Thank you!
Dear Members,
First and foremost, The Sister City of Tracy Board of Directors would like to thank you for your continued support of our organization. Your donation to our membership allows us to continue with our exchange programs. We are excited to announce another year of hosting students and chaperones from our Sister City in Memuro, Japan. They will be coming in March, staying with Tracy families, visiting area schools and interesting sites.
The year 2004 brings us to our 8th year of sending our fine young Student Ambassadors to Memuro, Japan in May. We are pleased to share information from our first student exchange with our other Sister City, Velas, Sao Jorge, Azores, Portugal in July 2003.
In April 2004 Velas will be sending five students and a chaperone to visit Tracy! We are looking forward to hosting students from BOTH our Sister Cities this year.
Attached is a membership application to be returned for your 2004 membership dues.
Your membership dues allow us to cover expenses while hosting honored guests from our Sister Cities, as well as purchase small gifts when we visit them. We are blessed to live in a community that values such wonderful cultural opportunities!
Sister City Board of Directors
Student Educational Exchange to Memuro, Japan
Once again the selection committee was in awe of the 8th grade applicants from Tracy. Applications were available to all 8th grade students living in the Tracy Unified High School District boundaries. In addition to the local schools this year we had applications from Freiler, Banta and Discovery Charter. Students were selected through an in-depth application process that includes an essay, letter of recommendation from two teachers, and a formal interview. It is always a difficult decision, but the ten students selected always represent Tracy as fine young Ambassadors.
A special thanks…
To Harriet and Ken Yasui for hosting interviews at their home again this year. Their authentic Japanese room is perfect for this occasion!
This year’s Student Ambassadors represent five schools in Tracy; Clover, Freiler, Discovery, Banta and Williams. Chaperones are Bob Elliott and Diane Carnahan.
Our first student/parent meeting was held on January 6th so everyone could meet one another and begin preparation for their trip scheduled for May 12th-20th, 2004.
Lois Neishi and Cyndi Sandford will begin sharing experiences and information about traveling to Memuro and helping the group learn some of the basic etiquette, cultures and traditions. Ambassadors will be visiting Todai’s Japanese Restaurant in Pleasanton to be introduced to a variety of Japanese foods including raw fish and baby octopus!
Save this date
Watch for an invitation to this special event!
Sayonara Party
March 30th, 2004
Students visiting from Memuro, as well as our own Youth Ambassadors, will be our honored guests. Join us for a BBQ, a special presentation by the students and bid them a safe farewell. More info to come.
Support Tracy’s Sister City Organization!!
Yearly Membership:
Individual $10.00
Family $20.00
Contact Diane Carnahan for more information:
835-8482
Check out the Sister City Booth at this year’s 4th of July event at Lincoln Park. Cruise on by and pick up a Japanese fan to cool you off!
Tracy Bean Festival….
Look for the Sister City Booth at the Bean Festival, August 7-8, 2004. We always sell wonderful Japanese items sent to us from Memuro city officials. Take advantage of this special opportunity to purchase chopsticks, fans, decorative items, handkerchiefs, wooden toys and much, much more!
Also on display are memorabilia from chaperones and students that tell the stories of their wonderful opportunities and experiences in Japan and the Azores.
Always a favorite is the popular Portuguese Sweet Bread sold each year at the booth.
Tracy 125th Founders Day Parade
September 13th
Barbara Farley, Cyndi and Trisha Sandford presented information to Tracy Breakfast Lion’s Club at their August 14th, 2003 meeting. They shared experiences about the exchange in May 2003 and what the organization provides students in Tracy. Tracy Breakfast Lion’s offered their support for our Youth Exchange program and we look forward to a continuing relationship with the Breakfast Lion’s Club. |
Tracy Sister City Website!
Spring 2004 check out:
www.tracysistercity.org
Jason Windsor, a former student at Tracy High School, is the webmaster for our upcoming website. Board members Clyde Higaki and Cyndi Sandford have been busy the last few months working with Jason on construction. The website will feature pictures and information from past Youth Exchanges, history of Sister City, application for membership, newsletters, and how to contact us.
Hosting Velas Students: April 2004
After our first successful youth exchange with Velas, it is our turn to host students from their fair city. We will alternate every other year sending and hosting students as we continue to establish regular communication with their city officials. Look for news on this exciting exchange in the local newspaper.
2004 Ambassadors
Sarah Clark Nolan Emery
Samantha Erickson Kimberlee Garcia
Asha Miles Rick Neishi
Kelsie Pombo Parry Wilcox
Amber Wilmarth Ashleigh Wilson
Chaperones: Bob Elliott and Diane Carnahan
Fundraising for 2004
Youth Exchange
Tracy’s Adventure Coupon Books
84 coupons featuring local dine-out, entertainment and businesses $10
Support our 2004 students!!
For more information or to purchase books contact:
Lana Clark: 835-2183
Leslie Garcia: 833-3367
Other events may include a Sports raffle, car wash, and pizza night.
Meet the Sister City Board of Directors:
President: Diane Carnahan
Vice-President: Cyndi Sandford
Secretary: Richard Spence
Treasurer: Lois Neishi
Liaison for Memuro: Barbara Farley
Liaisons for Velas: Maria Matos and Gene Birk
Dan Bilbrey Bob Elliott
Debbie Elliott Dolores Gomes
Clyde Higaki Judy Mizuno
Noemia Oliveira Frank Silva
Mercy Silveria Louis Villalovoz
Debbie Wingo Carl Yamada
Sid Yamada Ken Yasui
Associate Board Members
Cindy Schack Frances Mizuno
LaVerne Rocha Mike Schmidt
The Sister City Board of Directors would also like to thank Mayor Dan Bilbrey and the City of Tracy officials for their continued support of our organization.
Sister City Art Exchange
Memuro is now the proud home of chalk drawing art samples drawn by students from Tracy High School. Chaperones Cyndi Sandford and Barbara Farley delivered the art to Mr. Miyanishi, Superintendent of Schools. The art is displayed at various city locations, including the Memuro Community Center and Memuro Schools. Mr Miyanishi was delighted to receive the art from Tracy students and looks forward to sending some to Tracy, also.
SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION OF TRACY, INC. ANNUAL MEETING
NOTICE:
The annual meeting of the members of the Sister City Association of Tracy, Inc. will be held on April 5, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tracy Unified School District Education Center at the corner of Corral Hollow Road and Lowell Ave. The annual meeting of the members is for the purpose of the election of directors and the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting. The Association's regular monthly Board of Directors meeting will follow the annual meeting.
A Note from Tracy’s American English Teacher living in Memuro:
Hi All,
My name is Josh Ullery. I have been here in Memuro for a year and a half now and I love my town and the many people that I have become friends with. My job is to work with the three junior high schools that are in Memuro. I go to every school every week and work with students. In my free time I stay very active as a member of the Memuro City Baseball team, the Memuro Basketball Club and I joined a bowling league. I am also studying Japanese with a tutor. Well, I hope that many of you will get the chance to visit this great town located in Hokkaido, especially during the summer. As I am writing this paragraph there is about a foot of snow on the ground and it is not stopping. It is getting harder as the night goes. The snow is beautiful, but I hate shoveling it!
Have a great New Year,
Josh Ullery, Memuro AET |
