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On April 8, 2009, Bill andMellie Myer, Co-Chairs ofthe Ashgabat committee,hosted a reception for 3 Turk-men visitors. Accompaniedby Kevin Krug of the USState Department wereMubarak Hemzayev, ShatlykKazakov and Shamil Roz-nazarov. The group was herein the United States for twoweeks. They started their stayin Washington, DC. Beforecoming to Albuquerque, theyvisited Texas A & M Univer-sity campus in College Sta-tion, TX. While in Albu-querque, they experiencedAcoma Pueblo; the ice caveand El Malpais NationalMonument in Grants; the In-dian Pueblo Culture Centerand a television news station.Mubarak is a producer andrepresents Turkmenistan TVChannel. Shatlyk is a camer-man who also represents theTV Channel. Shamil, the in-terpreter for the visitors, rep-resents Zaman, the majorTurkmenistan nbewspaper.Mellie Myer coordinated asumptuous pot luck dinner forthe 30 attendees.

Continued on page 3

On Friday April 17, 2009 theASCF hosted an Irish tea forits members. About 30 at-tendees enjoyed a repast of:chicken salad and lettuce onmini croissants, creamcheese and salmon onpumpernickel, caramel andblueberry scones, minibrownies, mini creampuffsand white cake with whiteicing and green sprinkles.There was Irish tea, coffeeand bottled water to drink aswell as Irish coffee. Thebartender, Sean Dawley,knew just how to make theflavorful coffee speciality.Irish music played in thebackground as conversationabounded. Photos of Irelandas well as maps were on the

wall to entice folks to joinASCF members on a trip toNorthern Ireland this July.SCI’s international conven-tion is being held in Belfast,Northern Ireland from July 29to August 1, 2009. Quite afew ASCF members are at-tending to help promote theSCI international conventionhere in Albuquerque in July2010. Although individualsare making their own travelarrangements, the group willbe staying at the Park Inn orthe Travel Lodge in Belfastduring the convention. It isnot too late to decide to comealong. For more details, con-tact ASCF President, RichardBuckler at 291-8175 orrbuckler3@comcast.net.

An Irish Tea A Receptionfor TurkmenVisitors

Albuquerque Sister Cities Foundation

Spring 2009

Mr. Sidney Yen hasresigned his post asthe Hualien Chairdue to health consid-erations. ASCFthanks him for hismany years of ser-vice. Our bestwishes and prayersare with him.

Enjoying some refreshments at the Irish tea are left toright: Georgina Solis, Alma Solis, Mary Hope Buckler,David Buckler and Betty-Mae Hartman.

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Center who have made possibleour use of the JCC. Lunch be-gins at 1 P.M. and will cost $7.00but ASCF will waive the cost forpaid members. So, stop by, joinor renew your membership, andthen enjoy lunch on us.At the June 14 meeting we willalso elect some of the officerpositions. Speaking of officers, Iam proud to announce that MarkBentz has been appointed andapproved by the full ASCF boardas our new interim Treasurer.Mark has a strong business andvolunteer background, and forseveral years kept books for abranch of another charitable or-ganization here in Albuquerque.In recent years, Mark and hisfamily hosted a Japanese studentfor a school year and realizedthat ASCF embodies many of thesame values that they hold dear.Mark will stand for election onJune 14, but his willingness tosupport ASCF in the interim isgreatly appreciated.See you June 14! Thank you forthe privilege of serving you,

Richard Buckler, President

will feature New Mexican and NativeAmerican entertainment along withgreat food.Many of us are planning on attendingthe full conference, where we willshare and learn practical ideas fromother U.S. and international cities onhow to expand our local programs.For example, several workshops areavailable on how to maintain a viableyouth group. Your board recognizesthe need to build a strong youth pro-gram. Over the years, we’ve hadsome excellent youth involvement,including exchanges and colloqui-ums. And, this July we expect sev-eral students from our sister city,Sasebo, Japan to visit here for aweek. However, with Albuquerquehosting the 2010 SCI conference, wewill have a unique opportunity topromote the Youth Conbference heldhere at the same time. What anopportunity to reinvigorate our youthpresence in ASCF, something so vi-tal for our future. So, look for arenewed effort in the coming monthsto expand our youth involvement andparticipation.Our next cultural event is slated forJune 14 when we invite you to learnmore about our newest sister city -Rehovot, Israel. And, what bettervenue than at the Jewish CommunityCenter. My thanks to those at the

Happy Cinco de Mayo! By the timeyou read this newsletter, you mayhave already participated in celebrat-ing Albuquerque’s Mexican rootsthrough parades, folklorico, mari-achis, and of course, the wonderfulfood. Later this year in Novemberyou will have the opportunity totravel to our sister city Chihuahua,Mexico. With the direct flights wecan be there in a little over an hour.Our Chihuahua Chair, Alma Solis,always plans a great trip so staytuned for more details.Have you ever experience the cultureand hospitality of our Central Asiansister city, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan?Bill and Mellie Myer will lead anOctober “expedition” to this fasci-nating part of the world . It willcoincide with Turkmenistan’s 18thIndependence Day celebration onOctober 27. Contact the Myer’s byJuly to participate.Interested in helping us represent Al-buquerque to the general SisterCities International membership? Asmentioned in prior newsletters, wewill have a featured night at the SCIconference this July 29 - August 1 inBelfast Northern Ireland. Plan avacation to this beautiful country,and stop-over for a couple of daysand let our New Mexico charmshine. July 31 is OUR night and we

