Dear Sister Dames,
As we head into fall, I want to share some of the progress of our committees and what we have to look forward to.
We have a new governance working group that has completed an update of our bylaws. The revised document will be presented to you at the Autumn General Membership Meeting. It was time to bring the bylaws up to date as some of our procedures and operations have changed or are no longer relevant. You will receive a copy to review before the meeting. Membership approval is required to approve any bylaw changes.
The LDEI Green Tables committee has a new chair, our very own Drew Faulkner. We look forward to working with her to forward our mission. Our chapter Green Tables chair, Karen Vartan, is busy planning four potential local Green Tables-sponsored events on subjects ranging from organic issues and bees to food waste in local restaurants. If you have an idea for a Green Tables program or if you have a program in the works that you feel might overlap with the Green Tables mission, please reach out to Karen (kvartan@comcast.net) for assistance.
Our 2nd VP of Development Annie Boutin-King is working to arrange a hosted cocktail fundraiser at the French ambassador's residence this fall. We are looking at this event to make the first significant contribution to our scholarship fund.
I would like to reach out to anyone who has experience with acquiring financial sponsors for events and is willing to volunteer her expertise to enhance our fundraising efforts. Also, if any of you have ideas about potential partner companies or, better yet, have contacts you are willing to share, please contact me. Any contribution adds directly to our scholarship, grants and community outreach efforts.
I have seen many emails about members not being able to log into the Members Only section of the website. As I mentioned in the last President's Letter, I am working to update this area to include an interactive directory and calendar. I will have a majority of your personal information uploaded, shortly, so each member will have her own sign-in and password. You will be able to update your own content, including your photo, bio, social sites, offers for discounts of products or services to the membership, and see your own history of transactions within our chapter. If you need any personal documents that were previously located in that space, please contact Robin Kurtzman or me and we will be happy to send it to you.
I should have the Members Only tab available by the end of the month.
Finally, I want to again welcome our newest members and hope that you have had an opportunity to attend some events, join a committee that aligns with your interests and work with your sponsor to learn more about the chapter.
Should you have a chapter question, concern or idea, please shoot me an email president@lesdamesdc.org or give me a call (410) 212-2224.
Stacey Adams
President Les Dames - Washington, DC |
Time and location are to be determined so please look for more information to come soon.
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PLEASE NOTE: our LDE-DC general email address has changed. You will receive our emails from info@lesdamesdc.org going forward. Also, you will note that all officers' and committee chair addresses have changed; so, please address any LDE questions you have to the appropriate email addresses.
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Amy Brandwein's Amy Palmer drink, a riff on the Arnold drink that subs the lemonade with lemon granita at her new Piccolina restaurant in CityCenterDC, was featured in Florence Fabricant's "Front Burner" column in the New York Times' Dining section.
Johanna Mendelson Forman will present at the YEDI Istanbul Food Conference, one of the largest food conferences in the region, on September 23 about War and Peace Around the Dinner Table. The group will then host refugee women for a luncheon prepared by the women from their recipes with the help of well-known Turkish chefs. Many international food stars will be in attendance.
Deb Moser's and husband Mitch Berliner's Central Farm Market was featured in the Bethesda Magazine, (September/October 2019), article by Carole Sugarman with photographs by Deb Lindsey, Susan James, Sophia Maroon and Sandra Miller are all vendors at the market.
Tambra Raye Stevenson was invited to pitch some new ed technology and toys she developed to improve health and gender equality at "Her Impact Summer Pitch Competition powered by the Ford Motor Company Fund" on Wed, Sept 10. Tambra is the founder of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture, an organization inspiring women and girls to become 'food sheroes' in Africa and Diaspora.
Taueret Khepera Thomas participated as a panelist during the Congressional Black Caucus session, Building Economic Power in Black Communities through Business and Entrepreneurship, at The Association of Black Foundation Executives symposium on September 14 in Washington, DC. The symposium program focused on successful methods Black-owned business owners can generate capital, create infrastructure and identify support to grow and thrive.
Toni Tipton-Martin's newest book, Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking, will be published Nov. 4 by Penguin Random House.
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DAMES CORNER
 Tambra Raye Stevenson, a nutritionist and communication pro, developed a fictional shero, Little Wanda, and a non-profit, WANDA, Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture, to help children of African descent and their families "eat, read and lead" the way in agriculture and nutrition. In a series of charmingly illustrated books, Wanda introduces her grandmother to African foodways to help her combat diabetes.
