Anchorage Assembly: Sister Cities Commission 2026-05-20

Are you able to record?

That's beautiful. She should be resting. Yeah, she has not been rest— well, she took a nap. She's like, that's been rest, my nap. She—.

Yeah, she was— she's been managing things. Let it be known that we do believe in medical bed rest. We would like her to take a nice week to recover.

Actually, would you mind sharing the screen now that we started recording? Just so folks can kind of take a peek at the agenda. The agenda should—. Weird. It's—.

You can do the screen. Yeah. And then just pop open the Word.

Tab. Yep. Perfect. Let me see if I can shrink that.

Can folks read the shared screen, or do you need us to zoom in?

Looks good. Looks good. Okay, so we have Jasmine. Yeah, we have Jasmine. We have Shane.

Shane. Okay, and we have Anna. We've got Eddie. We've got the chair. Some—.

I'm somewhere here. We've got Emily. Here you are. Um, I guess I have a really quick— it's not on the agenda, but it's more of like a quick question. We do have a— we do have some vacant seats.

It looks like we have 2. Yeah, 2 vacant seats, or no, 3 vacant seats actually. Yep. Do we have a timeline of when we might have new commissioners join us? Now, has Marie talked to you yet about outreach?

Okay, so, um, that's something she and I are starting to work on. Oh, okay. And we're going through all of the boards and commissions on, you know, what the vacancies are. Okay. And so we're really trying to get the staffers, um, to help with outreach.

Oh, like recruitment? Oh, okay. Yeah, so that's top of our list. So I would say in the next month or two That's— we're going to be really asking staffers to help with that outreach and recruit candidates and processes. Okay, yeah, perfect.

So I'll be in touch with you about that. Oh, nice. Yeah, because usually like I just like tell like individual bases, I'm like, hey, want to join a board or commission? And that's fine, that's actually fine. And you send them out, you, you like write a little preface and send them our way, like link, apply, apply now.

Oh, link. It's like, here's the online application, check it out. You're—. Yeah, absolutely. It goes, you know, we get a, um, we check, we do an applications report periodically, and so we'll see them there.

Okay, and so I will put a note to look out for those, and I will talk to the appropriate staffers about additional outreach. Nice, thank you. Sure. For folks online, we do have 3 vacant spots. Current on the commission.

If you know of folks who may be interested in applying, please send— I guess like there's like an application, like yeah, you can go ahead and send them the application link their way if they're interested in applying. And you said over the next few months? Yeah, towards the end of the year. And if you like, I can send you that link. Yeah, yeah, that'd be perfect actually.

Yeah, but just as a heads up. Okay, it's currently 6:08. I think we'll just kind of go ahead and start to be conscious of everybody's time. We do not have quorum, so today will mainly be a discussion, which is pretty fitting since most of the items that we have on the agenda are more discussion-based. So I'm going to call to order the meeting, 6:08 PM.

We will start with roll call. Uh, Hiroko Harada, I believe she may still be out on medical leave, um, but I will double-check my messages. Um, so I think she's, she's excused for now. Anna Vernaya. Is present.

Thank you. Shane Weska. Present. Thank you. Claudia Farias is not present.

Kelsey Schober is— I'm afraid that maybe people thought that it's next week, but Kelsey Schober is not present. Tatiana Robbins is not present. Tasha Boyer Dunbar is not present. Emily Cho, myself, is present. Jasmine Smith.

Jasmine Smith, we're doing a roll call.

I think we can mark her as present since she did indicate that she was here. Maybe she got a glass of water. Oh, yeah, maybe she's doing a little something. Carol Fraser is not present. Timothy Truer is not present.

Eddie Perez? I'm here. Perfect. So we do not have quorum. So today we'll just review the agenda and we'll make some more action items in August.

So we can skip over everything. We are skipping items 3 to 6 because we do not have quorum.

The unfinished business around the potential new sister city of Recife, Brazil cannot continue because Claudia is not here.

I'm assuming you don't have news on that as well. No. So we will shelf that and loop back around in August when we reconvene. New business, uh, recordings of our meetings on MOA YouTube. Um, I made a discovery that it may not all have reached the YouTube page, so Farah said that she will investigate And if needed, we upload the recordings on our YouTube channel or the MOA YouTube channel.

Yes, thank you very much. And activity ideas. So, and Marie did share the activity ideas that you sent over to her to share during the meeting. So I will go through the items underneath the activity ideas item, and then we can chat about it if we would like. Anna, would you like to?

Would you prefer for me to go through it? To say more about that idea? Oh, the activity ideas that you sent over? Did you want to go through them? Yes, activity.

