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May 2005
Home
| Overview | Charter | News/Events | Garden | Photos | Membership
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May 2005
Message from The New President – Jon BurpeeSpring has arrived! Jeannie and I have just returned from a three-week trip to Japan. We visited our son Mark, his wife Machi, and our two-year-old grandson Kenta, who live in the Tokyo area. We were able to visit Kyoto and its many temples, shrines, and parks. We were lucky enough to experience the Cherry Blossom time. It was a once in a lifetime experience to see flower petals fall like snow. Officers: Pres.: Jon Burpee V.P. : H.D. Honscheid Treas.: Bill Roberts Sec.: Lois Soulia Member At Large –Marliene Winfield Board of Directors – 2005 Nancy Andrich, John & Suzie Armstrong, Jon Burpee, Elizabeth Clawson, H.D. Honscheid, Thelma Sayers, Larry Shipley, Kellene Soder, Louis Soulia, Art Swanson, Marline Winfield, Committee Chairs (as of 5/05) Newsletter: Lynnette Roberts, June Visit: Bernis & Jonna Wagner Hosting: Janet Johnston Oct. Japan Visit: Jon Burpee Next Board Meeting: Thursday Feb. 10 – 12 Noon China Palace Restaurant - All Members Welcome! Shobu Visitors In Roseburg – June 23 -27 Roseburg Sister Cities
members are looking forward to the arrival of the Shobu Delegation on
Thursday, the 23rd of June. We will be meeting the delegates at
the Eugene Airport at 11:35 AM.
If you wish to go on the bus, (even if not a host), please contact Bernis Wagner (673-3906) or Jonna Wagner (784-3772.)  Hosting Janet Johnston - 672-8394 I encourage you to be a host family, and,
if interested, please contact Janet. Planned events will be on Friday,
with host families providing weekend fun. Two hosting classes are
given to prepare host families for this great experience.
 Welcome Diner & Farewell Picnic A Welcome Dinner will be held on Friday June 24th at 6:00 PM at the new Roseburg High School Cafeteria, catered by The Tom Tom Restaurant. The main course is Prime Rib or Salmon, along with many other full meal details. Cost: $26 per person. At this event, for all Sister Cities members, we can greet our guests and renew old friendships. Sign up with Thelma Sayers (672-8858.)  Farewell Picnic A Pot-Luck Farewell Picnic-June 16 (Sunday afternoon) will be at the Armstrong’s riverside home (459-1548), 15218 Tyee Rd., Umpqua. If you attended last year, you already know this is a VERY fun event not to be missed!  Delegates Coming: (as of now, more may be added) Tokue Matsumoto Hideko Miyakoshi Masamitsu Okada Kazuko Takahashi Yoshiharu Tada Eiji Arai Hamako Arai Naoki Shibata Mieko Hirakawa Utako Morisawa Kokuun Yasuko Delegation Schedule: Thursday: Delegates arrive via Eugene Airport. Friday: Planned group day activities. Welcome Dinner 6pm, RHS. Saturday: Host family planned activities. Sunday: A.M. host family activities. Afternoon – Farewell picnic. Monday: Early a.m. departure for delegates. Any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Jon Burpee any time (672-2536 jburpee@rosenet.net.)  We’re on Line!! New Sister Cities Web Site Many
thanks to H.D. Honscheid for making Roseburg Sister Cities web site a
reality! He
deserves enormous credit for this fantastic new addition. We’ve had many ‘hits’ from Japan! Simply go to the site address, and be ready for a wealth of info, pictures, and the latest news! Check out the link to an outstanding article on the Roseburg’s fall visit to Shobu, written by delegate Barbara Woods. This article was printed in a Atherton/Menlo Park, CA. newspaper! www.roseburg-sister-cities.org Roseburg’s Fall Visit to Shobu October 18 – 27, 2005 David Johnston
and Jon Burpee will be leading the Roseburg Delegation to Shobu in the
fall. The tentative dates are October 18th - 27th. The estimated
costs per person are: Flight $700 – $900; Shobu Town/tour expense $500
– $600; gifts to take $100 – $200; spending money $100-?? The
Shobu Town Expense includes a 3+ day bus tour to other parts of Japan
that includes meals, hotels, etc. This tour is beyond the
tours/visit, etc. in the town of Shobu, but ALL is included in the
$500-$600. What a deal for 10 days! We do not know yet just
where the 3-4 day tour will be this year, possibly to Mt. Fuji.
In the past, tours have been to Nagano, various spa resort areas,
National Parks, etc. If you are interested in going to
visit our Sister City Shobu or know someone who is,
please call Jon Burpee (672-2536.) The
deadline for applications to go to Japan is June 1. This is a
once in a life-time experience not to be missed.