Now, Tambra is exploring game technology as a way of effecting change. "Games make more money than films" nowadays, she says. And they are played by people of all ages, including her 70 year old aunt who games with others on Facebook.
Tambra just won a merit award for a full-ride in an accelerated, three-year American University PhD program in Media, Technology and Democracy where she will explore story-based games and many other ways to use technology to create social interaction and change, Meanwhile, she is working with a Smithsonian-sponsored project at AU using communication technology to engage in city government around issues of gentrification. And she will host a podcast this fall, Afro Eats and Beats, on African Union Diaspora Radio celebrating African food, music and culture with guests who are artists, restauranteurs and entrepreneurs. For details, check her social media at @tambraraye across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and tambraraye.com. -Olga Boikess
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We recently launched a members-only listserv for our chapter. This is a vehicle for members to communicate with each other in real-time. Many of us have talked about the need for this; so, we are happy to report that more than half of our members are already subscribed.
We will share relevant news articles, send program reminders, conduct outreach for volunteers and use the service as a way to supplement newsletters and emails.
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Registration for our 2019 LDEI conference Nashville: Rhythm and Roots, October 24 to 27 is now available for registration online. Click here to register. You have probably received the printed brochure in your mailbox.
Book soon to receive the discounted hotel rate at the fantastic Loews Nashville. This vibrant metropolis, known as Music City - and capital of the state that tipped the scales and gave women the right to vote - is now a national culinary destination with so much to share. It's filled with history, beauty, and an amazing chapter of LDEI that is ready to roll out the "BLUE" carpet for all of us in October.
While Carla Hall's Wednesday presentation, "Being Authentic While Facing Adversity," has been postponed until Saturday at 3:30 p.m., you are encouraged to arrive by Wednesday, October 23 so you can participate in the locally curated tours that begin bright and early Thursday morning. You will see Nashville from a unique perspective. Don't miss the chance to enjoy authentic Tennessee BBQ and listen to songwriters collaboratively create music at an optional event on Thursday night at the Green Door Gourmet.
The Nashville chapter has worked diligently to make your LDEI conference experience one you will not forget. I am very grateful to them and look forward keynote speaker Maneet Chauhan sharing her message with us.
You will find all relevant details of the tours, speakers and sessions outlined in the brochure. An after-conference Kentucky Bourbon and Culinary Tour, hosted, of course, by our Kentucky Dames, will end your LDEI Conference experience on a high note.
See you there!
Ann Stratte, LDEI President
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DAMES NEWS
On Saturday, September 14, D.C. Dames presented a Downton Abbey: The Movie luncheon and talk by CiCi Williamson at Ellen Gray's and Chef Todd Gray's Equinox restaurant in Washington, D.C. CiCi, who organized the event, showed the movie trailer and a video about the Highclere Castle which is the real setting of the fictional Downton Abbey and gave a presentation about the movie plot and how the foods were researched and created by London food stylist, Lisa Heathcote. Heathcote was responsible for preparing authentic dishes for the many "takes" of the dining room scenes at Highclere Castle, which were shot an hour away from the kitchen scenes at Ealing Studios. Second VP, Programs Edee Hogan was on hand to check in guests. President Stacey Adams addressed the group of 60 attendees and acted as CiCi's expert AV tech for her PowerPoint presentation. Ellen and her husband Todd Gray created an outstanding menu of dishes typical of Downton Abbey's time period including a dessert, Bavarois à l'Abricot, a layered apricot-Bavarian cream mousse from a recipe supplied by CiCi that was served on the Downton Abbey TV show. The pansy centerpieces and a copy of the book, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, were given as door prizes. Enthusiastic attendees gave the event a rave review.
 CiCi Williamson presenting Downton Abbey: The Movie.
Todd Gray, Ellen Kassoff Gray and CiCi Williamson
Drew Faulkner enjoying her entree
The menu with vegetarian entree
Pear Potato Soup
Fig and Blue Cheese Tart
Bavarois a la Abricot
Due to popular demand, Gail Forman organized another tour of the new and renowned Glenstone museum in Potomac Maryland. Afterwards, the group of 25 Dames and guests dined at The Cafe, the museum's on-site restaurant, whose chef is Brian Patterson, formerly the Culinary Program Director at l'Academie de Cuisine. Our group was especially taken with Chef Patterson's Sweet Potato Biscuits. He generously shared the recipe with Rose Clifford who also shares it here. Susan Barocas and Janet Cam
Marie Steffany, Suzanne De Galan, and Rose Clifford
Susan Lutz, Kimberly Lipinski, Linda Roth and Jonathan Kahan.