My proposal. Did you want to go through the ideas that you shared, or would you rather me? If you're interested. Yeah, I mean, I really like— so the first idea that Anna shared is the International Carving Festival. Anna is involved in planning the event, and it's right now it's in its early stages, and it's like a 2027 kind of event.

It's going to be on 26th, we hope, because at that moment we started to organize the committee of the International Carbon Festival here in Alaska, because it takes time. We have to have the right people who will work not come to hear what we are doing. So because we are looking for some very active people. So, and I think we can get it. We already— but it's, you know, maybe you don't know, but, uh, native, uh, artists from Alaska been attended the International Festival already 2 years, 2 times, uh, in Magadan.

Magadan an international, uh, carving festival. So, and this was many, many, many people, include Alaska, include me. And, uh, I was agreed to be a member of that, uh, committee of that international festival. And I brought two artists from Anchorage, uh, to the Magadan. So it was twice.

One is 2019, and the second time, uh, it was 2021, so it's twice. So that's why I took— I took a very good connection with Alaskan Native carving artists and with some organization who accepted that idea and want to bring that idea and started to have Anchorage— I mean, Alaskan International Carving Festival. So it's very interesting because especially Actually, right now, you know, the economy is not good and the artists could not make even for living some because they need to sell what they made. And this is less chance to them to sell their art. Yeah, it's because it's one of the idea to help to the Native artists here, you know, that Native people are living a hard life even right now.

So anyway, it's one thing. Another thing, Alaska has a very good history of the Native art, so it's kind of proud to show the rest of the world what kind of artists we do have. And it's interesting, it's what I understood, how interesting it was for my Alaskan artists to be involved in the International Festival in Magadan. So they just was so happy because it was too many opinion. It was people from former Soviet Union Republic, artists who has the same kind of type of art, and people from the north countries of Europe.

It's Helsinki, Netherlands, and, you know, all this. Even some people was from the— from one people was from the Italy who like it. So we— and China, of course, because China has it. This is another reason for us because we have Harbin as a sister city. So it's helped us to develop our relationship through their artist way too.

I think it's what I can see. And for the International Carving Festival that you're helping plan, will that be based in Anchorage? Like, will it be based in Anchorage? Because we already, uh, my partner Native Corporation, they talk already with Heritage Center. Heritage Center says we are happy to be involved, then we can give you our facility for that.

So it's very important because facility is number one question. Where we will have it, but in what time? We are thinking maybe, maybe October when we have the meeting with— how it's called— Native Association. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They do have their conference here, and this is maybe will be good to have together because people can come from the villages.

We don't need to spend more money for them to travel here, you know, to be here. So it's— they are already here, and that time we can think and work about when it's due, before or after, right? Prefer to do it before, like 2 days before festival. And this is people who come to our guest who come to festival, they have a chance to go to see exhibition at the Native Heritage Center here in Anchorage. So this is kind of idea.

So it's not done yet, but I know people from Europe, from Sweden, Netherlands, Helsinki, my friends who is ready to be involved and to trying to find their own artists to come over. So through the Russian compatriots who lives and has their own, uh, cultural centers, so northern countries of Europe. So what it's— they'd like to be involved. Nice. And we have people, we have potential, and we ready to do it.

So we just need to organize committee and to split the ideas and send it an invitation and have a strong committee. Ah, so the ask is we need manpower. Essentially, you need manpower for the committee. Yeah. Okay, so if people are interested in like joining this planning committee, how should they reach out?

Would you rather— is there like a contact? Yeah, this is interesting question. So I think if we can do it, if Sister City Committee will be involved, because see, we have the Japanese artists. We have Japanese artists, so we can work with the Chitose, so we can work with Harbin. They can come.

All those cities who is sister cities with Anchorage, we have to inform them and tell, do you have artists, carving artists? Please welcome. And I think that's almost every culture has a form of, you know, carving expression in their art. Yeah, across. So it's— there's got to be a sculptor or a carver in each of these sister cities somewhere.

Yeah, for sure. I think this is what— how we have to be more active. In other words, not interesting. To work for their sister city. So even for me, because I talk to Mary that what we are doing, we don't do anything.

So we can do some kids competition, the people or the nationality who lives here in Anchorage. We have so many different— we have Japan, we have all people who is sister city. Why we to use that possibilities to make more interesting work of the sister cities. I think it's great. I think it's a great opportunity to showcase the, uh, the carving, the carving artists in these sister cities.

If we have like some kind of, um, space where we can, uh, have photos and an information on those particular carvers from our sister cities, you know, like photo and an example and then some kind of summary of explaining their carving. I mean, if we can't bring them over, yeah, right, that would be something to just share with the community. That is, that's just even to make some, uh, not competition, it can be competition of the kids competition, uh, who lives here They can paint, they can write a story about their country they was born. So for Chinese, it's very interesting if they can write their stories about their culture, especially kids. My idea is to involve young people.

