RUSSIAN MEDICAL DELEGATION ARRIVES IN MAY

by Kitty Waud

The fourth phase of the Heart to Heart project will soon be realized. The Russian medical delegation plans to
arrive in Seattle on May 15 to stay in the Grants Pass area until May 25. The dates may change somewhat
as time grows closer.  The delegation must visit the American Embassy in Moscow to receive visas; after that
we will know the exact time of arrival.

 After we pick up the delegation we will stay the night in Portland and the next morning take a tour of Oregon
Health Sciences University.  Later that day we plan to visit Salem so the delegation can see a bit about how
Oregon government works. The delegation includes a certified lab doctor, a radiologist, a neurologist and a chief
nurse specializing in ultrasound diagnosis. The group consists of four women.

At Three Rivers Community Hospital we will host a luncheon and tour, including physicians from the various
specialties represented by the delegation. The Russians will be staying with host families while in  Grants Pass.
This can be most rewarding and, speaking from personal experience on my trip to Russia, a great experience.
Host families will be responsible to house, feed and transport the delegation to the activities.

As we continue to put together the plans for the delegation, we will include visits to the local hospitals, the
coast, local schools and perhaps a jet boat trip. Any help with any aspect of this visit would be appreciated. It
could mean helping with a meal, local transportation, or providing funds for the various trips planned. You may
telephone me with your ideas or to volunteer: 592-4278.

NEWS BY E-MAIL

Would you like to receive monthly news from the Grants Pass Sister City Committee by e-mail?  Although
we will continue to print and mail this newsletter, we are gradually moving toward more electronic (fewer print)
communications.

Please send an e-mail to hitchck@budget.net if you would like to receive monthly e-mail news.  If you are
no longer interested in receiving the print newsletter, please e-mail the above address or telephone 479-9436.
The print version is always posted on the website.

MARY SLAYTER JOINS BOARD

Mary Slayer was elected to a vacant position on the board of directors in January, and stepped right into
Winterfest planning and activities.  Mary applied for a board position because she has been “impressed with the
work the Sister City Committee does and would like to help.”  Before retirement, Mary served as Head of the RCC
Humanities Department; she taught English at the Redwood campus since the college was formed Mary serves
on several other community boards and committees, has traveled and studied in several European countries,
as well as in Chile and Turkey. She is interested in traveling to Rubtsovsk in the near future.

WINTERFEST—A GREAT EVENING IN FEBRUARY

The annual Winterfest celebration was held at the Grants Pass Museum of Art on February 12.  Featured this
year were authentic Russian finger foods with servers wearing Russian folk costumes.  A Grants Pass High School
strings ensemble played Russian and other music.  The program was focused on an edited version of the video
program produced by Ron Brown during the June 2004 visit to Rubtsovsk hospitals.  Members of the delegation
added commentary to the video and shared memories of their eight days in Rubtsovsk.

PLANNING FOR 2006 DELEGATIONS TO RUBTSOVSK

Two possible delegations may visit Rubtsovsk in 2006.  Ruth Pepple and Rachel Parker plan to organize a group
of high-school students for a two-to-three week stay during the summer.  Brian Robinson is organizing a group of
public-safety professionals for a possible visit in May.

A long lead time is needed to organize a trip to Rubtsovsk.  Interested citizens propose a visit to our sister city
board;  the board approves the concept and makes a proposal to the Rubtsovsk committee, which decides if it can
host the group.  Dates, size of group, purpose of visit, etc. are discussed via e-mail.  Presently, we are trying
to schedule an outgoing delegation every other year, and to host an incoming delegation during the other year. 
Because two Grants Pass groups seem to be interested for 2006, we have already received an O.K. from Rubtsovsk
for both.

If you think you might be interested in visiting our sister city, please be sure to talk with a board member to
find out what is involved and whether the board can help facilitate your visit.  Costs  primarily involve airfare, visa,
and a small stipend to help with family hosting expenses.  In 2004, roundtrip airfare from Medford was about
$1500.  Some groups elect to spend a few days touring in Moscow after visiting Rubtsovsk, which adds to the
cost.  All visitors live with host families in Rubtsovsk and are well cared for.

NEWS FROM RUBTSOVSK

Those of you who correspond or talk with friends in Rubtsovsk probably already know that they experienced
one of the most severe winters—cold and long—on record.  There were also problems with the city heating and
hot water systems.  Still, they survived and are enjoying spring weather now.

A shipment of medical supplies that we sent with Gateway America to Hospital #1 last spring arrived safely. 
These supplies had been donated in Grants Pass after our large shipment of hospital equipment was prepared
for shipping.  The shipping cost, about $800, was covered by unexpended Heart-to-Heart donations.

Lena Lukyanova, who served as the Rubtsovsk sister city president for the past two years, has moved to Moscow. 
She is working as a translator for a Canadian-Turkish construction firm in Moscow.  She says her only problem is
spending so many hours at a computer, as she is an active Siberian outdoors woman who enjoys rafting, hiking,
and skiing.  But she loves life in the big city!

The new president of the Rubtsovsk sister city committee is Marina Kovalyova. Marina has visited Grants Pass
twice, and has been active with many delegations visiting Rubtsovsk.  She is an English teacher, and recently
earned an advanced degree. She is now a professor at the Rubtsovsk Industrial Institute.

There are presently sixteen active members of the sister city committee, including some of the original rafters
like Sergei Izotov and Sergei Ushakov as well as several educators, city librarian Nina Fominych, university
president Vladimir Mashukov, banker Alexander Dyakonenko, former editor Gena Bokov and his wife Tanya.

SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COLLECT 655 BOOKS FOR RUBTSOVSK.

Students at South Middle participated in a schoolwide project to collect books to send to the Rubtsovsk
public library. Besides the 655 books, students donated more than 50 recordings of books, which they had
taped themselves, to go with the books. English language students and their teachers will find the books and
recordings really useful.

The book project was initiated by the school’s Builders Club and was coordinated by its president Amber
Dougherty.  They developed the idea for the project after hearing about Sister City from Ruth Pepple and Nancy
Hitchcock.

Builders Club, a  program to develop leadership in students, is sponsored by Kiwanis International. Faculty
advisor is Brandi Sloan, who works with Kiwanis advisor Don Vogel.  At their April 6 meeting, club members
officially presented the books and recordings to Sister City board members Ruth Pepple, Mollie Means and
Carolyn Rice.

Jenna Goode and Caressa Hammer  were among the students there who had collected books and made
the recordings.  Ruth Pepple told the students about the young people's delegation which Sister City
organizing for summer of 2006 and encouraged them to think about going.

MOLLIE MEANS SELECTED AS STATE COORDINATOR

Board member Mollie Means was recently selected as the Oregon State Coordinator of Sister Cities International. 
Mollie’s job is to provide a personal contact between Oregon and its sister cities and the International office. 
In addition to Grants Pass, there are sister city organizations in fifteen other cities in Oregon.

Congratulations to Mollie for taking on this big responsibility.  Oregon has been without a coordinator for several
years, and it will be good to renew connections among the sister cities in our state.

YOUNG ARTISTS EXHIBIT AT FIREHOUSE GALLERY

Art students from Fleming Middle and Lincoln Savage Middle Schools and from Illinois Valley High School
and New Hope Christian School participated in a recent exhibition with the theme “Connecting Global Villages.
” Artwork from thirty-seven young artists was on display at the RCC FireHouse Gallery during March.  On
March 15, the sister city committee hosted a reception for the artists, teachers, and parents.  Middle school
awards went to Joseph Escalonia, 1st place and  Michelle Pipitone, honorable mention. Both girls attend
Lincoln Savage. Tekar Vongphakdy and Roman Mercado of Fleming received second and third place respectively.

The Rubtsovsk Sister City Committee held a similar competition in January, and selected a drawing entitled
“Connecting Villages Unite the World” by thirteen-year-old Julia Dirsha to send to our exhibition.

Sister City International holds an annual Young Artists Competition for sister cities around the world, with
preliminary contests and exhibits held in many local sister cities.  We will enter Julia Dirsha’s drawing and Jamie
Richardson’s painting in the international competition.  In July, the ten winning artworks will be on display at the
Sister City International annual conference in Spokane.  You can view the winning student art from several
past years on the Sister City International website: 

http://www.sister-cities.org/sci/sciprograms/yap

Many thanks to art teachers Elaine Barker, Lisa Ward, Robyn Lofing, and Carol Hickey who helped their
students successfully interpret the theme “Connecting Global Villages.”  Thanks also go to Tommi Drake
and Heather Green of the RCC FireHouse Gallery.  You can view some of the students’ work on our website:

http://www.grantspass-sistercity.com/youngartistscomp.htm

2005 DUES REMINDER

We are still accepting 2005 membership dues.  If you are not sure if you have paid dues this year, please
contact Nancy Hitchcock at 479-9436 or hitchck@budget.net.  Annual membership dues are our primary
means of support.  Suggested memberships dues are as follows:

Individual        $30

Family              $40

Senior              $15

Student            $5

Business         $50

Sponsor        $100

Make checks payable to

Grants Pass Sister City Committee

Mail to:

Grants Pass Sister City

P.O. Box 411

Grants Pass, OR 97528

GRANTS PASS SISTER CITY COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2005

Carolyn Rice              President                    862-2652

Kitty Waud                 Vice-President            592-4278

Gwen Jacobsen        Secretary                     479-3262

Mark Kellenbeck      Treasurer                      476-1141

Fritz Brune                                                    479-8054

Nancy Hitchcock                                           479-9436

Mollie Means                                                 479-2330

Ruth Pepple                                                  479-3786

Vera Quimby                                                  476-3984

Mary Slayter                                                  476-6315

Rita Turek                                                      846-0507

Board members made presentations to Golden Eagle Kiwanis, American Association of University Women,
and South Middle School Builders Club this winter.  If your organization would like a presentation about sister
city, please call one of the board members listed above.