June 2010 Celle trip (Please go to page "2010 Trip to Celle" for more pictures)
The Niedersachsen Tage festival was enjoyed by several Tulsa representatives. Officials representing the city of Tulsa were Hillary Parkhurst, and Mark and Becky Collins. The Tulsa-Celle-Partnership was represented by its president Barbara Taron and her husband. Also in attendance were Wolfgang and Silke Becker, Mark and Peggy-Sue Clemons, the Conrads with their son Thomas and grandson Mathias, Jim Conrady, George Coppedge, Harold and Doris Wicks with their grandson, and Bill and Teresa Wilber.
The official festivities lasted from 6/18 to 6/20. The event took place over a large area encompassing the French Garden and several city blocks. The Tulsa tent located in front of the castle, was manned by DAG members who answered questions about Tulsa and distributed pamphlets supplied by our Partnership. The wall of the booth was decorated with several of the Tulsa pictures brought by Barbara Taron. The Celle Fire department had a display next to out stand and Mr. Feldmann, who was present at the time, explained to us that their purpose was to publicize their upcoming Tulsa trip and if possible collect funds to cover some of the trip's expenses.
The many festival booths included stages for bands and other activities, the usual game and entertainment stands, souvenir vendors, candy and ice cream vendors, and tourist information centers for German tourist areas. Several Celle restaurants were represented and served food ranging from Bratwursts to gourmet tastings.
The area recreating old time trades was very interesting to all of our members. There was even someone disguised as an old time beggar wearing fake bruises and sores. People gathered in the evening in the French Garden to watch the football games on a giant TV screen, and we could hear their screams of joy or deception when their teams scored or missed a goal.
The highlight of the festival was the parade which included representatives of Celle's sister cities as well as countless groups dressed in local costumes. There were at last 145 groups as the last group bore the number 145. We were all very pleased and proud to see our "Oklahoma delegation" cheered in many places along the parade route. Mark Collins and Jim Conrady proudly carried American flags, Bill Wilber and Mark Clemons carried the Oklahoma Flag, and George Coppedge and Wolfgang Becker carried the city of Tulsa flag. Bill Wilber was very outgoing as he kept on shaking the hands of people standing along our route, and being our group's cheerleader. Needless to say that a good time was enjoyed by all.
In the evening we were invited to a DAG farewell garden picnic at Susanne Reineke's house ( some of us had to leave the next day). There, we were treated to a rendition of the American and German National anthems by a member of the Celle Bugle Club, and we all enjoyed the great food and cheeses provided for us. After we had finished dinner , an unforeseen June shower developed suddenly and we all rushed to help bring the food inside.
Following the Niedersachsen Tage some of our members drove to Bremerhaven to visit the Bremerhaven Emigration Museum on their own. The Museum explains that emigration was caused by religious and economic conditions at the time, and that until steamships came about the voyage was long and risky. Some of us were also invited to visit the ice breaker "Wal". It was built in 1938 and was about to take a group of tourists to the "Kieler Woche" in Kiel. The "Kieler Woche" is a week long international regatta which attracts participants from all over the world. We visited the steering deck with its dual controls, and engine room where we were impressed by the size of the enormous boilers and fuel tanks, as well as the powerful driveshaft system which transfers up to 1200 hp of power . While in Bremerhaven some of us also visited the WWII U-boat - Wilhelm Bauer (originally U-2540) - built in 1945, it was scuttled the same year near the end of the hostilities. It was raised again in 1957 after 12 years underwater, overhauled and re-commissioned in the German navy from 1960 to 1982. It was interesting to see that the vessel had four torpedo tubes in its fore section but, none in its aft compartment. The sub looks so modern that we asked the staff to confirm that it was really built in 1945.
The next day the DAG invited us for a visit to Lübeck and Travemünde. We all went to the top of the Lübeck cathedral from where we had a beautiful view of the city. We then visited the nearby Niederegger Marzipan factory store and could not resist buying some of the tasty treats. We had lunch at the Schiffergesellschaft restaurant, and Reinhard Förster explained to us that this restaurant is housed in the ancient sailor's guild hall and that in the "old days" sailors came in to relax after their boats had docked in the harbor. We travelled to Travemünde later in the afternoon and had the opportunity to observe hundreds of the famous German canopied wicker beach chairs used to protect bathers from the cold winds of the Baltic Sea. The day's trip concluded with a DAG invitation to cake and coffee at the restaurant on top of the Maritim Strandhotel in Travemünde.
On our last official day the DAG drove us to Goslar where we visited the Palace and the city before going for a beautiful drive though the Harz Mountains. The next morning, Barbara Taron visited the Celle Beekeeping institute and collected information to be used by the partnership during our Tulsa school presentations.
We all had a wonderful time and came back home with lasting memories and too many pictures. We thank the city of Celle for letting us use its mini bus, the DAG for hosting us, and especially Reinhard Förster who took the time to guide us during our DAG sponsored tours.
