BOULDER MANTE SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE P O Box 1426 Boulder, Colorado 80306

30TUhttp://boulder-mante.orgU30T

ANNUAL REPORT

March 1, 2018

Donde el Azucar es mas Dulce que la Miel “Where sugar is sweeter than honey” Official motto of Mante)

About our Sister City, Ciudad de Mante From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location of within Mante formally Ciudad Mante is a city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city is the municipal seat of El Mante municipality in extreme southern Tamaulipas, and lies in the northwestern portion of the municipality. It had a 2005 census population of 81,884 inhabitants, or about 73 percent of El Mante's [1] total of 112,061.P P The city is the state's ninth-largest community in population. El Mante has an area of 1,699.98 km² (656.37 sq mi), and includes smaller outlying communities such as El Limón, El Abra, Nueva Apolonia,and El Naranjo. Ciudad Mante is served by the Ciudad Mante National Airport

The region known today as Mante is taken from the Huastecan Indian name, "cinco potreros de Tamatán", or the five pasture grounds, and in the "Tenek" or Huastecan language a word that means, "the embarkation of canoes."

Background: The Boulder Mante Sister City relationship is an outgrowth of an annual medical campaign to Ciudad de Mante, Mexico developed by Boulder Community Hospital (Health--BCH) and several outreach programs with Boulder Rotary and First Presbyterian Church in Boulder. Boulder City council approved the relationship on December 7, 1999. A formal proclamation uniting the cities of Mante and Boulder was signed in Mante in January, 2000 and again in Boulder on July 7, 2000 at Folsom Stadium.

Medical Campaign suspended: Shortly after the medical team had been in Mante in 2010, reports became available of drug related gang activity in the Mante area. After monitoring the situation for several months, Boulder Community suspended the 2011 medical campaign and put on hold returning to Mante until safety issues were no longer an issue. In concurrence with that decision, the Boulder-Mante Sister City committee also suspended visits to its sister city in Mexico. During the interim period there have been several medical, cultural and teacher visitations by our friends from Mante to Boulder.

Return to Mante: Over a five day period, February 18-22, 2017 Norris Hermsmeyer and Pam Hyink, President and Secretary, respectively, of the Boulder Mante Sister City committee returned for a visit to Mante to investigate safety conditions and discuss opportunities for reengaging with the Mante community. Their conclusion was that Mante seemed safe and operating as usual.

Medical assessment: At the time of the visit, letters to Boulder Community Health were drafted by the Mayor of Mante, a State Deputy and the Secretary of State for the State of Tamaulipas asking if BCH would consider returning to Mante with its medical campaign.

BCH planned to return to Mante in early February, 2018 to do an assessment of the civil and medical conditions in Mante, but received notice that the US State Dept. had placed a travel advisory on the State of Tamaulipas suggesting US travelers avoid the state and four other states in Mexico. Based on this notice, BCH decided to postpone its assessment trip.

Teacher exchange: After several year’s absence, several Boulder teachers were planning to visit Mante during spring break. Again, due to the US State Dept. warning the teachers decided to postpone their visit until 2019. Instead, the Boulder teachers extended an invitation to Mante teachers to visit Boulder this year. Several Mante teachers have responded and intend to visit Boulder in early April.

Youth exchange: During the 2017-18 school year, Mariana Diaz, from Mante, has been a student at Fairview High School. Her visa for the school year was obtained through a process established by the main office of Sister Cities International. Mariana is staying with a host family and is visited regularly by members of the Boulder-Mante host committee.

Counterpart visit: In mid-Feb., Erick Diaz, who is the chair of the Boulder-Mante Sister City committee in Mante visited Boulder. As part of his visit, Erick was able to visit with some staff members at Boulder Community Health and several Boulder teachers. His message to these groups was that Mante is safe and that violence in the state of Tamaulipas was based primarily along the US/Mexico border.

Erick did attend a meeting of the Boulder Sister City Alliance and offered that his group in Mante would plant a tree in a city park of Mante this year symbolizing the hope for peace that both communities desire for this world. This coincides with the Alliance Trees4Peace program to plant eight trees in East Palo Park this year.

A (2) List of Board members

Norris Hermsmeyer, President Jean Bedell, Vice-President Pam Hyink, Secretary Rich Lopez, Treasurer Chan Mortimer Celeste Landry Jesper Frant Sharon Trumpeter Elfa Rodriguez Jeannie DeMarinis Gary Kahn City Council Liaison: Mary Young

A (3) By laws of the Boulder Mante Sister City Committee state that membership is open to anyone with an interest in the work of the committee and membership shall not be denied to anyone based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a minority group, membership in a particular social group or because of expression of unpopular political opinions.

A (4) Financial report:

Starting balance, Jan. 1, 2017 $7213.54

Transferred to Dental Aid * $6346.29

Ending balance, Dec, 31, 2017 $ 867.25

The committee maintained a balance of funds designated for a dental project for several years. As it became apparent that a dental mission in the near future was not likely, the principals for this project were asked where they would like the funds to be transferred. In accordance with their wishes, the balance of funds were transferred to Boulder Dental Aid.