ALBUQUERQUE SISTER CITIES

Voting on By-laws Confirmation at

Annual Meeting - You will find thea current copy of our by-laws in thisnewsletter. Over the years you, ourmembers, have voted to approve allby-law changes at our annual meet-ings; resulting in the enclosed docu-ment. However, in order to meetvarious filing requirements with theState of New Mexico, you will havethe opportunity on June 14 to con-firm these by-laws in total. For by-law questions, please fee free to callDave Bagley (771-3114) or RichardBuckler (291-8175).

Reservations are needed. ContactCarol Dawely at 883-9516 orcrdawley@juno.com —————Officers standing for re-electionare:2nd Vice president - Carol Dawley3rd Vice President - Dave BagleyTreasurer - Mark BentzSecretary - Mary Hope BucklerAdditional naminations can betaken from the floor.

President and 1st Vice Presidentare only elected in even years(i.e. 2010).

Sunday, June 14, 2007 Albuqerque Sis-ter Cities Foundation will hold its an-nual meeting.It will be located at the Jewish Commu-nity Center at 5520 Wyoming Blvdbetween Spain and Academy.Luncheon will be served at 1 pm fol-lowed by a program featuring ASCF’snewest sister city, Rehovot, Israel.Lunch is $7.00 but gratis for ASCFmembers.

From the President’s Desk

June 14, 2009ASCF Annual Meeting

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Bill and Mellie Myer are Chairand Co-Chair of the ASCF Ash-gabat Committee. They movedto Albuquerque about 16 yearsago when Bill was transferredwith the US Fish and WildlifeService from Washington DC.Bill was a VISTA volunteer onthe Pine Ridge Oglala Siouxreservation in South Dakota inthe 1960’s and worked for sev-eral years with the Peace Corps,serving overseas twice as an as-sociate director in West Africaand as director in Turkmenistan.He also worked with the US Fishand Wildlife Service for 17years.Mellis was a Peace Corps volun-teer in Ghana in the 1970’s,teaching journalism at the GhanaInstitute of Journalism. Aftertaking off some years to raisetheir two daughters, she returnedto work as an executive directorof Common Cause MO andCommon Cause NM; and is cur-

rently executive director of theNM Psychological Association.When Bill and Mellie were inTurkmenistan, Mellie workedfor the U.S. Embassy as an assis-tant general services officer.Bill decided to end his careerwith federal services as a PeaceCorps Country Director. Asthey prepared to move to Ashga-bat, Turkmenistan, Mellie wasgoogling information and wasamazed to find that Albuquerqueand Ashgabat were sister cities.The Myers got in touch withSally Alice Thompson and GregGleason and had an opportunityto host a dinner for the Ashgabatvisitors to the Albuquerque Tri-centennial celebration in July2006. They later reconnectedwith some of these visitors inAshgabat. Upon reutrning toAlbuquerque in 2007, the Myersbecame actively involved withASCF.

ALBUQUERQUE SISTER CITIES

The guests included the special visitors,ASCF members, the evening’s entertainersand several interested folks. One of theguests was Nyaka who is from Turkmenistanand is currently a student at UNM majoringin English.After dinner, Bill Myer presented the threevisitors with gifts from ASCF. He then askedAlana McGrattan to introduce the entertain-ment which she had arranged. AndrewThomas, a Navajo flute player was first. Hebrought four different types of wooden flutesand played a song on each The songs werehis own originals. In between songs, heexplained some of the Navajo culture. Thelast one he played was called “Going Home,”where he wished safe travel for the visitors.Andrew and his wife, Kwee Straits, live inAlbuquerque but he has traveled and per-formed internationally. Amaya was the nextperformer. Her dancing is the fusion of the

passion of flamenco with the “Feminine Oriental.” She performedthe “Danza Mora,” the dance of the Moors and was called upon to doan encore.The Turkmen had an opportunity to interview Sally Alice Thomp-son, the founder of the Ashgabat sister city relationship. (See ASCFnewsletter Spring 2006 page 4 for an interview with Sally Alice).They thanked everyone for coming to meet them and said that theyhad a most enjoyable evening.

Meet Your Board: Bill and Mellie Myer

Turkmen Visitors Cont.

The major family interests of theMyers are rocks, gems, jewelry andfossils. They love to travel. Bill is afly fisherman and jewelry maker andMellie is interested in genealogy andpainting.Mellie and Bill have two daughters:Caroline, a geologist, lives in Texaswith her husband who is also a geol-ogist; and Emily, a senior at UNMand member of the AlbuquerqueAshgabat Committee. Both daugh-ters have visited Ashgabat and Emilyhas taught at the International Schoolthere.