So I have some meetings, members probably has to have some meetings with the schools.

To go to the school, tell about their sister cities, what we are doing, what it means, sister cities, because many people doesn't know what it means. So, and to work, we start to work with— this is really easy, we don't spend any minutes, just our time to go to the any school. So say we have an immersion, a Japanese immersion program, Russian immersion program. We have many Chinese, I think. So all immersion languages, probably we have.

So very interesting to go to work with the kids. Yes, for sure. And then going back to the, the previous point, the International Carding Festival, I think from our last meeting, if the Commission is being invited to be involved in something, I think we do need to give the staffers a heads up just to make sure that it's something that we can do as a Commission. Like under the Commission name. So I think we'll just need to confirm with Marie, like, hey, we were invited, is this something that we can do?

And this will be either like us co-sponsoring a committee or being on the steering committee. I'm assuming yes, but I just wanted to make sure that we are following procedure. But I mean, it sounds like a really cool, like, really cool festival, and I'm sure like a lot of, like a lot of communities would be very interested in joining. Just wanted to call out on folks online if you have any questions or comments around the International Carving Festival planning committee.

Nope.

It will be a very wild October. That is for sure. But yeah, so we'll definitely We'll check back, get back to you, and I guess I will notify you via email, like, okay, this is something that we can do. Let's start recruitment of who can join the committee, the planning committee to represent Sister Cities Commission. Does that sound like good next steps to you?

I think so, but we have to know, is committee of all commissioners interested to accept that kind of event in Anchorage. And it doesn't mean that we have to have 12 of us to be members. So it's just to like sister city, one of the member. Yes. Yeah.

One of the organizer of that country. So it will be, for instance, you are, yes, you are HR, so you can be, or somebody who is very like to be. It's open. Yes. Open for all ideas, for everything what they can share.

Yes. Oh, for sure. And so once we confirm that, like, we can do this under the Sister City umbrella, then people can sign up to join the planning committee and get the show on the road. Yeah, support it and show up. I mean, like, if at minimum—.

Very important to make, um, let's call, uh, so to spread that ideas all over through the newspaper, through the other organization which we have here in, you know, even oil companies. And so just, just read all that, that what we are going to do, how you can help. Maybe somebody can help us give some donation for that. So it's a really— we need to ask for donation anyway. Yeah.

Well, yeah, I mean, I think— I spoke with some of them, but I think Native Corporation can do it. They do have money, so they do have lots of— they can support for their own, so they could pay some expenses. But people, the guests who will come, they have to pay themselves. Oh, there's tickets going to be? Yeah, the tickets, they will— we don't need to pay for them, so they will work with their domestic organization.

So, or their own if they would like to. So not all very poor, many is very rich artists. So, and we have to provide them maybe hospitality, I mean accommodation. So transportation, hospitality, or food and like in Moda d'Arte, is it Very good hospitality. And that takes funds.

Yeah, definitely reaching out to larger corporations. Yeah, but we need to have there also, I mean, some letters, some— what's called? My English is so sorry. Oh no, no, it's not. No, no, don't say that.

Some diploma, or Magda did some diploma, some present. So it's be first place, second place, like 5 places, depends. But I, because I'm a friend with the first museum in Russia, it's called Kunstkamera, and we have the artists here who been working with the Kunstkamera, which it's in St. Petersburg. It's very hidden. Perry Eaton spent many years in Russia and especially in St. Petersburg in Kunstkammer.

It's a historical museum organized by Peter the Great. So, and Perry Eaton, even we can invite him one time to our meeting and he will tell about because Perry published a few albums over there. That's really cool. His own, with his mask, with his art, and he has a lot of friends over there. So just to bring people who've been in Russia, who knows what it means and how they are working this.

And Perry Eaton, he accepted that idea about International Festival here. Yeah, I mean, he's a really cool artist. I am a fan of Perry Eaton. I do like his work.

I don't want to take your time to tell other names I know, but believe that I know people who support me and said you can put it out. Tell people we agree. Yeah, so for the festival committee, we'll get back to you on like, we'll just confirm that this is something we can do under the commission name, and then once we can, we'll just like, it's an open invite to whomever wants to join. The planning committee, as this is just a representative of the commission. But I did want to touch upon the other ideas that were listed underneath, one of them being invite a leader of the community in Anchorage from, from one of our sister cities to, to one of our meetings and like just like get to know them, connect with community, say like where are, or what are some ways that we can partner.

And I think that's like something that we, that can be done pretty Immediately? I am thinking when I talk to Mary, I think it's good if we don't take the summer 2 months off from our activity. Even if we haven't been very active before, but to prepare that meeting in August when we return back to work. To their committee after summer time. So, and we have time to prepare letter for them, for the leaders of that group of the different nationalities here, different organization to prepare to invite—.

