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WINTER 2009
In December 2008, our Archangel Committee hosted a four person "Accountable
Government/Education" delegation from the City of Archangel and from the
Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea. At the same time, the Waterville Sister
City Committee hosted a five person "Education" delegation from Kotlas. These
visits were funded by a grant from the "Open World Program" based at the U.S.
Library of Congress through World Services of LaCrosse. Both hosting committees
used the opportunity to strengthen the ongoing relationships with their Sister
Cities. Indeed, the two hosting committees organized a number of joint events
for both delegations, including a tour of the historic Victoria Mansion in
Portland (decorated for Christmas), a roundtable discussion with Deputy
Secretary of State Julie Flynn focusing on election law, tours of both the House
and Senate Chambers in Augusta, and a visit to the Maine State Museum in
Augusta.
For many years, the Center for International Legal Studies based in Salzburg, Austria has been sending senior American and Canadian lawyers to teach at selected universities in Eastern Europe and in Russia. In late 2008, two American lawyers were selected to teach for about two weeks each at Pomor University in Archangel: John Cardillo from Miami FL visited Pomor in October 2008 and Thomas Clancy from Chicago IL followed in November 2008. Both report that their experiences were most rewarding as they were warmly hosted by Pomor and by several of our friends in Archangel. John and his wife Linda taught "U.S. Civil and Criminal Litigation" at Pomor; the students loved the classes which were often followed by informal pizza parties at which Tom and Linda showed classic American movies about trials. Socially, John and Linda presented a book about Florida to Sergey Namoylik in the Archangel Mayor's Office and visited the American Corner at the Dobrolyubov Library with Victoria Podolskaya. In November, Tom Clancy taught "International Commercial Arbitration" at Pomor and even appeared on local Archangel television. Our friend Tatiana Zykina contacted Tom and took him to a Mozart recital in the city and also had him speak to her students as well. Tom noted the 20th Anniversary of our sister city relationship with Archangel by saying "What an unbelievable accomplishment — on both sides. Is there anything like it elsewhere? To start it and watch it grow must be a great experience."
It has been 20 years since our two communities formalized our Sister City relationship. Archangel Mayor Viktor Parlenko sent an official Proclamation commemorating the Anniversary with the December 2008 delegation; the Proclamation is enclosed with this newsletter. Click here for a copy of the Proclamation.
We mourn the recent passing of Rick Betters, a Portland Police Sergeant who was a strong supporter of our Sister City relationship. He provided police department familiarization and tours to visiting Archangel officials in 2006 and 2007 and he traveled to Archangel in April 2008 as part of a large delegation from Maine. Rick and Portland's Acting Police Chief Joe Loughlin stole the show in Archangel as they wore their uniforms on the streets and became celebrities with the countless school children that they visited. The Mayor of Archangel Viktor Pavlenko sent written condolences and a copy is enclosed with this newsletter. (Click here to read the letter.) Memorial contributions to benefit his two young daughters can be made to "Rick Betters Memorial Fund", c/o Portland Police Federal Credit Union, 109 Middle Street, Portland Maine 04101
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