Bill and Mellie Myer

L to R: Shatlyk, Mubarak, Amaya, Alana, Andrew, Shamil

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Jacob Spanard; experience virogous Taiko Drumming;see the beautiful Miyagi Ryu Okinawa Dancing group;appreciate tranquil Ikebana flower arranging; and learnabout Albuquerque’s Japanese sister city, Sasebo.Ikuko Begay dressed women and children in kimonosto have their picture taken. And there was a peacefultea ceremony presented by Gary and Valerie Tibbets.The tea ceremony was held in a special area decoratedwith beautiful Japanese caligraphy featuring the fourvirtues of tea - Wa/Harmony (from Daoism); Kei/Re-spect (from Confucianism); Sei/Purity (from Shinto-ism); and Jaku/Tranquility (from Buddhism). Thecaligraphy was done by Aki Maru Masa Ko and set thetone for serenity.Lots to see and enjoy. Upon exiting the museum,attendees were encouraged to write down their ownspecial wish for peace and hang it on a tree outside.

On Sunday, March 1, 2009 theAlbuquerque Balloon Museumhosted an open house celebrat-ing Japanese culture. Theirnew exhibit gives the history ofballoons sent to the U.S. fromJapan. More than 1,000 unsus-pecting Japanese children weresent to support their war effortat a top secret work-camp onOhkuno Island. What they cre-ated - balloons made of konjacmannan paper less than 1 mmthick - led to the only foreign-inflicted deaths on the Ameri-can continent during WorldWar II. Over 9,000 Japanese“Fugo” balloon bombs flew thejet stream to North America.The exhibition highlights thestory of Reiko Okada, a youngJapanese school girl, who se-cretly built balloon bombs. Asan adult, after learning herchildhood actions led tokillings, she recounts her expe-rience through stirring text andillustrations to make a “ferventwish for peace.”Many special activities wereheld throughout the OpenHouse. One could makeOrigami paper cranes aided by

ALBUQUERQUE SISTER CITIES

On Sunday, March 15, 2009 theAlbuquerque/Ashgabat SisterCities Committee held a pot-luck lunch meeting at the homeof Oguljan and Nathan Young.They discussed plans for a visitto Ashgabat in late October2009 and future committee ac-tivities.

Balloon Mu-seum Exhibit

Ashgabat TripPlanning

Sabrina Dawleytries on a ki-mono with thehelp of IkukoBegay.

Peace treein front ofthe BalloonMuseum.

L to R: Bill Myer, Oguljan Young, Vic Dawley, MellieMyer, Jim Genasci, Linda Miles and Alana McGratton

Betty-Mae

Honored

Betty-Mae Hartman isbeing honored at theSilver Horizons 27thSenior Hall of FameLuncheon on May 21,2009. For an inter-view with her, see Fall2006 ASCF newsletterpage 2)

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May 20 - ASCF Board Meeting - CompassBank - 505 Marquette - 14th floor - 5:30 PMAll welcome

June 14 - ASCF Annual Meeting - JewishCommunity Center - 5520 Wyoming Blvd.NE - 1 - 4 pm - Call for reservations: CarolDawley 883-9516 or crdawley@juno.com

July 29 - August 1 - SCI International Con-ference - Belfast, Northern Ireland

July/August - Sasebo Youth to visit Albu-querque

October - ASCF trip to Ashgabat, Turk-menistan

November - ASCF trip to Chihuahua

July 2010 - SCI International Conference inAlbuquerque!

Northern Ireland - Sister Cities International will hold its annual conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland from July 29 to August 1. Formore information contact: Richard Buckler at 291-8175 or E-mail:rbuckler3@comcast.net

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan - Ashgabat committee chairs Bill andMellie Myer are planning a trip to Ashgabat in October. Ifinterested, contact them at 821-8774 or E-mail:bill.myer@yahoo.com

Chihuahua, Mexico - Chihuahua Chair Alma Solis is arranging atrip to Chihuahua, Mexico this November. The trip is to coincidewith the Chihuahua Balloon Festival. If interested, contact Alma at417-0525 or E-mail: almasolis5@hotmail.com

ALBUQUERQUE SISTER CITIES

UPCOMING EVENTS Traveling with ASCF

ASCF Business Members

Kazumi Kawakubo ‘s motherrecently visited her fromJapan. Here they are at theSasebo Japanese Garden.Kazumi, Chair of the SaseboCommittee, has had severalopportunities this year to in-teract with Japanese digni-taries visiting Albuquerque.

CHIHUAHUA REPORT

In April, Alma Solis took a highschool marching band to Chihuahua’sChildren’s Day Parade. Chihuahuahad their four sister cities school bandsmarch all together as one; with eachcity providing 25 students. The Pa-rade is the beginning of Chihuahua’sTricentennial

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In This Issue...In This Issue...In This Issue...In This Issue... Turkmenistan Visitors - An Irish Tea - Upcoming ASCF Trips to Belfast and Ashgabat

Albuquerque Sister Cities Foundation

P.O. Box 26533Albuquerque, NM 87125

WEBSITE: WWW.ALBUQUERQUE-SISTER-CITIES.ORG

P.O. Box 26533Albuquerque, NM 87125