Newsletter Summer-Fall 2009

Valley eCHo
Newsletter of the
Arizona Swiss Society
www.arizonaswisssociety.com
Summer/Fall 2009
www.azch.org
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: ARIZONASWISSSOCIETY.COM
Board for 2009
President
Doris Torres
Vice President
Kurt Schittli
Treasurer
Fred Kohler
Secretary
Craig Livesay
Activity Chair Christian Bucher
Susan Oaks
Membership Chair
Marianne Sacarisen
Past President
Ueli Zaugg
Committee Members:
Newsletter
Ruth Brandy
Suzanne Steadman
Wood Rudolph
Sunshine Committee
Elizabeth Haechler
Cornelia Herzer
Yvonne Zaugg
Historian
Sigrid Kuster
Web site
Craig Livesay
Hon. Consul of Switzerland
Alisa C. Jost
Consul Emeritus of Switzerland
Max Haechler
Message from the President
Dear friends, liebe Freunde, chers amis, cari amici,
I sincerely hope this newsletter finds you well and in good spirits. We have many great
events planned for 2009. Our year started out with the Annual Meeting in mid-February with more than 50 people attending, enjoying a
nice luncheon in a warm and inviting atmosphere at the Mountain
Shadows golf club restaurant. The raffle was a great success and I
thank everyone for their generous item donations and purchases of
tickets to help our operating budget.
On Sunday, April 19th, we held our Spring Picnic at the Boyce
Thompson Arboretum together with a fabulous crowd of over 100
attendees. The weather was perfect with a light breeze, and the cactus and wildflowers simply amazing! Thank you to all who attended,
and to those who put their personal time and effort into making it
another fantastic event!
Our next event will be the 3rd Annual Pool and Summer Potluck Party at our home in
Mesa on Saturday, June 6th, 2009. I have the pleasure to announce the special appearance
of my dear sister, Monica Pososanto, a latin singer and songwriter who also sings in
“Schwyzertuetsch” who will perform live at the event. See the announcement inside this
newsletter for more details.
On Sunday, August 2nd, 2009, we will hold our 1st of August Swiss National Holiday celebration at the Rumsey Park in Payson, AZ. We are looking forward to the cooler temperatures in the Arizona mountains, while enjoying our afternoon with Swiss Gemuetlichkeit.
And last but not least, it is my pleasure to serve another year as your president. My dedicated board members make my job a breeze, and I am very proud to run such a dynamic
club with the tremendous help of our board, our membership, and many volunteers.
Thank you all for your continued commitment to our organization.
Try to stay cool, and we’ll see you soon at one of our next events!
Sincerely,
Doris Torres
President
(480) 784-7474
[email protected]
Spring picnic 2009
The golfers
CONSULATE OF SWITZERLAND IN ARIZONA
HONORARY SWISS CONSUL FOR ARIZONA
7320 E. Shoeman Lane Suite 201
Scottsdale, AZ 85251—3359
Tel 480-329-4705
Fax 480-945-4350
E-Mail: [email protected]
All correspondence should to be sent to:
Consulate General of Switzerland
11766 Wilshire Blvd #1400
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tel: 310-575-1145 * Fax 310-575-1982 * email: [email protected]
Donations 2009
Cuenoud Andre
Flueck Jacob & Alice
Flueckiger Max & Wally
Gisler Roland & Christine
Gmehlin Ursula & Fred
Graham Frieda
Haechler Max & Elsbeth
Hahnloser Rudolf
Keller Daniel & Sabrina
Kuster Dolf & Sigrid
Lucas Susi
Mueller Christian & Vicky
Rife Paul
Senuta Ingeborg & Donald
Strasser Mary
Streun Ernst & Maud
Wettstein Werner
A big thank you to
all who are supporting the Arizona
Swiss Society.
ARIZONA SWISS FOUNDATION
2009-10 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
THE SCHOLARHIP PROGRAM OF THE ARIZONA SWISS FOUNDATION IS DESIGNED TO STIMULATE AND ENCOURAGE THE SCHOLASTIC
SUCCESS OF THE MEMBERS AND CHILDREN OF THE ARIZONA SWISS SOCIETY AND THE SUPPORTERS OF THE ARIZONA SWISS
FOUNDATION.
THE ARIZONA SWISS FOUNDATION HOPES TO TAKE A ROLE IN DEVELOPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS BY PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP
MONEY TO STUDENTS. SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED BY THE ARIZONA SWISS FOUNDATION HAVE HELPED MANY DESERVING YOUNG
PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS. HIGH EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON SCHOLASTIC OR VOCATIONAL MERIT.
