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HIGH SCHOOL EXCHANGE 2005 Our energized High School Subcommittee has been meeting regularly since winter with the challenging goal of reinstating the simultaneous high school exchange with Archangel in April 2005. Chaired by Dan Glover, the Subcommittee has divided into functional groups: Alison Fiser, Amy Kersteen and Jean Souliere are working on hosting 10 inbound students and 2 inbound chaperones; Dan, Abbie Lee and Greg Sundik are working on selecting a similar group to travel to Archangel; and Mike Ouellet and Dennis Marrotte are focusing on publicity and fund raising. Their hard work is paying off: Falmouth High School has agreed to be the host school here in Maine; Principal Allyn Hutton and Parent Teacher Organization President Karen Farber have met with our intrepid group and are enthusiastically adding their own ideas as well. We'll be present at Falmouth High School Parents Night on September 9, 2004. We need your help as well! A large amount of information about this project is on our website at www.arkhangelsk.org; additionally, you can contact Dan at 854-1466 or at dglover@maine.rr.com BANKRUPTCY / COMMERCIAL LAW DELEGATION TO ARCHANGEL Our Rule of Law program expanded significantly in May 2004 when committee member Ray Pelletier guided U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Michael Deasy, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Trustee Peter Fessenden and commercial lawyer Roger Clement to Archangel for an intensive 3 day conference with the Archangel Regional Commercial "Arbitrazh" Court. The Arbitrazh Court is responsible for handling financial disputes between businesses and all commercial bankruptcies. The Russian participants were knowledgeable and enthusiastic; several of them plan to visit Maine in October 2004. Judge Deasy strongly urges that this new linkage continue and be expanded as Russia works to establish a market-driven economy; he suggests two areas to focus on, namely, the reorganization of distressed Russian business (rather than the liquidation thereof) and the emergence of consumer credit in Russia. SISTER CITY ACTIVITIES IN ARCHANGEL While in Archangel with the Bankruptcy delegation in May 2004, committee member Raymond Pelletier accomplished a number of important sister city goals. Most importantly, he delivered our Committee's gift of $750.00 to the Emergency Relief Fund for the victims of the March 2004 apartment house explosion in Archangel; Ray handed the donation directly to Regional Duma Chairman Vitali Fortygin in a ceremony covered by the local print and television media. In addition, Ray delivered a large quantity of medical sutures to Dr. Nikoli Sosnin, he met with Sister City Chair Sergey Kochegarov to discus the 2005 youth exchange program, and he visited Archangel School Number 3 where he dropped off and picked up more letters and materials in the ongoing relationship between the 3`d and 4th grades of School Number 3 and Portland's Breakwater School (teacher Sam Saltonstall). TWO DELEGATIONS COMING IN OCTOBER Our Committee will help host two inbound legal delegations in October 2004; a domestic violence/Duma group October 2 to 10 and a bankruptcy group October 16 to 24. Want to get involved? Contact Ray Pelletier at rpelletier@verrilldana.com NOTES FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
WATERVILLE HOSTS KOTLAS MAYOR The Waterville Sister City Committee hosted Kotlas Mayor Alexander Shashurin and other officials in mid June 2004. The schedule was a busy one as it exposed the delegation to municipal government and budgeting, non-profit organizations, state legislative issues, trade, technology and small businesses. The visit was funded by the "Open World program at the U.S. Library of Congress. BOOK NOTE: 'SOLOVKI" Professor Roy R. Robson (University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, PA) has recently published "Solovki: The Story of Russia Told Through its Most Remarkable Islands". The book focuses on the history of the Solovki Islands near Archangel from the Bronze Age to the present day, noting that the islands, like Russia itself, have been the site of both "glorious achievement and profound misery". Available online or through the Yale University Press. ARCHANGEL HOCKEY PLAYER ON STANLEY CUP TEAM When the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup Championship of the U.S. National Hockey League in June 2004, Dmitri Afanasenkov, a 24 year old skater from Archangel, celebrated along with his teammates in Florida. Even better, Dmitri proudly brought the Stanley Cup home to Archangel in July 2004: he displayed the Cup at several locations around the City and at Mayle Kareli. The visit was capped by a visit with Governor Nikoli Kiselev and other government leaders. INTERNET NEWS Our Website at www.arkhangelsk.org continues to be a very busy place. We try our best to answer questions about Archangel from all over the world: a Michigan couple wanted information about craft stores in Archangel, a woman in England wanted to locate a World War II Arctic Convoy veteran, a man in Denmark wanted the name and address of Archangel's Mayor, and a 7th grade student in Australia wanted to know the history and customs of Archangel for a paper she was writing. |
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