman. Of course, when I’m in a completely frustrated unhappy state, I can never quite comprehend why I would have accepted physical blindness as part of my life’s work. However, in my very soul I know I did, and I realize that the understanding and knowledge will become clear as this life and beyond continues to unfold.

The gift of joy within me is astounding and boundless. Its spirit resonates each day I awake. My heart sings and dances for joy, and it flows out everywhere I am. Joy, along with peace, wisdom and comfort, becomes strong within me, radiating through me during times of darkness, despair, and general discouragement. When I feel I am the worst of the worst and allow myself to be surrounded with fear and negativity, I get the reassurance deep within me that God has brought me this far in my life. He/she will always continue to be there, no matter what. The entire Universe is working with me at all times, even when I forget. Although I instinctively know this but have somehow forgotten, the Universe ultimately always comes through. I then marvel at its depth of comprehension; marvel that it knows exactly what I need at all times! It comes forth for every kind of possible (or improbable) thing imaginable.

In February, 2003, I was preparing to travel to Tokyo. I needed to replace my passport, my original having gotten lost. Although I was near the correct address, I couldn’t quite find the location. Someone offered assistance, which I gratefully accepted. He explained that he worked for the department I needed and could show me exactly where it was. I agreed, and we walked together having a light conversation.

About two minutes into our walk, he asked me if I was from Buffalo, New York. I said I was. He then asked if I used to teach English as a Second Language approximately thirty years ago. Again, he was correct. He told me his name and said he’d been in one of my adult classes during that time. He didn’t know my name, however he remembered my face. I marveled at all of this, but was even more amazed a little while later.

My former student helped me fill out the paperwork for my replacement passport. Upon handing in the documents, I was told I needed a witness in order to get the passport. Ordinarily, I’d be prepared to argue the fact, but I was tired, was leaving the next morning and needed to return to work. My new/old acquaintance/angel said he’d be a witness. When they asked him how long he’d known me, he said, “Thirty years!!” What a blessing! I was then able to get my passport and be on my way! As I was packing that evening, I thought with amazement that when he’d first met me, the Universe knew there would be a future reason for him to remember my face.

Soon after returning from Tokyo, my guide dog and I were both injured and in serious need of medical attention. As I waited for an ambulance surrounded by caring coworkers and strangers, a veterinarian emerged. Because of her tremendous kindness, she was able to take my dog for necessary medical care while I went to the hospital. We both healed, and the wonderful veterinarian kept in touch with me. After about two weeks, I could no longer locate her by phone or e-mail. Was she a vet or an angel stepping in to help? I don’t know, but I am forever grateful to her and to the many others who were there for me at an exact specific place and moment! They are “Angels Along the Way”, as singer/actress/minister Della Reece said in her book bearing that same title.

I believe we are all angels. We have forgotten that we are. We learn from our fellow angels. We teach them, too. We learn not only from those who are kind to us! Angels/people who show us difficulties and problems are also our teachers, although when we’re in our particular hell, we don’t usually remember that fact.

There is joy and gratitude resonating everywhere for me; joy in knowing that from infancy I had loving parents, friends and teachers who patiently taught me to discover my world without vision; joy in remembering the first day I could actually read braille letters; the joy of teaching that and many other subjects to adults and children; the joy of communicating in several languages; the joy of having been married, of having and raising two children, of getting to know and spend time with my grandchildren; the joy of freely walking with my guide dog, cross country skiing, attending theater and traveling to visit nearby friends and family, across the country, or to the other side of the world. There is amazement, humility, joy and gratitude in all of it! I’m glad I signed up!

HAPPENINGS ON LONG ISLAND

LICB’s Annual Holiday Gala took off and landed right on the mark this quarter at a restaurant themed as a WWII airfield bunker sitting right next to the runway at Republic Airport. Pre-flight hors d’ouvres were followed by a masterfully piloted main course; and before turning on the Loosen Seat Belt signs we were propelled through a fun game that was so exciting we almost needed oxygen masks. We may book the same arrangements next trip.