ELIGIBILITY
1.
APPLICANT MUST EITHER BE OF SWISS NATIONALITY OR OF SWISS DESCENT, WITH AT LEAST ONE GRANDPARENT OR GREAT
GRANDPARENT OF SWISS NATIONALITY.
2.
APPLICANT MUST BE A MEMBER OR A LEGAL DEPENDENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARIZONA SWISS SOCIETY.
3.
APPLICANT MUST PLAN TO BE ENROLLED AT A COLLEGE OR IN A VOCATIONAL/TECHNICAL SCHOOL FOR THE COMING
ACADEMIC YEAR AS A FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME STUDENTS (MINIMUM 6 CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER).
FOR APPLICATION MATERIALS PLEASE CONTACT:
ARIZONA SWISS FOUNDATION
MAX HAECHLER CHAIRMAN
3017 N. SCOTTSDALE ROAD
SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85251
480-945-0000
PLEASE SEND COMPLETED APPLICATION AND SUPPORTIVE MATERIALS, INCLUDING TRANSCRIPTS, TO:
MRS. SUZANNE STEADMAN
2410 S. CLARK
TEMPE, AZ 85282
APPLICATION DEADLINE JULY 31, 2009
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To be considered for a possible scholarship, please complete a scholarship application form with the following documents:
1– Essay (maximum one page), covering the following points:
Educational and career goals
Ties to Switzerland and the Arizona Swiss Society
Community involvement and service
Personal interests
What it means to receive this scholarship
2– Official transcripts of all course work completed at the college or university level.
3– Official High School transcripts including grades for the Senior year (Graduated High school
seniors only)
Note: Applicants who applied for an Arizona Swiss Foundation scholarship in 2008
need only submit transcripts for course work complete during the past academic year (2008-09).
4– Copies of the ACT, SAT or other college level entrance examination (Graduated High
school seniors only)
5– Letters of recommendation from two unrelated individuals, stating the relationship to the
applicant.
NOTE: APPLICATION MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JULY 31, 2009
Grants of up to $1000.00 may be made to up to three students. Selection of recipients is at
the discretion of a panel of Arizona educators independent of the Arizona Swiss society. Recipients will be notified before the annual fall picnic. They will be recognized at the event and
are expected to be present for the occasion. Award checks will be payable to the applicant’s
school.
CLUB NEWS
SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
Elsbeth Haechler—Cornelia Herzer—Yvonne Zaugg
480-945-0935
602-788-0496
480-816-1122
Please call any of these ladies should you have any news about a member’s illness etc.
Rudy Strasser
Rudy died on December 4, 2008. He was born in Bern, Switzerland on August 6, 1924. He is survived by his wife of 48 years,
Mary.
Rudy had a degree in butchering-sausage making, and he had a
dream of owning a restaurant with a butcher shop. In 1953 he
immigrated to Canada and the CPR Canadian National Railroad
hired him as a meat specialist to work at the Hotel Royal in Toronto. After the season he worked at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria
in New York, followed with working in Reno, Nevada at
Eugene’s Restaurant. It was there that he met Louis German in 1958. They formed a partnership
and moved to Scottsdale to start a French restaurant and named it “Chez Louis”. It was an instant success.
Rudy was a man of action in the work place and in sports, and he was a fanatical alpine skier. In
1961 he married Mary Hofer, a family friend, also from Bern. They bought a house in Paradise
Valley built by Berny Young, and Rudy, with his gardening talents, turned his acre into a botanical garden which he and Mary enjoyed for many years.
A private memorial service was held at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley.
Anita Bernice Chevallier
Anita Bernice Chevallier was born May 31, 1921 in Allentown, PA., and she went to her
heavenly rest on December 17, 2008. Her husband Frank Chevallier deeply misses her, as
they were married for 51 years. They got married in Montreal and lived with Anthony,
Hugh and Kathryn, children from a previous marriage. They worked in Quebec City and
in Montreal and came to the US in 1976. At our first Swiss club meeting we met Mary and
Rudy Strasser. It is lonely here without Anita. The children encouraged me to enroll at
Phoenix Collage where I study anthropology. I am sure Anita approves. May she rest in
peace.
Getting to know…..
Christian “Chrigel” Bucher
Hi!