Jane Elizabeth Korgas. Oh, it's okay. It's for me.

I mean, it might actually be a letter invite to our sister cities to join, or it looks like— so we do have communities in Anchorage whose cultural origins are from our sister cities. Is that who— is that the— are those the people that you're talking about? Or yeah, it's like, uh, like the Federation of Filipina—. Yeah. Or some other federation, Russian culture center, Russian group of the people we have here, and even Ukrainian too.

So it's everybody who lives here. So, and we know, we know that, uh, who else, all nationality. I know that, uh, say the people, uh, Polish club, Polish American club, it's very active. This is like what, how we need to build our work. I mean, for me as a president, director of the Russian Cultural Center, for me they are very important because they do very right.

They do very good job with their community, with Polish community. So, um, it's— we need to just invite people to have a list of their organization. That's very easy. That sounds like a nice community mixer since, um, It would probably— we'll probably have to dedicate a meeting for that because I would assume that if we invite all these leaders, we want to take the time to like get to know them or at least have them like talk about their community and like really brainstorm and see ways that we can like connect and partner. I'm assuming this will be more like a community mixer roundtable that we can use, dedicate one of our meetings for.

Either— I'm not sure about August, but maybe September, because in August I think we do have a series of things that we need to vote on, especially since we don't have quorum right now. Okay, yeah, you see, man, this would count 1, 2, 3, at least 6 cities, the representative of the 6 cities with whom we already got a relationship. As a sister cities. Yeah. But at the same time, it's bigger by the members.

It's a federation of Filipina, the big federation, many people over there. So also we have the federation of the Asian, Asian Republic. It's separate, but it's represent from each Asian nationality. And then also organization. So it's somewhere where it's a big group of the people.

Like I said, this is a Polish club. It's very good. Do it somewhere. They do very good activity in their community. So each community is working how to put us all together.

So would you imagine that like we're all sitting around this like, let's say this table. Yeah, that table. They will share, they will tell us what is their plan, what they can bring to us to make more interest and, uh, like work with Chittos, with, uh, I don't know, Incheon or Harbin. You know, we have Chinese people, we have people from Harbin, I'm more than sure, who lives here in the Yeah, Lucy, I think, is, uh, yeah, Lucy and Jin over there too. And Jin did the travel agency.

Um, does the mayor's office have a list of organizations in Anchorage like that, and their contact list and their contacts? I believe so. We just did an event with the, um, we staffed the Korean American community Association— oh, the scholarship, the scholarship award ceremony. Yeah. Um, so, um, I will check just what the list is comprised of and I can get back to you all.

Okay. Yeah, because that could be a great start if there's already a list of contacts. Yeah, organizations. Yeah, start from there. Yeah, from the mayor's office.

Yeah. And I mean, I'm a little Our mission is just to invite people, tell them that we are interested to know what they are doing and how we can put together. Yeah, so that's it. And they will be very happy to, I know, to be involved for sure. And you think another group that we should— it's probably on the list anyways, but Bridge Builders.

I think Claudia is connected to them. I think that would be really great way to— she is, yeah, I think she is still involved with Bridge Builders. And then what else is she—. There's another—. Is it Bridge Builders?

Yeah, she's the honorary, uh, Bridge Builders, and maybe there's another one, but Bridge Builders is—. That's the one with the big event, right? Yeah, okay, the Meet the World. Yes, that's Bridge Builders. Ask our commissioner before we go to the summertime, uh, ask that They can bring us to them.

Please be open to look what organization need to know here, what it will be interesting to invite. I can bring your organization like Polish Club, some others, and that's to be involved. And then we make decision how we can manage so big group of the people. So invite all of them to some kind of big meeting with community here, show them what we are doing, how we can put together work. So because everybody is doing something, but we don't know.

And we have to put— we have to have some information, I think, about the activity of the different organization. It's like bulletin. Here like maybe twice, three times a year. So people will know. People doesn't know.

So people doesn't know what we are doing now. So I guess, um, for folks online, if you do have, uh, organizations or individuals that you think should be included in the future invitation list to this like roundtable community multicultural community mixer, please email them directly over to Farah and Marie via email, and then so we can start building up the list for an eventual send out. And that will be— this will probably— we'll try to aim to do this come like early fall when we're all back in business. I did want to move to this housing and homelessness brainstorm that was also listed, partnering with community and coming up with ideas to around supporting those experiencing homelessness. What was the— like, is— was this more of like just like another way for the Commission to be more involved in community, or is this something that exists?