A group of Dames gathered to support Susan Callahan at her Torpedo Factory art show, Kitchen Stories, on September 12. Susan transfers photographic images of kitchen scenes, taken in her kitchen and her son's restaurant, onto pieces of cloth and paints and stitches them to complete the image. The goal of the series is to honor hard-but-rewarding behind-the-scenes work in the food service industry. Susan Callahan speaking at the Torpedo Factory Sheila Crye, Katherine Newell Smith, Susan Callahan, Eileen Dykes and Gail Forman in front of two of Susan's Kitchen Stories quilts
Susan Lutz and Susan Callahan
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Do you have food and beverage books that you would like to donate to the LDEI Collection of the Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library in New Orleans? If so, contact LDEI Collection Committee Chair Sheila Crye (crye4@aol.com) or (301) 512-8631 to arrange to transfer your donations to her in Silver Spring and save the cost of media mail. Sheila is transporting a carload of books to our LDEI conference in Nashville where Liz Williams will pick them up and deliver them directly to the Boyd Library.
The LDEI Board, in collaboration with the New Orleans Chapter, last fall announced the LDEI Collection at theJohn and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library in New Orleans. The purpose of the collection is to create a place where all of the books and papers written by LDEI members can be deposited and maintained as a coherent collection. Dames are also encouraged to donate other culinary books in their libraries which will help enlarge the collection. The LDEI Collection will include the works by living Dames as well as those who are no longer with us.
See the forthcoming fall LDEI Quarterly for Sheila's article about the cookbook library and how to donate your own books. - CiCi Williamson
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PROGRAMS
DAMES WHO READ - DAMES ONLY BOOK CLUB
Our Dames-only book club is open to all members. We meet every six weeks on a Monday evening. The host chooses the book, usually available in the library and in paperback, and provides refreshments. It is a convivial group. If you wish to join, contact Eileen Dykes eileendykes@gmail.com or any of the upcoming hosts (see below). If you are interested in hosting, please let Eileen know. If you have a book you would like to read and discuss, also let Eileen know. Otherwise, we are sure other members can offer some ideas!
DATE: Monday, September 23
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: The home of Kari Barrett, kpbrrtt@gmail.com, 5508 Waterway Terrace, Rockville, MD 20853
BOOK SELECTION: Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm by Forrest Pritchard.
PRICE: Free. The host provides refreshments.
LESDAMES DC MEMBER-TO-MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE - DAMES ONLY
Join us as we launch a Les Dames DC Member's Only Knowledge Exchange series. First up...SEO
Do you have a website and wonder how you can get more visibility? Les Dames DC President Stacey Adams and owner of Tastings Gourmet Market in Annapolis will share her business strategies and provide tips and tools for online growth. Topics to be covered:
What is SEO and why is it important?
What's the difference between a keyword and a keyphrase?
What is a keyword strategy?
How does Google work with SEO?
What tools can you use to improve your SEO?
DATE: October 1
TIME: 6:45 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Home of Lori Gardner, 13521 Coachlamp Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20906 (approximately one mile from Glenmont Metro. Need a ride from the Metro? Let us know)
PRICE: No Charge!
BETHESDA CENTRAL FARM MARKET TOUR - PUBLIC PROGRAM
Want to know more about who grew the microgreens, gathered the eggs or crafted that chocolate bar? Join sister Dames in a locavore tour of the Bethesda Central Farm Market with co-owner Debbie Moser, and learn about the history of the market and back stories of the vendors as you nibble on some of the market's offerings. Stops will include visits to Sophia Maroon (Dress It Up Dressing), Sandra Miller (Painted Hand Farm) and Susan James (Stonyman Gourmet Farmer). Each attendee will receive a $10 gift certificate to use at any market stand. Group size is limited to 15.
DATE: Sunday, October 6
TIME: 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Bethesda Central Farm Market, in the parking lot of Bethesda Elementary School, 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda. Meet at the information booth.
PRICE: $10 will go to the LDE-DC Scholarship Fund. Moser will generously distribute $10 gift certificates to each attendee to use at the market.
RSVP: Click here to get your tickets on Eventbrite.
PARKING: Limited parking at Bethesda Elementary School parking lot; free parking at Montgomery County Garage #40 at 4935 Cordell Avenue, Garage #49 at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, and at the Connie Morella (Bethesda) Library, 7400 Arlington Road.
METRO: Bethesda
In Washington D.C., where the nation's business is often conducted at restaurant tables, politics have always been on the plate. This town's restaurants are run by specialists who know how to handle the elected officials, Cabinet secretaries, White House staff, lobbyists and TV pundits who are regular clientele. But lately, spurred by social media, the country's politics have entered their dining rooms. And, even the most experienced have had publicized politically-charged incidents.
This forum will explore this distinctive element of DC dining. Longtime area restaurateurs will share their experiences, give insight on how they handle the heightened political mood in DC's dining rooms and pull back the curtain on serving DC's who's who.
Moderated by Carol Joynt, award-winning author, journalist, former restaurant owner and host of The Q&A Café, a weekly talk show.
Panelists:
Ashok Bajaj, CEO, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group which includes Bombay Club, Rasika, Oval Room
Amy Brandwein - owner, Centrolina & 3-time James Beard Foundation nominee
Ruth Gresser - founder & owner, Pizzeria Paradiso restaurants
Laurent Menoud - general manager, Café Milano
Maria Trabocchi -co-owner, Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants, which include Fiola, Fiola Mare, Del Mar, three locations of Sfoglina, Fiola Miami, and Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia
William Washington - director of operations, Schlow Restaurant Group and former general manager BLT Prime in the Trump Hotel
Stephanie Wilkinson - owner, The Red Hen, Lexington, VA
DATE: Monday, October 14
TIME: 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
PLACE: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington D.C.
PRICE: $35 (includes light desserts + cash bar)
RSVP: Click here to purchase your ticket on Eventbrite
MEDIA: Media may request credentials by emailing name, media affiliation, phone number to Jill Collins at jill@JillCollinsPR.com
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SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, COOKING UP HISTORY. The National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Ave N.W., Washington, D.C. Click here for more information
*Friday, September 20, 1 p.m.: The Mexican Food Revolution, Guest Chef Carlos Salgado
*Friday, October 11, 1 p.m.: The Moosewood Cookbook, Guest Chef Molly Katzen
*Saturday, October 12, 1 p.m.: Salsa con Salsa, Guest Chef Daniela Hurtado
NOVEMBER 1. THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB BOOK FAIR AND AUTHORS' NIGHT. 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 529 14th Street, N.W.
Club members who have published a book since November 2018 participate in the annual Book Fair. Socialize with your favorite authors during a special reception in their honor prior to discussing their work with fans and signing books during an exciting evening celebrating all things literary. Book Fair tickets are $5 for Club members and $10 for the public and can be purchased online beginning at 8:15 a.m. Monday, September 16 and at the door on November 1. The Book Fair is a fundraiser for The National Press Club Journalism Institute. The Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. The Institute is partnering with Politics & Prose to coordinate the event.
NOVEMBER 3 TO 10. DMV BLACK RESTAURANT WEEK Nearly 50 participating black-owned restaurants in D.C., Maryland and Virginia will offer special menus and pricing. Additional events include a cocktail competition on November 4 featuring local bartenders who will showcase their signature drinks; a Business of Food and Beverage Summit on November 6; tasting events featuring spirits from black-owned businesses; and an awards ceremony and dinner recognizing area culinary talent on November 8. The theme of the dinner will be "conversations and cuisines of the African diaspora." A list of participating restaurants and tickets for the various events will be available through the DMV Black Restaurant Week in the coming days.
NOVEMBER 7. SMITHSONIAN FOOD HISTORY GALA. The National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Ave N.W., Washington, D.C.
Join us for a black-tie celebration in support of the programs, exhibitions, and research of the Smithsonian Food History Project
at the National Museum of American History featuring the fifth annual presentation of the Julia Child Award to
José Andrés by the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Click here for Tickets.
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Entre News is our LDE-DC chapter e-newsletter. It is published on the first and third Wednesday of each month. It is on hiatus during the month of August. Deadline for HURRAH! and other news is the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Please send a BRIEF paragraph with your professional and personal news that you would like your sister Dames to know about in HURRAH!
HURRAH! is not meant as an advertising opportunity for a cooking class or event, rather it offers a shout out to members for recent accomplishments and honors. Please submit your HURRAH to eneditor@lesdamesdc.org in a succinct 75 words of less.
DAMES CORNER is a brief feature to help us get to know our sister Dames a bit better. We will randomly choose Dames to profile who have differing professional backgrounds so the coverage is more interesting.
