Thirteen distinguished delegates from Ukraine, their Moraga host families and leaders from their sponsoring organization, the Center for Safe Energy, were joined by members of the Moraga Town Council and other interested residents on Saturday June 6 for a patio party at the Moraga home of Fred and Marla Schroeder. Having spent the previous week visiting civic and energy entities in the Bay Area, the delegates and hosts gathered for a final farewell on their last night together in the US. Forty guests in all shared the celebration of food, camaraderie and international friendship.
As civic dignitaries themselves, the delegates were honored to meet Moraga's own town leaders and expressed their appreciation to Mayor Trotter by presenting him with a traditional figurine. Vice Mayor Chew, Council Members Mendonca and Harpham and member spouses also attended the event.
The delegates were executives of Ukrainian public agencies such as Oleksandr Bagia, who is the Director of the Ukrainian National Environmental Movement "Khortitsky Forum", or Olena Yavorska, Department Head of the Department of Environmental Protection in the Vinnystya Region.
The Center for Safe Energy in Berkeley, founded by the late Fran Macy and Enid Schreibman, the current director, has been organizing technical and cultural collaborations, particularly pertaining to energy and environmental concerns, between Americans and citizens of the former Soviet Union since 1983. This exchange is run under the auspices of Open World, a program of the US government, inviting leaders from the countries of the former Soviet Union to observe first hand how our communities interact in the areas of social issues, the rule of law, and in this case, accountable governance. CSE delegates over the years had stayed with host families in Berkeley until a conversation between Enid and an old friend, Ellen Beans, led to the first home stays in Moraga, organized by Ellen. Delegates from Russia and Ukraine have been hosted by families in Moraga for the past four years; another delegation will arrive in September. Residents interested in housing Ukrainian delegates could contact Ellen at elbeans@comcast.net Host families for the recent delegation included Sheila and Harry Fish, Carrol and Bob Foxhall, Kay James, Marie Kahn, Carol MacNulty, Mary-Leigh Miller and Sandy Reed, who organized the stays. For further information on the Center for Safe Energy, or to volunteer as a host family, see www.centerforsafeenergy.org. Information on Open World can be found at www.openworld.gov.
As civic dignitaries themselves, the delegates were honored to meet Moraga's own town leaders and expressed their appreciation to Mayor Trotter by presenting him with a traditional figurine. Vice Mayor Chew, Council Members Mendonca and Harpham and member spouses also attended the event. 
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA