- SISTER CITY SCIENCE DELEGATION TO VISIT ARCHANGEL
A four person Sister City Science Delegation will travel to the Archangel
Region from June 18 to June 30, 2009. The delegation will be led by Sister
City Committee Vice Chair Dennis Marrotte (who has worked tirelessly to
organize this group). Also on the trip will be two professors from Plymouth
State University in Plymouth NH: Professor of Meteorology Sam Miller and
Professor of Science Education Mary Ann McGarry. The fourth member of the
delegation will be teacher Michelle Jutras from SAU 48 in Campton NH.
This ambitious project has been two years in development and builds upon
relationships established in prior Sister City and Open World visits. In the
summer of 2007, our Committee hosted two teachers from the Archangel Region
to a week-long "Lake Science Academy" at Camp Kieve on Damariscotta Lake
that was organized by the Maine Lakes Conservatory Institute. Our guests
were Nina Fedoseeva (Archangel School Number 21) and Nikolay Abramov (Kenozero
Secondary School at the Kenozero National Park). One of the presenters at
the "Academy" was Professor Mary Ann McGarry from Plymouth State University;
at the conclusion of the week, Professor McGarry proposed the idea to visit
Nina and Nikolay of the Kenozero National Park in the summer of 2009. In
December 2007, our Committee hosted an Open World "Education" delegation
from the Solovetsky Islands and the City of Archangel; Professor McGarry
hosted the delegation at Plymouth State University for a day of activities
focusing on ecology, meteorology and international programs. Discussions
continued about a trip to Archangel in the summer of 2009. Finally in
October and November 2008, our Committee hosted two people from the
Solovetsky Islands: meteorologist Tatiana Nikitina and Solovki Museum PR
Director Anna Balandina (who had previously visited Maine on a December 2007
Open World group). After spending two weeks atop Mount Washington at the
Observatory, Tatiana and Anna were hosted by Professors McGarry and Miller
at Plymouth State University. Plans for a trip to Archangel in the summer of
2009 were formalized.
Now, the science trip is a reality. Dennis will take Professor Miller to
the Solovetsky Islands for meteorological studies and discussions. During
that same time, Nina Fedoseeva and Nikolay Abramov will guide Professor
McGarry and teacher Michelle Jutras on a busy ecological tour of the
beautiful Kenozero National Park. We all hope that these visits will result
in the strengthening of the science relationships between Plymouth State
University, the Mount Washington Observatory, the Solovki Weather Station
and the Kenozero National Park.
After the delegates visit the islands and the park, they will gather back
in the City of Archangel in time for City Day on Sunday June 28, 2009. There
they will represent us at festivities commemorating the 425th Anniversary of
the founding of the great City of Archangel.
- ARCHANGEL LEGAL DELEGATION TO VISIT MAINE
A delegation of court administrators from the Archangel Region will visit
Maine from June 20 to 27, 2009 as part of our ongoing Rule of Law project.
This visit is funded by the Open World Program based at the U.S. Library of
Congress in Washington DC. The delegates will be Deputy Chief Alexander
Proselkov, Division Chief Irina Rakitina and Judicial Assistants Irina
Burmagina, Victoria Akilova and Valentina Koroleva. Accompanying the
delegation as the facilitator will be Victoria Podolskaya from Archangel.
Many of us have known Ms. Podolskaya for years through her work in the
American Corner at the Dobrolyubov Regional Academic Library; she is now the
representative of the European Union in Archangel.
This delegation will fly first to Washington DC for two days of
familiarization with the American government and legal systems. Maine
District Court Judge Joseph Field will meet them in Washington and will
assist the Open World Leadership Center in the familiarization portion. Upon
arrival in Maine, the delegation will have an intensive professional program
focusing on juvenile justice. The professional program is being designed by
Assistant District Attorney Christine Thibeault and by Maine District Court
Judge David Kennedy. This juvenile justice theme is built upon several
recent inbound Open World legal delegations and outbound USAID legal
delegations with the same focus. All Committee members are invited to the
Welcome Pizza Party at the home of Neale and Deborah Duffett in Portland on
Saturday June 20, 2009 at 6:oo p.m. (FMI: Neale 775-1515).
- COMMITTEE PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOW IN ARCHANGEL
The "American Club" at Pomor State University in Archangel recently
hosted a conference focusing on the History and Future of Russian-American
Relationships. Speaking at the conference on April 20¬21, 2009 was Eric A.
Johnson, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Saint
Petersburg. A large display of photographs taken by people from Archangel
who have visited Maine was enhanced by many photographs from Committee
members Carol-Lynn Rossel, Dennis Marrotte and Michael Deasy. Special thanks
should go to Pomor Dean of History Alexi Feldt and to "American Club"
Student President Polina Golomidova.