OF INTEREST offers Dames a chance to let their sister chapter members know about events they are involved in that might be of interest to a majority of the membership. Its function is not to promote products, cooking classes, culinary trips, etc., rather to alert members to public programs that might be of professional interest, especially if Dames are featured. We request OF INTEREST entries to be no longer than 150 words. Less is always better.
JOB OPPS can open Dames networks to employment opportunities.
Thank you for you continued interest and participation.
Katherine Newell Smith
Founding Editor, Entre News
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Social Media Connections
Connect with Sister Dames
 LesDamesDC
 @LesDamesDC
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We need ALL members who have FB, Twitter and Instagram accounts to follow and actively re-tweet our members' tweets to spread the great news about our activities and programs!
Connect with Les Dames d'Escoffier International
Please share news, events and updates. Join the LDEI members-only LinkedIn Group to stay connected with other Dames.
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Join a Committee....
You were invited to join Dames because of your talents and achievements and you promised to be part of our chapter's committee work; so, now it is time to
Get Involved!
Our committees offer the perfect opportunity to get to know your sister Dames, share your skills and to give back to the community through service. Every committee needs dedicated participants. Please contact the committee chairs and offer your time and skills, now.
2019-2020 Committee Chairs
Membership - Dames Who Dine:
Karen Lippold
dameswhodine@lesdamesdc.org
Membership - Engagement:
Carole Sugarman
Women in Gastronomy:
Laurie Bell
Eileen Dykes
Grants:
Jessica Botta
Scholarships:
Nona Nielsen-Parker
Green Tables:
Karen Vartan
Edee Hogan
Global Culinary Initiatives:
Amy Riolo
Public Relations:
Jill Collins
Development:
Annie Boutin King
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2019-2020
Julia Rutland
Financial Officer
Drew Faulkner
Communications Officer
Jill Collins
Directors
Olga Boikess
(Programs)
Karen Lippold
(Dames Who Dine)
Diane Neas
(Parliamentarian)
Karen Vartan
(Green Tables)
Alternate:
Carole Sugarman
(Member Engagement)
Janet Yu
(Past President)
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To view the latest approved board meeting minutes, go to www.lesdamesdc.org and
click on the Members Only tab and enter the password. Click on the dropdown menu for LDE-DC Board and you will see a link to the board meeting minutes. During each monthly board meeting, the board approves the previous month's minutes and they are then posted to our website.
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It is easy to find chapter documents and resources, our event archives and past editions of Entre News.
We now have a single password that all Dames must use to access the Members Only section of the website. The password is ldedc2014. Please do not share this password with anyone outside of the Chapter. We are revising the members only section but the password remains as above. See Stacey's President's Letter for more information.
If you are having trouble logging into the website please contact our Communications Officer at communications@lesdamesdc.org
Under Member Login, you will see a revised menu where you can find:
- past and current Entre News issues posted under the Entre News Archives tab.
- archives of past chapter activities in the LDE-DC Dame Only Events menu along with upcoming events.
- helpful files including chapter letterhead, name tag template, LDEI logos and tax-exempt certificates under Documents and Forms.
- our chapter's standing rules, bylaws and membership roster under Bylaws, Roster & Minutes.
- A roster of Dames that can be printed out.
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LDEI Quarterly Deadlines:
The deadline for sending in Member Milestones and Chapter News for the WINTER issue of the LDEI Quarterly is NOVEMBER 11. Our archived Quarterly magazines are available online. If you are not receiving hard copies of Quarterly, please check your online contact information at www.ldei.org If it is correct, please contact Greg Jewell info@ldei.org to make sure you are on the mailing list.
Quarterly Guidelines:
Photography/Images-Electronic images must be properly focused, in color with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (TIFF or JPEG). Cell phone photos are acceptable if they meet resolution requirements. Do not send photos taken off the internet or embedded with text in Word files or PDF files. Identify individuals in photos from left to right in the message of your email. Include photo credits, if required. CAPTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION.
Member Milestones - Edited by Dorothy Koteski (Phil)
Share your professional news with Dames in all chapters in our LDEI Quarterly. Shout, don't whisper, about your accomplishments. We all want a chance to say "Brava!"
Submit Member Milestones by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-member-milestones. Any field marked with an asterisk (*) is required. Note that some forms have character limits due to space constraints. To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images.
Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted. Entries received after the deadline may appear in a following issue.
Please know that you can also email your information, if you prefer. The email addresses listed under the Submission Guidelines will always be active and will forward to the correct person.
Submit Chapter News by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-chapter-programs.To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images. Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received.
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