Sister Cities Exchange Activities Galleries

2006 Sister Cities 50th Anniversary Group : My friend Hisae (Shibuya) took these pictures of our trip to Washington, DC, for the Sister Cities 50th Anniversary Celebration in July 2006. Karen and Deb (who came out from Rice Lake), and Itoh-san and I (who came over from Japan) received awards for our work with the Sister Cities exchange programs. There were many other award recipients too (My mom, Peg Leisz, the Vonaseks, Jana in Zamberk, etc... Sorry I don't remember them all. I'll try to put a page up on my tripod site with all the nominations.) About 10 people from Miharu also came along for the ride. Yuko and Hisae, and Hisae's nephew Kobari, Reiko and Fumie from my Sunday English class, a friend of Sampei, and then Ishikawa, Yokoyama, Tanabe, and Sampei from MIFA. The last night there was this fabulous party at the National Building Museum - gorgeous and FUN. This trip took place during a brief truce between MIFA and myself. I was on good behavior, not that it got me anywhere. They promised to talk about settling new terms when I returned from DC, but before I even got back to Japan they announced that they would NOT offer me a job after all. Still, the REST of the group was fun. (Kevin was here too but with his friends from HUD so not in these pictures - I have some pictures somewhere, I just have to find them.)

2006 Sister Cities 50th Anniversary Group

My friend Hisae (Shibuya) took these pictures of our trip to Washingto ...

Updated: Jan 04, 2007 4:16pm PST

Three Springs Festival : In 2001, the Rice Lake International Friendship Association (RLIFA) and the UW-Barron County Foundation started this festival called the Three Springs Festival in honor of Rice Lake's Sister City affiliation with Miharu (Japan) and Zamberk (Czech Republic). The core of the festival is the planting of three kinds of fruit trees around the campus of UW-BCC and the Japanese Friendship Garden. In 2001, MIFA collected Japanese carps (windsox) from area families to send to Rice Lake so that all the schools and public facilities could fly kites during the festival.

Three Springs Festival

In 2001, the Rice Lake International Friendship Association (RLIFA) an ...

Updated: Jan 01, 2007 3:27am PST

Pat Durand Visit of 2002 : Patricia and Warren's visit to Miharu in 2002.

Pat Durand Visit of 2002

Patricia and Warren's visit to Miharu in 2002.

Updated: Dec 29, 2006 11:59pm PST

2002 Aquafest Group : June of 2002, I accompanied a group from Miharu to Rice Lake (once again volunteering to use my "vacation" and "annual home leave" ticket money). We had a nice visit. This was before the witches took over MIFA.

2002 Aquafest Group

June of 2002, I accompanied a group from Miharu to Rice Lake (once aga ...

Updated: Dec 26, 2006 9:07pm PST

Sister School Tamura HS and RLHS : In 2001 Rice Lake High School and Tamura High School (in Miharu-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan) became Sister Schools in two seperate ceremonies. RLHS was represented by Jeana Schieffer in Miharu. And Tamura HS was represented by Junya Hashimoto, Miharu's first exchange student from Tamura HS to RLHS in 1988.

Sister School Tamura HS and RLHS

In 2001 Rice Lake High School and Tamura High School (in Miharu-machi, ...

Updated: Jan 08, 2007 11:24pm PST

2001 Summer Camp to RL : Photos from the 2001 Summer camp to Rice Lake from Miharu. With this group, we also did our first 3 day Japanese camp at the campus in Rice Lake for almost 40 kids. The Summer Camp kids helped teach Japanese to the American kids. We had a lot of fun! This was the LAST "official" summer camp from Miharu. Shortly after we returned, of course, there was the 2001 Terrorist Attack on the US, so it became more and more difficult in subsequent years to recruit students. The poor economy also was a major factor, but I think the most likely reason of all was that MIFA (under the stellar leadership of Naoko Ishikawa) couldn't be bothered to recruit and encourage young people to attend summer camp. With the death of Dr. Koyama and the resignation of Mayor Itoh in 2003, the small wound in leadership became a sucking VOID, and within 3 years, all of the major programs of the Rice Lake House were shut down - no more English conversation; no more French, Spanish or Korean; no more Family Halloween nights, no more Summer Camps, no more Haunted Houses - just the usual "drinking parties for the same 10 people".

