Town of Cary
SISTER CITIES COMMISSION
Minutes of November 21, 2002 Meeting

Present: Mary Lou Addor, Jinnie Davis, Sharon Hannigan, Barry Mitsch (Chair), Sarah Sheffield, Darrell Stover (Town of Cary), Ildiko Trombitas, and Nadette Welterlin-Hugg.

Guests: Ian Henshaw, Joe Zaytoun

Sharon Hannigan called the meeting to order at 7:43 p.m. and led the discussion until Barry’s arrival. Jinnie Davis volunteered to take the minutes in Samuel’s absence.

The minutes of October 17, 2002, were approved with the following amendment (Mary Lou moved to approve, Barry seconded the motion; motion approved): the spelling of John Way’s name should be corrected to "John Wei." Darrell said that any changes in minutes should be sent to him to make corrections for the Web; Mary Lou will send the corrected version to him.

Lazy Daze Grant – Sarah Sheffield

Sarah circulated her application to the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Committee for an $850 grant to update a banner for presentation to Markham.  Barry signed the form.

Ireland Update – Sharon Hannigan

Sharon reported on the status of the trip to Ireland and suggested areas in which publicity is needed to generate interest in participating. Maupin has sent out eight applications for the trip; no applications resulted from publicity at the Celtic Fest. She passed out copies of the tour flyer and emphasized that February 23 is the cutoff date for participants. Sharon has placed another ad in the Club Notes section of the Cary News. She asked again about the possibility of having a co-liaison for this trip, preferably someone who will be traveling with the group.

Sharon also announced that the organizers of the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade are holding a fundraiser on December 3 at Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. She handed out flyers that can be copied for distribution and asked commission members to help publicize the event.

Markham Update – Barry Mitsch

Barry reported on another successful trip to Markham last week. The mayor of Markham invited Jack Smith, Howard Johnson, and Mike Gallagher to attend a Tech Fest, where they were able to represent Cary to more than 50 high-tech companies.

Sharon asked if any high-tech firms might be interested in County Meath. Barry is not sure, although some Chamber of Commerce members will be visiting Ireland soon.

Le Touquet Update – Joe Zaytoun

Joe thanked the Sister Cities Commission for its contributions and described his October trip to France, including Le Touquet. He underscored the way his personal relationships with friends in France have developed since the first trip sponsored by the commission in the early 1990s and described the wonderful hospitality he received this time as well. Joe said he tried to foster interest in bringing business to Cary and reported that Mayor Deprez would like to have a closer relationship with the town. Commission members enjoyed looking over the books, photographs, and other materials from France that were circulated by Joe. He also noted that he donates his copies of Le Touquet’s newspaper, Les Echos du Touquet, to the Eva Perry library.

Cultural Affairs and the Arts – Darrell Stover

Darrell circulated a letter received from Mayor Deprez, inviting Mayor Lang to the Le Touquet film festival. It came too late for a response before the event took place.

In addition, Darrell has arranged for Barry to speak at the Newcomers’ Club early in January. Barry will also present an update to the Town Council on the commission’s activities and needs. Members discussed again the possibility of doing a TV clip on the commission on the Bud News Channel (perhaps including Barry chatting with Joe about his trip?). Darrell will check on arrangements for taping.

Darrell urged commission members to send directly to him by e-mail or by phone any ideas for programs, events, etc., because he can take immediate action. He also said that Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources has some funding available for a special event that the Sister Cities Commission may wish to sponsor.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on December 8, followed by an open house at the Page-Walker Hotel.

Other Business

Barry reminded the commission that he will be stepping down as chair but will remain active in the Sister Cities Association. Two other members, Janice and Ildiko, will also be replaced. Darrell asked members to check the town Web site for the terms of their appointment, and to reapply by December 2 if applicable. For the next agenda, Barry would like to review the commission’s goals for the coming year.

Next Meeting: December 19, 2002, Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., Conference B of Cary Town Hall