This is more— maybe we can get some ideas and share our ideas with the mayor of Anchorage. To give you maybe, because I know that city does a lot for that problem, but let's see, even if it's not enough, maybe we can to, however, to organize those people with the help of the city. So we will, for instance, I go to, with my girlfriend, go to the downtown on the 4th Avenue. We went to the veteran museum, which on the 4th Avenue, you will build. And we saw one man taking and cleaning something, some territory.

So we have to teach them how to clean after themselves even. So it's not because control, but it's not because pushing. Just ask, please, can you do it? Or can you help me? Doing something, put them to work and think about how we can pay them.

I'm being paid, that doesn't mean to pay money them, just how to tell them thank you very much.

So you're talking about a public safety issue? Yeah. I wonder what the Commission on Homelessness is doing, like what is happening with that commission and what are their meetings like and what projects do they have, you know, in place. I don't know. That would be interesting to reach out to see what— and is there any way we can support that current project that they have that fall in line with what you're suggesting?

So I wonder. I think though, like, outside of like the brainstorming big ideas kind of deal, there are many volunteering opportunities. Yes. So there is a mobile food bank and they're always looking for folks to help pack and pass out food parcels. Yes, food and clothes.

Yeah, clothes. Life happens every day. They are stealing. They are stealing and I saw myself how they are stealing their clothes, change clothes, leave their old So, and it's happened. There's over $1 million was stolen, was stolen at Home Depot.

Lost $1 million, over $1 million of dollars. Their goods were stolen.

My husband talked with the manager of that store. He said, "We don't know what to do because they are stealing. So what we can do?" I guess if you can, yeah, I guess like right now what we're talking about may be beyond the scope of what the commission under the name of Anchorage Sister Cities Commission can do, but I think maybe a, um, a good next step is to maybe we can like, like as a commission and as commissioners, we can sign up as a group for the various volunteering opportunities in town to support the existing efforts to provide relief and support for those experiencing homelessness. I know the, um, the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, they do, uh, you can do like a packing party, which basically you can pack hygiene and wellness items into that, like a pack for the coalition to help hand out to folks who need it. Clothesline happens every single year, and they always need help with organizing the donated items like clothes and shoes and whatnot.

That's more of a free event for folks at the end of the summer, and I think close to the school year. It's aimed for families so folks can get new clothes and items in time for the new year. So those are the things I think we can do pretty immediately without having to go through much process, since these are like out, like open to the public volunteering events. Right. So I think that's like for this at least, like maybe we can learn more about what's actually like happening in terms of programming and future programming that the, the actual Commission on Homelessness is— Housing and Homelessness is doing.

But I think as a commission, one, like, if community outreach is one of our goals, it's just to sign up as a group. Like, food bank always, always needs help packing food, mobile food banks, especially in the summer. In the winter, it's hard for them to get volunteers. I can reach out to a contact I know that does it every Friday. Yeah, so that is interesting to think about is, as a commission, can we support other commissions projects and events in that way.

Is it written in the bylaws somewhere? A collaboration clause? I can look for it. Yeah, an important, you know. Yeah, see, I just, I'm, I'm thinking myself what I can help, how I can.

Okay, I can help what we are doing, some food, what we have, and some I go to buy the Walmart. There's a group of the people on the, what, that's straight Northern Lights. They are always, I don't know why they occupied that territory of the Walmart. So, and we brought some clothes, good clothes, but it's not brand new, but it's still very good and clean. It's important to So, and for— but this is, it's a small things, and it's we are doing.

Maybe we are, we shouldn't do it. Maybe we spoil them. Maybe we have to find something else to try to put them in some activity to do something. Well, it's a very complicated social issue, right? That there's many different ways to tackle it, you know, um, but it's different in different cities and different countries and different cultures.

That health issues, that's number one, because it's very difficult. They have some cycle problem, and then there's many factors that are involved that are that can cause it, right? Mental health, substance misuse.

But I think it's especially nowadays, um, especially with the current economic times, it's a very slippery slope into entering a state of house— houselessness. Um, so what we can do is support programs and organizations that are filling basic needs: food, clothes, wellness. And I think it would be interesting if there was like a report or whatnot on what the Housing Commission is doing, because I know the mayor does have the 10,000 homes in 10 years, or 10,000 homes in 100 years, or whatnot. 10 Years. 10 Years, yes.

Wow. Yes. It's ambitious. Yeah, very ambitious, very ambitious. But I think it'd be really great for us to learn just so we are aware citizens of the uni.

