OSAGE COMMUNITY SISTER CITY

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1998
"Summer in Russia".
A Friendship Journey to Lermontov, Stavropol Krai, and St. Petersburg, Russia

1998      Twelve member team travels to Russia for a combination Youth Exchange and Adult Tour.    Three students and  two chaperones spent 10 days in Lermontov learning about family life, history, culture, and customs of the people. Photo above right: Top: Gregg and Linnae Maakestad, chaperones, bottom left to right: Justin Niichel, Kelsey Maakestad, Matt Taets. Photo above left shows Osage students and Russian hosts.

1999 Program Activity Review

     Highlights of the year were beginning our "On-Line" e-mail connections with Lermontov students and the visit of Vera Samatova and her son Michael.
    Thanks to the generosity of First Citizens National Bank in Mason City, Iowa, USA , the expertise and planning of Gregg and Linnae Maakestad, Mark Campbell and the support of the Lermontov City and School Administration, we are now "Connected".
     Money donated by First Citizens National Bank was used to purchase a computer for the schools in Lermontov. The computer is in one of the schools and is available for students and the public. To communicate with our friends in Lermontov, we recommend using the "Bridges of Friendship" e-mail site.
    To write to an individual in Lermontov or to the Bridges of Friendship group. Bridges@lermus.ru

     Seven members of the adult tour spent four days in Lermontov and four days in St. Petersburg. Group photo at right shows four members of the tour group and Lermontov hosts.

"We send our great thanks to all people and your Sister City Organization who help us to purchase
our PC and all equipment.
If you were here you could see how happy our students are and how many of our members
come here to work on it.
We couldn't imagine how many ways
are opened now for children
with such up-to-date PC and the Internet"


.....comments from the first message from
Lermontov students

   Osage residents were  happy to host two visitors from Lermontov in June 1999. Vera Samatova, a lawyer, and her son, Michael Samatov, a Middle School student, spent 10 days in Osage.
     Vera Samatova and her son, Michael, were guests of Gregg and Linnae Maakestad and family during their stay in Osage. In addition to the special times with the Maakestad family, the Samatovs were introduced to many aspects of life in Iowa, especially the Osage area.
     Special mention should be made of the Rocky Ramblers 4-H Club meeting and tour and for club leaders Dennis and Joyce Rachut., Shannon Schulz for making these arrangements. Betty McCarthy and Richard Lunde each had a "Day Tour" with Vera and Michael. Vera and Michel were fortunate to meet Iowa Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson during her visit to Osage. Irina Balyurko, a young woman from Russia,  studying  at Waldorf College, served as the interpreter for part of the exchange.

Left to  right: Irina Balyurko (Interpreter),  Scott Michael (4-H  member),  Michael Samatov, Vera Samatova, Joyce Rachut (4-H Leader)