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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/16/2013 SCC Subcommittee Minutes (Draft) Mount Prospect Sister Cities Commission 50 South Emerson Street Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 847.392.6000 SISTER CITIES COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEE Chair: French Visit 2013 Planning Committee Review & Summary Dorothy Kucera October 16, 2013 Vice Chair: Judy Thorne M I N U T E S Members: Ski Farley I. Meeting call to order and attendance –Paula Randant Janice Farley Patricia Fusilero 5:32 PM – In Attendance: Lorrie Huber A. John Korn Judy Thorne, Arlene Juracek-Mayor, Irvana Wilks-fm.Mayor, Gary Randant Skip Farley-fm.Mayor, Janice Farley, Patricia Fusilero, Paula Randant Lorrie Huber, Judy McGinnis, Gary Randant, Paula Randant, Paul Seils Denise Rano, Diana Sahakian, John Sibrava, Mary Ann John Sibrava Mary Ann Sibrava Sibrava, Rachel Toeppen, Steve VanArsdale Rachel Toeppen Marianthi Thanapoulos-Village Public Information Officer Barbara VanArsdale Steve VanArsdale Irvana Wilks II. Citizens to be heard. Diana Sahakian Judy McGinnis < none > III. There were no previous minutes. IV. Review by day and event Paula is constructing a complete archive of the event information for use in future Sister Cities planning, and it will contain all the reports referenced during the meeting and in these Minutes. a) Saturday, 9/14 Arrival-Gary Randant will report Gary reported that the arrival was well-coordinated with the help of the Village Police Chief and the airport police. Report submitted. b) Saturday, 9/14 Reception- Barbara VanArsdale to report The reception was well-attended, and was successful in all regards. It was suggested that in the future the Mayors introduce themselves and each other to the attendees to start the festivities. It was reported that the food vendors were very good, and twelve (12) bottles of the wine, 5 red and 7 white, remain for the next event. The wine and all remaining decorations and materials were returned to the Village Hall, to Marianthi Thanopoulous, for storage. b) Saturday, 9/14 Host families and gift bags-Judy Thorne to report Judy reported that coordinating the Guests and Hosts was a complex www.mountprospect.org/sistercities sistercities@mountprospect.org Sister Cities Subcommittee Meeting October 16, 2013 Page 2 task but was successful. No issues were reported or even heard. Judy also delivered a written report. She suggested that future visits be preceded by a detailed list of Guests and their accommodation requirements, and it was widely agreed that pictures would be useful along with the list. It was suggested that the schedule of events, with as much detail as possible, be sent to the Guests early, to include suggestions as to clothing and shoes. Several Commissioners advised that they were asked by other citizens to become hosts, and Arlene Juracek suggested that a data base of such requests be established. Paula suggested that this would also be a good location to record incidents and considerations for future visits. A DVD of photographs has been produced by Mike, and Paula will send them to Francois in Sèvres. d) Sunday, 9/15 French Market - Judy McGinnis, Barb VanArsdale It was reported that the French Market event was remarkably well- attended for the rainy weather. Public Works was very supportive. The large bag of rain ponchoes were very well received by the Guests. It was reported that the event produced a 40% increase in revenue from prior years. There is a considerable inventory of merchandise and materials remaining from the event. All remaining materials were returned to the Village, to Marianthi Thanopoulous, for storage. Marianthi reported that vendors were complimentary and appreciative, especially of the berets provided. She suggested the cost of the berets could be added to the vendor fee, and still be in line with the fees charged to vendors by the event sponsors at the Lions Club. Marianthi will be assembling a package of information for Judy McGinnis and Barbara VanArsdale for the next French Market event. e) Sunday, 9/15 Picnic-Lions Park event- John Sibrava to report John submitted a report. In general the event went very well, largely due to the advance planning for rain, and the active support of the Lions Park staff. John suggested that fewer activities would have been sufficient, it was suggested that the next Guest visit, during the 2017 Mount Prospect Centennial celebration, may actually be larger. Denise Rano suggested that speakers be arranged at each venue in Mount Prospect, to explain to the Guests the purpose and history of the buildings. It was generally agreed that this would be a good idea for the next visit. f) Monday, 9/16 Paddock Publications tour -Janice Farley to report The visit was both well-organized, and very well-received. Janice delivered a written report. It was reported that the Guests were very interested, and it was acknowledged that the cooperation and enthusiasm of Paddock management provided a great event at little cost to the Sister Cities Commission. g) Monday, 9/16 Pilot Pete’s Lunch- Paula Randant to report Sister Cities Subcommittee Meeting October 16, 2013 Page 3 Paula reported that the lunch went well, and provided a welcome opportunity for the Guests to talk in a different and interesting location. The only issue expressed was that like most American restaurants, the Guests found themselves facing too much food. h) Monday, 9/16 Villas of Sèvres visit- Skip Farley to report Skip submitted a brief report. The Guests were impressed by the Villas and expressed interest in seeing inside American homes. Denis Rano suggested that the Commission consider a house walk, as this is an area of the Guests’ interest. i) Monday, 9/16 Randhurst Tour-John Korn to report John submitted his comments to Paula, and she reported that John said the visit went well but that in the future the Guests might be simply interested in shopping. j) Monday, 9/16 Black Finn Dinner-Judy McGinnis to report Judy reported that the lunch went well with few issues. Management at the restaurant was very helpful, although the food delivery could have been better if the servers were a little more experienced. k) Monday, 