And Anna, I can— I can connect you with Thea in our office if you want to know, and, or the rest of you, if you want to know more about ways that citizens can, can help along the lines of what you were saying, like events, you know, clothesline. Yeah, manpower. Yeah, yeah, because we definitely have, um, like a cheat sheet, you know, that can help you figure out what you want exactly you want to do. Yeah, and as a Sister Cities Commission, since we we do deal with multicultural communities, tying in with the community mixer roundtable, basically helping like partner and connect and communicate, making sure that the programs that are out there to help everybody, to help folks, make sure that, you know, the communities that we work with also know that it's translated into various languages so everybody is aware. And I think that's a great way bridge those things of like, we want to be aware as citizens, but we also serve communities whose languages, like first language isn't English, or sometimes there's a lot of shame around asking for help.

Korean community, I can speak for that. There's a lot of shame around asking for help. So I think we can act as like some sort of like liaison or kind of like an advisor or just ask the questions of like, hey, does everybody know about these programs? How are you out reaching out to folks, especially multicultural folks, and how can we support on that? I think those could be pretty good next steps.

On my end, what I can do is look up dates, especially around the Clothesline Project, because that's a really fun event to volunteer at. I volunteered there before and it's super fun. This, the mobile food bank does vary based on location and scheduling. I think there is a— I think there's a website for it, and I can dig that up. I think with the current, like, communication rules, I think I'll, like, the resources that I researched and the dates that I find and links, I'll send it over to you to communicate to the Greater Commission.

But I think those are the things that we can do. And if you can ask Marie if we can sign up, you see, like, as commissioners, or do we have to sign up as as citizens. Okay. Because it would be nice to volunteer as commissioners to really showcase that we are here and we're community members first. But I think, yeah, and then along with hopefully we can learn from the other commissions and what they're doing.

On previous, the committee, because I've been involved in the Sister Cities Committee even in early '90s when I've been here. They usually invite some historians who come and tell about the history, so maybe we can invite some meeting or do extra one to invite some interesting historians. Now it's especially 250th anniversary of the United States, what we can do for that? We can invite David Reamer. Somebody who will tell us some kind of part of the history of Alaska.

David Reamer. You know, he is a pretty well-known historian. Or I think, is it David Reamer or is it— it's last name Reamer. But he is a pretty well-known historian. He's been doing a series on ADN all about the history.

Of like Anchorage History of Alaska. Oh, he's had that column for years. Yeah, for a long time. Yes, he's pretty cool. I think it's David Riemer.

Yeah, I think David Riemer. But yeah, I mean, that could be a really fun like event that we could host. Pretty low cost. I'm not sure how much you charge. It's a custom lesson for us, but we will know something we don't know.

Yeah, I think that'd be really fun. Be— doesn't hurt to ask if he's willing to donate his time for this. Aidan, we can wear free? No cost? Volunteer your time.

Volunteer, no cost. Free has been— the word free has been—. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Let's not— that's not the word of the year.

Probably not. Yeah, probably. Yeah, we'll see. But I think that if folks know of any opportunity, volunteering opportunities, activities that we can do to support the community of Anchorage, please, I guess, like, share with Marie and Farah, and they can communicate back to the Greater Commission. Um, it is 6:51, so I want to be aware of everybody's time.

Uh, a night— so moving on to the last idea, this is from Marie. It's an international cooking class, potentially partnering with someone like, uh, like companies like Dirty Apron to host a series of cooking classes featuring signature dishes from each of our sister cities. So Shane, in our city, will be kimchi and tteokbokki, two things that you can make pretty easily and delicious and signature. I think this is a wonderful idea. I know a gentleman from the Japanese community, he does do some cooking classes over at the Dirty Apron around like how to make Japanese ramen and other things.

Thai food. Oh yeah, people like Thai food. Yeah, and in that point, it's good to work with a restaurant. So I think it might be nice to do like, if not a cooking class, like an international like food off. They can come if we invite the owners of the— or some cook from the restaurant.

It will be good too, like Thai restaurant. So, and they They can support some of our ideas too, some of our projects. When we invite them, this is advertisement for them, so, and they can support us if we have to have some extra money for our project.

So what we— I know exactly Turkish restaurant will come because they would like to promote their business. Yeah. And they begin to know who we are. So we involve them. They are a part of the community.

They can teach. Yeah. Oh yeah, I agree. I do. So, and so many restaurants come.

I do feel strongly that a series and focusing on one dish or one one business or one sister city dish would be better rather than like a lot at the same time. It would be a lot to put. I think because we don't have a poll right now, we can't vote on it. But I think this is food, good, really good food for thought for folks while we are on summer break, quote unquote. But I think with the activities that we did discuss, I think come August we should come together with ideas to share, either related to what we discussed today or maybe an additional new idea of something that we can aim to do when we're back in Q3, Q4 of 2026, or potentially, potentially early 2027 if it's like a larger scale thing that we want to accomplish.