2001 Summer Camp to RL

Photos from the 2001 Summer camp to Rice Lake from Miharu. With this ...

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 2:10am PST

2001InboundGroup : In 2001, Rice Lake sent over a group consisting of kids from three families that had hosted Miharu exchange students in the past. It was a lot of fun!

2001InboundGroup

In 2001, Rice Lake sent over a group consisting of kids from three fam ...

Updated: Dec 19, 2006 4:06am PST

Sister City Ceremony with Miharu : Photos of the trip to Rice Lake in 1987 for the Sister City Ceremony. Coincided with the Rice Lake Centennial Celebration.

Sister City Ceremony with Miharu

Photos of the trip to Rice Lake in 1987 for the Sister City Ceremony. ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2006 4:30am PST

Zamberk Exchanges : Photos of exchanges with Rice Lake's Sister City in the Czech Republic, Zamberk!

Zamberk Exchanges

Photos of exchanges with Rice Lake's Sister City in the Czech Republic ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2006 4:31am PST

Exchange Students Misc : Photos of former exchange students from Miharu and Zamberk in Rice Lake. Or photos of the students LATER in life. A kind of "whatever happened to......" gallery. In order to preserve people's privacy, I can't use last names, but will try to put first names down so that it is possible to indentify the students.

Exchange Students Misc

Photos of former exchange students from Miharu and Zamberk in Rice Lak ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 10:15pm PST

Uqualla in Miharu : Havasu Medicine Man Uqualla in Miharu, Fukushima, Japan

Uqualla in Miharu

Havasu Medicine Man Uqualla in Miharu, Fukushima, Japan

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 6:03am PST

PowWow in Miharu : In 2004, Miharu hosted a POWWOW by the St. Croix Youth Dancers from Hertel, Wisconsin. It was AWESOME! And I have never met such a well-behaved and hard-working group of young people before in my life! If I accomplish nothing else in my life, I am proud to say that I played a part in making this event happen! Over 500 people gathered in Mahora for their big show! And they visited schools, too. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone involved! Wish we could do it every 4 years!

PowWow in Miharu

In 2004, Miharu hosted a POWWOW by the St. Croix Youth Dancers from He ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 9:49pm PST

Bruce Kaupanger in Miharu : Bruce Kaupanger came to Miharu in the Fall of 2004 for Miharu's 500th Anniversary. He made a wonderful gift for Miharu - a beautiful pot with a Wisconsin nature theme - that is proudly displayed in the Wisconsin room. He had a chance to reconnect with many of his former students from Miharu, and do some pottery with our favorite local potter - Mr. Kusakabe.

Bruce Kaupanger in Miharu

Bruce Kaupanger came to Miharu in the Fall of 2004 for Miharu's 500th ...

Updated: Nov 26, 2006 3:25am PST

Japanese Garden in Rice Lake, WI : Miharu built a beautiful Japanese garden in Rice Lake, WI, on the University of Wisconsin-Barron County Campus. Three master gardeners from Miharu and a bunch of volunteers from Rice Lake built this garden in only 20 days from SCRATCH!

Japanese Garden in Rice Lake, WI

Miharu built a beautiful Japanese garden in Rice Lake, WI, on the Univ ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 2:49am PST

Misc Exchanges : Pictures of groups from Miharu in Rice Lake at various times over our 20 years of Sister City exchanges.

Misc Exchanges

Pictures of groups from Miharu in Rice Lake at various times over our ...

Updated: Jan 01, 2007 12:42am PST

SCANNED DOCS : These are scanned documents and newspaper clippings from our 20 years of Sister City affiliation with Miharu and 10 years of affiliation with Zamberk. If you have a photo or scanned document you want to add to the archive, please send it to me!

SCANNED DOCS

These are scanned documents and newspaper clippings from our 20 years ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2007 6:49am PST