On January 1, our public ground transportation system in Nassau County changed management from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority under the name of Long Island Bus to that of Veolea Transportation under the friendly new name of Nassau Inter-County Express or NICE Bus. Our members who belonged to the MTA Accessible Transit Oversight Committee monitoring paratransit services have all been invited onto the new NICE Accessibility Advisory Committee. We think it’s extremely important to maintain a high profile in transit and paratransit affairs, so we’re glad to be on board to represent the interests of passengers with disabilities, especially visual ones. When you visit us, have a NICE ride!

For some of our members, our next trip is scheduled for the ACB President’s Meeting and Legislative Seminar. We’re looking forward to connecting with our ACB family at its highest level and bringing our message to the national center of governance. After that, it’s off to Albany for the ACBNY Legislative Weekend. We’re hoping for a strong Long Island representation at that one, too.

On the arrivals board, we have our big annual Ken and Sue Nelson Memorial Dinner in the Dark event on April 30. We’re hoping to fly that one at full capacity and are right on course navigating through the planning stages now.

Further out on the radar, we’re working on the itinerary for the ACBNY State Convention coming up here on Long Island in November. Fly on down and we’ll see you there!

PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY

By Lori Scharff

Emergencies can happen at any time. They can be natural, like a weather related crisis, or man-made, such as a chemical spill, fuel leak, etc. The best way to stay safe in an emergency is to be prepared.

Below I have provided some resources and information on how you can be better prepared in emergencies. While a lot of this information seems like it pertains to storms, much of it can easily be adapted for any kind of emergency. I have expanded information that we use at my job to better reflect the needs of blind people. For example, as a blind person I feel it is always better to have more water, food and medication than recommended. As blind people it may take us longer to be able to get to a store for supplies.

Stock up on food and water. You should have enough non-perishable food and water in your home to last the family for at least a week. If your stock of supplies is old, be sure to refresh it. You might want to purchase new canned goods every few years and rotate the rest through your pantry. Water should be replaced annually.

Prepare other disaster supplies. You'll need to stock up on batteries, flashlights, rope, tarps, plastic bags, bad-weather clothing and other essentials to help you through the aftermath of a bad storm.

Get your home ready. If you have hurricane shutters, make sure that you have all of the parts and have some extra screws/washers handy. If you don't, have a supply of plywood precut to fit your windows. Gather anything loose from your yard and store it in the garage. Watch the news when a storm is approaching and protect your home when advised by local authorities. If you wait until the rain starts, it may be too late. For winter storms, be sure to have a heating source such as fire wood or electric heaters. Remember that you should never use a natural gas stove for warming a home, as the fumes from the gas can kill.

Develop a family communications plan. You might become separated before or after the storm. It's a good idea to have an out-of-state person to act as the point of contact for all family members in the event of an emergency. Make sure everyone in the family knows who that person is and carries their phone number in their wallet or purse. When attempting to call the out-of-state contact try both a landline phone and a cell phone. You may have better luck with the landline. Also, have a phone in your home that is not a cordless phone. Cordless phones often don’t work when the electricity is out, but a hard-wired phone will. Cable and internet phone services often are also faced with issues during storms.

Check your insurance coverage. Companies stop writing coverage when a storm is approaching. Ensure that your homeowner's insurance has enough windstorm coverage to rebuild your home in today's market. Also, remember that standard insurance doesn't cover flooding. You'll need special flood insurance from the federal government.

Select a safe place for the family to weather the storm in your home. Sheltering-in-place may be possible if you are not under an evacuation order. Consider a windowless room on the bottom floor. If your home doesn't have a safe area, you should know the locations of at least two emergency shelters near your home. This can be tricky, because often the locations are not released until the shelters are ready to accept guests. This is to prevent individuals from arriving at shelters that are waiting for staff, supplies, or that may not be able to open for some other reason.

If you are ordered to evacuate during an emergency, do so at the earliest point possible. Evacuating does not mean going to a shelter; it means leaving the area considered to be of danger. For example, here on Long Island during Tropical Storm Irene, over 200 thousand people were under evacuation orders. Many of those people didn’t go to shelters; they went to stay with family or friends who did not live near the coast. Emergency shelters are designed to meet the needs of people who have no other place to go. None of the shelters are able to handle the whole population of a geographic area. This is due to space and staffing constraints. However, shelters are available to house you until it is safe to return.

If you are unable to get to a shelter without assistance, find out what your county Office for Emergency Management does to assist with transportation. If you have special medical needs, such as a need for electricity, or you would not feel safe in navigating a shelter independently, you may want to look into special needs sheltering. Different counties have different procedures regarding who is “eligible” for special needs sheltering. This will be controlled by your local county Office for Emergency Management. When identifying your needs to shelter staff, be as clear and specific as possible. Here are some things you might consider requesting: someone to read forms or to assist you in a food line; someone to orient you to the shelter; repeating of instructions that may be printed on white boards; a guide dog relief area.

Usually, in a special needs shelter you will receive a cot for sleeping. In highly populated areas in a general population shelter, you may just be given a space on the floor.

Plan for the family pets. Shelters will not accept pets. However, there will be Pet Shelters in close proximity to the Human shelters for your pets. The best idea is to evacuate early to a friend's home that's located in a safe area. If your pet needs to be sheltered-he or she will need to have documentation of current shots. In addition, all pets need to be kept in a pet carrier while in the shelter.

Keep your vehicles gassed up to at least three-quarters of a tank at all times. Remember that hurricane season starts for us in the northeast on June 1 and ends November 30. This is then followed by the winter months—so, it is better to always have fuel in the car then have to think about what time of year it is. You need to have enough gas to safely evacuate if the situation warrants.

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

· Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least five days, for drinking and sanitation

· Food, at least a five-day supply of non-perishable food and infant formula

· Prescription medications, glasses and hearing aids/batteries.

· Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

· Flashlight and extra batteries

· First aid kit, containing bandages, disinfectant, tweezers, icepack, tape, splint, ace bandage, various over-the-counter medications for common ailments. Always be sure to know what each medication is used for and be able to identify all medications. Items should be in a water-proof case or in bags to prevent them from getting wet. You may wish to label items in the kit with braille or large print so that they can be identified quickly.

· Whistle to signal for help. If you can breathe—then you can get the attention of others if necessary.

· Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

· Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation. In addition a covered bucket may also be of assistance.

· Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

· Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

· Local maps

· Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

· Cash and change. Credit/debit cards will not be an option with power outages.

· Pet food and extra water for your pet

Additional Items to Consider Adding

· Traveler's checks

· Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, social security card, passport, non-driver id and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.

· Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov.

· Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.

· Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.

· Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. When diluted, nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.

· Fire Extinguisher

· Matches in a waterproof container

· Feminine supplies, baby diapers and personal hygiene items

· Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels

· Paper and pencil, slate and stylus. Plastic index cards for writing down important telephone numbers.

· Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Find out how to keep food safe during and after an emergency by visiting FoodSafety.gov.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING ACBNY EVENTS

The following calendar lists the dates of upcoming ACBNY events. If your chapter is hosting a function you’d like others to know about, such as a fundraiser or workshop, send the info to editor@acbny.org for inclusion in the next newsletter. Please note the deadlines for submission listed below.

April 14 – 16, 2012 ACBNY Legislative weekend in Albany

April 17, 2012 NYVRA Lobby Day in Albany

April 30, 2012 Long Island chapter hosts a Dinner in the Dark event

May 1, 2012 Deadline for Insight summer issue newsletter submissions

June 1, 2012 Insight summer edition will appear in your inbox or mailbox

July 1, 2012 Deadline for M.J. Schmitt First Timer award applications

November 1 – 4, 2012 ACBNY state convention on Long Island