Together with Susan Oake, I have recently been elected as Activity Chair on the Arizona Swiss Society Board of Directors. I
participate in our organization with great pleasure – it always
feels good to chitchat in Schwiizertuetsch with fellow compatriots. Mind you, I also try to practice it with the wife and the
dog!
Every now and then, but at least once a year, I travel to my native town of Buelach, where I grew up and lived for almost
twenty years. It’s a charming little town, and I didn’t realize
how picturesque it really is until I moved to America.
After a 3-year commercial apprenticeship at Migros, and my proud service and training in all kinds
of arms and explosives for the fatherland, I joined the now fallen Swiss icon Swissair for 5 years in
their technical department, shepherding the flow 0f aircraft spare parts. I went on and spent a few
years with a car rental company in their Marketing department, and then as a field sales representative for Minolta. In the meantime, Swissair disintegrated into a variety of independent companies,
one of them called SRTechnics, and I couldn’t pass up a great job offer they had for me. Went then
back to school for a year of Business Management.
Despite the good life and nice travel discounts, I still had the urge to get a University degree, and to
get the “experience abroad” so nicely sought after by Swiss employers. Thus, I arrived in the US in
January 2002 as a student at the University of Massachusetts, and transferred to Arizona State University in August 2003 (despite cheap lobsters and steamer clams, I found MA rather gloomy….). I
graduated in December 05 with a BS in Supply Chain Management. It was during those student
(party) times when I met that lovely girl Kelly at Dos Gringos – a popular student hangout. We fell in
love and got married two years later, and now live happily with our dog Buddy in our own house in
Gilbert. I work for the Apollo Group/University of Phoenix as a Corporate Buyer. We like the outdoors,
getting together with good friends, travelling, walking the dog, and going to Baseball games, especially during Spring Training. Kelly roots for the Cubs, and I for the D-Backs!
With that being said, I hope you enjoy our Swiss Club and am always open for your input and suggestions. As for our part, Susan and I will do our best to never run out of Bratwurst on our parties!
Cheers!
Steve and Doris Torres invite you to their
3rd Annual Swiss Pool & Potluck Party!!!
Beat the heat and join us for a fun-filled afternoon in and around the pool. Enjoy
the great company of your Swiss friends and enjoy treats from Switzerland and
around the world. We have a very kid-friendly pool, with a large shallow shelf,
slide, diving board, grotto and Jacuzzi. Everyone is invited, even if you don’t want
to swim! Just come and have fun!
When: Saturday, June 6th, 2009 from 3pm -7pm
Where: Torres residence, 6446 E. Trailridge Cir #25, Mesa, AZ 85215
What: bring your swim gear and your favorite dish or dessert
We will provide music, soft drinks,
beer & appetizers.
Special Guest:
My sister, Monica Pososanto, Swiss singer & songwriter will entertain
us live.
Get to know her at www.monicapososanto.ch
Please RSVP by Thursday, June 4th to Doris at (480) 784-7474 or at
[email protected]
by Sigrid Kuster
Today I would like you to learn more about Switzerland. I have found two great books you will enjoy. Switzerland is for the younger crowd, whereas Cultures of Switzerland is for the more advanced readers. Parents, you might enjoy them also.
The capital of Switzerland is Berne. The city has a famous clock tower where mechanical figures
appear and "perform" every hour. The symbol of Berne is a bear. There are no longer any bears in
the famous bear pit (Bärengraben), but soon the Bärenpark will be opened nearby where you will
be able to watch bears.
