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Winter 2001 ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting of the Archangel Committee was held on the afternoon of January 28, 2001 at the USM Campus Center in Portland. Prior to the business part of the meeting, we all enjoyed a social time with Russian food and drink. In the business discussion, the current slate of officers was re-elected, Treasurer Julie Aleshire reported healthy finances and Membership Chair Ann Noyes announced the annual renewal effort. Vice Co-chair Dennis Marrotte reported on the continuing efforts to find funding to receive five Archangel high school students here in Maine this coming summer for an Outdoor Leadership Program; Co-chair Neale Duffett reported on the continuing success of the Legal Exchange; and Debra Andrews reported on the plans for a formal exchange program between Southern Maine Technical College (SMTC) and the Archangel State Engineering University (ASEU). In addition, Alex Herlihy from the Portsmouth/Severodvinsk Connection reported that the first group of high school students will arrive in Portsmouth in March 2001 as part of the P/S Connection's government grant. Alex also reported that their group is working on a humanitarian aid container to be shipped in mid 2001. Phil Gonyar from the Waterville/Kotlas Connection reported on the upcoming Russian Sampler Day at Colby College and mentioned that Paul Josephson (prior Chair of the P/S Connection) had recently moved to Waterville, joined the W/K Connection, and had already visited Kotlas! The entertainment portion of the annual meeting featured many excellent slide photographs taken by Dennis Marrotte and Co-chair Carol Lestock on their recent trip to Archangel in November 2000. Of particular note were the photographs of the new City Orphanage in Archangel and of a beautiful winter sunset at the outdoor Museum of Wooden Architecture Malye Kareli. Thank you Dennis and Carol! FUTURE PLANS Two recent trips to Archangel have focused on the future of our Exchange. As mentioned above, Carol and Dennis visited there in November 2000. Their agenda included a visit to the City Orphanage, a business meeting with the Head of the Foreign Language Department at the large Drubolobova Library, a tour of a new non-profit support organization called GARANT, and visited the local office of the Kenozero National Park. At each meeting, new friends and contacts were made and possible future efforts were discussed. They also met with the three person Maine DOT delegation that was in Archangel during the same week! More recently, Vice Co-chair Ray Pelletier visited Archangel in January 2001 and built upon the fine groundwork done by Carol and Dennis. Ray met with representatives of the Sister City Committee, ASTU, Pomor University, GARANT, the state television station "Pomorye", the Judiciary and the Mayor's Office. Everyone expressed an interest in revitalizing and expanding our Exchange. Ray also investigated the possibility of a relief fund for the eight Archangel families that lost a relative on the submarine Kursk in August 2000. On a personal note, Ray describes his visit as follows: "My first trip to Russia in 28 years was exciting and went by far too quickly. Despite all I'd read and heard about the changes that have occurred, I found that everyday life in Russia is much the same for the average citizen as it was back then. I also found Arkhangelsk to be a much more pleasant and vibrant place than I expected. Nor was it as cold and dark this time of year as I expected." Specific plans for 2001 now include a six person outbound legal delegation in March; a possible inbound highway intern in May and June and, of course, the inbound outdoor leadership group still planned for August. WHAT IS YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS? If you have E-mail, send us a message at gpmaine@arkhangelsk.org and we'll keep you informed! INTERNET NEWS The Archangel Committee extends our gratitude to Great Works Internet, 9 Pomerleau Street in Biddeford, for hosting our Website. Please check out our spectacular Website at www.arkhangelsk.org, Special thanks to our webmaster, Jim Jacobsen. DATA BASE OF NAMES Help us gather a list of people from Archangel who have visited Maine over the past 13 years, including students, teachers, artists, business people, government officials and friends. If you have any names, addresses, telephone numbers and/or E-mail addresses, please send them to us by mail to P.O. Box 105, Portland ME 04112 or by E-mail to gpmaine@arkhangelsk.org. |
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