Art reported his office had contacted six employers and that there has been an increase from this past year of 15 people. Most continue to commute from Marshall.

Janie Houf was unable to attend. She sent an e-mail that she has had one Hispanic family for three years and recently the couple had a baby. She maintains contact with the family.

Twice a week she teaches a Chinese student who is attending Boonville High School.

This coming year, Janie says, she will be unable to offer additional ESL classes.

Festival of Lights September 28:

Andy Melendez reported that Sedalia’s Amigos Christos would once again perform at the booth, which this year will be across the street from Butternut Bread next to the ERA Real Estate office. Last year the group performed a puppet show in English and Spanish.

This year will be a medley of songs in English and Spanish.

Set-up will be at 4:30 p.m. and the evening festival will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Art Schneider will be in Kansas City for Practical Parenting Partnerships and be unable to participate this year. However, he has arranged for two tables from the Extension Center meeting room, a large poster and Spanish language publications on nutrition, health, and childcare.

Tom White has arranged for Spanish language pamphlets on what to do in an emergency..

Art said there also would be beads for necklaces and bracelets.

Tom will be working the entire festival and four Thursdays, so will not be able to assist with the booth.

Raquel said he son had football that night and that she would help prepare, but not be able to help set up.

Art will send out a note to all on the list for assistance and ask them to contact Andy. (Bianca Thoma sent an e-mail after the meeting and said she would assist.)

Chris Angelo reviewed the CD that Christina Vasquez Case had sent. Christina said she met the mayor at a meeting and that he was interested in a sister city. Chris said the CD was largely pictures of the community—San Jose Iturbide in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. It bills itself at the gateway to the northwest (of Mexico). It is south of Monterrey.

Chris said this area is rich in history. There appeared to be some interest in pursuing the sister city relationship. Chris will contact the high school Spanish club to see if the club is interested. Unknown is the distance to the nearest commercial airport.

Chris said there is a Cervantes festival Guanajuato City in Guanajuato State.

Art will contact Christina to see how the mayor can be reached and forward that information to Chris Angelo. He said he is very busy at this time and it might be later in September before he can follow up.

Art shared the new brochure that was printed in Spanish/English to welcome Hispanics/Latinos to the area. It includes lists of employers, social services, churches, welcome from Boonville and Cooper and Howard counties.

The brochures have been distributed to Fuqua and Janie Houf also picked up brochures for distribution. At the Festival of Lights brochures also will be distributed. There were 125 brochures printed. Partial funding was through the City of Boonville.

Addendum: Janie Houf’s ESL student, Na/Lin, was the waitress for the meeting. Her parents live in China and she is living with her aunt, the owner of China Star.