Switzerland
by Kristin Van Cleaf (2008)
ABDO Publishing Company
ISBN 978-1-59928-786-7
www.abdopublishing.com
Cultures of Switzerland
by Patricia Levy (2005)
Marshall Cavendish Benchmark ISBN 0-76141850-4 www.marshallcavendish.us
I found the books at the Scottsdale Public Library
They are available at www.amazon.com
Color the Berne coat of arms:
Unscramble these words:
EBNRE
ABRE
REZDAISWTNL
TICLAPA
UTRECLU
DRE
WEYOLL
CLABK
New members 2009
Gmehlin Roger & Kate
rd
13355 N 93 Way
Ali Claudia & Safdar & Nur & Shawn
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
15413 E Lomas Verdes Lane
480-860-8268
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
[email protected]
480-471-0977
[email protected]
303 S Recker Rd # 268
LaMoure Alexander & Annette
480-325-9524
262-893-0103
Favro-Bucher Rita
11766 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 1400
Los Angeles, CA 900025
[email protected]
13413 N 35th Ave # 2084
602-283-4483
[email protected]
Mesa, AZ 85206
[email protected]
Schoch Dettweiler Brigitta,
Consul General
310-575-1145
Phoenix, AZ 85029
Callsen-Vogler Anita
Honorary Member
Streun Ernst & Maud
931 Goldenrod Street
Phoenix, AZ 85048
480-248-7007
Leuner Henry & Rita
[email protected]
23938 Sardinia Dr
Thornton John
Sorrento, FL 32776
7929 E Joshua Tree Lane
[email protected]
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
602-717-0730
13901 W Via Montoya
Sun City West, AZ 85375
Oake Susan
623-433-9853
9639 N 16th Pl
[email protected]
Phoenix, AZ 85020
[email protected]
602-687-7871
Fischer Nathalie & Pascal & Justin
[email protected]
7453 E Knowles Avenue
Mesa, AZ 85209
Rumbaugh Max
480-214-3713
8731 E San Pablo Drive
[email protected]
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
480-991-3059
Gisler Roland & Christine & Nicole
[email protected]
Change of address:
Haechler Andrea
1866 E Fountain St
Mesa, AZ 85203
Ph# 480-720-8148
[email protected]
8989 N Gainey Center Drive # 140
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Strasser Mary
480-596-1857
8300 E McDowell Road
[email protected]
Apt 1055
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Gmehlin Ursula & Fred
Ph# 480-948-6378
27408 N Azatlan Drive
Rio Verde, AZ 85263
Zinsli Gabriel & Frances
480-471-7728
New e-mail contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
MIXED SWISS NEWS
Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking in Alps
AP – People in Appenzell Inner Rhodes, Switzerland, vote by raising their hands on Sunday, April 26,
2009. …
By HARRY ROSENBAUM, Associated Press Writer Harry Rosenbaum, – APPENZELL, Switzerland –
Voters in the heart of the Swiss Alps on Sunday passed legislation banning naked hiking after dozens of
mostly German nudists started rambling through their picturesque region.
By a show of hands citizens of the tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhoden voted overwhelmingly at
their traditional open-air annual assembly to impose a 200 Swiss franc ($176) fine on violators.
Only a scattering of people on Sunday opposed the ban on the back-to-nature activity that took off last autumn when naked hikers started showing up in eastern Switzerland. The cantonal government recommended
the ban after citizens objected to encountering walkers wearing nothing but hiking boots and socks.
"The reactions of the population have shown that such appearances over a large area are perceived as thoroughly disturbing and irritating," the government said in a statement. A similar legal move is expected in
neighboring Appenzell Outer Rhoden with legislation being prepared against "this shameless behavior."
German web sites promoting the activity describe it as "a special experience of nature, free and healthy" and
said nude walking in the Alps has roots in antiquity. The verdant Appenzell region has been regarded as a favorite, with trails the nudists regarded as off the beaten path.
The German sites also promote walks in France and in regions of Germany, where public nudity has roots
going back to the 18th century through a movement that has come to be called "Free Body Culture." Nudism
in more conservative areas of Switzerland is less common.
87. Auslandschweizer-Kongress-Luzern, 7. bis 9. August 2009
Inwiefern sind die Auslandschweizerinnen und
Auslandschweizer, die zehn Prozent der Schweizer
Bevölkerung repräsentieren, eine Bereicherung für
unser Land? Bringen sie der Schweiz einen
«Mehrwert» bezüglich Image, Renommee und
globalem Networking? Verstehen sich unsere Landsleute im Ausland als Botschafterinnen und
Botschafter der Schweiz und ihrer Werte?
All diesen Fragen widmet sich der 87. Auslandschweizer-Kongress, der vom 7. bis 9. August 2009 unter dem Motto «Die Auslandschweizer ? Eine Bereicherung für unser Land?» im neuen Kongresszentrum des
Verkehrshauses Luzern stattfinden wird.
Fast 700'000 Landsleute leben im Ausland und 120'000 von ihnen sind in einem schweizerischen
Stimmregister eingetragen. Während die politische Bedeutung der Auslandschweizer langsam
aber sicher von den politischen Parteien erkannt wird, wird das wirtschaftliche, soziale, kulturelle und imagemässige Gewicht noch weitgehend ignoriert. Unsere Landsleute im Ausland
sind nicht nur «Botschafterinnen und Botschafter» unserer Werte, sondern haben auch eine ausgeprägte «Networking»-Funktion.
