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SPRING 2007
A four person Rule of Law and Sister City Delegation participated in the second annual "America Week" in Archangel April 16 to 20, 2007. The week-long celebration was sponsored by the Archangel City Administration, the Archangel Regional Academic Library, the U.S. Consul General in Saint Petersburg, and the City of Portland. Our Delegation was led by Portland City Councilor Edward Suslovic and also included U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Deasy from Manchester, NH and Archangel Committee members Ray Pelletier and Neale Duffett. U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger also participated in "America Week" and brought several members of her office, including Public Affairs Officer Mary Ellen Countryman, Economic Officer Benjamin Wohlauer and Consular Officer Jay Truesdale. Archangel Mayor Alexander Donskoy and his staff worked extremely hard to make the week an outstanding success; special thanks are extended to Sergey Namoylik and Larisa Peshehonova of that office. Additional special thanks are extended to Victoria Podolskaya of the Academic Library and to Rule-of-Law Coordinator Tatiana Zykina. The weather was beautiful throughout the week; the ice was moving out on the Dvina River as sunshine and temperatures approaching 50°F were common. The central event of the visit was the weeklong showing of photographs and paintings carried by our Delegation to showcase Maine, New Hampshire and American life (see story below). In addition, our Delegation participated in a seemingly endless number of special events: we visited schools 3, 6, 11 and 45; we delivered suture material to Dr. Sosnin; we visited the Regional Orphanage; we helped celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the American Corner at the Academic Library; we met with members of the Regional Assembly and municipal leaders to discuss improving local self-government; we met with several members of the Archangel City Council and Administration to discuss budget issues; and we met with large numbers of students from Archangel State Technical University and Pomor State University in roundtable discussions about current events and the rule of law. In addition, Judge Deasy led several days of seminars with many members of the Archangel Arbitrage Court focusing on comparative bankruptcy and real estate law. Special recognition must go to Portland City Councilor Ed Suslovic who enthusiastically engaged in genuine citizen diplomacy: he presented the City of Portland flag to the City of Archangel; he delivered Portland City Council Proclamations to Mayor Donskoy, the People of Archangel and the Sister City Committees; he served as a judge at the finals of a city-wide high school debate tournament; he attended a session of the Regional Assembly; he participated in a number of television and newspaper interviews; and he spent a considerable amount of time with Mayor Donskoy discussing politics! The U.S. Consulate had asked us prior to the visit if we could help them put on an American baseball clinic and game. Councilor Suslovic carried with him a huge amount of baseball caps, gloves, and balls that had been donated by the Portland Sea Dogs (special thanks to General Manager Charlie Eshbach) and by the Portland Bayside Little League (special thanks to Marc Lamontagne). The result was a great success: two fully equipped teams played the first baseball game ever in Archangel!
The centerpiece of "America Week" was a large exhibition of photographs and paintings carried to Archangel by our Delegation. A total of 83 works were displayed in the beautifully restored 17th Century "Merchant Yard" Museum on the Dvina Embankment in a show entitled "A View Across the Ocean: Presenting America and American Life." Five Americans contributed works: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Deasy (20 photographs), Committee member Dennis Marrotte (18 photographs), Committee member Carol-Lynn Rossel (20 photographs and digital paintings), Committee member Mary Hall (12 photographs), and Maine artist Elizabeth Fraser (13 paintings). Opening Night for the Exhibition was Monday, April 16th and was complete with music and champagne. The event drew a large crowd of people and was covered by the local television and newspaper media. Many dignitaries made remarks, including representatives of the U.S. Consul General, the City of Archangel and also Portland City Counselor Ed Suslovic. The Exhibition closed on April 20th but will remain in Archangel for a possible re-opening during the June 2007 City Day Festivities. A large amount of work went into the Exhibition; special recognition goes out to Committee members Dennis Marrotte (printing and mounting) and Marina Cakmakci (translating captions and artist biographies), to Tony Cox of Casco Bay Frames in Portland and to Larisa Peshehonova in the Archangel Mayor's Office. FMI about Elizabeth Fraser and her work, check out: www.paintsquared.com
Maine District Court Judge David Kennedy will lead a four person Maine legal delegation to Russia during the dates May 17 to 29, 2007. Also going are Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson, Violence Intervention Partnership Director Faye Luppi, and Child-Centered Solutions Director Susan Wiggin of Freeport. A Rule-of-Law Russian Partners meeting in Vologda will precede the Archangel program which will be a three day event devoted to issues such as Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, and High Conflict Parental Separation and Divorce. The first day will be a judges-only audience. Day Two of the program will be for advocates, law students, university professors (criminology, social work, law, etc.) social workers, counselors, and other service providers. Day Three of the program will be devoted to prosecutors only.
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