So, but yeah, I mean, who doesn't like food? It brings communities together. So you can find through the owner of the restaurant, you can find good supporters. Yeah, I'm sure. Good supporters, financial supporters for our community events.

So I think for this, like when we do like these cooking classes, I do want to press that we should probably really focus on representing our sister cities in these, since these are pretty specific. But let's just come back with ideas or thoughts around these activities or more. Or reach out, ask our commissioners to reach out to their point of contacts in the sister cities as to what dish are they famous for and some background information on that dish and cultural significance. Yeah, actually, that's a really good next step. Next step for folks to do outreach, at least one or two dishes, and then from there we can see who can create those dishes within our community.

Because maybe a commissioner, commissioner could, sure. Do we need our food handler's license? No, no, that's a very, that's a really good question. We can cook it but no one eat it. Probably a short course that you have to take.

Oh yeah, I think so. You want to do it at their Dirty Apron or something? Yeah. Or it's online. Yeah, I think I did something like that actually recently.

It's like an online—. Like you read through the videos. Because when we do the festivals and stuff, we have to get a food handler's license. But I think that's a really great thing. I don't think we need a vote on if folks reach out to Her sister city.

So if folks can, please reach out to your sister city or do some research on your sister city and be like, what is the actual signature dish of that city? If the city does have one. If not, then you can do the signature dish of the country of which the city is from. 6:56. We do have a few more items, so we will shelve these, but food— good, really, really good food for that.

The last two items. One is, so the Consulate Office of Japan wishes to hold a meeting or symposium of some sort with all Japanese-related organizations and its stakeholders.

They want to do this to really help connect communities together and also for folks who do attend to learn from each other. So they do— they did express a desire for the commission to also present about, you know, what is a Sister City Commission and how it operates in Anchorage. They are hoping to host it sometime in August or September, but they did request that we send in dates that we are free in August and September. I, in September, I would probably be in New York. Oh yeah, you have your big trip coming.

Yeah. Since not a lot of, a lot of us are currently present, I think in the follow-up email after this, I think that would be the ask of please email Farah and Marie open dates you have for a meeting. It's like the Consulate Office of Japan's event.

And I think they would probably want that pretty quickly since it's close to end of May. Okay. And they've been asking me. Okay. So that will just be a follow-up since we will need most of the commission to respond.

The last part, item D, is a reminder. At our last meeting, we discussed joining Sister Cities International. We are postponing the actual final vote of joining in August, but I wanted to remind folks to please visit their website and educate yourself on what it is, what it does, and the benefits of us joining. The annual cost for us would be around $1,030. This is based on the population of the city that the commission is based.

So they have tiered levels. I'm not sure, but maybe I go to that meeting which is coming in July. And a friend of mine from Eugene, Oregon is going to there. And it's— I can go if— because if I will make time because we are very busy at this time. To go over there.

And I tell you that Homer, Homer is the only one, is the only one, but they are, and they are smaller than we are, right? And you said benefit, benefits, benefits. It's we can open our mind if we go and see people, meet people, got some ideas, and this kind of level of our committee is going to be a little bit up. It's not because we will have some donation from them, but we have a contact with— it's open for us to meet people, to know what's going on in Eugene, in New York, or some other cities. And so this is important for— it's what— yeah, I think so.

Yeah. But Palmer, it was a big surprise for me. We have to ask them what they are doing, what kind of benefits. It's just so random. Yeah, well, there's only one sister city that they have, and it's Japan, and they have that Japanese immersion program.

And there is someone that I feel is kind of the, the driver of that. I did reach out to ask their thoughts on joining and what their experience is with joining international?

Waiting on that. We might have some idea because Ann Palmer was living a short time, 3 years only, but very famous woman. Russian friends, and she passed away over there. Her name is Anna Marmeev. She was a singer, and she wrote the very famous song to the French partisans.

And she— I did— in this year, I did the 20th anniversary of her memory of her because it's 20 years like she passed away. So, and now we are working about the international patriotic festival in Palmer. So together with friends, because we have friends now, and friends, and I'd like to go to meet people in Palmer. I said, okay, Why you don't want to take any city in France to be sister city? Oh, this is just because Anna Marley is here.

Yeah. So she's very, very famous. You can read more, go on the website and find Anna Marley. Who is Anna Marley? Thank you.

That'd be a good summer research project. But Speaking of Palmer, I am wondering, Eddie, maybe if you want to, in your follow-up email, invite them to our August meeting. Yes, invite them to share their idea how they build their work. Yeah, like their experience with being a member of the Sister Cities International. Also be just a nice way for city-city connection, I think.

So if they can, and they can just join online, they don't have to drive all the way if they don't want to. No worries. Yeah, just so— yeah, thank you. And I think also CC Mary. Yes.