 Japanese Tabi Socks Made in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture (near Shobu) Gyoda City is located in the north
Saitama Prefecture (like a state). Shobu is also located in
Siatama Prefecture. Gyoda developed as a castle town of the Oshi
Castle built in 1490. There remain 9 large size ancient tombs built
before the 7th century around the pastoral Saitama area. Gyoda
produces the famous Tabi – Japanese split toe socks worn with geta or
zori sandals. The origin of Gyoda Tabi socks can be traced back
to the Nara era (710-793). It is said that in Kanei 11 (1634), the
people of the fiefdom were already making Tabi at home. In a
publication "Meiwa 2 (1764)," it is written that "Sashi-Tabi made in
Oshi are notable products." Thus, even at that time, they were
thought to be famous throughout Japan. Over time Gyoda’s
tradition of producing the socks waned, but after WWII, the sock
industry again became strong, with Gyoda producing 50% of Japanese tabi
socks, an indispensable clothing item in the past and present kimono
culture of Japan. In a country where it is customary to remove
shoes before entering a house, tabi socks are used for this
purpose. According to a March 2005 article on the latest
Japanese styles, these uniquely shaped socks are being “rediscovered”
and are capturing the attention of young Japanese designers and even
the fashion world outside of Japan.
Centuries old Tabi Socks are now the
newest fashion craze!
 Plant Sale!!! for Middle School Student Exchange Please support
Roseburg/Shobu Middle School Exchange
Program by purchasing a certificate for a beautiful hanging flower basket. Redeem the certificate for a hanging plant of your choice from The Plant Warehouse (Roseburg). Choose a certificate price category of $15 or $17.50. All funds raised go to Student Exchange. The plant sale is going on now though May 10th. To purchase certificates Please contract: Michelle Baranko 957-5755 or Steve Erickson 672-4367, or any participating student! Student Pizza Fund Raiser too! Roseburg Students Travel to Shobu -July 3-13 Roseburg Sister Cities evolved from the Student Exchange program, which has been going strong since 1987! Let’s support our Students! Picture from the
First Citizens Dinner - 2005  In the Back from Left: Art Swanson, Mike Chiechi, In Front from Left: Jan Chiechi, Marliene Winfield, Thelma Sayers For a short article on this First Citizens Dinner - see the Newletter of February 2005  New Teacher in Shobu Christopher Paterson, a 1996 graduate of Roseburg High and 2001 graduate U of O, will replace Winston Alberts as the Asst. English Teacher at Shobu Jr. High. He first traveled to Shobu as Jo Lane Student in 1991. Before starting college, he spent a year in Japan with a Rotary Club exchange program. His college emphasis was on Japanese. Chris speaks Japanese and is thrilled to able to return to the town that sparked his love for all things Japanese. He will arrive in Shobu about August, and thus Sister Cities’ Delegates will likely be seeing Chris this October. Chris is the son of Lee and Robin Paterson. Lee is Superintendent of Roseburg Schools, and Robin is a teacher. Robin is a past Program Leader for the Roseburg Student Exchange. Congratulations Christopher! Marliene & Art To Marry!! June 18th – 11 a.m. Congratulations to Marliene Winfield and Art Swanson on their upcoming wedding! Those who have come to know them through Sister Cities can appreciate the story of their meeting and blossoming relationship. They are two wonderful people, obviously meant for each other! Marliene and Art invite all Sister Cities friends to the ceremony and following reception. (Westside Christian Church -Harvard Ave, Roseburg.) They request only your gift of friendship on their day of celebration.  Friendship Garden News!  Work Day: Sat., June 11 – 9:30a.m. On
Feb. 26th, eight young men and their advisor from the Wolf Creek Job Corps weeded and
spread bark mulch on the garden. They provided this service during
their free time on a Saturday. Thanks to John Armes for loading the
bark mulch into his pickup!
Twenty middle-school students,
who will go on the Shobu exchange, will attack the weeds again on May
11th at noon. That’s a half-day of school for them, and they’ll study
Japanese language in the library when they’re through with the garden.
It’s our turn to spruce up the garden again on Saturday, June 11th. That’s 12 days prior to the arrival of the delegation from Shobu. Please join us at 9:30 AM that morning with your gloves on! Bring hoes, rakes, and clippers. Jeannie Burpee
(672-2536)
Judy Emmett (672-0936) Spring in Shobu Spring time in
Shobu means more than Cherry Blossoms. When mid-march comes, tiny
yellow mustard (karashina) flowers blanket the embankments of the
Yadori River. At this time, the Mizu Sasara, a lion mask dance
with ancient origins, is held at Obayashi Shrine. When the cherry trees
(sakura) begin to scatter their petals, the town’s white-blossomed pear
trees (nashi) reach the peak of their beauty. Shobu's
Wisteria: In May, the Wisteria Festival opens at Shobu Shrine, with its
300-year-old wisteria tree dressed in magnificent flower
clusters. When a trellis was built for this wisteria about 90
years ago, the tree rebounded in vitality and began producing flower
sprays up to five feet long. It has since been designated a
Prefectural Natural Monument.
 Chamber of Commerce Sister Cities is now a member of the Roseburg Chamber! We hope to gain more public awareness of our program and gain members.  Obon Festival After
an 8 year run, Roseburg Sister Cities has decided to no longer sponsor
the annual August event. Many know this event was an immense
amount of work. The original goal of Obon was to promote our
program and understanding of the Japanese culture to the
community. This very important goal will still continue as our
board is working on replacing Obon with other endeavors in the near
future.
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