EXCHANGESIndependence
Sister City Committee
September/October2010 Issue

Annual Festival Brings In Funds For Exchange

Santa-Cali-Gon Days,
the City of Independence’s annual Labor Day
Festival, is a special time
for both fair-goers andthose who depend upon it
as a source of funding
their programs.
It features 12 main stage
concerts, 24 community
performances, a gospel
stage, professional carnival and craft tents.
Both artists and shoppers
travel many miles to participate in the event. Vendor booths offering artistic, craft and productchoices are mingled with
community service booths
located around the citysquare.

On the right, happy tohave a full lot is Debbie
Lovewell and Mary Ann
Polina working the event.

Fund-Raising Success1

Special Person Spot

1Interview Committee

2

Meet the 2011 Escort

2

Our Condolences to two 3
Great Men
Japan Festival Success

4Happenings & Events

4

Above: Cameo Carnahan, Anna Price & Shayla Jarman,
who find it fun to help on several shifts

Alumni of the Exchange Program, help
raise money to support JSCC programs
and services. It is a 15 member committee
composed of 14 dedicated volunteers, theMayor and a City Council Liaison.
Special Person Spot!

Additionally, Friends of Sister City. made up
of prior committee members, host families
and interested people helps provide financial and volunteer assistance for the group.

Food booths and parking
All of this support makes possible holding
lots bring in fund raisingan annual Cherry Blossom Festival whichmoney for community oralso raises money for the exchange whileganizations and churches
showcasing Japanese culture, arts and food.
Japanese Sister City Committee (JSCC) volunteers
raise money to support
the Sister City Exchange
Program by parking carsin nearby lots donated forcharitable use by localbanks.

Inside this issue:

Mayor Don Reimal
The citizens of Independence
enjoy their mayor and areglad to know that he will begiving of his time for anotherterm. Before becoming
Mayor, Don and his wife, Jo,
were active with the JSCC
and their daughter went on
the Student Exchange. Today
they help at the parking lot,
work at the Cherry Blossom
festival, attend student campfires and put on a dinner forthe appreciation of the students. The Reimals also wentto Japan, kindling friendshipwith Mayor Watanabe andthe HIFA leadership. Mayor
Reimal makes good decisions
and is appreciated by the citizens. The JSCC and Friends of
the JSCC want to extend ourCongratulations!

Page 2EXCHANGES

Excited Students Interview for 2011 ExchangeWith Interview Committee Comments
It seems as though we justwaved good-bye to our Japanese students and we are already preparing for thenext student exchange.
The JSCC has recently
updated the Student Delegate Conduct Agreement.
This document
outlines delegate andJSCC responsibilities andbehavioral protocols thatboth student and parents
sign to become an Ambassador for America,
Independence, their school andthe JSCC as well.
Ten students met at Glendale Elementary, home of theElementary Sister School andplace of employment for bothPresident Jeannae SeguraBrown and Vice President John

Seeley who are pictured below,
Others on this committee, wereAlumni Jared Seeley and Susan

easy going home with a strange family, who speak a strange language, allafter enduring a 14 hour plane trip.
Thinking about how you reach out
to that family, is something to reflect on and makes this a good question.
At the end of the day the committee was happy with the time theyspent talking to the student applicants who represented several local
high schools and colleges.

Peoples, the escort, Ken Mulliken,
a friend of the JSCC, Sue Valentineand Alreda Adams who is the Jr.
High Sister School Chair.
Members took turns asking students such questions as, “How doyou integrate yourself into a groupof unfamiliar people?” This question was pertinent because it’s not

Meet the 2011 Student Exchange Adult Escort

An experienced professor for theUniversity of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas doesn’t soundlike a likely candidate for the Missouri-based Sister City Exchange
Program, but Ken Mulliken wears

many hats and is actually an excellent choicefor the 2011 Adult
Escort.
Not only does ken
live in Independence,
he is an alumni of thetrip in 1982. He is amarried family man,and on his Facebook
Page you can enjoy thefunny photos that hisfamily provided.
He has also been selected as thenew Lawrence D. Starr Global
Studies Institute Director for theUniversity. “Ken is widely respect-

ed by both his students and faculty”,
and is climbing the charts with theJSCC. He is professional but fun anda perfect choice to lead the ten students in the coming year; showing
concern for both the individual andwhole exchange group.