And that will— and then we can have them speak prior to our final vote on whether or not we actually do fill out the very short online application. To become a member of the Sister Cities International. And so that will be in August. So we have some time beforehand to research and learn, but I think there is consensus that there is benefits to join. But I think the official vote can't happen in August because we will be signing up when we are not on break.

And I think that's the end of new business. Hopefully they respond and they can attend. It is 7:04.

So we're— and the public is not presently with us, so we are going to skip over item number 9, go straight into item 10. Um, I think the only folks— so I'm going to skip over the cities that do not have commissioners present. So Whitby, nope, yep. And then Darwin, Incheon. I think the standing item we have is the 40th anniversary celebration.

I think I'm just going to do like a group email and just say, okay, we have like, we have ideas. Which one do we want to use and pick the one that we want and then just go forth with that. I am partial to the, the photo photographer swap, or at least a photo swap between cities. I think that would be really cool. Um, but I'm not biased.

I'm also partial to that, so we might, we might have just decided. I think we just decided. Sorry, I think that's it because we have— because, you know, you and I, we probably just know a lot of photographers around town, and it could be a series of summer, like, like summer in Anchorage bridge photos that we collect this year and do like a fall showcase in Incheon. I think it'll be so beautiful. Okay, I think it's decided.

It's all the Seoul Report. Sorry, Marie, it's been decided. And then I think the last city right now for report. Arlene, is there any— do you have any updates from Arlene in China or— No updates at this point. Okay, no updates.

Member comments.

This is just for commissioners, if you have any community-related news to take this time to share. One thing I do want to share with folks is that my workplace, Rasmuson Foundation, is currently accepting applications for our 2027 sabbatical awards. This is open to any Alaska nonprofit executive, like a CEO or an executive director, and Alaska tribal administrators. This is a $50,000 grant to support 90 to 120 continuous days of a sabbatical to help the leader invest time into rest and renewal, essentially to prevent burnout and to prevent our leaders from leaving. Information can be found online on our website.

R-A-S-M-U-S-O-N dot O-R-G. And applications do close June 16th, 11:59 PM Alaska time. We do ask for folks to start early because it's a narrative application with a number of required documents, but feel free to share the opportunity to folks that you may know. Are there any other comments from the Commissioners? I have one. Um, there is interest and movement again within the Filipino community, and this may or may not happen this year, just depends on how, uh, things move.

Um, but they are starting to have like community conversations again around potentially maybe having a sister city if they're able to identify one. And so there I will like follow up with Marie. They do have some questions as they're having these conversations. So I'll do that like after, after our meeting today in a follow-up email. Thank you.

Yeah. If they're interested in popping into one of our meetings to see if they have like questions or whatnot, want, let us know. I think we would only need to pre-schedule if they have an official presentation, but since this is a public meeting— Yeah, and I—. Are we—. I know we approved it in the last meeting, but do we have a final copy of the adding an— I forgot what the title of the document was.

Oh, the really, really long title document that we should probably rename. I think it may have been in one of Marie's follow-up emails from the meeting when we did approve it. I can dig that up and forward it to you. Okay. If that helps.

That would be so helpful. Okay, I'll read forward email with policy. Policy. And I think over the summer what I will do is condense those really long policies that we have into the the top 5 to 10 things that you need to know from this policy before doing anything, and I'll present it to the, to the Commission in August for final approval.

I think that's something that we need to have, really need to have. But is there anything else, Jane? That's it. Oh, and I guess I share this again too in August, but there's a fun movie, animated movie coming out, and the Filipino community might, uh, do something fun in October. So I'll know more hopefully in the summer.

So exciting! We'll buy tickets. Yeah. Did, uh, do you know if it's like early or late October, or is it—. I think the movie actually comes out in late September, but because October is Filipino American History Month, that's when they would like to do the event.

The movie is Forgotten Island. Ooh, yeah, very nice, exciting. Thank you. Yeah, I'm going to open up to the rest of the floor if there's any announcements that you want to share with the commission before we end today's meeting. Thank you very much.

Yeah, accept my idea. Yeah, I mean, these are really good ideas. It's important. Yeah, thank you, Anna. Appreciate you.

Okay, I think that we can adjourn today's meeting. We are adjourning today at 7:10 PM. Our next meeting will be August 26th at 6 PM, hybrid. Y'all have a really great summer vacation. Enjoy if we get sun, enjoy.

And, um, but please keep thinking about like how we can involve our sister cities, but also how we can be involved with the community in general. And we'll chat more in August. Thank you. Thank you. Bye.

So it's 2 vacant, yes? Oh, 3. 3? Do we need 3 more? I think, uh, the mayor's office will be doing some recruitment.

So if you have any folks that you feel like you want them to apply,.