The official festivities lasted from 6/18 to 6/20. The event took place over a large area encompassing the French Garden and several city blocks. The Tulsa tent located in front of the castle, was manned by DAG members who answered questions about Tulsa and distributed pamphlets supplied by our Partnership. The wall of the booth was decorated with several of the Tulsa pictures brought by Barbara Taron. The Celle Fire department had a display next to out stand and Mr. Feldmann, who was present at the time, explained to us that their purpose was to publicize their upcoming Tulsa trip and if possible collect funds to cover some of the trip's expenses.
The many festival booths included stages for bands and other activities, the usual game and entertainment stands, souvenir vendors, candy and ice cream vendors, and tourist information centers for German tourist areas. Several Celle restaurants were represented and served food ranging from Bratwursts to gourmet tastings.
The area recreating old time trades was very interesting to all of our members. There was even someone disguised as an old time beggar wearing fake bruises and sores. People gathered in the evening in the French Garden to watch the football games on a giant TV screen, and we could hear their screams of joy or deception when their teams scored or missed a goal.
The highlight of the festival was the parade which included representatives of Celle's sister cities as well as countless groups dressed in local costumes. There were at last 145 groups as the last group bore the number 145. We were all very pleased and proud to see our "Oklahoma delegation" cheered in many places along the parade route. Mark Collins and Jim Conrady proudly carried American flags, Bill Wilber and Mark Clemons carried the Oklahoma Flag, and George Coppedge and Wolfgang Becker carried the city of Tulsa flag. Bill Wilber was very outgoing as he kept on shaking the hands of people standing along our route, and being our group's cheerleader. Needless to say that a good time was enjoyed by all.
In the evening we were invited to a DAG farewell garden picnic at Susanne Reineke's house ( some of us had to leave the next day). There, we were treated to a rendition of the American and German National anthems by a member of the Celle Bugle Club, and we all enjoyed the great food and cheeses provided for us. After we had finished dinner , an unforeseen June shower developed suddenly and we all rushed to help bring the food inside.
Following the Niedersachsen Tage some of our members drove to Bremerhaven to visit the Bremerhaven Emigration Museum on their own. The Museum explains that emigration was caused by religious and economic conditions at the time, and that until steamships came about the voyage was long and risky. Some of us were also invited to visit the ice breaker "Wal". It was built in 1938 and was about to take a group of tourists to the "Kieler Woche" in Kiel. The "Kieler Woche" is a week long international regatta which attracts participants from all over the world. We visited the steering deck with its dual controls, and engine room where we were impressed by the size of the enormous boilers and fuel tanks, as well as the powerful driveshaft system which transfers up to 1200 hp of power . While in Bremerhaven some of us also visited the WWII U-boat - Wilhelm Bauer (originally U-2540) - built in 1945, it was scuttled the same year near the end of the hostilities. It was raised again in 1957 after 12 years underwater, overhauled and re-commissioned in the German navy from 1960 to 1982. It was interesting to see that the vessel had four torpedo tubes in its fore section but, none in its aft compartment. The sub looks so modern that we asked the staff to confirm that it was really built in 1945.
The next day the DAG invited us for a visit to Lübeck and Travemünde. We all went to the top of the Lübeck cathedral from where we had a beautiful view of the city. We then visited the nearby Niederegger Marzipan factory store and could not resist buying some of the tasty treats. We had lunch at the Schiffergesellschaft restaurant, and Reinhard Förster explained to us that this restaurant is housed in the ancient sailor's guild hall and that in the "old days" sailors came in to relax after their boats had docked in the harbor. We travelled to Travemünde later in the afternoon and had the opportunity to observe hundreds of the famous German canopied wicker beach chairs used to protect bathers from the cold winds of the Baltic Sea. The day's trip concluded with a DAG invitation to cake and coffee at the restaurant on top of the Maritim Strandhotel in Travemünde.
On our last official day the DAG drove us to Goslar where we visited the Palace and the city before going for a beautiful drive though the Harz Mountains. The next morning, Barbara Taron visited the Celle Beekeeping institute and collected information to be used by the partnership during our Tulsa school presentations.
We all had a wonderful time and came back home with lasting memories and too many pictures. We thank the city of Celle for letting us use its mini bus, the DAG for hosting us, and especially Reinhard Förster who took the time to guide us during our DAG sponsored tours.
Election Dinner at Islamorada Restaurant 6/2
Picture taken by Angela Novak - The 2010 TCP election meeting was held at the Islamorada restaurant in Broken Arrow on 6/2. Barbara thanks the Nominating Committee (Kelley Fitter, Gwen Bieber, George Coppedge), and Arnold Bieber for making all the arrangements and conducting the meeting.