September/October 2010

Page 3

Two Mayors ~ Two Friends ~ Two Countries ~ One Heart
There was a changing of the guard in1994 as the former Independence Mayor
stepped down and Ron Stewart stepped
into the new position that he would
hold for twelve years. At the same time,Bill Shaw was giving the presidency ofthe JSCC to David Ragan. In responseto these changes and with a desire tofurther cement a positive relationshipwith Independence, Higashimurayama
decided to do something special in planning for celebrating their transformationfrom a village to a city 30 years earlier.
For this event, then Mayor Kazuo
Ichikawa, invited and hosted Mayor Ron
Stewart and his wife, Marilyn. “Nothing
about this trip was like the Adult Anniversary trip.” remembers David Ragan,
who was also invited with his wife Ann
to the celebration. “It was because ofthe nature of the events that made it
spectacular.”Not only was it the city anniversary
but it was also the 100 year anniversaryof one of the train stations in Higashimurayama. Lana White, who also wasinvited to attend, commented, “The Japanese paid for all of this for the six ofus. It was a lot of money!” But the Cityof Higashimurayama felt it was imperative that the citizens in their American
Sister City were represented. The twomayors became good friends andIchikawa later came to Independence,staying with the Stewarts.
This year when the American students were in Japan, former Mayor
Ichikawa became ill and passed away.
Then, while the Japanese students werein Independence, former Mayor Stewart
became ill and passed away.
We were all so touched at how twofriends, two mayors, in two counties
passed away in such a manner that wecouldn’t help but note the importance of
these two men and the symbolism ofthese occurrences.
We need to remember that men and women have gone
before us to establish the friendship that we so freely
share today and the importance of Independence as
the home of President Harry Truman. President
Dwight Eisenhower, after WWII, said that people whoknow and care about each other do not want to fighteach other. Consequently, he initiated unique programs designed to develop relationships betweencountries on a personal level, resulting in the creationof such popular programs as People to People and Sister Cities.
Lysle Weeks noted at an Anniversary Party that theprogram has lasted over the years because members
are truly acting as Ambassadors of the City. It is thatspirit of cooperation, friendship and respect for eachother that marks the relationship between our two cities so unique and special among the hundreds of Sister Cities worldwide. It has now been over 30 years ofa wonderful friendship, and we thank people like these mayors for its rich heritage and bright future.

Independence
Sister City Committee

JAPAN FESTIVAL 2011
Must Go On...

Independence, MO City Hall 64050
www.ci.independence.mo.us/sistercity
Email: jeannae@sbcglobal.net
FACEBOOK: jsccfriends@yahoo.com
www.H-IFA.net International Friendship

FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO SHARE THEIR
LIFE WITH OTHERS!

Above: Shayla Jarman, alumni 2010, arrives at the festival
at the map of Japan. She points to our Sister City (yellowarrow in photo upper-right) knowing that Higashimurayama is home to the only building in Western Tokyo prefecture registered as a National Treasure of Japan; the Jizo hall in the temple of Shōfuku-ji. Not many
know that it is also home of the Hachikokuyama National
Hansen's Disease Museum (Japan)JR. Having been in Japan, the feel of the sun, the color of the leaves on abright summer day, the cool water in the reservoir andthe smiles of the citizens are things that Shayla will always remember when she points out her second home.

Two days before the Japan
Festival Lana White fell,breaking two ribs. The Sister
City was immediately concerned but Lana insisted thatthe sales at the festival could
still go on. She had everythingalready prepared to leave herhouse and having done it forthree years past, Sandy Peoples took charge with newhelpers. Below: Connie
McQuain and her nephew,Elijah, joined at noon,

Below: Sally Folley, who once was agood customer, is a top seller of ourdonated kimonos! Thanks to all!!!

JSCC Events and Happenings
The Independence ParadeOctober 30th, the Mayors
Breakfast November 18th
and the Volunteer Breakfast November 13th arethree of the city activities
the JSCC participate inthis autumn. Also we will
have a garden clean up
after the volunteer breakfast, Saturday, November
13th.
January
2011
Celebrate a New Year forthe Japanese Sister City
Commission of Independence, on Saturday, January
29th at the Truman Memorial Building. Previous es-corts, alumni, 2011 students, parents of students,
host families, committee
members and Friends of theJSCC are invited to attend;
as well as those that areinteresting in getting involved in the up-and-coming
year. This is to celebrate theanniversary of the formed
sisterhood January 25,
1978. Contact Jeannae tohelp plan this event.
A p r i l
2 0 1 1
Sunday, April 17th, from 10:
am to 4 pm, come to theCherry Blossom Festival at
the Sermon Center, Independence: Share in the en-tertainment, exhibits, sales andservices offered from the Japa- Above: Carolyn Hinkle pronese Sister City Committee. cess items she donated, while
The Festival is an educational Sally Foley works at a table
tool and fund raiser for the Stu- and Sandy Peoples takes
dent Exchange Program, View photos. Below: John Killip, athe Cherry Blossom page on long-standing Friend of theJSCC, prices items for theour website for details.
July & August 2011
Join in on activities with theStudents who will have city
tours, pot-luck parties, swimming, boating, baseball game,
Worlds of Fun, biking, bowlingand many more activities inorder to experience American
culture, home and family life,and Independence Past andPresent.