augusts 28, 2013

Iznācis KLB Biļetena augusta numurs!



Translated/summarized Baiba Caunite

- Another Latvian Success Storywww.mikrotik.com, a company in Latvia, develops and installs routers and wireless ISP systems. Founded in 1995 and based in Riga, this company joins other firms that specialize in data. Employing 80 workers, this firm has had a turnover of 60 million lats.

- Baltic Leaders meet with President Obama on August 30. President Berzins is meeting with the presidents of Estonia and Lithuania and will confer with President Obama in Washington. Major topics for discussion: regional cooperation, transatlantic trade, security in various forms including cyber security, enlarging democracy and human rights in the region.

- Anita Zvirgzde – leading the way to introduce service dogs for the blind in Latvia. Formerly of Cleveland, OH, Anita has started a brave and noble project: training and supplying service dogs for all 12,000 people who are visually impaired in Latvia. With a few sentences Anita describes meeting key people who convinced her that this project has to be realized. She recounts a heart-wrenching scene of blind children who for the first time realize how their life can be changed with the help of a dog. Anita has received her first young pup from Finland that she raises. 
• For more of this amazing story and how we can become members to support this fantastic project, please see http://audzugimene.blogspot.com/
• Let’s find a way to help Anita realize this unique, worthy project! Or ask other Latvian organizations to learn more about this project. Help to advertise this project on Facebook or other media sources.

• To donate: Servisa suņu biedrība, Reg. nr. 40008208343, Swedbank, BIC/SWIFT: HABALV22, account #: LV04HABA0551036537614.

- Anda Cook reports «Song, Latvia’s Pride and Strength». Anda describes the emotional experience of being a witness to this year’s Latvian Song Festival in Riga. From the gathering crowds in central Riga, to the crowds in Mezaparks, the watchers and the festival participants in their glorious traditional costumes flow together. The spectacle of the whole and the individual moments, build into an unforgettable final concert that continued into the night. You may still possibly see some of the festival on LNT.LV tv. Videos or Delfi.lv.

- Maija Grendze reports on the various summer art and sports events in our local community. The most obvious is the Senior Games that were held in Cleveland. A group of Cleveland Latvians went to support our fellow country women/men. The Latvian women seniors in the 60+A won a gold metal. Another Latvian, Andrejs Osokins won the best Baroque interpretation in the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Of course, the Latvian Association participated in the Lakewood Arts Festival. Maija also visited Garezers and she reports that the young people of the camp performed in concerts that showed that they too have inherited a love of singing. She praises the quality and professionalism of their singing; these are the future singers of our song festivals. We have had a full & interesting summer.

- Māris Kukainis describes his own experience of brewing beer in the Latvian manner and the success of engaging others to taste his new brew. Link1 and Link2

- Letters of thanks: scholarship recipient, Jānis Opincāns, Riga, Latvia, and Chris Walsh, director of Miami University choir, that surprised us and pleased us with his knowledge of Latvian music.

- An absolute MUST SEE. VALMIERA’S THEATER GROUP IN CLEVELAND on September 7 at 7 p.m. Social Hall. Free for children. Play by Anslavs Eglitis: «Shameless, old men», a comedy. 

- First concert in our concert series: Linda Alle Murphy (cello), Michael Shaedel (piano). Date/time: September 28 at 7 p.m., our Social Hall.