9/16 MP Public Library Reception-Mary Ann Sibrava to report The visit to the Library was very well-attended, and the agenda was especially well-received as it allowed the Guests a quiet tour of the Library’s art prior to the reception. The Guests expressed surprise that Library art was loaned to patrons. It was also commented that having a free reception for the local citizens to meet the guests was good, and a number of citizens commented favorably to the Commissioners. l) Tuesday, 9/17 Historical Society garden tour-Rachel Toeppen to report Rachel reported that the weather was a great start, but that just prior to the tour the Public Works department chose to grind a tree out in the parkway. It was suggested that better coordination would be wise. The walking tour was appreciated by the Guests, and again they expressed an interest in visiting inside Mount Prospect homes. m) Tuesday, 9/17 Mount Prospect Childcare Center -Michael Davey Michael submitted his report to Paula, and she reported that the children were a welcome addition to the Guests’ visit, and that they were impressed. The most favorable comments were on the children’s stories, and their interpretations for the Guests. It was also suggested that this visit and the child care brochures that they collected may have impressed the Guests because of the association with a program that is underway in Sèvres, appearing in the town’s magazine this month. Sister Cities Subcommittee Meeting October 16, 2013 Page 4 n) Tuesday, 9/17 Bosch Tour and lunch-Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the tour and the lunch was exceptional, due to the efforts and commitment of the Bosch staff. It was widely agreed that the Bosch company has been an exceptionally good supporter of the community and the Sister Cities events. o) Tuesday, 9/17 John Jay Elementary School Visit-Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the visit was a ‘happy little surprise’, even more so as it was a late addition to the agenda. The children were impressive and the Guests expressed admiration for the fifth-grade students who were conducting the tour and assisting the younger children. p) Tuesday, 9/17 Southside Community Center visit- Mary Ann Sibrava to report Mary Ann reported that the visit went well, without any issues reported, and that the Deputy Mayor of Sèvres expressed great interest in the US system of bi-lingual education programs. q) Tuesday, 9/17 Retro Bistro dinner- Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the dinner was gracious and relaxing for all participants, and that the staff at the Retro Bistro were gracious and supporting. It was suggested that the Commission send a thank you to the restaurant owners, to thank them for the loan of their chairs and tables used by the Commission at the French Market. r) Wednesday, 9/18 Flying Lady Trolley to Chicago- Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the Trolley worked very well, much better than relying upon the Metra trains as originally planned. Denise suggested the Commission consider using a double-decker bus for the tours in downtown, and it was generally agreed that this would be a welcome alternative on the next visit in 2017. s) Wednesday, 9/18 Wendella Board cruise-Paula Randant to report Paula reported, and Commissioners generally agreed that the river architectural cruise was good for all participants, despite the crowded conditions on board. It was suggested that the experience could be improved with a translator, especially if the tour was conducted privately on a double-decker bus. t) Wednesday, 9/18 Signature Room lunch- Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the lunch was exceptional, for all participants, with great food and good service, and provided a unique experience for the Guests to look over the city from above. Sister Cities Subcommittee Meeting October 16, 2013 Page 5 u) Wednesday, 9/18 Walking tour cancelled free time to shop It appeared to the Commissioners that this was appreciated by the Guests. v) Wednesday, 9/18 Community Banquet- Paula Randant to report While the event was well-attended it was generally agreed that the next event should combine the reception table and the seating card table instead of using two tables that attendees needed to visit. It was also reported that providing drink tickets to the Guests made them uncomfortable when they used them at the bar. w) Wednesday, 9/18 Banquet Program and Toast-Arlene Juracek to report It was generally agreed that the microphone sound system was inadequate. Paula reported that she would provide the appropriate feedback to the owners of the banquet hall. x) Wednesday, 9/18 Music-Current report Paula Randant It was discussed that the band was too near the bar, and several of the Guests expressed their concern when they could not converse there. y) Thursday, 9/19 12 guests gather at Village to go to airport- Lorrie Huber to report Lorrie reported that the bus transportation provided by the Village was very good. z) Thursday, 9/19 Visit to River Trails Middle School-Paula Randant to report Paula reported that the visit was ‘lovely’, and that like all the visits to the schools, the Guests were greatly impressed and expressed their compliments. IV. Discussion of general experience a) Transportation- Michael Janonis to report if he has time Mike Janonis was unable to attend the meeting. b) It was recognized by the Commissioners that fund-raising for the 2017 visit is starting immediately. Advance-purchase-discount tickets for the Wine Tasting event on November 7 were distributed to all Commissioners, along with posters to be distributed to businesses in the Village as soon as possible. Marianthi suggested that the tickets be numbered, and used in such events to award a raffle prize of wine, or alternatively, of chocolate. c) A Treasurer Report from Skip Farley was distributed, but not openly discussed. V. Summary Statement - Paula Randant, committee chair for exchange. The Sister Cities Commission is grateful to Paula Randant for an extraordinarily successful 2013 hosting of the delegation from Sèvres. Sister Cities Subcommittee Meeting October 16, 2013 Page 6 The Commission Meeting was adjourned at 7:32 pm. VI. Respectfully submitted, Barbara VanArsdale