Der Kongress möchte aufzeigen und illustrieren, inwiefern die helvetische Diaspora einen
«Mehrwert» für die Schweiz repräsentiert und warum dieses Potential vermehrt durch Behörden
und Unternehmen anerkannt und ausgeschöpft werden sollte.
Illustere Rednerinnen und Redner werden während den kurzen Referaten, an die sich jeweils
eine Podiumsdiskussion anschliesst, Realitäten und Mythen rund um den Beitrag der Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer an unser Land beleuchten. So ist zum Beispiel Claude Beglé, der für CICR, Nestlé und Philip Morris gearbeitet hat und ist jetzt VR-Präsident der Post ist,
bei uns zu Gast. Da er jahrelang Auslandschweizer war, wird er uns an seinen ganz persönlichen
Erfahrungen und Erkenntnissen zu diesem Thema teilhaben lassen. Weitere Referenten am Kongress werden der Präsident von Schweiz Tourismus, Jürg Schmid und die Bundeskanzlerin,
Corina Casanova sein.
Der 87. Auslandschweizer-Kongress ist in der wunderschönen Stadt Luzern zu Gast und hat für
Geist, Herz und Gaumen einiges zu bieten.
Anlässlich eines Besuchs des Verkehrsmuseums werden sich die Kongressteilnehmenden eine
Reihe von Errungenschaften vor Augen führen können, die teilweise nur entstehen konnten, weil
sich deren Erfinder in die Fremde wagten und dadurch neue Erkenntnisse gewonnen haben.
Am Sonntag wird sich den Teilnehmenden die Gelegenheit bieten, die Stadt Luzern und ihre
Umgebung zu erkunden. Die Teilnehmer werden entweder die Stadt Luzern entdecken oder mit
einem Schiff über den Vierwaldstättersee fahren und den Rigi besuchen. Auch der 87. Auslandschweizer-Kongress . wird wieder interessant und spannend sein.
It's a mouthful of criteria, to be sure. Cities were ranked on an index where New York
City was 100. Vienna, for example, scored a 108.6, Zürich, Switzerland, came in second at
108, Geneva was next at 107.9 and Vancouver notched a win for North America by finishing fourth at 107.4. At the bottom, by contrast, were Baghdad, at 14.4; Bangui, capital of
the Central African Republic at 29.3, and N'Djamena, Chad, notable for it's difficult pronunciation and constant rebel attacks, at 31.3.
Submitted by Steve Sieger
EVENTS IN SWITZERLAND
Calvin Jubilee Celebration 2009 at the International Museum of the Reformation, Geneva
APRIL 24 - NOVEMBER 1, 2009
This year the 500th birthday of Jean Calvin is celebrated with several special events in his
hometown Geneva. The exposition "A day in the live of Calvin" just opened a few days
ago at the International Museum of the Reformation. In 2007 the International Museum
of the Reformation has been awarded with one of the highest distinctions for a European
museum, the "Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2007", for its remarkable contribution
to the understanding of European heritage and culture. Installed on the ground floor of
the magnificent Maison Mallet, located next to Saint-Pierre Cathedral, the Museum presents the main elements of this spiritual and cultural tradition. The close ties of Geneva
to the Revolution are illustrated with unique objects, manuscripts, rare books, engravings
and paintings. State-of-the-art design, films, a music room and events, including many for
children, invite visitors to both rediscover the past and imagine the future. Check the
website for current events. https://www.musee-reforme.ch/english-version/
Do not forget to visit: www.ThinkSwiss.org www.swissroots.org
GENERAL INFORMATION @
Official Swiss Internet Portal: www.swissworld.org, www.ch.ch
Swiss Embassy Washington and Consulates in the USA: www.swissemb.org
PRS, Presence Switzerland: www.presence.ch
News in 9 languages: www.swissinfo.org
Misc. : www.switzerland.com
Tourism: www.myswitzerland.com
Govt.: www.admin.ch
Dance: www.tanznetz.ch
Film: www.swissfilms.ch, www.filmnet.ch
Museums: www.museums.ch
Theater: www.theater.ch
Opera: www.operabase.com
Arts Council of Switzerland: www.pro-helvetia.ch
83 rd BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION
OF
Andre Cuenoud
What a wonderful
surprise to get a belated birthday
bouquet.
I am enjoying it
tremendously.
Thank you so much!
(Ruth Brandy)
JOIN US FOR THE
UPCOMING EVENT
August 2, 2009
IN COOL PAYSON
(DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED)
From
Arizona Swiss Society
Ruth Brandy
9009 Palmer Drive
Sun Lakes, AZ 85248