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Central Maryland Council Cookbook

The members of the Central Maryland Council of the Blind have compiled a cookbook of their favorite recipes. Included are recipes for every meal and all occasions. You'll find casseroles, main dishes, side dishes, soups, salads and lots of cakes, pies and cookies! The price of the cookbook, which is available in braille, print or large print, is $20. To purchase a copy, be sure to specify the format you want and make your check or money order payable to the Central Maryland Council of the Blind. Mail it to: Ruth Hairsine, 2518 Edgewood Ave., Baltimore, MD 21234. If you have questions or need additional information, call Ruth Hairsine at (410) 916- 8840.

Join the Party!

Come join the party! Damar Travel and the California Council of the Blind have scheduled a cruise for May 11-14, 2007, from Long Beach, Calif. to Ensenada, Mexico. See old friends and make new ones, and help support CCB at the same time. For each cabin booked on the cruise, Damar Travel and Carnival Cruise Lines will make a donation totaling $90 to CCB. We will depart on Friday, May 11, from Long Beach and travel to the wonderful city of Ensenada, Mexico where we will have a full day to enjoy Mexico. Prices start at $525 for an inside cabin and $565 for an ocean view. Prices include three-day cruise, port charges, government fees and gratuities. An initial deposit of $50 is required; final payment is due on or before Feb. 1, 2007. Everyone is welcome. Tell everyone you know about it. We'd love to see your family, friends, and potential friends. For reservations and additional information, please call Dave Kronk with Damar Travel and Cruise at 1-800-999-6101 x422.

RSVA Presents Awards at Convention

At this summer's RSVA convention, awards committee chairman Rick Petersen presented three awards. The Vendor of the Year Award is given to a person who has been an active vendor for at least five years. This summer's winner has been a vendor for over 30 years and has been active at the state, local and national levels, helping vendors with their issues. He currently serves on the RSVA board and on the legislative committee. He has worked hard developing a newsletter for their state affiliate, has been actively seeking new members and encourages the vendors to join the state affiliate, the California Council of the Blind, which gives them a stronger voice in the California legislature. The Vendor of the Year Award went to David Hanlon from California.

The Jennings Randolph Service Award is presented to someone who has given his or her time and energy to the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, but who is not an active vendor. This person has truly lived up to the meaning of long-time dedication. He is a hard-working individual who is always willing to help answer questions and is personally committed to the Randolph-Sheppard program. He worked very closely with Durward McDaniel, RSVA's legal counsel for many years, protecting the rights of blind vendors. He was the special counsel to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare as well as Rehabilitation Services Commissioner. This year the Jennings Randolph Award was presented to Robert Humphreys from Washington, D.C.

The Don Cameron Award was named for Don Cameron, who did an outstanding job of advocating for his fellow blind and visually impaired peers. This award has three criteria that must be met: 1. The nominee must be either a current or a former member of RSVA; 2. The nominee must have been a vendor for at least 20 years; and 3. The nominee should be a vendor who is seeking to improve the goals of RSVA as well as promoting awareness of the blind in his or her community, state and nation.

This person has truly lived up to the meaning of advocacy as well as service and dedication. This person is always willing to listen as well as lend advice and be a mentor to any new person in the organization. He has enormous patience, a big heart and truly loves blind vendors and the Randolph-Sheppard program. He serves on the board of Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America as well as on numerous RSVA committees. He has been a vendor for over 23 years, and for most of those years has given of himself to better the program in Illinois. This year the Don Cameron Award was presented to John Gordon from Illinois.

If you wish to join RSVA and receive our publication, "The Vendorscope," and learn more about our events and issues, please call our national office at 1-800-467-5299.