The elected 2010 Executive Committee is composed of the following members : President - Barbara Taron, VP Business - Chris Van Mieghem,
VP Education - Marja Willis, VP Exchanges - Doris Gallagher,
VP Finance - Kyra Houston, VP membership - Kelley Fitter,
VP Publicity and Historian - Arnold Bieber, Secretary - Andrew Akers.
The elected 2010 Executive Committee is composed of the following members : President - Barbara Taron, VP Business - Chris Van Mieghem,
VP Education - Marja Willis, VP Exchanges - Doris Gallagher,
VP Finance - Kyra Houston, VP membership - Kelley Fitter,
VP Publicity and Historian - Arnold Bieber, Secretary - Andrew Akers.
Siegi's restaurant outing 4/16
The Siegi restaurant outing was our most successful outing of the year. 45 members and guests participated in this event, and we all appreciated Siegi's hospitality and excellent food. The Rouladen and Schweinebraten were tender and tasty, and most people chose to sample a portion of each dish.
We were glad to see several of our new members Leigh Lamkin, Mary Ann Sharp, Mark and Peggy Sue Clemons, and Kyra Houston bring their guests. Doris Gallagher hosted Steve and Janet Bellovich who were involved 10 years ago in the process of getting the TCP approved as one of Tulsa's sister cities.
Barbara, our president, was very pleased to observe the meeting's convivial atmosphere and to see people moving around to chat with old and new friends.
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We were glad to see several of our new members Leigh Lamkin, Mary Ann Sharp, Mark and Peggy Sue Clemons, and Kyra Houston bring their guests. Doris Gallagher hosted Steve and Janet Bellovich who were involved 10 years ago in the process of getting the TCP approved as one of Tulsa's sister cities.
Barbara, our president, was very pleased to observe the meeting's convivial atmosphere and to see people moving around to chat with old and new friends.
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Marshall Brewery outing 3/5/10
The partnertship thanks David and Eric Marshall for hosting our March 5th meeting, for giving us a tour of their brewery facilities, and for treating us with a sampling of their excellent beers. David explained that the Marshall beers are brewed without any artificial ingredients, they contain only hop, water, yeast, and herbs. After the brewery tour given by Eric Marshall, several of our members commented that they had no idea that beer brewing involved so many processes. The outing was a complete success, and it was rated one of the best events of the year 2009/2010. Forty-six members and guests attended, and all appreciated the friendly hospitality of the Marshalls. Everyone enjoyed tasting the different beers produced at the brewery, and we could not help but notice that some people had so much trouble deciding which flavor was the best that they kept on trying different "samples" several times.
The brewery's reception room was larger than anticipated, and our members and guests were able to sit comfortably around tables with their friends, or stand by the bar and discuss the merits of each beer with other connoisseurs.The trays of a variety of cold-cut open faced sandwiches, and the deviled eggs prepared by Gwen and Barbara T. were appreciated by all.
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Gerald showed to the membership the 10-year anniversary gift which was purchased by the Partnership on behalf of the City of Tulsa. Officials from the City of Tulsa will present that gift to the Mayor of Celle during the June anniversary ceremonies in Celle. We collected $180 after expenses from the beer tasting fund raiser. We want to extend a special thank you to Mark Collins and to Jim Conrady for their extra donations. This income from this event will be used to help defray the cost of the Tulsa 10-year anniversary gift purchase.
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The brewery's reception room was larger than anticipated, and our members and guests were able to sit comfortably around tables with their friends, or stand by the bar and discuss the merits of each beer with other connoisseurs.The trays of a variety of cold-cut open faced sandwiches, and the deviled eggs prepared by Gwen and Barbara T. were appreciated by all.
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Gerald showed to the membership the 10-year anniversary gift which was purchased by the Partnership on behalf of the City of Tulsa. Officials from the City of Tulsa will present that gift to the Mayor of Celle during the June anniversary ceremonies in Celle. We collected $180 after expenses from the beer tasting fund raiser. We want to extend a special thank you to Mark Collins and to Jim Conrady for their extra donations. This income from this event will be used to help defray the cost of the Tulsa 10-year anniversary gift purchase.
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Christmas Party 12/12/09
48 members and guests attended the TCP Christmas party on 12/12/09. We were honored to have all of our past and presents TCP presidents with us for this event. Zadora Hightower, the TU exchange student who interned in Celle earlier this year gave us a short presentation about her pleasant experience in our lovely sister city. Barbara thanked Doris Gallagher for her help in preparing the table decorations, and she also mentioned that the DAG has invited 20 of our members to stay in Celle for three days before or after the Niedersachsen days. Barbara also informed the members present that the DAG is planning day trips to Lubeck and the Harz Mountains for the Tulsa visitors. A visiting Pastor Pastor from Düren, Germany, Pastor Hans Vielhauer, gave the invocation before the meal was served (see more pictures on the "Tulsa pictures" page).
The Eisenhower School Event Sponsored By TGA on 11/23/09
The South Broken Arrow Library Event sponsored by TGA on 11/14/09
(click on each picture to read its caption)
